My Venture into GUE - Another view

[TSandM]

I have to say, I felt incredibly sorry for one of the members of the adventure dive group this weekend. I do not get motion sick, so I don't really understand it very well, but watching this incredibly game woman hang over the center rail of the boat, sweating and green, before every dive, I realized what dedication to this sport IS.

On the other hand, reboarding the boat is one of my deepest fears in diving. 4' seas give me trepidation; 10' seas would have me scrubbing the dive and staying on the boat. And one does NOT need such conditions during a stressful class.

I have taken much of my training in Puget Sound, and thought very cold water, cold air, and low viz were challenges enough. But I would recommend anyone come and take Fundies where we are, rather than fight seas and currents. All you need here is insulation and weight!

 

[Cave Diver]

On the other hand, reboarding the boat is one of my deepest fears in diving. 4' seas give me trepidation; 10' seas would have me scrubbing the dive and staying on the boat. And one does NOT need such conditions during a stressful class.

To me, the wave height isn't as bad as the frequency. We had 6-8's during my mix class. Getting off the boat was easy. Getting back on, a little harder. Finally having your lift bag spotted after a 5 mile drift... Priceless!

 

[rhlee]

Thanks for your informative report.
I think there is a difference though with multiple instructors. I have run classes of 5-6 with other local GUE instructors which allows for the same amt of water time as a class of 3 (2 teams diving simultaneously (each with their own instructor/video) but also allows a great deal of flexibility to me to juggle the teams as necessary to get everybody through the class successfully. I have only had positive feedback on this format from my students, as they like having access to multiple points of view/sources of feedback.

Regards,
-Rob

 

[LiteHedded]

I did my class at blue grotto. wonderful training site

 

[Jax]

Thank you, everyone, for the feedback and warm invitations to 'come dive with us'! I have received many PMs and emails.

What I now understand is that there are some to whom the process is more important than the dive, and that these people are the exception rather than the rule. Other GUE Practitioners cite to me that while they dive in the GUE manner, they do so in a relaxed, easy manner that is fun, not stressed.

This private and public feedback now has me looking forward to diving with GUE folk!


As for the short water times . . . I'm afraid that seems to be a by-product of our litigious society.

 

[Scott L]

I did my class at blue grotto. wonderful training site

Truly hard to beat.

 

[TSandM]

I think there is a difference though with multiple instructors.

In this case, however, that may have been less effective, because one of the "instructors" was an instructor intern. So the second instructor really wasn't there to teach the class, but to supervise, instruct and correct the first one.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Regarding stress, during the 1960's the stress hormones of US Army Special Forces A-Teams ("Green Berets") in combat in the highlands of Vietnam were being compared to the stress hormones of BUDS/SEAL (Basic Underwater Demolition School/SEAL) candidates in San Diego by a team of researchers. What they discovered was that hormone levels such as cortisol were higher in the wanna-be SEALS in training than they were in the Green Berets - even during combat! (How would you have liked to have been a phlebotomist in that study? )

Blood analysis and psychological studies of the participants noted that the stress levels of the Green Berets were greatest prior to an expected attack. The greatest concern for the combatants was the fear that they would somehow make mistakes that could result in the death of their teammates or the indigenous Montagnard troops they were advising. The fear of letting a buddy down was greater for most than the fear of the loss of their own lives. Once in combat, training, experience and instinct took over and the stress hormones were at lower levels than in the periods in which combat was anticipated.

For the BUDS/SEAL candidates wanting to be in naval special forces, the stress hormones were higher during the introduction of new skills, new training phases, and new equipment. Even the addition of a face mask being added to fins during ocean swims caused increased cortisol. From the psychological viewpoint, the greatest fear of the candidates was that they would fail the course. Performance anxiety created higher levels of stress hormones in training than men experienced under the stress of combat.

Ultimately, fear of failure to perform appropriately was more problematic for both groups.

This explains my GUE Tech 1 buddy's position. He believed that Tech 1 was more stressful than any training he had in the Marine Corps, including sniper school and recon training, that GUE Tech 1 was harder in one week, than his entire tour of duty in Force Recon, and why he was more stressed and scared in class than he was during combat in the Middle East.

For many many GUE-F students, lack of diving experience creates confusion over what is important, what can be sacrificed or modified and when, what is a drill to help you dive better vs. how you actually dive, why team position is where it is for class vs. where you really would be, feedback during class vs. feedback while diving for fun, when, where and why certain skills are used, and when it is okay and not okay to use the tools in the environment in class vs. for real. It's like a point value in the mind is identical for everything rather than certain things carrying more points than others at different phases of a dive. Even experienced divers sometimes have trouble. This adds to the anxiety.

 

[Cave Diver]

In this case, however, that may have been less effective, because one of the "instructors" was an instructor intern. So the second instructor really wasn't there to teach the class, but to supervise, instruct and correct the first one.

This class sounds a bit like "The Perfect Storm"

 

[gypsyjim]

Fear of failure, new tools, very new skill sets, new expectations and tight tolerances for the new skills, with everything new coming at you all at once. And a test at the end. Why would anyone feel stressed by that?

I hated realizing that I was not going to "pass", but a lot of students simply do not earn their pass in the short time they have during the class.

What I learned is that you will leave with new skills and tools, and you can and will continue to hone those skills, till you are able to pass, if passing is your goal.