Fundies Kit Check

[DIVE BUDDHA]

Originally Posted by Rob Dobson

Ah the kit list of shame game... Well the following kit I realised wasn't what I wanted:

Faber twin 10's, MDE manifold and CD bands
CD TDB twin bladder wing with bungee
Faber twin 12's
3L Pony (why??)
Poseidon Regs
3 Computers (inc a £600 Scuba pro wireless nitrox thing and a Cobra)
A Scubapro Drysuit - Neoprene (*utter* crap)
Force Fins
3 different lots of split fins
3 different single wings
Ankle weights
Suunto Navy 90 Light
Fami LED 50W
Lenser Frogman
Buddy dSMBCi
Northern Diver dSMB
Gators
CD Lift Bar
O'three Ri200 (actually a very good suit but I prefer trilam)
V4Tec Spring Straps
Delayed Aid dSMB
About 20 fecking dive knives

I'm gonna have to stop there as I'm depressing myself...

now that is some amount of kit rob to realise that you was definatly doing it wrong !

o well we all make mistakes i suppose but some more than others !

[yazzyfooty]

Well thats fundies out the window for me then I am trying desperately not to become a dive kit whore but have already changed most of my set up in last 2 years so no way can I afford or want to do it again.

[Al_Star]

Originally Posted by yazzyfooty

Well thats fundies out the window for me then I am trying desperately not to become a dive kit whore but have already changed most of my set up in last 2 years so no way can I afford or want to do it again.

The requirement for fundies is actually pretty straightforward. As per the GUE website you need the following:


gue.com/Training/Recreational/index.html

1. Tanks/Cylinders: Students may use dual tanks/cylinders connected with a dual outlet isolator manifold, which allows for the use of two first-stages. Students may also use a single tank/cylinder with a K, H, or Y-valve.
2. Regulators: One of the second-stages must be on a 5- to 7-foot/1.5- to 2-meter hose. One of the first-stages must supply a pressure gauge and provide inflation for a dry suit (where applicable).
3. Backplate System: A rigid and flat platform, of metal construction with minimal padding, held to a diver by one continuous piece of nylon webbing. This webbing should be adjustable through the plate and should use a buckle to secure the system at the waist. A crotch strap attached to the lower end of this platform and looped through the waistband would prevent the system from riding up a diver's back. A knife should be secured to the waist on the left webbing tab. This webbing should support five D-rings; the first should be placed at the left hip, the second should be placed in line with a diver's right collarbone, the third should be placed in line with the diver's left collarbone, the fourth and fifth should be affixed to the crotch strap to use while scootering or towing/stowing gear. The harness below the diver's arms should have small restrictive bands to allow for the placement of reserve light powered by three in-line c-cell batteries (where necessary). The system should retain a minimalist approach with no unnecessary components.
4. Buoyancy Compensation Device: A diver's buoyancy compensation device should be back-mounted and minimalist in nature. It should come free of extraneous strings, tabs, or other material. There should be no restrictive bands or "bungee" of any sort affixed to the buoyancy cell. In addition, diver lift should not exceed 50lbs for a single tank and 80lbs for double tanks. Wing size and shape should be appropriate to the cylinder size(s) employed for training.
5. At least one depth-measuring device
6. At least one timekeeping device
7. Mask and fins: Mask should be low volume; fins should be rigid, non-split
8. At least one cutting device
9. Wet Notes
10. One spool with 100 feet/30 meters of line per diver
11. Exposure suit appropriate for the duration of exposure

There a few items which are not common choices when people are first buying gear. I had a scubapro BCD when I learnt to dive and had to buy a backplate, harness and wing. I also needed to buy the different hose lengths for my regs. That was actually all I changed before fundies as the rest of my kit was acceptable. However as I got more into it I ended up changing kit but you don't need to go to town for the entry level course.

If you are worried about kit then do it first and see what you think.

Cheers
Al

[Bardo]

Originally Posted by Al_Star

There a few items which are not common choices when people are first buying gear. I had a scubapro BCD when I learnt to dive and had to buy a backplate, harness and wing. I also needed to buy the different hose lengths for my regs. That was actually all I changed before fundies as the rest of my kit was acceptable. However as I got more into it I ended up changing kit but you don't need to go to town for the entry level course.

If you are worried about kit then do it first and see what you think.

Cheers
Al

I'm sure one of the many Fundamentalist instructors will be along shortly to give you the official line but suffice to say that - following one from what Al has already said - you don't need to be 100% DIR compliant to do the Fundies course. It really depends on want you want to get out of the course - if you're looking for a 'Tec' pass (ie. you want to go on to do Cave or Tech course) then you should aim to be as close as possible to the GUE requirements. If you're just looking for skills refinement then the requirements tend to be a little bit more forgiving - the key requirement is that whatever you use is *safe* and that you go along with an open mind...

Obviously your kit needs to be reasonably close to the requirements that Al has listed - there's no point turning up with a set of independant twinverts, for example, but stuff like what exposure suit you use isn't too important at this stage providing it fits properly and doesn't restrict movement. If in doubt, speak to your instructor...

[Hellenic Diver]

Yes, we are all individuals....

[purple vonny]

Why do you need a wing/back plate for a single tank? Am I being particularly thick?

[Mal Bridgeman]

Originally Posted by Hellenic Diver

Yes, we are all individuals....

No we're not

Originally Posted by purple vonny

Why do you need a wing/back plate for a single tank? Am I being particularly thick?

It's the chosen cornerstone of the rig. The plate and harness are the same whether you dive a single rig or x'000m down some dark hole in Florida.

HTH
Mal

[divingniknaks]

Vonny,

The wing and plate are a core part of the kit config, so that is set as a minimum.

Part of the course involves showing how to set up a plate and harness etc etc


HTH

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

I can empathise ... only my Salvo torch is over 2 years old ..... pretty much everything else I currently dive in is under a year old

Good luck with the course.
Mal

Me to and guess who is to blame

Of all the kit I will be wearing on Sunday (hopefully) only the artics are over 12 months old

[the goat]

Originally Posted by Rob Dobson

Ah the kit list of shame game... Well the following kit I realised wasn't what I wanted:

Faber twin 10's, MDE manifold and CD bands
CD TDB twin bladder wing with bungee
Faber twin 12's
3L Pony (why??)
Poseidon Regs
3 Computers (inc a £600 Scuba pro wireless nitrox thing and a Cobra)
A Scubapro Drysuit - Neoprene (*utter* crap)
Force Fins
3 different lots of split fins
3 different single wings
Ankle weights
Suunto Navy 90 Light
Fami LED 50W
Lenser Frogman
Buddy dSMBCi
Northern Diver dSMB
Gators
CD Lift Bar
O'three Ri200 (actually a very good suit but I prefer trilam)
V4Tec Spring Straps
Delayed Aid dSMB
About 20 fecking dive knives

I'm gonna have to stop there as I'm depressing myself...

It s a good job this diving lark is so cheap then eh??