Beginners doing GUE fundamentals?

[DCN]

We are beginner divers, certified OW in August last year, and we did our drysuit course in October. We've been diving almost every weekend since, all of it in cold water, with a bpw & long hose config, and we are fairly comfortable with handling the gear and conditions. We've learned a lot from diving as much as possible in a short time, also from picking the brains of very helpful and knowledgeable forum members, but we feel it is time to learn more!

We want to become safer, better divers, and a GUE fundamentals course seems to be a natural progression from where we are at right now. We are already in touch with a local GUE instructor, and we've done a couple of dives together.

We'd like to know:
Has anyone done GUE fundamentals as a beginner? If so, what is your experience? Any regrets, if so, why?
Or have you been diving for a long time, then signed up for fundamentals and regret that you didn't do it earlier on?

 

[gregbenson314]

GUE has recently revamped their fundamentals programme, splitting it into performance diver, basic fundamentals, and technical fundamentals.


From what it sounds like, their performance diver course was designed for already qualified beginners looking to transfer over to GUE, so I'd have a look at that programme.

 

[Tigerpaw]

I would advise to to take the course while you're still a beginner. Divers that wait to take the course unknowingly develop bad habits that take some time to correct. By taking the class early you will have a good solid base to continue your diving aspirations.
When I took the course I unknowingly had what's called happy feet. This meant I was moving my feet constantly to help balance myself. When I took Fundies, my instructor pointed it out and I worked on reducing it. Taking the Fundies class has helped me delve further into technical diving. While I'm glad I took GUE Fundies, I wish I'd taken it sooner.
Slightly off topic, another class I would suggest taking early on is Rescue Diver. GUE Fundies and Rescue Diver are good foundations to start. Good luck and have fun.

 

[chrisch]

A lot of people when they first start are absorbed into diving as the novelty of being underwater is so alien to us, a land animal. In time this wears off. It takes very little time to master the basics and a lifetime to really learn all there is to know. GUE try to achieve a high standard of skill from early on, not a bad thing. Millions of "holiday" divers never get that far and have a great time with our wonderful passtime.
There is nothing wrong with doing fundies early and you will learn a lot a gain skills. If you want to go do it, then don't worry it is too soon. You are still in the 'novelty' phase and I am sure will enjoy the course. I agree with Tigerpaw - the rescue course is another to consider at this point in time. Maybe that first is a better path? Hard to say. A lot depends on your available time and budget.
Whatever you choose please do keep diving for fun. There is a trap waiting that taking training becomes the entertainment. After a while the available training begins to run out and a lot of people start to look at becoming an instructor. At that point you are a scuba training enthusiast, not a diver.
Yeah, sure, do fundies. Nothing wrong with that. Do it whenever you have time and money to do it. Now. Later. Never. Please though, do not let skill training become your motivation for diving. It creeps up on you. Helicopter turns or check out that amazing fish? Well I need to practice my finning...

 

[DCN]

Whatever you choose please do keep diving for fun. There is a trap waiting that taking training becomes the entertainment. After a while the available training begins to run out and a lot of people start to look at becoming an instructor. At that point you are a scuba training enthusiast, not a diver.
Yeah, sure, do fundies. Nothing wrong with that. Do it whenever you have time and money to do it. Now. Later. Never. Please though, do not let skill training become your motivation for diving. It creeps up on you. Helicopter turns or check out that amazing fish? Well I need to practice my finning...

Very good point! Our motivation for diving is to get see all the cool marine life, not the training itself. We have zero ambitions of becoming advanced tech divers, cave divers or instructors, but feel that some good basic training is beneficial to our diving.

 

[NothingClever]

After a while the available training begins to run out and a lot of people start to look at becoming an instructor.

GUE is a non-profit organization whose business model doesn’t revolve around certifying instructors. Their education (training) component is a means to other ends, those of exploration and conservation.

From GUE’s base page:

GUE educational programs enable divers to comfortably explore a wide range of possibilities, but the value of GUE training becomes even more pronounced when joining any of our far-reaching GUE communities or GUE projects.

Check out their Project Portal at Project Portal | GUE for ideas on where to focus new skills and competencies.

 

[steinbil]

Has anyone done GUE fundamentals as a beginner? If so, what is your experience?

Yes! I had 21 dives when I took Fundies, and I had a great time. I'm very glad I got great training to refine skills early, so I didn't have to unlearn too many bad habits. Also, the more GUE courses I take, the more I appreciate the wholistic approach and that I keep working on and improving the same things I learned in Fundies.

Any regrets, if so, why?

Nope. Only thing I sometimes wonder about is how it would have been to start with GUE rec1 instead of a PADI OW, as the rec1 class seems like a great class with great value.

Whatever you choose please do keep diving for fun. There is a trap waiting that taking training becomes the entertainment. After a while the available training begins to run out and a lot of people start to look at becoming an instructor. At that point you are a scuba training enthusiast, not a diver.

I agree that it's important to keep doing fun dives and building varied experience rather than just doing training dives, but I still think there is great value in combining them. I enjoy both improving and training, as well as pure experience dives, and it also gives me more options. If you don't always have access to great dive spots, it can still be super fun to do training dives. I also think that long term there's more chance of sticking with diving as a hobby if there's also some self improvement and challenging yourself as part of it. Just doing fun dives might get boring long term, or maybe you just get more and more picky about where you want to dive.

On the subject of pursuing teacher training, I blame the mainstream agencies. Because they want to sell more classes, they push people into DM and instructor training who might just be looking for self improvement and a challenge and not be interested in the professional side. GUE doesn't seem to have that problem, as they have a lot of advanced technical classes to offer, and the road to becoming an instructor is harder and tailored to those who really want to teach.

 

[chrisch]

GUE is a non-profit organization whose business model doesn’t revolve around certifying instructors. Their education (training) component is a means to other ends, those of exploration and conservation.

Yes, this is also true of the British Sub Aqua Club. However that is the viewpoint of the organisation not the people that enrol on the instructor training courses.

Some people enjoy training and move to instruction to continue that part of diving as their main activity. As long as they are happy this is totally fine. I have noticed though that after a time some instructors get bored or disheartened (especially the voluntary instructors that are unpaid). Again in my experience these people often drop out of diving altogether.

 

[Wibble]

The best part of doing Fundamentals is being shown what "good" looks like. Whilst it's perfectly possible to aim to be mediocre, improving your basic skills makes diving so much easier and comfortable. Doing this earlier in your diving career means you've fewer bad habits to undo.

GUE Fundamentals is a great course regardless of whether you intend to do technical diving or follow the GUE path.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

Go for it. I’ve taken a fundamentals-like course early into my diving at around 35 dives. Worst decision ever: made me addicted to diving. Nothing like being completely weightless… Later I took actual Fundamentals, still learned a lot.

Solid foundations early on will make you a much better diver.