[Bob Cooper]

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Just a quick introduction about me.  My name is Bob Cooper.  I live near Chester.  I have been diving since 1996 and am currently GUE level 2 cave diver, BSAC dive leader and IANTD trimix.  I enjoy my cave diving trips to Florida and try to visit at least twice a year.  You can read about these at www.ue-uk.org under "trip reports"  I have a trip to the French caves later this year too.  My UK diving is mostly on the South Coast and North Wales.  Just returned from S Africa where we dived Aliwal and Protea Banks.  My diving is very much DIR but I suffer from a shortage of DIR buddies in my location.  Am currently playing with my new Gavin scooter in Dorothea.  If anybody is at Dorothea or Capernwray and would like to find out about DIR diving, please let me know and maybe we can meet up for a dive or two?

 

[Jay]

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Hi Bob and welcome to YD. Cheers for the Dorrie offer - I'm sure someone will take you up on it in the not-to-near future! Look forward to reading your future postings too.

Regards

 

[Mr T.]

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Hey Bob,

Welcome aboard mate. Were you at the Cape a couple of weekends ago in a blue dry-bag? Blue scooter too? If so I saw ya there with your buddy. Bizarrely enough (though not for DIR wallahs) he was wearing strangely similar kit

As for Dorothea, yes, there will be a tribe of us going some time soom; and Davey Williamson is steadily climbing the DIR tree - I think he wants to be an 'Uber-exponent' of the fair art.

Have a look at the Planned Trips section: we're gonna be swarming around your neck of the woods in early March for a Troop Gig at Anglesey and Treaddur Bay/Menai. Get yourself on it, you're more than welcome.

Cheers and see you soon,

 

[Davey Willo]

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Hey Bob

Welcome to YD mate and please excuse me while I get down and give you a few 'We're not worthy' bows... GUE level 2 cave.... kin ell mate, that's seriously impressive, for those who aren't aware, the level of training required to achieve this is totally scary.

Bob, I'm a complete DIR junkie and soak up just about everything I can get my hands on, I've read a few reports on Tech 1 and Cave 1 and those blew me away so to say that I'm impressed is an understatement.

Trying out a gavin would be a ball, I was just watching some great footage last night on the BAUE site and was gagging to have a go so the offer to try one out is an offer that I'm gonna take up on if thats alright with you.

Bob, like it or not I am gonna be your new best mate, expect an email pretty darn soon :biggrin:

regards
Dave.

 

[Driftwood]

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Davey "DIR-tart" Willo :lol:

 

[Davey Willo]

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That'll be me then :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[John Holmes]

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:wavey:
Hi Bob!
Welcome to the site mate! My God those cave diving certs sound seriously impressive! You'll not be alone in your love of cave diving - there are a couple of afficionados on the site - I'm sure you'll soon be in touch!!

As for the South coast and Wales - well no doubt you'll be bumping into some of the troop over the next few months.

safe diving!
Cheers
John

 

[Frog]

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Welcome to our forum Bob!  We're friendly!  Honest!  Dive safely and take care.

 

[Dr Stevil]

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Welcome aboard Bob, are you strictly DIR, ie only dive with other DIR configured divers? The DIR setup is gaining popularity here so there should be a few YD-ers for you to buddy-up with. I'm not DIR myself but I have adopted some of the kit configuration.
Chee-az
Steve  

 

[Bob Cooper]

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Well, I'm overwhelmed by all the welcome messages on this forum.  Thank you!

Bren - No, it wasn't me at Capernwray in a blue dry suit and a blue scooter.  My dry suit (and my scooter) are both black!.

Steve W - No, I don't "only dive with other DIR divers"  All this stuff you hear about "rule No. 1" and "don't dive with strokes" is a bit too elitist for me.  It's just not possible here in UK anyway and it gives the whole DIR thing a bad name.  It is, sadly misunderstood.  However, I did make a decision when I started cave diving that I would not get in the water (for a cave dive) with anybody who is not DIR.  I will stick to that as much as I can, although it only really applies in USA.

