What event made you head toward/away from DIR?

[Chris H]

Good topic Scubert, perhaps we can get some constructive posts on the issue instead of the typical he said/she said bunch of nonsense. 

I am not DIR to the nth degree, but I guess my diving style and the group of people I dive with have a more DIR mentality than not.  As evident in some of my other posts, I often step up to try to explain something that works well.  I first traveled down the DIR trail when I took Deco Procedures and Advanced Nitrox with Gert at Deep Blue.

When I came to the course, I had a set of doubles with a BP/wing, but my normal configuration was a "tech bc" a single tank with an H-valve, and a pony bottle strapped back where I couldn't reach it  and there was a bungied long hose on it as well.  I had a 3 mile long high pressure hose, an air integrated computer in a console and I might have even used my drysuit to control buoyancy :-[  That last one is just a rumor...   

The first dive of deco procedures felt like it was the first dive I'd ever done.  I had changed to a BP/wing rigged in proper DIR/Hogartian style, got a new drysuit, and used the wing for buoyancy.

The first DIR instance I remember was when I saw was Gert checking his SPG on the 24" hose, unclipping and clipping it in what was a matter of a few seconds.  Heck, you can blabber on the internet and tell me to read whatever all you want, but if you can show me how well something works, I'm more inclined to try it.    From that point on, the system made more and more sense to me.  I took the DIR-F class and got the full-blown GUE treatment and it progressed from there.  On a side note, If you haven't taken the course, for whatever reason or excuse you can think of, I highly recommend it.  Even if you still think your way is better in the end, they will have made you think about all of the so-called training you have had previously and you might end up feeling ripped off.

The best thing that DIR has done for me is getting nearly everyone I dive with on the same page.  Our gear is the same, our attitudes are similar, and we have had similar training.  My normal (OK normal is not appropriate word) typical buddy Todd and I have done our training together from Advanced Nitrox to Advanced Trimix.  It is very reassuring to know that we are on the same page when my stupid light fails right before a 200+ foot dive.    It is a good thing I know that my back-up lights are stored on the shoulder straps of my harness, and his as well, so that not only are they easy to access, but my buddy can see if one happens to get turned on during a dive.  If it were in my pocket, it may stay on until the batteries are dead, and then not be ready when I need it.

Say what you like, and call it what you want too.  The system works for my buddies and me.