Why YOU should take DIR-F (Fundies)...

[TSandM]

Stephen, will you enlarge on that last comment? I'd be interested to hear what you have to say.

What I have said repeatedly, and will continue to say until somebody convinces me it isn't true, is that GUE Fundamentals is the only class which is widely available (outside of cave country, for example) that teaches the skills it does to the purely recreational diver. There are isolated classes, like Ed Hayes's buoyancy class, or Bob's AOW, that cover the same kinds of things, but other than Fundies, I know of no other class I can confidently recommend to somebody across the country (or in another one) where I'm sure of the curriculum and the quality of the teaching.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Stephen, will you enlarge on that last comment? I'd be interested to hear what you have to say.

Ooh... I really don't want to hijack Peter's thread. It's nothing that you don't already know... and it really isn't anything that most of us would find controversial.

 

[jeckyll]

It's a horrible class.

Now I feel bad if my trim is off or my skills are lacking and find myself wanting to make sure that I'm actually proficient in silly areas like comfortably removing my mask in d*mn cold water, reaching my valves to properly shut them down and all sorts of other useless nonsense.

Don't go down this road if you can at all avoid it.

 

[amascuba]

Imagine being able to approach your photo subject with such precision and control that you can get inches away from it without disturbing the photo subject and the environment around it. That includes not hand finning or touching the surrounding environment with your hands for stabilization, leaning or laying on the ground, or kicking up a dust cload with your fin. Then taking your pictures remaining in control of your buoyancy and having a fairly good grasp of what's happening in your surroundings, then being able to do a back kick away from the photo subject and adjusting your buoyancy by taking a deep breath and going over the subject or just doing a simple helicopter kick and going a different direction.

It's truly amazing how much more I enjoy my dives because of having that sort of control. Not too many people who just take the BOW courses gain that type of control in their diving and putting a camera in their hand usually means that they forget about everything around them and are grabbing onto the delicate underwater environment or leaning against objects to gain stability for pictures.

Hi Peter,
This intrugues me. I do like to dive to see the fishies and appreciate the underwater environments but I also like photography and want to hone that skill underwater. Now you have spent 6 months trying to perfect some skills that by your post are important for me to learn to be safe to myself, my buddies and the environment while I take pictures. Is there some middle ground where I can learn what I need to be able to be a proficient diver with a substantial part of my brain focusing in on picture composition, etc. and not have to learn specific skills related to cave diving, deep diving, etc.
I guess my question is threefold.

1. What are the skills that are learned in DIR-F?
2. Is there a subset of those skills that would be appropriate for photography?
3. What level of proficiency is really required?

Should there be a separate class that provides the appropriate skill set for photographers (outside of photography skills) integrated into a photography curricuum? I'm guessing that some may exist and if they do and anyone wants to point me to them that would be great.
Thanks

 

[b1gcountry]

.....

 

[under water]

Thanks James,
Nice endorsement of the class.
I agree it would be an advantage to take the class to get the skills. I tend not to do the things that you mentioned, except maybe use a strategically placed finger to try to stabilize if there is a strong current or surge. Unfortunately it looks like a 2 hour drive for me to find such a class where I live and it looks like I might have to buy a whole new setup to get GUE compliant.

Peter,
I couldn't find anything about Breakthrough Diving's Essentials.

For now I try to be creative when taking pix. You will see me like this often.

Imagine being able to approach your photo subject with such precision and control that you can get inches away from it without disturbing the photo subject and the environment around it. That includes not hand finning or touching the surrounding environment with your hands for stabilization, leaning or laying on the ground, or kicking up a dust cload with your fin. Then taking your pictures remaining in control of your buoyancy and having a fairly good grasp of what's happening in your surroundings, then being able to do a back kick away from the photo subject and adjusting your buoyancy by taking a deep breath and going over the subject or just doing a simple helicopter kick and going a different direction.

It's truly amazing how much more I enjoy my dives because of having that sort of control. Not too many people who just take the BOW courses gain that type of control in their diving and putting a camera in their hand usually means that they forget about everything around them and are grabbing onto the delicate underwater environment or leaning against objects to gain stability for pictures.

 

[jeckyll]

I still think that once you bring a camera, DIR goes out the windows as your attention is so incredibly narrow while taking pictures that you'll have no clue what's going on in your surroundings

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I still think that once you bring a camera, DIR goes out the windows as your attention is so incredibly narrow while taking pictures that you'll have no clue what's going on in your surroundings

Let's try to "focus" on the thread topic...

 

[ovarygirl]

Really good discussion in this thread. I took my Fundies after 50 dives and it really helped me improve my skills and overall comfort in the water. Now, a 100 dives later, I still feel like it was worth every penny. Since the beginning, I've always dived with GUE-trained buddies so I wasn't your typical OW diver but I still went through all the trials and tribulations of finding the sweet spot for buoyancy, learning how to do a free ascent, diving as a team, increased awareness, gas management etc. Before the course, I already had some idea of the skills involved but it was only under the supervision of a GUE instructor that I was able to fine-tune these skills to the point where it made diving much easier! Although my dive buddies are fantastic, they weren't able to explain the fine-tuning aspects in a way that I could understand. If you're still unsure about taking a Fundies course, I suggest having an informal chat with a GUE instructor either in-person or online (emails etc). Eventually, I'm hoping to complete my tech upgrade and a Cave 1. There's definitely something special about caves, especially the ones in Mexico.

Many instructors and their affiliated shops will allow you to rent all the DIR-configured gear that you need to the complete the class, so you don't necessarily have to have a complete set of new gear to do the course.

 

[Gillty]

Very good topic. I don't post much but I read most of the threads around here.

Here is my perspective. I have recently taken a fundamentals class and many of my dive buddies just can't understand why I would want to subject myself to the type of rigorous training offered by GUE. The short answer is that I just want to be a better diver, but there is a little more to it than that.

Over the last several years I have taken many classes, some good and some not so much. In an attempt to keep getting better, I went from OW to instructor in 2 years, but there was always something missing. I have recently felt like I was no longer improving my skills. Not only were my skills not getting any better but my excitement for the sport had plateaued as well.

So I started exploring tech diving classes and what it would take to do different types of dives. I talked to almost every tech shop in my region. Many times I was warned to stay away from the DIR zealots out there with their Jet fins and poor attitudes. After much research, exploring the web, and trying to look at what was best for me I almost signed up for a tech class around here, but I decided not to after a phone conversation with David Rhea. When I talked to David I fully expected him to tell me how I was going to die if I didnt immediately convert to DIR. We talked for nearly an hour and it was easy to understand GUE was not this evil empire after all in fact they were everything that I was looking for, good attitude, strong emphasis on fun and safety, and a proven track record.

I signed up for a fundamentals class in High Springs. I enjoyed the class very much and everyone in the class I think would agree with me that it taught us many good skills. There are a few things that I didn't necessarily agree at first, but when coupled with the rest of the DIR/GUE approach everything just made sense. To top it all off, I am now excited about diving again!

The reason I replied to this thread is that I think many people that are reading these threads may be wondering if fundamentals would be for them. Fundamentals may be for you if you can answer yes to the following. Do you want to be a better diver? Do you have a good attitude, an open mind and strong work ethic? Are you willing to spend lots of time and money relearning skills and replacing gear?

I don't believe fundamentals is the only way for everyone to become a better diver but I do believe it is a very good approach that would suit anyone who really wants to maximize their skill level.

Since I don't post very much I would thank all of you guys that post regularly in the DIR forum.