Back to basics sounds easy doesn’t it? Having plenty of dives, being current, many technical, on open and closed circuit, you’d think GUE fundamentals would be fairly easy and just polish off what you probably think is a reasonable diver to begin with……………….I wish! “Back to basics” is true, having never gone deeper than 12m over 8 dives and completely feeling like a newbie again, the idea is around having greater capacity, achieving this by mastering core skills to the point they are second nature.
In hindsight I wish I had done it earlier in my diving career, I wish my OW course put more emphasis on trim, buoyancy and stability, it’s good to see some agencies now focusing on these core skills in entry level courses.
Anyway, my first introduction to GUE started with a post on TDF from Badger back in 2017, advertising a possible Fundies split-weekend course local to me, a quick PM exchange over a few days turned into a phone conversation regarding my experience, an overview of the course and probably most importantly my diving aims and goals. For various reasons I couldn’t make that initial course, but James kept me up-to-date with future dates, eventually the stars aligned and my calendar allowed March 2018.
Now anyone who dives the UK will know this is probably one of the coldest times of year in terms of water temp, apparently this was pointed out to me, and although I have not gone back through my emails to confirm, I must have had my Weetabix that morning when I apparently told James to Man-Up, oh boy would that come back to bite me!
Registering for the course is pretty straight forward online, very thorough, you have to apply for a course and complete all the requisite forms\documents, then you have to be approved by your Instructor. Hint don’t bother applying if you smoke!
Once registered and course materials paid for, you can download them immediately, there is a wealth of information provided, and everything you will ever need for Fundamentals and more. I read through the equipment config and the core workbook before my theory day.
Before I crack on with my hopefully none too lame narrative, if you are thinking of taking this course (and I highly recommend you do) a few bits of wisdom I think are useful are
1) Don’t over-prepare or try and ‘pre-learn’ for Fundies, I’m not saying don’t prepare, but the course is not there to validate your reading skills, it is there to teach you. You’ve paid for it, make your instructor work!
2) Leave your ego at the door, I’d like to think I wasn’t that bad, but as you’ll find out I took a hit on day 2! You will be corrected, you won’t get it right first time, you will receive positive criticism and you will need to practise again and again.
3) Review the equipment configuration, if you know something to not be right contact your instructor to discuss and certainly before you go off and buy new!
Day1 – Theory and Swim Test
Theory held at Dive Master Scuba in Nottingham, great little shop! Met my new unsuspecting buddy Louise, Instructor James and 2 instructor interns (Adam and Joe). Theory time was useful, plenty of time to review and ask questions, a full day of classroom was followed by a trip to the local pool for the swim test. 375m in 14 minutes is the ask, easily achieved by all, I managed 400m in just under 6 minutes. 15m underwater breath hold swim also comfortably completed.
The pool session concluded with some kick practise (sans fins), felt very odd at first but it’s actually pretty useful practise, especially for the dreaded back kick!
Day2 – Dives 1 & 2 – Stoney Cove
Holly crap its cold! That is the running theme throughout my fundies course, the knock-on effect of this was limited in water time, luckily there were only 2 of us so skills circuits did not mean waiting around.
Dive 1 - time to run through GUE EDGE, the goal here was trim, trim and a bit more trim, with a kick circuit thrown in. Remember my tip on ego!? Well I always thought my trim was OK, I am not saying I am a diving ninja, but I was ok. Well if you think the same, find a 6m platform then try and keep your crotch d-ring touching the platform, while your knees\legs\hands\body do not, then stay there! Yes, make micro-adjustments, but you should be pretty much static…
Swimming felt fine, video debrief showed otherwise, but I felt ok, descended to the platform and was constantly fighting floaty feet and going head down, it was truly horrendous. The kick circuit also needed a lot more work, back kick was impossible in my trim.
James’ observations and banter centred around either my fins doing bunny ears, or my hands conducting Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto.
Dive 2 – More of the same, with more kicks and the introduction of the Basic 5, heavier fins helped me slightly, but it was still a very difficult dive which left me feeling quite deflated, to the point where I thought I would struggle to even get a pass! I know everyone says forget the result, concentrate on the learning, but I call BS on anyone who says that is what they did!
Day 3 – Dives 3 & 4 – Stoney Cove
Weekend #2, saw another early start at Stoney, first thing for me was to get a fill having not had chance before, merrily took my cylinders which had some air left and bought a 32%, did some embarrassingly public dry run s-drills in the cark park then returned to collect my cylinders only to see the dreaded red tag “DO NOT FILL”, yes, that’s right; the hydro test had expired, not only that but they had been emptied ready for filling before it was noticed.
