GUE Fundamentals - Tioman, Malaysia

[jimmytaroh]

GUE Fundamentals
August 2009
Location: Salang Beach, Tioman - Malaysia
Instructor: Leon Boey

The experience started with meeting at Living Seas dive shop in Singapore on a Friday. I had been working in our Singapore office for a few days so went after work and met my buddies, Charles and Anders, for the course, as well as a few divers that were heading to Tioman for fun dives over the weekend. We took a small van from Singapore to the Malaysian border, passed through with no issues and headed straight through to a small hotel near Mersing Pier, where we would be taking the boat to Tioman island. Arriving around midnight to the hotel we brushed our teeth and went to bed asap as we had to wake up at 5am to catch the ferry. We woke up dreary eyed and made our way to the pier where we slept before departure, and on the two hour ride out to the island.

On arrival we went to our rooms and unpacked all our stuff and grabbed a bite to eat. Leon was finishing up another Fundies course so we had a day and a half of fun dives in singles to get ourselves wet and dive a bit with our buddies. The first dive was a shore dive, searching for a small wreck in Salang Bay; the search was fruitless and it ended up a 30 minute sand dive. We were able to hop on the boat later for a short trip out to some other Tioman dive sights, saw a few eels, some giant clams, nudis. I kept flashing one of our dive buddies w/ a camera every time I came across something interesting (or not too interesting), hopefully he wasn't too annoyed, haha.

Day One: Been anticipating this for some time, let's go
Our first lecture began on Sunday after a few morning fun dives. Leon was in the water during the morning dives with his previous fundies class for fun, and it gave him a chance to see us in the water and how we dived. He said we looked good in the water and that a large emphasis of our in-water time would be spent, both on skills, but more importantly on our team skills and awareness. He stressed that he would be continually raising the bar on us, and expected us to do our skills with good buoyancy control, trim and most importantly, team awareness! The final point on team awareness was stressed over and over again during the course, in between dives, in lectures, and debriefs.

We started the lectures with our reasons for taking the course and our impressions of GUE as a dive agency and GUE divers. Leon talked about the origination of GUE and some of his dive experiences in the past. To be perfectly honest, the presentations were interesting and we had some great discussions (and humbling moments w/ the video debriefs) but I can't recall which topics were discussed which days. All the topics are interrelated and with all our questions we ended up with some long discussions.

After the lecture we went outside with our gear, tried on and adjusted our backplates. Mine was too tight so I sweated in the humidity while making adjustments to the harness and crotch strap. We looked at the bolt snaps, made sure everything was tied on properly then dragged out the double Aluminum 80's we'd be using. We bolted on the wings and backplates and discussed the rigging. Leon (and Miko, the instructor intern and our underwater Spielberg) then set up a set of Scubapro MK25's on one doubles set and Apeks DS4's on another (the divers happened to be split between the two). There was a lighthearted discussion about the differences in performance and hose routing, it was the only discussion of any kind about gear brand for the course; conclusion was that both are fine and we all have personal preferences.

We went over the manifold and the nine failures, and the benefits of the manifolded doubles system, such as why we have the long hose and inflator on the right post and backup and SPG on the left post. We then broke for dinner before going back upstairs, for another lecture, I believe it was on deco and lasted a few hours. This was one of the highlights of the course for me and we talked about the benefits of using a table system rather than relying on a computer. I had a few questions about the GUE Recreational MDL's on-the-fly chart which Leon answered by getting out the large classroom PADI table as well as looking at the GUE Recreational Tables. I found that getting a better understanding of Deco, the tables and how to plan dives is actually quite liberating compared to the limitations of using a computer.

I should highlight that one of the benefits of doing the course at a small dive resort was that there are virtually no logistics to consider in terms of meeting at the dive sights, dinner, etc. The dive shop was our classroom, our fill station, and we were diving off the shore out front. Our rooms were 10 seconds walk away, and the restaurant was a whopping 30 seconds walk away! This meant no time was wasted commuting, getting gas fills, getting lost, and all our time could be devoted to the class. For anyone doing fundies, or any GUE course, this is a great way to do it. Maximum in water time and time with the instructor and no time wasted with logistics and commuting.

Day Two: "Is this where you want to be?"
This day started early with breakfast at the local restaurant, the same one we would be eating nearly all our meals at. Then down to the dive center to pull out our gear and work on dry runs for the basic 5, and shooting an SMB. Leon showed us how to do the drills and explained the reasoning behind the different movements and the fine details. We then went through one by one and did the drills ourselves. Satisfied that we could do them sitting down on the dock it was time for the swim test and breath hold. We all finished within the allotted 14 minutes, even one of our team who had a cramp. The breath hold as well was passed with no drama.

