After much bantering in the discussion area pertaining to the Pros and Cons of Recreational Trimix training, we have gotten so far off topic that it seems like we need a new discussion thread here: This has become a DIR vs. DIW discussion, so I'll start with a couple of hilarious links for your review. Please lets not denigrate to flame wars or personal attacks, let's make this an honest discussion of the pros and cons of configuration, etc. .....
(for last link, if you don't read swedish, click on the "DIR vs. DIW" button, then click on "DIW Parade" link in lower RH corner....)
Remember guys, lets keep our sense of humor, I believe that is in part where DIR gets its bad name from. Check out this tounge in cheek look at DIR applications in other areas of life.
I can't claim the creativity for this one, it was forwarded to me by Sean Jones. (Again with the DIR, they never claim to have invented any of this stuff, simply put it into a unified system)
Doing It Right
I converted to DIR about 6 months ago and I have found that the philosophy extends way beyond diving. I think most people tend to view DIR as a gear configuration or diving objective type of thing but it really is a philosophy that you can use in other parts of your life. For instance, below are just some of the ways I've extended the DIR way of doing things into other areas of my life.
Last week some of my buddies came over to my house. Now, not all of them are divers but they do understand the DIR philosophy. So, first off, we all drink the same beer. This avoids any situations where you might be enjoying a lager and accidentally pick up an ale ( or the other way around. ) That can be very uncool. That could quickly lead to a panic situation so we avoid it all together. We also drink only from cans, not bottles. And we never put the beer in the refrigerator. It always goes in the ice chest in my living room. 47% of Drinking Related Incidents ( DRI ) occur when someone is going to the fridge for another beer, so better to be safe than sorry. Of course, this is all rigged up while we're still 100% sober so there's no impaired judgment once things get cooking.
All of us wear a bungee necklace with a full beer on it just in case someone experiences an Out Of Beer ( OOB ) emergency. I can offer my already opened beer to my buddy and simply reach down and grab the backup off my beer necklace. And, without exception, we always use the 7-foot hose on the beer bong.
Of course, we don't stay in every night, so when we do decide to go out we make sure we're still DIR. All of us wear exactly the same clothing:
Levi's 501 Jeans, black ( button hole, straight leg )
Gap Black T-shirt
Haynes boxer shorts, black
Gold Toe socks, black
Kenneth Cole shoes, Brad Bitt style
G-Shock watch, black band
Nylon belt, black, with military buckle
Black Leather Jacket ( optional, depending on weather conditions )
This may sound a bit silly or overdone but believe me, when you're penetrating a night club, knowing exactly what you buddies are dressed like can make all the difference in the world if you're hoping to snag some hottie. Let's say I see some cutie and just before I get up to go talk to her a waitress spills a drink in my lap? No problem, because I can always swap pants with my buddy. I don't have to worry if they match, because I know he's wearing Levi's 501's. Bam! Swap pants and I can still complete my objective.
One thing to keep in mind about nightclubs is that you seldom want to penetrate a club on beer. I know, some of the macho jerks do this and brag to all of their buddies. Believe me, it's not DIR. You have to do it on mixed drinks. Obviously the mix will be different on different nights but a good vodka tonic mix is pretty standard. Again, there's a right way and a wrong way to do this. You can't just order any old vodka or depend on some bartender to get the mix right. That's what the strokes do. No, you order Stoli vodka, which has an excellent reputation in the DIR partying community. The correct blend is 2oz Stoli with tonic water poured over ice in a highball glass ( lemon or lime optional. ) I always bring a testing kit with me and if the blend is off, I send it back. It's just not worth the risk and it's not DIR.
So you penetrate the nightclub and you've got a good mix, now it's time to meet the ladies. I should have said this earlier but watch your drink consumption. It's a well-known fact that women look 25-30% better in a nightclub and if you get all narced up on vodka tonic, it increases your chances of a coyote ugly blackout. You have to keep your wits about you.
If it's early, you probably have pretty good viz. Later in the evening when the smoke silts up the room it'll be harder to make out the women on the other side of the club so get your headings early. On a few occasions I've had to bust out the wreck reel just to get to the bathroom and back.
If you are lucky enough to hook up with a nice hottie, this is when doing it right really can pay off. Now, let's face it, there's a certain degree of danger involved here that I don't want to downplay. You need to minimize your risks by using the proper equipment. I carry 2 condoms. One I put on my ⦠well you know, and the second I put on a bungee that goes around my waist. If there's a malfunction on my primary, I can quickly go to my backup without skipping a beat.
So, as you can see from these pretty basic examples, DIR is not just for diving. It's something you can use in all areas of your life.
This is a fictitious story or at least I really hope so !!!!
Sounds like real DIR setup, except the condom on the bungee around the waist is definitely NOT DIR, this is a entanglement hazard and definitely stroke sh*t!
The DIR preferred placement is to sew a Halcyon condom pocket on the boxers (har har!)
Great submission!
Paul
I have a set of the new ACB pocket system to go on my BP and harness setup. It seems to work OK. It's nice that it eliminates a weight belt for single tank dives. The trouble is that I almost feel GUILTY for using it, because it just seems like it contradicts the whole DIR "Less is More" philosophy. Does anyone else feel that way, like maybe they were selling out a little bit? I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on this and i'm also curious how much extra weight you're using on your dives /w doubles? I'm also interested if anyone had them and decided to go back...
You may have a point there Paul. They seem more for the "cross-over" crowd than those who have switched over all the way.
Most of the people I know will use a P-weight. That is, a lead weight that it molded into their back plate. That way they need no additonal weight. If the have a problem the light cansiter still get's dumped and the rest of their gear is balanced out enough to be able to swim it up to the surface.
I use no extra weight with doubles. If I use a more bouyant cylinder, like an HP or a Faber, I use a steel back plate. If I was using something more neagitve, like some double 104's, I would switch that to an aluminum back plate because I would be too heavy otherwise.
With a single 104 and a steel plate I need no addtional lead to get down in a my drysuit- with full C-4 thinsulate underneath. Of course the rest of it is balanced out with turtle fins and a cansiter light.
Jon
I don't use any weight with doubles either. I've got a steel bp and double lp 80s (pressed steel)
For diving with a single tank lp 95 (and pony) I wear a two pounder on my weightbelt, just in front of the left side d-ring.
I can still dump my canister if I HAVE too, but I'd obviously rather not ;D
I've got a steel bp and double lp 80s (pressed steel)
That is a sweet set-up. 8)
I've used them before and like them a lot. They are well balanced and give you more than enoug gas for deep dives, if using seperate deco bottles, without throwing out your back by carring anything to crazy.
Jon
Yeah, I really like them. Thank GOD Tom (Pirate's Cove) talked me out of double 95s. The 80's are just about the ideal size for me in the temperatures we have here.
I don't burn that much gas anyway, usually run out of bottom time or start to chill before I burn my gas to the turn-around point.
I bought a set of double 95's (actually E8 119's) and they are pretty damn heavy. I don't mind them so much if I am diving off a larger boat but small boats and shore dives really get tough. I have an extra back plate, bands, manifold just lying around right now so I am definitely getting a set of those LP Pressed Steel 80's before spring. I should be set on tanks for awhile after that purchase. ;D
I also have the double 80s. Thanks to Gert for the recommendation. I toyed with getting another E8-130 and doubling them, but I am very glad I went with the 80s.