Feeling like the prize idiot I was, head held low during the walk of shame back to the cars, expecting the mother of all bollockings from Badge, to my surprise I found a very sympathetic pair! (I bet he was screaming inside!). After going through a myriad of options to resolve my predicament, long story short I was relieved of £££ and I’m now the proud owner of a new euro cylinder twinset courtesy of UnderWaterWorld.
Back to diving, I’m not sure if it was the pool practise I had sneaked in during the split-weekend interval, adjustments made to the BP placement, the new cylinders, the fact I started to listen regarding my leg position or a culmination of everything, but it just clicked, ‘Night and Day’ was a phrase used throughout the day from James regarding my trim position.
Dives 3 & 4 built on the basic 5 and introduced the static s-drill, all of which went without much to note, my kicks were getting better but still needed work. The video debrief during the course was invaluable!
Day 4 – Dives 5 & 6 – Stoney Cove
Following on from the success of the previous day, valve drills were introduced, along with gas sharing ascents. It was all starting to make sense, from equipment config to procedures, standardisation works.
Due to limited in water time, it was agreed that an additional day was required to complete the skills. Due to various reasons I would not complete my course with Louise, but she was a fantastic buddy and was great to go through this with her. I’m sure she’ll complete the course soon.
Day 5 – Dives 7 & 8 – 8 Acre
The additional day saw meeting James and 2 new buddies at 8-acre lake. The GUE phrase “Shake Hands and Go Diving” rings true when there is no dry-run required, yet the drills run as expected. Because it is standardised, you know what to expect and when, you know what the other diver is going to do before they have done it, meaning you have the capacity to consider other variables, like direction of exit? Is a SMB required? Are there any other hazards we need to be mindful of?
An almost tropical 9 degrees saw 2x 45minute+ dives with various skills, introduction of SMB deployment and ascent, the final dive also incorporating a no-mask swim, SMB deployment and ascent while being the donor, then unconscious diver recovery demo and scenarios.
Conclusion
Bit of a rollercoaster of a course at the start for me personally, from struggling on dives 1 & 2, I was elated with my final debrief which ended with a Tech Pass. I would highly recommend fundies [and James for that matter] to any level of diver, yes it might seem expensive at first glance, but based on value it’s probably one of, if not the best value course you can attend.
In hindsight I wish I had done it earlier in my diving career, I wish my OW course put more emphasis on trim, buoyancy and stability, it’s good to see some agencies now focusing on these core skills in entry level courses.
Anyway, my first introduction to GUE started with a post on TDF from Badger back in 2017, advertising a possible Fundies split-weekend course local to me, a quick PM exchange over a few days turned into a phone conversation regarding my experience, an overview of the course and probably most importantly my diving aims and goals. For various reasons I couldn’t make that initial course, but James kept me up-to-date with future dates, eventually the stars aligned and my calendar allowed March 2018.
Now anyone who dives the UK will know this is probably one of the coldest times of year in terms of water temp, apparently this was pointed out to me, and although I have not gone back through my emails to confirm, I must have had my Weetabix that morning when I apparently told James to Man-Up, oh boy would that come back to bite me!
Registering for the course is pretty straight forward online, very thorough, you have to apply for a course and complete all the requisite forms\documents, then you have to be approved by your Instructor. Hint don’t bother applying if you smoke!
Once registered and course materials paid for, you can download them immediately, there is a wealth of information provided, and everything you will ever need for Fundamentals and more. I read through the equipment config and the core workbook before my theory day.
Before I crack on with my hopefully none too lame narrative, if you are thinking of taking this course (and I highly recommend you do) a few bits of wisdom I think are useful are
1) Don’t over-prepare or try and ‘pre-learn’ for Fundies, I’m not saying don’t prepare, but the course is not there to validate your reading skills, it is there to teach you. You’ve paid for it, make your instructor work!
2) Leave your ego at the door, I’d like to think I wasn’t that bad, but as you’ll find out I took a hit on day 2! You will be corrected, you won’t get it right first time, you will receive positive criticism and you will need to practise again and again.
3) Review the equipment configuration, if you know something to not be right contact your instructor to discuss and certainly before you go off and buy new!
