GUE-F Tech Pass

[MBH]

I hear that there are two new Fundies tech pass divers out there. Anyone ese hear about this???

I think congratulations are in order.
A lot of dives and some dedication to inprovement really pays off.

Peter and Lynne: Congratulations, dive safe, have fun, and enjoy the new boat!

 

[TSandM]

Oh, thank you! We did finally do it.

As I said elsewhere, two and a half years to learn to do a half dozen things reasonably well . . . sigh.

But, on to Cave 1!

 

[nadwidny]

Oh, thank you! We did finally do it.

As I said elsewhere, two and a half years to learn to do a half dozen things reasonably well . . . sigh.

But, on to Cave 1!

2 and a half years to pass Fundies? Just to play Devil's Advocate, are you sure that technical diving is something you should be doing? The skills required to pass DIRF really shouldn't be that hard to master.

 

[ppo2_diver]

Master, no. But finding a GUE instructor to come sign you off can take a while if you are on limited funds.

 

[TSandM]

Thanks, Brian, I appreciate the vote of confidence.

I took Fundies in November of 2005 in a single tank; it was about a year after that that I transitioned to doubles, then I took Rec Triox and had significant problems with midwater stuff, and we've been doing dives with Steve to try to get through that part of it. But I hadn't actually sat for a "Fundies tech pass" checkout dive.

And no, I don't think tech diving is anything I should be doing, and I'm not doing it nor do I have any aspirations to. Caves are a different environment that speak to my strong points rather than my weak ones.

Believe me, if Steve didn't think I should go take Cave 1, he would NOT have passed me. He is an extremely difficult instructor to satisfy. A lot of people who dive (and do training dives) with me regularly think I should have passed a long time ago.

 

[nadwidny]

Master, no. But finding a GUE instructor to come sign you off can take a while if you are on limited funds.

I agree but I don't think that access to a GUE guy was a problem in this case.

Fundies should take 2 goes, max. The first time around it can be somewhat overwhelming so one needs to get used to the system and learn the dance steps. The 2nd time around should be a no brainer, especially if one wants to advance to the technical courses. If somebody has a problem gaining the proficiency necessary to pass fundies, there is a good chance they are going to suffocate in a Tech 1 or Cave 1 course and should seriously consider their suitability to continue down that path.

 

[TSandM]

If somebody has a problem gaining the proficiency necessary to pass fundies, there is a good chance they are going to suffocate in a Tech 1 or Cave 1 course and should seriously consider their suitability to continue down that path.

I'll bear that in mind.

Glad it all came easily to you.

 

[nadwidny]

Thanks, Brian, I appreciate the vote of confidence.

I took Fundies in November of 2005 in a single tank; it was about a year after that that I transitioned to doubles, then I took Rec Triox and had significant problems with midwater stuff, and we've been doing dives with Steve to try to get through that part of it. But I hadn't actually sat for a "Fundies tech pass" checkout dive.

And no, I don't think tech diving is anything I should be doing, and I'm not doing it nor do I have any aspirations to. Caves are a different environment that speak to my strong points rather than my weak ones.

Believe me, if Steve didn't think I should go take Cave 1, he would NOT have passed me. He is an extremely difficult instructor to satisfy. A lot of people who dive (and do training dives) with me regularly think I should have passed a long time ago.

Lynn,

Cave is tech. Don't kid yourself that it is not.

You yourself have said how difficult it was to master some basic skills necessary to pass things like rectriox and fundies. If you found these skills hard where a lot of others don't, shouldn't you at least be questiioning whether or not you are really where you need to be?

Sorry to be somewhat harsh but I was silent with one person who got the big thumbs up to go on to bigger and higher things when they shouldn't have and paid the ultimate price and a few others who almost did. I just don't feel like siiting by silently anymore when the warning flags go up, especially for people who I have respect for.

In the end it's up to you. Just putting out an opinion from someone on the other side of the mirror.

 

[nadwidny]

I'll bear that in mind.

Glad it all came easily to you.

Fundies was easy. Cave 1 was not. I had to go back a year later and do a re-do.

You don't know what you don't know I guess.

 

[TSandM]

Brian, I keep failing evaluation dives for stuff like getting more than 20 degrees out of trim when I'm doing an air-sharing ascent with a buddy who loses buoyancy control and starts corking on the end of my long hose.

I'm not great in midwater. Our entire recent Seattle Tech 1 class failed to finish because of midwater issues. I don't think I'm alone.

I've PASSED a cave class already, and according to the instructor, did so with pretty flying colors.

NONE of the instructors I've worked with has faulted my ability to remain calm or continue to think appropriately in the face of multiple failures. I'm sometimes a little less assertive than I should be, but I don't panic, and I keep trying to solve the problem.

Applying absolute criteria to GUE dives can result in some fairly ridiculous outcomes.

And remember, I didn't have to keep going back to this instructor and trying to get this done. (All complicated by the fact that he spends half of his time in Italy.) I could have bailed and done my cave training with another agency which didn't require the prep work.

I'm sure that saying it took me that long to pass the class makes me sound like a bumbling idiot, but as I said, the GUE-trained people who dive with me, who are Tech and Cave certified already, think I should have passed a long time ago.

If your intent was worrying about my safety, then a sincere thank you. But it just sounded dismissive and contemptuous, and it stung.