Holistic Hogarthian - a working document (Part I)

[DRE]

The Holistic Hogarthian Approach to Diving

By David R.E. Ramael
February 6, 2003



Holistic Hogarthian is an all-encompassing approach to diving, which in-corporates a clean and streamlined gear configuration with a thorough under-standing of diving physics and physiology, proper dive planning, and team execution. Furthermore, the Holistic Hogarthian diver makes sure he/she is in good physical and mental shape to execute the dives, whether it is a 30 ft reef dive or 300 ft wreck dive. H2 evolved from the Hogarthian gear configuration de-veloped by numerous deep-exploration Florida cave divers, and which was dis-tilled into a system by Bill “Hogarth” Main. His primary philosophy was “less is better,” if you don’t need it – don’t bring it. H2 opened this approach to all as-pects of diving, not solely the gear configuration.



The Hogarthian gear configuration

   At the center of the Hogarthian gear configuration is the back plate har-ness setup. This system is simple and rugged, yet extremely versatile. The alu-minum or stainless steel plate is strung with 2inch nylon webbing, preferably a single piece of webbing or with a quick release. A minimum of three D-rings is added: two shoulder D-rings and one hip D-ring at the diver’s left-hand side. A wing sandwiched between the tank and the back plate provides the buoyancy. For single tank diving, the 35 to 45# range is optimal, for doubles diving a 55-65# bladder is recommended. Anything more than a 65# bladder is considered overkill, and it will only enlarge the diver’s profile, thus creating more drag. The Hogarthian gear configuration also does not recommend the use of dual blad-ders, as it only adds more drag, is one more failure point in the setup and is ab-solutely unnecessary when using a balanced rig. The diver should be neutrally buoyant at 15ft with no gas in the wing when using a wet- or drysuit, but has the option of ditching enough weight at depth (whether it is a light canister or actual weights) to be able to swim up to the surface. This also implies that a diver never uses heavy steel tanks in combination with a wetsuit.
The diver breathes a long-hose regulator, and donates the regulator from which he is breathing in case of an Out-Of-Gas emergency. The hose length can be as short as 40” for open water, but a seven-foot hose is recommended. The seven-foot hose goes straight down from the regulator’s first stage, across the diver’s chest, loops around the neck into the mouth. The backup regulator is worn in a bungee loop around the neck, and hangs directly underneath the diver’s chin. In case of an OOG, the donor always knows where his backup is, and just has to put it in his mouth, without having to unclip anything. At the same time, the OOG diver has a clear visual reference as to where his gas supply will be coming from (the exhaust bubbles!), and she/he also knows the regulator she/he is about to receive actually works. The pressure gauge, which is a simple gauge and not a bulky console, is clipped off to the left hip D-ring.



Technique

   Proper technique is one of the key elements in the H2 diver’s repertoire. The same basic technique gives her/him the enjoyment of cruising on a tropical reef dive, as it does on a deep cold-water wreck dive. Proper technique starts with proper posture: the H2 diver moves horizontally through the water, reducing his overall profile (hence better gas consumption) and facilitating the gas trans-fer ability of the lungs. Careful consideration is given to the use of proper finning techniques: the H2 diver strives for minimal impact on the dive site and for maximal thrust. This is accomplished by using the frog kick and a variety of modified kicks, all designed not to kick up any silt. Therefore the kicking motion is always directed back- and upward – never downwards. The last main compo-nent of proper technique concerns the mastery of buoyancy. Without proper buoyancy the H2 diver would be extremely inefficient. Good buoyancy technique minimizes the diver’s impact on the environment (no bumping into fragile coral), while it also enhances the joy and ease of diving. The H2 diver also has impecca-ble equipment skills, such as donating the long hose in an OOG situation, and in more advanced settings, the proper use of dive reels and spools, efficient lift bag deployment, and effortless gas switching. All of these skills are honed through constant practice. It is not only important to develop the diving repertoire, but also to maintain it. The H2 skill set should become second nature to the diver, in order to be able to react instantly to a possible emergency situation. Therefore, OOG drills, lift bag and reel deployment, etc., should be practiced on almost every single dive.

[DRE]

Team diving
   
   The H2 diver is a team-oriented diver. This goes far beyond the usual buddy approach to diving, which boils down to diving “at the same time in the same ocean.” Keeping track of your team-members is one of the primary con-cerns of the H2 diver while in the water, but it also means that the dive is planned in advance based upon the lowest common denominator of the team-members, and that the team does not exceed the limitations set forth during the planning whilst diving. Pushing the limits of a single member of the team can lead to the breakdown of team integrity in the water, with possibly catastrophic results. This is not only valid for an advanced wreck penetration, but also for simpler recreational dives. Knowing the skills of each individual diver and of the team as a whole is of primary concern to the H2 diver. The team approach also includes proper post-dive evaluations, with the team analyzing every aspect of the dive planning and the execution. This briefing will enhance the in-water awareness and cooperation of the team-members, and will not only lead to more efficient dives, but also to much more enjoyable dives.



