Customer Reviews

Doing it Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you are interetd in DIR diving this is the bible. There's quite a bit of useful information in the book. There are good descriptions of many important DIR topics and in many instances there's also a well thought out justification for why something is prescribed the way it is. I learned a lot from reading this book in spite of having done much prior research using the newsgroups and the web. It's easier to understand some of the reasoning behind DIR when you get a comprehensive argument for the overall concept as opposed the fractured discussions you find at other sources. It's much easier to understand the DIR viewpoint, evaluate it, and decide for yourself whether it's appropriate after reading this book.

The downside - The writing is fair. It's over the top when preaching the one true path of DIR. I just don't understand how someone who invents (or at least formalizes) a brand new way of diving believes that the current creation is the ultimate philosophy of diving and can never be eclipsed. You just improved it for the better and now no one else can ever? Well OK. But me - I'll keep looking for better, safer and more fun ways to dive.

One last point. Take the Halcyon equipment plugs with a grain of salt. It is great equipment, but the author is also the CEO of Halcyon and has a vested interest.

If you are interetd in DIR diving this is the bible. There's quite a bit of useful information in the book. There are good descriptions of many important DIR topics and in many instances there's also a well thought out justification for why something is prescribed the way it is. I learned a lot from reading this book in spite of having done much prior research using the newsgroups and the web. It's easier to understand some of the reasoning behind DIR when you get a comprehensive argument for the overall concept as opposed the fractured discussions you find at other sources. It's much easier to understand the DIR viewpoint, evaluate it, and decide for yourself whether it's appropriate after reading this book.

The downside - The writing is fair. It's over the top when preaching the one true path of DIR. I just don't understand how someone who invents (or at least formalizes) a brand new way of diving believes that the current creation is the ultimate philosophy of diving and can never be eclipsed. You just improved it for the better and now no one else can ever? Well OK. But me - I'll keep looking for better, safer and more fun ways to dive.

One last point. Take the Halcyon equipment plugs with a grain of salt. It is great equipment, but the author is also the CEO of Halcyon and has a vested interest.

This book is written as an introductory text to the concept of "DIR diving". DIR is an all-encompassing, holistic approach to diving, and is somewhat controversial within the diving community. Although the book says it is written for all-comers (including non-divers considering learning to dive) in reality it is pitched at experienced scuba divers curious about DIR methodology.

The book is reasonably well written, and argues the case for the DIR approach to technique, fitness, and equipment configurations. All of the core elements of DIR are summarised, and rationalised. The book keeps a good pace - sufficient detail without going too slowly.

However, the book is also slightly schizophrenic. Within the same paragraph it says that DIR is "all-or-nothing" and adopting parts piecemeal can be dangerous, but then goes on to say that any diving system can be improved by incorporating elements of DIR. How much you enjoy the book will probably depend upon the extent to which you embrace the concept. This reviewer certainly finds elements of DIR diving (like the requirement to use helium mixes on all dives below 100 feet) too extreme to be considered useful to the mainstream of the sport, although perhaps the most controversial aspect ("ratio decompression") is not covered.

The book also gets preachy, suggesting non-DIR approaches to diving (despite making up the vast majority of the sport) are dangerous and should be avoided. Wading through the more self-satisfied and elitist paragraphs can be an irritant. For a recreational activity, the book has an almost military emphasis repeatedly emphasising "teams" and "missions", and the requirement that all members of the "team" use identical equipment. The author repeatedly plugging Halcyon equipment (he is CEO of the company) also gets a bit wearing.

Overall, a good read for the experienced diver looking to either pick up tips or get an overview of what DIR is all about. It would be particularly useful for divers considering getting into "technical" diving. Newer divers will just be bewildered. Existing DIR acloytes will probably find little new that isn't covered in more detail in their manuals.

The DIR style of diving is completely explained in this book, intended to do just that. While DIR remains a controversial philosophy, mainly because it challenges others out there, the practicality and safety conciousness of the style cannot be overlooked.

I admit that I am already sold on the concept, having found many aspects to fit into my overall philosphy of diving. The minor things, like which hand I use to hold the primary light or on which wrist I have my bottom timer/depth gauge, are ones that were not large adjustments to make. I've fully embraced the system, including the mentals aspects, team approach and other "mind set" aspects.

This book fully explains what is behind every decision that must be made in order to be DIR. It is written by Jarrod Jablonski, the President of Global Underwater Explorers (GUE), one of the top two exploration divers in the record setting cave diving team: the WKPP, and CEO of Halcyon, a dive equipment manufacturer. DIR came out of practices used by the WKPP. Halcyon came to be because other manufacturers were not producing the quality equipment required, and GUE came about because other dive training agencies for cave and technical diving did not set their standards as high as desired for DIR.

Take all of that with a grain of salt, but understand that to learn about DIR, you have to go to the undiluted source. This is it.

Why is this title so expensive here? They're $20 US at the GUE website. The one star rating I give is not for the book, it's for Amazon.

the prices of all these sellers are insulting. you can get the book brand new from the global explorers website for $19.99, i called them and they have plenty in stock!!! will everyone please stop smoking crack!!! will amazon do something to let the buyers beware of lower prices?

Jarrod Jablonski is the owner of the FOR Profit group GUE which teaches DIR which pushes you must dive one gear configuration made up of most Halcyon gear. Halcyon is owned by Jarrod Jablonski and Robert Carmichael.

You can get the same info from other places without the marketing hype.

Jablonski's book is great, and the DIR system has a lot to offer. Dispite what you might hear, it isn't just marketing hype, and you don't have to buy any partcular brand in order to practice what it teaches (although you might need to make some major changes). Even if you just take what works for you and don't become a born-again DIR diver, it's full of good ideas.

If you're interested in checking it out, and it IS worth checking out, look up the organization "Global Underwater Explorers". This is the textbook for their fundamentals class, and the book is much better when combined with one-on-one training.

As a very experienced diver (Divemaster and Master SCUBA Diver), I have been long interested in the world of technical diving and the rewards this offers. Diving in this manner requires very specific types and configurations of equipment, and very specialized training and techniques. This book demonstrates in plain and easy to understand terms what is needed to embark on this journey. As a direct result of this book and the relationship I have developed with members of GUE, I am poised to join the ranks of the few who can enjoy the wonders technical diving provides. It has pointed out areas I was weak in and needed to improve, areas that I was strong in, and also the key areas both mentally and physically needed to enter the tech diving community. If you pass this book up, you will regret it!

This is really an outstanding book, clearly the best diving related book I've ever read. Fairly well written although some areas need a bit of elaboration. All in all a good into to DIR. An excellent read for both the beginner or experienced diver. Highly recommended.

DIR (Doing it Right) is a complete diving system that encompases both the mental and physical aspects of diving. The gear configuration is without a doubt the best setup around and is very versitile. Extremely simple and streamlined, it can be used by open water divers and tech divers alike. I'm an Instructor, and have tried every other setup out there. In my opinion, DIR is the way to go.

The author is the owner of Halcyon, a company which he recommends for various pieces of gear. I don't find this to be a problem considering that Halcyon is the only company making the gear he mentions correctly. You really don't have any other choice but Halcyon for some pieces of gear so, I don't think this is a conflict of interest.