Who disagrees with DIR and why?

[Freedive WI]

OOG and donating your long hose.

I have overhauled regualtors that had LIVE snails living inside the second stages. I certainly wouldn't want to stick that into an OOA diver's mouth when they needed it most. By breathing my long hose I know that what I give them will work.

Another thing, that I have actually seen for myself, happened in my instructor class years ago, but has stayed with me until this time. Two of the other candidates were demonstrating an octo ascent. One diver gave the OOA buddy his octo. The buddy grabbed it and inhaled a huge mouth full of water. He took it out and pressed the purge- lots of air comes flowing out. So, he puts it back in and tries to breath off of it again- more water and a quick ascent to the top of the pool.

It turns out that the diaphram had a huge tear in it and was totally flooded with water the hole time. Just pushing the purge button would release the air, but wouldn't indicate a problem with the regulator. If this person had been breathing the primary it wouldn't have gone unnoticed until it was needed most. By actually using the regualtor that you donate you are 100% sure it will work when you need it to.

GUE wasn't the first agency to teach breathing the long hose. That goes to NASDS who was teaching it back in the 70's for openwater diving. Of course, the 'long hose' of the day was 3', instead of 7', but the idea was still there.

The times I have had to bail out another diver having my 7' hose made things much easier than they would have been with a short hose.

As far as DIR being about dive gear, I think it's more about being a good buddy, proper fitness level for the dive being done, and proper gases for the depths being encountered- lack of narcosis.

When it comes down to the dive gear I still prefer to buy a simple bottom timer, over a $1,000 computor, and use a simple pair of rubber fins, instead of $200 split fins. I am not certain that when you add up all of the costs of gear that DIR is any more expensive than other configurations.

Just my experiences here.

Jon