Bpw setup for Fundies

[Marie13]

@Dogbowl it was just a question that you had a good answer to

Email the instructor and let them know the details. I highly doubt they'll let it go with a Transpac, but what they may let you do is use a standard hog harness and replace the shoulder triglides with one of these
2

With that, you can easily make a chest strap from a piece of bungee or gold line and a bolt snap like many use on their sidemount rigs. Just tie it to one side, typically the left shoulder, then put a bolt snap on the other and clip it in. If you're going to get any approval for some sort of chest strap, it's going to be that one

That’s exactly what I’ve done with my chest strap.

 

[KevinNM]

I hope that you can solve that with your instructor. GUE philosophy has a built in attitude that diving is not for everyone and their configuration and protocols are unquestionable. Thus inability to use standard configuration may prevent passing Fundamentals. This dogmatism somewhat bothers me but I have decided to pass the Fundalmentals before I make my mind.

That certainly isn't true with Meredith Tanguay. She suggested I make some changes, but tolerated my not doing it until I realized she was right.

 

[taimen]

That certainly isn't true with Meredith Tanguay. She suggested I make some changes, but tolerated my not doing it until I realized she was right.

...but in the end you did (was able to) adapt to the standards. I haven't heard of anyone being literally tossed out of fundies. Passing is another thing. Most if not all instructors do a great job in trying to teach people, but idea seems to be that the configuration is standard and divers flexible, so tweaking the equipment configuration is really the last option and may not be allowed in the end. Just like in your case?

For the original poster, there really is only one option. Find your instructor and discuss this with her/him before committing. I really doubt this will be a problem with fundies at all.
One great thing included in the GUE standards is that instructors answer questions with advice both before and after the course. Also the usual "You can do however you want" is not part of the vocabulary.

 

[Lorenzoid]

That certainly isn't true with Meredith Tanguay. She suggested I make some changes, but tolerated my not doing it until I realized she was right.

That's what I was thinking when I read the original post--that if a student comes to Fundies class INSISTING they need some sort of non-standard thing, the instructor might just let them use it until the student realizes on his or her own that the standard way works at least as well if not better. A good instructor will let the student figure out why things are done the way they are. If the student really does have some sort of disability requiring non-standard gear, that's a different story.

A student in my Fundies class arrived without a long hose, stating that she really liked everything she had read about the GUE gear configuration "except that long hose thing." The instructor didn't TELL her to change it so much as persuaded her to give the long hose a try.