I don't think I'm a DIR wannabe but I am becoming DIR curious and had it not been a bit far I would have put my name down for the gig.
I tend not to dive in quarries these days. I am fortunate that I live on the North East coast and can get in at The Farnes or St Abbs all year round – conditions permitting. I’ve probably had as many dives blown out this year as I’ve done in the UK, but hey-ho that’s the nature of the beast.
If I have a new bit of kit to try I am more than likely to go to the gulley at Eyemouth or shore dive Beadnell than I am to go to a quarry – but I haven’t always felt like this. It is only within the last few years (and curiously since joining YD
) that my confidence and competence have increased to a level where I am happy to sensibly try new things in the sea in an environment where I know I can get me and my buddy out of the poop safely if anything goes wrong.
Thinking back to how I felt as a relatively novice diver, I’d have preferred to try new stuff and learn new skills in a puddle. I know nothing about DIR really, so I would be a ‘newbie’ again, and if I was going to travel a considerable distance to meet up with a number of people who are also giving up their own time, I’d want to make sure I could get into the water without fear of being blown out, and to try new kit without the added stress of current, swell and challenging dive site entry conditions.
On top of this, I suffer from Irritable Bowel, and whilst I’m sure you don’t want to her the ins and
outs of my colon
, meeting somewhere with decent facilities makes for a much more comfortable day for the likes of me.
Hxxx