GUE Fundies/Tech 1: Do Boat Operators Still Want AOW Card Too?

[dsteding]

What is the minimum depth one must see before earining a GUE-F card? Could one earn a DIR-F card and never go below 25-30 feet?

It is not about going deep. 2 dives need to be at least 25 feet, max depth is 60. GUE is quite conservative about depths, I've known of rec triox provisional students (that have dive skills possessed by less than 1% of the dive population) who were told not to go below 60 feet . . .

 

[rjack321]

What is the minimum depth one must see before earining a GUE-F card? Could one earn a DIR-F card and never go below 25-30 feet?

Actually I'd be surprised if any DIRF class hit 30ft, mine didn't. Any facility asking for an "AOW" card is not going to be accepting a DIRF cert as equivalent. They aren't speaking the same language.

 

[CompuDude]

Actually I'd be surprised if any DIRF class hit 30ft, mine didn't. Any facility asking for an "AOW" card is not going to be accepting a DIRF cert as equivalent. They aren't speaking the same language.

We hit 45' in our class, but only on one of the dives where toxing diver demos were done, so as to have room to demo an ascent to 20' (with stops) and then a horizontal travel. We practiced ascents and descents near that depth as well (same dive), so we could have more than just a stop at 20' and 10', which would have been the case if the bottom were at 30'.

The rest was all done around 28-30', though.

 

[nadwidny]

Actually I'd be surprised if any DIRF class hit 30ft, mine didn't. Any facility asking for an "AOW" card is not going to be accepting a DIRF cert as equivalent. They aren't speaking the same language.

Exactly. Despite DIRF now being around 15 or 16 weeks long, its' main purpose is as a test to ensure that those that want to further their GUE education are ready for that. It does not in any way qualify one in anything except to take more GUE classes and become the newest expert on DIR on the internet.

 

[CompuDude]

Exactly. Despite DIRF now being around 15 or 16 weeks long, its' main purpose is as a test to ensure that those that want to further their GUE education are ready for that. It does not in any way qualify one in anything except to take more GUE classes and become the newest expert on DIR on the internet.

Huh? (emphasis added)

 

[jim T.]

Well then, I guess the real question would be: would Tech 1 (rather than fundies) be accepted by most ocean boat operators nationally in place of AOW. I'll be asking a sampling from the Great Lakes region(s) and N.C. and Channel Islands as soon as I get the chance.

 

[rjack321]

Well then, I guess the real question would be: would Tech 1 (rather than fundies) be accepted by most ocean boat operators nationally in place of AOW. I'll be asking a sampling from the Great Lakes region(s) and N.C. and Channel Islands as soon as I get the chance.

I have yet to actually be on a boat asking to see an AOW card. Not in FL, Bahamas, CA, or WA. It seems to be a region/company specific requirement. If the boat is asking for AOW they probably have never heard of GUE. Or they will go ballistic about technical diving/deco.

By and large GUE Tech1 or 2 trained divers are not using the types of charters requiring AOW. They are far more likely to be using a private or 6pack vessel for anything more than a bimble. So the AOW card asking charters and Tech1 divers are not interacting much.

AOW can be done in a couple weekends on air. DIRF then Tech1 takes about 3 years (or more) on average (between diving, practice, and the big buggaboo scheduling) and includes nitrox, norm and hyperoxic trimix, and up to 30mins of deco on 50% or O2. So they are really completely different beasts.

I really doubt GUE HQ knows how to answer your inquiry. How could they know if some skipper somewhere refuses to recognize their training?

PS. I'd be pretty surprised if the DIRF and Tech1 level trained divers here don't have an AOW card somewhere too. Mine's from SSI. I don't think is says much of anything about my diving.

 

[nadwidny]

Huh? (emphasis added)

It was tongue in cheek as I've seen Fundies evolve from "An Evening and a Dive with Kane" format to the present day monstrosity of a multi day class.

 

[TSandM]

In all our trips, I've been with one dive op that cared to see anything beyond my OW card, and that was in Indonesia, where to my amazement, I was limited to 80 feet of depth because I hadn't brought my PADI Deep specialty card . . .

I can't imagine a charter operator restricting your dives because you don't have an AOW card, if you are carrying a card from any agency showing that you are tech certified. But then, I'm often amazed at the ridiculous rules people mindlessly enforce.

 

[fweber]

GUE is quite conservative about depths, I've known of rec triox provisional students (that have dive skills possessed by less than 1% of the dive population) who were told not to go below 60 feet . . .

Your subjective assestment of these divers as presumably representing the top 1%, aside. Is GUE actually teaching helium usage to students it feels aren't qualified to exceed 60 ft.?