A new video showing Reverse Kick

[lamont]

I'm going to say I thought it was fine as a sales-pitch video, and I'd resist the urge to tweak it too much. It does fine addressing the 'Why'.

I think if you're going to do a technique video (the 'How') it needs to be separate, and you need to cover all the different mistakes (fin tips too up, head down, knees bent, etc), and incorporate all the things Hallmac mentioned.

I kind of like that you included a lot of shots of the diver just swimming around at the end. I mostly skipped over that, and I'm pretty sure that most experienced divers just skipped over it, but I'll bet some pre-fundies students and folks that don't have any access to DIR divers will wind up watching that nearly obsessively frame-by-frame... =) By putting it at the end like that you give the viewer a choice as to how ADD they happen to feel...

I 'got' what you were trying to get across, and thought it worked for that. I'd shoot a different video before messing with that one too much (although +1 on the sound levels).

 

[limeyx]

...or you could just get one of the UTD educational DVDs which covers all the propulsion techniques (and more) in detail with slow-motion, cutouts and in far less time.

 

[rjack321]

...or you could just get one of the UTD educational DVDs which covers all the propulsion techniques (and more) in detail with slow-motion, cutouts and in far less time.

Nick Nick Nick...
Many of us have asked for GUE versions of such things so we wouldn't look so agency biased (demo videos, the less intense Primer to go against Essentials, etc). I'm glad folks are listening and GUE's finally getting into "selling" better diving a little. So it needs some polishing, that's fine. Everything in life is a work in progress and most things are improved with a little competition.

 

[limeyx]

Nick Nick Nick...
Many of us have asked for GUE versions of such things so we wouldn't look so agency biased (demo videos, the less intense Primer to go against Essentials, etc). I'm glad folks are listening and GUE's finally getting into "selling" better diving a little. So it needs some polishing, that's fine. Everything in life is a work in progress and most things are improved with a little competition.

Awesome, my apologies. I wasn't aware these were GUE-approved training materials. That's great.

 

[kathydee]

Great video! I think it successfully reaches out to the recreational diver.

Might be helpful to add gue.com at the end?

The music where there is no narration needs to be pulled down. I started the video and turned the sound down to listenable level. Then the narration came on and I had to turn the sound up to hear the narration, then there came a music interlude and I had to turn the sound down again.

Same here.

 

[rjack321]

Awesome, my apologies. I wasn't aware these were GUE-approved training materials. That's great.

Touche' :kiss2:

 

[danvolker]

With youtube I can't actually update the video... I suppose nothing stops me from making the soundtrack changes, and uploading an "improved" version under a new filename.....If you guys would like this, that would actually be pretty easy to do.
Dan

 

[danvolker]

Dan,

Great idea and nice video. The timing is excellent for the upcoming Fundies in Florida ;-) Thanks!!!

Depending on whether this is supposed to be a 'sales pitch' to learn proper propulsion techniques or a comprehensive instructional video I have the following suggestions:

For a 'sales pitch' the video could be shortened and the difference between silting and not silting could be made more dramatic by swimming with the cam through the cloud. (Maybe some viewers will feel a twinge of guilt when they see the consequences of their rototiller propulsion; just dreaming...).

For an instructional video I agree with the posts above suggesting different perspectives, slow-mo, and arrows pointing out crucial items like ankle and knee articulation, no jackknifing at the hip joints, etc. Also, after the intro describing the benefits to a photographer, the different techniques (frog, modified frog, helicopter, back-kick) should be covered in individual 'chapters' and then pulled together at the end to reinforce the benefits.

But even if you leave the video as it is, you and Errol have greatly contributed to closing the gap between what the European GUE and UTD aficionados have posted on Youtube and the lack of entries from the US.

We actually are planning on a video aimed at recreational divers silting the daylights out of the bottom, and having horiffic bouyancy and trim issues throughout the dive....I actually have a friend that has offered to be the "Stunt Diver" that shows all the crashing and kangarooing into the bottom the silting, AND MUCH MORE We probably stencil Stunt diver on the tank.
While I would have a "target rich environment" to show all the silting and kangarooing at BHB with the weekend divers that frequent it, I do NOT want to hurt anyone's feelings, and I think the stunt diver solution can also help make this fun, even for them. Errol will obviously show how to do it correctly, after the stunt diver goes through each disaster

I don't plan on making these perfect training videos.....For someone who really wanted to learn, if this was all they had, they could get a lot from these....but the main purpose in my mind, is to show that there is a better way to control trim and bouyancy, and there are much better propulsion techniques for some environments ( like BHB). When divers learn there may be something they would enjoy learning and knowing more about--because we have shown them exactly what this would mean to them...this is an evolution I will have helped move along..this is what I am happy to be contributing right now. There will be plenty of paths for the "newly aware", once they decide they want to know more.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

Nick Nick Nick...
Many of us have asked for GUE versions of such things so we wouldn't look so agency biased (demo videos, the less intense Primer to go against Essentials, etc). I'm glad folks are listening and GUE's finally getting into "selling" better diving a little. So it needs some polishing, that's fine. Everything in life is a work in progress and most things are improved with a little competition.

Awesome, my apologies. I wasn't aware these were GUE-approved training materials. That's great.

GUE already has skills videos. I remember I got view them in fundamentals, but I havent been able to access them since. The skills depicted are extremely well done, but the play-by-play breakdown isnt there, and therefore they are generally less useful for didactic purposes. Why GUE has refused to make multi-media training products still escapes me, but Im not bothering to hold my breath (never hold your breath in SCUBA right?). Like with Apple comps, success and quality have their perks (ie not having to conform to anyone elses wishes or timetables )

Anyway, I love the video. I think its great to show the skills and a discussion of how useful it can be. I would love to see more exaggerated motions so that it is more descriptive for newer divers, but as a selling point video, this is pretty darn good. Good work, can't wait to see more of this!

 

[Scott L]

Yo, Dan V is accomplishing all this work with no material gain as motivation. He has been working tirelessly with Errol the past few months in the already successful efforts of creating from scratch a GUE/DIR community in S. Florida. Constructive criticism only please...