Y'all snagged another one...

[kanonfodr]

2 years or less certified and a pass. I am impressed. I can't think of anyone else that has done that. You must have had some good people around right from the get go.

Kathydee, ligersandtions (I think), ScubaFeend, myself...it happens . I feel it's more about the group you fall into and their support with mentoring or other classes that would help you prepare for Fundies (the NorCal crew has a fairly sizeable group of folks that took UTD Essentials prior to Fundies, a path I followed as well). In 50Fathom's case he fell in with a pretty dedicated, albeit small, group in his local area and was mentored very well by them. But you are correct in a sense that, with little to no exposure to the concepts in Fundies, a rec pass could be beyond a diver's capabilities.

And while I have no direct knowledge of the shorter Fundies classes (save for reading reports and hearing stories) I have no doubt that having more time with an instructor both above and below the surface increases the amount of time the student has to grasp the concepts presented in the class.

Peace,
Greg

 

[50Fathom]

With the change from the 2.25 day course to a 5 day course do you think you could have still passed under the old system or did the extra couple of days help?

I dunno. Hard call. Bob said that even when the class was "only" 3-4 days, he would routinely teach 5 and his pass/fail ratio improved.

I will say that at the 2-3 day mark, I think I would have been a VERY shaky pass at best. Likely a Provisional with a few things to work on. The last two days REALLY helped.

However, Bob did say that the new curriculum has more material to cover, so not every moment of the last two days was spent in the water, (we did spend a crapload of time in the water though. I hooked up my P-valve for each pool session and I'm glad I did.)

That said, (and this is totally my opinion), I think that if this class was 2-3 days, it wouldn't be a class, but instead, three days under the "Press-To-Test" button. The extra days really helped dial in the personal skills, but more importantly the team skills and communication. Like, you would have to show up dialed-in to have a shot at a pass.

2 years or less certified and a pass. I am impressed. I can't think of anyone else that has done that. You must have had some good people around right from the get go.

Thank you. I admit that I came into diving a bit of the "wrong way" according to some on the forum. In 2008, before I was ever a diver or even took one breath off a regulator, another guy in my unit who was a pretty hardcore diver showed me a YouTube video of a diver. It was one of those UTD/GUE/whatever training videos that someone put up there. It showed a diver in perfect trim and buoyancy just gliding through the water. He looked at me, pointed at the screen and said, "If you don't look like THAT in the water, you are WRONG!"

Now, some would call him a prick and get discouraged, but I took it as a challenge. He followed with, "Now, you aren't gonna look like this at first, or even for a long time, but every time you dive, work towards this. This level of control and precision is your goal. On every dive."

And I did. From OW onwards, I was OBSESSED with trim and buoyancy and conducting skills midwater. I only wore a jacket one day, and promptly got a BP/W and started practicing. And here I am.

To be fair, yes, the folks who trained me were great divers and imparted a lot of skills and mindset on me, and I am forever grateful. But it takes two to tango and I was HUNGRY for knowledge, skills and proficiency.

In this class, I was held to a higher standard than I ever have been before in diving. And it felt GOOD. I was REVELING in it. Even if I "failed" in my mind, (I was shooting for the Tech pass and all), I am still GLAD I "failed", (even though I still passed). It means I didn't meet the standard and they held to it. It was an honest assessment of my diving and now I go back, dust myself off, work harder, dive more and try again. Even if I totally failed, I would still consider it the single best diving course I've ever paid for and taken.

For the first time, I only paid for the training and had to EARN the card. Like it's supposed to be from day one. I didn't "pay for a card."

Refreshing.

 

[50Fathom]

Kathydee, ligersandtions (I think), ScubaFeend, myself...it happens .

Yeah, I can't be THAT special!

Kathydee, ligersandtions (I think), ScubaFeend, myself...it happens . In 50Fathom's case he fell in with a pretty dedicated, albeit small, group in his local area and was mentored very well by them. But you are correct in a sense that, with little to no exposure to the concepts in Fundies, a rec pass could be beyond a diver's capabilities.

