DIR- Generic Any GUE instructor teaching Fundamentals in sidemount?

[LFMarm]

Hi all,

I am planning on doing Fundamentals at some point and the biggest drawback for me is the requirement of doing it on a twinset. I don't want to start the hundtreth thread on backmount vs sidemount; both are great, everyone has personal preferences, some environments require one or the other but majority allow for both. I have used a twinset before for AN/DP but do 98% of my diving in sidemount. If backmount is the only option for Fundamentals, I will bite the bullet, but I am wondering if there are any instructors that also teach it in sidemount. I am asking because I know that GUE has a sidemount cave class so they have developed procedures for sidemount.

Many thanks.

 

[kierentec]

All GUE training is in backmount, aside from the sidemount cave course, which comes after Cave 2 and a significant amount of cave diving experience.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm a big Fundies advocate, but if you're going to do essentially all your diving in sidemount, and your main goal in taking Fundies isn't to learn the GUE system but rather to improve skills, couldn't you find a non-GUE instructor to work on skills in sidemount?

 

[ginti]

couldn't you find a non-GUE instructor to work on skills in sidemount?

Or a GUE one who doesn't teach only for GUE - and do the equivalent course with another agency

 

[AeroSpartacus]

I haven't taken any GUE classes so I'll defer to others that may have better info but would GUE instructors be willing to teach the same skills in sidemount without it being a formal certification course?

If you're all-in on sidemount (so to speak), it might be worth looking at other organizations though (for certification, at least). If you were to go on to Cave or Tech with GUE I think doubles is also a requirement. Having an instructor that does what you want to do is beneficial, and there are plenty out there who dive primarily sidemount (at least thinking around cave country near where I live).

 

[LFMarm]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Some clarifications:

• I don't care about one more C-card
• Motivation for doing Fundamentals:
  • Improve my skills and test them against a proven benchmark
  • Learn a new way of solving problems and learning from it
  • Be able to team up with GUE divers when needed (this is marginally less important because I do all my technical diving in CC and don't dive a JJ but would like to speak the same language of GUE teams)

 

[Underwater Tourist]

Assuming you just want to work on your skills, I will echo what others are saying that finding a non GUE instructor who only dives SM could be a better option. Not because GUE is in any way bad, but because if I want to improve my SM skills to a high level (top 1%), I would want to dive with a guy who dives 99% of time in SM instead of BM.

I am doing advanced SM at Protec in a couple of months, but they also have a ton of other workshops from all around improving ones SM skills, to doing something more task loading like survey etc. Maybe that can be a better route for you? (and of course Mexico is cheaper, warmer, better and tastier than anything in the US)

 

[johnkendall]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Some clarifications:

• I don't care about one more C-card
• Motivation for doing Fundamentals:
  • Improve my skills and test them against a proven benchmark
  • Learn a new way of solving problems and learning from it
  • Be able to team up with GUE divers when needed (this is marginally less important because I do all my technical diving in CC and don't dive a JJ but would like to speak the same language of GUE teams)

If you want to achieve the above, then just take Fundamentals in a single tank. This should be simple enough to achieve. If you're not interested in taking further GUE classes, then there's no need for a Tech Pass, and so no need to take the class in doubles.

Thanks
John

 

[grantmac]

If you want to team up with GUE divers you'll have to be in backmount anyway.
That's literally the only reason I'm interested in Fundamentals since I also dive sidemount most of the time.
Based on your equipment preferences I question whether it'll be worth your time.

 

[flymolo]

If you want to team up with GUE divers you'll have to be in backmount anyway.

that's not true