hanging up the splits

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Well, I moved my springs from my split twin jets to my jet fins. I have so much more control in the water with the jets. The more I learn about DIR and the gear config, the more it makes sense to me.

My regular dive buddy and I spent the weekend in the pool doing drills and I let her dive my bp/w for the first time. She has been in standard jacket and standard rec reg set up. It was really easy for both of us to see how much better the DIR set up worked for us. The air shares with the long hose were much faster and easier to carry out, while we stuggled with the hocky puck octo. Even during the drills I felt very uneasy breathing off of the octo.

We have both had a lot of folks tell us that the bp/w is only for tech divers. But it just seems to make so much more sense and is much easier to use.

I have been slowly moving toward DIR. I am a long way off, but the more I learn the more I think it makes sense for me. I haven't taken fundies, but think I will before too long.

We did a lot of drills and had recovery problems on a couple of them. We were both able to recover underwater and really practiced being more in tune with the each other. Doing the drills over and over actually seemed to make me feel more relaxed as we did them successfully over and over again.

I like the kool-aid!

I am still working on a completely motionless hover. It gets a little better each time. I don't look like a shakey ceiling fan on high speed any more, but more like one on slow. Well maybe medium--but installed tight to the ceiling.

 

[Randy43068]

I like it, too.


Welcome to the dark side.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Is this when I get to say "I told you so!" ?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Is this when I get to say "I told you so!" ?

Actually Sparti, I already had splits before you and I met in cyberspace. You did answer a question about what fin would work well for rehabing my hip and suggested jets and I purchased them after that. I just keep liking them more and more all the time. Don't make me call you sparce particle brain again--cause I'll do it you little whipper snaper college boy!

Still working on my kicks. Those clips you sent me really helped me.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Actually Sparti, I already had splits before you and I met in cyberspace. You did answer a question about what fin would work well for rehabing my hip and suggested jets and I purchased them after that. I just keep liking them more and more all the time. Don't make me call you sparce particle brain again--cause I'll do it you little whipper snaper college boy!

Still working on my kicks. Those clips you sent me really helped me.

Glad I could be of service. I hope your hip is doing better!

 

[TSandM]

Leah, I've been watching this happen since you first showed up on the board. After a while, you can pick out the people with a high degree of curiosity and a desire to excel, and predict who's going to end up on the dark side. People did it to me, too! Anyway, come on in, the KoolAid's fine.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

TS I think I am about to convert my buddy to the darkside. I let her try my rig out a few days ago in the pool. She has vowed to never dive her old gear again and will be purchasing a bp/w in the next week or so. She couldn't believe how much control she had and how comfortable she was in the rig as soon as she got in and went down.

I think having someone with the same gear config who is willing to do drills with me will help me move along a bit.

I think since the gear works so much better and you are not fighting the gear it really helps you work on improving your skills.

I would love to get a DIR group going in our area. It would be nice to have some folks with some GUE training to get in the water with the newbs like me. Maybe we can get that going in the next year or so.

I really appreciate all the time you guys have taken to answer my questions and point me to links and other resources. It really has made a difference for me..

 

[tonka97]

I think having someone with the same gear config who is willing to do drills with me will help me move along a bit.

I am going to DIR style in prep for cavern/cave ASAP.

SCUBA equipment is life support equipment. DIR style configuration is consistent with life support.

Leah, are you diving with a redundant air source? My pony/necklace back-up came in very 'handy' on a Bonaire dive with defective 80 cf tank valve.

 

[Vayu]

Good to hear it Leah. I'm glad the Golem is working for you too.

Tonka, if you are preparing for overhead diving I strongly suggest a set of doubles for your redundancy.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I am going to DIR style in prep for cavern/cave ASAP.

SCUBA equipment is life support equipment. DIR style configuration is consistent with life support.

Leah, are you diving with a redundant air source? My pony/necklace back-up came in very 'handy' on a Bonaire dive with defective 80 cf tank valve.

My dive buddy Jocasseegirl is my 2nd set of redundant gear. We have been working on team skills this summer. After doing a lot of talking, drills and letting her use my rig, she will now have the same config shortly as she is pricing out gear right now. Before that she still had gear that was my second set of life support along with a second head and hands to solve problems. Mine you the gear was regular sport gear that shops push, but as my buddy her gear is my gear and it works the other way around.

We did some out of air drills while swiming about breathing off the long hose while she wore my rig and again when I had it back on. We also did out of air drills using her rig as the donating rig with a standard octo. It was much faster to get air to the out of air diver and much easier to navigate in the water. I also like having a high quality reg to breathe off of during the drill. The traditional octo did not breathe well at all and made me very nervous in the pool. I can't imagine what it would do if the poo hit the fan fast and hard. Yes it gave me air and I was glad to have it, but I liked the easy breathing reg much better.

We spent the afternoon in the pool and it was a great experience for both of us to dive a jacket standard reg/octo set up and then dive a bp/w in the dive right next to the jacket. Spending a couple of hours in one and then going to the other really made the difference clear as to how each functions.