first, let me say that taking the DIR-F class was the single-best

decision i made after learning how to dive.  DIR-F re-introduced me

to some basic skills i wasn't doing so well, and gave me a "complete

picture" to shoot for.

    nevertheless, i do not consider myself DIR (short for "Doing it Right").

i dive their system; i share 90% of their diving philosophy.  and yet,

i have always drawn the line at calling myself a "DIR diver."

    why?  that's another topic.  but today, i wanted to talk about DIR

for those who are not too familiar with it.

     it all starts with the  Wakulla Karst Plain Project (well, not really,

but we gotta start somewhere).  basically, divers had been trying to

explore the demanding Wakulla Springs cave system in Florida,

including the famed Sheck Exley.  However, due to lack of central

leadership and planning, the exploration sort of had reached its

maximum momentum by the early 90's.

based on minimalist, cave-diving principles, the DIR style emphasises bouyancy and trim control

picture taken by ScubaBoard's Melfox26

     at that point, George Irvine and Jarrod Jablonski took over the

exploration (through the WKPP) and developed the concept of DIR:

a holistic system of diving emphasising similar equipment, training,

and procedure.  In theory, someone who is DIR from Alaska can meet

up with a DIR person from Japan and the two will know exactly what the

other person's equipment is,  what their dive procedures will be, and

rather importantly, what the other person is trained to do in case of an emergency.

    the DIR equipment configuration is basically an application of the

Hogarthian concepts of "less is more" and "uniformity."  Named after

William Hogarth Main, the Hogartian (fairly called minimalist) system

was the basis for the DIR system as developed by Irvine and Jablonski

for WKKP exploration.  again, the need for centralized protocol,

uniformity, and predictability was their impetus.

     sometime later, someone had the (great) idea to export the DIR

Wakulla diving method and philosophy to the general population of

divers. I believe that someone was Jarrod Jablonski.  He certainly

wrote the book on DIR for the non-Wakulla diver, DIR: The

Fundamentals of Better Diving.

    now, because DIR is a holistic system, it requires that you

accept the entire "package."  the argument is that since the

entire "package" is designed to work together, adopting only

bits and pieces will not work (and can be downright dangerous).

i'm not sure i buy this argument, particularly since the DIR

equipment configuration alone can be so beneficial to divers.

   DIR training can be obtained through Global Underwater Explorers.