An observation about divers

[Teamcasa]

I for one am amazed that some people think being able to hover endlessly, 2 inches off the bottom, is a requirement for one to enjoy diving. While it's a great level of skill to strive for and to master, it isn't a requirement IMO as long as one has their buoyancy under reasonable control.

I think many new and potential divers come away from discussions like this thinking the 2" hover thing is a base requirement to safe, enjoyable diving and i find that unfortunate.

It's not a requirement to have fun diving. It is however a goal worth achieving.
I shoot video and I need to be as solid as possible to get a shot worth watching. I could settle down on the bottom for some shots, sure, but in many cases it would just ruin the vis and the shot. I could grab a hold of something but then again, I'd be left with only one hand to steady the camera and potentially damage whatever I've latched onto. So, yes, for me it is a requirement to be able to hover, motionless to have fun and get the shot.

 

[Lobzilla]

<snip>

You are very right that it is quite possible to have a lot of fun diving without being able to maintain a motionless hover, two inches off the bottom or anywhere else. All we're trying to say is that you have MORE fun when you can do these things, and they aren't that hard to learn.

+1

In a society that capitalizes on the promise of instant gratification they joy of mastery through practice became an inconvenient hurdle to selling quick fixes. Therefore, it is not surprising that striving for excellence is equated by some with lack of fun.

However:

&#8220;All man&#8217;s well-being depends upon two things: one is the right choice of aim, of the end to which actions should tend, the other lies in the finding of the actions that lead to that end&#8221; &#8211; Aristotle

&#8220;We fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It&#8217;s about a process, a journey. The master is the one who stays on the path day after day, year after year. The master is the one who is willing to try, and fail, and try again, for as long as he or she lives.&#8221; &#8211; George Leonard , Mastery

 

[Kingpatzer]

So, yes, for me it is a requirement to be able to hover, motionless to have fun and get the shot.

And the point remains, that it isn't something that's hard to learn it just takes practice. Someone helping you with fine points to be able to get your trim just right certainly helps, but mostly it is about regularly practicing the skill. If you can hover a few inches off the bottom in 5' of water, you can do it anywhere.

Here's where I can't quite get the point of Fundies purely from a cost perspective -- just get in the water and practice the skills and don't settle for being "good enough" at them.

 

[sgl308]

This seems like one of those are you a Democrat or Republican discussions. Everybody is their own person with their own preferences. Knowledge is your best tool for all situations, so for everyone reading this, here's some advice - learn with an open mind, see what DIR, GUE, PADI, NAUI and whoever else does with their gear and techniques. Learn as much as you can then apply what you like and what works best for you, and go with it. Who cares if DIR approves of one thing you do and not another. It's your dive, you make it using the gear and configuration to get the best result out of the dive.

 

[Lobzilla]

And the point remains, that it isn't something that's hard to learn it just takes practice. Someone helping you with fine points to be able to get your trim just right certainly helps, but mostly it is about regularly practicing the skill. If you can hover a few inches off the bottom in 5' of water, you can do it anywhere.

Here's where I can't quite get the point of Fundies purely from a cost perspective -- just get in the water and practice the skills and don't settle for being "good enough" at them.

Fundies is a relatively inexpensive way to find out how much more you have to practice

If you think proper basic dive education is expensive try paying for an advanced class and be told that you do not belong there due to lacking skills - or dive a cave/wreck/frozen lake without the necessary skills and let the environment give you a failing grade

Personal note: Today, February 11, I think (!) that I am a pretty good diver considering that I started diving in July of last year. Next week, I will get a reality check by Bob and Errol. By Tuesday, I will probably calculate how many golf clubs I can get for my scuba gear. By the end of the week I will have as much trouble dovetailing with like-minded divers on several boat dives as someone would have scoring weed at Burning Man (to use a famous SB quote). The weekend dives are called 'Fun Dives' and I have no doubt that this will be an understatement. By the time I return to Mass I will either know (!) that I am ready to move to more complex skills or know (!) where to fill the gaps in the basics. Is this worth a couple bills? You bet.

 

[Teamcasa]

And the point remains, that it isn't something that's hard to learn it just takes practice. Someone helping you with fine points to be able to get your trim just right certainly helps, but mostly it is about regularly practicing the skill. If you can hover a few inches off the bottom in 5' of water, you can do it anywhere.

Here's where I can't quite get the point of Fundies purely from a cost perspective -- just get in the water and practice the skills and don't settle for being "good enough" at them.

So much of that depends on the pool of qualified instructors/mentors and a suitable body of water available to you locally.

Finding good instruction is sometimes very difficult. Sometimes you really don't figure out that your instructor/mentor was a knucklehead until you dive with a truly good diver(s) that shows how it really should be done.

For that reason alone, a structured fundamentals course is a safe bet and one I'd encourage people to take if no truly qualified mentor/instructor was in your area.

 

[TSandM]

Actually, I have found the input from a good instructor with a good eye (not to mention video feedback) can massively shorten the learning curve on a lot of things. Not to mention that the value of teamwork really comes home with an instructor showing you the difference between three people diving in proximity and the same three people truly working as a team.

 

[Lobzilla]

So much of that depends on the pool of qualified instructors/mentors and a suitable body of water available to you locally.

Finding good instruction is sometimes very difficult. Sometimes you really don't figure out that your instructor/mentor was a knucklehead until you dive with a truly good diver(s) that shows how it really should be done.

For that reason alone, a structured fundamentals course is a safe bet and one I'd encourage people to take if no truly qualified mentor/instructor was in your area.

... and even a truly qualified mentor/instructor in our area, who is training director of another agency, suggested GUE Fundies as a "deal you can't beat".

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

And the point remains, that it isn't something that's hard to learn it just takes practice. Someone helping you with fine points to be able to get your trim just right certainly helps, but mostly it is about regularly practicing the skill. If you can hover a few inches off the bottom in 5' of water, you can do it anywhere.

Here's where I can't quite get the point of Fundies purely from a cost perspective -- just get in the water and practice the skills and don't settle for being "good enough" at them.

Well, first off there's a great deal more to Fundies than learning how to hover. And all of it isn't so much achieving mastery as it is learning where you're at on the continuum of mastery ... and what you need to do to work your way up the continuum.

"Good enough" really depends on the diver's personal goals. Certainly Fundies isn't something that's compatible with everyone's goals ... and for the majority it isn't needed. For those who want to achieve a solid platform for skills development ... particularly for those whose goals include tech training ... it's a bargain.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[knowone]

I'm more impressed by those that can hover two inches from the top.

Concerned for those that go surviving, don't know, and call it diving.