Hank,
Are there any non DIR instructors still in business?
Trout

----------
> From: GarlooEnt@ao*.co*
> To: armantrout@wo*.at*.ne*; CaptnDale@ao*.co*; Kevin@So*.co*;
s_lindblom@co*.co*
> Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com
> Subject: Re: DIR strokes was Re: A Call to Arms
> Date: Wednesday, September 02, 1998 12:32 AM
> 
> trout
> i wonder if this was not a DIR instructor if your response would have
been
> even close to this.
> hank
> 
> 
> In a message dated 9/1/98 9:10:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> armantrout@wo*.at*.ne* writes:
> 
> << ubj:	 DIR strokes was Re: A Call to Arms
>  Date:	9/1/98 9:10:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time
>  From:	armantrout@wo*.at*.ne* (Jess Armantrout)
>  To:	CaptnDale@ao*.co*, GarlooEnt@ao*.co*, Kevin@So*.co*,
> s_lindblom@co*.co*
>  CC:	techdiver@aquanaut.com
>  
>  I have talked to the instructor mentioned below.  The instructor has
never
>  actually trained these people.  He has been corresponding with them and
>  helping them get some, but not all, of the gear mentioned below.  They
did
>  not get the v weights, hip weight or tanks from him.  He ws under the
>  impression that they would be diving dry, and was under the impression,
>  from the conversations he had with them, that they had more experience.
>  
>  I think what we have here is a failure to communicate.  The instructor
>  admits he should have gotten more background info, but can he really be
>  blamed for sending these guys a light and a BC?  I don't think so.
>  
>  Nonetheless, CaptnDale makes an excellent point.  Walking the walk,
talking
>  the talk, and wearing what the big boys wear does not a DIR diver make. 
>  The only way to get there is to dive, and in the beginning it needs to
be
>  little dives, supervised and in a controled setting.  I started cave
diving
>  in '89, and most people say I am still a huge stroke.
>  
>  Anyway, thanks to the Capt. for his post, and the rest of you guys need
to
>  be careful.
>  
>  Trout
>  
>  ----------
>  > From: CaptnDale@ao*.co*
>  > To: GarlooEnt@ao*.co*; Kevin@So*.co*; s_lindblom@co*.co*
>  > Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com
>  > Subject: Re: A Call to Arms
>  > Date: Monday, August 31, 1998 2:49 PM
>  > 
>  > I'll share with you all this story (true):
>  > 
>  > A couple of weeks ago a young man came into my store in Illinois.  He
>  told me
>  > that he and his wife had been diving about six months and that he had
>  just
>  > purchased some new dive gear and he wanted help in putting it all
>  together.  I
>  > said, Sure, I'll help you out anyway I can."  Well, I did not get the
>  whole
>  > story for quite a while, but it turned out that he had met a cave
>  instructor
>  > in Florida and this instructor had sold him a whole package of gear
and
>  then
>  > shipped it to him here in Illinois, all unassembled.  He had two
complete
>  sets
>  > of double 95's along with four ScubaPro mk20's and four G250's.  I
>  assembled
>  > the regulators and tanks for him - he did not know how.  
>  > 
>  > He knew he wanted to go DIR but had no experience with it yet.  He
said
>  that
>  > others had told him that they did not think he and his wife should be
>  using
>  > the DIR equipment configuration but he wanted to be doing things the
way
>  that
>  > this cave instructor had told him they should be done.  I could tell
that
>  > anything I could say would fall on deaf ears - he was already sold.  I
>  > cautioned him that the transition from recreational diving to
technical
>  diving
>  > should be done slowly, gaining experience in small steps.  He agreed
and
>  asked
>  > if we had any Lake Michigan dives planned on which he and his wife
could
>  > practise with their new equipment.  I signed him up for a shallow
wreck
>  dive
>  > the next week.  
>  > 
>  > I took him and his wife out to a wreck in 50 to 60 feet of water.  It
was
>  a
>  > perfect day, sunny, virtually no current, only 1 to 2 ft waves, 74 deg
F
>  on
>  > the surface, 54 F on the bottom.  These two divers showed up with
their
>  double
>  > 95's,  They had added 11 lb V weights,  a cave light on one side and a
5
>  lb
>  > hip weight on the other.  When I checked their c-cards, *surprise*
their
>  open
>  > water cards were less than a month old.  
>  > 
>  > We were ready to respond when they hit the water.  Neither of them
could
>  > support the weight of their equipment on the surface, even with their
>  wings
>  > fully inflated.  Neither had any weight that they could drop.  The
wife
>  > dropped her regulator from her mouth.  It was on a long hose wrapped
>  around
>  > her head and when she dropped it the hose unwound and she could not
>  retrieve
>  > it.  She had to be told to go to her backup which was on a necklace.
>  > Meanwhile her primary was dangling, freeflowing, behind her.  We got
her
>  tanks
>  > off of her, which was not an easy task.
>  > Her waist strap held her light cannister and she did not want to loose
>  it.
>  > The buckle of her waist strap was threaded through a 2 inch crotch
strap
>  with
>  > no quick release.  It was hard to get the buckle passed the crotch
strap.
>   Of
>  > course lifting two full 95's with a steel plate, V-weight, hip weight
and
>  > light back onto the boat was not exactly easy.  He managed to climb
out
>  with
>  > his equipment on under his own power, but by the time he did he was
too
>  tired
>  > to make the dive.  
>  > 
>  > After their aborted first dive, they were ready to listen to some
advice.
>   We
>  > had them get rid of their lights and hip weights.  This got them to a
>  point at
>  > which they could manage the weight of their tanks.  To their credit-
they
>  made
>  > the second dive and did reasonably well.
>  > 
>  > In their open water course, divers are taught to use a weight system
>  which can
>  > be ditched.
>  > In their open water course, divers are taught to dive with equipment
with
>  > quick release buckles so that they can get out of it easily.
>  > In their open water course, divers are taught to breath from a short
hose
>  > which is easily retreived.
>  > In their open water course, divers are taught to locate their
alternate
>  air
>  > source on their chest.
>  > In their open water course, divers are taught to start their dives
>  neutrally
>  > buoyant with their BC's empty.
>  > 
>  > Why would anyone encourage a diver who has only just been certified
Open
>  Water
>  > to violate all of these training criteria without additional
instruction
>  on
>  > how to do it safely?  
>  > Why would anyone sell technical dive equipment, mail order, to a newly
>  > certified Open Water Diver without any instruction in its use?
>  > 
>  > These divers, if they had gone off on their own, could have gotten
>  themselves
>  > in serious trouble -   it would not have been their fault.  I took
them
>  out
>  > because I knew they were going to have problems and I wanted to be
there
>  to
>  > help them out.  They are motivated and truly in love with the sport. 
I
>  want
>  > them to learn to Do It Right without it killing them in the process.
>  > 
>  > Good diving,
>  > Cpt. Dale Bennett
>  > Captain Dale's Dive Center
>  > Enterprise Marine Dive Charters
>  > CaptnDale@ao*.co*
>  > www.captaindales.com
>  > --
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