Confessions Of A DIR Virgin

[Miss Roxy Chablis]

Was due to do the Kyarra with Clare (Gledders) and a bunch of the fundies guys on Weds but as you may have read elsewhere - we got weathered off at the last minute. I'm starting to wonder if that wreck is a figment of my imagination judging by the number of times I've had dives cancelled on it this past season.



I persuaded Clare to come down to the NDAC at Chepstow instead and give myself and Arne my regular dive buddy a taster of what DIR is all about.



We've both been diving about a year and we're currently doing a PADI Divemaster course together. I want to continue on from that with technical diving for the more challenging stuff like deep wrecks coz I'm a complete rust bunny.



Having done my homework on the internet and various other places - I feel that DIR is the way forward but with several reservations:



-It gets a lot of flack from the diving community in general - particularly tech divers - bordering on animosity and hatred in some cases.



-From the "outside in" its seems a bit anal and pedantic and like no-ones having any fun!



-It seems to be something of a dark art shrouded in mystery with impenetrably high standards.



Well we had a great time diving with Clare on Weds and being the little chocolate powered force of nature that she is - a lot of those preconceptions have been changed. I thought it might be helpful for other DIR wannabees like myself to get some feedback on what a DIR Try Dive is like, these are my observations:



- Assuming Clare is indicative of DIR standards in general (and as Tech 1 - I'm sure she is) - these guys are phenomenally good in the water. The trim, buoyancy, finning techniques and the subtle, effortless interaction with the equipment is deeply impressive. Recreational and even many tech divers just do not look like this in the water. When you see it - you will want that level of skill for yourself.



-DIR is extremely team orientated. You get some idea of this, but only when talking to Clare about it did I realise just how inter dependent DIR divers are on each other. Most recreational divers think that a buddy is that person floating around over there somewhere who might just get you out of the sh*t if it all goes wrong and most tech divers are solo or in loose groups. DIR is all about shared task loading and team problem solving at its heart, which I love, but if you're a bit of a "lone wolf" - you may not.



-The DIR bar is set very high - if you've passed - you've really earnt it! Or perhaps more correctly - everyone else's is set too low (I have no direct experience of BSAC - I'm sure they're a bit better than PADI but probably not a lot) I've been marching through PADI courses like they're going out of fashion this year, trying to find a challenge, which with the exception of the DM course - they haven't been. You pay up, turn up, put up and if you don't completely cock up - you walk away with a card feeling like a hero. Armed with said card and in the certain knowledge that you're now the b£stard love child of Sheck Exley & Billy Deans, you then throw yourself into dives that you're really not up to and if you're lucky enough to survive them, the experience teaches you more than the course ever did. It's an education I suppose - but its far from ideal and it's killing a lot of UK divers.



- The follow on from this is that although you may feel you're not worthy - my conclusion is that you're much better starting "Doing It Right" early on before the bad habits have set in and the rule of Primacy has etched them into you subconscious. The trouble with this is finding DIR trained guys to take you under their wing and "coach" you for fundies. I know that Clare has been doing a lot of this and her "wings" (Evolve wings - cow) are pretty full right now. Maybe the time has come for a few others to follow her lead and take on some "paduans" and mentor them through to fundies and beyond. I think this would remove a lot of the "dark art shrouded in mystery with impenetrably high standards" issue that I mentioned earlier. DIR-F is not impossible from a standing start from what Clare was saying - but I reckon this works better and makes it more accessible to people.



- The kit is expensive - but when you see the quality of it - how well thought out it is and how beautifully it works as a whole - it starts to look like value. Like many divers I already have the "cupboard of shame" full of all sorts of expensive snake oil nonsense that will never be used again. In one year alone I've been through more fins than a Helsinki brothel. Just do exactly what the GUE website equipment guidelines say, buy it once only and watch it last. Clearly as your reach extends - you buy new equipment, but you don't keep replacing the basics coz they don't do the job



- DIR as a concept now makes sense to me. Before it was - of course you want to "do it right" - who wants to "do it wrong". As a result of Weds - I've come to understand that what it really means is unless you accept every aspect of the system and its disciplines as whole - there's no point in diving DIR because you're only as strong as the weakest link you've omitted or overlooked. Sods law says that the one small detail is what fails and causes you problems. It holds a different light on the apparently anal attention to detail - there really is a good reason for doing everything in such a specific way



We stopped off for coffee with Clare on the way home and from the conversation we had about diving in general and specifically with her team (Alastair & Fraser) it became obvious that whilst they take their DIR diving very seriously indeed, contrary to popular belief: they don't take themselves too seriously at all. So to end my ramblings - I guess what I'm saying is if like me you're interested - just hook up with one of the guys on the board and go for a dive. I can't imagine that anyone, whatever their skill level or experience, wouldn't come away having learnt something and I'm sure, like us, you'll have a load of fun.



Mal Bridgeman in another thread discussed the idea that "You don't know what you don't know" and its very true. Looking back over some slightly brown adrenaline moments in my first years diving - I think its perhaps more appropriate to say "I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then". I hope that 2006 and fundies will lead to a few less of those moments!

[resting rifleman]

howard, the kyarra is very much "on the numbers" as is your splendid post!
you wont hear any slagging of dir/gue from me!
green incoming! hope to get you onto the "k" sometime, (are you the bad weather magnet? )

[GLOC]

Originally Posted by resting rifleman

Are you the bad weather magnet?

