GUE Fundies For New Diver

When is the right time to take a GUE fundamentals class? I have an opportunity to take a GUE fundamentals class late December with Bob Sherwood and am wondering if I am ready or not. I am still new to diving, less than 20 dives, so my skills are very rudimentary. For example, I definitely need to work on my buoyancy control and the only kick I know are the basic flutter and scissor. I have all the required equipment already except for a dry suit and doubles. I have never used either.

You don't need a drysuit or doubles for Fundies. But a drysuit may help, depending on water temps in the area you are planning on taking the class, in regards to your personal cold tolerance.

With less than 20 dives, you may actually be an ideal candidate for Fundies. You will be learning proper trim, good bouyancy control, and a toolbox of kicks, along with how to plan your dives and gas for those dives, and you will also learn about Nitrox and it's benefits as well.

BTW, my UTD Essentials class (very similar to Fundies) wasn't finished before I had 20 logged dives, FWIW.

Peace,
Greg

The Primer Class, not fundies. Call Bob S to discuss...

Scott L:

The Primer Class, not fundies. Call Bob S to discuss...

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Either one of the 2 classes would be good! You have not developed bad habits from years of diving, so you could make great gains in either of the classes

Definitely give Bob Sherwood a call directly. He's great about making himself available to discuss your specific situation and help you make the best decision depending upon your ability level.

FWIW, my GUE Tech2 classmate took Fundamentals from Bob Sherwood after only having 7 dives out of OW. This guy is now GUE Tech2 and Cave 2 certified, and he is an amazing diver. You don't need a drysuit and doubles to take Fundamentals. You can take it in a wetsuit and a single tank. I can also attest to what a great instructor Bob is. If you are fortunate enough to get into one of his classes, I would jump at the opportunity. I flew across the country three times to jump at the opportunity to train with Bob. Very satisfied student here. Good luck and have fun.

+1 talk to bob sooner rather than later

+1 on primer

although i'll bet that with 5 days with bob in fundies that it'd accelerate you through a lot of learning (and avoiding a lot of unlearning) and you should be able to at least get a rec pass out of it by the end of it...

Don't worry about the gear. It is never too early to begin to build good habits, and those good habits will simply make the transition to something like a dry suit easier.

The question about when to do Fundies is one that is often asked -- the best answer I've seen came from one of the UK instructors. He said that, as long as you can stay still enough to watch a skills demonstration underwater, you're okay. If you can't do that, he has a hard time instructing, but if you can watch him (even if you aren't perfectly still while doing so) he can at least lead the class.

I would sign up for it. You've got weeks and weeks to prepare. By prepare I simply mean:
1) Get your buoyancy under reasonable control. This means get yourself to the point where you're not popping to the surface all the time, not that you have to have the within-3-foot spec of a tech pass. Don't go crazy; if you occasionally float up 10 feet but catch yourself before popping to the surface, that's plenty good to take the class.
2) Look up the gear requirements (GUE Fundamentals | Global Underwater Explorers) and make sure you're close enough to get the most out of Bob's ridiculous skill with fine-tuning your configuration. That basically means you want a backplate with one-piece harness (ideally with the d-rings in the approximately right places), a long hose, and JetFins. Yes, JetFins. They're like $30-50 on eBay, and they make a huge difference in your ability to trim yourself out, since they're so heavy. If you don't have a wrist-mounted computer already, go to your dive shop and have them wrist-mount your computer. A primary light is not necessary; backup lights actually help keep your d-rings down and so despite not being necessary, I think they're worth if if they're in your budget. You can usually find used Scouts with boltsnaps for $45-60, or you can buy the Piranha Penetrator IIs, which put out more light but aren't quite as well-configured (the rear hole is off-center). Don't worry too much about the little things like the inner tube bands on your harness; there will be plenty of tweaking in class no matter how close you think you've gotten your equipment. Don't switch to a drysuit right before class if you can manage the class at all without.
3) If you have time and can afford it, take Primer. I didn't, and it's not necessary, but will speed things along and help you get the most from your Fundies class.
4) Most importantly, chillax. Just go into it with the attitude that you're there to learn, and don't ruin the class by stressing out too much about the 'pass.'

20 dives is perfectly fine to take Fundamentals. It gives you a good opportunity to learn good skills without having to relearn anything, or break habbits. Personally I like it when I get students who have only a few dives, but are keen and willing to learn.

HTH

John

My dauther was coached in a fundies-DIR-like training right out of PADI open water.
After 50 dives, most all of them under mentorship by her instructor she made it to intro-cave diver. She now has added 20 dives in Mexican caves to her log book.

Never had the chance to learn bad habits.