It was pretty much me, another classmate, and the GUE-trained guy who moved here helping us both. Problem was, schedules were so odd, that often it was just me and him heading to the lake prior class for some mentoring. He helped me immeasurably, but didn't really "teach" me anything since he said he didn't want Bob having to unteach me and waste time. Basically he showed me a Basic 5, valve drill and some trim tips and videoed me a couple of times and said, "There you go, knock yourself out." I was spending 5-6 nights a week in the pool working on drills, which instead of causing problems, helped, at least a little.

Now that class is over, he said he'll be WAY more intense on the mentoring, since now I have a proper foundation to work on.

But you're right. The local group was one guy, but it's one guy who I owe a huge debt of gratitude to. Without him, I wouldn't have discovered this.

 

[ligersandtions]

Kathydee, ligersandtions (I think), ScubaFeend, myself...it happens . I feel it's more about the group you fall into and their support with mentoring or other classes that would help you prepare for Fundies (the NorCal crew has a fairly sizeable group of folks that took UTD Essentials prior to Fundies, a path I followed as well). In 50Fathom's case he fell in with a pretty dedicated, albeit small, group in his local area and was mentored very well by them. But you are correct in a sense that, with little to no exposure to the concepts in Fundies, a rec pass could be beyond a diver's capabilities.

And while I have no direct knowledge of the shorter Fundies classes (save for reading reports and hearing stories) I have no doubt that having more time with an instructor both above and below the surface increases the amount of time the student has to grasp the concepts presented in the class.

Peace,
Greg

Yep, and there are a few more socal divers (jenth comes to mind, my husband as well), probably a number in Monterey, and at least a handful (recently) in the PNW. It does help to have an active local community. Even if one doesn't have a mentor, per se, it sure helps to have a mental picture burned into your mind....also, having an idea what the class is all about beforehand definitely does not hurt.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

I think that if this class was 2-3 days, it wouldn't be a class, but instead, three days under the "Press-To-Test" button.
.

Bing, exactly right. For my class we had one demonstration, one chance to demonstrate, and a video review. Video review was pretty much you did that wrong go practice. Well no kidding show me the skill for the first time and then expect perfection a minute later, not likely. I think the students by in large know if a demonstration is not going well. But the instructors need to offer suggestions on how to do better. It sounds like GUE has moved to a longer format which is a real improvement.

 

[Rainer]

The longer format surely helps. That said, it's worth recognizing that there still exists differences in the quality of education that you'd receive from various instructors within GUE. This is due to both the teaching ability of the individual instructors and the instructor-student dynamic. It really is worth doing some homework before jumping into a class that is going to cost you some serious coin. Here are some suggestions:

(1) At the very least, call up your prospective instructor and have a chat. Feel him out. Ask some questions. Try to get a sense of whether you'll be able to "click".

(2) The above is hard to do over the phone, so better yet, see about scheduling a dive together. Yes, this is a lot easier if the instructor is local. If he is, though, there's really no reason not to try getting in a dive together. When I rang up my prospective Fundies instructor, he told me to get my cylinders filled and to join him for some dives that very weekend. Having a chance to talk at length in person and to dive together was invaluable in my choice to train with him.

(3) Talk and dive with the instructor's past students. If you want to know more about how the instructor teaches, no better place to look than his students.

(4) Come to the boards and do some final research. Look for past class reports.

Again, GUE has extremely tight quality control. That shouldn't be taken to mean all instructors are equally talented or that your personality and learning style will work equally well with how each instructor teaches. Do what homework you can ahead of time and the chance of a successful course increases.

Bing, exactly right. For my class we had one demonstration, one chance to demonstrate, and a video review. Video review was pretty much you did that wrong go practice. Well no kidding show me the skill for the first time and then expect perfection a minute later, not likely. I think the students by in large know if a demonstration is not going well. But the instructors need to offer suggestions on how to do better. It sounds like GUE has moved to a longer format which is a real improvement.

 

[50Fathom]

(1) At the very least, call up your prospective instructor and have a chat. Feel him out. Ask some questions. Try to get a sense of whether you'll be able to "click".

