GUE Open Water Diver Course?

[MikeFerrara]

jonnythan,
If that was for me I didn't say the skills were tought. I said in theory they are tought. Reading the standards from any agency will tell you that the skills should be tought. I agree that they are not tought the way they were meant to be or should be.

Mike

 

[ericfine50]

If you are taught the basics correctly in the beginning, you will enjoy your diving more. Besides OW class, how many of us will neal on the bottom for mask clearing? I think GUE is also teaching people to be aware of their buddy and dive as a team. Something that a lot of people seem to missing these days.

Eric

 

[MikeFerrara]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...
Butch103,

Silly gear is the stuff you see on a lot of divers. Gear that is in poor condition, ill fitting or not suited to the task at hand. A good example is people that show up with these plastic masks from Walmart for their first OW class. They really think they got a good deal. Or when they show up gear that was borrowed and will clearly not fit their body type. Or those tiny fins used for swimming laps in the pool. Snorkels with pictures of muppets on them.

If GUE did an OW class, I'm sure they would have some sort of equiptment standards. Maybe not strict DIR but some standard that elmiminates the above problems. Plus, I think that new divers seem to be critical of the BP and Harness anyway.

Any instructor that allows students to dive in toy masks or ill fitting equipment needs more than standards to help them. IMO, a diver should know how to use a snorkel. After that they can decide when to use one. IMO, pictures of muppets would not prevent one from learning to use the snorkel so I would allow that even if it is silly.

IME, new divers are not critical of a bp/wing. New divers are happy to use whatever I put them in. Once they use a bp very very few will ever be willing to use a bc.

 

[Butch103]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...
Butch103,

Plus, I think that new divers seem to be critical of the BP and Harness anyway.

Are new divers aware of the BP and wings ?? (For the most part) Personally until I hooked up to this board I hadn't even been aware that they existed.

As an instructor you have met far more new divers than me, so are they aware or do you show them the difference in the two ?? And to that same question what are their thoughts ? Just nor "cool" looking enough ??:boom:

 

[ElectricZombie]

Butch103


Some are aware of BP and Wings, some are not. I show my students jackets, BPs and backflotation BCs.

I only use a BP and Harness so, they get to see how mine works. I explain the advantages and answer any questions they might have. I maintain that the BP is better but, they can buy whatever they want after they get certified.

I think that students see so many people in jacket BCs that the BP just looks a little out of place at first glance. Especially when you have someone who has used a jacket BC for a while. The good news, as Mike said, is that they adapt quickly and will come to really like the BP.

The bad thing is that the University I teach at will only provide jacket BCs...I totally disagree with this. I trying to get them to switch over but it will probably take a while to convince them.



Mike - Yes, allowing "toy" gear is not acceptable. It's just frustrating when you tell them what not to buy and they do it anyway...costing them more $.

 

[Divesherpa]

There is no GUE OW class coming in the near future. Triox should be out very soon (single tank trimix for the 80-130 foot range).
There are too many obstacles in OW training.
DIRF is a means of removing some of these traits.

 

[jonnythan]

Divesherpa once bubbled...
There is no GUE OW class coming in the near future. Triox should be out very soon (single tank trimix for the 80-130 foot range).
There are too many obstacles in OW training.
DIRF is a means of removing some of these traits.

MHK, a GUE instructor, seems to disagree with you. Look back, he mentioned that an OW class is in the works for another year or two.

 

[Wendy]

Divesherpa once bubbled...
There is no GUE OW class coming in the near future. Triox should be out very soon (single tank trimix for the 80-130 foot range).
There are too many obstacles in OW training.
DIRF is a means of removing some of these traits.

And you know this how?

I have heard otherwise, and just not in the above post by MHK.

 

[O-ring]

Divesherpa once bubbled...
There is no GUE OW class coming in the near future. Triox should be out very soon (single tank trimix for the 80-130 foot range).
There are too many obstacles in OW training.
DIRF is a means of removing some of these traits.

I don't want to be the destroyer of another useful thread, but I would love to talk about the recreational triox class in another thread. I am still trying to figure this one out..

 

[roakey]

Epinephelus once bubbled...
Isn't he [George Irvine] somehow associated with the GUE organization?

Yes, he's friends and dives with GUE's president, Jarrod Jablonski. Other than that, no.

Roak