Beginners doing GUE fundamentals?

[Tigerpaw]

Good to hear.

When I was in the GUE-F class, they started talking about the "class handout" and all these formulas that I never saw before.

The GUE instructor said it was my responsibility to figure out how to get these handouts BEFORE the class started, and to master the material BEFORE the class, even though I didn't even know the handouts even existed. The instructor never mentioned these handouts during our phone calls before the class.

The GUE instructor was so angry that I didn't have the handouts that he refused to give me the handouts in class. Then he repeatedly asked me questions about the handouts, even though he knew I had no idea what was in the handouts. Then he ridiculed me in class for not knowing the answers.

Yeah. It was a fun time.

From your story and the other negative story, it seems there was a time the DIR/GUE community were arrogant and had an elitist attitude. That is unfortunate and would be a turn off and may have led to an intense discussion "outside"

While it is disheartening to hear these stories, it seems like they have done a complete about face and have changed their attitude and the way they conduct themselves.

From what I've experienced, instructors are now very patient and the community as a whole is very encouraging and helpful. I've gotten so much help and guidance from non instructor GUE divers.

That being said, there's a slight bit of good natured fun and picking on me because my setup isn't completely Halcyon and I still dive with non GUE divers. The worst if it could be called that is that I also ice dive, and one GUE diver stated that cave divers don't have tandem lines. While true, dude was being a prick, I just ignored him.

 

[flymolo]

From your story and the other negative story, it seems there was a time the DIR/GUE community were arrogant and had an elitist attitude. That is unfortunate and would be a turn off and may have led to an intense discussion "outside"

While it is disheartening to hear these stories, it seems like they have done a complete about face and have changed their attitude and the way they conduct themselves.

From what I've experienced, instructors are now very patient and the community as a whole is very encouraging and helpful. I've gotten so much help and guidance from non instructor GUE divers.

That being said, there's a slight bit of good natured fun and picking on me because my setup isn't completely Halcyon and I still dive with non GUE divers. The worst if it could be called that is that I also ice dive, and one GUE diver stated that cave divers don't have tandem lines. While true, dude was being a prick, I just ignored him.

I personally agree with them. I would not go ice diving if it involved tying a line around my equipment

 

[Tigerpaw]

I personally agree with them. I would not go ice diving if it involved tying a line around my equipment

This person viewpoint is that cave divers are elite and he was implying that cave diving was more demanding than ice diving or even penetration wreck diving. He was saying that in a cave it's up to the team to find your way out, whereas with ice diving you can tug on the line and get pulled out. He was saying it in a way that he was looking down on ice divers, it's why I said he was a prick. This person was not an instructor, just an old school GUE/DIR diver who didn't get the memo that times have changed.

Also to your comment about the tender line and your equipment, the tender line does not impede your equipment or functions as a diver. I secure mine to a d-ring that is away from everything and don't have any issues. A tender line is needed for ice diving because finding where you entered in at can be very difficult to do. It's especially true in low viz conditions, that line is your way home and it's a way to communicate with the tender who is on the surface. Public safety divers that retrieve bodies and such use tender lines as it's vital to the job.

 

[DCN]

From what I've experienced, instructors are now very patient and the community as a whole is very encouraging and helpful. I've gotten so much help and guidance from non instructor GUE divers.

We haven't had plenty of time with instructors or divers, but from the little interaction and dives we've had, the (GUE) people we've been in touch with have been very open and friendly, super encouraging and extremely helpful, inviting us along for dives, way before we were even OW certified or thought about signing ourselves up for fundies.

While our own experience is anecdotal, (and we recognise that some may have bad experiences) but to us it doesn't seem that bad experiences are the norm.

 

[dray_gnv]

When I signed up for GUE Fundamentals, I received several emails directly from GUE HQ that alerted me to the course files and to the GUE Academy part of their website. If I hadn't seen that, I'm quite certain I would have contacted GUE to find about out course materials in advance. It seems like a rather basic step for someone interested in taking more control over their own diving. I spent a lot of time before the class reading, thinking, studying, researching deeper. I didn't depend on my instructor to hold my hand though that process. Maybe that's just me.