GUE Fundamental course

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Hey I dive OC SM
plus I SM my CCR bailout
plus I have a SM CCR

But its THE hot new thang and everyone is doing it - with pretty questionable success. Especially when placed side by side with a mature program like GUE-F

Agreed. SM isn't so straight forward and there are too many self certified instructors who contribute to the circus resulting in a lot of bad SM divers. There's only one person in our area I'd recommend for SM training, and that is only for the Xdeep.

 

[MykaDives]

@Lt CHEG You remind me so much of myself before I took Fundies. All the things you said in your posts on page 12 are pretty much exactly how I was thinking, right down to sidemount, and wanting the cinch system. I have a cinch system I used once in the pool and now collects dust, do you want it? Once you learn a simple trick for getting in and out of the harness, you don't "need" the slides. I was fairly irked about Guy poo-pooing the line cutter I had mounted on my crotch strap. I'm over it. I "get" GUE. It makes sense to me. I'm a lifer. Other agencies make sense too, and I'm sure I could buy into a few of them too, but GUE found me first, and it sure is a heck of a lot better than any PADI training I ever received. I like being able to hop into the water with a GUE diver that is a stranger to me, and knowing exactly what his configuration is, his dive style, and what actions he's going to take when the poop hits the fan. THAT is pretty cool.

 

[Ayisha]

...I’m saving for a Halcyon Infinity BP/W setup as we speak. I know it’s not exactly perfectly Hogarthian because of the Cinch system but that is a feature that I most definitely want and what is largely leading me to Halcyon as opposed to others. I also don’t believe that I’d be willing to compromise on that particular system either....
...The likelihood that I wouldn’t be able to use the cinch system when taking Fundies has also been a turnoff...

The Halcyon Infinity including the Cinch is allowed for Fundies, and I used mine for Fundies.

Having said that, while the Infinity meets the requirements, we get back to the concept of bringing more than you need.

If you take Fundies, the GUE instructor may give you compelling reasons to remove some of the extra components. I let him remove everything from my Infinity except the back pad and the Cinch. I was using weight pockets on the cam bands since the weight pockets in the Infinity weren't in the right place for me, so I let him take them off. He showed me that every time I tightened or loosened the Cinch, the bp/w might raise or lower differently, and I don't have a long torso. So I accepted his offer to disable my cinch with tri-glides. I removed the cinch a year later, so it became stripped down to a Halcyon Eclipse with a back pad.

I never thought I would part with the "extra" components of the Infinity, but like many divers, they sit stored away and I don't need them one bit.

 

[Griffo]

The cinch is a great solution for rental BP/W setups.

 

[seeker242]

use the harness sliders from Subgravity. I’m using them now. They take the place of the triglides many people use to lock their straps in place. $26 for 2. Heck of a lot cheaper than paying the H tax, although SubGravity Backplate Harness Slider - SubgravityI

Seems like a ripoff for a couple plastic slides. You can get 2 stainless slides for half that price, and that's for the expensive ones. Cheaper ones are $1-$2 each.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Seems like a ripoff for a couple plastic slides. You can get 2 stainless slides for half that price, and that's for the expensive ones. Cheaper ones are $1-$2 each.

Exactly what I have. Been on my BP/W for years, no issues.

 

[Lt CHEG]

The Halcyon Infinity including the Cinch is allowed for Fundies, and I used mine for Fundies.

Having said that, while the Infinity meets the requirements, we get back to the concept of bringing more than you need.

If you take Fundies, the GUE instructor may give you compelling reasons to remove some of the extra components. I let him remove everything from my Infinity except the back pad and the Cinch. I was using weight pockets on the cam bands since the weight pockets in the Infinity weren't in the right place for me, so I let him take them off. He showed me that every time I tightened or loosened the Cinch, the bp/w might raise or lower differently, and I don't have a long torso. So I accepted his offer to disable my cinch with tri-glides. I removed the cinch a year later, so it became stripped down to a Halcyon Eclipse with a back pad.

I never thought I would part with the "extra" components of the Infinity, but like many divers, they sit stored away and I don't need them one bit.

I thought that part of the advantage to using Halcyon webbing is the markings that indicate location relative to tri glides, etc. I would imagine it would be pretty simple to gauge the location of the webbing when you want to tighten the system back up? I’m not talking about necessarily tightening the system while it is on me. I’m thinking it would be more useful to be able to loosen things quickly while wearing but then put the webbing back to its appropriate place before donning your equipment. For example on my sniper rifle I have a DOPE card which indicates how many clicks of adjustment with the scope for what distance, wind value, etc. My thought was to notate what marks on the webbing for 7mm wetsuit, neoprene drysuit, laminate drysuit, etc. and then easily position the webbing to those locations prior to donning the equipment depending on what I’m wearing. I wasn’t per se planning on using the system like my jacket BC where I put it on, lean forward and then pull on the straps to make it tight as I can. I can see situations where I would want to loosen completely in the water but I wouldn’t foresee adjusting the webbing while wearing.

 

[Lt CHEG]

Exactly what I have. Been on my BP/W for years, no issues.

Good to hear. Thanks!

 

[MykaDives]

My thought was to notate what marks on the webbing for 7mm wetsuit, neoprene drysuit, laminate drysuit, etc. and then easily position the webbing to those locations prior to donning the equipment depending on what I’m wearing.

I have two BP with harnesses. An aluminum BP for wetsuit diving, and a steel BP for drysuit diving. I have an old neoprene drysuit, and the harness fits both (should be close if the neoprene fits well). The harnesses are adjusted accordingly. I used to use one BP, but found when I was wetsuit diving the harness ends are just way too long.

 

[Heat Miser]

What exactly is the course like? How is the best way to choose and instructor/location? Any help is appreciated and I'm looking to take it next summer.
Thanks for the help.

Recently I enrolled in a GUE course in Sydney, and didn't do very well. It was the first time I had worn a back plate. I had poor buoyancy and struggled to maintain it, in trim (horizontal), in the shallow depth and under task loading. Since the course my RMV rate (they call it SCR) has dropped from 24 to 18 (after only 7 more dives), my hands don't flail about as much, and I think maybe I learned alot more than I thought, when I disappointingly, received a provisional.

I went out and immediately bought a back plate/wing/reg set/jet fins and I'm now in the pool alot trying to get better buoyancy. I would also recommend looking at the GUE.TV website its free for the first 3 days, they have good tips on buoyancy and drills that will help you improve, before attending.

I live in Perth 2,500 miles away so its not easy for me to go back and get re-tested for a rec pass, but I'm certainly considering it.