What's the hardest class you have taken, and what made it hard?

[sam1]

GUE-F was certainly my hardest course...the net result was coming out without a clear path forward.

The extract above is similar to my experience with Fundies. When the class ended (with me and my two classmates failing) I was physically tired and mentally exhausted. And frustrated. My frustration stemmed from my not being able to see a path to success. For me this (lack of "path") was in large measure because of the low geographic density of GUE instructors.

 

[TMHeimer]

PADI DM was hardest. I needed time to finish the stamina tests plus my demonstration skills were slack. Part of it was unavailabilty of pool time and instructor. That wasn't hard, just very frustrating. A list of exactly how to do the demo. skills would've helped immensely. There is a video now.

 

[CamG]

Greetings SB members and friends for me the hardest class by far was OW!
I was a wreck and if it were not for DM Linda and MSDT Mark I would have washed out for sure.
The pool skills were not that tough but my comfort level and inner demons about drowning were immense!
My nose breathing made it mask skills challenging as well.

The hardest but the best because it came right down to a battle of mind over matter for me.
This battle was fought between my ears and in the end I determined to conquer my fear or die trying!
I am still here and the other training I have done has had skills that were demanding but not even close to the battle I faced in OW.

We always think of OW being easy but for some of us it was HELL!
The pool was a nightmare if I could harness all that stress and overcome it then the few tougher classes have been easier to master.
Has there been bumps in the road? Sure we all are human and have had some moments that proven to me humility is far better than never admitting struggles with skills.
I love to train hard and dive even harder but it must be tempered with safety and knowing ones limits.
Sometimes we all bag a dive due to being to tuckered out!

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[Sheri SGR]

Does rescue count with a big ass victim? thank goodness for dive buddies! And two person rescues.

 

[Centrals]

Learning is never easy and it doesn't matter whether it is OW or wreck penetration etc etc.
As for me the hardest is the free diving part in OW. I know the procedure but in reality it is something else. Practice makes perfect but I just gave up!! Still can't do it.
It is NOT hardest, it is impossible for me.

 

[danvolker]

Sandra and I will be finished with the Fundies Class on sunday.....This is the hardest class I can imagine, but I will say Bob Sherwood has blown me away with how well he has answered every single question I gave him--areas where my early DIR differs with present GUE....and I am going with his answers...If you know me, that's saying alot.

Bigger surprise.....he let me use several pairs of fins in the pool classes, including my DiveR freedive fins.....While I am still saying the DiveR's are the fastest most efficient, fins, at the level of precise control you may have in a new wreck exploration, or a cave--in challenging and tight conditions--there is no contest...the Dive R's do NOT do the job....Too hard to keep the precision and not worth all the hardships they introduce if you are doing a penetration. I tried a few other fins, but the Jet fins with their large and stiff control surface were far more precise and functional than any of the traditional or alternative fin choices...Part of this is learning what really slow is....and how much effort you might expend trying to NOT move...this was where the other fins I tried just could not compare at all. The exploration speed is NOT a blazing speed, and the Jets are now my choice for this.....for a big cruise down Juno ledge, I am still likely to use the DiveRs ( sandra and bill using freedive fins too...but if we are in wrecks, we will all be in jet fins...) Who knows..in a few more days I may be in jets most of the time

For anyone who thinks jets are too hard to kick, or too stiff....there is an optimal way to use these fins, that no other fin can really come close to.....I hate to say it, after all the fins I have tried, and all the technology that I like.....But the real issue for GUE is not trying to win races with fins underwater, it is being perfect in fine control, and when you need to be motionless, to make this easy. This is one of the hardest things to do in diving--to just hang in the collum with virtually no movement.....you would need to try and then see this, for this to make any sense.

