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At 10:21 PM 10/5/99 -0400, David B. Widen wrote: >Jim, I added you to this note with you other note to the list. > >I believe that there are many different types of people that start diving >for allot of reasons. Some will never have an interest in tech diving, some >will have and interest but will not develop the knowledge and skill to >really perform. There are some that are naturals. I have saw the full >spectrum. > >There are people who have the money for the equipment, but lack in the >knowledge, skill, state of mind, and have truly missed the point. > >I know nothing of this person. Are they a natural or are they someone with a >different disposition. I know all the points of DIR and agree with the >reasoning of them. > >Let us get away from the DIR and equipment and look at the individual. Are >all divers potentially tech diver? No, I know my wife and one daughter will >never be in that category. I have see people who call the tech divers and >are not. > >Do I believe that a DIR single setup would be good for her? Maybe, but that >is for her and her instructor who can understands her psychological makeup, >her goals, etc. Can she rent gear and at least get certified before >throughing all this gear at her. I hope that her instructor or she can find >an imparcial reliable source to talk to that also knows her. > >What kind of diving will she be doing in the next 6 ~ 18 months? Is she on >the fast track to tech world? > >Think the questions and points before throughing her into a configuration >that is suited for one group of divers and not for the the Bahamas/Blue >water/6 dives a year/shorty and where is the Bahama Mama type. > >Gee maybe her instructor had a reason for his statement. > >R/David David, DIR is suitable for beginning divers whether or not they want to progress to technical diving. The DIR set-up is less cluttered and restrictive than jacket style BCs. It creates far less drag in the water. It is also more stable than the jacket-style BC, thanks to the crotch strap. Because it is less cluttered, it alows the the novice diver to more quickly locate the inflator hose to add or dump air. The back-up reg is always in the same place - reassuringly right under the chin - not 'somewhere in the chest triangle or dangling down beside the tank. The student doesn't need to frisk herself to find it, then unclip it before breathing it. It's there right where it's needed. The long hose means even a novice can donate air and still maintain room to manouevre - room which the short hose does not provide. The contents gauge is easy to monitor with a quick glance down and to the side - remember, there is no bulky or partially inflated BC to obstruct the view. The depth gauge is right there on the wrist where it can be read at a glance - not dangling in a console with one or two other instruments or crunching along the bottom like a brick on a string. Because the DIR set-up is so unencumbering, novice divers are, in fact, far less likely to feel claustrophobic and panicky than when they are wearing more the more conventional BC with wrap-around inflation. In fact, one of the key points of DIR is the conservation of energy - it is so smooth and slippery in the water that students can concentrate their energies on practising their skills rather than using large amounts of energy just to move a bunch of clumsy, high-drag dive gear through the water. >Think the questions and points before throughing her into a configuration >that is suited for one group of divers and not for the the Bahamas/Blue >water/6 dives a year/shorty and where is the Bahama Mama type. You have to think these things through, David. And then you'll realise that the group you've just described would be the very group that would benefit most from the DIR open water set-up. They would appreciate and benefit more than most from the ease, compactness, low-drag and consistency of the DIR style. > >Gee maybe her instructor had a reason for his statement. I can tell you are an instructor, David. (Not just by the spelling, either). So how about YOU telling us what reason a cave instructor could have had for being 'dead set against the idea of a long hose.' Cathy said: "I have talked to a local prominent cave diver instructor here, and he is dead set against the idea of a long hose. So no support there." Would you not agree, as an instructor, that this is an unreasonable attitude for a cave instructor? xx then explained: "Cathy... is serious about wanting to DIR. She mispoke about her instructor a bit... He is against long hose for OW rec divers and will not teach giving away the primary of rec divers (though he admits doing that for his cave diving). What reason, do you suppose, the cave diving instructor could have for supporting donation of the primary regulator in a more demanding cave environment, while refusing to support it or teach it in the less demanding environment of recreational diving? If it's optimal practise for the tough stuff, why isn't it good enough for open water? Especially when the donated primary is on a long hose and the secondary reg is right there under the chin. Seems like we have a case here of a potential student being better informed than a couple of instructors. rgrds billyw > >----------------------Jim Cobb's Note ---------------------------- >Dave- > >Single tank diving can be accomplished with small wings, a backplate and >single tank adapter. I think this config makes just as much sense as that >STAB jacket you showed me the other day. Personally I think that there >are millions of dives made a day on the plethora of goofy OW BC's for >sale out there for them to be proven safe. Its just that if you do decide >to do the doubles thing one day you won't have to get rid of the goofy >jacket at a fraction of what you paid for it and you will feel nice and >comfortable with your DIR style rig. Might even make you a safer tech >diver if you already "live" in the DIR setup. > > Jim > >-----Original Message----- >From: ajmarve@ba*.ne* [mailto:ajmarve@ba*.ne*] >Sent: Monday, May 10, 1999 9:04 PM >To: dwiden@ho*.co* >Cc: 'xx'; TechDiver@aquanaut.com >Subject: Re: Halcyon experience in Australia? > > >David B. Widen wrote: >Q: Will she start to think of herself as tech diver > >David, > >Shouldnt we all think of ourselves as "tech divers", in so much as every >dive >needs to go perfectly, or as near as possible as we can get to that ?? What >is >the true meaning of quality in relation to the diver and what should an >"open >water" divers goal be with respect to equipment, planning and attitude, if >it is >to be some measure less than perfection ? > >(and yes I know the commonly accepted definition of the tech diver term, I >am >challenging you to think beyond the label) > >regards, > >al marvelli > > > > >-- >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. >Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > > -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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