GUE Fundamentals Class Report (22 APR 2019)

[KCB]

This has been a great read for a guy like myself who’s still trying to figure out, where he wants the go with his diving hobby long term. I don’t really want to go for DM, or MD, but in the one run technical diving has always fascinated me

This read really helps me understand what the beginning basics of tech diving is about. I have found that for me personally, its extremely difficult to try to practice the classic buoyancy and trim skills on your average recreational boat dive because most of the time I am either following an instructor, or a group around trying to see or do stuff. You don’t have time to practice skills because I’m preoccupied, just doing to dive.

I can now see why many people say once you feel comfortable in the water, that you should drop the money and do the tech classes if you’re interested. I’m going to make a hypothesis here, (this is just a recreational diver guessing) I think the 3 reasons why most people don’t get in to tech diving, are 1. No matter how comfortable they have build up a mentally, that they are not that no matter what they do they are not at that level of readiness which in that case, it’s probably good that they aren’t trying for it, or 2. They just don’t want to spend/ have the time, and the money, or 3. They are just perfectly happy diving at a Reacteational level.

I’m just looking for ways to improve myself, once again thank you so much for this brilliant course outline, I have never in my life even during the hardest classes in college though to blog about a class minute by minute, so thank you for the amount of work you put in and congratulations on passing.

 

[chillyinCanada]

This has been a great read for a guy like myself who’s still trying to figure out, where he wants the go with his diving hobby long term. I don’t really want to go for DM, or MD, but in the one run technical diving has always fascinated me

This read really helps me understand what the beginning basics of tech diving is about. I have found that for me personally, its extremely difficult to try to practice the classic buoyancy and trim skills on your average recreational boat dive because most of the time I am either following an instructor, or a group around trying to see or do stuff. You don’t have time to practice skills because I’m preoccupied, just doing to dive.

I can now see why many people say once you feel comfortable in the water, that you should drop the money and do the tech classes if you’re interested. I’m going to make a hypothesis here, (this is just a recreational diver guessing) I think the 3 reasons why most people don’t get in to tech diving, are 1. No matter how comfortable they have build up a mentally, that they are not that no matter what they do they are not at that level of readiness which in that case, it’s probably good that they aren’t trying for it, or 2. They just don’t want to spend/ have the time, and the money, or 3. They are just perfectly happy diving at a Reacteational level.

I’m just looking for ways to improve myself, once again thank you so much for this brilliant course outline, I have never in my life even during the hardest classes in college though to blog about a class minute by minute, so thank you for the amount of work you put in and congratulations on passing.

@KCB,
You can indeed work on your personal bouyancy and other skills on vacation dives led by a guide. And if that's going to be the diving that you will be doing, then indeed, you'll need to change your focus. But i don't want to get this thread off track. Let me know if you'd like to discuss this further and we can start another thread with a different focus.

 

[KCB]

@KCB,
You can indeed work on your personal bouyancy and other skills on vacation dives led by a guide. And if that's going to be the diving that you will be doing, then indeed, you'll need to change your focus. But i don't want to get this thread off track. Let me know if you'd like to discuss this further and we can start another thread with a different focus.

Oh I am just very appreciative on how this tread has explained a lot of what a fundies class involves, and actually I think I will take you up on that suggestion and create another post with that question just to see what kind of response I get.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm basing it on the fact that I never got such questions and my instructor was a stickler for following all technicalities.

The person from Germany upthread said his instructor didn’t ask those questions, either. It could still have been an optional “part of the course” that an instructor can include or not, as opposed to part of the “course evaluation.” I know I’m splitting hairs, but that’s what I was getting at.

 

[charlier]

Excellent OP explanation of Fundies. I do not recall these questions from Fundies circa 2014. While LoB guiding, if any of my divers ask questions regarding trim/buoyancy, I will work with them during the trip. This might include deploying a DSMB, hovering in current, or diving with current.

 

[johnkendall]

I'm not Mer, and so will not try and answer to her motivations for the questions. There is no requirement for GUE instructors to ask questions like that at the end of the class, though many of do something similar. In my case I don't generally get students to write things down in answer at the lower class levels, but instead talk to the students and ask them those kind of questions in the final debrief.
To answer the question about if we would withold a tech pass. Attitude is part of the criteria that we are evaluating, so just answering a question "the wrong way" isn't likely to change anything, but I would expect that someone who wants to answer a question like that at the final debrief has probably been fighting against the GUE concepts throughout the class too, and that is not likely to hold them in good stead. I'd turn the question around though. If you don't believe in the advantages of standard gas, team diving, etc etc, then why do you want a tech pass? All it does is open the door to higher GUE training.

Personally I have downgraded results based on the final debrief. A big part of Fundamentals is learning how to give yourself honest feedback, and so if I have a student at the final debrief whose lacking in self awareness and so thinks that they are much better than they are, then they have not learnt what they need to during the class.

 

[MichaelMc]

If you don't believe in ... why do you want a tech pass?

For a high quality easily shared answer to ‘am I really in trim, in control, and attending to buddy(ies) or just deluding myself’.

Despite feeling that if the shop pumps nitrox 30 and we’re going to 80’ to look at petty fish, this isn’t a big change in procedure.

 

[johnkendall]

For a high quality easily shared answer to ‘am I really in trim, in control, and attending to buddy(ies) or just deluding myself’.

Despite feeling that if the shop pumps nitrox 30 and we’re going to 80’ to look at petty fish, this isn’t a big change in procedure.

There is nothing to stop you diving 30% if that's what the shop has banked. There's not even anything stopping you diving on air. But arguing against the principles of standard gases isn't great.
The easy answer to "am I in trim" is to get someone to video you. A tech pass is really only useful as the gateway to higher GUE training.

 

[MichaelMc]

Being a thinking diver is a key principle of diving. There are several good principles in diving. GUE has put together a good list and trains to it. Thinking divers often debate and argue about tradeoffs between various principles in any specific situation. Being a thinking diver likely comes ahead of a lot of the other principles.

Standard gasses, 3 person teams, etc, are good principles. We may well have talked about there being other good principles for gases and teams. But I wouldn't argue that they're not good principles. Teaching and ensuring understanding of them is a good idea.

Saying 'I've a tech Fundies pass' conveys that my basics are generally squared away to a known high standard. Doing that with videos takes a painful long movie night. Not really the same thing. Self evaluation and honesty is good, but subject to "I'm the best non-famous diver I've seen."

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

There is nothing to stop you diving 30% if that's what the shop has banked. There's not even anything stopping you diving on air. But arguing against the principles of standard gases isn't great.
The easy answer to "am I in trim" is to get someone to video you. A tech pass is really only useful as the gateway to higher GUE training.

First of all thanks for the insights John. I understand the value of standard gases and team procedures etc. How do you feel about someone who upholds GUE core principles while diving within GUE dive team? If the same person chooses to dive to 130 ft without Helium as is done by many TDI divers, or chooses to dive with an air integrated dive computer set on best mixes in his own time, while not being within GUE team, would that indicate to you that he does not have the correct mindset?