Physics and Physiology

   A thorough theoretical understanding of concepts relating to diving phys-ics and physiology is also of interest to the Holistic Hogarthian diver. This knowl-edge is not only informative, but also of practical importance. Knowing and un-derstanding varying models on decompression theory will inform the H2 diver about how to plan dives correctly, to use the proper gasses for a dive, to prop-erly use computers and dive tables, and to know when to call a dive. For diving in cold water, a theoretical knowledge of the body’s response to a cold environ-ment will inform the diver to use proper insulation, to develop emergency sce-narios and to incorporate these factors into the dive plan. There are a myriad of related fields worth investigating, and every single piece of information will make the H2 diver better informed and for that very reason a better diver.



Physical Conditioning
   
Physical conditioning is part of the H2 lifestyle. It improves not only diving skills but also overall health – and healthy people smile more often! Contrary to popu-lar belief the most important workout for a diver is the aerobic workout. Most people think because diving is 1) not a very aerobic sport, and 2) since hauling tanks is an anaerobic activity that the most important workout for a diver is a weights routine.
This does not imply that weight routines are not important for the diver. Weight lifting builds strength, which facilitates lifting the heavy scuba equipment, it strengthens the bone structure, which reduces the possibility of bone necrosis (something to worry about when you're doing long and deep exposures), and it builds lean muscle mass, which is far easier to offgas than fat tissue.
However, the aerobic workout is more important for several reasons. First, it im-proves the overall physical conditioning, which lowers the heart rate at rest, thus improving overall gas consumption - hence, longer bottom times on a tank, or reduced gas consumption on a more strenuous dive. Secondly, being in better physical shape delays the onset of the panic response. The mind reacts emotion-ally to an increased heart rate by increasing physical activity. This becomes a loop system to the point where the diver will succumb to his efforts and become unresponsive. Third, physical conditioning increases lean muscle mass, which off-gasses inert gas much more easily. Also, it improves the gas exchange ability of the lungs, so the aerobic fit diver will be able to off-gas more inert gas with every single breath and send more O2 through the bloodstream than the unfit diver. And last, aerobic training increases the diameter of the blood vessels and increases the amount of pathways. This has two implications: bubbles formed in the bloodstream won't get lodged as easily because of the larger diameter, and if they do get lodged the blood has different pathways to bypass the blocked area, thus reducing the chance of clinical DCS.
Therefore, aerobic training should be the primary concern of the H2 diver. The kind of workout isn't as important as the fact you do it, but a workout of a mini-mum of 30 minutes three times a week should be considered.



The H2 Lifestyle

   The holistic approach to diving also extends into the day-to-day life of the H2 diver. The concepts of minimalist functionality, goal oriented teamwork and streamlining gear, mind and body are attributes beneficial to everyone. But most importantly, the Holistic Hogarthian diver approaches diving with an open but critical mind. The diving lifestyle becomes a quest for knowledge and improve-ment. This includes openness toward differing ways of gear configuration, diving theory, and diving practice. This does not imply an undiscerning approach to div-ing – the Hogarthian method was developed through years of trial and error, sometimes even through the loss of life – but the understanding that for certain environments different methods are preferential. Therefore the H2 diver has the moral obligation to familiarize and investigate her/himself with techniques such as side-mount diving, photography and videography, and the pros and cons of rebreather diving. This implies that the H2 diver is well versed in a multitude of diving languages, and that the diver approaches his/her own diving from the ba-sic tenets of the Holistic Hogarthian philosophy: simplicity and functionality in a team-based environment.

[DRE]

I wrote this document as my personal views of the H2 approach to diving. As such, it reflects the way I dive and also in part replies to certain questions and issues that were raised on this board regarding nomenclature of diving styles, workouts, decompression, etc. This document is by no means a final document, nor rigid in its views. I wrote it hoping that it would further a more comprehensive debate about diving styles in general, and maybe eventually lead to changes in such diverse areas as diver education, gear configuration, fitness and lifestyle, decompression procedures and dive planning (to name a few).

[freedivernd]

I especially like this line...

Simplicity and functionality - sounds like freediving to me.
If ever you want to learn some freediving language... I speak the speak.

Fred

[jasondbaker]

DRE, your article is very informative and well written. I am interested in hearing how the H2 philosophy differs from DIR. The only significant philosophical departure seems to be the "H2 Lifestyle".

Is H2 "better" than DIR, more "accomodating" than DIR?

Is H2 a philosophy, a set of guidelines, a gear configuration, or all of the above? How does a diver "become" H2?

Do we need to create an H2 website -- ? I can help make this happen.

