GUE Fundies For New Diver

[SelkieDVM]

Excellent. I'll be doing the February class. Bob said they were also planning on putting together a couple of charters for the Sat/Sun following the February class. Maybe since you're in Miami, you could join us. Me, it's a two day drive, so I've got to get as much in as I can.

 

[DaMaDo]

Thanks, I'm hoping to get 2-3 non-class dive trips in also.

I will continue to practice buoyancy on those. The last two dives I did I could hover within less than a foot of the bottom or wreck or whatever and make myself go up and down while horizontal, although I still don't have my stopping perfected...meaning if I'm 10 feet away from the bottom and I then want to stop, say, 5 feet from the bottom I might stop descending at 2 from the bottom. Same going up. I'm trying to figure out the right time to start the corrected lung control so that I stop where I want to. I'll also need to see if I can do tasks without going up or down. I'm not sure what to practice doing while hovering though. I guess I could try to learn how to deploy an SMB.

I was having a really hard time with trim staying horizontal until I saw this youtube video that turned the lightbulb on. It also might have helped that I switched to heavier Hollis F-1 fins instead of the more buoyant SP Seawing Novas for the last dives.

I also tried the propulsion techniques and they all seem to be working ok except the back kick...my legs keep pulling me up. I have a lot of work to do on that one.

I also have a lot of work to do on navigation...I had to surface to find the boat on the last reef dive Before the dive, the boat captain said that due to the reef structure it was normal, but still...

 

[TSandM]

Actually, I think practicing the Basic 5 is GREAT preparation for Fundies. There is nothing magical about taking your mask off and putting it back on; you just need to work on holding depth and position while you do it, and that ability to stay still and stable is the bedrock of Fundamentals learning.

The things I'd avoid are practicing kicks you don't already know, practicing air-sharing, and practicing bag shooting. All of these things have detailed components that you may well miss or get wrong, and it's just plain easier to learn them right the first time.

Edited to add: I wouldn't practice with an SMB for task loading. I'd do mask skills (which are one of the things that really gets people from a buoyancy standpoint), and another good one is to pull your wetnotes out of your pocket and write something in them -- that usually distracts folks a good deal, too.

 

[DaMaDo]

Excellent. I'll be doing the February class. Bob said they were also planning on putting together a couple of charters for the Sat/Sun following the February class. Maybe since you're in Miami, you could join us. Me, it's a two day drive, so I've got to get as much in as I can.

Sure, I'll be up for that...I'll dive as much as I can...ordered the pinnacle 5mm merino elastiprene suit so that I don't have to stop in the winter...hopefully it's enough for S. Fl!

 

[DaMaDo]

Actually, I think practicing the Basic 5 is GREAT preparation for Fundies. There is nothing magical about taking your mask off and putting it back on; you just need to work on holding depth and position while you do it, and that ability to stay still and stable is the bedrock of Fundamentals learning.

The things I'd avoid are practicing kicks you don't already know, practicing air-sharing, and practicing bag shooting. All of these things have detailed components that you may well miss or get wrong, and it's just plain easier to learn them right the first time.

Great, I'll stick to the 5 while trying to stay still...I'm sure it's another ballgame than being able to stare at the bottom!

 

[TSandM]

Make sure you keep your head up, control your breathing, and keep your feet still, and the rest is easy!

 

[kevindwhite]

I finished my Primer class with Karim Hamza of Hollywood Divers. The class was Saturday & Sunday. Saturday was spent at Hollywood divers doing course and pool work. Sunday was at Casino Point on Catalina Island. I am still pretty tired and sore after 20+ hours of driving and 1.5 days of diving so I will make this first update short.

I absolutely made the right decision taking the Primer class first. It is going to take me weeks to absorb everything I learned from Karim and months to become even minimally proficient with some of techniques. I will post a more detailed account after I get a full night's rest. In the meantime please post any questions you want me to answer and I will do my best to answer them in my next post.

 

[DiverLaura]

Make sure you keep your head up, control your breathing, and keep your feet still, and the rest is easy!

head up is like a magic bullet... it fixes lots of issues (or doesn't let them become issues in first place)

not having to move feet simply comes with balanced kit

lynne, this might be a stupid question, but i thought we were supposed to breath 'normally'? yes, to think about it when starting ascent/descent, but in general just relax and breath normal.... as soon as people start trying to control it, weird stuff like CO2 build up or whatnot happens...

 

[TSandM]

Laura, I was just referring to the fact that people tend to change their breathing pattern when they get task-loaded or anxious, or have to strain to do something (like reach valves). How many times have we seen somebody go to donate gas, but they take a HUGE deep breath before they take the regulator out, and the next thing you know, they're ten feet shallower.

 

[deadbilly]

This is one of the main problems I'm having in my current fundies class. Just keep breathing normally throughout.