Subscribe to the 
Am I Doing It Right?
By Helen Hadley on 7 October 2008 - comments
Am I Doing it right? So am I doing it wrong at the moment then? Hmmm
DIR is possibly one of the most controversial subjects in diving, with many people having never heard of it, or having significant misconceptions about it. There is, at present, only one agency who teach the DIR approach – GUE (Global Underwater Explorers ) who started out diving the Florida caves which seemed to be claiming many lives. They took a step back from diving and re-evaluated everything we do, all the equipment choices we make and chose the configuration which offers the fewest number of failure points. But DIR isnt about equipment, it is a mental attitude of diving as safely as possible.
I decided to do the course in the spring to hopefully make me a better, safer diver. It has been quite a journey – here is the tale from beginning to end.
The course was run in Capernwray (see Capernwray article ), an inland site in the North of England over a very chilly weekend in January.
D.I.R.F. the training part 2
By Mark Chase on 5 October 2008 - comments
Day 3 The final two dives of the course
Dive one was to be the by now standard Valve drill and S drill but this time the instructor would step in if he spotted an error missed by the buddy and end the drill. You would then be required to re set the drill and start again from the beginning. Personally I felt this was a much safer way of handling drills and avoiding the potential danger of inadvertently shutting both valves.
This was followed by a drill called the Basic Five. This involved reg removal and replacement, swapping from primary to back up reg and back again, mask clearing, mask removal and finally a modified S drill. This was an odd one as it was apparently practice for a full S drill? Instead of donating your primary reg to your buddy to breath from he would just hold it in his hand whilst you went through the donation and re stowing side of the drill.
Richard Lundgren GUE interview
By Alan Edwards on 17 September 2008 - comments
Richard Lundgren is one of the reasons I want to try DIR diving someday, you will rarely meet a more humble man of such experience in any field of sporting excellence. If he is representative of DIR divers, then I am in.
DIR – What its not!
By Mark Ellyat on 28 August 2008 - comments [1]
Scientology meets Scuba
A long time ago (early 90’s)…in a galaxy…far… far away a group of divers awash with best intentions created the philosophy of Doing It Right.
DIR was meant to promote better technique for safer Florida Cave diving – it focused on equipment configuration and type, plus general procedures for team based cave exploration.D.I.R.F The Fundamentals
By Mark Chase on 14 February 2006 - comments
On the 27th January I motored on down to Vobster in Somerset to take the DIRF training course. I didn’t need the course; I am already qualified way beyond any DIR training course currently offered in the UK. No I was doing the course for totally different reasons. I was there to see what all the fuss was about and I was there because several of the DIR divers in my acquaintance has impressed me so much with their diving skills that I felt I would like to able to dive with them in the future. This second point was a surprise even to me but to understand why you have to look at my history with DIR.
Exploring the Explorers
By Travel Dive on 19 January 2006 - comments
Global Underwater Explorers is the new kid on the Scuba Training Agency block. Their courses, Fundamentals, Tech 1, 2 & 3 and Cave 1, 2 & 3 are increasing in popularity with UK divers, with a Fundamentals class being run almost every month now. For an agency who’s roots are firmly embedded in the Florida caving scene, it may seem surprising to the die hard, cold water, drysuited diver that anything is truly relevant to us and the way we dive. Images of divers with multiple stages and scooters deep underground prevail, what can this way of diving do for the average UK diver?
Rich Walker is out to change our perception of DIR. one of only two instructors active in the UK at present, he works hard to improve the image and understanding of GUE amongst the UK diving population.
Richard Walker
Here in an exclusive interview with Rich, Travel Dive asks many of the burning questions surrounding Doing It Right and the issues it raises, plus what the future holds for 2006 and beyond.