Advanced Dive Skills Courses

[gkrane]

I currently just completed PADI Rescue training and am searching for some advanced diver training. I intesnd to do PADI wreck and deep courses to extend my knowledge but my question is regarding emphasis on diving skills. I looked into the GUE fundamentals course and it seems to have exactly what I am looking for except I am not open to switching to a BP/Wing configuration right now. Is there another course that offers the same that will allow me to use my existing gear but has emphasis on buoyancy, different kicks, and other hard core basics training?

 

[tbone1004]

sorry to be bearer of bad news, but it is highly unlikely because you need to be in bp/w or sidemount to get into safe wreck and deep diving..... Fundies is the only one that is like a scuba boot camp... Only other option would be to find a local mentor who will work with you, but you don't need a class to figure buoyancy out, that can only be had with time. Shallower the better for buoyancy control drills. Kicks, there's only one you really need to know. Modified breaststroke/frog kick, both forwards and backwards. Only other thing is to learn how to do flat turns. Best way to do this is if you have access to a pool with lap lanes you can do turns over the t's at the end of the lanes. If you can do flat turns over the t's in 3ft of water, you're good

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I currently just completed PADI Rescue training and am searching for some advanced diver training. I intesnd to do PADI wreck and deep courses to extend my knowledge but my question is regarding emphasis on diving skills. I looked into the GUE fundamentals course and it seems to have exactly what I am looking for except I am not open to switching to a BP/Wing configuration right now. Is there another course that offers the same that will allow me to use my existing gear but has emphasis on buoyancy, different kicks, and other hard core basics training?

If you are gonna spend all this money for training, what is the big deal about a different BC? I use many different types of BC's and for recreational diving, it is not that big of a deal. Buy a BP/W use it for the course and for some diving and if you dislike it, sell it used and you should be able to get half your money back on a BP/W with 20 dives on it.. potential loss of $150.. unless you buy a used one.. then it should be even less.

 

[DevonDiver]

I know some PADI instructors offer distinctive specialty courses that develop core fundamental skills. Some tech instructors will also offer non-certification clinics and/or workshops that develop fundamentals also.

Basically, have a look around at technical diving instructors... it's their bread and butter work to develop fundamentals to a high standard. GUE are a tech-focused agency, so they have it integral to their curriculum. In recreational-focused agencies, it tends to be extra-curricular.... but the same training often occurs.

I do clinics like this all the time; they're individually targeted on the student's goal, strengths and weaknesses. We always develop precision buoyancy, trim, propulsion, situational awareness and team diving skills. Some students want to add decompression theory and gas management also. If the student has intentions to dive technical or overhead in the future, we do an equipment workshop, to refine their existing rig; and also investigate optimal configurations for future purchase etc. The shortest I've run is 2 days.... the longest was a solid month of one-to-one development. The majority of my clinic students have technical and/or wreck diving in mind... but some just want to be solid, more refined, recreational divers, divemasters or instructors.

 

[The Laconic]

I'm also curious why you aren't open to switching to a BP/W. It can't be the cost, because Fundies isn't cheap either (and besides, you can sell your existing BCD to offset the cost). Is it just that it's unfamiliar, so you're not even sure what you'd be getting into? Maybe the assembly or the adjustment seems daunting. (That held me back for a little while.) If so, buying a used one might be a good idea; it will be assembled already, and the instructor is going to go through adjustment with you anyway.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Inquire with boulderjohn.

 

[DevonDiver]

I'm also curious why you aren't open to switching to a BP/W. It can't be the cost, because Fundies isn't cheap either (and besides, you can sell your existing BCD to offset the cost). Is it just that it's unfamiliar, so you're not even sure what you'd be getting into? Maybe the assembly or the adjustment seems daunting. (That held me back for a little while.) If so, buying a used one might be a good idea; it will be assembled already, and the instructor is going to go through adjustment with you anyway.

Obviously he's worked out that sidemount is the only sensible way forwards; but GUE are still scratching their arses on that....and Fundies is a non-starter.

 

[gkrane]

I'm also curious why you aren't open to switching to a BP/W. It can't be the cost, because Fundies isn't cheap either (and besides, you can sell your existing BCD to offset the cost). Is it just that it's unfamiliar, so you're not even sure what you'd be getting into? Maybe the assembly or the adjustment seems daunting. (That held me back for a little while.) If so, buying a used one might be a good idea; it will be assembled already, and the instructor is going to go through adjustment with you anyway.

This is a very good question. It's not the money and I did not realize that a BP/W configuration was only a couple of hundred dollars. I guess the adjustment to a new configuration seems "overwhelming" although it probably isnt. Why is a BP/W preferred for wreck diving? Entaglement issues? This really interests me because I have gotten just a taste of real wreck diving and have fallen in love with it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You don't necessarily have to buy in to the GUE/DIR way of doing things to be a good diver.
If you want to use what you have, fine. As far as advanced courses in PADI, a lot of it has to do with how good your instructor is. Some barely cover the materials up to the standards and won't demonstrate good trim, buoyancy, finning techniques, etc. because they don't know much about these things themselves. Then there are some that really are good and can show you things over and above what is required.
You can do a lot of things on your own to start with. First, trim up your gear so you don't have anything hanging or dangling. Clean up hanging consoles, extra long inflator hoses, if you're using splits, lose those and get a pair of paddles since you'll be learning to do heli turns, modfied frog kicks, and backing up.
Find some good mentors that you admire their diving styles.
Work on your buoyancy. If you went through the typical PADI curriculum chances are you might have been overweighted to some degree. Work on getting your weight down to where you can hold a stop at 15 with no air in your BC. Use this as a starting point to know right where the line is for minimal weighting then you can adjust from there.
Work on laying flat and cruising along horizontally.
Also you might want to work on things like mask R&R's, air shares, etc to gain confidence and fluidity. Doing a lot of diving helps, but if all the dives are just benign with no challenges where everything is easy with no problems then they won't do you as much good as a dive where you create a scenario where you can employ some skills training. You need to get a buddy that is willing to do this sort of thing with you. Classes are great but those are a one time thing, what about after that? That's why it's important to do all this stuff on your own.
You can work on all these things with the gear and training you have. If you want to take GUE fundies at some point at least you will have been working on some of these things already.
And if you do have the mindset to start working towards DIR then you will need to get a BP/W at some point. They aren't that much and it will be the last BC you'll ever need.
Anybody if ever seen here on SB who inquires about GUE/DIR or a more advanced style of diving beyond what PADI teaches eventually goes to BP/W anyway, so may as well just do it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to push you into a BP/W, but it sounds like you are already half way there.

 

[tbone1004]

significant advantage in total rig weight. SS sinks, padded stuff floats. They can be adapted to doubles which are safer due to redundancy. They remove useless dangling things and adjustment straps that you don't need. they're more durable. Lots of other reasons. Best brand new one is from Deep Sea Supply, $500 well spent. There's a reason that they are the exclusive choice for backmounted technical divers....

You're really better off with a mentor for now, so see if there are guys that are local to you that do the kind of diving you want to do, and dive with them. ask them for tips etc.