Propulsion Coach

[mikemikethepike]

I am looking for a propulsion coach, someone that can coach the basic five techiques: horizontal trim, the flutter Kick, the frog kick, helicopter turns, and the back kick.

I think that a shallow lake (like maybe Lake Natomas) would be good for this.

I really do not want to do this in the ocean or in a pool. I would like to work on these skills outside of any other kind of class. I really want to get these things down without worrying about any other objectives.

Can anyone recommend someone in the Sacramento area that can help me?

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Except for the flutter kick, which you don't need, that sounds a lot like GUE Fundies class.

 

[mtbrider]

Beto Nava (A GUE instructor) teaches his "Buoyancy Clinic" which is basically buoyancy, kicks, and trim. His email is cavediver _at_ baue _dot_ org. He is in the San Jose area, however.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I am looking for a propulsion coach, someone that can coach the basic five techiques: horizontal trim, the flutter Kick, the frog kick, helicopter turns, and the back kick.

I think that a shallow lake (like maybe Lake Natomas) would be good for this.

I really do not want to do this in the ocean or in a pool. I would like to work on these skills outside of any other kind of class. I really want to get these things down without worrying about any other objectives.

Can anyone recommend someone in the Sacramento area that can help me?

Unless you get to lake Natoma really early in the morning the current is too fast to practice those drills. (DWR increases the flow during the day for hydroelectric power generation.)

I'd find a pool and practice there.

 

[mikemikethepike]

Beto Nava (A GUE instructor) teaches his "Buoyancy Clinic" which is basically buoyancy, kicks, and trim. His email is cavediver _at_ baue _dot_ org. He is in the San Jose area, however.

Great, I found his email address on the GUE web sie and dropped him a note.

Here is a link to some of the videos of this skills. These skills look awesome!

Myspace.com Blogs - I Like Trim - Michael MySpace Blog

 

[Ben_ca]

The 5thD-X guys are actually also in the Bay area... Although Joe Talavera is on a sabatical from diving; Andrew Georgitsis (AG for short) and Delia still teach. The new website is Unified Team Diving (UTD) International Most of the time though class scheduling is done "on demand" so you won't find much on the calendar.

I would recommend the "Essentials of Recreational Diving" this will fine tune your skills and introduce you to the concepts of team diving....

There's some mentors around the Sacramento area that might be helpful... One of them was very kind to help me along the way... we would meet at Folsom after work to "tweak" our skills... I'll see if he's around for some diving... If not I dive Monterey most weekends and don't mind helping out if I can...

PS: We used to hit Browns Ravine for mid week skills sessions

 

[Ben_ca]

I am looking for a propulsion coach, someone that can coach the basic five techiques: horizontal trim, the flutter Kick, the frog kick, helicopter turns, and the back kick.

I think you are getting confused...

The basic 5 are:

Mask flood
Mask remove/replace
Reg remove/replace
Modified S drill
Full S drill

The kicks are

Frog
Mod Flutter
Back
Helicopter

or am I reading you wrong

 

[mikemikethepike]

I think you are getting confused...

The basic 5 are:

Mask flood
Mask remove/replace
Reg remove/replace
Modified S drill
Full S drill

The kicks are

Frog
Mod Flutter
Back
Helicopter

or am I reading you wrong

I guess that there are only four basic kicks and I included horizontal trim to make that five "propulsion skills." Maybe I am reading it wrong, but I think that step one to mastering the four kicks is mastering horizontal trim. Maybe I am off on that since no one has really tried to actually teach propulsion skills in any dive training that I have done (all PADI of course).

I mean I have had propulsion methods demonstrated to me in a PADI wreck class and we did spend time working on frog kicks. I might have been a little distracted at the time, since I was in the pool wearing a dry suit for the first time, trying to learn frog kicks at the same time I was giving non-split fins a go. Needless to say, that was a very overwhelming pool session.

 

[rhlee]

I guess that there are only four basic kicks and I included horizontal trim to make that five "propulsion skills." Maybe I am reading it wrong, but I think that step one to mastering the four kicks is mastering horizontal trim.

I don't think you're offbase at all; it's all linked together. If your trim is off, you won't be able to get your legs to work for you in the right position... Also, the reduced drag profile of being in good trim is pretty key to being able to backkick.

Maybe I am off on that since no one has really tried to actually teach propulsion skills in any dive training that I have done (all PADI of course).

I'd suggest contacting Beto about a clinic or a fundies class that would certainly cover everything here (and more). Alot of this stuff really is much easier to sort out in an instructional setting with tools like video review, etc...

 

[Anti-Hero]

Mike - I've contacted Beto about a fundies class as well. If you're interested in that route the more people in the area interested the sooner we can get a class going.