Exactly 6 years ago today

[Tollie]

Mike,

I really appreciate the post. GUE’s F class changed my diving and teaching of diving. I can also say that the class has made me a much more effective dive leader. On at least three occasions in the past year other divers in tours I was leading have avoided very bad days because I was GUE trained.

What I regret is that GUE teaching methods are not widely known or practiced. Diving would be a lot safer and a great deal less stressful than it currently is. It may be heresy but my wish for GUE would be for it to become more mainstream and less “Tech” oriented. I know the F class and the new OW class are a step in this direction but there needs to be a more affirmative effort to really disseminate the word that the holistic view of diving practiced by GUE divers is really for everybody and that everybody who wants to access a superior system can do so… even if they dive a few times a year on warm water, shallow reefs.

 

[ghrousseau]

I to recently completed DIR-F in San Diego (provisional of course) Having done a fair amount of solo diving in the past, I really had to focus on what being part of a team of divers really means. All of the "fundamentals" that were taught seem to make more and more sense as I read about accidents and near misses, especially the recent ones. The gas management including rock bottom values really impressed me, and of course this was never considered in my original certification class. I also like the deep stops, and now can see why so many divers get bent using computers. Having done an actual air share accent from 40ft with stops at 30, 20, and 10 gives me confidence that I could do it in a real OOA situation. I, as many others, have read the dive books on he Andrea Doria and Empress before the Fundamentals class. I can now appreciate how most of those fatalities could have been prevented. It never seems to be one problem, but a series of problems that spells the end.

Anyway..............thanks for your posts here, especially on that other CA BBS where they give you so much crap and rail against DIR.

Thanks.

 

[mrobinson]

Thanks for this post... so good, I had to share it on another forum.

A dive buddy, my husband and I were all going the same way of diving until my husband and I took the DIRF. My dive buddy continued on that path without DIR (for the same reasons most poeple don't) and recently got bent. Your story puts it so blantantly. Most of us have no business doing the dives we're doing until we learn better. Thanks again.

 

[headhunter]

The discussion started by CJ-62 in this thread was getting too far off topic to leave it in this thread and has been moved here:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=102805

Christian

 

[Charlie99]

DIR divers aren't death-proof. But as a product of 2 major agancies going into DIR/F, I sure came out with a different look at my diving, at safety, at equipment, at fitness and a newfound respect for this endeavor.

Hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm

I'm sure all 3 agencies have good recommendations on things like not abandoning a diver in trouble at 180', and doing proper pre-dive checks. The real trick is in "getting religion" and really doing what we know we should.