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Ed: Before I start, I will agree with you that some of the DIR proponents on this medium are, to say the least, brutal. I have diving friends, both living and dead, that have been pummeled by the high priests of DIR, and I disagree not with their assessments, but with their methods and motivations. However, of you were to go out and meet the more non vocal representatives of the movement, you might get a different impression. Sit down and talk with them about diving, and you will soon realize that they are normal, civil individuals, who have the same love of the sport as you. I know some of them and they know a hell of a lot more about diving than I ever will. That being said, this is my observation of DIR and why it is a compelling system to me: It is simply stated, a standardization of equipment and procedures that have been developed through experience and trial and error. I came from a military background and currently fly for a major Airline. With that 23 + years of that experience behind me, I do not see standardization as an infringement of my personal freedom. I see it as a set of tools to do my job safely. The advantage of standardization at my Airline is that I can deadhead to New York and jump into an airplane with a copilot I've never met before and immediately fly over the North Atlantic, because we operate by a standard and accepted set of procedures. As a Captain, I don't invent stuff because I'm in charge and force every copilot who flies with me to rearrange his thinking to suit my whims. In doing that, I know he or she will be there with me, on the same page when the shit hits the fan. No hesitation, no wondering what to do. The big stuff is already taken care of, so when an unusual situation develops that needs some thought to get through, we can do exactly that......think it through. Delta or Northwest or United may also have their way of doing things, which is great....just so everybody on the same team operates by the same accepted set of rules. To me, the same goes for technical diving. There is enough stuff going on down there that when operating as a team (and I think the operative word in DIR is TEAM), you should be focusing on the task at hand, not worrying about the shit that should have been settled and agreed to long before you geared up. Standardized normal and emergency procedures should be second nature through practice and doctrine. The problem with technical diving is that it has grown up largely under the supervision of cowboys and marketers, who have focused more on the product (gear and certification) than the process (training and safety). Most of these agencies have a general set of rules which are covered during training, but fear the dogmatism of standardization, practiced unwaveringly not only during training, but long after, would send potential customers to another agency. If the airline industry still operated under the rules of Wiley Post and the barnstormers, the countryside would be littered with aluminum and bodies. The airline industry grew up because certain leaders CR Smith (American), Juan Tripp (Pan Am), Bob Six (Continental) and Eddy Carlson (United) saw a need to safely and efficiently develop a system of air travel to stay in business. DIR has evolved similarly because WKPP runs a complex mission oriented operation, and they rely upon a good safety record to keep the permits that allow them to do their mission. Littering the caves of northern Florida with their bodies would quickly put them out of business. DIR is not for everybody. If it's not your cup of tea, then have a good time and be safe out there doing whatever you feel is your thing. Patrick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Street" <blacknet@ph*.ne*> To: <techdiver@aquanaut.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2001 1:09 AM Subject: DIR setup > Hello, > > I've been looking at the DIR setup for awhile now and I have came to the > conclusion that it's not a good setup and to me it seems like a very > dangerous layout for several reasons. > > a) it goes against the majority of diving standards known today. Like how > many total training facilities in the U.S. (yea I'm in the u.s. and don't > give a flip about non-us stuff here) teaches this concept vs. the total > number of facilities that teaches other theories? > > b) A lot of the 'experts' seems to rant and rave on those who doesn't follow > them for what seems, to me, like bad business practices. It's like someone > who has a different idea or theory is instantly > hounded/harassed/insulted/belittled/etc.. for having their own thoughts or > ideas about things. One way of looking at this is evolution didn't just > happen, it was a slow gradual step by step and update by update over a long > period of time. What changes/update/revisions has the DIR system undergone? > > c) Most dive outfits doesn't support the dir layout. Why is this? Is it > because that it's not that good? Is it because that there's to many people > turns up DEAD? Is it because of the above and below statements? From > talking to many shops about it and a lot of divers about this subject I > gather that if your looking for machoism, egotistical and the like then DIR > is for you. Scuba equipment is just that, equipment. It's a tool someone > uses to achieve a desired means. You don't use a screw driver to turn a > lug-nut. So why should I use the DIR setup in all cases? My theory is it's > just ONE of the many tools out there that can be used but isn't useful in > some cases. If the non-DIR equipment is really that bad then why are they > still being produced? Why are they no regulations to remove the bad crap > and put the good crap in place? I seem to recall this being done with some > tanks recently. > > D) Isn't one of the rules to not dive with non-DIR divers? It's like if you > don't follow some rigid standards then your instantly a 'stroke'? So what > about all these people who die while diving the DIR setup? Does that mean > since they never surfaced they are a 'stroke'? It's like the standards are > so high that it's very very difficult for anyone to maintain at all times > but yet expect everyone to maintain them at all times. This makes no sense. > Human nature dictates that humans are not perfect and makes mistakes all the > time. The higher the standards the more mistakes will be made. Sadly when > these mistakes ARE made it cost the person their life. Now in the > recreational community when these mistakes are made alot of the time the > person will survive (depending on a lot of things) This leads to another > thing. If you can't dive w/ non-DIR divers and there few and far between in > some areas (like my area) then how the fuck are you expected to do the buddy > system? Or are you expected to do solo and turn your odds up even more of > not coming up alive? > > E) I've talked to some divers who felt that the DIR setup was just totally > wrong for them, their person and their lifestyles. They felt that it was > out of place and very hard to adjust to it. I thought diving was all about > the comfort layer that the individual person felt. How is it that we can > dictate how others must dress and what equipment they must use when it's > what WE use that counts the most? An example, if diver A feels that the > layout they are using is not right gets in the water then they are at a > higher risk of problems. Not just equipment problems but physical and more > importantly psychological. So say everyone uses the dir setup and one person > in the group doesn't feel right with the layout but they are putting blind > faith in the layout (I see this a lot) and some problem arises, who do you > think you can least trust? Say they kept their mouth shut and you don't > even know about their view on this, who then can you trust? If you put your > trust in them they could end up killing you. All because people are putting > peer pressure on non-dir divers to dive the DIR setup, which in my opinion > is totally WRONG. > > F) It would seem to me, from a business standpoint, that if you wanted an > idea to flourish then you would cut out all the negativity/hostility that is > generated towards the non-conforming divers and instead have compassion, > understanding and in a caring manner educate the public as to why it's a > 'superior' method. This machoism attitude is depermental to a divers > health. There is *NOTHING* under that water that's worth your life and to > me it would seem that diving with any machoistic setup/equipment/person > would just endanger my life. See where this is going? > > g) I see a lot of needless deaths cause a lot of people try to imitate what > some groups are doing like the WKPP and enter areas, like caves, and later > the morgue is called. The reason they die is the diver feels that they can > handle the task, they see the machoism from these groups and one of the > traditional machoistic viewpoints is "you don't ask for help cause you can > do it" so they do do it and they die because of it. My input here is get > rid of the machoistic front and you'll get alot MORE divers doing your > style. > > You can call me anything you like but that doesn't hide nor stop the fact > that I flat refuse to dive any form of DIY simply because my standards are > to high and this method, to me, is nothing but an accident waiting to happen > to good people. It tends to lead people astray and promote a psychological > separation from one's well being and the image that one presents. > > Oh and btw, no flames please. These are my viewpoints and if you do feel > you need to flame me then that's your egotistical machoistic approach > feeling threatened. Also flaming is a sign of non-stable and uncertainty on > the flamers part. > > Ed > > -- > 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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