Fundamentals or Fundies

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peterbj7

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Can someone explain precisely what this entails? And how it fits into whatever training schedule includes it? I'm posting here because I believe it's a DIR/GUE term, but I'm not absolutely sure.

I'm also interested in knowing how far it goes. My own training was with other agencies so I want to relate it to what I know.
 
Can someone explain precisely what this entails? And how it fits into whatever training schedule includes it? I'm posting here because I believe it's a DIR/GUE term, but I'm not absolutely sure.

I'm also interested in knowing how far it goes. My own training was with other agencies so I want to relate it to what I know.

It goes over what GUE considers fundamental skills.

Mask Loss
Gas shares
fin kicks

etc etc (see course details for a complete listing)

Plus an introduction to DIR procedures.

I would consider this a pre-tech course or a Continuing Education course for a gung ho recreational diver.
 
I think the key difference between the two is the Essentials is not a pass/fail class. It is strictly intended to teach you the core components to the DIR methodology and how to practice them. Fundies is a course that not only teaches you these skills but evaluates your proficiency of the skills. (pass/ fail/ provisional)
 
FYI, GUE offers Fundamentals of Better diving. UTD, a roughly similar agency, offers a similar course called Essentials (of recreational diving?)

They both teach the same sort of skills, and are both pretty basic classes in the skill set covered (90% of the class is Buoyancy, trim, and propulsion), but they have a high standard of doing those skills. One of the ideas behind the courses is to polish your skills to a level where you will be ready to take (and pass) a tech or cave class.

Fundies also has some rescue aspects, and you are certified to 32% nitrox.

It's hard to relate what Fundies is in terms of other agencies. It really doesn't fit into their curriculum, and it certainly doesn't cross over as credit for anything PADI/SSI. It is basically all the things you should have learned and been practicing during OW, but you could also look at it as most of the core specialty courses from PADI rolled into one (PPB, nitrox, drysuit, rescue, deep, night). The only thing it doesn't teach you that you need to know to be a good diver is navigation. The time spent on rescue skills also doesn't really replace a rescue class either.

Tom
 
I think the key difference between the two is the Essentials is not a pass/fail class. It is strictly intended to teach you the core components to the DIR methodology and how to practice them. Fundies is a course that not only teaches you these skills but evaluates your proficiency of the skills. (pass/ fail/ provisional)

Given that the OP didn't ask about "Essentials", I'm not sure that will help him.
 
Yes, I was hoping to get an idea of what the course covers, and to what standard. I think I have a reasonable idea now. My own training of this type was back in the 90s with IANTD, and I was just curious.
 
The OP didn't ask about UTD, but enough people keep posting that Fundamentals and Essentials are "basically the same class", so I thought it worth pointing out that this is not true. UTD's Rec 2 is much closer to Fundies than Essentials is. Essentials does not cover nitrox (Rec 2 and Fundies do), Essentials doesn't cover things like shooting a bag (Red 2 and Fundies do), Essentials is only a couple of days long (Rec 2 and Fundies are usually four day classes). I'm sure Essentials is a great class; it just doesn't cover all that you get in a Fundamentals class.


FYI, GUE offers Fundamentals of Better diving. UTD, a roughly similar agency, offers a similar course called Essentials (of recreational diving?)

They both teach the same sort of skills, and are both pretty basic classes in the skill set covered (90% of the class is Buoyancy, trim, and propulsion), but they have a high standard of doing those skills. One of the ideas behind the courses is to polish your skills to a level where you will be ready to take (and pass) a tech or cave class.

Fundies also has some rescue aspects, and you are certified to 32% nitrox.

It's hard to relate what Fundies is in terms of other agencies. It really doesn't fit into their curriculum, and it certainly doesn't cross over as credit for anything PADI/SSI. It is basically all the things you should have learned and been practicing during OW, but you could also look at it as most of the core specialty courses from PADI rolled into one (PPB, nitrox, drysuit, rescue, deep, night). The only thing it doesn't teach you that you need to know to be a good diver is navigation. The time spent on rescue skills also doesn't really replace a rescue class either.

Tom
 
Essentials does not cover nitrox (Rec 2 and Fundies do)

I keep forgetting that. Maybe it because I'm old or that my class was pre-nitrox. The jury is still out.
 
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