BSAC Sport Diver next...or DIR-F?? Advice please.

[Beardy]

or should I do DIR-F?

Ok, so I've got 15 dives to my name and I'm a new newbie. I've done OD and I'm a member of BSAC. In theory It should cost me no beer vouchers to do my Sport Diver training, but in practise it's going to come down to club memebers freely giving their time to train me. As ther is only one other club memeber in my position, it could possibley be only me as well, which is not a good investemnt of club instructor time.

I also appreciate that the thing I have got to do most is get in the water, and I want to do that. Now that I've got over my first dive related ear infection, I'm ready to get wet again, but I've gonanad gone on holiday with my family, and I've taken my suit into be added to, so I can't thsi week or next but I'm hoping to get in the water again, real soon now.

But DIR-F? Well the rational goes... do it now, before I pick up lots of bad habits. The counter arguement goes... you're not nearly wet enough to embark on such advanced stuff,just go and dive. Oh, and I've got Posiedon Xtreams, so they'll have to go before I'm allowed to dive DIR.

ANy thoughts anyone?

[Paul Oliver]

If you have an Instructor willing to take you and 1 other dedicated student, then that is a good combination (if both of you are going to stay the course). SD will give you all of your diving requirements for the next few years. As in

1. UK diving skills
2. Good depth qualification (subject to post course progression)
3. Deco Qualification
4. Relevant rescue skills for UK diving.

Personally if i had 2 club members pushing to do it, a long weekend at Weymouth would get it done, and all it would cost you is a couple of beers .

DIR-F, each to their own.

[Narked@50]

Hi Beardy

With 15 dives under your belt your more likely to embarass yourself and hold up the group on DIR-F, just go diving this season and if you can get you sports diver done by next year that's fine, what's the rush? - enjoy.

James

[Ivon]

My advice is to go diving for the next couple of seasons and do Sports Diver. Its not just the stuff you learn on the training dives but the stuff you learn while diving!
Then decide what you want to do. Besides if you change the Xtreems you will regret it, i know i would as i think there great regs

[Clare Gledhill]

Originally Posted by Narked@50

With 15 dives under your belt your more likely to embarass yourself and hold up the group on DIR-F, just go diving this season and if you can get you sports diver done by next year that's fine, what's the rush? - enjoy.

I think we all embarrass ourselves on DIR F so don't let that put you off - but apart from that I'm with James...

DIR F is not a right of passage that you have to do at any stage - it may be for you - it may not. Whilst you read up on or talk to people about DIR to decide whether you might like to try it in the future - go diving with your club - and take any training that they offer you. Whatever you do next - DIR or not - it will stand you in good stead

Best wishes.

[onthetrain]

Originally Posted by Beardy

or should I do DIR-F?

Ok, so I've got 15 dives to my name and I'm a new newbie. I've done OD and I'm a member of BSAC. In theory It should cost me no beer vouchers to do my Sport Diver training, but in practise it's going to come down to club memebers freely giving their time to train me. As ther is only one other club memeber in my position, it could possibley be only me as well, which is not a good investemnt of club instructor time.

I also appreciate that the thing I have got to do most is get in the water, and I want to do that. Now that I've got over my first dive related ear infection, I'm ready to get wet again, but I've gonanad gone on holiday with my family, and I've taken my suit into be added to, so I can't thsi week or next but I'm hoping to get in the water again, real soon now.

But DIR-F? Well the rational goes... do it now, before I pick up lots of bad habits. The counter arguement goes... you're not nearly wet enough to embark on such advanced stuff,just go and dive. Oh, and I've got Posiedon Xtreams, so they'll have to go before I'm allowed to dive DIR.

ANy thoughts anyone?

I found this post very interesting. I think it reflects the skewed view of diving we get by spending so much time on YD.

You see a lot of posts here about brave peeps who have taken on DIR-F, Tech 1, tech-2 etc. Now I'm not Dir myself nor do I envisage ever going down that route. It's much too perscriptive for me. Thats a personal thing not an anti DIR rant. I have the greatest respect for those who put themselves through this. It's just not for me.

I wonder what makes you think that DIR-F is some sort of 'advanced diving' course? It's not! It's an intro to the DIR way of doing things. It's about getting your kit into a DIR style and adopting DIR team practices and probably improving someof your basic skills. I'm sure you will learn tons about yourself and your diving and probably improve your basic skills if you go down this route, but, IIRC DIR-F does not advance your quals, depth, gas mix usage etc at all (happy to be corrected if thats wrong).

In that respect it's not an advanced course it's an introduction to a different approach to your diving.

With just 15 dives under your belt my advice would be to do lots more diving in as wide a range of environments as you can, dive with a few different people, build your basic skills and knowledge, understandwhat kind of diving you enjoy most and then do it.

There is no rush to collect extra badges, or increase your depth too quickly. You'll now when your ready to move on, you'll feel it when it all comes together for you. Don't rush. Relax and enjoy, if I may be so boldas to borrow a dir phrase'there is nothing down there worth dying for'

Enjoy and stay safe.

Alan

[Justin Owen]

do as much diving as you can pal, if the qualification isn't holding you back don't worry about it... and when you get round to it sports diver is a top training course - you won't pick up any bad habits, it'll just teach you alot and hopefully increase you're experience levels....

[Ding Dang Doo]

15 dives...

may seem a lot...but you are really just starting... as I am, with 50 dives.. I took my AOW at a lot less than 15, 2 years ago.. we all like to have goals, but I set mine at learning to dive, and I'm still doing that at 50 dives, will still be doing it at 500 and at 5000. I listen, watched,then improved my own skills from everyone else.

We are all entitiled to our own views, so do what you want, but just chill a little and have some fun... after all that's why you dive... isn't it?

Pete

[Paul Oliver]

Originally Posted by Ding Dang Doo

15 dives...

may seem a lot...but you are really just starting... as I am, with 50 dives.. I took my AOW at a lot less than 15, 2 years ago.. we all like to have goals, but I set mine at learning to dive, and I'm still doing that at 50 dives, will still be doing it at 500 and at 5000. I listen, watched,then improved my own skills from everyone else.

We are all entitiled to our own views, so do what you want, but just chill a little and have some fun... after all that's why you dive... isn't it?

Pete

Very well said, not many dives when i don't learn something.

[Hellvet]

don't know much about DIR, but would recommend the going diving/training with the club route - i started my sports at around 20 dives, and am now gradually getting the skills signed off, hopefully doing the compass navigation and DSMB skill tomorrow on a shore dive at the club BBQ!

The advantage of the club route AFAIC is that you do get to go diving at the same time as training, so you progress your skills through training, and by just going diving. The disadvantage is that it takes longer to get signed off, as you are at the mercy of the instructors who give up their time/dive to train you...but my personal opinion is that you end up a better diver because the skills get consolidated by going diving as well as learning the theory and doing the skills, but then i have a great club and am probably very biased

Sports is also a qualification which lots of people seem to respect.