Three weeks to Fundies!

[Jayde323]

I am taking GUE Fundies in August with my husband up in High Springs, FL. I've been switching all my gear over to a DIR set-up. I love the BP/W, but I am still getting used to it.

Wearing a weight belt is a pain, but I am dropping more and more weight. In my jacket BC, I was wearing 10-14 lbs of weight depending on where I was diving, now I am down to almost nothing. In fresh water I wear no weight belt if I am wearing my 1 mil wetsuit, 4 lbs if I'm in my 5. I am getting used to not being over-weighted, its like learning how to dive all over again!

I now have a pair of jet fins. Where were they all my life?!?

I could do without the 7 foot hose. Hubby thinks I could go down to the 5 foot. We'll see. I have a feeling after the class I will go back to the short hose...or I could be reformed, who knows. I don't like wearing the octo around my neck. I keep forgetting to take it off when removing my gear and hubby gets a good laugh. You would think I would learn by now!

We are losing the Wisdom computers in favor of a simple SPG (just for the class though). I love diving with a computer. We just got the gauges on friday and still need the hoses. I am thinking it will be an easy switch...I hope.

It's been an experience so far. Today I was helping an OW class and was working with a student that was having some "holy crap...I'm not supposed to be breathing underwater" issues, and was demonstrating the BC off and on. I told her that I was getting used to new gear and to try not to laugh too hard at my fumbling. Wouldn't you know it, I forgot to take the darn octo off my neck. I am thinking it was a happy accident since the student was able to watch me untangle myself and I was not panicked in the least. I had air so I was happy. I think it made her a bit more comfy. After Fundies I will go back to wearing a rec set-up when working with students.

So ultimately my question to you is: For my fellow women divers that have gone through the trials of Fundies, how was your experience with the class? Any tips? Did you pass?

I am not the most coordinated person in the world, so I am thinking it will be a very interesting 4 days...

 

[pickens_46929]

Just wait until you see yourself on video... it's eye opening!

 

[TSandM]

I did not pass, but I had 60 dives at the time, and I have been and still am a slow study when it comes to diving.

Do you dive with a canister light? If not, I'd highly recommend either putting a pocket where a canister would be, or a knife, or buying one of Tobin's spacers. Once you have something there to control the 7' hose, it's MUCH nicer to deal with, and I suspect you'd no longer have an issue with it.

We all forget occasionally to take the necklace off before taking the gear off. I've been diving this setup for four years and about 700 dives now, and I still do it from time to time, and laugh at myself. But that bungied backup has saved my butt on a number of occasions, where I have fallen on entry on shore dives, and I wouldn't give it up for anything, even if I do snap myself in the face with the elastic once in a while!

Anyway, the important thing about Fundies is to go in with an attitude that you are there to learn as much as possible, and not to be discouraged if you don't meet standards on everything the first time through. Fundies is, as a friend said, about "simple things done with precision", and at least none of MY prior training had required any precision to speak of.

If you get a chance to do some diving in preparation, I'd highly recommend just doing really simple stuff. Hover, for as long as you can, without moving anything. Try flooding and clearing your mask while hovering three feet off the bottom, without changing depth or losing position. Same thing with switching regulators, or removing and replacing the mask. Polishing basic buoyancy skills while task-loaded is the best pre-Fundies work.

Have fun with it -- it's a GREAT class, and you won't even know the full value of it for at least six months after you take it, because your skills will be improving with practice all that time, and your "normal" diving will just get more and more fun.

 

[Jayde323]

Just wait until you see yourself on video... it's eye opening!

It is! Hubby and I have been doing some video in the pool and in the springs. First time I saw myself diving I couldn't believe my eyes. I was horrible! Trim was way off and I used my hands way too much to navigate through the water. It's getting better, but I know I still have a long way to go.

 

[Sloth]

Good luck and try to have fun with it! Go into knowing you are going to look like a cluster. Dont hold yourself up to any lofty standards as it is a class for you to learn from. Do pay attention to how efficient the instructor is in the water as the ultimate end goal is for you to be like that.

No matter what you and your husband will come out of it as much better, safer dive buddies.

 

[pickens_46929]

Practice clipping and unclipping both snaps

 

[ligersandtions]

I'm taking Essentials the end of August and I couldn't be more excited about it! I'm sure the nerves will kick in a week or so before the class, but for now, I'm just focusing on working on buoyancy and communication with my buddies.

I hope you have a great experience in your Fundies class! Have fun and write a quick report after it's all over with to let us know how it goes!

 

[ScubaSam]

Have a great fundies class and please keep us posted!

 

[leabre]

I am taking GUE Fundies in August with my husband up in High Springs, FL. I've been switching all my gear over to a DIR set-up. I love the BP/W, but I am still getting used to it.

[snip]

I now have a pair of jet fins. Where were they all my life?!?

I could do without the 7 foot hose. Hubby thinks I could go down to the 5 foot. We'll see. I have a feeling after the class I will go back to the short hose...or I could be reformed, who knows. I don't like wearing the octo around my neck. I keep forgetting to take it off when removing my gear and hubby gets a good laugh. You would think I would learn by now!

[snip]

It's been an experience so far. Today I was helping an OW class and was working with a student that was having some "holy crap...I'm not supposed to be breathing underwater" issues, and was demonstrating the BC off and on. I told her that I was getting used to new gear and to try not to laugh too hard at my fumbling. Wouldn't you know it, I forgot to take the darn octo off my neck. I am thinking it was a happy accident since the student was able to watch me untangle myself and I was not panicked in the least. I had air so I was happy. I think it made her a bit more comfy. After Fundies I will go back to wearing a rec set-up when working with students.