And then there is the whole stability at slow speed in an exploration ( for me) or for Sandra, for hunting Nudibranchs.....For this kind of speed range and precision, the doubles are so much more stable, that my lp 120's are a lame handicap--for this type of diving....
These guys have been letting me hang myself with my preconceptions--and decide for myself what is wrong or right about these key pieces of gear...
I am blown away by this class, by Bob, and by Errol. I believe they are doing another fundies class in Pompano starting around the 29th of January--anyone that is in the area who has thought about getting all the whys, and all the hows, this is it. It is hard....8am each morning to 6:30 at night, and huge pool time....even as competitive cyclists, we are tired at each days end. It is hard, but it is so worth it for the new tools and abilities.

 

[Mayor]

Sandra and I will be finished with the Fundies Class on sunday.....This is the hardest class I can imagine, but I will say Bob Sherwood has blown me away with how well he has answered every single question I gave him--areas where my early DIR differs with present GUE....and I am going with his answers...If you know me, that's saying alot.Bigger surprise.....he let me use several pairs of fins in the pool classes, including my DiveR freedive fins.....While I am still saying the DiveR's are the fastest most efficient, fins, at the level of precise control you may have in a new wreck exploration, or a cave--in challenging and tight conditions--there is no contest...the Dive R's do NOT do the job....Too hard to keep the precision and not worth all the hardships they introduce if you are doing a penetration. I tried a few other fins, but the Jet fins with their large and stiff control surface were far more precise and functional than any of the traditional or alternative fin choices...Part of this is learning what really slow is....and how much effort you might expend trying to NOT move...this was where the other fins I tried just could not compare at all. The exploration speed is NOT a blazing speed, and the Jets are now my choice for this.....for a big cruise down Juno ledge, I am still likely to use the DiveRs ( sandra and bill using freedive fins too...but if we are in wrecks, we will all be in jet fins...) Who knows..in a few more days I may be in jets most of the time For anyone who thinks jets are too hard to kick, or too stiff....there is an optimal way to use these fins, that no other fin can really come close to.....I hate to say it, after all the fins I have tried, and all the technology that I like.....But the real issue for GUE is not trying to win races with fins underwater, it is being perfect in fine control, and when you need to be motionless, to make this easy. This is one of the hardest things to do in diving--to just hang in the collum with virtually no movement.....you would need to try and then see this, for this to make any sense.And then there is the whole stability at slow speed in an exploration ( for me) or for Sandra, for hunting Nudibranchs.....For this kind of speed range and precision, the doubles are so much more stable, that my lp 120's are a lame handicap--for this type of diving....These guys have been letting me hang myself with my preconceptions--and decide for myself what is wrong or right about these key pieces of gear...I am blown away by this class, by Bob, and by Errol. I believe they are doing another fundies class in Pompano starting around the 29th of January--anyone that is in the area who has thought about getting all the whys, and all the hows, this is it. It is hard....8am each morning to 6:30 at night, and huge pool time....even as competitive cyclists, we are tired at each days end. It is hard, but it is so worth it for the new tools and abilities.

It's really hard to explain to people how much you learn in this short time. It really opened my eyes to better diving! With your background i was wondering how it would go.

 

[sam1]

It really opened my eyes to better diving!

Lest anyone construes my comments in this thread as negative towards GUE or Fundies, that is not my intention or feelings. I was (and remain) in awe of the diving skills my instructor exhibited and my eyes, too, were opened to better diving.

 

[RTee]

From a purely physical perspective...NAUI Skin/Scuba diver course in 1978 as first part of the course was centered on swimming, endurance, breathing and breath holding exercises.
From a precision, skills and frustration perspective...Deco procs in Cold Water with GDI...

BTW, both were worth their weight in gold.

 

[moneyshot73]

I,m taking UTD essentials of tech. This is the hardest class only because of the new equipment i'm using. Going from a jacket BCD to a BP/W was a challenge. The classroom work was really fun. Having to get in trim with no buoyancy skills in the DIR config was frustrating at first. It took some time but i'm getting there. We're going to the quarry tomorrow for skills. Diving doubles is really fun. I think i'm gonna pick up a set of HP 100's very soon.