GUE Primer or Fundamentals for a brand new diver?

[eelnoraa]

Uh, is this open to other aspiring DIR/GUE divers in the area as well?

Definitely, PM me if you want to talk about gear selection, class experience, or we can dive go on to breakwater for some dives.

 

[Menk]

Elgoog, sounds like we're on the same schedule!
Would love to go diving as much as possible (without learning things too wrong) before next year. My absolute priority asap is the same as yours, to work out buoyancy and trim in salt water with my bpw.
Barring the weekend of the 25th, and a block from nov22 through dec 2, I should be available for at least one day every weekend. Would prefer to do fewer trips to Monterey and more 2 day dives, but willing to be flexible.
Weekdays will be tough, but may be able to take one or two off with advanced notice.
Maybe we can coordinate with one of the more experienced members here, and they can give us a few pointers.
Then, come next year, we can see where we all are and figure out the best next step.

 

[Ben_ca]

Definitely, PM me if you want to talk about gear selection, class experience, or we can dive go on to breakwater for some dives.

Same with me... PM, call txt etc.

 

[elgoog]

Elgoog, sounds like we're on the same schedule!
Would love to go diving as much as possible (without learning things too wrong) before next year. My absolute priority asap is the same as yours, to work out buoyancy and trim in salt water with my bpw.
Barring the weekend of the 25th, and a block from nov22 through dec 2, I should be available for at least one day every weekend. Would prefer to do fewer trips to Monterey and more 2 day dives, but willing to be flexible.
Weekdays will be tough, but may be able to take one or two off with advanced notice.
Maybe we can coordinate with one of the more experienced members here, and they can give us a few pointers.
Then, come next year, we can see where we all are and figure out the best next step.

PMing you, we got some co-ordinatin' to do

Definitely, PM me if you want to talk about gear selection, class experience, or we can dive go on to breakwater for some dives.

Same with me... PM, call txt etc.

Thanks !!

Best,
elgoog

 

[ScubaInChicago]

You'll find that GUE divers will give you the shirt off their back to help new divers get the most enjoyment possible out their future diving careers. My buddy and I had so much help from the GUE community before our course that I am very greatful to each of them for. It doesn't end there, put in the work and you'll find some of the greatest group of humbled people you've ever met wherever you travel

Dan

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Also, my assumption was that the Primer was more along the lines of learning GUE skills (dare I say, from scratch) as opposed to an evaluation and refinement of said skills. Is the expectation that I've made at least a few attempts at balancing my rig, frog/flutter/mod kicks, etc?

No, absolutely not. Fundies is intended to teach all the "GUE skills" to people who have no prior exposure to them. There is no expectation you have ever done a frog kick, for example, or know what a "balanced rig" is. But a student sure will get a lot more out of Fundies if they DO have at least some prior exposure to the basic kicks and the concept of maintaining buoyancy, trim, stability and control. Primer or some mentoring and just getting out and diving can help achieve that much.

Primer is intended merely to give one a taste of what GUE is all about and, at the same time, expose the student to as many of the GUE skills as can be accomplished in two days. You are not expected to have learned how to perform kicks or any other skill after having taken Primer, though no doubt some students DO pick up these skills from Primer. In Primer, my instructor asked us to name ONE skill that we'd like to actually try to master during the class, and I chose frog kick. So he spent some extra time on frog kick. But really, Primer is just intended as a way to ease into GUE--an introduction.

As TS&M mentioned, there are people who try to practice what they understand are the "GUE skills" before taking Fundies. But that is not expected of students. My belief is that this kind of "studying for Fundies" could backfire if a student picks up bad habits.

As I recommended previously, by all means take Primer. However, you will get the most out of Primer and, of course, Fundies if you are at least comfortable diving in your gear. When my wife and I took Primer, we had a couple of hundred dives of experience, BUT we had never before dived in a BP/W and long-short hose configuration and we had no idea what we were doing! EVERYTHING about this system was new to us, and we were like brand-new divers in the water. In Primer, we got some good instruction on how to do it. However, if YOU have a group of mentors in the form of a local GUE community, then by all means avail yourself of that and let them show you the rudiments. Once you feel comfortable with your diving in general, THEN decide whether you want to ease into GUE by way of Primer or go straight to Fundies. For some of us who did not have local mentoring available and had no experience with the gear configuration, the decision was obvious. But in your case, you seem to have options.

I should add that I don't profess to have any special knowledge of GUE--it's just that I have been through all this very recently, and it's fresh in my mind.

 

[elgoog]

Lorenzoid - thank you for your input, that and TS&M's feedback cleared up a few things.
My goal for the next few months should be (and now is) to just dive as much as I can, get comfortable with the new gear and develop some proficiency with basic SCUBA skills using the new rig. Also, trying to take advantage of the local DIR community and their knowledge+experience.
More than anything right now, all I want is the approval of the neutral buoyancy turtle.

Best,
elgoog