Why not Fundies?

[Kwbyron]

For me, it's the money....I could use that to buy my regs, or take the rescue course, which I feel personally would be more beneficial. I will get a long hose config when I buy my regs, but that's not because I will be doing tech diving, but I feel safer because you are not right next to each other, you can have your space which makes it feel like less of an emergency(not sure if I got that idea expressed). My shop said they would do some drills with me, but it seems straight forward. I was born with fins on my feet and mom didn't do laundry for me all summer, we just tossed the swimsuit(it was worn out by then anyways) so I can play with my fins and get the kicks down with some toying. I think most of the skills in the class, I will refine as I dive more and more... with all this DIR/NDIR bickering....how many of you bought gear for your O/W class? I seem to remember everyone had the exact same gear configuration in mine :11: How many people have you met that refuse to deviate from their O/W text book? Or say that NAUI is the only safe certifying agency? They all blow bubbles under water.(except the CCRB, showoffs....)
As for Demoing the gear, I won't make a big buy without trying it first, won't buy a car without a test, won't drop $500 on a piece of gear unless I know it's what works for me. Call around, be persistent, or find someone with a liberal return policy. I found a shop in Texas I talked into letting me rent a BP/W (they even stuck a SS BP on it for me) and my local shop let me Demo one several times, and I bought that one.

 

[MikeFerrara]

TRH, this is one of the saddest things about "internet DIR".

The two GUE instructors I've had the good fortune to meet are far from that kind of attitude. And the DIR divers I know are the kind of people who are going to turn out in force to be mentors for my "big buddy" dive later this month -- and they'll be mentoring all kinds of novice divers, not DIR ones.

I'm really sorry that the misbehavior of some people behind keyboards has put you off this excellent source of diving education.

Good point Lynne. I only know a few GUE instructors personally and a couple of others by way of the internet. NONE have exhibited any attitude at all! I've never seen any of them belittle another diver or say or do anything that wasn't polite and meant to help.

In my limited experience they are divers who, most often, started out much the same as the rest of us, found something that helped them enjoy diving more and went on to teach it. What more can you expect?

 

[Diver Dennis]

I agree Mike. As I posted before, the first time I ran into this attitude was here, this is the only board I had ever been on, and there was just a couple who I see don't post much anymore. The guys I dive with were pretty much the opposite, great people. It's a lot easier to be so self righteous behind your keyboard and basically anonymous.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I've always had an interest in DIR diving, but could never bring myself to take a course. I've got the books, 2 DVDs from 5thd-x, equipment, the time and money to travel anywhere I wish to take it. Everytime I start to warm toward it, some DIR diver mostly on this board will make a mean-spririted, unkind, gratuitous comment to a non-DIR diver about their diving or gear, such as a pony bottle. It rubs me the wrong way to the point that I won't persue it. I would probably feel differently if my first experience with DIR had not been on the internet.

You've just articulated why I put it off for so long ... and when I finally got around to taking the class, boy did I feel dumb for having let someone else's bad attitude affect my own decisions. I discovered that for every mean-spirited DIR dude out there, there's a dozen who are exceptional role models ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TheRedHead]

They will help you with anything you want to know about diving, that they know the answer to. Believe me, I doubt UP doesn't know the answer to much.

I really envy the guys up there with all the great divers - and diving - in their backyard. If I were to do it, I think Florida would be the place for me because I can drive to the panhandle in a day. I'm actually closer to Cozumel than Seattle. There's not really any local diving here as all the lakes are fed from the Mississippi River and you have inches of viz and lots of snakes. The nearest diving is 250 miles away and we don't have a "dive community" as in other places. I'm very fortunate to be able to take a dive trip every other month. I do spend a lot of time at the LDS and, of course, on scubaboard.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

At the time I dove with them the only one that was not DIR was NWGratefuldiver.

I'm still not DIR ... I'm just a bit better educated than I used to be ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MikeFerrara]

For me, it's the money....I could use that to buy my regs, or take the rescue course, which I feel personally would be more beneficial. I will get a long hose config when I buy my regs, but that's not because I will be doing tech diving, but I feel safer because you are not right next to each other, you can have your space which makes it feel like less of an emergency(not sure if I got that idea expressed). .

This is my answer and not a DIR answer.

The rescue class is good but you will get more out of it if you can dive. I'm not saying that you can't because I have no way of knowing but I've certinaly had many students in rescue classes who couldn't.

The long hose isn't about "having your space" and how you feel. It's about having the mobility to do what you need to do while sharing air. Donating the reg from your mouth has to do with speed, insuring that the donated reg is working and donating a reg that another can find in an actual diving position. A brightly colored reg that's pinned someplace on your torso is not easily found because you can't see the torso of a horizontal diver and color is one of the first things to go with depth and vis is one of the first things to go with problems. The whole idea behind the "clasic" rec configuration is such off the wall Bs as to be nearly indescribable. Unless of course, you are kneeling upright in a pool.

 

[TheRedHead]

with all this DIR/NDIR bickering....how many of you bought gear for your O/W class? I seem to remember everyone had the exact same gear configuration in mine :11: How many people have you met that refuse to deviate from their O/W text book? Or say that NAUI is the only safe certifying agency? They all blow bubbles under water.(except the CCRB, showoffs....)

To be fair, there is a reason for the gear configuration and it boils down to safety and team diving. There are some of us who have bought gear twice or even thrice. :blush:

 

[limeyx]

see, i told you i am confused

i thought NAUI offered an Intro. to Tech class

AND

there's a class called "Essentials" which is offered by somebody out in the West coast only

so is the "Essentials" class really the NAUI class?



that's what i thought

I think 5thd-x/Breakthru diving are teaching under NAUI, but applying similar standards to what you'd expect with a GUE class. This includes Essentiala, Intro to Tech and some more advanced recreational classes as well as tech classes.

 

[lamont]

I think 5thd-x/Breakthru diving are teaching under NAUI, but applying similar standards to what you'd expect with a GUE class. This includes Essentiala, Intro to Tech and some more advanced recreational classes as well as tech classes.

NAUI lets instructors create their own classes. Essentials probably is registered as a NAUI class.