I disagree strongly. I am speaking from the following experience/ knowledge:
- 10 years of diving experience before I took fundies (8-9 years since then)
- GUE Cave 2/Tech 2 diver
- Someone who Failed (not provisionally passed) their first fundies class (which btw was the subject of a thread with over 400 posts on ScubaBoard before it was shut down)
- Someone who went outside of GUE for training during and after my progression to Cave2/Tech 2, including but not limited to basic training on three CCR units, CCR Cave and MOD3 (hypoxic trimic fot CCR)
First of all, I’m going to start out by saying that in my experience, some of the very best students are the new divers- They have not had time to develop bad habits that are going to have to be broken. Personally I had to unlearn 10 years / a couple hundred dives of poor recreational diving techniques.
Secondly, one can not accurately describe or understand fundies unless they have taken it. I find it extremely amusing how people who have not taken fundies feel like they are experts on what the class is about. One clue: the equipment, which everyone who hasn’t taken the class obsesses about, is a small part of the class - much more time/energy is spent on learning to dive as a team.
While I did fail my first class, I was interested enough to go back and retake it with a different instructor. It is one of the most challenging, if not
the most challenging classes, that most people will ever take. While my first fundies class was not worth the total amount of money I spent on tuition and expenses, the re-take of the class was the best diving dollars I have ever invested (except maybe for my first Shearwater
) Regardless of where they are in their diving - whether they are almost brand new open water diver‘s or instructor trainers for other agencies, I don’t know a single person (except from my CF of a class) who hasn’t felt like the class was worth it.
There may be some historical precedent with certain instructors that fundies is more of an evaluation than a learning opportunity - I felt that way about my first class. In all fairness, many others have taken classes with the instructor from my first class, and had a great experience, and there were logistical issues that played into some of the problems with that class (6 students + 1 student instructor/ intern, location problems). The main point being, the overwhelming majority of GUE instructors are passionate about teaching and helping their students become better divers. Again, speaking from experience, as someone who has taken classes with multiple instructors and used to videotape classes, i have seen a dedication to helping students work through their issues and improve their skills and enjoyment of diving. I am only aware of that “evaluation” mentality with one instructor and for all I know, they could be more instructive now.