What to tell my spouse about fundamentals?

[OldNSalty]

I have decided I really want to take the course and I spoke with an instructor and we tentatively agreed to a time and location for the class if enough people signed up. For what ever strange reason I said my wife might be interested as well-I don't know why I did that. So I asked my beloved if she wanted to take a class with me...without hesitation she said yes - didn't even ask what class.
I tried to explain to her the class and my reasons for wanting to take it but never having taken it, how do I really paint a clear picture? I am just concerned that she will find it more work then fun and of course that would diminish my enjoyment of the course as well.
My wife is definitely the inside type and while healthy she doesn't really like to break a sweat. She has almost no experience past her open water cert but the GUE instructor said she has trained people with as few as 10 dives to over a 1000.

In case it is relevant, I'm taking to just be better and hear the philosophy first hand. I would like to take it in doubles and a dry suit but I have just a few dives dry and none in doubles. The tentative date would be about 6 months away so I am thinking I should have time to do some dives in the configuration I want to learn in but honestly, a rec pass would be fine for me at this point.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Tell her that it is a very demanding course and that you want to show her what it entails. Show her all the demonstration videos on youtube and comment on the degree of precision and accuracy that is required to get a pass, notice the equipment requirements and some of the GUE philosophy. Have an honest discussion if that degree of precision and equipment configuration is something she wants to learn. You can be a very competent and quasi skilled diver without having the high standard and techniques that GUE offers, competence and mastery of that level take A LOT of practice in the water; not everyone has the dedication or really the desire to be that 'good' and that is perfectly fine.

A few things:
If you are going spend the money and take the class seriously she has to do more diving, both for the experience and as a sign she really wants it.
If she decides she wants to do it, then use her as your 2nd and attempt to get the instructor to do the class with just the two of you. Most GUE instructors will do a class with two students. You might end up getting a third, but just having the two of you would allow the instructor to give you some extra attention

It also kind of sounds like you are not sure you want to take the class with her, probably driven by her lack of diving experience/enthusiasm and you are afraid she will mess up your class and complain during your off hours. If my reading of the situation is correct, you just need to have an honest conversation about the skills that will be demanded, take her on some dives and have her do some of them. Fundies is a great class to learn from (so I have heard), but if you don't have basic buoyancy control, half way decent kick, etc you won't get the most out of the class. You may find that both you and her need to do some work before officially enrolling in the class.

Where would you be taking the class? Someplace warm or cold?

---------- Post added September 13th, 2015 at 12:10 AM ----------

Some video links...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vh7MEs1KZ0 GUE Rec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD4K0SzZijI GUE DIR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYOgoVaD_z4 Skills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-p7Pm0tSWM More Skills

 

[KevinNM]

Consider fundamentals 1 first, then taking 2 sometime later. This allows you to understand the core equipment and then the buoyancy, trim and propulsion skills and how to properly do them. You probably won't be able to immediately do them properly, but you will understand how to do them and hence recognize when you are and are not doing them correctly. It also gives her a class that is less of a commitment up front.

Fundamentals can get pretty hard and very frustrating at times. Things that you thought you could easily do become a lot harder when the instructor starts adding more tasks to do at the same time.

That said, I had two divers with only 20 some dives in my fundamentals class and they were able to perform the skills needed for a rec pass by the end of the class. One had taken primer (essentially what is now fundamentals 1) but only a few days before, the other had not. It was hard for all of us. Not having set bad habits into stone is an advantage when learning how to do things differently, just as much of an advantage as having more comfort as diver and a general grasp of the skills prior to the class is when you also have some really difficult to break habits.

There was a comment by a fundamentals instructor that they want to give you your money's worth, so if you are easily doing the minimum needed they will push you to do things faster, more precisely and/or while having extra tasks thrown at you.

 

[OldNSalty]

To answer your questions there Cpt, doing the course in Florida and I'm not worried about her ruining anything for me I'm just worried she would not enjoy the course.

 

[divad]

Take "Primer" with your wife now and practice with her for the 6 months until Fundamentals (if she's still interested).

---------- Post added September 13th, 2015 at 07:36 AM ----------

I am just concerned that she will find it more work then fun and of course that would diminish my enjoyment of the course as well. My wife is definitely the inside type and while healthy she doesn't really like to break a sweat.

Hopefully she'll read this, get pissed off, and surprise you.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Assuming logistics aren't too much of a hassle, I agree with taking fundamentals 1 first and saving fundamentals 2 for later. This will allow her (and you) to ease into the program and get some practice. You might decide to take Fundies 2 the next week, but at least she isn't getting both barrels in the face all at once.

 

[divad]

Take Primer, then continue (or not) to Fundamentals (or F1 then F2).

 

[OldNSalty]

Turns out to not be an issue. I told her I was going to have the instructor call her and talk about the class. She says she understands that it will be a lot of time in the pool and things have to be perfect and she is OK with that...so I will be as well.

 

[Lorenzoid]

When I first described GUE to my wife and suggested we take Fundamentals, she did not like the idea at all of training and diving that was so seemingly regimented. But we got through Primer (which I understand now is called "Fundamentals 1") and by the time we got to Fundamentals (now called Fundamentals 2"?) we were both beginning to have fun. I think that's the biggest thing: don't approach it like it's a difficult course to get through, and that things "have to be perfect" to earn a pass--just try to have fun. Take it seriously, of course, but never forget to have fun with it. My wife loves GUE now, and we have our eyes on upgrading to tech passes at some point. But it sure didn't start out that way for us.

 

[jadairiii]

....I would like to take it in doubles and a dry suit but I have just a few dives dry and none in doubles. ....

You better not let her take the class, because she will earn her Rec Pass and you will get a provisional.......