GUE Fundamentals - It's go time!

[Cyprian]

One week until GUE Fundies with Doug, my friends! And so begins that week of last minute preparation that probably won't mean much at all, but will assure my "semi-sanity".

I've put in the time with my teammates and mentor....I've bugged my instructor Doug M, I've made sure that I can handle the swim test and underwater swim, I've paid the registration and class fee, booked lodging, arranged transportation (via my Suburban with teammates in tow) and read the book, went through the workbook again and again....so now it's time to relax and learn. The hard part will be the former.

I'll post a class report once I recover from the backside kicking that I am about to endure!

Stay tuned.

 

[lv2dive]

One week until GUE Fundies with Doug, my friends! And so begins that week of last minute preparation that probably won't mean much at all, but will assure my "semi-sanity".

I've put in the time with my teammates and mentor....I've bugged my instructor Doug M, I've made sure that I can handle the swim test and underwater swim, I've paid the registration and class fee, booked lodging, arranged transportation (via my Suburban with teammates in tow) and read the book, went through the workbook again and again....so now it's time to relax and learn. The hard part will be the former.

I'll post a class report once I recover from the backside kicking that I am about to endure!

Stay tuned.

Best of luck! From our conversations you really seem to have the right attitude and I expect you will get a lot out of the class...enjoy the learning experience and don't forget to have a great time! I can't wait to hear about it!

 

[TSandM]

The key to Fundies is to allow yourself not to be perfect. Don't try to impress Doug -- I can guarantee you won't It's supposed to be a CLASS, which means you should be LEARNING something, which means you don't know it or can't do already. Remember that, and most of it will be fun.

 

[rambaldi]

The key to Fundies is to allow yourself not to be perfect. Don't try to impress Doug -- I can guarantee you won't It's supposed to be a CLASS, which means you should be LEARNING something, which means you don't know it or can't do already. Remember that, and most of it will be fun.

What would you describe as the minimum level required to do Fundies. I know people often harp on about how great it is for everyone but I want to make sure I can get the most out of it and hopefully scrape at least a provisional rec pass. Currently I don't have particularly good Boyancy/Trim skills but i try to work on them every dive, and may have met a mentor that will help me out further but he has also suggested taking it sooner. I still don't want to end up having to repeat the course though, given the cost involved (I realise not so great in the long term but I want to improve my diving now before I learn bad habits)

 

[Ben_ca]

Good Luck. Where are you doing your class?

 

[Cyprian]

Good Luck. Where are you doing your class?

At the central location, Ben.....High Springs, FL.

 

[Griffo]

What would you describe as the minimum level required to do Fundies. I know people often harp on about how great it is for everyone but I want to make sure I can get the most out of it and hopefully scrape at least a provisional rec pass. Currently I don't have particularly good Boyancy/Trim skills but i try to work on them every dive, and may have met a mentor that will help me out further but he has also suggested taking it sooner. I still don't want to end up having to repeat the course though, given the cost involved (I realise not so great in the long term but I want to improve my diving now before I learn bad habits)

I don't think there are any requirements (apart from gear and an OW certificate). I did it with only 50 dives, and managed to scrape a rec pass somehow. Unless you are a dangerous diver, you will get at least a provisional. Very few people have ever been outright failed. You then have 6 months (or is it 12) to get re-assessed by your instructor which would only be one or two dives to go over the skills.

And don't expect to leave the class with "perfect" buoyancy and trim either - i certainly didn't. But I did leave much improved and with the tools and knowledge on getting it dialled in. What I then did was to dive like crazy for a couple of weeks during which time holding correct trim changed from being a conscious to an unconscious activity. I'd also practice ascent control by hovering next to learner divers who were crawling up the rope , and challenging myself to remain exactly level with them no matter what they did. Not exactly GUE SOP ascents but shhh. See if you can also find some other local GUE divers who you can dive with. You'll learn a lot by osmosis and every GUE diver i've ever met has been enthusiastic and more than willing to help out a newbie, particularly someone who has gone through fundies and wants to practice skills. The thing is, the class gives you the tools, it won't necessarily have you leaving with everything perfect. At least in the Rec pass

One week until GUE Fundies with Doug, my friends! And so begins that week of last minute preparation that probably won't mean much at all, but will assure my "semi-sanity".

I've put in the time with my teammates and mentor....I've bugged my instructor Doug M, I've made sure that I can handle the swim test and underwater swim, I've paid the registration and class fee, booked lodging, arranged transportation (via my Suburban with teammates in tow) and read the book, went through the workbook again and again....so now it's time to relax and learn. The hard part will be the former.

I'll post a class report once I recover from the backside kicking that I am about to endure!

Stay tuned.

Good luck, and i'll second what TSandM said - just accept that you will make mistakes. I think I did the worst ascent of my life during my Fundies course, but that's because I was being pushed. Think of it like an advance driving course - they expect you to spin out at some point, but that's kind of the point.

 

[rlynch]

Make sure to have fun really. I'm hard on myself and truthfully had a lot to work on. But I still enjoyed it each time ( yes, I took it a few times) before getting to where I want to be.
It'll be earned, never given..
Tell Doug I said hi...

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Have fun!

Fundamentals was one of the most fun classes I have taken.

Good luck, and enjoy.

-Mitch

 

[Cyprian]

Thanks to all for the support. I hope to follow the advice offered in this thread.......but I too am my worst critic. My plan is to go and learn and whatever happens, happens. I cannot change the outcome, I can just accept the positives and negatives and choose to learn.

"Success is a poor teacher." How we accept failures and how we learn from them is what will ultimately make us better. There are those who cannot accept failure and move on, always searching for that moment, or that class that they will pass....the class or moment that somehow makes them feel better. Not me. I know I will fail, but I will accept this and improve upon it because that is how I learn. Am I saying I will fail Fundamentals? Not at all. What I am saying is that I know there will be moments of failure and in those moments will the best teacher appear.

Safe dives to all.