We did this when registering and paying for the class. It sounds all lame, but I could REALLY tell on the phone that Bob and I were gonna get along. Something intangible or subconscious, but I knew he was right for me, and even for my wife. Had to talk her off the roof a few times before class, but once it got rolling, Bob made it all click for her.

(4) Come to the boards and do some final research. Look for past class reports.

Did this as well. Read every class report I could, even the Monster Thread that's running right now, since it involved Bob as the instructor. I'm not getting into anything without all the "intel" I can get. It was all helpful, if you can adjust the signal/noise ratio to actually reach the information.

 

[kathydee]

Congrats on passing Fundies! Great job ! I'm sure you will love the new skills and global community! Enjoy!

Kathydee, ligersandtions (I think), ScubaFeend, myself...it happens .

Not true Greg. Have been certified since '06 but only logged around 30 vacation dives the in the first two years post OW class.

However, I did pass Fundies within 1.5 years of when I "really" started diving .

 

[TSandM]

In this class, I was held to a higher standard than I ever have been before in diving. And it felt GOOD. I was REVELING in it. Even if I "failed" in my mind, (I was shooting for the Tech pass and all), I am still GLAD I "failed", (even though I still passed). It means I didn't meet the standard and they held to it. It was an honest assessment of my diving and now I go back, dust myself off, work harder, dive more and try again. Even if I totally failed, I would still consider it the single best diving course I've ever paid for and taken.

This is so true. I have struggled through every GUE class I've taken, except Cave 1 (and that was because I took cavern and intro from another agency first ). But when I see other classes, and see divers trained by other systems, I am desperately glad that I threw myself at the bar, even if I didn't reach it. I have come home from each class with a clear idea of what holding oneself to high standards means, and I have also learned over time that if I keep at it, I'll get there.

When this system fits you, it's like a glove . . . I remember coming out of the water on one of the training dives I did with my Fundies instructor, and throwing my head back and crying out, "I don't know why EVERYBODY doesn't want to dive this way!" (Having not exactly excelled during the dive in question, mind you . . .) I still feel that way, and although I will not push the system on anyone who isn't interested, I definitely try to introduce it and explain it to anyone who appears curious and possibly receptive.

Diving as a part of an interchangeable community is a lovely thing. One of my boatmates on the recent FL trip remarked that he was impressed at how, when issues arose, we re-sorted teams without missing a beat. And I have loved traveling and just slotting in (and borrowing as much equipment as possible!) and immediately feeling at home.

Anyway, I'm rambling, but I'm glad you had a great experience with your class, and I wish you all the best in building a GUE community where you are. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask.

 

[50Fathom]

This is so true. I have struggled through every GUE class I've taken, except Cave 1 (and that was because I took cavern and intro from another agency first ). But when I see other classes, and see divers trained by other systems, I am desperately glad that I threw myself at the bar, even if I didn't reach it. I have come home from each class with a clear idea of what holding oneself to high standards means, and I have also learned over time that if I keep at it, I'll get there.

Yep. I can totally relate.

When this system fits you, it's like a glove . . . I remember coming out of the water on one of the training dives I did with my Fundies instructor, and throwing my head back and crying out, "I don't know why EVERYBODY doesn't want to dive this way!" (Having not exactly excelled during the dive in question, mind you . . .) I still feel that way, and although I will not push the system on anyone who isn't interested, I definitely try to introduce it and explain it to anyone who appears curious and possibly receptive.

I had quite a few moments like that in the class. Quite a few. It was like being led out of the darkness of ignorance. I had so many "unknown unknowns" and it helped me see them.

Anyway, I'm rambling, but I'm glad you had a great experience with your class, and I wish you all the best in building a GUE community where you are. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask.

Thank you and I will. To be honest, your behavior on this board, your thoughts and your willingness to reach out to others is one reason I gave this a shot. I've been lurking on SB since 2006 and only am starting to post now, so I've seen a LOT of the "DIR Wars" that have gone on here.

Interesting times, and it's the attitudes of a few here, like yourself, NWGratefulDiver, lamont and the folks in this thread that helped me come over. Meeting a Gin-u-Wine GUE Diver in the flesh (and him not being a jerk) was just the tipping point.

Thank you all, I hope I do the community right.