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Uncle Pug once bubbled... ... at least you didn't break down and cry during the class... I had a friend who did!
I saw some of that ... but they stuck with it. Also saw others that walked out and didn't return. I couldn't understand why though. It's a non-cert class, and they would work with you to help find improvement.
I'm sure it shatters allot of over-inflated self-images.
Bottom line: Ya just gotta be willing to take "whatever-you-bring-to-the-party" and be willing to improve on it.
Last year I recall thinking I was probably ready for a Tech 1 class, but in my first Fundamentals class I had one dive with squirrelly bouyancy. I decided then to wait on Tech 1 and drill-the-skills more, and later spent an entire 45 minute dive at 15 ft staring at the same link of the chain holding the training platforms up. OK... it's not the most exciting way to spend a dive, but I had to prove to myself that I could not only hold depth, but relative position in the water.
The class shows you areas that need improvement, but it's up to the individual to take/make the time to shore these areas up.
The same thing happend to me and the wife when we was practicing OOA with the our new setup, before we knew it, we were at the surface. Please let me know what you learned to help you in that area.
It was a pretty big problem for us, especially at just 20 feet.
The real trick is to do a backwards kick before you guys conk heads. That pretty much would solve a lot of the problems immediately.
The guys on my site, though ( http://www.islc.net/~bayne/hometraining.html ), manage to do it by manhandling... It's not the perfect way to do it, but it works. Before you guys impact, push off of each other.
The last thing I found that helped me was to avoid the temptation to grab a huge breath before taking the reg out of your mouth when you simulate the OOA. We all do it... You know the reg's gonna be gone for a few seconds, so you take a big breath before it goes. This, of course, immediately makes you rise, and your buddy has an obligation to follow. Hence, you're on the surface. (At least, that's how it was working out for me.)
Remember that it's not the lack of air that makes your body crave a breath... It's the CO2 buildup. Whether you take a huge breath or not, you're still going to get the crave to breathe around the same time. A big breath does not make that feeling go away... So stop taking the big breath first. That's not how it would really happen in a real OOA anyway.
At least, that's how I was coached. I'm hardly in a position to be "coaching" you.
But for me, that's how it was addressed... Gain control of you and your buddy first, and avoid "the big breath."
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ScubaDan once bubbled... I'm looking forward to your 3rd day.
The same thing happend to me and the wife when we was practicing OOA with the our new setup, before we knew it, we were at the surface. Please let me know what you learned to help you in that area.
Dan
Last edited by SeaJay; February 6th, 2003 at 11:29 PM..
That's an excelent report. I want to do the DIRF course as well but it is postphoned to next season/year as I'm doing AI this spring/summer.
Did you know that Dickens also wrote his great novels in installments in the papers?
Due to your writing stile and skill, I'll single handed award you with the title: DivingDickens (TM) Off course you should have Wetnotes with a golden trim!
Excellent write-up. Looks like you like you got your money's worth ;-)
Andrew and MHK are great -- hilarious too. MHK had some great stories when we went out to dinner during my DIRF course, including the whole "Mexican sidemount"/Discovery channel issue. Great guy. He seems to have developed an incredible level of patience through years of watching ALL of us fail miserably in DIRF ;-)
The more I read, the more I want to take the class. I'm going to start bugging people I know about that idea some more. SeaJay...I love the writing...it is interesting with a bit of attitude tossed right in there....I can actually see you saying
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"No I said I was thinking about quitting"
to your dive buddy. I am anxiously awaiting the third day's report.
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"Beer the cause of and solution to all of life's little problems" -Homer Simpson
Look here...I like DARTS too!!
I'm also a swim coach now (yikes !!) Coach Tony
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Big-t-2538 once bubbled... I love the writing...it is interesting with a bit of attitude tossed right in there....I can actually see you saying to your dive buddy...
<snip>
I am anxiously awaiting the third day's report.
Thanks a lot, man. There's nothing more pleasing to a writer than to feel like he was able to put you "right there." Now if I could just do that with a little fiction and a little diving intermingled, and come up with something like Jules Verne did... Then maybe I could fund this sport. "Waiter, a round of backplates for everyone, please. On me."
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The more I read, the more I want to take the class. I'm going to start bugging people I know about that idea some more.
By far this has been the most influential and educational class that I've taken. Highly recomended. One problem with it, though, is that you're going to want to take it again and again. At least, I do.
You really DO put me "right there." Even if you didn't cry, I did. GEEEZ, guess this is one course I shouldn't take if I'm gonna cry that easy. I guess I just understand the feeling because I'm just as frustrated at my drysuit as you were with your gear. I'm carrying 30lbs with an AL80 and still have trouble staying down in shallow water (I weigh 124lbs). I FEEL your frustration!
Write on brother! Can't wait to hear the next installment!
Ber
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"When the gates are all down and the signals are flashing the whistle is screaming in vain; and you stay on the tracks ignoring the facts well you can't blame the wreck on the train." Don McLean
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Sure!
Off course you should have Wetnotes with a golden trim!
"Beer the cause of and solution to all of life's little problems" -Homer Simpson
"Waiter, a round of backplates for everyone, please. On me." 
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