A couple of my favourite diving buddies here in UK are very far from DIR.  One of them even wears a helmet covered in lights for UK wreck dives!  Even though, they have the right "attitude" and I am very comfortable diving with them.  As far as I am concerned "attitude" is the most important aspect.

Dave W - Let's meet up soon.  I've sent you a private e-mail.  DIR gets a bad press here in UK.  Sadly, it is disseminated by those who have had no direct contact with GUE/DIR and based only on what they read on the web.

Aybody else - I'm keen to meet up with as many of you as possible.  I won't try to push the DIR thing down your throat.  It really isn't like that.

Looking forward to meeting up and diving with you guys (and gals?)

Best regards

Bob

 

[Andy Phillips]

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Eh-up,

A DIR bloke who sounds approachable, very, very interested in the kit config, very uninterested in the metality that seems to come with DIR you seem the exception (sorry if that sounded rude, but tried to talk to a few people in the past and was met with extreem arrogance). If your up for a chat I would dearly like to pick your brain about kit set up, very pertinent at the moment as I am going shopping on Saturday. Will e-mail you off forum.

Andrew

 

[Bob Cooper]

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Andrew

Please e-mail me if u need anything. I'm not a DIR "Guru" or anything. I just subscribe to the whole concept and am fortunate to have the time (and the &#36&#36&#36) to have taken myself off to Florida and got first hand experience from GUE people.

If you want to meet up for a dive, or a beer, or a chat about DIR, please get in touch.

Best regards

Bob

 

[Phil Ennis]

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Welcome Bob,
You have a very healthy attitude to DIR. You seem to have it sussed, I have read the books and my dive Mentor is very DIR (we argue like fu*k) but I agree with a lot of the ideas but totally hate with a vengeance the arrogance but thats the Yanks for you. I look forward to meeting up and you can be the second DIR diver to dive with me, a lowly stroke. Take care,:biggrin:

 

[Davey Willo]

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Hey what with Bob, d8bus and other like minded souls it's looking like we might need a DIR section vuuuury soon!

(Edited by Dave Williamson at 11:05 pm on Jan. 14, 2003)

 

[Phil Ennis]

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Not till you get that black suit Dave.

 

[Jay]

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To be fair, I had thought about creating a seperate section for DIR but have decided against it for the time being for reasons that are now becoming self evident. Guys like Bob, d8bus, Dalesdiver etc are disproving the 'our way or no way' view many of us previously held about DIR / GUE philosophy and in doing so have got many of us (me included) much more interested in trying the kit configs and wanting to learn more about it. I feel that by being seen to segregate the DIR stuff physically into its own section may have a detrimental effect. I much prefer to see the kind of integration we currently have on YD.

Any thoughts?

 

[Mr T.]

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I agree Jay,

Given the manner and nature of the proponents you list above, you'll find that we are (if we're being honest) 'learning by example' any way and that Dales and Bob's 'show-me-don't-tell-me' approach will bring its own merits and new converts, or at least a heathly non-camp-driven debate. Good call.

 

[daz]

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Just to put my 4 pennies worth in (That's inflation for you).

Firstly Welcome Bob,

I agree with Jay,  I am glad that DIR philosophy is openly discussed in any of the forums, be it equipment, tek etc.  I have always tried to keep an open mind (Probably why it gets used as a rubbish tip ) and have picked up some interesting ideas from the DIR kit config.  

I have adopted some of the ideas but agree that I have not looked at the DIR concept as a holistic aproach (Don't think I am quite ready for that yet),  but anything that makes my diving easier and safer I am very grateful for.

Once again, welcome Bob,  It is nice to see that DIR can be discussed rather than preached.

Kind Regards,
Daz (Not DIR, more DIY

)

 

[Davey Willo]

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Yup, on reflection I think you are right Jay, forget that idea...

 

[Pierre Farrugia]

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Hello,
Welcome on board from Malta

I like your approach, as I don't like some arrogant people. I more like the concept DIS which is similar to what you said. If all DIR divers have same approch many others would join in. Hope to discuss many issues on this Forum.

Welcome!