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Ed, As a relatively new diver, I have no business arguing the finer points of DIR versus the mysterious 'other' dive styles. However I would like to tell you why I choose to dive DIR. I am a carpenter. As a carpenter who works in multi-million dollar homes I have no room for mistakes, my clients simply won't settle for anything less than the best (and they are a nit-picky bunch). So I always use the right tool for the job, I would never use a belt sander when an hand plane would be better. After each step in a job, and after the complete job, I step back and look at it, think about what I did and what could have gone better and how I could improve next time. Some times it's learning a new skill, sometimes it's investing in the appropriate piece of equipment. This is the philosophy that has allowed me to move from a novice with no experience to a solo-carpenter working on multi-million dollar homes in 3 years. It's simple and it works. It was my philosophy before I began diving, and it's the same as the DIR philosophy. It's also the philosophy of anyone who is among the best of the best, be they athletes or suits, scientists or landscapers, accountants or artists. WKPP is the best of the best. Whether you like it or not, they are. They hold many world records for safely conducting dives under the most difficult circumstances in which it is still possible to dive. They have an outstanding safety record. You provided no names or statistics to support you claim of 'many' who have died diving DIR. Another reason I dive DIR is that I am a single father, and my death or serious injury would have a direct and detrimental effect on my son's life. So I look at every aspect of any dive, before I do it, and decide what is a possible problem, any problem, then find a way to solve it, before it happens, or I don't do the dive. This is my philosophy, and it just so happens it is the DIR philosophy, too. Gear is just like you said, a tool. In my work I buy and use the best tools for the job. Sometimes that means spending extra, but sometimes it means hunting down an antique on e-bay. One thing good tools have in common: They do their job well. When you evaluate any piece of dive gear, you first have to define what it is that piece of gear is intended to do. DIR gear configuration is a shining example of this, but don't take my or anyone else's word for it, do the thinking yourself. Finally, DIR states that fitness in important. I don't see fitness as a separate branch of the system. It's part of the core philosophy, reduce risks. It is a known fact being out of shape increases the risks of DCS in many different ways, not to mention less ability to handle the physical demands of a dive, particularly a dive gone wrong. You might be interested to know that I do diverge from WKPP/GUE in their approach to exercise. Though they obviously are in great shape, I believe most of the sources books they recommend on their web pages are less than ideal, and I would be happy to share what I think is a better way with anyone who wants to know, but this isn't the place. Other's hear have noted the apparent superficial nature of your research into DIR. I suggest you do more research, including actually diving DIR a few times. The simple difference in swimming effort you will notice between a 'standard' BCD and a BP/wing should alone be enough to convince to think more about your system. Charles Ed Street wrote: > 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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