Best book for Fundies prep

[gsk3]

Hi everyone,
Spent two days with a DIR instructor, and Fundies is in the future but probably a year away. In the meantime, would like to have a reference both to go over things learned in those two days (particularly, gas management and tank factors and the like could benefit from some relaxed time with a blank piece of paper and a book) and to make sure new gear is going to work for future needs, without bugging our poor instructor too much. I understand from other threads that Jablonski's Fundamentals of Better Diving is a decade out-of-date.

There seem to be a few options at the GUE website:
Beginning With the End in Mind - the Fundamentals of Recreational Diving, By Jesper Berglund
Beyond the Daylight Zone: The Fundamentals of Cave Diving, By Jablonski
Getting Clear on the Basics: The Fundamentals of Technical Diving, By Jablonski
Dress for Success, By Dan MacKay
Or should I just get Fundamentals of Better Diving?

Thanks!

 

[Rainer]

Good golly, no, Fundamentals of Better Diving is NOT a decade out-of-date. Maybe 1% no longer applies, but it's a wonderful resource STILL.

Dress for Success is a nice place to start for gear recommendations (ignore some of the poor editing).

I've heard good things about the new Rec book, so you might want to check that out as well.

The cave and tech manuals would do you limited good at this point.

Still, your best bet might be to get in a class sooner rather than later. There's no reading substitute to a good class (or just diving with good mentors).

If you have specific questions, either now, or after the readings, definitely post here, and the online community can try to help.

Good luck!

 

[TSandM]

I'd highly recommend the OW manual. There is a lot of information there, in a very accessible form. For equipment recommendations and setup, Dress for Success is still very good, although some minor specifics have changed. But between Peter Steinhoff's site and the BAUE site, you can get a lot of the setup information without buying a text.

Jablonski's book is still very good, and further, it really gives you an idea of what the thought process behind the whole system is -- where he is coming from.

The tech manual has a lot of information about DCS, oxygen toxicity, and gas blending and dissimilar tank calculations, but very little that's specific in a hands-on sense.

As said, the best thing is to try to hook up with trained divers and get some mentoring, until you can afford to do the class.

 

[gsk3]

Good golly, no, Fundamentals of Better Diving is NOT a decade out-of-date. Maybe 1% no longer applies, but it's a wonderful resource STILL.

I guess people in other threads were picking nits then. I won't worry about it.

Dress for Success is a nice place to start for gear recommendations (ignore some of the poor editing).

I've heard good things about the new Rec book, so you might want to check that out as well.

The cave and tech manuals would do you limited good at this point.

Still, your best bet might be to get in a class sooner rather than later. There's no reading substitute to a good class (or just diving with good mentors).

If you have specific questions, either now, or after the readings, definitely post here, and the online community can try to help.

Good luck!

So it seems like either the Rec book or Fundamentals would be best. Has anyone read both and could compare?

Class is definitely next on the list, but it's 30 times as expensive as a book, plus it makes sense to take it towards the beginning of summer so that there's sufficient time to practice before the winter weather sets in.

Thanks

 

[gsk3]

I'd highly recommend the OW manual. There is a lot of information there, in a very accessible form. For equipment recommendations and setup, Dress for Success is still very good, although some minor specifics have changed. But between Peter Steinhoff's site and the BAUE site, you can get a lot of the setup information without buying a text.

Jablonski's book is still very good, and further, it really gives you an idea of what the thought process behind the whole system is -- where he is coming from.

The tech manual has a lot of information about DCS, oxygen toxicity, and gas blending and dissimilar tank calculations, but very little that's specific in a hands-on sense.

As said, the best thing is to try to hook up with trained divers and get some mentoring, until you can afford to do the class.

Thanks for the comparison between them. Does the OW manual go into as much detail about things that Fundies covers? My guess is yes, given the overlap between Rec 1 and Fundies, but I'm curious.

Definitely agree on the diving with trained divers until the class. For now we're mostly working on mastering the propulsion we learned and getting our gear configured properly.

 

[lamont]

I guess people in other threads were picking nits then. I won't worry about it.

It is still a good book, but its more of a manifesto than a students text, and it includes things like the specific mention of Halcyon products, which doesn't reflect any current GUE material or courses. Most of it is actually non-specific enough that it isn't dated, but that also makes it less useful as a text.

The OW manual and/or Dress for Success are probably more generally useful to answer specific questions.

 

[gsk3]

It is still a good book, but its more of a manifesto than a students text, and it includes things like the specific mention of Halcyon products, which doesn't reflect any current GUE material or courses. Most of it is actually non-specific enough that it isn't dated, but that also makes it less useful as a text.

The OW manual and/or Dress for Success are probably more generally useful to answer specific questions.

That makes sense. I'm already convinced Kool-Aid is the right drink, I just need recommendations on the right proportions to mix it in . OW manual it is!

Thanks!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

ScubaBoard!

Go back through the posts of years past. Pay particular attention those from Genesis, Nova, Papa Bear and Nereas ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JeffG]

ScubaBoard!

Go back through the posts of years past. Pay particular attention those from Genesis, Nova, Papa Bear and Nereas ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thats not very nice.

 

[gsk3]

ScubaBoard!

Go back through the posts of years past. Pay particular attention those from Genesis, Nova, Papa Bear and Nereas ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Haha. There has already been far too much ScubaBoarding in my past!