So ultimately my question to you is: For my fellow women divers that have gone through the trials of Fundies, how was your experience with the class? Any tips? Did you pass?

I am not the most coordinated person in the world, so I am thinking it will be a very interesting 4 days...

I'm no woman but something caught my eye. You might be right about the 7' hose. If you are not using a canister light, then a 5' hose should be more appropriate. I used a 7' for a while before picking up a can and while I got used to it, felt ackward. In the end, dive how you are comfortable. I have done OOA assists/rescues and by far I prefer it with the long hose. Where I might have returned to a rec configuration, after doing a few OOA's on a long hose, that sealed the deal for me.

Jetfins Rock!

I'm a DMIT also, and attempting to demo the DnR with all these hoses clipped off everywhere, backup bungied around my neck, and so on, makes for interesting comedy. I don't use my can light because it slips off the strap when unclipped. I have since practiced doing the DnR with the long hose (I practice and demo according to how I dive -- I don't want to second-nature two configurations and mess up when I must go into react mode). While I no longer forget to remove the backup reg from my neck, I usually forget to unbungie it when donning the tank (I wrap it around the tank valve so it's not on the ground), then it gets tangled, and my buddy must fetch it for me (ha ha ha).

I demo a lot in this summers LA County advanced diver program, and I was very nervous about whether I'd do well or not. I cannot handle BCD's so I'll never go back. My trim is very good right now and a BCD would mess it up for me. So I decided to deal with it. I can now do the excercises with all my hoses and everything clipped off. Just takes a few practice runs.

Some peopel ask about the gear configuration because it is so foreign to their own. I like being streamlined and ready for distress. The BP/W has been the single most contributor to my enjoyment of diving. The hyperstretch wetsuit next, getting rid of the hose-integrated consoles and moving to wristmount and SPG next. The long hose has only really helped me from the perspective of performing OOA's more efficiently than when I was on BCD with Air Source (did an assist that way and lost my bouyancy and nearly blew an ear drum -- it was months before I dove again). With a long hose, I find I don't actually have to anchor to the victim, and can control myself and the victim better that way.

The can light has had an impact, but nothing in the form of safety other than it will be hard at night for my buddies to lose me.

Anyway, I am in your situation right now (I'm not female, sorry). I will be attending a UTD class next month so I'll have better insights. Doing DnR with this long hose and bungied backup is awkward but that is because we have not practiced it and become second nature with it. I've chosen to train and practice the way I actually dive, for me this is the configuration (I'm not 100% DIR compliant).

It is also partly because I will have to deal with it in UTD essentials (I'll probably also do a GUE-Fundies just to sample both). But I also plan to take it further than just Essentials/Fundies. It will be an interesting week for me, too. Especially doing rescue in this configuration. I see the way these people dive (post GUE-F/UTD-E) and that's how I want to be. I want to be precise, and in full control. I dive with people like this so I have had some interim mentoring. From a skills perspective, it has been the best thing for me and my enjoyment (not including gear adjustments). But I have been making slight tweaks over the past 12 weeks and have come to feel that the DIR configuration (or something very close to it) is optimal considering the skills we'll be performing and ever after attempting to master.

I tried this in full rec (BCD, split, console), just can't do it. I was amazed at how much my trim improved by ditching my console for a wristmount. The simple act of having a inflator in the left and guage in the right, and not hose crossing over my long hose and my canister light remote wire almost immediately contributed to me being able to hold depth while task loaded, couldn't do it before that when juggling the console. Could never figure out why.

In the end, along with that should practice muscle-memory for clipping and unclipping. That helps. If you can have good reflexive memory movements, you'll hold depth. If you must struggle to clip or unclip or keep missing the D-Ring, then you'll start to lose your depth very easily. I couldn't do that on single tank with my SPG because of 24" hose was way too short. So I just put on a 26" for single rig (keep 24" for the doubles) and now there is no problem. The key for me was to become comfy with one skill or muscle movement at a time. At first I was hating it (and self-conscious around those more practiced than I am). But now, I hardly think about it and do fine (according to my own perspeption -- I'm sure the tec instructor will correct me plenty).

Rec divers (my regulars and ones I've never met before) are very comfortable around me and admire my abilities and want to be like it. In the same way, I want to be like the tech divers who have got better than I. They are so inspirational.

Sorry for the long write.

 

[kathydee]

Good luck with the class and have a great time! I recently switched to the DIR gear myself - after a handful of dives the gear will seem second nature and you'll wonder why you ever had all those hoses/clutter hanging off of you. Just keep diving it ;-). I do have to admit I left the bungee on my neck once or twice and had a bit of a suprise when I took off my rig ;-). A jacket bc? I can't even comprehend using one now .

I am on an extended dive trip and diving clear water with no overhead environment so find the 5' hose very manageable - I really like it. When I get home I add the light can which is necessary for our local diving & will go to 7'.

I love all my gear and look forward to UTD classes to prep for GUE once my drysuit skills match my wetsuit skills - which might take a little while. Now just trying to learn basic skills - the video sessions really help and there are so many great tips on the DIR forum!

Over and over I hear people on the DIR forum say it isn't pass or fail that matters - the value is in learning the skills - to me this is encouaging.

I'd love to hear how your class goes & connect with more DIR gals.

Good luck!