Verifying dives

[BlueTrin]

@Dody if that’s of interest to you, and if you wanted to do something similar to GUE fundies is that you could contact a tech instructor and literally pay for their time to have a 1 to 1 session (or couple of sessions) without a class but just you defining your goals: for example improving your finning or buoyancy.

Of course you’d have to choose the right instructor.

I did this with a TDI instructor and that was very useful for me.

 

[Dody]

@Dody if that’s of interest to you, and if you wanted to do something similar to GUE fundies is that you could contact a tech instructor and literally pay for their time to have a 1 to 1 session (or couple of sessions) without a class but just you defining your goals: for example improving your finning or buoyancy.

Of course you’d have to choose the right instructor.

I did this with a TDI instructor and that was very useful for me.

Thanks. How long in average would this take? Is two weeks a fair estimation?

 

[BlueTrin]

Thanks. How long in average would this take? Is two weeks a fair estimation?

GUE fundies is 4 days very packed, like from morning to late.

I’d say probably try one day at first, if you can try locally, so you don’t commit too much?

If you have to to travel maybe group more days if that makes sense but the advantage of breaking down a bit is that you can work a bit on your own time using the pointers given by the instructor?

I would have preferred to have 2 days and 2 days in retrospect for Fundies. But my class is fairly local so travelling isn’t too much of an issue.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Thanks. How long in average would this take? Is two weeks a fair estimation?

I think that depends on you and also how well you pick up the instruction given. Later on this year I am going to do a TDI advanced nitrox and deco course. I will do it in sidemount. However first I will do a sidemount course followed by at least 20 sidemount dives in the week following that. Those extra 20 dives a lot of them will be with my instructor who will also do my TDI course. That extra diving experience in sidemount I want before I do the TDI course. I don't want to complete sidemount and then go straight to the TDI course, which I can of course do so if I wish to.

After I have done the TDI course I will do another week doing deep diving. So I plan on 3 weeks for all of that.

All my training dives will be logged as dives. No reason for them not to be.

 

[ginti]

Thanks. How long in average would this take? Is two weeks a fair estimation?

Hi @Dody, indeed, BlueTrin's suggestion is an excellent one. I did it myself once

Keep in mind two things:
(1) If you do some one-to-one sessions with an instructor, you will miss all the team working/communication/awareness part;
(2) Because the sessions are designed for you, they can be half a day, one day, two days, or whatever you want; especially if you have difficulties due to tight schedules, this advantage can be crucial.

You still have the issue of adequately evaluating the instructor in terms of skills, and you need to be sure that they will teach you what you need.

P.S. If you plan to do so, I believe that GUE instructors may accept you since you are not going to apply for any GUE card; that is true for any agency, so in this specific case, forget at all about the agency and focus on the skills and personal attitude of the instructor

 

[Chris Stock]

I started diving in 78 with no certification (I was 9), just me and my Dad who learned in the Navy. Then around 87ish we went to get tanks filled and they told us about PADI etc... and for liability we would need to get that cert. Dad and I laughed since I had been diving for almost a decade and he, well I don't know, but a long time! The pumpers where cool though, we didn't have to take a class, Dad just paid some money and we where certified. Anyway, I've never kept a record of diving and only recently in Thailand someone asked me for my Deepwater cert for a wreck. So in 40 years I've dived all over and everything in between and only ONE time did someone ask me for anything. So don't sweat it. But it sounds like it could be cool to collect them. Someone mentioned personal stamps in different Countries, which is cool. We have a custom stamp for our sailboat when we go to foreign ports.

 

[ginti]

Anyway, I've never kept a record of diving and only recently in Thailand someone asked me for my Deepwater cert for a wreck. So in 40 years I've dived all over and everything in between and only ONE time did someone ask me for anything.

But you probably dive autonomously - namely, with your own boat or from the shore. If you want to go with a business (cruise, boats, dive guides, etc.) you definitely need a card, at least everywhere I have been (Egypt, Europe).

 

[Chris Stock]

But you probably dive autonomously - namely, with your own boat or from the shore. If you want to go with a business (cruise, boats, dive guides, etc.) you definitely need a card, at least everywhere I have been (Egypt, Europe).

I got the card in 87 if you read it again. I'm fine with the new system, much safer now. My Dad dove in the Navy, but as for caves and wrecks, we made it up as we went on what we thought was safe.

 

[ginti]

I got the card in 87 if you read it again. I'm fine with the new system, much safer now. My Dad dove in the Navy, but as for caves and wrecks, we made it up as we went on what we thought was safe.

Yes, I got that your card is from the eighties... My point was another one: you said that only one business has ever asked you a certification. Well, that is surely not the current business practice, at least where I dive. Here everyone wants to see certifications, sometimes insurances and (rarely) even medical statements

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes, I got that your card is from the eighties... My point was another one: you said that only one business has ever asked you a certification. Well, that is surely not the current business practice, at least where I dive. Here everyone wants to see certifications, sometimes insurances and (rarely) even medical statements

I've read that France is rare in that diving there is way more regulated than elsewhere. Over here, Quebec is the only place that requires something from the government in addition to your cert. card (some kind of test I think--probably just a way to make $).