Rock and hard place...?

Bubble · December 22nd, 2005, 09:19 PM

I currently spend most of my diving time as a PADI AI assisting with OW, AOW and RD courses and I do really enjoy this aspect of diving.

Those of you who are also part of the PADI fraternity will know the drill.

Over the course of 2006 my plan was to begin to veer heavily towards DIR setup and ethos.

The conundrum that I am having is how to apply a personal DIR approach to a non-DIR environment?

My friend (who is also the instructor that I help), humours me and tries to keep a level keel advising students that there is more than one way to do things (ie they are wearing normal BCDs, I am wearing hog-rig;they are wearing semis in winter

, I am wearing a drysuit!).

I did send an email to PADI however their response was very generic ("do what you like, just don't breach [sic] standards or you're on your own").

I believe that many of you may be in the same boat and would be grateful to any suggestions or feedback you might have on this subject.

cheers and happy xmas
Dean

Danny · December 22nd, 2005, 09:51 PM

Hi,Dean

In the pool I'm using a normal BCD.
For the open water part of the there training I'm using my DIR-eqiupment ,Not with a double twelve :-)).
Most of the time I'm using my double seven or my single tank rig but always with the longhose and drysuit.
I'm not breaking any standards with this so why not ,as long that your boss argrees with that !!
But don't force the DIR-mindset up to your students ,let they find there own way in the world of diving.

Good luck

Danny

GoDiva · December 23rd, 2005, 12:20 AM

I approached this from "the other side". In September I took aan AOW + EANx course in the Philippines. I had a great instructor. She had taken a triox course a couple of months earlier herself, in the dive center sporting the only Philippine DIR-instructor. Quite a few people used wings and long hoses there.

Whenever I had questions about things which fell outside the course, she would incorporate it in the next lesson (this meant I learned to work "the wheel" while doing excercises in my EANx course). When I asked difficult questions ("It says in this padi-book that I should descend and ascend along a line in vertical position, I have heard that horizontal position is better. Why does it say vertical here?") she would answer them the best she could ("I know that's wat 'techies' say, and yes it is true. PADI reasons that vertical position keeps you better orientated. If you want to stay horizontal, that's no problem.")

She was just great, and I don't regret the courses for one second!

eelpout · December 23rd, 2005, 04:32 AM

Hi Dean,

I was turned on to the GUE DIR program by a Divemaster/dive buddy. He came back from Grand Cayman impressed with the people/the way they dove/and the dive operation (Ocean Frontiers). We would sit down and discuss the merits of the DIR program, and the value of carrying the Halcyon line of equipment in my store.

My store is a PADI 5 Star Facility, Aqualung/ Scubapro/TUSA/DiveRite/OMS dealer. I have been teaching since 1979.

What convinced me that the GUE/ DIR program is the way to go,? Seeing too many technical diving programs that were certifying people who did not have the SKILLS to do the dives they planned. My buddy gave me JJ's book. I sent my wife (my partner in the business) to take the DIR-f course. The rest is history.

Jim

December 22nd, 2005, 09:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bubble(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London and New Zealand Posts: 11	Rock and hard place...? I currently spend most of my diving time as a PADI AI assisting with OW, AOW and RD courses and I do really enjoy this aspect of diving. Those of you who are also part of the PADI fraternity will know the drill. Over the course of 2006 my plan was to begin to veer heavily towards DIR setup and ethos. The conundrum that I am having is how to apply a personal DIR approach to a non-DIR environment? My friend (who is also the instructor that I help), humours me and tries to keep a level keel advising students that there is more than one way to do things (ie they are wearing normal BCDs, I am wearing hog-rig;they are wearing semis in winter, I am wearing a drysuit!). I did send an email to PADI however their response was very generic ("do what you like, just don't breach [sic] standards or you're on your own"). I believe that many of you may be in the same boat and would be grateful to any suggestions or feedback you might have on this subject. cheers and happy xmas Dean

December 22nd, 2005, 09:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Danny(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 77	Hi,Dean In the pool I'm using a normal BCD. For the open water part of the there training I'm using my DIR-eqiupment ,Not with a double twelve :-)). Most of the time I'm using my double seven or my single tank rig but always with the longhose and drysuit. I'm not breaking any standards with this so why not ,as long that your boss argrees with that !! But don't force the DIR-mindset up to your students ,let they find there own way in the world of diving. Good luck Danny Last edited by Danny; December 23rd, 2005 at 01:07 AM.

December 23rd, 2005, 04:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
eelpout(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: upper Midwest USA Posts: 11	Turning people onto DIR Hi Dean, I was turned on to the GUE DIR program by a Divemaster/dive buddy. He came back from Grand Cayman impressed with the people/the way they dove/and the dive operation (Ocean Frontiers). We would sit down and discuss the merits of the DIR program, and the value of carrying the Halcyon line of equipment in my store. My store is a PADI 5 Star Facility, Aqualung/ Scubapro/TUSA/DiveRite/OMS dealer. I have been teaching since 1979. What convinced me that the GUE/ DIR program is the way to go,? Seeing too many technical diving programs that were certifying people who did not have the SKILLS to do the dives they planned. My buddy gave me JJ's book. I sent my wife (my partner in the business) to take the DIR-f course. The rest is history. Jim

December 23rd, 2005, 12:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
GoDiva(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 560	I approached this from "the other side". In September I took aan AOW + EANx course in the Philippines. I had a great instructor. She had taken a triox course a couple of months earlier herself, in the dive center sporting the only Philippine DIR-instructor. Quite a few people used wings and long hoses there. Whenever I had questions about things which fell outside the course, she would incorporate it in the next lesson (this meant I learned to work "the wheel" while doing excercises in my EANx course). When I asked difficult questions ("It says in this padi-book that I should descend and ascend along a line in vertical position, I have heard that horizontal position is better. Why does it say vertical here?") she would answer them the best she could ("I know that's wat 'techies' say, and yes it is true. PADI reasons that vertical position keeps you better orientated. If you want to stay horizontal, that's no problem.") She was just great, and I don't regret the courses for one second!