DIR- GUE Input and Advice on my GUE Training Path and GUE Courses

[CheckedBubbles]

Well you can but: 1) its not that deep if you are swimming and staying out of the trench bit and 2) if the conditions are at all iffy its going to really really suck trying to get out. It's often bad in a single, why would you bother with doubles here?

Sure, for most of that dive site it's not necessary but doubles open up some other options. It's an easy to kick to the trench at N. Monastery to get in a tech dive. The deco in the kelp forest is really nice. There's also some awesome topography South of South Monastery that is accessible by scooter.

But "why would you bother" is a totally different point than "can't actually access in doubles at all".

 

[rjack321]

Sure, for most of that dive site it's not necessary but doubles open up some other options. It's an easy to kick to the trench at N. Monastery to get in a tech dive. The deco in the kelp forest is really nice. There's also some awesome topography South of South Monastery that is accessible by scooter.

But "why would you bother" is a totally different point than "can't actually access in doubles at all".

Was more thinking about the exit than the entry. The OP is years away from tech training, but he's young so has plenty of "let's not do that again" moments ahead in his career

 

[CheckedBubbles]

Was more thinking about the exit than the entry. The OP is years away from tech training, but he's young so has plenty of "let's not do that again" moments ahead in his career

Haha, I would do it again

Gotta be REALLY picky about the days you try it and time your exit with the wave sets. Doubles could easily make an exit very sketchy if you tried on a rougher day.

 

[elgoog]

... my 55 year old dive buddy managed it just fine ...

You think I'm 55??? I'll admit I haven't aged well because I drink a lot and don't watch what I eat and am mostly sedentary but jeez man ...

 

[OctoHelm]

I think I mentioned this in one of my earlier posts @OctoHelm , but I'll reiterate just in case.

Classes are not the end all, be all. You are being mentored, and mentored by someone who I assume is still actively doing T1 level dives. That has the potential for much more value than the class alone and I think you're putting a lot more into what you'll gain out of those classes than you may actually get. Not to downplay their importance, but those classes are designed for people to LEARN the fundamentals prior to taking courses like T1. I wouldn't wait to take fundies, nor would I wait to take fundies in doubles. I'm not going to second guess Beto as I assume he's seen you in the water and he's a world class instructor. I don't know exactly what @mer said to you, though I will be asking her on our Zoom call tonight, but I have to agree with @johnkendall and say just take the class now, and take it in doubles. Abandon Rec2 because I don't think it's useful if you want to take T1. Dive your a$$ off, then when you decide that you need/want to go below 4atas, take T1. The most important thing is to continue to develop those mentorship relationships. There are some truly incredible GUE divers in your neck of the woods, go dive with them.

Good morning, @tbone1004!

I like that plan of taking it now in doubles, and then diving a lot. It gives me time to decide if I really want to go to T1. I also like how you mention to keep on building relationships with our community. That is definitely important! Thank you so much for your continued advice, it has been immensely helpful.

Hey @OctoHelm awesome that you're getting into GUE so young.

I'm an active GUE/BAUE T1 diver. I took fundies and T1 with Beto and C1 with Mer. Both are fantastic instructors that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone.

You've gotten a lot of good advice in this thread and I would just like to add/clarify a few things since you're talking about my local area/club.

You definitely don't need doubles to enjoy diving in Monterey. Many people on the BAUE recreational level charters dive them, but that's mostly because it's nice to not have to switch tanks in-between dives. There are plenty of single tank divers as well. Doubles really aren't important until you start scooter/tech diving and it's a pretty easy skill to pick up if your bouyancy/propulsion skills are solid. I'd also like to clarify that literally no one I dive with dives AL80 doubles locally. When people say "80s" here they mean steel LP85s which are a very common choice. I would suggest using your drysuit in fundies. My drysuit was a critical part of me being happy diving here and you'll get a lot of good feedback.

With regards to doing T1 dives in Monterey: I love being tech certified because it gives me access to the deeper sites in the bay and South. The vis is typically better deep here, and you're insulated from the surface swell which is nice. However that said, helium is expensive and I can't imagine doing this kind of stuff regularly on a highschool/college student budget. A single day of T1-level boat diving costs roughly $300 (~$150 boat + $120 in trimix/deco gas + $40 in gasoline to drive from the Bay Area). That doesn't even include when you get scooter-envy and drop $8k on a brand new Genesis.

