My Venture into GUE - Another view

[gsk3]

When we debriefed that evening, I felt pretty good about the results--we could really see what was happening for the most part. The instructor was critical, though. He noticed that on a number of occasions while I was filming I had broken trim, and I was essentially reprimanded in front of the students for doing so.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I had the opposite experience whilst filming a Fundies class. I was told repeatedly that my job was to film, and that looking pretty wasn't the most important thing. I'd like to think I looked pretty, but there were definitely a few moments where I was doing a sea lion impression and there was nary a comment afterwards except a thanks-for-filming and a suggestion about backing up more on the ascent to get everyone in from fin tip to fin tip.

 

[BigBubbaJ]

IMO This is absolutely wrong, at least in diving it is. How many times did you see 5thDX videos and think "hell yeah, that I can do." How many times did you see others in the water and think, "yep, I can do this!" The point is not only seeing others, it is learning by doing. Sure you can watch a video and armchair what you THINK you would do, but you have no idea how you will repsond until you are forced to. And in any class you learn that it is a far more complicated thing to get multiple people on the same page than it seems like it would be. Point is: you will never properly learn to save your life watching other peoples mistakes.

Watching that tech 1 video was great, but ultimately useless to learn from without instructor guidance, proper education in the proper protocols, and actually going through classes that teach you what you need to know.

That is why I take the classes. Learning to be a better diver, better team mate is a lot of work and a lot of fun.

I start UTD Tech 2 this month. (UTD Tech 1 + Tech 2 is basically equivalent to GUE Tech 1)

No matter what happens watching a video, having bubbles blowing around while your team mate is fussing with a reel or something is extremely stressful. Only through the class process do you learn how to calm down, think, and react (usually) correctly. The classes present forced, elevated levels of stress with multiple compound failures. You learn in these classes that you can't be an effective part of a team without good fundamentals, and you cant solve these problems without trusting your team to all work to meet the goal. The minimum goal being to walk away from every dive.

 

[Gombessa]

I already added a password to the video. I am less concerned about the video itself- I do recall being told we weren't supposed to release. Short term memory loss or something. Anyhow, Anyone with goodtrim will still be able to watch it which probably skirts rules. All these rules and blah blah.

In my limited experience, this "release/non-release of videos" has always struck me as a minor difference between the agencies, primarily because I almost always dive with a camera. My 5thD-X and UTD class videos were given to me if I asked for them. Having taken them with a defined "team" probably made a big difference, since it was easy to ensure that we were all on the same page wrt what to do with the vids. Sometimes, it's fun to go back and see just how far we've come (or how much we've regressed, depending on the day). GUE vids were never released, and the policy described above was clearly explained to us.

 

[Scott L]

Personally, I would rather watch celebrity bowling reruns rather than view other folks fundies clips.

 

[Cave Diver]

GUE vids were never released, and the policy described above was clearly explained to us.

A long time ago they were released, because I have a copy of the video from my class.

 

[Gombessa]

A long time ago they were released, because I have a copy of the video from my class.

So what are you waiting for?

 

[Cave Diver]

So what are you waiting for?

I'd have to figure out which box it's packed away in, then copy it over from vhs before I could upload it. I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[rhlee]

FWIW, when I have had students ask for the video for "later review" purposes, I have offered to hold onto the tape and make it available to be re-watched later. I've yet to have anybody come back and ask to see an old tape again; go figure

In my limited experience, this "release/non-release of videos" has always struck me as a minor difference between the agencies, primarily because I almost always dive with a camera. My 5thD-X and UTD class videos were given to me if I asked for them. Having taken them with a defined "team" probably made a big difference, since it was easy to ensure that we were all on the same page wrt what to do with the vids. Sometimes, it's fun to go back and see just how far we've come (or how much we've regressed, depending on the day). GUE vids were never released, and the policy described above was clearly explained to us.

 

[Cave Diver]

FWIW, when I have had students ask for the video for "later review" purposes, I have offered to hold onto the tape and make it available to be re-watched later. I've yet to have anybody come back and ask to see an old tape again; go figure

I've watched mine a few times since the class, but it's been several years since the last time.

For those interested, here is a list of class reports I put together around the time I took my class. It's interesting to see how things have evolved, and stayed the same from that long ago.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/22200-list-dirf-class-reports.html

 

[rjack321]

Did the instructor tamper with the gear to create a simulation of an equipment fault?

Depending on the course, equipment may be tampered with or "stolen"