If so, we ain't inviting you again

[Mark Chase]

A great post echoing many of my own thoughts. Seeing Bob and Adny Carrol in the water impressed me seeing Gledders in the water after just one year of training blue me away and All is right up there to (don't know All's background)

I am a convert to the discipline and teem work of DIR. IF this standard can be maintained It will be superb. I hope to my dive god they don't dumb down and go commercial keep it all elite and quality pleeeeeeeeesssss.

Equipment wise I am smiling a bit because I just don't think the quality is there yet. But they seem to be taking notice. Massive complaints about the batch of sieve like DUI dry suits, crap tailoring on under suits, low quality stainless steel used on reels and torches, fraying wings, failed wing inflates & plastic bits that fall apart.... no sorry you cant claim that DIR equipment is top of the range. The fins are bullet proof but are they the best performing fins money can buy. No, not by a long shot.

I hope the existing DIR teem will strive to keep the quality of training high and force the management / instructors to realize it is in their best interests to fail anyone who dosent make the grade. I also hope the existing members will exert maximum pressure on the manufacturers to bring the quality of their equipment up to the quality of their diving.

ATB

Mark Chase

[And]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

I know that Clare has been doing a lot of this and her "wings" (Evolve wings - cow) are pretty full right now. Maybe the time has come for a few others to follow her lead and take on some "paduans" and mentor them through to fundies and beyond.

The truth is people like Davey Willo, Mark Emery, Bob Cooper, myself, John Kendall etc etc, have been doing this for the last couple of years. I'm happy to dive with anyone who is interested in finding out a little more, as long as we can arrange a suitable date/location, especially now it is winter.

The truth is, as Clare will find out, you tend to go through a period where training in quarries is what you do to get to Tech1, and therefore you meet a lot of YDers and dive with loads of people getting the required skills up to standard. After that, then you tend to prioritise your time for the trimix diving you have been working towards. Then you go and do cave, and its cave dives you do etc etc. all of which means you simply have less time and less enthusiasm about doing valve drills and SDrills in quarries.

During the winter you will find many more DIR/GUE divers are willing to go along and play in the quarries as it is an opportunity to go diving. You can either post in the DIR forum or the 'looking for buddies' section, or PM the person you are interested in diving with, if you have a specific person in mind. I thought that the recent 'intro to DIRF' session run by Rich Walker at the recent DIR gig was very successful. I am sure that if you asked him, he would be happy to arrange something.

Andy

[KeyLimePie]

Cracking post, Howard. At the risk of sounding obsequious, I had a similar experience with a DIR diver recently (he knows who he is . When I discovered he was DIR, I thought oh shit, this is going to be embarrassing - what with me barely qualified an' all. But nothing of the sort. We did a couple of dives clocking up the best part of 2 hours, but it only took a few minutes in the water to realise I was diving with someone that was, in terms of ability, light years beyond anyone else I'd ever dived with. As you say the buoancy control and everything else seemed effortless. The most pleasing thing for me, though, was the way that a few words of advice and the teaching of some new underwater skills were imparted with magnanimity, consideration and empathy. Ok, these qualities are not restricted to DIR divers, but my experience dispelled any doubts I harboured about their reputed attitude towards other divers, and has certainly opened my mind to the underlying philosophy these divers are committed to.

Dave

[ratcliffe]

Dave I know that feeling. I have dived with one guy who is heading into DIR as we speak from here, and another guy who is an instructor in his governing body, and both of them were light years ahead of me with bouyancy and general trim etc.
Now I'm newly back into the whole diving thing, and I have a lot of work to do to get my kit up to current "basic" level (my kit is universally PADI '94 vintage ) but I'm working on it, in the same way as the DIR guys are working towards their targets. Good luck to them, and to Howard if he goes that way too!

Howard, I really enjoyed reading your post, its always good to hear the views of people who have come in from outside for a look, and it blows away a few commonly held misconceptions. Cheers! Incoming...

[divingniknaks]

Howard a fabulous post mate. Have a blob for your troubles.

As And has pointed out quite a few people will take this time out to do DIR intros. My own thanks go to Davey Willo and Jen Cowling (a lurker here) for the tremendous amount of support and advice and time they gave up to get me going and in some nearly half fit state for DIR-F.

The UK DIR scene would be a sorry place without you all and I for one thank you all for the ongoing support and advice you give us.

Lighter note now, Mark, the "flawed kit" we never saw the DIRZONE name up there, maybe you should take a look my way

I'll get me own coat ta.

[CALLISTO]

And ,Have to say that your idea is a good one ..in the winter and with my work pattern i'm always looking to get wet. when home .Especially winter/midweek and as you say as things warm up i have my own diving skills to progress on, my cave experience needs building on for instance.and my Tech diving for that matter.

I would be willing to step forward ..if people are interested in DIR (Hate that word) and want an insight to what its all about..general skills etc i would be willing to dive with interested folk

Best Andy

PS Not looking to preach or convert !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Captain Deco]

Again.....a nice post.

I read it with interest as I am off to Portland to do the fundies on Friday......and although I know the course is not the holy grail of diving, I feel that I will be improving on a good knowledge base (PADI trained so far) and therefore become not only a better diver, but a better buddy.

This was confirmed when I bumped into Mark Emery in my LDS today, and had a long chat with him which confirmed that I hadn't made a mistake in going for the fundies, and maybe, in the far (or near) future....tech 1 and beyond.

well.......off I trot. I can't read the fundies book anymore, so I shall kick ass on my Xbox 360 (got it today) so that when i get paid Friday I can get the connector to go wireless, and then go online to kick the collective Xbox playing YD'ers out there. Be afraid.....be very afraid.