Suggestions on preparing for DIR-F

[OE2X]

What I would add besided the skills such as: motionless hover, frog and reverse frog kicks, helicopter turn etc...

Perhaps the most important thing you will learn and will need to work on is buddy awareness. I know this sounds bizarre, but knowing where your buddy is at all times and being constantly aware of each of the members of your team is perhaps the most significant skill of fundies.

No matter where your skill set is, you will be pushed. If you can hold your 5 meter stop with a fluctuation of only 1 meter then you will be expected to hold it with less than .5 meter fluctuation. This while one of your team goes OOA. If your instructor is at all good he or she will find where your skills are lacking no matter how well practiced you are.

 

[Ben_ca]

What I would add besided the skills such as: motionless hover, frog and reverse frog kicks, helicopter turn etc...

Motionless hover.... just hanging there doing nothing...... IMHO hardest thing in the world...

Just see how long you can sit motionless... it's harder than you think

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

What I would add besided the skills such as: motionless hover, frog and reverse frog kicks, helicopter turn etc...

Perhaps the most important thing you will learn and will need to work on is buddy awareness. I know this sounds bizarre, but knowing where your buddy is at all times and being constantly aware of each of the members of your team is perhaps the most significant skill of fundies.

No matter where your skill set is, you will be pushed. If you can hold your 5 meter stop with a fluctuation of only 1 meter then you will be expected to hold it with less than .5 meter fluctuation. This while one of your team goes OOA. If your instructor is at all good he or she will find where your skills are lacking no matter how well practiced you are.

Ah ... you remember ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[OE2X]

Ah ... you remember ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

It's been a while and the scars are only just starting to fade.

 

[OE2X]

Motionless hover.... just hanging there doing nothing...... IMHO hardest thing in the world...

Just see how long you can sit motionless... it's harder than you think

There are some like Uncle Pug who are so motionless that he has fallen asleep...

 

[DoubleDip]

Matsaya, best luck in having a rewarding class! Try some Mask off drills; remove and replace, S-drill's with a buddy; Mask off, that kind of stuff. That's a great place to start when building skill's.

P.S. Re: "Uncle Pug: OE2X, Is that were he's at? Will you please wake him up!

 

[pacchill]

I would recommend doing some dives with a buddy (make one if you have to, that’s what I did lol) who already has a DIR-F card, or better say: Tech-1 or 2. Have them give you tips on your fining, trim, profile ect. Plus they can help you get your harness set up i.e.: D-ring placement, how tight you want your crotch strap, good knots for you bolt snaps that kind of stuff.
As far as getting a PBW, to me Halcyon is the best on the market. Not that others will not perform as well, but next to the new Eclipse not many singles wings seem as well made. That’s my opinion; you need to get what works for you, and what is within your budget. Also, go ahead and get accustom to diving on a long hose and necklace. That is as much DIR as the back plate and wing. Don’t be afraid to go with used gear either. There are tons of good deals around the net, this forum and others for back plates, and wings well under retail.. Just my suggestions.
Cheers Dive Safe
PacChill

 

[wunat]

I am sure you will enjoy the course.

If you could, get in contact with some DIR divers in your community. Talk to them and dive with them and see. They could take you through some practices but again, it is certainly different from having the instructor assessing the skills.

 

[TSandM]

Holding buoyancy and trim with task-loading is one of the two core ideas of the course. You can do what everybody above has suggested -- use a buddy to get feedback on whether you're truly horizontal, and see how long you can hover without moving ANYTHING. But you can also practice the basic 5 (mask skills, reg exchange, mod S) without needing an instructor. I did the mask skills and reg exchange a lot before Fundies, and the Basic 5 was probably the only place in the class where I actually did a good job.

The other core idea is situational awareness, which at the Fundies level is basically buddy or team awareness, and you can work on polishing that, too.

Enjoy the class. It's superb dive training.