Essentials -- A Great Class

[dherbman]

Very nice, Peter ... I breathlessly await Dave Herbman's contribution to the story ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Take a breath, Bob!

I'm still processing the weekend, but will post soon.

I would like to thank Peter and Lynne for their gracious hospitality. It was great to meet everyone and I really look forward to the next time we are able to dive together.

 

[boomx5]

If you have no interest in moving beyond DIR-F, then perhaps essentials IS a better choice. Or perhaps the DIR-F class that is upcoming will be more flexible and will allow a variety of gear configs for those not interested in pursuing further training in the GUE structure.

Not entirely accurate. There are many NAUI classes through 5thd-X that one can take after an "Essentials" class, they are just not GUE classes.

 

[dherbman]

Hmm, 4 months past already?

This is the class that AOW should be. I came into Essentials with 700+ dives after being certified in 78'. I returned home dazed and confused.

As a recreational diver, you might think I would be pretty dialed in by now. I did, but Essentials has shown me another dimension to diving which leaves me in a quandry to this day.

The class is not a pass/fail, but more of a work shop. We discuss the skills, do a dry run, have them demonstrated to us in water, perform them and then review the video to find ways to improve. By the end of the class, we know what we need to work on to improve our proficiency.

The concepts and skills learned are invaluable. They are also very different from anything I have seen from traditional OW classes. Oddly enough, discovering that my skills were deficient as a whole came wasn't that painful. I've been headed down the wrong path and now, I've got a reliable map that will take me where I want to go. I can't say enough about the course or the quality of instruction from Joe. I feel privledged to have had the opportunity to attend.

The down side to all this is that I am forced to return to a life of diving that must conform to the party line. As a working instructor/divecon, I would have to fight to use every skill and concept learned in Essentials. Skills WILL be done on our knees, BP/W will NOT be used in class, long hose might scare the students..... These are only a few of the issues and it leaves me feeling more than a little pessimistic about my future as an instructor.

As a diver, I find myself yearning for other with like mind, goals and skills with which I can dive. While many such divers exist, they aren't around here. I'm working on a plan, but things look bleak for this year.

I could go on about this ad infinitum, but the bottom line is this: Essentials is a great workshop for anyone wishing to improve their skills within the context of recreational diving.

Maybe Peter and Lynne will adopt me.

 

[TSandM]

There's always the spare, albeit cat fur coated, guest room, and you are always welcome!

 

[PerroneFord]

Hmm, 4 months past already?

This is the class that AOW should be. I came into Essentials with 700+ dives after being certified in 78'. I returned home dazed and confused.

As a recreational diver, you might think I would be pretty dialed in by now. I did, but Essentials has shown me another dimension to diving which leaves me in a quandry to this day.

And this is the typical post Fundies response. Welcome to diving 101, glad you could join us.

 

[Adobo]

You could also plan road trips to Monterey.

I took the Essentials class last October. I took it right out of Open Water so I really don't really know how to dive any other way.

The same folks came up with Recreational Diving - Level 2. In that class, they build on the skills you learn in Essentials. They add team communication, detail level dive planning, explorations/navigations strategies and failure scenarios. (Imagine swimming along with your buddy. All of a sudden your buddy is no longer in sight. You turn around and you find him maskless. You help him as he puts on a spare mask. As he does so, his valves starts leaking. You donate gas to your buddy. At mid-depth, you shoot a bag - just in case the emergency is forcing you to ascend in area with boat traffic. All of the failures are simulations of course.)

So my point? As much as I loved the Essentials class, the Rec diving level 2 class really blew me away. Nail down your trim and mid-water skills. Then plan a long weekend and take the level 2 class. I promise you, you'll head home a different diver.

 

[Peter Guy]

Dave, very interesting timing on your post. I did a short, shallow dive today - first time in the water since the end of June -- with a friend who took OW with me last summer, did AOW together last summer and then did Rescue over the winter together. He is now at 53 (?) total dives, I'm at about 105 (this iteration of diving). He told me he has just started the PADI DM program and I'm sure he will be a very good DM.

HOWEVER, back to your post -- the difference between how he approached this simple dive (the deepest we could go was 40 ft -- the deepest we got was 25) and how I approached it was striking. He had given little thought to "gas managment", little thought to turn pressure, little thought to equipment check, etc. Now, REMEMBER, I'm the DIR Agnostic (and still am, honest, I have NOT gone over to the Dark Side -- I WILL NOT go over to the dark side -- NO, NO, NO [Bob, will you please bring a loaner BP/W for the boat dive Sunday? I'd like to test one out.]) and love using my computers, didn't even turn on my can light, etc.

Anyway, Dave, I feel your pain --- and honestly, think it is a travesty if your LDS won't let you integrate what you have learned into the curriculum.

I'm planning on starting the PADI DM course in October -- I've been wondering how everything will fit together?

 

[TSandM]

We are looking to put together a Rec 2 course in Seattle in late September/early October. Sure you don't want to join us, Dave?

 

[*dave*]

Lot's of regrets today, but submitting to the temptations Lynne presented will never be one of them. Thank you, Lynne.

We are looking to put together a Rec 2 course in Seattle in late September/early October. Sure you don't want to join us, Dave?

 

[scottwilson1]

Thanks for the post I enjoyed it , so is GUE the light side here and DIR the dark side ?