We kitted up and walked down the shore into the water. Leon and Miko went down first to set up a circuit with a spool for us to practice kicks around and shot a bag. We then went down to practice our kicks. The film later on was great for critiquing our style, my modified kicks needed to be toned down and my helicopter kick was lacking grace and precision. For some reason my backwards kick was cooperating that day.

I should note that before every dive we went through GUE EDGE, it would go smoothly until we got to gas where we would then fumble and confuse ourselves on the consumption calculations and where we turn for half usable, etc. Plus my gauge was in PSI while everyone else was on bar..

I think we spent between 2-3 hours in the water for the morning session, practicing kicks, the basic 5, and shooting an SMB. Every dive we did would have a leader, a bag guy, and a deco guy. On our second dive and my first as leader, I waited way too long to reposition the team while doing the basic 5. There was a light current and in the formation with everyone facing each other, we were floating way off course. The obvious solution was to have everyone face the current and kick lightly while doing the drills. We eventually got there but the dive could have been significantly shorter if we weren't repositioning ourselves every couple of minutes. During the debrief I felt it was a situation I should have handled better as the solution was so obvious. Leon commented on our drills and said we did ok but needed improvements and he asked the question we heard so often that it became the course slogan, "Is this where you want to be?" We were doing ok but we came to raise the bar, get our team and situational awareness, and buoyancy and trim squared away. Leon was gracious when we were getting down on ourselves but always reinforced the "Is this where you want to be?" mantra, which kept us all focused on raising the bar and trying to improve.

During the entire course the emphasis on team diving was always strong and when we weren't there for our buddies, Leon let us know it. During the mask replace and clear one of us started to drift upwards, we grabbed their elbow to provide feedback but weren't nearly as responsive as we should have been. We quickly learned to take responsibility for providing feedback to our teammates doing drills and assist them if their buoyancy was compromised. It was important to do the skills properly and with good buoyancy, but it was just as important to step in as a buddy to prevent any mistakes from spiraling away. We would hear over and over again that it was our responsibility to look after our teammates and that we HAD to be ready to assist in any situation.

We debriefed and watched ourselves on video after lunch. Very humbling but extremely useful! One never knows what one looks like underwater so the immediate feedback you get is invaluable. We then watched a few of the GUE video'd skills, something to strive for indeed. haha.

We had a second long dive that afternoon and another lecture that night. The dive consisted of the unconscious diver rescue, which Leon made look easy, we made it look un-doable. And we worked on valve drills after dry runs we did in the afternoon. It was humbling to watch Leon execute a perfect unconscious diver rescue, and valve drill without moving an inch in any direction, while we drifted all over the place the second our hands went back behind our heads. We learned techniques to improve our reach and make it easier to get at the valves. The valve drills went smoother than our basic 5 as we positioned ourselves against the current. We also worked on air shares and backup light deployment. Trying to remember which way to route the light cord always caused a bit of pause to think and we all dropped the ball on the backup light deployment by stowing our primary before deploying and signaling the team with the backup. We still made errors and needed to improve our team awareness, especially while doing drills. All dives were finished with a planned ascent stopping every 10ft/3meters where prudent. There were no direct shots to the surface and we were expected to ascend together with each diver on the same plane. The deco captain would call the stops and the bag man would reel in the line. This sounds easy, but is easier said than done. The first few dives were a mess but we steadily improved throughout the course.

Descents were also supposed to be done as a team, maintaining full buoyancy control the whole way down. No deflating your wing and dive bombing the coral with a final inflator blast to level off. I was so nervous during the first dive that I forgot to clear my ears the first 10 ft! Luckily they cleared fine but I focused myself on being more in control of my descents from there on.

We finished off the night w/ another video review and lecture on gas mixtures and reasoning behind Nitrox 32. We had all taken Nitrox courses in the past but it was refreshing to get the GUE perspective, and see the reasoning behind using nitrox rather than air. I started to see the holistic reasoning behind the choice of gasses, deco strategy, equipment and dive planning come together and understand that changing one aspect will affect other parts in ways that may or may not be optimal. We always focused on the "WHY" behind the ideas that GUE promotes, there was never a 'that's the way it is' answer. Leon rarely lectured us, we were constantly asking questions and it was more of a discussion, crucial as we were all tired from a long day! We were then passed our exams which we took back to our rooms, glanced at, then went to bed around 11pm.

[jimmytaroh]

Day Three: A day spent submerged

We spent more than three hours under water on Day Three. We debriefed on the surface between dives, going through GUE Edge and getting instruction from Leon. We added air share ascents as the final skill as well as combining the Basic 5 and Valve Drills as well. We continued to make elementary errors, especially in regards to team awareness, during the no mask swims the third buddy was often forgotten and left behind while the pair swam off together. The same thing happened while doing air share swims, the third buddy would be scrambling to catch up while the air sharing buddies pair rounded a corner together. There was good news as well, our trim had improved, buoyancy control was getting better, and we were a much tighter unit than on day one. Our ability to stay close was improving as well, largely due to the fact that we were gaining comfort with our helicopter and backwards kicks.

