Common Fundies Mistakes

[ScubaFeenD]

At the *very* least, it's worth a discussion with your prospective instructor.

This I think that statement is more reasonable. But, to tell students dont take a 6 person class when that is what the local instructor offers is a bit presumptuous. The recent fundamentals class (which I dont care to rehash here) aside, I think 6 person classes are a bad idea, but I dont think that should be up to me or any student. How am I supposed to know that it is a bad idea if the instructor, whose credentials are unquestionable, knows he can do what he needs with 6 people. I do agree that the advice should be to have a LONG discussion with the instructor about not only location but also how many people are in class and exactly the teaching style that they have. But, at some point the instructor needs to take the responsibility of running the class. If there is something that he/she doesn't think will work, or he/she is unsure of, he/she should be clear about that with those paying for the class. You cant expect students to pay for a course AND plan a course with limited knowledge AND take on all the responsibility for a less-optimal class.

 

[TSandM]

Remember that you have unlimited time to convert a rec pass to a tech pass, but only six months to upgrade a provisional. Taking the class in a single tank, earlier in your diving career, will get you set on the path of solid skills. Solid skills make the transition into doubles easy (should you intend to do that -- Fundamentals is a GREAT class for people who never intend to do more than dive within the NDLs and outside of overheads). Everybody nowadays seems to think they HAVE to take Fundies in doubles, and it isn't so -- I took it in a single tank and without a canister light. Make your life easy.

If AT ALL possible, try to set up a class that will allow you to break it up over two weekends. One or two practice dives, without the pressure of an instructor watching, can make all the difference in solidifying your learning.

A tip for ANY GUE class: If you are traveling to take the class, allow a couple of days beforehand to meet your fellow students and dive with them, and at least one extra day at the end, in case you need a bit more work. There is nothing worse than the pressure of a five day class on a five day trip, especially if you meet your classmates for the first time when you are filling out the paperwork.

 

[kathydee]

Remember that you have unlimited time to convert a rec pass to a tech pass, but only six months to upgrade a provisional.

I believe that you can still upgrade a provisional status to a Fundies pass even after 6 months have lapsed -- simply by paying the GUE HQ registration fee again and demonstrating passing skills during a check-out dive with your instructor.

 

[HenrikBP]

During GUE-F the days run *long* and often times logistics will not allow you to take the time to run out for food and drink. Make sure you have a good supply of portable food and drink so you can grab sustenance when class allows it.

Henrik

 

[rjack321]

Don't mix up a bunch of 200dive divers in doubles looking for tech passes with 25dive divers in single tanks looking for rec passes. The latter should take the Primer. The former should shoot for rec passes if the class is taken in one block of time. Or discuss the "tec pass" with the instructor midway if taken over multiple weekends.

Hate to say this but EVERYTHING here is stuff instructors should know and be aware of when they create the class in the first place. Creating classes which have a high probability of generating frustration is something they need to be on the lookout for and should've be part of their IDC. (I don't know if it is or not but strategies for building a successful class is what IDCs should certainly include IMHO).

 

[Gombessa]

Lamont,

According to the posted standards for Fundamentals: "Student-to-instructor ratio is not to exceed 8:1 during land drill or surface exercises, but cannot exceed 4:1 during any direct in-water training In-water ratios should be adjusted downward to account for bad conditions and/or poor visibility."

If the posted standards are current, I would suggest modifying #4 to classes of more than 4 students (since any such number would require at least one person sit out while others are in the water), perhaps with a caveat for classes in which two or more instructors are involved.

 

[walrus2]

I believe that you can still upgrade a provisional status to a Fundies pass even after 6 months have lapsed -- simply by paying the GUE HQ registration fee again and demonstrating passing skills during a check-out dive with your instructor.

The 5.1 GUE Standards don't seem to mention 6 months, or anything specific for Fundies. In general it says:

1.3.2 Diver Assessment (Qualification, Provisional Qualification, Failure)
At the completion of GUE training, instructors must: a) decide whether a student is properly qualified to pursue the type of diving for which they sought training; b) decide to make qualification conditional on a student’s improving a given skill-set, specific to the particular diving activity; or c) decide that the student is not able to dive in that environment. These assessments take the form of:
1. Full qualification 2. Provisional qualification 3. Failure
Provisional certifications are designed as an interim measure for student divers whose skill level in a given class was close but not sufficient to pass a given class. Provisional qualification is not a form of accreditation, and does not represent any certification status within GUE. Divers should be aware that the original instructor is solely responsible for updating this rating. An instructor may make specific arrangements with another GUE instructor but the original instructor is ultimately responsible for upgrading their student’s provisional rating. The time and fees associated with provisional upgrades are entirely at the discretion of the instructor.


It would be interesting to know what the exact policy is in cases that involve travel or interesting local conditions. For example, I'm hoping to take Fundies this summer after it fell through last year, but our summer is followed by a month or two of increasingly colder water and then about 8 months of ice diving

 

[kathydee]

.It would be interesting to know what the exact policy is in cases that involve travel or interesting local conditions. For example, I'm hoping to take Fundies this summer after it fell through last year, but our summer is followed by a month or two of increasingly colder water and then about 8 months of ice diving

I found the info on gue.com which should be fact, unless some policy has changed since 8/10:

I just took a course and got a “Provisional” rating. What does that mean?

Submitted by Kady Smith on Fri, 08/20/2010 - 12:34. A provisional rating means that you didn’t fail a course, but you still have skills to work on before you are evaluated as “Pass,” and are eligible for official GUE certification. Divers should be aware that the original instructor is solely responsible for updating this rating. An instructor may make specific arrangements with another GUE instructor but the original instructor is ultimately responsible for upgrading their student’s provisional rating through the GUE website. The time and fees associated with provisional upgrades are entirely at the discretion of the instructor, however HQ requires you to pay for course registration again if the time since the original course has exceeded 6 months.

 

[walrus2]

Close enough, in the worst case the difference for Fundies is $75 registration between the 2010 document I quoted and the answer you quoted from the website. Might save someone not living in California or at Dutch Springs some stress during the course.

 

[TSandM]

I believe the instructor has to approve you doing any re-eval for a provisional after 6 months. My C2 instructor was emphatic that we had to convert our provisionals in six months, period.