Day1 – Theory and Swim Test
Theory held at Dive Master Scuba in Nottingham, great little shop! Met my new unsuspecting buddy Louise, Instructor James and 2 instructor interns (Adam and Joe). Theory time was useful, plenty of time to review and ask questions, a full day of classroom was followed by a trip to the local pool for the swim test. 375m in 14 minutes is the ask, easily achieved by all, I managed 400m in just under 6 minutes. 15m underwater breath hold swim also comfortably completed.
The pool session concluded with some kick practise (sans fins), felt very odd at first but it’s actually pretty useful practise, especially for the dreaded back kick!
Day2 – Dives 1 & 2 – Stoney Cove
Holly crap its cold! That is the running theme throughout my fundies course, the knock-on effect of this was limited in water time, luckily there were only 2 of us so skills circuits did not mean waiting around.
Dive 1 - time to run through GUE EDGE, the goal here was trim, trim and a bit more trim, with a kick circuit thrown in. Remember my tip on ego!? Well I always thought my trim was OK, I am not saying I am a diving ninja, but I was ok. Well if you think the same, find a 6m platform then try and keep your crotch d-ring touching the platform, while your knees\legs\hands\body do not, then stay there! Yes, make micro-adjustments, but you should be pretty much static…
Swimming felt fine, video debrief showed otherwise, but I felt ok, descended to the platform and was constantly fighting floaty feet and going head down, it was truly horrendous. The kick circuit also needed a lot more work, back kick was impossible in my trim.
James’ observations and banter centred around either my fins doing bunny ears, or my hands conducting Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto.
Dive 2 – More of the same, with more kicks and the introduction of the Basic 5, heavier fins helped me slightly, but it was still a very difficult dive which left me feeling quite deflated, to the point where I thought I would struggle to even get a pass! I know everyone says forget the result, concentrate on the learning, but I call BS on anyone who says that is what they did!
Day 3 – Dives 3 & 4 – Stoney Cove
Weekend #2, saw another early start at Stoney, first thing for me was to get a fill having not had chance before, merrily took my cylinders which had some air left and bought a 32%, did some embarrassingly public dry run s-drills in the cark park then returned to collect my cylinders only to see the dreaded red tag “DO NOT FILL”, yes, that’s right; the hydro test had expired, not only that but they had been emptied ready for filling before it was noticed.
Feeling like the prize idiot I was, head held low during the walk of shame back to the cars, expecting the mother of all bollockings from Badge, to my surprise I found a very sympathetic pair! (I bet he was screaming inside!). After going through a myriad of options to resolve my predicament, long story short I was relieved of £££ and I’m now the proud owner of a new euro cylinder twinset courtesy of UnderWaterWorld.
Back to diving, I’m not sure if it was the pool practise I had sneaked in during the split-weekend interval, adjustments made to the BP placement, the new cylinders, the fact I started to listen regarding my leg position or a culmination of everything, but it just clicked, ‘Night and Day’ was a phrase used throughout the day from James regarding my trim position.
Dives 3 & 4 built on the basic 5 and introduced the static s-drill, all of which went without much to note, my kicks were getting better but still needed work. The video debrief during the course was invaluable!
Day 4 – Dives 5 & 6 – Stoney Cove
Following on from the success of the previous day, valve drills were introduced, along with gas sharing ascents. It was all starting to make sense, from equipment config to procedures, standardisation works.
Due to limited in water time, it was agreed that an additional day was required to complete the skills. Due to various reasons I would not complete my course with Louise, but she was a fantastic buddy and was great to go through this with her. I’m sure she’ll complete the course soon.
Day 5 – Dives 7 & 8 – 8 Acre
The additional day saw meeting James and 2 new buddies at 8-acre lake. The GUE phrase “Shake Hands and Go Diving” rings true when there is no dry-run required, yet the drills run as expected. Because it is standardised, you know what to expect and when, you know what the other diver is going to do before they have done it, meaning you have the capacity to consider other variables, like direction of exit? Is a SMB required? Are there any other hazards we need to be mindful of?
An almost tropical 9 degrees saw 2x 45minute+ dives with various skills, introduction of SMB deployment and ascent, the final dive also incorporating a no-mask swim, SMB deployment and ascent while being the donor, then unconscious diver recovery demo and scenarios.
Conclusion
Bit of a rollercoaster of a course at the start for me personally, from struggling on dives 1 & 2, I was elated with my final debrief which ended with a Tech Pass. I would highly recommend fundies [and James for that matter] to any level of diver, yes it might seem expensive at first glance, but based on value it’s probably one of, if not the best value course you can attend.
