Why choose GUE Rec-1?

[GRH]

Fundamentals. It is the GUE catch all for those that were certified by any other agency.

Thanks, and I initially thought the same thing, until I read a thread on the local Northwest Dive Club (nwdiveclub dot com) in the Advanced Diving > Advanced Training section titled "CONGRATULATIONS are in order!" I haven't read the TOS in awhile and can add a link if allowed but it painted a very intense and exhausting picture of the GUE Fundamentals class and included a reply from an instructor I have a tremendous amount of respect for that was given a provisional on his first attempt.

Maybe its changed after all these years and I'm not sure when he took it but if someone as accomplished as him was given a provisional on his first attempt, I would certainly be challenged. Even if I don't pass initially, I'm sure I would get plenty of value.

I will ask the local GUE instructor after diving with him for an assessment.

Thanks again.

 

[jadairiii]

but it painted a very intense and exhausting picture of the GUE Fundamentals class and included a reply from an instructor I have a tremendous amount of respect for that didn't pass on his first attempt..

Fundamentals can be taxing but I would not go as far as to say its exhausting. I will tell you some instructors will make it that way, diving all day then class until 10pm as if you are some kind of SEAL. Be clear that is not what you are looking for. Truth be told, the written part of the class could be cut down to a few hours. One instructor (that taught my daughter) does the first day all "book" class and gear rigging then spends the rest of the course in the water, done by 5 no matter because he understands people stop learning when they are tired.

And another thing, Fundies should not be looked at as a Pass/Fail, it is a great course and you will learn more in that week (or whatever) than any other course you've taken. I have taken 4 GUE classes to date and the people that fail all have one thing in common, they spend their time trying to show the instructor why they dont really need Fundies, rather than just putting their ego aside and learning. As my GUE instructor (that became one of my best friends) told me early on, take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Thanks, and I initially thought the same thing, until I read a thread on the local Northwest Dive Club (nwdiveclub dot com) in the Advanced Diving > Advanced Training section titled "CONGRATULATIONS are in order!" I haven't read the TOS in awhile and can add a link if allowed but it painted a very intense and exhausting picture of the GUE Fundamentals class and included a reply from an instructor I have a tremendous amount of respect for that didn't pass on his first attempt.

Maybe its changed after all these years and I'm not sure when he took it but if someone as accomplished as him didn't pass on his first attempt, I would certainly be challenged. Even if I don't pass initially, I'm sure I would get plenty of value.

I will ask the local GUE instructor after diving with him for an assessment.

Thanks again.

I don't know James, but Guy, Alex and Kees are great (been trained by the latter two). There has been turnover in the local GUE instructors, just like any agency. People move on for various reasons.

Fundies are long days, and more challenging/tiring than your typical con ed. But fundies and these other courses are really in different categories. Fundies is hands down, by far, the best skills course I've ever taken, including technical courses (to be clear, it is a recreational skills course).

 

[RainPilot]

Thanks, and I initially thought the same thing, until I read a thread on the local Northwest Dive Club (nwdiveclub dot com) in the Advanced Diving > Advanced Training section titled "CONGRATULATIONS are in order!" I haven't read the TOS in awhile and can add a link if allowed but it painted a very intense and exhausting picture of the GUE Fundamentals class and included a reply from an instructor I have a tremendous amount of respect for that was given a provisional on his first attempt.

Maybe its changed after all these years and I'm not sure when he took it but if someone as accomplished as him was given a provisional on his first attempt, I would certainly be challenged. Even if I don't pass initially, I'm sure I would get plenty of value.

I will ask the local GUE instructor after diving with him for an assessment.

Thanks again.

Honestly, if you don't need the GUE Fundies card, it'll be easier and cheaper to just do mentorship dives with that instructor. They do an assessment, you figure out the areas that need work and then you do that part of the training. Some of the Fundies course material is about progressing further into GUE Tech and Overhead training, so you could probably leave a chunk of that out and just focus on the parts you need.

If the GUE route is expensive etc, there are other mentorship options. Kosta (@wetb4igetinthewater ) is in your neck of the woods, and I am sure there are others as well.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Thanks Brendon. I'm on teaching hiatus for a bit, been out of the water for basically a year with my daughter who just turned one. I've been holding up with internet dives instead. And in all seriousness, as I don't know what I don't know (in this case how much my skills have degrade), I'm going to have the folks at 8 (Alex or Kees) do an evaluation, and work on their feedback. Maybe go for a fundies tech pass. I'll have to put back together my twinset though.

I'd recomend to the OP to just stick with the folks at Eight.

PS. I don't remember anything about overheads or getting into tech in my course. It was just about having the skills so that when taking T1, they wouldn't have to do remedial training which often plagues the non DIR agencies.

Honestly, there are not many outside of GUE in my area that have that kind of mindset. It is growing however. Just slowly.

 

[RainPilot]

PS. I don't remember anything about overheads or getting into tech in my course.

I stand corrected

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So I'd like to take a clarifying statement on why I consistently recommend GUE fundies. In my opinion, it is a remedial skills course for most things that should have been taught in 4-dive open water course:
- proper weighting (i.e., just enough to keep a diver at their shallowest safety stop with a nearly empty cylinder and an empty wing/BC, and a dry suit as empty as comfortable)
- proper weight distribution (so that the diver is effortlessly horizontal)
- controlled ascents/descents
- DSMB deployment
- proper frog kicks and flutter kicks (I'd move backfinning, modified flutter, and helicopter turns to after a 4-dive OW course for the sake of time)
- buddy skills (team diving)
- gas sharing moving underwater (as sometimes straight up isn't a viable option at first) and controlled ascents sharing gas.

Have I missed anything?

Honestly, this course shouldn't have to exist, but it does due to the poor training that exists in this industry. I'd argue that for the sake of safety, even once a year vacation divers should be proficient with these skills. Diving deaths go underreported after all.

So take GUE fundies / UTD Essentials / ISE Basics of Exploration / Someone who copied those courses and teaches for an agency that allows adding skills/performance requirements.

:

 

[mc42]

I'd add to the list of things learned in Fundies:
- recreational gas planning (SAC rates, min gas, all usable / half / thirds)
- fine tuning gear - backplate harnesses, crotch strap, D-ring placement
- relearning using the BCD for buoyancy after having being pushed to only use the dry suit for a while

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I'd add to the list of things learned in Fundies:
- recreational gas planning (SAC rates, min gas, all usable / half / thirds)
- fine tuning gear - backplate harnesses, crotch strap, D-ring placement
- relearning using the BCD for buoyancy after having being pushed to only use the dry suit for a while

Should have remembered about min gas as I teach that in open water. Fine tuning of gear is a given. That should happen in every class (hey! stop laughing!). Regarding single source of buoyancy is an artifact of poor training.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Fundamentals. It is the GUE catch all for those that were certified by any other agency.

I was taught fundamentals in my BSAC Sports diving. I was buddied with with an OW padi diver who had ten dives. her instructor was a BSAC and Padi instructor and she had buoyancy mastered as her instructor would not pass students who could not control themselves.

I was in a BSAC club and did pool sessions twice a week for 2 hours each as well as night dives and weekend dives.
Padi is great for those wanting an entry into diving, they don't need to be masters and lets face it some of the OW course fees in Asia are US$300 for an OW. GUE which costs more and has longer training hours certainly should be better.

Congrats to the OP and his daughter, I do believe younger people learn better as they have no preconceived thoughts on diving normally. My son did his OW with an instructor I know and he got the buoyancy right.