Posted by mike on August 23, 2001 at 14:45:39:
In Reply to: you just need more lift bags is all posted by CalAbDiver on August 23, 2001 at 12:05:57:
Karl, I had only just switched to semi-DIR after my earlier set of gear commenced giving up the ghost. My old gear was getting a little worn and some of it was falling apart and some of it in retrospect, was getting downright dangerous. I was dreading the purchase of a new $700.00 BC and all that, until i joined JW and MHK for a couple dives on the Yukon. What they said certainly seemed unorthodox to me, but then again, i ain't no ideologue, just a skeptic with a reasonably open mind. So i tried some of the DIR recommendations a little at a time (like ditching the suicide clips in favor of ss piston bolts, forgoing the retractors, placing the backup lights etc, and lo and behold, the ideas worked! Then one day, i wanted to dive doubles. Oh Scheiss! Would i have to buy a whole new BC for that? Nope! I just rented a BP & Wings from Scuba Toys and viola! After a couple of adjustments, i found that this seeming torture device called a backplate was not even a problem. It felt like it wasn't even there, with doubles and stage bottles at that! I was impressed, put together a homemade setup for less than $360.00 complete with Single Tank adaptor, and was off. My "new BC" was a lot cheaper and better than i would have ever envisioned. The Hogarthian kit has proven far more ergonomical than anything i have ever tried before. It enables me to focus on carrying my housed SLR with dual strobes with relative ease without worrying about all the danglies. Each time this skeptic adopts another DIR procedure, i come away more impressed than ever. For me personally, it is DIR's track record of actually proving itself in the water, on my own dives, and not what GI3, JJ, MHK, JW, TLM or anyone else neccessarily says (although, i hold all of their opinions in VERY high esteem, and am predisposed to listen to them before i listen to anyone else..again, based on my experience with their advice)
As far as tanks /w/o boots, well, one of my steel 72s dates back to 1968, and another to 1973. All show signs of surface corrosion where the plastic boot contacts the zinc coating, soooo, i get to take off the boot after every dive and hose the things off in my driveway. Maybe i'd be better off losing the boots altogether, especially since i don't dive on rickety old boats with inlaid teak benches.
The biggest inconvenience for me is the long hose, and only when on the boat doffing and donning, but i've figured out how to deal with that too, and in a lot shorter time than it took for me to get used to my previous congfig.