DIR-F Sept 29 - October 2 Dutch Springs, PA

[SparticleBrane]

Of course, I'd love to film you in the shallow end of our pool doing your basic 5, backfinning and helicopter.

Toss me a list of exactly what the Basic 5 is and I'll do my best to get you a video. Can't promise anything, but I'll do my best. The new students will be going out to the quarry within the next few weeks so there probably won't be much time for someone to borrow the school's underwater camera to film me anytime soon since the big push will be working with the new students and making sure they're ready for open water.

When I'm working with classes I'm usually in an Eclipse 40, Al80, swimming trunks and a rashguard (those straps on hog systems can be a royal pain on your bare shoulders...) No weight belt or can light or wetsuit or any of that mess--is that acceptable? If possible I'd use my Eclipse 30 and my own reg set since I'm on a 7ft hose. The hoses we use at school are "long" hoses in that they're longer than standard but aren't long enough to go under your arm and around your neck. I believe they MIGHT be 40"?
edit: Even if they aren't longer than standard, the students at least breathe the long hose and donate from the mouth.

In fact there's a few videos of me up online. Granted they aren't OF me, I just happened to wander into the field of view while the new students were working on buoyancy and trim in the deep end for the first time...
If I can find one with a decent shot I'll link you.

 

[PerroneFord]

There ya go.

http://www.divetekadventures.com/Videos/VideoSkillpractice.htm

 

[cmalinowski]

...I'll tell you, it’s a necessary pain to watch the class video. I could've swore that my knees where up, that my trim was right, but the video didn’t lie....

I swore bob was tilting the camera

 

[SparticleBrane]

I forgot to say this earlier---sounds like you had a good class, frog77.

So Perrone is this your way of saying that you think I can talk the talk but can't walk the walk? Does that make this a challenge, then...? If so, I'm up for it.

 

[Dan Gibson]

Buoyancy is evaluated at all depths during these dives, not just at 20 feet. Some drills (i.e. ascent drills) require a greater starting depth. If you pop to the top in the last few feet, you will likely be on video for the instructor to critique. Besides, most dive sites are not really set up well for video and such in really shallower water. Can you imagine a 6 ft dive being filmed. You wouldn't be able to see anything after a few minutes. At the depths you list, a pool would be much better for the class.

I've read a good amount of fundies reports and I'm always curious as to why buoyancy is practiced in 20-30ft deep water. Practicing buoyancy in 3.5 to 4ft deep water gives you a much better indication of what you're doing. Make one mistake and you're either bouncing off the bottom or your fintips are out of the water (or worse, you're floating on the surface). Doing buoyancy work in 20-30ft of water is relatively easy compared to much shallower water...at least that's IMHO.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Can you imagine a 6 ft dive being filmed. You wouldn't be able to see anything after a few minutes. At the depths you list, a pool would be much better for the class.

Correct, I was talking about pool work.
However, if the students were any good, then the bottom wouldn't be stirred up, even in a 6ft dive.

 

[Dan Gibson]

Most are not that good when they show up.

However, if the students were any good, then the bottom wouldn't be stirred up, even in a 6ft dive.

 

[limeyx]

Correct, I was talking about pool work.
However, if the students were any good, then the bottom wouldn't be stirred up, even in a 6ft dive.

The only 6 foot water you get around here is in the surf zone. Try doing your basic 5 with 4-6 foot rollers beating down on you

I guess you could do the skills at 6 feet in midwater but I suspect that most people (me included) would need to do them at 20 with a bottom present first...

 

[Jasonmh]

...I'll tell you, it’s a necessary pain to watch the class video. I could've swore that my knees where up, that my trim was right, but the video didn’t lie.
I thought I had a good understanding of what fundies was all about. I've read on this forum various experiences from other people, but the class surely beat my expectations. I came out of this class with a higher degree of respect for cave, deep, wreck divers, no matter what agency. If anything, I am a more humble diver after taking fundies.

I got a provisional; have to work on my skills, which mean lots of diving. However, I am ok with that...

I think that happens to a lot of people. Most, including myself, think they are perfectly horizontal when they are not. The nice thing about the Fundies class is that you do get the chance to see what trim feels like, and once you know, it is far easier to practice. Sounds like you had a good class an learned alot, congrats and have fun practicing.

 

[PerroneFord]

So Perrone is this your way of saying that you think I can talk the talk but can't walk the walk? Does that make this a challenge, then...? If so, I'm up for it.

A challenge? Hardly. I'm not a very good diver. I'm just trying to learn.