Anything I should be ready for?

[goodeatsfan]

My wife an I just signed up for our fundies class which will start in Jan. But have no idea yet what to really expect.

I heard that one participant has already started practicing some of the skills to be taught in confined water already and that makes me feel a little more beleaguered. I don't even know where to really begin or where to look.

Any advise? We're both so looking forward to it as we've been interested since about a month going into our OW a year and a half ago, but guess we didn't sign up til we were SURE we were gonna keep diving.

 

[roakey]

I heard that one participant has already started practicing some of the skills to be taught in confined water already and that makes me feel a little more beleaguered. I don't even know where to really begin or where to look.

Unless you have a very, very good coach at the moment, don't practice. If you practice wrong, you’ll have to unlearn, and then learn techniques rather than just learning them.

If you're doing any specific equipment changes (from jacket to BP, single to doubles, whatever), get familiar with the equipment but again, don't practice unless someone who really knows their stuff can coach you.

Roak

 

[Frog77]

There is ton of information on this site about previous experiences of people taking fundies. I took it a few weeks ago and the best advice I could give you is to work on bouyancy. Good luck and enjoy the class.

 

[verybaddiver]

Practice clipping off bolt snaps and double enders onto d rings. this is very useful if using dry gloves or thick gloves

 

[Meng_Tze]

Like Roakey said: unless you know/have guidance on what to do, dont do it. It is harder to unlearn things than to progress through the class.

But do show up with good buoyancy skills and awareness of your equipment.

The class will take you from where you are and guide you to the DIR standards. Be open about critique and work on the issues. Passing is not difficult, but does require a certain standard.

Good luck

 

[TSandM]

The instructor EXPECTS to teach you the kicks, the S-drill, the bag shoot. After all, if you knew all that stuff, why would you take the class?

Work on your buoyancy, and do what you can to get your weight and weight distribution right before the class. Try to be able to hover for at least 30 seconds in water shallower than 20 feet, without losing depth or trim. THAT will let you relax and enjoy and get the most out of the rest of the class.

Have fun -- I'm down in Monterey at the moment, diving with a bunch of DIR people, and this is SUCH a fun way to dive.

 

[Dan Gibson]

The best thing you can do prior to a Fundamentals class is make sure you are well rested.

 

[*Floater*]

My wife an I just signed up for our fundies class which will start in Jan. But have no idea yet what to really expect.

I heard that one participant has already started practicing some of the skills to be taught in confined water already and that makes me feel a little more beleaguered. I don't even know where to really begin or where to look.

Any advise? We're both so looking forward to it as we've been interested since about a month going into our OW a year and a half ago, but guess we didn't sign up til we were SURE we were gonna keep diving.

Check out the intro to tech dvd from 5thd-x. It shows you most of the skills. The essentials dvd is the same for rec setup, but it's of much lower quality overall.

If you want a tech pass then you'll need to take the course in doubles with a can light. For a rec pass a singles rig is fine. (But passing should not be the main goal anyway). Either way, try to set your rig up the DIR way and dive it as much as possible.

At the time I took my class the following skills were covered: kicks (frog, modified frog, modified flutter, helicopter turn and backwards kick or reverse frog), safety drill (donating the long hose - learned in steps), mask purge and replacement, valve drill and shooting an SMB. We practiced all those skills at around 10' while trying to stay in place both vertically and horizontally and while maintaining horizontal trim and good buddy awareness.

As some have said, you don't want to learn anything wrong, however, I think some skills like the mask replacement or single tank valve drill is simple enough to do without special instruction and it's good practice for maintaining buoyancy and position in the water column. The backwards kick is the tricky one to learn without some help from someone who knows how to do it properly. If you think you can manage then go ahead.

If you want feedback, then just shoot some video of yourself doing the skills and post it here.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

I think some skills like the mask replacement or single tank valve drill is simple enough to do without special instruction

Just be sure and do this one in shallow water, and with a buddy nearby to assist if needed.

 

[Vayu]

The best thing you can do is dive recreationally with your wife and get comfortable working in the water as a team. I am sure you and your wife will make a good buddy pair that will be responsive and able to communicate well. This is the most important thing. The second thing is to go in with a good attitude and with the intent of having fun. Even if you don't pass immediately, I am sure you will value the learning experience.