Why did YOU take (or plan to take) GUE Fundies?

[kathydee]

Forgive my geographical ignorance here, but where exactly IS "High Springs" lol.



Thanks

MapQuest Maps - Driving Directions - Map

High Springs is the central HQ for GUE & well worth the trip.

 

[TSandM]

If going to Gainesville is a deal-breaker, it appears that Rick Riera-Gomez is still an active instructor in Miami. I seem to remember having read one report of a Fundies class with him that was very positive.

 

[laurin]

I decided to take fundies just to see where the bar was. I already had IANTD intro to cave and normoxic trimix with about 400 dives, and diving both overheads and deep wrecks, pretty much to the limits of my training. At the time, that was also about as advanced diving that I was expecting to do in the future, so fundies was a kind of checkpoint for me - I was pretty confident I could get the tech pass, but prepared to get my ass handed to me, and take a long hard look in the mirror should that happen.

I was pretty happy with my training and instructors that far, but not really with the agency - the course materials were pretty much crap, the course progression illogical and at the time there was a lot of completely arbitrary-seeming changes to standards. I wasn't planning on continuing my training with GUE, but it turned out that when I was ready to go further I got a chance to go that way, and at least for me the C2/T2 courses offered the best value - a lot of high-quality instructor time for the money, and no time wasted on getting everybody on the same page, which was a big complaint from my buddy who took further IANTD training.

Btw, my experience is that GUE credentials are pretty much universally accepted by other agencies, even if they might not be mentioned in the standards for crossovers. If they're not, the issue is with the instructor, and it doesn't probably have anything to do with diving.

//LN

 

[rlynch]

My decision to take Fundies in Dec this year and Primer (aug) and spend time with my instructor working on some areas prior to Fundies is motivated by 3 things.
1) personal skills development, i've been diving on/off since 1988 and have done a lot of dives around the world but wanted to get my presonal skills up to the level that i have seen demonstrated in GUE trained divers and insructors.
2) the training is a gateway for me to push myself and what i want to acomplish now and later in life.
3) i need the training, muscle memory and aptitude to tackle a very specific goal i have, diving the wrecks in Bikini Atoll. the avg. Depth, remote location, and multiple decompression dives over the course of a two week trip push the boundries of many of the training offerings out there. GUE is the exception as it builds the core skills which enable one to do is sucessfully and safely time and time again.

 

[ligersandtions]

When I first got certified, I didn't really feel ready to go dive without an instructor. I eventually met some GUE-trained divers and saw how controlled they looked in the water, and I knew I wanted that. I began to emulate their movements and eventually started feeling much better about my ability to dive, but I knew I wanted to take Fundamentals.

I read a bunch of the old GUE-F reports on SB and got up the nerve to contact the local GUE instructor. Unfortunately, he was not teaching at the time (and is no longer teaching), so taking Fundies kind of got pushed to the side. However, in that time, I began diving with some of the local DIR divers and was actively seeking and receiving good feedback. Though I hadn't taken a formal class yet, the mentorship I received had me diving almost as though I'd taken the class.

Fast forward a bit and UTD Essentials had become an alternate option, so I decided to take it. Next thing you know, a couple of my good dive buddies took Fundamentals, and I realized that if I wanted the option to train with them in the future (either T1 or C1), I needed to take Fundamentals also.

So, the reason I pursued this style of training was because I saw how controlled and precise one could be in the water and knew I wanted that; the reason I pursued GUE Fundamentals was because I think their tech training (T1/C1) options are more in line with what I'm looking for.

 

[KMD]

I wanted to take Cave 1.

 

[KMD]

I wanted to take Cave 1.

I guess I really wanted to take Cave 1 as this posted twice.

 

[Kevrumbo]

A lot of people are told to "Take Fundies" to help improve their diving skills but I'm curious as to why people actually do take Fundies -- that is, what was the final trigger that made them (you) sign up?

For me, I wasn't going to take the class having taken Rec 1 and Rec 2 from the precursor to UTD -- 5th DX. I just couldn't come up with a justification to spend the time and money although a friend was working on me to join him. Then I had a triggering event on a dive in Canada (learned a big lesson -- if your gear isn't right on the boat, it won't get better in the water). That night, at dinner, I told me friend I'd sign up and I did.

I periodically read about people who are even Technical Instructors for another agency and they decide to take Fundies -- why? (Note, my NAUI Tech buddy has just decided to take Fundies for example and I know why, or at least think I do.) So why did YOU finally decide to pull the trigger and sign up for the class?

(2001) Because of the "epiphany" experienced by John Walker & Michael Kane, two original hardcore NE Atlantic Wreck Divers who changed after learning cave DIR techniques from AG, GI3 and JJ; and the motivation to eventually become GUE Instructors themselves. . .

 

[JeffG]

(2001) Because of the "epiphany" experienced by John Walker & Michael Kane, two original hardcore NE Atlantic Wreck Divers who changed after learning cave DIR techniques from AG, GI3 and JJ; and the motivation to eventually become GUE Instructors themselves. . .

too bad it didn't stick.

 

[Kevrumbo]

too bad it didn't stick.

And too bad that GUE still doesn't offer a Wreck Penetration Course . . .(but I'll "stick" what I know to ya Jeffy-poo:mooner: !)