gue fundies pre reqs

[wedivebc]

That ain't true, Dave ... they teach quite a lot. What they don't do is guarantee you a C-card at the end of the class.

I do believe, however, that they'd serve their students better by making it a two-part class, with about six or eight weeks in between part 1 and part 2 to practice the skills they're gonna show you ... the ones that your OW and AOW instructors somehow left out of their curriculum ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I expect you are right Bob, and I may have overstated my feelings but I do feel that with fundies the onus is on the diver to seek out mentorship and guidance for a successful completion where in most other dive training I have been involved in the instructor provides all the instruction required for certification and does not rely on the divers buddies or whatever to fill in the blanks.
For those divers who don't have the resources of like-minded buddies (mentors) or a local instructor fundies can be a very frustrating experience. I know because I have been able to pick up quite a number of tech students who were disillusioned with their fundies training.
When I teach intro to tech I only teach in doubles and I only teach to those who are planning in enrolling in a tech oriented program. The program where I teach buoyancy control, trim, fin kicks and gas management for non-tech divers is called advanced open water (AOW)

 

[lamont]

As I recall you did better than me ... and I had about 875 dives more than you at the time.

I figure you had the advantage of fewer bad habits to break ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

i think we did about the same... but i vastly exceeded my expectations, while you had some ego bruising to deal with afterwards...

that was also a flawed fundamentals course... even given all the problems with that particular course, however, it was still good for me to have taken it at the time...

 

[Blackwood]

I still fail to understand why a GUE-F pre-class requirements thread should be thrown into a basic scuba thread.

Because the pre-requisite is 'basic open water'. This is a class that many/most people can benefit from, whether or not they have any interest in 'technical diving'.

Some good posts about personal experiences have come out, and it's a shame to bury it in a forum where the people I described above probably don't venture.

Then again if someone is interested in GUE/F (which I've taken to pronouncing "goof") they'll be able to solicit the information, so I guess it doesn't really matter a whole lot.

 

[TSandM]

The program where I teach buoyancy control, trim, fin kicks and gas management for non-tech divers is called advanced open water (AOW)

Oh, I wish it were generally so! Then there would be no reason ever to teach Fundies to people in single tanks. But in fact, VERY few people can find this kind of instruction anywhere within the traditional class structure. Unless they are lucky enough to run into an instructor with not only advanced training, but GOOD advanced training, they'll never be exposed to these ideas short of a Fundies, Essentials, Cavern or Intro to Tech class.

 

[wedivebc]

Oh, I wish it were generally so! Then there would be no reason ever to teach Fundies to people in single tanks. But in fact, VERY few people can find this kind of instruction anywhere within the traditional class structure. Unless they are lucky enough to run into an instructor with not only advanced training, but GOOD advanced training, they'll never be exposed to these ideas short of a Fundies, Essentials, Cavern or Intro to Tech class.

It is within our power to make it so.

 

[Scott L]

Because the pre-requisite is 'basic open water'. This is a class that many/most people can benefit from, whether or not they have any interest in 'technical diving'.

Some good posts about personal experiences have come out, and it's a shame to bury it in a forum where the people I described above probably don't venture.

Then again if someone is interested in GUE/F (which I've taken to pronouncing "goof") they'll be able to solicit the information, so I guess it doesn't really matter a whole lot.

An open water cert and some experience will get you into any advanced nitrox/decompression procedures class as well as rebreather instruction which combines Adv/deco class. Should we also excile all such discussions on these topics to the basic forum? After 25+ posts by tec divers on this thread we were past the point of no return anyway IMO.

 

[rjack321]

But in fact, VERY few people can find this kind of instruction anywhere within the traditional class structure. Unless they are lucky enough to run into an instructor with not only advanced training, but GOOD advanced training, they'll never be exposed to these ideas short of a Fundies, Essentials, Cavern or Intro to Tech class.

Is it that hard to find? Or is it just hard to stumble across?

 

[Blackwood]

Is it that hard to find? Or is it just hard to stumble across?

'Hard to stumble across' is probably more accurate. In the internet era, no dive training is particularly hard to find. One just has to know (and desire) to look.

Your average 'window-shoper-learn-to-dive-on-a-whim' diver won't come across it without some blind luck.

 

[TSandM]

I suppose I stand corrected, Richard. If a student is lucky enough to know what he is looking FOR, it can be found. The problem is too many people don't have any idea that they OUGHT to be taught these things, and too many instructors don't know, either.

 

[Scott L]

'Hard to stumble across' is probably more accurate. In the internet era, no dive training is particularly hard to find. One just has to know (and desire) to look.

Your average 'window-shoper-learn-to-dive-on-a-whim' diver won't come across it without some blind luck.

We finally agree on something today. There is almost no chance of stumbling on the best paths in scuba training IMO. If one truly loves the sport they will persevere through poor equipment selections along with poor choices or advice regarding instruction. Believe me, I know...