Training for DIR F

*Clare Gledhill* · December 6th, 2005, 02:19 PM

Some of you will know why I'm posting this - but try to put that to one side.

I was helped to prepare for DIR F by several DIR divers - one of whom had just done Tech 1 - DJL - and also Al and Frase niether of whom had passed Fundies but has sat it so knew what to look for. Frase eventually did DIR F with me so I had a known buddy on the course, and I did Al's resit with him a few weeks later. Our team came from this

My experience on the course was that I knew what to do - basic 5, valve drills, s drills, OOAs etc., plus all the kicks - I had practiced before. The first two dives of the course were a dream from my point of view, I could concentrate on performing well and taking things in. The second day, well things got ramped up a bit and I found it much harder - but the basis of my skills was OK and helped me out.

The result was I passed. Did I get much out of the course? - well yes but I had already been taken through concepts like minimum gas, minimum deco, etc., and had various scenarios thrown at me underwater so maybe got less out of it than someone coming to it afresh. However, I was able to relax a bit (for me

) and take in more than I would have done had I felt out of my depth.

I am aware that there is a school of thought which says it is best to do fundies without preparation - go open minded and ready to learn with only basic diving skills like buoyancy to back you up.

I would never be like this - just the way I'm wired I suppose - I would want to practice and better to practice with a GUE diver getting most of it right than on your own learning things incorrectly. Incidentally, I was shown one small detail wrong - and had to relearn it on the course - no big deal.

I am aware of people who have done DIR F wishing that they had known a bit more before they went.

I would like your views please - not on what others should do - but what you actually did, how it affected you and what you would do if you did it again.

Little Pete · December 6th, 2005, 02:41 PM

I did Fundies in July with BrianA and Martin Burnard from Plymouth. Prior to the course I had a day in Vobster with Clare, Brian, Di (DDC) and Sterny running through the 'usual' DIR-F pre-course learning stuff (how to back kick etc etc).

I am really glad I did the day and going back I'd do it again as it gave me a good sense of what I needed to be able to do and some practise of it. I found it a good learning experience and we mainly had a gentle day of practise so nothing that might have caused 'concern' from others.

ellisn · December 6th, 2005, 02:45 PM

The 4divers (Me, Wilbo, Rob and Gareth) are hoping to do the DIR-F in March. Between now and then I know we all want to get in as much practice as possible with the basics we have been shown. Gives us something to do in the winter inland dives. When I did my TDI advnx and Deco I had never dived twins before and my first dive with twins was also my first dive with a stage, I found myself very task loaded, wish I had spent a bit of time getting used to the twins first. Hopefuly by doing a bit of pre course skills practice we can concentrate on other areas the course has to offer and get more from the course. Besides we are all macho divers (except Wilbo when he wears his tights) and we don't want to look like complete muppets... it's an ego thing

Cheers

Neil

Phil O · December 6th, 2005, 02:47 PM

I did my fundies in 2003 without knowing any DIR divers prior to the course having been introduced to the wing/backplate configuration on holiday. I eagerly read the Fundamentals book and got on the course without practising any of the skills beforehand. I did the course on a single tank and converted to twins sometime in 2004. I practised my skills in my clubs pool as much as I could - difficult when you don't have a buddy to practise with. It wasn't until the YD Stoney gig at the end of 2004 that I met similar divers and dived with them and practised skills.Looking back I don't think I suffered from not being exposed to DIR skills prior to Fundies but I would have liked to have done something beforehand, particularly on trim and bouyancy. I did suffer though from having no one to dive with post Fundies and that is an area where mentoring/practise is really valuable.

prharris · December 6th, 2005, 03:03 PM

I posted something similar to this on YD, but anyway...

My buddy and I learnt DIR ('except it was not called that then) largely from the internet.
It was almost painful at times, arguing with GI3 about things and being 'slapped down' by him in his own inimitable style. I think one of my classic questions on Cavers was, "If you're using helium, why not inflate your suit from a deco cylinder?"

Anyway, we practiced, and often met AK and others over at Runnemede but to be honest, I can't remember if we first dived with them before or after we did Cave1.

I think that it must have been before, because I can remember the glee in AK's and Graeme Davidson's voice (typing) when we'd arranged a session at Stoney (or were going to meet on Wey Chieftan) and they were going to 'critique' our kit for us.

Neither were instructors at the time, but they were happy to answer any questions as they had already done Cave 1, Cave 2 and I think had got their Halcyon 'fridge' RBs by then.

