MHK
Guest
As many of you may know the GUE Board of Director's has announced that the DIR-F class as of June 1 will now become a certification class. I've been asked by several to comment on some of the issues surrounding the change. Below in the cave section I posted the following, but I suspect other's have some of the same concerns, so please let me know if this clears up some of the issues, but if not let me know and I'll see if I can help.
DIR-F class
Let me see if I can clear up some of the misunderstandings, but also bear in mind a few issues are still unsettled. When the final issues are settled the GUE Board of Director's will release a complete analysis.
However that being said, you are correct beginning in June the DIR-F class will become a formalized class, with the requisite requirements associated with it. The GUE BOD felt that given the success and explosion of growth associated with the DIR-F class that many divers were primarily associating GUE with the DIR-F class. So the concern was that when the DIR-F class started it was more of a seminar. As it evolved, changed and grew it started to resemble more of a class in nature so in an effort to maintain high standards the BOD felt that given that everyone was seeing it as a class, it was starting to resemble a class that it was the appropriate time to take the formal steps to standardize the curriculum, put in some performance based criteria and the like. Still left unanswered is how to treat someone who previously took the class, and the resulting effect that will have on utilizing that experience towards the new pre-requisite that the DIR-F class will be required for higher level training.
Again to reiterate, the GUE BOD is still analyzing the issue so NOTHING has been decided. I suspect, that if you have previously taken the class, and your instructor is confident of your abilities, he can recommend you for upper level classes. Given the nature of scuba forum communications it is very, very important to emphasis that this is not final so GUE must reserve the right to a different end result after hearing concerns from all the BOD members.
I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that GUE represents a vision that we are trying to stay true to. The vision, of course, is in part about diving education but it's also about ecological studies, scientific research, preserving the environment and so on. The BOD felt strongly that the DIR-F seminar was overshadowing our efforts in other areas, and they also felt that part of the core belief of GUE is that we want to remain an elite training organization that is inclusive only to those diver's that are committed to core principle's of DIR and issues surrounding making the seminar to inclusive consistently surrounded the program. Issues such as allowing smoker's or unfit diver's or diver's with more relaxed gear choices began to compromise what GUE stood for, so the BOD felt that even though the class wasn't a certification class, that all too many didn't necessarily recognize the distinction so in an effort to preserve the integrity of GUE training they decided that the time was appropriate.
I'll also note that as Mike pointed out, there were internal conflicts about the decision, and of course as any organization grows that is to be expected. In fact, JJ and I discussed that very issue and while he supported a healthy exchange of views, the issue was put to a vote of the BOD and the results are manifest.
I'm sure you'll have questions so let me know if I can help, but also as I noted the BOD will make future announcements shortly.
Thanks
Michael Kane
DIR-F class
Let me see if I can clear up some of the misunderstandings, but also bear in mind a few issues are still unsettled. When the final issues are settled the GUE Board of Director's will release a complete analysis.
However that being said, you are correct beginning in June the DIR-F class will become a formalized class, with the requisite requirements associated with it. The GUE BOD felt that given the success and explosion of growth associated with the DIR-F class that many divers were primarily associating GUE with the DIR-F class. So the concern was that when the DIR-F class started it was more of a seminar. As it evolved, changed and grew it started to resemble more of a class in nature so in an effort to maintain high standards the BOD felt that given that everyone was seeing it as a class, it was starting to resemble a class that it was the appropriate time to take the formal steps to standardize the curriculum, put in some performance based criteria and the like. Still left unanswered is how to treat someone who previously took the class, and the resulting effect that will have on utilizing that experience towards the new pre-requisite that the DIR-F class will be required for higher level training.
Again to reiterate, the GUE BOD is still analyzing the issue so NOTHING has been decided. I suspect, that if you have previously taken the class, and your instructor is confident of your abilities, he can recommend you for upper level classes. Given the nature of scuba forum communications it is very, very important to emphasis that this is not final so GUE must reserve the right to a different end result after hearing concerns from all the BOD members.
I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that GUE represents a vision that we are trying to stay true to. The vision, of course, is in part about diving education but it's also about ecological studies, scientific research, preserving the environment and so on. The BOD felt strongly that the DIR-F seminar was overshadowing our efforts in other areas, and they also felt that part of the core belief of GUE is that we want to remain an elite training organization that is inclusive only to those diver's that are committed to core principle's of DIR and issues surrounding making the seminar to inclusive consistently surrounded the program. Issues such as allowing smoker's or unfit diver's or diver's with more relaxed gear choices began to compromise what GUE stood for, so the BOD felt that even though the class wasn't a certification class, that all too many didn't necessarily recognize the distinction so in an effort to preserve the integrity of GUE training they decided that the time was appropriate.
I'll also note that as Mike pointed out, there were internal conflicts about the decision, and of course as any organization grows that is to be expected. In fact, JJ and I discussed that very issue and while he supported a healthy exchange of views, the issue was put to a vote of the BOD and the results are manifest.
I'm sure you'll have questions so let me know if I can help, but also as I noted the BOD will make future announcements shortly.
Thanks
Michael Kane