George, I think this list is part of the problem. You can read all the posts
you want, look at all the videos, web pages you want and nothing comes close
to you standing there in your rig with Andrew telling you that you are a
walking CF as he rips crap off your harness and cranks the straps down
tight.

His lecture, demo and training on the concepts of what, exactly, buoyancy
control is and the very logical means to achieve it is worth the price of
admission alone.

You may think you are DIR but you are not until you go through a DIR
fundamentals class and "pass." Only one of our group of 10 did and we
thought we were doing a pretty good job. DIR is not just gear, it is a skill
set for survival under water. This is missed by most people I fear.

   Jim

on 5/7/02 7:39 PM, George Irvine at girvine@be*.ne* wrote:

> 
> Cobbster, the problem here is common. I have seen Ted dive, and he has the
> skills, so when he reads something that appears to make no sense based on
> what should be obvious, he of course thinks the whole thing is bullshit.
> 
> The big problem is basically that we have a lot of people out there with the
> DIR talk without the walk , the real understanding, or the time on the job.
> I can do the walk and the talk, but I am unfortunately the last guy they
> listen to. All they hear is the nonsense.
> 
> On the other hand, when I talk directly to a guy like Ted Green, which I
> have done on occasion, there is immediate rectification of the
> misinterpretations that he and others have been given in the first place.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Cobb [mailto:cobber@ci*.co*]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 2:16 PM
> To: scuba@md*.co*; techdiver@aquanaut.com; vbtech@ci*.co*
> Cc: Capt JT
> Subject: Re: Dir fundamentals - What's the point of this drill?
> 
> 
> Ted-
> 
> If you have ever seen a documentary of SEAL training you will notice that
> each team is required to carry around a very large log. While SEALs are
> trained to kill in many different ways, when they go to battle I doubt they
> are expected to use a large log to beat the enemy to death. The instructors
> use the log to make a point, and that is to work as a team.
> 
> The point of the shrinkwrap drill is that many (perhaps most) drysuit divers
> put wau too much air in their suit. The drill pointed out that, aside from
> some discomfort, you can (and you should be able to) function in a drysuit
> with little or no air. Why do you want minimal air in your suit? Because it
> is impossible to maintain a horizontal neutral buoyancy position with a
> bubble of air rolling around in your suit.  Most divers swim with a
> head/chest up position and wind up pushing the water out of the way rather
> than swimming through it. Too cold? You got the wrong underwear.
> 
> And it's true, I walked away from the course in disgust, but I was disgusted
> with my performance, not the course. The course just showed me that I was
> lacking in some areas which are pretty basic.
> 
> I am aware of and have developed techniques to overcome some of my
> shortcomings, but most techniques were based on the "I sure hope to hell I
> don't have to actually do this one day, or I'm fucked" frame of mind. This
> is not a responsible frame of mind for a married guy with 2 young kids.
> 
> For example using an anchor line or upline to a lift bag to control your
> buoyancy (which is what most wreck divers do). It does not require much
> thought as to the problems you will have if you loose grip of the anchor
> line or your lift bag collapses and you have an hour of deco ahead of you.
> Saying to yourself "well, I will just make damn sure I don't let go of the
> fucking line" simply does not cut it and you are fooling yourself. Should
> this happen to me in my present state of buoyancy control, I would either
> sink like a rock or wind up on the surface embolised.
> 
> I know I could overcome these problems (anybody could who set their mind to
> it) and I am envious of those who's situation allows them to commit to the
> practice time needed to master these fundamental skills. The buoyancy thing
> was just one of the issues I had. I look forward to when I can devote myself
> to my favorite sport but at this time I figure that there is nothing down
> there worth dieing for.
> 
> Don't pass judgment on this course from the posts. I am serious, DIR
> fundamentals will open your eyes. If you get a chance to take it, Ted, don't
> pass it up. If you are already a super diver then the course will make you a
> better one, I have no doubts on this. I should have stuck with it as I
> missed some really super material on the next day even though that first day
> made up my mind that I was going to bag the sport until I can do it right.
> 
>  Jim
> 
> On 5/7/02 08:37 AM, "Ted Green" <scuba@md*.co*> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> From:               Capt JT <captjt@mi*.co*>
>> Subject:            Dir fundamentals instructor beats up student for DIW
> part
> 2
>> 
>>> BTW, I forgot to mention we were not allowed to hook up our DS
>>> inflators, the squeeze made reaching your valves much harder.
>> 
>> Maybe I'm missing something here. The only time I have had the
>> "shrink wrap effect" was on a descent when the dry suit inflator
>> hose came off. No problem, reconnect drysuit inflator hose or
>> inflate wing and return to surface. If you have a regulator or power
>> inflator failure which prevents buoyancy control, ditch weight and
>> return to the surface. "Shrink wrap effect" is a shallow water
>> problem where the greatest volume change occurs, usually the first
>> 33'. If your not putting gas in your drysuit until you hit the bottom,
>> you have a skill problem, or you don't understand how to operate a
>> dry suit properly, or you just like the sensation of your testicles
>> being squeezed. To me, valve shut down drills while shrink wrapped
>> would be pointless.
>> 
>> JT maybe you should take Andrew to one of the 40 degree quarries
>> let him enter the water with his drysuit zipper open and let him
>> demonstrate gas shut down drills, buoyancy skills, and deco stops
>> with a flooded drysuit. Having to complete a dive with a flooded
>> drysuit in cold water is probably a thousand times more likely than
>> than his exercise.
>> 
>> While I'm not a member of the Jim Cobb fan club, I tip my hat and
>> congratulate him as being the only one willing to say, "this is
>> bullshit!" and walk away.
>> 
>> Ted
>> 
>> 
>> Ted Green
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Dive Charter Boat: O.C. Diver
>>                  Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland
>>                  http://www.ocdiver.com
>>                  410.742.1992  800.637.2102
>>                  Fax 410.749.9410
>> "Diving the Atlantic coast from Cape May NJ to Cape Charles VA."
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> --
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