This past weekend I had the immense pleasure of taking 5th D-X's Essentials class taught by Joe Talavera. It was a very good experience.
As a self-confessed "DIR Agnostic" (and one who has been fighting The Dark Side) for some months, I was shamed into signing up for the class. It was a great decision.
OK -- particulars: There were three students (a fourth opted out due to illness) with varied experience, 30+dives (perhaps 10 locally in a drysuit and with a brand new BP/W); 600+ dives (6? in his new dry suit and a brand new BP/W); and me with about 90 logged dives, about 50 here in Puget Sound in my dry suit (but with a brand new undergarment -- and yes, there was a significant difference in how the suit handled).
We started with a lecture Friday night, going over general concepts illustrated in the DVD -- and that is where we discovered that Joe T is (in the words of one) the Scuba Instructor's answer to Robin Williams. HE IS FUNNY -- very quick and VERY FUNNY! We looked at the kicks that he would teach us (or, ATTEMPT to teach me!) and discussed some aspects of the equipment.
Saturday morning had us up bright and early at a local dive spot -- supposedly splashing at slack current/high tide. HA! Well, first we did our kicks on picnic tables -- I am so glad no one was there to film that! In addition, he attempted to break our backs by having us "assume the position of proper trim" which to my 58 year old body meant breaking 58 years of slouching -- wasn't going to happen! OK -- I think I get it -- my head needs to be Up -- higher Up than my spine will permit -- and my knees need to be bent more -- sort of like an archer's bow -- which means my glutes and abs need to have some tone -- HEY, I'm a 58 year old Executive and cyber-diver -- those muscles can't be expected to hold that position even IF the ligaments and tendons actually stretched that much. OH well, into the gear (after a long look at making sure the new BP/W's fit) and out in the "slack current" and down the line to be on our side of the line on the bottom watching Joe on his side of the line.
There Joe demonstrated proper trim, balance and position -- there we demonstrated improper trim, balance and position. Hmmm -- then he demonstrated the various kicks (modified flutter, frog, back and helicopter turn) -- and then he watched us show him we didn't have a clue! (OK, that's a lot of projection -- I didn't have a clue, sigh.) Then back to shore for a break, review and back into the water.
Did I mention it was supposed to be slack? Well, by the time we splashed for the second dive, the current had picked up and we could do one of two things -- call the dive or do a 2 mile drift dive! Joe called the dive and then back to the shop for video review and more lecture -- intro to deco theory and discussion of various gases.
This was the first time I'd seen myself on video -- and this was where Joe was at his Robin Williams best. We were all laughing so hard that my pain at watching my pathetic attempts at maintaing trim, balance and position, let alone the kicks, was bearable.
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday -- to the water at O-Dark-Thirty, review of the Basic 6 Skills (reg removal, reg exchange, reg recovery, modified S, mask clear, mask remove/replace) and then demonstrate them at 20'. Well, having dropped several pounds of weight, trim, balance and position were slightly better (and I must say I was trusting my suit more -- THANK YOU Joe) and the skills went fairly well for all of us. Then more kick practice.
I have to say, I am VERY impressed that on very short notice, Joe and Matt (the videographer) were able to create some method to create the illusion that Joe could actually swim backwards! From other things I have done, I know that the eye can be tricked into seeing things -- clearly Joe has figured out a way to do that. I know, because there is OBVIOUSLY no way in h*ll for a human to "back kick" underwater. Nope, no way -- I know, because I saw what I was doing on the video and it just couldn't happen!
Joe thumbed the dive and we switched tanks, warmed up and discussed the next, and last, dive -- to attempt S-Drills and Valve Drills. Well, the S-Drills went fairly well -- and I'm sure we ALL agreed having a longer donating hose is a really good thing along with having the back-up reg just under our chin. The Valve Drills -- let's just say that all three of us tried.
After the dive, back to the shop for the final lecture -- reviewing deco and discussion of minimum deco practice, emergency deco practice and then using "Scuba Math" good rules of thumb for "Rock Bottom" and gas management planning.
At the end of the class, Joe had 1-on-1's with the three of us. This was very interesting for me because it started with Joe "admitting" my "DIR Agnosticism" had been known to him prior to the class. (I just can't imagine how he would have had any prior knowledge -- I'm sure my wife wouldn't have said anything to him, no, obviously she wouldn't have.) He did "suggest" that I ditch my beloved Cobra/console and also that a BP/W would be necessary if/when I do play with doubles. And his points as to why were all valid (but no, not sufficient). He was kind enough to give me a wonderful compliment and I shall treasure it.
So, for anyone out there who has wondered about DIR and would like to "taste" the Dark Side, PLEASE, do yourself a big favor and take the Class. If it doesn't permit you to be a better and safer diver, I'd be amazed.
