Will Shops & Instructors like this, or hate this?

[bleeb]

I'd like to suggest another line of approach that maybe shops and instructors might like better, and see whether anyone has any ideas to develop it more fully. In many places outside warm water diving destinations, conditions are often more challenging. A significant fraction of more skilled divers are more likely to dive regularly there than less skilled divers. So programs to help shops figure out how to make local diving more popular might have some appeal since it helps them sell more rentals or equipment.

For shops and instructors, rather than casting it like a card-collecting type course which is a one-time-per-student event, a diver can go through a coaching/mentoring session with skills challenges and suggestions for improvements more than once, much like music lessons or master classes in a martial art. The potential market is also much larger than the situation with most courses with limited goals and returns where each diver may only take it once. It may also appeal to some instructors, since many probably have some desire to coach or they wouldn't be instructors, and this way they may actually get paid for part of the mentoring. And it may appeal to students since it helps clarify what they'd actually be getting out of it for their money.

 

[spectrum]

Sounds like Wendy's handing out McDonalds samples to me.

 

[RonFrank]

Here is the original Diamond training program.

SeaHorse Tales, WaterLogged: Diamonds - A Reef's Best Friend

It likely has some methods for setup, but I did a similar exercise in a Peak Performance Buoyancy class many moons ago. They used what appeared to be Hula Hoops which were weighted and hung off a rope. I think it needs to be removable and quick/easy to setup and tear down. Leaving plastic hoops down even in 10feet of water sounds like a bad idea. If you have county support maybe a storage shed can be setup to house training aids.

I really like the concept you are going for Dan. It will be interesting to see where this leads.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Sometime back we used to have a similar setup at one of our local dive sites ... the remnants of it are still there, although overgrown and not at all used anymore.

Might be time to talk to some of the local shops who use that site for training and see if they're amenable to pitching in to re-establish it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[tomfcrist]

Got to this thread kinda late. My thoughts on this are no freaking way. If my customers or students want to be exposed to the "GUE/DIR" way of doing things, thats fine, they can go to a GUE shop and take a GUE class. For me to tell them to join in on this course because they will learn a better way to do things is the same as saying "hey, i did a piss poor job of teaching your classes, so why dont you take this course so you can learn the right way to dive." Every diver has a different way of doing things and none of them are the "RIGHT" way....its just their way. To claim that one way of doing things is better than the other is comparing apples to oranges.

 

[znolan]

Interesting thread, for sure. My thoughts seem to focus on the gear...

"

This would not need to be a disparagement class for vest BC’s…We could even have a GUE diver in a Scubapro or equivalent Vest BC." ...

This is certainly a friendly approach that I think is great. How would this benefit the candidate that goes further only to find out that the gear was "dummed down(?)" for the demonstration and to actually be "successful" they would need totally different gear and configurations for GUE? .....that their LDS does not sell.... Just a thought​

 

[znolan]

Ooops

 

[nimoh]

who would be supplying the gear?

If a bunch of students show up with their jacket BCs and split fins, will the GUE instructors teach them or require that they rent equipment?

 

[grantwiscour]

I like it! I am always looking to improve my skills and those of my students. I use the 5thdx videos now in the classroom to show them how mask clearing, reg recovery, etc should be done. Then demo them the same way in the pool. And try to have students do them back in the same manner and position. They do start with fin tips on the slope of the pool but they know what the goal is and they do their best to emulate it.

Agreed...the 5thD-X videos are a great tool.

 

[danvolker]

Interesting thread, for sure. My thoughts seem to focus on the gear...

"

This would not need to be a disparagement class for vest BC’s…We could even have a GUE diver in a Scubapro or equivalent Vest BC." ...

This is certainly a friendly approach that I think is great. How would this benefit the candidate that goes further only to find out that the gear was "dummed down(?)" for the demonstration and to actually be "successful" they would need totally different gear and configurations for GUE? .....that their LDS does not sell.... Just a thought​

My thoughts on this as of now.....GUE instructors will not usually want to train divers that are not in bp/wings.....this is more about how much time GUE people have tried to succeed with inappropriate equipment in the past ( not specifically the vest bc--just gear in general.....One of the worst problems they have is with divers with Dry suits that just will not work for optimal trim and bouyancy...or with fins that will not reverse kick) , and how they want to spend their time...ie., not just blowing huge amounts when they can expect a poor outcome. However....there are quite a few PADI and NAUI instructors or Divemasters that have been through Fundies...they can demonstrate skills that will be at a much higher level than the normal recreational diver, in the direction of GUE function. This can be the impetus required to show a recreational diver a much better path...something they can try with their present equipment, see where this is taking them, and if it feels like something important....and then they can find themselves in the position of desiring more skills and different gear, or not.....

In plainer words....some GUE skills are very basic....and all recreational divers would NEED these even with floppy BC and with split fins....Best example here would be weighting for correct bouyancy skills....Most divers wear far too much weight....Many do not realize how much air they ALWAYS have in their BC's, even after they dump to what they may think is empty. So we spend some time really finding the minimum weight needed. We cover "how" to dump the air out to maximize this.....Now for some BC's, this could be convoluted, as some wil not dump 100% unless the diver chooses to go completely vertical, and then uses the shoulder dump/inflator hose to remove all the air, or most of the air. This is a major gear issue--with real skill complications.....ideally, the diver is swimming flat horizontal--which can be done well by a GUE style diver in a vest BC..but the normal dumping of air for optimal bouyancy adjustments, will be done while completely flat horizontal, with the rear dump valve.....A diver that is constantly having to break trim and go vertical, to adjust , is going to be very challenged to maintain good trim....
Good trim will show much better bottom times (less drag), much less likihood of silting due to body position while swimming, and many other issues which would be demonstrated ( that the normal diver will usually not be aware of).

Ideal frog kick and helicopter turns, and optimal reverse kick can be shown well by a GUE trained DM in a vest BC. So some more very cool GUE techniques, can be shown and taught. How perfectly the diver is able to perform the skills, will be part coordination, part gear choice, part instructor skill....
Bottom line, we could introduce many skills all divers would like, and show how to do them as well as possible in traditional gear...those that SEE that a more desirable level of a skill may require certain gear changes, can decide this for themselves.