WHY TAKE THIS COURSE?

GUE Fundamentals is by far GUE’s most popular course. Fundamentals is designed to improve your recreational diving skills as much as possible and to ensure your theoretical understanding of diving is excellent. Some divers use Fundamentals as a way to polish the skills they’ve already learned to be the best recreational divers they can be. Others use the class as the first step towards GUE’s advanced training programs, like Technical Diver 1. Regardless of what kind of diver you’d like to become, we’ll spend our time in Fundamentals improving your skills as much as possible so you can pursue your personal goals.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Nearly every diver regardless of their current level of certification or experience will benefit from taking a GUE Fundamentals course. Newer divers come to class to learn good habits from the start. However, technical divers and instructors (from other training organizations) often take Fundamentals to gain access to GUE’s cave and technical training programs, or to improve their existing skills. Fundamentals is a prerequisite for nearly all other GUE training courses.

It’s common to have divers with diverse backgrounds in the same class working together towards the same goal: to improve their diving skills. Graduating this course with a pass is something to be proud of. The skill of a GUE Fundamentals diver is standardized and recognized across the diving world.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

In the classroom, we’ll cover a number of academic topics:

• The theory of buoyancy, trim, balance, and propulsion

• The GUE equipment configuration

• How to plan a dive and ensure you have enough breathing gas for emergencies

• The effects of gasses on your body while it’s under pressure

• Decompression theory for the recreational diver

• How to prevent accidents and dive safely.

In the water, we’ll build on the theoretical knowledge we learned in the classroom. We’ll cover:

• Forwards propulsion (the frog kick and flutter kick, and their smaller “modified” versions)

• Maneuvering kicks (the backwards kick and helicopter turn)

• The “Basic 5” scuba skills: exchanging a regulators, switching to your backup regulator, deploying the long hose regulator, flooding/clearing your mask, and replacing your mask

• Donating gas to an out-of-gas diver (the safety drill or s-drill)

• Manipulating our valves (the valve drill)

• Deploying a surface marker buoy (SMB deployment)

• Swimming a short distance without a mask

GUE Fundamentals also includes a nitrox certification for the use of 32% on recreational dives.

WHAT DO WE DO EACH DAY?

GUE Fundamentals is a flexible program, but it’s typically taught in a four-day format. A sample schedule is as follows:

Day 1: The first day of the program involves no diving. We’ll cover theoretical topics/academics in a classroom setting and make any adjustments needed to your equipment before diving on day 2. If time allows, we’ll complete the required swim test on the first day of class.

Day 2: We’ll meet at the dive site and review propulsion and the “Basic 5” scuba skills. We’ll do two dives and spend the remainder of the day in the classroom learning theory, managing logistics, and debriefing the day’s dives.

Day 3: The third day of class is focused on the s-drill and valve drill. We’ll meet at the dive site, review the day’s skills, and do two dives. Once we’re done diving, we’ll spend the remainder of the day in the classroom like on day 2.

Day 4: On the last day of class, we’ll start at the dive site again. We’ll review the SMB deployment and no-mask swim, then perform two dives. We’ll review your exams and do a final debrief so you have a good idea of where your skills are and what needs to be done to improve.

OFFICIAL STANDARDS AND PREREQUISITES

Applicants for a GUE Fundamentals program must:

• Be a minimum of 16 years of age.

• Be physically and mentally fit.

• Be a non-smoker.

• Be able to swim.

• Obtain a physician’s prior written authorization for use of prescription drugs, except for birth control, or for any medical condition that may pose a risk while diving.

• Be certified, at a minimum, as an autonomous entry-level scuba diver (or equivalent) from a recognized training agency.

• For a full list of course prerequisites, click here.

The Fundamentals course is normally conducted over four days; it requires at least six dives and at least 30 hours of instruction and encompasses classroom time, land drills, and in-water work

COURSE SCHEDULING & COSTS

Please see the Course Scheduling & Costs page for more information about how to schedule a class and costs related to taking a GUE course.