LDS affiliated instructor or independent one for GUE fundies.....

[Icarusflies]

Hello All;

About me; I have 75 dives since AOW certification 10 months ago and I think that DIR is the way to go. My gear is SS BP/W (venture wing from dive rite), single web harness with 5 D rings in the right places. Regulator on a 5 foot hose and secondary with necklace. I dive singles but about to get double AL80's for when diving wet. I am in the Miami area.

I am planning to take GUE classes (DIR fundamentals). I have 2 choices go through an LDS "Brownies" with an instructor names Dean Marshall (fundies, Triox, Tech 1) or go with an instroctor not affiliated with an LDS, his name Rick Rivera (Fundies).

My question for you guys is; Do you know the above mentioned instructors and what do you think about them. What would be your advice, to go with a LDS affiliated instructor or an independent one?

Thank and happy diving;

 

[Vie]

Never heard of Rick Rivera; do you mean Rick Riera-Gomez?

I'd go with the more experienced one...

 

[TSandM]

Dean Marshall just taught a Tech 1 in our area, and all reports from the participants were that it was a superb class.

Revealing my bias, I'll say that I have a feeling you will get a superb class from any GUE instructor . . .

If both of these guys are local, why don't you call each of them and talk to them, and get a feeling for who you like?

Edited to add that, although it's intuitive to say the more experienced instructor would be better, sometimes you get more energy and enthusiasm from newer instructors. You don't have to worry about the teacher not having the experience or background to give good value -- Anybody teaching Fundies walks the walk. It's required.

 

[Icarusflies]

Yes, Rick Riera-Gomez....

 

[Vie]

Edited to add that, although it's intuitive to say the more experienced instructor would be better, sometimes you get more energy and enthusiasm from newer instructors. You don't have to worry about the teacher not having the experience or background to give good value -- Anybody teaching Fundies walks the walk. It's required.

I don't disagree with you. Yes, GUE instructors are held and trained to a very high standard but it would be impossible for them to be "created equal." Some have much more DIR/team diving experience and DIR teaching experience (from teaching various levels of GUE courses, diving with the WKPP and/or doing exploration diving with their own team, etc.) than others. Personally I would try and pick the most experienced instructor in this regard. I guess it would depend also on why someone would choose to take a DIR/GUE-F course. If the aim is to learn about DIR/team diving and acquire basic diving skills with no further plan for cave/technical diving, then yes probably "any" GUE instructors will have "experience or background to give good value."

 

[TSandM]

I don't know, Vie. When I took Fundies, the fact that my instructor had done RB80 dives on an archaeological project in the Med was interesting and impressive, but not really relevant to me learning anything different or more in the class. What was important to the class was that he was good at explaining the things we were being taught, and that he was a beautiful underwater role model, and that he could TEACH underwater. Fundies is, after all, FUNDAMENTALS; you're not learning deco diving, you're learning frog kicking and how to do an air-share without corking. The level of situational awareness required is basic, and it is an introduction to the concept of operating as a team. I don't think you need somebody who can teach Tech 2 to do that. JMHO.

 

[Vie]

When I took Fundies, the fact that my instructor had done RB80 dives on an archaeological project in the Med was interesting and impressive, but not really relevant to me learning anything different or more in the class. What was important to the class was that he was good at explaining the things we were being taught, and that he was a beautiful underwater role model, and that he could TEACH underwater. Fundies is, after all, FUNDAMENTALS; you're not learning deco diving, you're learning frog kicking and how to do an air-share without corking. The level of situational awareness required is basic, and it is an introduction to the concept of operating as a team. I don't think you need somebody who can teach Tech 2 to do that. JMHO.

No, of course not, Lynne. Like I said, I don't disagree with you but I think perhaps we differ in what we expect... When I had to choose my instructor for Fundies (I only had two choices in my area) I picked based on where I wanted to go with my training - I felt that my instructor was able to demonstrate to me, based on his own teaching/diving experiences, how the basics were relevant to the kind(s) of diving he was doing and the kind(s) of diving I hope to someday undertake (and to continue to teach and advise me after the course has ended). The instructor was/is also qualified to teach GUE courses at a relatively high level. I wanted to be sure that my instructor was capable (back then I really didn't have a clue what a GUE class or DIR diving was like), and there's really no way to tell until one has taken the class, so I had to base it on his various diving experiences. JMHO, of course.

 

[globaldiver]

I can highly recommend Dean Marshall as an instructor. I had the fortune to have him as one of the instructors in my Tech 1 class, and he has both the experience and teaching skills to give an excellent class. He walks his talk, that is for sure.

Anders

 

[Icarusflies]

Thank you guys for the feed back, it helps.