When to take fundies..... An example...

[rlynch]

My advice... (and the same i gave to that particular person)
1. If you already in doubles (He was in AL80's) is to go to the pool and practice being still in the shallow end (3-4' or 1M), it's boring, but do what you have to do to stay focused (write in your wet notes, practice Zen, what have you)
2. Focus on pushing your pelvis out - not arching your back - its a bit different but you will realize the difference if your back hurts.
3. Be able to reach your valves, easily (in doubles or singles) and "know" instictively which way is on and off.
4. Don't do valve drills or S-drills unless you have someone who can be there with you (painful reminder in my cave class last week) - Just be able to reach them and let your hand stay there. In Trim and in 3-4' of water (1M).

I demo'd Valve, SMB, and S-Drills with another diver to him is all, i did not have him do them. It's not my place in this setting to "teach" but to get the person to a point that they can lean, easily.

I would echo TSandM's comment, if your going to commit, do it as soon as you can maintain buoyancy and focus in the water, and reach your valves (if in doubles).

This person was an exception, i'd say, in that he was focused on his path from day 1, willing to put in the water time to be still, and an athlete (not to mention Ex-military). I shouldn't have posted this thread in all honesty, it's not easy on many levels to do what he did. I didn't...and not many i know have. But it can be done. The important thing is to focus on the "WHY" of Why your there in the first place.

If i had to guess he did probably 10+ pool sessions getting ready for Fundies (and at least 2 after i dove with him just prior). Each one was a full set of doubles long in gas, at mostly 3 ffw. So that is considerable time in the water.

Relax in the water, have fun, and stay focused.

I did the same thing in GUE Cave 1 last week, as hectic as it was, and passed. I have things to work on of course (some big, some small) , but i'm human and still learning.

***Keep learning, and have fun ***

No matter what, it's money well spent.

 

[alewar]

alewar, I think you're thinking through this wrong. Take the class in a single tank as soon as you think you have a reasonable chance to pass it that way (rec pass). Then you will do your practice with GOOD skills and habits, and you can transition to doubles and practice with them and do a checkout dive when you are ready. There is enough GUE presence in Germany to be able to do that reasonably (not like some of the places where you have to fly in an instructor to do the class).

I appreciate your advice, but I'm still aiming at the tech cert so that I can do C1 afterward. For my personal goals (C2) rec fundis is a waste of money, besides the required standards are published online and I can practice in the pool until I have the skills. I'm a very dedicated, autodidactic person and usually profit much more from the preparation for the training, than from the training itself.

 

[PfcAJ]

You still need a bunch of dives (100, iirc) to be a cave 1 candidate, even if you do have a tech pass.

Also, practicing stuff incorrectly will ingrain bad habits, further slowing your progression.

 

[dbulmer]

I appreciate your advice, but I'm still aiming at the tech cert so that I can do C1 afterward. For my personal goals (C2) rec fundis is a waste of money, besides the required standards are published online and I can practice in the pool until I have the skills. I'm a very dedicated, autodidactic person and usually profit much more from the preparation for the training, than from the training itself.

Right now you're thinking of what is good for you as an individual. The real value of Fundies is the team building and situational awareness. Focussing on the skills without you knowing exactly how they should be performed is a waste of time and effort.

Without wishing to sound harsh, please listen to what people are telling you. You can end up practicing the wrong things

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Well said!
I went into it thinking it was all about checking skill boxes......I quickly learned otherwise.

 

[lamont]

I appreciate your advice, but I'm still aiming at the tech cert so that I can do C1 afterward. For my personal goals (C2) rec fundis is a waste of money, besides the required standards are published online and I can practice in the pool until I have the skills. I'm a very dedicated, autodidactic person and usually profit much more from the preparation for the training, than from the training itself.

Well, let us know how that works out for you...

 

[alewar]

Well, let us know how that works out for you...

I just passed with recreational grade. The instructor wants to see me do a back kick while on proper trim to give me the tech pass. That and the helicopter turn, in which you also have to back kick... Now I'll have to spend some $xxx just to show him these two drills, which pisses me off a little.

Even though it didn't work out perfectly well for me, I'm still convinced that most people can get a tech grade after a handful of well-planned training dives, independently of the number of dives under their belts.

On a side note, the instructor and my buddy were both great and a pleasure to have around.

So, that's how it went for me.

 

[kathydee]

Congrats on the pass!

 

[Gareth]

Even though it didn't work out perfectly well for me, I'm still convinced that most people can get a tech grade after a handful of well-planned training dives, independently of the number of dives under their belts.

At the risk of playing devil's advocate, does this mean you are not as good as most people or that you didn't plan your training dives?

 

[PfcAJ]

Oh ****!