Posted by John Walker on August 20, 2001 at 19:21:06:
In Reply to: Re: stuff happens posted by GLnSD on August 20, 2001 at 18:26:54:
At GUE we do not harrass divers in any way. We do not rip off masks. They may be removed but a NOT riped off.
Diver are taught skills through building blocks. It is up to the instructors discretion whether or not blocks should be slowly added. These skills are started at a very fundamental level and slowly increased to the point which makes a diver proficient as a swimming, buddy, rescuer, breather, navigator, ect.
Divers are initially educated on these skills in the class room, then later the pool, then these skills will slowly be applied through a number of open water dives, depending on which class they might me participating in.
Once a diver has built up the skills to where they become a transitional action they leave the course and practice, practice, practice.
I am a GUE instructor and I can't do a thing about others forcing it on people. Unfortunatley some of these advocates are not certified (trained, I hate that certified word) by GUE and really don't understand what GUE or DIR is all about. Often divers pick up a few things here and there then claim they are DIR. Oh Well! It doesn't mean they are.
I don't force it on others although I do like to share the benifits of what I have found through the DIR philosophy.
GUE is small and it was never intended to gain the popularity that it has. Obviously something about it has grasped a lot of divers. I could only guess.
I do not do this full time. I am a elevator technician during the day which supplements my desires to dive and share. I am not employed by GUE or Halcyon or any other dive entity.