Beginners doing GUE fundamentals?

[John C. Ratliff]

If your reason for diving is marine and aquatic life observation, do that instead of spending a lot of time and energy on the GUE course. There is a lot to see without entering caves and shipwrecks concerning marine or aquatic life, so go for that. My understanding of GUE is that they are grooming divers for technical diving, deep diving, wreck diving and cave diving. But rather than all that, simply go diving.

SeaRat

 

[johnkendall]

My understanding of GUE is that they are grooming divers for technical diving, deep diving, wreck diving and cave diving. But rather than all that, simply go diving.

Your understanding is wrong. GUE are not just "grooming divers for technical etc".
In terms of the OP, now that we've changed our recreational class structure, I would advise you take the new Performance diver class as a first step. This is a class designed exactly for divers like you who are not ready or wanting to progress to technical/cave diving, but simply want to improve their basic skills, particularly stability, buoyancy and propulsion.

Historically we only had the Fundamentals class for any existing divers wanting to train with GUE, so it was a steep learning curve for some. That said I think the lowest experience diver I had join the class had 7 dives prior to starting the class with me, and she walked away with a Rec Pass quite happily.

Happy to answer any specific questions you have by DM as well.

Thanks
John

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

GUE are not just "grooming divers for technical etc".

That's always been my understanding. I took the old fundies which was a recreational skills course. One needs proper recreational skills before acquiring technical skills. Most of the industry is content with poor recreational skills. GUE is one exception.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Your understanding is wrong. GUE are not just "grooming divers for technical etc".
In terms of the OP, now that we've changed our recreational class structure, I would advise you take the new Performance diver class as a first step. This is a class designed exactly for divers like you who are not ready or wanting to progress to technical/cave diving, but simply want to improve their basic skills, particularly stability, buoyancy and propulsion.

Historically we only had the Fundamentals class for any existing divers wanting to train with GUE, so it was a steep learning curve for some. That said I think the lowest experience diver I had join the class had 7 dives prior to starting the class with me, and she walked away with a Rec Pass quite happily.

Happy to answer any specific questions you have by DM as well.

Thanks
John

Actually, you are selling a dive course to people who probably don’t need it. They are already certified, and want to go diving and observe underwater life.

SeaRat

 

[grantmac]

Actually, you are selling a dive course to people who probably don’t need it. They are already certified, and want to go diving and observe underwater life.

SeaRat

Based on the number of divers kicking the hell out of the sea life, they absolutely need it.

 

[DCN]

Big thanks to @steinbil and his friend for demonstrating the basic 5 for us today
Very cool to see!

 

[kierentec]

Actually, you are selling a dive course to people who probably don’t need it. They are already certified, and want to go diving and observe underwater life.

SeaRat

You'd be surprised how many people recognize that they get to see and enjoy far MORE underwater when they are more stable, comfortable, relaxed, and diving with a functioning team. GUE does far more than cave and wreck diving, and in fact the vast majority of my fundamentals students over the past 2 years have been new divers in single tanks and their feedback after the class is ovewhelmingly positive and they enjoy their dives much more afterwards. Do you NEED it if you're already certified? No, of course not, but most people that take it find it's the best money they've invested in their diving.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

You'd be surprised how many people recognize that they get to see and enjoy far MORE underwater when they are more stable, comfortable, relaxed, and diving with a functioning team. GUE does far more than cave and wreck diving, and in fact the vast majority of my fundamentals students over the past 2 years have been new divers in single tanks and their feedback after the class is ovewhelmingly positive and they enjoy their dives much more afterwards. Do you NEED it if you're already certified? No, of course not, but most people that take it find it's the best money they've invested in their diving.

I like what you say here, and understand that a bunch of poorly trained divers are “kicking the hell out of the coral,” but your website is more geared to cave and technical diving.

SeaRat

 

[kierentec]

I like what you say here, and understand that a bunch of poorly trained divers are “kicking the hell out of the coral,” but your website is more geared to cave and technical diving.

SeaRat

Yup, cave and technical diving is what I’m very passionate about myself, and I do teach a lot of it. However, as I mentioned, many of my fundamentals students are very new divers who come realized they might be able to enjoy their diving more if they are more comfortable in the water. Many testimonials on scubaboard and other forums (redit, facebook, etc.) confirm that recreational diver gain a lot from the training and enjoy their single tank reef dives a lot more after the course. It has a lot more to do with being more confident and aware in the water than no longer “kicking the crap out of the coral”. Just because the skills end up applying to cave and technical diving doesn’t mean they are not beneficial across all spectrums of diving, which is kind of the whole point of the GUE training philosophy.

 

[DCN]

It has a lot more to do with being more confident and aware in the water

This is our main motivation. All the calculations do scare us a bit, is everything done on paper, with a final exam? No e-learning?