Tips for Divers

The DIY blog for DIR divers

17/12/2014
by Stefan
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Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) at “boot” exhibition, Germany

GUE divers at boot show Duesseldorf. Copyright: Maren Isigkeit

GUE divers at boot show in Duesseldorf, Germany. Copyright: Maren Isigkeit

In January the well known exhibition BOOT will take place in Duesseldorf, Germany. BOOT is one of the largest exhibitions about water sports world-wide.

Global Underwater Explorers will be represented with an own booth there! Instructors from all over the world will be there to answer your questions and hold a few workshops. For more information have a look at the official announcement from GUE:

Welcome to the GUE event for the BOOT show in Dusseldorf 17-25th January, 2015. We have some amazing things going on this year and we’d like to let you know what is going on.

GUE instructors are known around the world as some of the best educators available, and we’re going to let you have a taste of that experience. All through the Boot show, we will be running sessions on how to do skills. These will be 10-15 mins long, and focussed on those really important skills and knowledge that every diver needs to make them a better, safer and more comfortable diver.

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29/07/2014
by Stefan
6 Comments

Single tank configuration – DIR-style

Single tank configuration DIR style

Single tank configuration – DIR-style: Apeks Tec 3 first stage

 

Since the temperatures are already really warm, you can slowly start to think about the summer holidays now… and of course of diving in warm, crystal clear water. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the single tank configuration DIR-style today.

In many peoples’ minds, they still stubbornly hold onto the idea that for DIR diving, a dry suit, large double bottle and all sorts of other diving equipment is necessary. The fact is, that there is another way that I want to show you below:

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15/07/2014
by Stefan
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How to install a storage pack

Storage Pack with screws

Storage Pack with screws

When diving in the open sea or flow it is always a good idea to carry at least one buoy with you at all times. Of course, two or three would be even better because the larger the “glow”, the easier it will be seen in the case of drifting away from the boat. Small buoys can still be easily stored in the pocket of the dry suit. In the case of larger buoys or lifting bags it is more difficult.

For this, a number of vendors offer a so called storage pack. The pack is mounted on the back plate and is intended to store larger buoys. In today’s article I would like to explain to you, how such a storage pack is attached, and what should be considered.

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28/04/2014
by Stefan
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The DIR harness

The DIR harness

The DIR harness. All you need is …

The equipment configuration of the DIR philosophy is not currently an indispensable part of diving. More and more manufacturers offer products for this type of diving. And the training organisations are following suit. Here on “Tips for divers” there have been tips about DIR-oriented diving equipment since September 2013. In today’s article I want to – in my own opinion – introduce the most central piece of diving equipment in this configuration: The DIR harness.

The term DIR harness covers the metal back plate and harness that allows the diver to wear bottles on their back.

Since the DIR equipment is reduced to the max, the configuration of the harness is a bit spartan. As you can configure a DIR harness yourself, I would like to introduce in today’s article:

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22/04/2014
by Stefan
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How to attach an Argon bottle?

How to attach an Argon bottle

How to attach an Argon bottle

If the temperatures in water in the winter are colder again, then you will read plenty of articles on the subject of “Argon“. Argon is often used by divers as a filler gas for the drysuit. In contrast to air, it has a greater density and (should) therefore better isolate the suit. However, this is being discussed extensively. Divers who dive with argon as the filling gas, swear by it!

At the latest, when you begin with technical diving, and the respiratory gases contain helium, you have to think about making a separate ventilation for the drysuit. Because it is undisputed that helium, which is used as a filler gas for the drysuit, cools down the diver very quickly!

Therefore, when you go diving with helium containing mixtures, small bottles are used, which only contain the gas for the drysuit. These bottle usually have a size of 0.7L or 1L. Bottles also come in 3L sizes for use with deeper dives.
In the following guide, I would like to show you how to secure such a bottle, which, within the diving community is known as the “Argon Bottle”, onto the back plate and what you should consider with the tube guide.

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31/03/2014
by Stefan
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How to replace the compass arm band with a rubber line

A special DIR mount for the Suunto SK7 compass

A special DIR mount for the Suunto SK7 compass

With the supplied standard straps, which are provided when you buy a compass, the disadvantage is that they are usually awkward to use with gloves, and they are – if needed – not easy to be tighten underwater.

Here is an easy way to replace the standard strap with two rubber lines (known as bungee line). There are two ways that you can precede with this. Both of which I would like to introduce to you today.

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24/03/2014
by Stefan
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Weights … for DIR divers

Weights: P-Weight, V-Weight and Tail-Weight

Weights: P-Weight, V-Weight and Tail-Weight

With today’s article, with the eloquent title “Weights”, I wanted to bring to light terms such as: V-weight, tail weight, P-weight, etc. … ?Every diver, more or less, has used the metal lead. As seen in the picture, there are several ways to attach the lead or wrights to the bottom of your tanks or the back plate for diving with twin tanks.

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17/03/2014
by Stefan
3 Comments

How to make a Leash

Leash1When diving with multiple stage tanks you can get to a point where it is impractical to clip it into left chest D-ring. Normally, only a maximum of two stages are hooked on while immersed. As soon as you need a third stage bottle for the dive, the question arises, where to put it?

Here a so called Leash comes in. This is, basically, a piece of rope, to which a double-ender carabiner is clipped. Onto this leash, you can now hang the third stage tank. The double-ender on the leash is then clipped to the hip D-ring (left). Then the leash can run between your legs and store the stage bottle on the back side. Once it is secured there by the leash, it will be comfortable to dive with.
How you can tinker such a Leash by yourself I will introduce to you in the following post:

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03/03/2014
by Stefan
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How to fold lift bag for proper storage in the storage pack

How to fold a lift bag for proper storage ein storage pack

How to fold a lift bag for proper storage ein storage pack

A lift bag, can be used for various taks by divers. The lift bag is always used in conjunction with a spool. Firstly it is used as a marker on the surface. Attaching a line to the line bag can serve to stop decompression. Or you can use the bag to retrieve things from the depths.

If you have attached the Storage Pack to your back plate, there is a simple, but very comfortable way to fold the lift bag and store it in the storage pack. This saves you considerable space in your leg pockets.

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10/02/2014
by Stefan
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How to replace computer watch straps with rubber lines

How to replace computer watch strap with rubber lines

How to replace computer watch strap with rubber lines

Does the supplied computer watch straps bother you and also cause a lot of fumbling, putting it on your arm before the dive? One simple possibility is to replace the standard strap with two short rubber lines. This has the advantage that, in the event that one of the two lines were to break, you still have a second and the computer is not lost.

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