Is GUE Fundies right for me?

[Lorenzoid]

The first time I read the GUE Equipment List posted above was about two years ago. The rigid military tone turned me off, and I put the idea of looking into GUE way on the back burner. Since then, I've seen divers with similar equipment and done more reading. Just a few months ago I decided to give it another look. This time, as I went down the equipment list item by item, it started to make sense to me. The tone IS a bit curt in places, but I am starting to see the point behind everything. I'm hoping to take Fundies (and Primer before that) this year. Thanks, OP, for asking good questions.

 

[Ben_ca]

The standardized equipment makes things easier specially when you are doing bigger dives. It lets you skip past the basics and onto the more complicated parts of a dive brief or planning right away.

I dive with non longhose divers when my schedule permits but when that happens we do spend a lot of time discussing air share strategies, weighting, air consumption, gas planning, location of their gear, BC operations etc... in contrast to when I visited TSandM in Seattle we briefed the dive in 5 mins, she handed me a scooter and off we went on a big long dive to a spot that's normally a boat dive. That's the beauty of the system. Our protocols are synced so we can just get right into the big stuff.

 

[mahjong]

"I thought about doing GUE fundies to see if I could learn something new but the black skirted mask thing and the no split-fins thing just won't work with me."

Interesting: My GUE instructor specifically recommended a clear skirt mask for at least reasonably well lit ocean environments as the clear skirt allows you to better pick up a rear or peripheral light signal from a team member. He recommended a black skirt for dark caves, where the problem is not picking up light signals but rather that lights can be blinding. Sounds like very solid reasoning to me.

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[randytay]

Not true, Guy Shockey is not in So Cal...and is not UTD



If Guy is willing to share his amazing wealth of knowledge with you, I would take advantage of that. He's a great educator and a great umm... "Guy".

Aww c'mon, you know I wasn't referring to Guy, but all respects to him

---------- Post added January 9th, 2013 at 01:20 PM ----------

I thought about doing GUE fundies to see if I could learn something new but the black skirted mask thing and the no split-fins thing just won't work with me.

Funny you said that cos I thought about doing a non UTD/GUE course to see if I could improve on their system but the Christmas tree configurations and the put anything on anywhere you want so you confuse the heck out of your buddy just won't work for me :/

 

[Peter Guy]

Just to poke things a bit regarding gear and Fundies.

Please read the gear part very carefully -- there are some "must be" phrases and "should be" phrases. Since the author used the different words, I "must" assume that there was an intent for them to be read differently.

For example, "One of the first-stages must supply" is unequivocol on the other hand, "fins should be rigid, non-split" is equivocol. When I took my Fundies course, my poor instructor pleaded with me to use a "standard SPG" instead of my beloved Cobra but he was forced to admit the Cobra was within standards. I would be very surprised that anyone could pass Fundies using split fins (especially if they were actually learning how to do the non-silting kicks) but, at least as written, split fins "should be" permitted, just not recommended!

 

[fnfalman]

Interesting: My GUE instructor specifically recommended a clear skirt mask for at least reasonably well lit ocean environments as the clear skirt allows you to better pick up a rear or peripheral light signal from a team member. He recommended a black skirt for dark caves, where the problem is not picking up light signals but rather that lights can be blinding. Sounds like very solid reasoning to me.

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He dared to stray from The Mantra? Oh my...

---------- Post added January 9th, 2013 at 03:12 PM ----------

I would be very surprised that anyone could pass Fundies using split fins (especially if they were actually learning how to do the non-silting kicks) but, at least as written, split fins "should be" permitted, just not recommended!

What makes you think that split fins can't be used to do non-silting kicks? If people were to kick up silt or can't do helicopter turns or frog kick, then it's the operator's fault and not the fin's fault; be it split fins or solid fins.

 

[Ouvea]

What makes you think that split fins can't be used to do non-silting kicks? If people were to kick up silt or can't do helicopter turns or frog kick, then it's the operator's fault and not the fin's fault; be it split fins or solid fins.

There is truth in your assertion. You can do a frog kick, flutter or helicopter kick with split fins (yes I had Apollo Bio Fins and I could do those kicks). There are those that can even do a back kick with them. However, you will have an "easier" time with a paddle bladed fin than a split fin, especially with the back kick (could not do this with my Bio Fins). You have to take the training into to context. This methodology has roots in technical diving and if I recall correctly, cave diving. This type of equipment works best in that environment and many of us have reaped great benefits from this configuration, even in the recreational diving environment. Are there drawbacks to the equipment configuration that DIR/GUE advocates? I'm certain there are some, given specific circumstances. While I was diving in Hawaii in a mild current, I was very happy to have my freediving fins vs my Hollis F1 fins. However, where I dive primarily in Monterey/Carmel, I absolutely prefer my F1 fins.



You shouldn't make the equipment configuration an obstacle to taking the GUE Fundamentals course. There's more to the GUE Fundamentals then just the equipment. It teaches you a completely different mindset in planning and executing a dive. The safety aspect of this mindset that the course teaches you is as important as the propulsion techniques taught.

 

[TSandM]

We have been over this before. You CAN do all the non-silting kicks in splits, including backing up. You CANNOT control the vortices that come off the split portion of the fins as well as you can control water flow off blades. If you are four feet off the bottom, it doesn't matter very much. If your belly is two inches above a silty bottom, it matters a lot.

In addition, the prohibition of split fins in GUE classes is not just because blades are better for the kicks -- it's because split fins are line traps, and everything in the GUE system is built to permit easy scaling to more advanced diving.

 

[GShockey]

Robert, do I still send the cheque to the same address?...... Thank you and hope you are well.

 

[tracydr]

As a retired military officer, physician and prior Missile Launch Officer, I'm also attracted to the GUE training. I recently changed all of my equipment, read some GUE books and plan to take Fundies as soon as I can. I love the standardized equipment and team concept. I also love the idea of going through an equipment check before each dive. We had similar procedures in Missiles.
I'd like to do some technical and cave diving once I have the Fundies foundation.