Fundies kicked my a$$

[beester]

Congrats on taking the course (and too a much lesser extend because it's not that important... getting a rec pass).

As stated by others... it used to be a workshop without any certification (pass-fail issue), where everybody got something from. Since sometime it's a certification and some tend to focus too much on the certification part (practising skills beforehand) and not on the workshop part. Nice to know you're not in that group ;-)

In my class of 3 there was 1 tech, 1 rec and 1 provisional and that seems to be a normal number. But everybody got away with it with alot of new tricks in the bag, alot of new focus on team (and what you can accomplish as a team), and alot of detailed information on how to improve. I'm glad it was the same with you.

And yes fundies was the hardest course I did. So cudos!

 

[eelnoraa]

so good to hear this, it makes me nervous tho. I am doing one starting this weekend.

 

[TSandM]

Oh, eelnoraa, you're doing yours with Beto, Susan or Rob -- no matter which, you will have a great time!

Mossman, nobody tells you what you can or cannot do. GUE classes present the rationale for the "rules", and you are free to choose to follow them or not, as you see fit, once you finish the class. I think nowadays, with all the stuff that's on line, most people have already decided they like a lot of the ideas, and the instructors are pretty good about discussing the REASONS behind anything with which you aren't sure you agree. Solo diving, high ENDS, smoking, and variable gear configurations are all things against which GUE has some good arguments. If you don't find them persuasive, you do not need to take GUE classes. If the shoe fits (and it definitely fits me!) then you can wear it

 

[sam1]

I took Fundies two years ago and it certainly kicked my a$$. I did not pass (i.e., failed)---nor did the other two members of my class---but I certainly did learn a lot and

...until you have seen what's possible, you don't know what you COULD be able to do in the water.

I was amazed at the skills of my instructor! I have not pursued formal instruction since then (mostly because of logistical issues) but next week my buddy and I will be driving five hours for two days of personalized instruction. It's funny, just today I told a non-diving friend that I was going be getting some scuba instruction and he asked, essentially, what different types of dives that would allow me to do. I said that it would not allow me to do any different dives, just better dives.

 

[Crush]

It's funny, just today I told a non-diving friend that I was going be getting some scuba instruction and he asked, essentially, what different types of dives that would allow me to do. I said that it would not allow me to do any different dives, just better dives.

How DO you describe Fundies to a non-diver? Tough one. If they mountain-bike then I draw an analogy between someone who has just learned to dive and someone who has just learned to ride a bike.

 

[Mossman]

How DO you describe Fundies to a non-diver? Tough one. If they mountain-bike then I draw an analogy between someone who has just learned to dive and someone who has just learned to ride a bike.

And fundies teaches you how to ride a tandem mountain bike backwards?

 

[TSandM]

Mossman, I think you have made your disdain for the class abundantly clear; does it serve any purpose to continue to play agent provocateur? Let us celebrate Crush's good class without sarcasm, please.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Congratulations! I hope you're proud of the fact that you took a pass away from the course - from what I've read, not everyone does. Anything that makes you a better/more rounded-out diver is awesome.

 

[Crush]

And fundies teaches you how to ride a tandem mountain bike backwards?

Laugh if you will, but at least I will be able to extricate myself after my buddy and I ride our tandem bike into a narrow culvert.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Thanks, Bob, you made me feel a bit better. I bet you were gunning for a tech pass though...

When I took Fundies, there was no such thing as a tech pass ... there was pass, fail, or provisional. I got provisional and ended up taking the class over again with a different instructor a year later ... second time around I passed.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)