Fundamentals course

[Chris Sawallich]

Ok, I have almost decided to take the DIR Fundamentals later on this summer. But I've not decided for sure yet. I'm going to go into decompression/overhead diving sooner or later and having the fundamentals course "out of the way" would be good. Are there any more reasons for taking the fundamentals course sooner rather than later? Are there any drawbacks?

Dont think of it as "Having fundamentals out of the way" As you will learn, The fundamentals of diving will be something that you build on everytime you dive or progress through the GUE ladder thru cave or tech. Everything you will learn in the future will be based on the "Fundamental skills". There are absolutley NO drawbacks to taking this course, go into it with no preconceived notions and you will be the better for it.

 

[*Floater*]

If you plan to get into tech diving then it's best to do DRIF in doubles with a can light i.e. the tech version. The sooner the better imo because it'll improve your fundamental skills which you' wil need in every other class from there on, and it'll make you a better diver in general.

Possible reasons for not taking it yet might be that you don't have access to the gear yet, or aren't comfortable diving that type of rig right now which would make the class harder to pass, in case that's a consideration for you. However, if you have easy access to an instructor, then passing it the first time should not be a top priority.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

The first dive in my DIR-F I saw something floating in the water. "what the hell is that?" I asked myself "is it a brick? Is it a corpse?".
It was my instructor showing how to hoover motionless in the water in perfect trim ";-)

Beautiful description of the shocking realization: THAT is what perfect trim and buoyancy control looks like.

This visual was one of the unanticipated benefits of my DIR/F course.

I was looking at what I was aspiring to.

Every tiny inch (centimeter?) of progress I've made has been with my eye on that prize.

Awesome experience. " indeed!

Claudette

 

[Yuth]

Let me be part of the statistics by saying that the time and money invested in my DIRF course were the resources best used so far in my dive hobbies. The course was an eye-opener for me. Now I work to become a more proficient diver rather than a diver with many c-cards...

Take the class if you can. Like someone said above that it's not the only way to learn, but it surely is a very good way.

 

[ppo2_diver]

Let me be part of the statistics by saying that the time and money invested in my DIRF course were the resources best used so far in my dive hobbies. The course was an eye-opener for me. Now I work to become a more proficient diver rather than a diver with many c-cards...

Take the class if you can. Like someone said above that it's not the only way to learn, but it surely is a very good way.

I second that motion!!! My fundies class was the best class I've ever taken. If you can swing it, take the fundies class with MHK. He's a great instructor and runs a great class.

 

[Derek S]

I would recommend taking the fundies class sooner and your tech classes later. You will need some time to truly master the skills learned in the fundies class. The class is great, but as a new diver don't expect a pass the first time out. Taking the class sooner rather than later is best as it will be easier to break your bad habits, or prevent them. Take it and have fun.

What he said.

 

[Henryville]

First off, I would encourage any diver, any time, to take the GUE Fundamentals course. You are lucky that you have several excellent instructors right there in Sweden. As HBDiveGirls says, this course will give you a real awareness of what you are aiming for in terms of buoyancy control, trim, and overall proficiency in the water.

As to whether you will want to do this course in recreational gear or technical gear, I'd encourage you to make a decision about whether you really want to make the time and financial commitment to advanced diving first. This is probably in the end a minimum 10,000 - 15,000 Euro commitment when all is said and done. In my opinion it is difficult to be a proficient advanced diver at the levels you're talking about if you're doing less than 50 - 100 dives a year, and probably going out every single month or close to it.

A part of the commitment is physical fitness. Are you willing to put in the time to saty in the kind of shape that will help you efficiently decompress, efficiently metabolize oxygen, safely handle gas loads and pressure changes?

If you can answer yes to this, then get yourself in touch with a GUE instructor, talk about gear and gear configurations, and get what you need. Do a few dives to get somewhat familiar with your gear before the class, but not so many that you build any habits that will have to be undone later. Years ago, my first dive in doubles was the first dive of my DIR-F class. Probably not a recipe for getting the most out of the class.

As MHK says, GUE Fundamentals is not a class to approach as a "check the box" experience the way you might have thought of the course ladder in other agencies - something to get through quickly so you get on to the cert that gives you what you want. Rather, without sounding too metaphysical, it is a first step into a lifestyle choice. When you pass the course, techinically speaking you won't be able to do anything you couldn't do without passing it (no additional gases, no greater depth, etc.) However, you will have your attitude toward diving altered in such a way that you will never dive or want to dive the same way again.

My .02

 

[HBDiveGirl]

When you pass the course, techinically speaking you won't be able to do anything you couldn't do without passing it (no additional gases, no greater depth, etc.) However, you will have your attitude toward diving altered in such a way that you will never dive or want to dive the same way again.

My .02

Bullseye! I dive differently now (8 months post-Fundies,) and I enjoy my diving even more than I did before. And I've never worked so hard to dive with better skills. Fundamentals focused me on which diving skills were the most critical for both safety and enjoyment, and then taught me how to practice effectively. It taught me clarity in priorities, mission, communication and teamwork.
Less chaos, more challenging dives, better diving, more fun.

Extremely well stated, Henryville!

 

[TSandM]

I think one of the best things about Fundies is that it shows you what's possible. It's then up to you how hard you want to work to get there. But you also discover that the work itself is fun . . . And that diving with those skills, and with other people who share the skills AND the mindset, is such a delight.

However, I don't think it's worth taking the class until your basic buoyancy control is solid. In my class, there were two VERY novice divers (less than 20 dives) who found just swimming a pattern in shallow water over an uneven bottom to be a major challenge. Given that, adding the task loading of the various skills was real overload.

I had 60 dives when I took Fundies, and I think for me, that was the bare minimum.

 

[wunat]

If you plan to get into tech diving then it's best to do DRIF in doubles with a can light i.e. the tech version. The sooner the better imo because it'll improve your fundamental skills which you' wil need in every other class from there on, and it'll make you a better diver in general.

I too think about tech courses in the future and I always look at DIR-F as a course which will show me how ready I am. Have been looking forward to this course for................don't know how long. Was pretty lucky we actually managed to organize one here in Bangkok.

Well, I took the tech version as mentioned above (on doubles with canister). Thought I screwed up a few things and was expecting a provisional rating from the instructor. But I was wrong. Was really excited actually passing it.

When the instructor was giving me feedbacks, he give me some really specific points he believes I could/should work on prior to go into tech courses though my "pass" rating gives me the qualification to do so already. I couldn't agree more that getting those specific points some works will only be more benefitial to me as I go further down the tech route.

Would certainly recommend the course if you want to know where you are with respect to the skills whether it's recreational diving you are doing of future technical divings you are planning for.