I wanted to clarify the purpose of the new Essentials course and the NAUI Intro to Tech course by discussing the evolution of our training curriculum and exciting new materials. In order to appreciate this evolution, I feel I first need to give a more complete history and background. As many of you are aware, I developed the GUE Fundamentals class when I was the GUE Training Director as well as the Power Point (the workbook is just a copy of it) and trained the instructors who taught it. At its conception, we were trying to introduce DIR and GUE to the public and began by running a workshop that appealed to an audience who had never heard of DIR or GUE. We frequently had students from all levels taking the class, some of whom were there to learn, some whom wanted to argue. As word got out, the workshop progressed into a formal class and then eventually into a prerequisite for other GUE classes. When DIRF became a pass/fail certification class, it was a huge turn off for many who wanted to take the class and focus just on learning rather than the stigma and pressure of the pass/fail requirement. I saw students change their focus from learning the basic DIR skills to "needing" a pass in order to get their c-card to take another GUE class. The c-cards issued don't actually give any privileges other than to continue to take more GUE classes.
The pass/fail requirement created a dichotomy. A growing number of students saw it as the stepping stone to further GUE classes and therefore felt significant pressure to pass and would spend months or even years "practicing" for it. For students only interested in improving their recreational diving rather than pursuing GUE cave or technical dive training, the class lost the flavor it once had with so much emphasis being placed on pre-cave/pre-tech. At that point, I asked to split DIRF into a recreational version that would not be pass/fail but more of a workshop style since students didn't really need a c-card for anything. Then there could be a technical orientated DIRF class for those who were planning to go on to technical or cave classes and for whom a pass/fail requirement would be more useful. This way, the pressure on a recreational diver who did not necessarily want to go tech could be alleviated and for those who took the technical version, additional skills could be introduced as I felt the generic DIRF class missed some important information for those that wanted to go onto technical diving. However, I was banned from doing any such thing, but when I split from GUE I was finally able to do excatly that.
We have split our DIR training into two classes: Essentials and Intro to Tech. Essentials focuses on recreational divers who may be new to DIR concepts or have less experience. Students take the class in a sIngle tank DIR configuration and receive the powerpoint, workbook and Essentials/Fundamentals skill videos. Just to clarify, this is not a copy of the GUE Powerpoint I created, it is a whole new presentation with accompanying workbook and newly filmed skill videos. The Intro to Tech class is more focused on students planning to pursue technical and/or cave training. This is a NAUI certification class but as taught by myself and Joe Talavera has a lot more to offer than the Minimum standards. I feel this class can offer much more than a generic DIRF class with a mix of recreational and technically orientated students. For example, GUE Fundamentals does not introduce valve management or stage bottle management (carrying/deploying/stowing) which are important skills for any technical diver. Our Intro to Tech class also has a whole new power point, workbook, flow chart and skill videos. Keep in mind that students (actually anyone) can purchase the materials prior to class to review and of course, will then have reference material afterwards....and lack of materials was the # 1 complaint I heard while teaching for GUE.
Hope this gives some insight into why we created the Essentials class and our teaching philosophy behind the classes and development of these new materials.
Andrew Georgitsis
5thd-x.com
The pass/fail requirement created a dichotomy. A growing number of students saw it as the stepping stone to further GUE classes and therefore felt significant pressure to pass and would spend months or even years "practicing" for it. For students only interested in improving their recreational diving rather than pursuing GUE cave or technical dive training, the class lost the flavor it once had with so much emphasis being placed on pre-cave/pre-tech. At that point, I asked to split DIRF into a recreational version that would not be pass/fail but more of a workshop style since students didn't really need a c-card for anything. Then there could be a technical orientated DIRF class for those who were planning to go on to technical or cave classes and for whom a pass/fail requirement would be more useful. This way, the pressure on a recreational diver who did not necessarily want to go tech could be alleviated and for those who took the technical version, additional skills could be introduced as I felt the generic DIRF class missed some important information for those that wanted to go onto technical diving. However, I was banned from doing any such thing, but when I split from GUE I was finally able to do excatly that.
We have split our DIR training into two classes: Essentials and Intro to Tech. Essentials focuses on recreational divers who may be new to DIR concepts or have less experience. Students take the class in a sIngle tank DIR configuration and receive the powerpoint, workbook and Essentials/Fundamentals skill videos. Just to clarify, this is not a copy of the GUE Powerpoint I created, it is a whole new presentation with accompanying workbook and newly filmed skill videos. The Intro to Tech class is more focused on students planning to pursue technical and/or cave training. This is a NAUI certification class but as taught by myself and Joe Talavera has a lot more to offer than the Minimum standards. I feel this class can offer much more than a generic DIRF class with a mix of recreational and technically orientated students. For example, GUE Fundamentals does not introduce valve management or stage bottle management (carrying/deploying/stowing) which are important skills for any technical diver. Our Intro to Tech class also has a whole new power point, workbook, flow chart and skill videos. Keep in mind that students (actually anyone) can purchase the materials prior to class to review and of course, will then have reference material afterwards....and lack of materials was the # 1 complaint I heard while teaching for GUE.
Hope this gives some insight into why we created the Essentials class and our teaching philosophy behind the classes and development of these new materials.
Andrew Georgitsis
5thd-x.com