For our last dives of the course we had a couple join us who had done their fundies courses four years ago, and had since stopped diving due to family commitments and were now getting back into it. They had to get evaluated by a fundies instructor, and updated on procedural changes, so were thrown into the mix of our air share ascent drills and drifting debriefs. It was nice to see some new friendly faces and meet a few divers who had been threw it before. At one point we had two buddy teams sharing air, and another shooting a bag and trying to run deco. I wish I could say we handled it all with style and grace, but at least we survived the situation... wasn't pretty but we survived. The mantra, "Is this where you want to be?" was heard echoing in the breeze, or was it Leon, I can't remember.

We turned in our tests and went through the final video debrief. The feedback was, as always, humbling but extremely useful. We could see our errors but also see improvements. By the end of the day we were all a bit flustered, some more confident than others but all felt we needed a beer! We gathered at the local pub for a few Tigers to relax and share dive stories. It was fun to pull the gloves off, kick back and have a good laugh.

Day Four: The fun begins

We got to sleep in until 9am today after staying up talking the night before. We had our final Q&A session, finished the video we didn't review the day before and had our individual evaluations. I'm happy to say I passed! The course was without a doubt the most fun I've had on any course of any kind. The challenge was part of the fun, I was there to step up my game, learn a lot, and improve my diving. I also met some great guys to dive with and think about what the future may hold, perhaps Tech 1 / Cave 1.

We brought the trip to a close w/ two fun dives. The first was a long dive from Salang Pier back to the dive center. It was cool to have all five of us, diving together with good buoyancy control, able to hover around a turtle that was munching on coral, or gently kick under a low hanging piling with no effort. We had improved a lot and it showed when were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. The second dive was an awesome night dive on the wreck that we were trying to find on our first dive of the trip before the course started. It was awesome, the HID's made a huge difference and it was great having the instant communication afforded by them.

The difference in our comfort, and team awareness in the water improved markedly over the course of the trip. Leon was excellent, we were constantly challenged, which led to moments of frustration, but overall, for myself, a greater sense of accomplishment and more improvement then otherwise would have been possible. For anyone looking to maximize their comfort in the water, and enjoyment of the diving experience, I wholeheartedly recommend this course.

[LCF]

Great report!

I hear you about the unconscious diver. In Cave 2, David made it look trivial, and we made it look difficult or comical, depending on who was unconscious and who was saving. (I do the unconscious diver role VERY well )

The best thing about Fundies is that the value you get out of the class doesn't stop at the end of it. You'll look back in six months and see that your diving has totally changed, for the better. Congratulations on your pass!

[jimmytaroh]

Absolutely, thanks LCF! I figure starting w/ a drysuit will be liking going back to square one but should be an interesting experience. The course was an absolute blast, learned a ton and made a ton of mistakes but that's how you improve.
Looking forward to getting some more dives in!

[liuk3]

Great detailed dive report. Enjoyed reading it. Thanks. Congratulations on taking a great class.

[Rainer]

Wonderful report! Thanks so much for sharing it.

[ae3753]

Very nicely written report, thank you for sharing.

Sounded like you had a great time.

[Ben V]

I can't imagine doing Fundies in warm clear water without having the scurity blanket of kelp and cloudy vis to hide behind :P

Thanks for the report... I'm sure where ever you land on the West Coast it won't take long to find teammates.

[jenh]

Very nice write up! It sounds like you guys had such great energy throughout the class. By the second dive of day two, I think my buddy and I were exhausted! It was definitely affecting some of our awareness and attention in the water.

We're still in the middle of our class (need to find one more day to finish up). As LCF touched on, I don't think my buddy and I are where we want to be yet...but I've no doubt that after the class, we'll only get better!

Congrats on the pass!

[jimmytaroh]

Yes, we had a great time. A few of us had some upset moments when we dropped the ball but all in all it was great.
The great thing about doing the class at the dive resort and everyone staying there was that we had zero logistical issues and no time spent commuting. If possible I highly recommend doing courses in this manner, it's more relaxed and you get to spend more time nurding it up with your instructor. We went the budget route of all three of us staying in a small hut, luckily Malaysia's pretty inexpensive.

The warm water, and decent vis didn't hurt of course. I'm sure if I would have been diving dry with 5ft vis I would have been flying all over the place, even more than I already was!

[pullmyfinger]

Thanks for posting that Jimmy,

I'm planning to take the Fundamentals course around July. I may do it this April, working on planning at the moment.
The dive resort you went to was suggested to me as a good place to go, especially considering that I'm in Guam.
Your report was great, Thanks for writing such a detailed account and mentioning some of the travel related things.

Take care,
Mitch