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GUE Fundamentals - Part 1

Formerly GUE Primer

Course Outcomes

The GUE Fundamentals Part 1 course is designed to cultivate the foundational skills required by all sound diving practice. Included among its course outcomes are: to provide the recreational diver, who does not desire further diver training, with an opportunity to advance his/her basic diving skills and to provide non-GUE trained divers with a gateway into GUE training.

 

Prerequisites

Applicants for the Fundamentals Part 1 course must:

  1. Submit a completed registration form, a medical history, and a liability release to GUE Headquarters.
  2. Be physically and mentally fit.
  3. Hold insurance that will cover diving emergencies such as hyperbaric treatment, e.g. DAN Master-level insurance or equivalent.
  4. Be a nonsmoker.
  5. Obtain a physician’s prior written authorization for the use of prescription drugs, except for birth control, or for any prior medical condition that may pose a risk while diving.
  6. Be a minimum of 16 years of age.
  7. Be a certified GUE Rec 1 diver or be certified as an open water diver from a recognized training agency.

 

Course Content

The Fundamentals Part 1 course is normally conducted over 2 days, and requires a minimum of 2 dives and at least 14 hours of instruction encompassing classroom, land drills, and in-water work.

 

GUE Fundamentals Part 1 Specific Training Standards

  1. Student-to-instructor ratio is not to exceed 8:1 during land drill or surface exercises; it cannot exceed 4:1 during any in-water training.
  2. Critical skills may only be performed up to a maximum depth of 30 feet/9 meters
  3. Maximum depth 60 feet/18 meters
  4. No overhead diving
  5. No decompression

 

Required Training Materials

GUE training materials and recommended reading as determined by the course study packet received via online download after GUE course registration.

 

Academic Topics

  1. Introduction: GUE organization and course overview (objectives, limits, expectations)
  2. Building a solid skill base: buoyancy, trim, balance, and propulsion
  3. Fundamental diving skills
  4. Streamlining and equipment configuration
  5. Situational awareness
  6. The GUE system

 

Land Drills and Topics

  1. Dive team protocols
  2. Basic Five
  3. Equipment fit and functions
  4. Propulsion techniques
  5. Pre-dive drills

 

Required Dive Skills and Drills for Fundamentals Part 1 Rating

(A) Required Dive Skills and Drills for a Fundamentals Part 1- Recreational Rating

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving practices; this would include pre-dive preparation, in-water activity, and post-dive assessment.
  2. Demonstrate awareness of team member location and a concern for safety, responding quickly to visual indications and dive partner requirements.
  3. Demonstrate good buoyancy and trim, i.e., approximate reference is a maximum of 30 degrees off horizontal while remaining within 5 feet/1.5 meters of a target depth.
  4. Demonstrate a safe and responsible demeanor throughout all training.
  5. Demonstrate proficiency in underwater communication.
  6. Demonstrate aptitude in the following open water skills: mask clearing, mask removal and replacement, regulator removal and exchange, long-hose deployment.
  7. Demonstrate safe ascent and descent procedures.
  8. Demonstrate basic equipment proficiency and an understanding of the GUE equipment configuration.
  9. Demonstrate three propulsion techniques. Students should demonstrate comprehension of the components necessary for a successful backward kick.

 

 

(B) Required Dive Skills and Drills for a Fundamentals Part 1 - Technical Rating

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving practices; this would include pre-dive preparation, in-water activity, and post-dive assessment.
  2. Demonstrate awareness of team member location and a concern for safety, responding quickly to visual indications and dive partner requirements.
  3. Demonstrate good buoyancy and trim, i.e., approximate reference is a maximum of 20 degrees off horizontal while remaining within 3 feet/1 meter of a target depth.
  4. Demonstrate a safe and responsible demeanor throughout all training.
  5. Demonstrate proficiency in underwater communication.
  6. Demonstrate aptitude in the following open water skills: mask clearing, mask removal and replacement, regulator removal and exchange, long-hose deployment.
  7. Demonstrate safe ascent and descent procedures.
  8. Demonstrate basic equipment proficiency and an understanding of the GUE equipment configuration.
  9. Demonstrate proficiency in four propulsion techniques that would be appropriate in delicate and/or silty environments; students should also demonstrate competence in the backward kick and helicopter turns.
  10. Demonstrate proficiency with using a primary light.

 

Equipment Requirements

(A) Required Equipment for a Fundamentals Part 1 - Recreational Rating

GUE base configuration as outlined in Appendix A.
Prior to the commencement of class, students should consult with their GUE instructor to verify equipment requirements and appropriateness of any selected equipment.

(B) Required Equipment for a Fundamentals Part 1 - Technical Rating

GUE base Configuration as outlined in Appendix A, plus:

  1. GUE double tank configuration
  2. Primary and back-up lights
  3. Back-up mask

Prior to the commencement of class, students should consult with a GUE representative to verify equipment requirements and appropriateness of any selected equipment. 

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