Primary Light OVER long hose, right?
- Thread starter Reg Braithwaite
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Cold water doesn't have to introduce a serious risk of freeflow. All you need to do is use regulators that are not prone to icing (sealed, packed with crystolube, pressurized, etc.).
That said, it's still possible to get a freeflow if you get water into the second stage and it freezes, so doubles (and the ability to easily reach your valves) are still necessary.
Terry
rainman_02
Contributor
And
Ok, so we have established two things. One, you're diving a single tank. Two, you're in a pool until spring. That leaves you a better answer to your original question than learning on the internet:
Get a 40" LP hose and replace your long hose with it until you take Fundies.
I prefer this to internet dive learning because it simplifies things, stays within DIR principles, and you're not going to learn any bad muscle memory / habits from it. To donate your primary while holding your light in your left hand is very simple.
1) Grab the 40" hose next to the regulator you're breathing with your palm facing toward you.
2) As you pull the reg straight out in front of you, give your wrist a clockwise (if you were looking top down; it's also the only way your wrist is designed to move) turn so that your palm (and the reg) are facing your buddy.
3) Put the reg in your buddy's face, he/she takes it and now holds on to it by the 40" hose.
4) After a potato or two, check that they're OK and thumb.
You'll notice your left hand did nothing during this entire process as the light cord does not get near the 40" hose. And unless I am mistaken, I don't recall the OW single tank rig w/40" primary being declared non-DIR any time recently.
DIR-Atlanta
Contributor
It's true that a 40" primary hose is not non-DIR. However, the course standards for GUE Fundies specifically call for a 5 or 7 foot hose. I personally see no harm in practicing the skills with a 40" hose, since it does not appear to reinforce any muscle memory that might have to be "unlearned" later. It basically mimics the first couple steps of a gas share, so any additional steps that are required with the 5 or 7 foot hose would be "add-ons" to the basic movements that had already been practiced.
But as several people have pointed out already, the best sort of practice that can be done to prepare for Fundies does not even necessarily require DIR gear (although the right gear does make it easier). Specifically, if you can work on maintaining depth and horizontal position while handling equipment (mask clearing, reg manipulation, retrieving items from pockets, etc), then that will go a long ways towards developing skills that will help you in the course. Having a stable body platform is one of the keys to success in the class, and is paradoxically one of the most difficult skills to develop. Practicing these skills with a buddy while trying to maintain depth relative to each other is also good (and will also help reinforce team diving).
That's what I would recommend for the OP to work on.
I really shaking my head, reading this discussion.
First off, I think the people who are saying not to practice the drills until you have someone show you how to do it properly are right. This is in part because there are details you won't know, that make a difference. And they CAN make a difference in the one, important part of an S-drill.
That's the second thing: The central, critical part of an S drill is smoothly and quickly getting gas to the OOG diver, without disturbing the environment at all. This, you can easily do, whether the light is over or under, or even if you have mis-clipped the light and trapped the hose. The one thing that will seriously interfere with getting gas to the other diver is if you push backward on the hose as you slip it over your head, and allow it to catch on your manifold (BTDT). This is a VERY easy bad habit to get into (I know, because I did) and you aren't going to catch it on yourself until said hose catches on the manifold, which it isn't going to do if you are diving a single tank
Third, once you have gotten gas to the OOA diver, the emergency is over. You now have time to tidy up, including rerouting the light cord and deploying the remainder of the hose. This is truly a time where slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. If you're fretting about how fast you can get this all done, you're focusing on the wrong things. What's important at this phase is to regain situational awareness (where's number 3 on the team while all this is going on? Where's the line? What's the exit direction?) and not to disturb the environment.
A great way to spend time during the winter would be if you could locate a well-trained diver in your vicinity who would be willing to come and join you in the pool, and give you some feedback on how well you are maintaining your buoyancy and trim while doing the basic 5, and watch things like how you are deploying the long hose. It's great that you are working on your stillness in the water -- it's my personal opinion that, from being perfectly still, comes all the other strong proficiency in technique. Fred Devos put it slightly differently -- he said people have trouble with doing various things because they haven't got their BALANCE in the water. Learning to balance while finning, while hovering, while turning, and with your feet in various positions, from a 90 degree knee bend to maybe a 30 degree bend, is a good way to spend some pool time.
But the bottom line is not to focus on the tiny details. THINK your way through what you are trying to learn, and figure out what's important. That's one of the things that the instructors are superb at doing. And remember that a very large part of this kind of diving is situational awareness and team. Technique helps make those things easier.
First off, I think the people who are saying not to practice the drills until you have someone show you how to do it properly are right. This is in part because there are details you won't know, that make a difference. And they CAN make a difference in the one, important part of an S-drill.
That's the second thing: The central, critical part of an S drill is smoothly and quickly getting gas to the OOG diver, without disturbing the environment at all. This, you can easily do, whether the light is over or under, or even if you have mis-clipped the light and trapped the hose. The one thing that will seriously interfere with getting gas to the other diver is if you push backward on the hose as you slip it over your head, and allow it to catch on your manifold (BTDT). This is a VERY easy bad habit to get into (I know, because I did) and you aren't going to catch it on yourself until said hose catches on the manifold, which it isn't going to do if you are diving a single tank
Third, once you have gotten gas to the OOA diver, the emergency is over. You now have time to tidy up, including rerouting the light cord and deploying the remainder of the hose. This is truly a time where slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. If you're fretting about how fast you can get this all done, you're focusing on the wrong things. What's important at this phase is to regain situational awareness (where's number 3 on the team while all this is going on? Where's the line? What's the exit direction?) and not to disturb the environment.
A great way to spend time during the winter would be if you could locate a well-trained diver in your vicinity who would be willing to come and join you in the pool, and give you some feedback on how well you are maintaining your buoyancy and trim while doing the basic 5, and watch things like how you are deploying the long hose. It's great that you are working on your stillness in the water -- it's my personal opinion that, from being perfectly still, comes all the other strong proficiency in technique. Fred Devos put it slightly differently -- he said people have trouble with doing various things because they haven't got their BALANCE in the water. Learning to balance while finning, while hovering, while turning, and with your feet in various positions, from a 90 degree knee bend to maybe a 30 degree bend, is a good way to spend some pool time.
But the bottom line is not to focus on the tiny details. THINK your way through what you are trying to learn, and figure out what's important. That's one of the things that the instructors are superb at doing. And remember that a very large part of this kind of diving is situational awareness and team. Technique helps make those things easier.
OP
Reg Braithwaite
Contributor
Me too. Who knew that asking about routing the light cord over the hose and how to do a modified S-drill would need this many messages? Any ways, I have received the answers to the specific question I asked on this thread as well as various options for how to best use my time between now and May 2009. So it's all good, thanks, and fare thee well.
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Yeah. Who knew?
Ben_ca
Contributor
Just dive.... I'm sure there's a few people who are further along the path that wouldn't mind keeping sharp by jumping in the pool with you...
Just dive.
Just dive.
It's right here on the camera. I taped it yesterday. However, my firewire is at work and I will get it tomorrow, and then I'll start a new thread.
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