Anyway we continued to dive within the club, putting up with being told, "If you wear your reg alike that, you'll f*cking choke." and gems like, "Anyone taking a reg from my mouth, better be prepared to pull my knife from their arse!"

We did Cave 1 in July 2000 in with no real mentoring and what we'd gleaned form the 'net. The kit lecture which had a runtime for 4 hours took 40 mins, including swapping (shortening) inflator and corrugated hoses on my wing.

So that's it, there was no real DIR UK 'scene', although there were lose groups of divers, some of whom are diving today and others who are not - to the best of my knowledge.

Would I recommend that way? Well, it worked for me, but frankly there was no other way.

I also instruct (not GUE) and prefer people to come to lectures having read the materials, as I feel that you get more out of it if you come with questions that can really test the instructor, I prefer that from a student and I tend to do that if I'm attending a course.

There IS a fine line between that and taking on a lot of stuff that you need to unlearn, one of my biggest hurdles was 80% vs 100% deco, but now I'm waffling.

r
Paul

PRD · December 6th, 2005, 03:03 PM

Surely though there is a conflict here...

by setting the bar very high, and by making DIR-F a examined course rather than a workshop, then GUE is putting potential candidates under pressure before they start. This automatically from a human pride point of view, makes candidates wish to practise before attending, because "practise makes perfect".

There has been much debate elsewhere about the fears of candidates prior to their DIR-F course, fears which I share. My own fears center around whether DIR is right for me, etc. I do strongly feel that GUE ought to set a standard for a workshop / try-dive (I can't phrase it quite right), with a diver of whatever DIR experience which is appropriate, so that even the basics such as trim and buoyancy skills are demonstrated - hence candidates can see what to practise etc. I don't know, perhaps DIRF ought to be split into a training session and a test session? I do know that some on here have given their time to demonstrate to others these skills and share what to expect, and I for one hope that that continues.

Paul

*Rich Walker* · December 6th, 2005, 03:26 PM

It seems GUE can't win

I believe it was initially pressure form students that drove the change from a workshop to an assessed course. Students wanted something to show for their efforts, and I can understand that so some extent.

The new format will allow a "recreational pass" to be awarded, which will address some of these issues, I hope. A "technical pass" will be required before progressing on to Tech 1 or Cave 1. In the current system, we have to certify at this tech level, especially if the student is wearing doubles, regardless of whether they intend to take further GUE training or not.

The recreational pass allows us to recognise that someone who dives a single cylinder configuration will not need the precision buoyancy control or skills execution that would be required of a technical diver. Do not misconstrue this as a "dumbing down" though. The standards will still be very high.

My option to award a provisional or a fail will still be availabe to me though.

Should a student wish to "upgrade" from a rec to a tech pass, then I will be able to do a simple reassessment.

Rich

fraser · December 6th, 2005, 03:31 PM

Like Phil I did my Fundies in a single rig in 2003, I'd chatted to a knowledgeable guy but not dived with anyone DIR. I got a provisional.

I then converted to doubles and decided to go through Fundies again and found it pretty straightforward. I also saw Gledders go through it relatively straightforwardly too, after some preparation with me and other GUE trained divers.

So I can see the merits of both ways.

The important thing is gaining the experience from people that know what they are doing IMO.

Fraser.

Rob Dobson · December 6th, 2005, 03:37 PM

All I know is that I have chosen to practice these skills with the team I intend to do DIR-F with and that is the team that I intend to do most of my diving with.

I am grateful for all of the guidance and advice that I have received; especially that which has come from people who have given up their days off to come and share their experience with us. We are all better and safer divers as a result and I believe that people who are prepared to go to such lengths to give back to the dive community should be applauded and not chastised.

PRD · December 6th, 2005, 03:47 PM

If you consider that the human race is made up of individuals, then GUE probably won't get it right for everyone. I guess that the recent recognition of different syllabus / emphasis for different ends is an attempt towards this. I look forward to hearing the progress.

I can understand that if you put in a great deal of effort for something then one would want a benchmark or grade to let you know how far off you may be. Personally I would like to learn first - test later, but that's me. I guess therefore, I would fall into the group who practise before fundies.