As a self-confessed "DIR Agnostic" (and one who has been fighting The Dark Side) for some months, I was shamed into signing up for the class. It was a great decision.
OK -- particulars: There were three students (a fourth opted out due to illness) with varied experience, 30+dives (perhaps 10 locally in a drysuit and with a brand new BP/W); 600+ dives (6? in his new dry suit and a brand new BP/W); and me with about 90 logged dives, about 50 here in Puget Sound in my dry suit (but with a brand new undergarment -- and yes, there was a significant difference in how the suit handled).
We started with a lecture Friday night, going over general concepts illustrated in the DVD -- and that is where we discovered that Joe T is (in the words of one) the Scuba Instructor's answer to Robin Williams. HE IS FUNNY -- very quick and VERY FUNNY! We looked at the kicks that he would teach us (or, ATTEMPT to teach me!) and discussed some aspects of the equipment.
Saturday morning had us up bright and early at a local dive spot -- supposedly splashing at slack current/high tide. HA! Well, first we did our kicks on picnic tables -- I am so glad no one was there to film that! In addition, he attempted to break our backs by having us "assume the position of proper trim" which to my 58 year old body meant breaking 58 years of slouching -- wasn't going to happen! OK -- I think I get it -- my head needs to be Up -- higher Up than my spine will permit -- and my knees need to be bent more -- sort of like an archer's bow -- which means my glutes and abs need to have some tone -- HEY, I'm a 58 year old Executive and cyber-diver -- those muscles can't be expected to hold that position even IF the ligaments and tendons actually stretched that much. OH well, into the gear (after a long look at making sure the new BP/W's fit) and out in the "slack current" and down the line to be on our side of the line on the bottom watching Joe on his side of the line.
There Joe demonstrated proper trim, balance and position -- there we demonstrated improper trim, balance and position. Hmmm -- then he demonstrated the various kicks (modified flutter, frog, back and helicopter turn) -- and then he watched us show him we didn't have a clue! (OK, that's a lot of projection -- I didn't have a clue, sigh.) Then back to shore for a break, review and back into the water.
Did I mention it was supposed to be slack? Well, by the time we splashed for the second dive, the current had picked up and we could do one of two things -- call the dive or do a 2 mile drift dive! Joe called the dive and then back to the shop for video review and more lecture -- intro to deco theory and discussion of various gases.
This was the first time I'd seen myself on video -- and this was where Joe was at his Robin Williams best. We were all laughing so hard that my pain at watching my pathetic attempts at maintaing trim, balance and position, let alone the kicks, was bearable.
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday -- to the water at O-Dark-Thirty, review of the Basic 6 Skills (reg removal, reg exchange, reg recovery, modified S, mask clear, mask remove/replace) and then demonstrate them at 20'. Well, having dropped several pounds of weight, trim, balance and position were slightly better (and I must say I was trusting my suit more -- THANK YOU Joe) and the skills went fairly well for all of us. Then more kick practice.
I have to say, I am VERY impressed that on very short notice, Joe and Matt (the videographer) were able to create some method to create the illusion that Joe could actually swim backwards! From other things I have done, I know that the eye can be tricked into seeing things -- clearly Joe has figured out a way to do that. I know, because there is OBVIOUSLY no way in h*ll for a human to "back kick" underwater. Nope, no way -- I know, because I saw what I was doing on the video and it just couldn't happen!
Joe thumbed the dive and we switched tanks, warmed up and discussed the next, and last, dive -- to attempt S-Drills and Valve Drills. Well, the S-Drills went fairly well -- and I'm sure we ALL agreed having a longer donating hose is a really good thing along with having the back-up reg just under our chin. The Valve Drills -- let's just say that all three of us tried.
After the dive, back to the shop for the final lecture -- reviewing deco and discussion of minimum deco practice, emergency deco practice and then using "Scuba Math" good rules of thumb for "Rock Bottom" and gas management planning.
At the end of the class, Joe had 1-on-1's with the three of us. This was very interesting for me because it started with Joe "admitting" my "DIR Agnosticism" had been known to him prior to the class. (I just can't imagine how he would have had any prior knowledge -- I'm sure my wife wouldn't have said anything to him, no, obviously she wouldn't have.) He did "suggest" that I ditch my beloved Cobra/console and also that a BP/W would be necessary if/when I do play with doubles. And his points as to why were all valid (but no, not sufficient). He was kind enough to give me a wonderful compliment and I shall treasure it.
So, for anyone out there who has wondered about DIR and would like to "taste" the Dark Side, PLEASE, do yourself a big favor and take the Class. If it doesn't permit you to be a better and safer diver, I'd be amazed.
