Buoyancy Techniques

[Bubbletrubble]

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[elmer fudd]

What really taught me buoyancy control was when I got into vintage diving. With no BC and no drysuit, you have to learn how to weight yourself perfectly. Then you have to get good at breath control. Once you do a dozen or so dives like that your buoyancy control improves dramatically, even when you go back to the modern gear. It really teaches you to use your breathing instinctively to control your buoyancy. You also might be surprised at just how much buoyancy control you can have with just your lungs and a little sculling. I've done dives this way to 100' in a 7mm and I didn't have to crawl on the bottom at depth or rocket to the surface on my ascent. You do have a depth range though where you can maintain your neutral buoyancy and what it is depends on your suit and your weighting. For me in a 7mm with an LP72 and 10 lbs of lead that range is from 20' to 50'. Above that I want to float and below that I want to sink. The change between 0 and 20' however is much more profound than the difference between 50 and 70'. The first 30' is where your wetsuit really compresses and you become much more negative.

 

[Crush]

From my perspective(s):

1. Fundies is very expensive. It seems lucrative;
2. Based on the student-to-instructor ratio and the number of dives and the time logged underwater during the course, not to mention the quality instruction, Fundies is incredibly cheap. I wonder how they stay in business...

 

[BVickery]

From my perspective(s):

1. Fundies is very expensive. It seems lucrative;
2. Based on the student-to-instructor ratio and the number of dives and the time logged underwater during the course, not to mention the quality instruction, Fundies is incredibly cheap. I wonder how they stay in business...

The class itself is pretty cheap, but when you start throwing in lodging, gas, food and then buying the requisite equipment is when costs really add up. I am interested in taking it and feel fortunate I have a lot of the gear already that is required (BP/W, etc).

 

[Crush]

I had to stay in a hotel during the course, not to mention the three-hour drive to the training center (not going to drive that each day) and did not factor that into my previous commentary.

The class itself it not "pretty cheap" but it is an excellent value IMHO.

 

[eelnoraa]

The class itself is pretty cheap, but when you start throwing in lodging, gas, food and then buying the requisite equipment is when costs really add up. I am interested in taking it and feel fortunate I have a lot of the gear already that is required (BP/W, etc).

I won't say the class itself is pretty cheap. Afterall, it is still more than 2x+ the PADI OW class. However, the return per cost basis is incredibley high. It is really the best bang for the buck class. And don't forget, you get a nitrox certification with fundie if you pass. Nitrox cert itself is $125 with PADI.

You should not factor in the cost of lodging, gas, food and necessary equipment purchase. You can 1) find a local GUE instructor, stay in hostle for the ocean day if necessary. That is what I did. 2) you need gas filled if you dive whether or not you are taking GUE or not. EAN32 cost about $4 more per fill, and you only need EAN32 for ocean dives. So 4-5 dives, $20 more. 3) food, really, you only eat when you take fundie? 4) equipment. yeah, I can buy this one. GUE guys are ver particular about what they want. You probably need to spend some money. But you own the stuff. YOu can resell them later. In my fundie, instructors even carry extra equipments in case students don't have some items.

Again, if your goal is to improve personal skill in water (bouyancy, trim ..) situation awareness, GUE fundie is one of the best if not the best class you can take.

 

[phasechange]

Thanks for all the advice. I will continue to dive and when I get between 60 and 100 dives I will evaluate the fundies course then.

 

[Doc Harry]

DivemasterDennis has some great ideas.

I took fundies (in doubles for the very first time) with about 60 dives, but I was getting only about 20 dives per year at that time. The other student was already NACD full cave. The GUE instructor did nothing but make fun of me the whole 3 days during the course. I think it's a good idea to get some solid basic skills before venturing into the GUE world, lest you suffer from their humiliating abuse. And I do recommend that you take fundies, regardless.

 

[Texass]

I don't know what places you have available for practicing, but the tip that helped me the most was to extend my thumb & pinky, put my thumb to my chest & my pinky on the platform then swim accross the platform.

 

[Crush]

DThe GUE instructor did nothing but make fun of me the whole 3 days during the course. I think it's a good idea to get some solid basic skills before venturing into the GUE world, lest you suffer from their humiliating abuse.

I recommend you write a letter to GUE...

Seriously.