Paul

December 6th, 2005, 02:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
Clare Gledhill(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,547	Training for DIR F Some of you will know why I'm posting this - but try to put that to one side. I was helped to prepare for DIR F by several DIR divers - one of whom had just done Tech 1 - DJL - and also Al and Frase niether of whom had passed Fundies but has sat it so knew what to look for. Frase eventually did DIR F with me so I had a known buddy on the course, and I did Al's resit with him a few weeks later. Our team came from this My experience on the course was that I knew what to do - basic 5, valve drills, s drills, OOAs etc., plus all the kicks - I had practiced before. The first two dives of the course were a dream from my point of view, I could concentrate on performing well and taking things in. The second day, well things got ramped up a bit and I found it much harder - but the basis of my skills was OK and helped me out. The result was I passed. Did I get much out of the course? - well yes but I had already been taken through concepts like minimum gas, minimum deco, etc., and had various scenarios thrown at me underwater so maybe got less out of it than someone coming to it afresh. However, I was able to relax a bit (for me ) and take in more than I would have done had I felt out of my depth. I am aware that there is a school of thought which says it is best to do fundies without preparation - go open minded and ready to learn with only basic diving skills like buoyancy to back you up. I would never be like this - just the way I'm wired I suppose - I would want to practice and better to practice with a GUE diver getting most of it right than on your own learning things incorrectly. Incidentally, I was shown one small detail wrong - and had to relearn it on the course - no big deal. I am aware of people who have done DIR F wishing that they had known a bit more before they went. I would like your views please - not on what others should do - but what you actually did, how it affected you and what you would do if you did it again. __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk

December 6th, 2005, 02:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
Phil O (Online) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Milton Keynes Posts: 340	I did my fundies in 2003 without knowing any DIR divers prior to the course having been introduced to the wing/backplate configuration on holiday. I eagerly read the Fundamentals book and got on the course without practising any of the skills beforehand. I did the course on a single tank and converted to twins sometime in 2004. I practised my skills in my clubs pool as much as I could - difficult when you don't have a buddy to practise with. It wasn't until the YD Stoney gig at the end of 2004 that I met similar divers and dived with them and practised skills.Looking back I don't think I suffered from not being exposed to DIR skills prior to Fundies but I would have liked to have done something beforehand, particularly on trim and bouyancy. I did suffer though from having no one to dive with post Fundies and that is an area where mentoring/practise is really valuable. __________________ Phil Last edited by Phil O; December 6th, 2005 at 02:48 PM. Reason: format

December 6th, 2005, 03:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
prharris(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth Posts: 91	I posted something similar to this on YD, but anyway... My buddy and I learnt DIR ('except it was not called that then) largely from the internet. It was almost painful at times, arguing with GI3 about things and being 'slapped down' by him in his own inimitable style. I think one of my classic questions on Cavers was, "If you're using helium, why not inflate your suit from a deco cylinder?" Anyway, we practiced, and often met AK and others over at Runnemede but to be honest, I can't remember if we first dived with them before or after we did Cave1. I think that it must have been before, because I can remember the glee in AK's and Graeme Davidson's voice (typing) when we'd arranged a session at Stoney (or were going to meet on Wey Chieftan) and they were going to 'critique' our kit for us. Neither were instructors at the time, but they were happy to answer any questions as they had already done Cave 1, Cave 2 and I think had got their Halcyon 'fridge' RBs by then. Anyway we continued to dive within the club, putting up with being told, "If you wear your reg alike that, you'll fcking choke." and gems like, "Anyone taking a reg from my mouth, better be prepared to pull my knife from their arse!" We did Cave 1 in July 2000 in with no real mentoring and what we'd gleaned form the 'net. The kit lecture which had a runtime for 4 hours took 40 mins, including swapping (shortening) inflator and corrugated hoses on my wing. So that's it, there was no real DIR UK 'scene', although there were lose groups of divers, some of whom are diving today and others who are not - to the best of my knowledge. Would I recommend that way? Well, it worked for me, but frankly there was no other way. I also instruct (not GUE) and prefer people to come to lectures having read the materials, as I feel that you get more out of it if you come with questions that can really test the instructor, I prefer that from a student and I tend to do that if I'm attending a course. There IS a fine line between that and taking on a lot of stuff that you need to unlearn, one of my biggest hurdles was 80% vs 100% deco, but now I'm waffling. r Paul Last edited by prharris; December 6th, 2005 at 03:06 PM. Reason: typo city*

