I drank the GUE Fundies Kool-Aid and survived!!

[Belmont]

And who would this instructor be.... LB??

No, his name is Stephane Jolicoeur.

He teaches in the Thousand Island region, in Ontario.

 

[ScubaSam]

At any rate, Fundies is a fabulous class for polishing diving skills, becoming a better buddy, and having more fun in the water.

Any training that challenges your preconceptions about your ability and skill is always a worthwhile endeavor.

If nothing else, the class will have showed you where you need improvement, and given you some tools to achieve it.

Agree 110%, well said.

 

[ONESPEED]

Stop it, Ohm, I am not among the elite, unless your definition of elite is anyone fortunate enough to dive!!!!

No one should ever dive with a dangerous diver so I will not dive with a dangerous diver. If you say yes to all of the questions below, I will dive with you.

• Will you donate your regulator if I needed it underwater?
• Will you stay by my side and be my buddy, NOT swim off or bolt to the surface when I have enough gas for us both to surface doing all our required ascent stops?
• Will you dive safe and within the limit of our training?
• Will we have, discuss and agree on a dive plan that includes enough gas to get us both back to the surface, boat or shore safely before heading into the water?

Am sure I'm leaving out more questions but it's after midnight in London now so I'm sleepy...yawn!!

I'll dive with ya Sam.

 

[ScubaSam]

I'll dive with ya Sam.

And you have, we did the Duane together at ITK!!

You are an awesome and considerate buddy, great trim, buoyancy, stayed by my side the entire dive, kept looking over and checking that I was ok. I'd dive with you any chance I get, Mister!!

Everyone, Chip knew I was the less experience newbie diver but took me on as a buddy regardless. We went at my pace and he kept checking throughout the dive that I was comfortable. It was one of the most enjoyable dives of ITK.

 

[wershwie]

Speaking of diving together/buddying up... (a bit of a hijack here ;P)

I'll be flying into the US for the 1st time this September! I'll be spending mandatory time with relatives (oh yeah) in LA/Hollywood, but I plan on driving up to Monterey for a day of diving Should be there by Sep22 to dive on the 23rd. Ben_Ca has generously offered to lend his extra set of gear, but isn't sure if he can come dive with me. Anyone out there free to introduce me to my first cold water dive experience? Please just PM me so we won't totally mess this thread up

Thanks!

 

[PerroneFord]

The point re: baseline skills for Fundies bears repeating. I took the same DIR-F class as Sam and Henrik. Not having mastered the requisite buoyancy and trim skills PRIOR to class, I flamed out. Spectacularly.

While I did my very best to maintain a positive, cheerful outlook - and especially to be as helpful a teammate as possible despite my prodigious shortcomings - the experience has left me absolutely crushed.

Let's talk a bit about crushed....

You may know me, or you may not. I don't post much on SB any more. I took my Fundies class several years ago. I am fortunate to live a couple hours from High Springs and have access to some of the best diving in the world in my back yard. That access afforded me the chance to talk to the founder of GUE and arrange to take the class with him.

So, my Fundies class had one cave diver with over 25 years experience who is a world renown dive physiologist. One cave diver with over 10 years experience, his girlfriend, and the author of GUE's deco program. And me. My first dive of Fundies I had 23 dives total to my name. My instructors, Jarrod Jablonski, and Doug Mudry (manager of Extreme Exposure). Doug had the camera.

I could not hover. AT ALL. I could not descend in any semblance of control. I could not maintain station over the platform, because I could not get horizontal and stop finning. I held onto the platform at Blue Grotto for the bulk of the dives. I was a terrible mess. The video did nothing to make me feel better about my incredibly poor skill in the water. But, what did happen, was that I got a perspective on the class that was quite unique. I was in class with the person who penned the book and the system. I would not trade my experience for anything in the world, and despite the classes I've had before or since, NOTHING comes close to what I learned in that class. Not cave, not Adv. Nitrox, not the rebreather classes I sat in. Nothing.

So for anyone who is thinking of taking Fundies, take it sooner rather than later. I knew there was no hope of me passing the course. That is not why I was there, and I articulated that before I ever signed up. I wanted to be a better diver, and that is exactly what I got from the course. I've had the chance to dive with a number of other SBers including Lynne who was fresh out of her Cave 1 class (I think) in Mexico. Some of the dives I've had over the years have gone well, others not so well. Nature of the game.

As for DIR divers being mean... well I've met jackasses from more agencies that I can remember. I didn't cast aspersions on their agency simply because someone gave them a cert card. That's beyond silly. If someone wants to be mad at me, or doesn't want to dive with me because I dive in a DIR manner, no prob. Have a great day.

Sam, great job with the class. We'll get in some FL dives when you come down.

 

[BabyDuck]

[hijack] great to see you, perrone! i hope you've been well. [/hijack]

 

[ONESPEED]

As for DIR divers being mean... well I've met jackasses from more agencies that I can remember. I didn't cast aspersions on their agency simply because someone gave them a cert card. That's beyond silly.

Exactly. Agencies don't make jackasses, chances are they were jackasses to start with. I was very turned off to the DIR concept initially because of a couple of chest thumpers I encountered, I have since become friends and dive buddies w/ numerous GUE trained divers and can honestly say I have gained considerable knowledge from them. I don't see how anyone can argue GUE training is first class.

 

[ScubaSam]

Wow, Perrone !!!!!!!

How lucky am I to have you make a "special guest appearance" on SB and in this thread, damn that's gotta be a highlight in my post-Fundies life....

I look forward to meeting and to diving with you when I'm in the cave country next.

 

[trogloxene]

Doug had the camera. I could not hover. AT ALL. I could not descend in any semblance of control. I could not maintain station over the platform, because I could not get horizontal and stop finning. <SNIP> I was a terrible mess. The video did nothing to make me feel better about my incredibly poor skill in the water.

Reminds me of my recent class with Doug Great report!

Sean