Take your time and just enjoy local diving before you go and make it complicated. Point Lobos and North Monastery are still two of my absolute favorite places to dive and have tons to explore at a Fundies level. (BTW @rjack321 you can absolutely dive Monastery in doubles, I've done it a few times and my 55 year old dive buddy managed it just fine) The BAUE recreational charter boat trips are also a ticket to some awesome dive sites and are a great way to meet and dive with other GUE-trained buddies. I totally understand being end-goal focused, but don't forget to enjoy the time spent building experience.

Heya @CheckedBubbles!

It's good to see someone from BAUE here! I hear that they are a very active dive group. I definitely plan to use my drysuit for fundies, as I run really cold. It's good to know the benefits of T1 in Monterey, so that is helpful to know.

I went to Hidden Beach last time I was in Monterey, and it was great. Good point mentioning the BAUE charters, as that is definitely something I am looking forward to.

You think I'm 55??? I'll admit I haven't aged well because I drink a lot and don't watch what I eat and am mostly sedentary but jeez man ...

Hi @elgoog!

Okay, let me make this clear, whoever came up with the name "Team Half Burrito" is an absolute god. That has to be one of my favorite names ever for a team. Massive kudos to you and your team. It's fantastic!! I love it!!

Thanks again to everyone who has replied so far. You are all an invaluable resource for me, and I cannot thank you enough.

Respectfully,

OctoHelm

 

[beester]

And this is why a deco program should include some practical "blue water no visual reference" ascents in the training.

There was a time when you could do T2 in a cave with GUE (prerequisite was of course being already cave 2 certified). Not sure if that is still the case but I know for a fact that some project organisers wouldn't allow T2 cert divers on the project if they had gotten their T2 in a cave.

Doing long deco in caves vs blue water is totally different. Not only the lack of reference and the fact that you can't totally zone out like you can in your favorite 6m -20ft) spot (hang on the ceiling), but there is also current, not losing the ascend line or your buddys, surface conditions... etc. Same with equipment stress on board... during wreck diving you are much more in a "rush" than during cave diving. A very nice clip shows this in some very spectacular way... let me see if I can find it.

 

[ginti]

There was a time when you could do T2 in a cave with GUE (prerequisite was of course being already cave 2 certified). Not sure if that is still the case but I know for a fact that some project organisers wouldn't allow T2 cert divers on the project if they had gotten their T2 in a cave.

You still can do T2 in caves (under certain conditions), but if you entirely do it in caves you do not get the T2 cert, you get a "C2 hypoxic trimix". The reason for this difference is exactly what you explained

 

[OctoHelm]

@ginti Good to know about C2 and T2. Hopefully I will get there someday!

This is a bit of a random question, but I think I will ask anyways.

When I dive in my BP/W, I arch my back, and it becomes concave. It is like I am trying to straighten my back out before lifting weights. I don't know why I do that, and as I was practicing a bailout from a feet first ascent in my dry suit, I think that ticked it off. This is not the first time that I have felt pain in my back, so I'd love any feedback on there too.

Back to GUE/DIR things, is there any value in me taking Rec 2? If I get a rec pass from fundies, I could then go to rec 2 and take that in doubles, but I don't know what my goals should be with regards to that.

If anyone has any feedback, questions or comments, please let me know! I'm willing to take as much feedback as I can get.

Thank you all so much!

Respectfully,

OctoHelm

 

[rjack321]

I would just take a conventional AOW class from a decent instructor so you have the card if you need it. You don't need Rec2 and its a ton of money which you could instead spend on gear, nitrox, charters, and gas for the car to actually get diving.

 

[OctoHelm]

I would just take a conventional AOW class from a decent instructor so you have the card if you need it. You don't need Rec2 and its a ton of money which you could instead spend on gear, nitrox, charters, and gas for the car to actually get diving.

I already have my AOW, so Rec 2 doesn't get me anything, so I think I will just stick with prepping for a tech pass with fundies.

Thanks for your input!

Respectfully,

OctoHelm