What a disappointment

[ivan73]

I have a sad story to tell and I want to share it with u in order to maybe understand what happened to me. I just want to say that although my disappointment is very big, huge will be more appropriate word, I do not blame anybody and far for me that I want to change anyone’s believes or philosophy. And I want to emphasize that I would still appreciate experience and suggestions from people who might have different ideas from mine (this goes especially for TSandM whose threads and remarks are mostly appreciated).

So let me tell you my story. I'm 33 years old, started to dive in Singapore area a year ago, get completely hooked into it, dived as much as possible (96 logged dives), finished PADI rescue - doing DM course. Feeling incredibly good underwater (as if everything stops exiting underwater and I just feeling in complete harmony with everything that's around me). Well at some point I thought that in order to progress further in feeling more peaceful underwater, GUE-F would help me. So I contacted local diving shop providing this service (only one here in Singapore) and although the price was high (1000 Us$) I thought (and still think) that knowledge is more worth than $$, I accepted to go for 4 days course. As I believe in honest relation in anything I do, I told the instructor that I'm a smoker (3-5 cigarettes per day). And the answer was ... no you can't go for this course.

Well I do not know if you can imagine my disappointment. My first reaction was I hate DIR philosophy, second one, try to quite smoking just the time to do this course and now a day after the bad news I'm trying to understand DIR philosophy and still can figure it out. I mean what I can't understand is why a guy that has no idea about me, my understanding of diving, my physical capabilities (I'm not saying that I'm super fit or a navy seal, but I’m trying to stay in shape) won't teach me new skills, new approach of diving because of, for me insignificant, choice of living. This philosophy tells me, I don't agree with your choice of living so you might die underwater (because I haven't showed you a trick), I don't care, it's your problem. What a nice approach and what a nice open minded philosophy. Well my education (PhD in physics) taught me that nothing is eternal when there's not at least a bit of adaptation. It also taught me that it's pointless to try to change people's (strong) believes (this is far from my intentions). At the end of the day, I won't quit diving (smoking neither) and I will try to read books, try to learn by myself (probably very difficult), listen for advices from more experienced divers and try to forget GUE-F course and my disappointment.

I just want to be understood correctly, I don't blame anybody for choosing this approach; what I don't understand is what is more important: to form a passionate diver to your way of diving, and maybe help him in a bad situation or to stay hooked to idea that you don't believe in my philosophy (which is probably not even true) so you do not deserve my knowledge.

Thanks for your understanding about my disappointment.

Ivan

 

[do it easy]

Was there any discussion on why smoking was allowed or did they just flat out refuse you? Did they tell you could take the class if you quit smoking?

It's not too clear to me, but I would guess that you didn't pay them anything?

 

[Ben_ca]

This should be in the Whine and Cheeze section.

So they don't allow smokers and you voted with your money. End of story.

 

[Bismark]

Dear Ivan,

I agree with you that it is not my place to comment on your personal choices in your life. I am not a GUE expert by any means but I would like to offer the following thoughts. The concept of the "team" as introduced in GUE-F is a very interesting concept and one that anyone with military training of any kind will recognize. If I understand it correctly, the resources you or your teammates bring to the dive are shared team resources that are to be used in safely and enjoyably conducting your dive. It is very similar to the "buddy system" advocated by other agencies, but carried a lot further. You have three times the resources you may need to solve a problem or deal with an emergency encountered at depth. This goes further than just the equipment you may carry, (ie: the gas in your tanks, the long hose I am breathing., etc.) and includes the three brains you are carrying. My Fundies instructor brought up an interesting point when he said that when one team member has a problem and another team member is helping him (eg: donating gas or whatever) you still have one extra brain to monitor the environment etc. Now, if one accepts the notion that team resources include the members themselves, and not just the equipment they are carrying, the physical and mental abilities of the members becomes just as important as the state of the equipment the members are carrying. In other words, you wouldn't dive with a team member who had a malfunctioning back up regulator or some other piece of kit, so the same applys to the team members. We don't have the time here to get into the impacts smoking can have on divers but you might want to read "The impacts of Smoking on Diving" by Art Ranz, DDS, for a pretty good overview. In essence, smoking has serious short term and long term impacts on your diving. Again, not for me to comment on your personal life choices here, however, if your personal life choice means you will be less able to help me in an emergency at depth, I will have to factor that in to whether I want to dive with you or not. Again, I can make my choices just like you are free to make yours. I don't know this for gospel, but it would make sense to me that this is the heart of the matter in regards to smoking and GUE membership. In my view, you are absolutely free to make the decisions you want to in regards to smoking or not smoking. I know many divers who smoke and on occasion, I will dive with them in simple shallow warm water dives. However, I won' dive with them in any deeper, cold water, or more challenging dives for my safety. Just my decision here.

I hope I am not going to start a serious war here and I don't mean to offend you or anyone else. Maybe someone with more GUE experience can chime in and present some thoughts. I can just imagine I am going to get flamed but I wanted to give you a few thoughts Ivan without wanting to offend you.

 

[johnkendall]

Without even discussing the Pros and Cons of smoking itself, it is not possible to take a GUE course if you smoke, regardless of your personal fitness. We as GUE instructors have to follow the standards of the agency, and the standards dictate that a prerequisite of any GUE course is that the student is a non-smoker.

I'm sorry you feel disappointed.

John

 

[SkullDeformity]

Can we start a TsandM fanclub?

 

[mwhities]

Can we start a TsandM finaclub?

I'll join!

Michael

 

[Cacia]

(3-5 cigarettes per day). And the answer was ... no you can't go for this course.

so you still have your 1000 dollars, right?

 

[pickens_46929]

Does GUE also state no alcohol within x days or hours or something too?

If you bar smokers, you better have something stating rules about alcohol consumption too... like they do for truck drivers or commercial pilots.

All it takes is someone to get hurt, sue and say, "Well they obviously thought this through since they don't allow smokers..."

Dave

 

[FishDiver]

I thought (and still think) that knowledge is more worth than $$, I accepted to go for 4 days course. As I believe in honest relation in anything I do, I told the instructor that I'm a smoker (3-5 cigarettes per day). And the answer was ... no you can't go for this course.
Ivan

Why is everyone flaming this guy? All he wants to do is take a class.

If it was me I would call the instructor back and tell him you quit smoking. If you can live without smoking for the duration of the class you will be fine. Maybe you actually will be able to quit.

I believe in honesty unless the expectations are idiotic.