[DRE]

\"DRE, your article is very informative and well written. I am interested in hearing how the H2 philosophy differs from DIR. The only significant philosophical departure seems to be the \"H2 Lifestyle\".
Is H2 \"better\" than DIR, more \"accomodating\" than DIR?\"

I wouldn't say H2 is better or worse than DIR, I'd say it's very similar in a lot of regards, but with some minor differences as far as content is concerned. First, I coined the term Holistic Hogarthian to refer to a diver who uses the Hogarthian gear setup (as DIR divers do), and who is similar to DIR in terms of deco procedures, team based diving and being in good physical shape. However, since Joel pointed out that you can't be DIR unless you have taken a GUE class (with which I agree since DIR is closely related to that group of divers which would eventually start GUE), there had to be a designation for all these people who had been doing this kind of diving for all these years without drawing any attention to themselves. I have never taken a GUE class so by definition I can't be DIR. However, I dove with people who are DIR and in terms of dive planning and gear config you couldn't tell a difference, hence Holistic Hogarthian.

\"Is H2 a philosophy, a set of guidelines, a gear configuration, or all of the above? How does a diver \"become\" H2?\"

I believe it is all of the above. It is a philosophy of diving in the sense that it is a well defined concept which came into being through careful experimentation and logical deduction. It is a set of guidelines, which, when followed, will make you a better diver guaranteed. It definitely is a gear configuration, developed by Bill \"Hogarth\" Main. But I guess it also is more than all of the above - it truly is a diving lifestyle, which strives for perfection in terms of diving (so maybe it's kind of utopia, cause who ever becomes the \"perfect diver\"). One of the main things that separates it from DIR, is its openness to try out different configurations if the environment demands that. Example: whereas the Hogarthian config is by far superior in all regards for open water, wide open cave and big wrecks, the backmount design limits it from going into tiny tunnels. The sidemount config is much more optimal in that regard. The DIR diver will in general avoid going into these places, but for the H2 diver he'll adapt his config to be able to go in there. This also means though, that the same procedures regarding dive safety (gasses, teams, redundancy, etc.) need to bo maintained - otherwise we'd fall back into the anything goes attittude of too many OW and tech divers.

\"Do we need to create an H2 website -- ? I can help make this happen.\"

I'm not sure whether we want to create a website - if somebody would volunteer to do so, go for it. I'd be more than willing to help out with info and stuff, but it is not my intent to create another DIR, just something for people who cannot agree 100% with DIR for whatever reason (as I said, mostly nomenclature, because there isn't a whole lot else I personally disagree with anyways) to identify with.

[JNitrox]

DRE,
Thanks for posting this. I think it is great to see someone offer such a well thought out description of their personal diving style. I look forward to future updates.
Safe diving

[beeger]

But I think the point of H2 is that it goes far beyond personal diving style. It is a way to bring more discipline and emphasis on proper technique to the local dive community. H2 also gives us a path on which to chart out development as divers and, more importantly, as dive teams – a much more meaningful “scorecard” than the number of C–cards in our logbook or the number of whiz-bang dive toys we carry in our gear bags. Yes, H2 could (should?) be viewed as a child of the DIR movement. However I think (and David correct me if I’m wrong here) that the purpose in developing H2 was to make DIR related concepts more accessible to all of us in as inclusive a manner as possible without sacrificing the basic principles of H2/DIR diving. To write this off as simply "personal diving style" misses the point.

[DRE]

You're absolutely right, Brad. This is more than a personal diving style. The connections to DIR are very obvious, the two are in concept almost the same. Since DIR is a trademarked name (or as close as can be) by GUE, I decided to come up with another name for the diving style followed by numerous people who haven't been GUE trained or don't want to, but who still believe that there is one way that is superior when it comes to conducting dives and everything dive related (fitness, etc) in the safest and most streamlined wasy possible. This is not just about personal preferences - this is a well-thought out system that was developed over years of experimenting by some extremely anal people, who would look at every single little aspect in extreme detail. Bottom line: it works, but in order to grasp all of it you have to apply it as a package. Does this mean you can't introduce certain aspects of it into your own PERSONAL diving style: yes you can, but that also means you miss out on the numerous benefits that come from using it as an integral system.

For those of you who are interested, Beeger (Brad) and FMT (Todd) and I have been thinking about starting an informal (at first) dive club dedicated to DIR/H2 diving style. If any of you on this board are interested in getting to know the system better, to have questions about proper deco, etc etc etc answered, this would be a great way to get started. Please email me privately for more questions.

[LKunze]

I'd be interested in hooking up with you guys for a couple dives this year to learn more. I'm not a tech diver but I've adopted a lot of the DIR/H2 diving style...at least in the gear dept. anyway but I'd be particularly interested in learning more of the skills etc. to improve my diving.