Ripple in still water
Contributor
From what I've read about GUE Fundamentals, the class teaches a lot of valuable skills that one can only get a la carte from other training agencies -- if at all. For instance, I took NACD Cavern last month. A lot of the stuff I learned will likely be quite useful in OW diving. Yet, I'm not even sure where I could pick some of these things up via PADI classes.
Propulsion techniques, for instance. Maybe wreck, maybe peak performance buoyancy? Better buoyancy/trim while task loaded. Maybe PPB, though I'm not sure to what degree task loading is part of that class. More practice in S drills, maskless swimming, and the like. Maybe rescue? But I don't think there's any PADI course that puts all that stuff together (except maybe PADI Cavern). If I understand correctly, Fundies does all that and more, and some of the more, like practice shooting an SMB, is important stuff that may not turn up in any PADI course.
There are very few GUE instructors, though, and what if one wants to learn this stuff and doesn't live near a GUE guy and/or doesn't want to buy a backplate and wing? Why haven't other agencies put together their own "be a better diver generally" courses, or do these courses in fact exist?
Propulsion techniques, for instance. Maybe wreck, maybe peak performance buoyancy? Better buoyancy/trim while task loaded. Maybe PPB, though I'm not sure to what degree task loading is part of that class. More practice in S drills, maskless swimming, and the like. Maybe rescue? But I don't think there's any PADI course that puts all that stuff together (except maybe PADI Cavern). If I understand correctly, Fundies does all that and more, and some of the more, like practice shooting an SMB, is important stuff that may not turn up in any PADI course.
There are very few GUE instructors, though, and what if one wants to learn this stuff and doesn't live near a GUE guy and/or doesn't want to buy a backplate and wing? Why haven't other agencies put together their own "be a better diver generally" courses, or do these courses in fact exist?