Doing IT Right - Equipment and Configuration

Equipment and Configuration

DIR equipment choice and equipment configuration should be considered together, as the two are philosophically inseparable. A change to one item of equipment may have complex consequences for the entire configuration and for the procedures which depend to a large degree on that equipment configuration. These consequences must be analysed before making a change. This is not to say that DIR equipment and configuration is immutable and can not be improved, but that all the consequences to the system must be considered when a variation is contemplated, so that knock-on effects can be avoided.

The basic principle of DIR diving also includes familiarity of all divers in the team with all equipment used by the team, and all the procedures intended to be used by the team, and that interchangeability of DIR divers between teams is highly desirable. The natural consequence is that changes are not easily accepted unless very well motivated. This may be interpreted as inflexibility by persons who do not analyse the philosophy of the system.

When there is a choice between two items of equipment with the same purpose, and one is clearly better than the other for a reason that affects risk and safety, the DIR philosophy insists that only use of the safer item is doing it right.

The configurations and procedures recommended by the DIR proponents did not spring into existence fully formed and perfect, they were developed, largely by trial and error, and significantly by William Hogarth Main, who continues experimenting with configurations and equipment in the interests of improving the system.

The DIR equipment system can be described as minimalist. Items of equipment that do not serve a useful purpose on a dive are considered a liability. Redundancy is provided where necessary within the personal equipment of the diver, and where possible by availability of team equipment. Multiple redundancy across personal and team equipment is only resorted to when necessary.

Streamlining and maintaining a low profile and cross sectional area are important considerations but effectiveness and robust applicability to a wide range of environments are possibly more important, as they allow a basic core configuration which is effective in virtually any recreational diving situation, and allow standardisation of procedures, which in turn allows the diving team to be put together from similarly trained and equipped divers, who will integrate more easily into an effective team. In this context, streamlining includes the aspect of reducing hydrodynamic drag when swimming, but more importantly, the reduction of entanglement and entrapment hazards due to equipment components to a minimum.

This philosophy does not preclude the use of equipment that is necessary for a special task, but would be applied to the choice of the equipment and how it is transported and deployed.