December 6th, 2005, 03:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
fraser(Offline) "I'm only late on your timescale" Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kent, UK Posts: 463	Like Phil I did my Fundies in a single rig in 2003, I'd chatted to a knowledgeable guy but not dived with anyone DIR. I got a provisional. I then converted to doubles and decided to go through Fundies again and found it pretty straightforward. I also saw Gledders go through it relatively straightforwardly too, after some preparation with me and other GUE trained divers. So I can see the merits of both ways. The important thing is gaining the experience from people that know what they are doing IMO. Fraser. __________________ Damn it feels good to be a gangsta

December 6th, 2005, 02:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
Little Pete(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 509	I did Fundies in July with BrianA and Martin Burnard from Plymouth. Prior to the course I had a day in Vobster with Clare, Brian, Di (DDC) and Sterny running through the 'usual' DIR-F pre-course learning stuff (how to back kick etc etc). I am really glad I did the day and going back I'd do it again as it gave me a good sense of what I needed to be able to do and some practise of it. I found it a good learning experience and we mainly had a gentle day of practise so nothing that might have caused 'concern' from others.

December 6th, 2005, 02:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
ellisn(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Swindon Posts: 89	The 4divers (Me, Wilbo, Rob and Gareth) are hoping to do the DIR-F in March. Between now and then I know we all want to get in as much practice as possible with the basics we have been shown. Gives us something to do in the winter inland dives. When I did my TDI advnx and Deco I had never dived twins before and my first dive with twins was also my first dive with a stage, I found myself very task loaded, wish I had spent a bit of time getting used to the twins first. Hopefuly by doing a bit of pre course skills practice we can concentrate on other areas the course has to offer and get more from the course. Besides we are all macho divers (except Wilbo when he wears his tights) and we don't want to look like complete muppets... it's an ego thing Cheers Neil

December 6th, 2005, 03:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
PRD(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 11	Surely though there is a conflict here... by setting the bar very high, and by making DIR-F a examined course rather than a workshop, then GUE is putting potential candidates under pressure before they start. This automatically from a human pride point of view, makes candidates wish to practise before attending, because "practise makes perfect". There has been much debate elsewhere about the fears of candidates prior to their DIR-F course, fears which I share. My own fears center around whether DIR is right for me, etc. I do strongly feel that GUE ought to set a standard for a workshop / try-dive (I can't phrase it quite right), with a diver of whatever DIR experience which is appropriate, so that even the basics such as trim and buoyancy skills are demonstrated - hence candidates can see what to practise etc. I don't know, perhaps DIRF ought to be split into a training session and a test session? I do know that some on here have given their time to demonstrate to others these skills and share what to expect, and I for one hope that that continues. Paul

December 6th, 2005, 03:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
Rich Walker(Offline) GUE Instructor Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sheffield Posts: 300	It seems GUE can't win I believe it was initially pressure form students that drove the change from a workshop to an assessed course. Students wanted something to show for their efforts, and I can understand that so some extent. The new format will allow a "recreational pass" to be awarded, which will address some of these issues, I hope. A "technical pass" will be required before progressing on to Tech 1 or Cave 1. In the current system, we have to certify at this tech level, especially if the student is wearing doubles, regardless of whether they intend to take further GUE training or not. The recreational pass allows us to recognise that someone who dives a single cylinder configuration will not need the precision buoyancy control or skills execution that would be required of a technical diver. Do not misconstrue this as a "dumbing down" though. The standards will still be very high. My option to award a provisional or a fail will still be availabe to me though. Should a student wish to "upgrade" from a rec to a tech pass, then I will be able to do a simple reassessment. Rich

December 6th, 2005, 03:37 PM	#9 (permalink)
Rob Dobson (Online) Chillin' with the ninjas Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oxford Posts: 537	All I know is that I have chosen to practice these skills with the team I intend to do DIR-F with and that is the team that I intend to do most of my diving with. I am grateful for all of the guidance and advice that I have received; especially that which has come from people who have given up their days off to come and share their experience with us. We are all better and safer divers as a result and I believe that people who are prepared to go to such lengths to give back to the dive community should be applauded and not chastised.

December 6th, 2005, 03:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
PRD(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 11	If you consider that the human race is made up of individuals, then GUE probably won't get it right for everyone. I guess that the recent recognition of different syllabus / emphasis for different ends is an attempt towards this. I look forward to hearing the progress. I can understand that if you put in a great deal of effort for something then one would want a benchmark or grade to let you know how far off you may be. Personally I would like to learn first - test later, but that's me. I guess therefore, I would fall into the group who practise before fundies. Paul