GUE Procedure changes

[And]

This has been posted on dirks.com. Anyone interested in taking GUE courses will probably need to be familiar with these, for the course at least

Surface fin kicks with team emphasis

Land drill practice of kicks has proven inferior to in-water surface practice for divers learning propulsion. Prior to dive number one in GUE Fundamentals, GUE prefers to utilize surface propulsion practice while wearing fins and mask in appropriate thermal protection. During this surface practice the divers should work as a team with primary practice centered on back kick and helicopter turn. Divers also need some method for forward propulsion while practicing these skills, creating a natural opportunity for exposure to frog and modified frog propulsion techniques. While at the surface it is
necessary for the diver to adjust their position from the normal diving posture. Yet, the general motion of the kicks as well as the general experience has proven very useful toward a better understanding of propulsion mechanics.

Team diving emphasis in practice and performance of skills

While conducting dives every effort should be made to reinforce the team concept. For example, divers practicing helicopter kicks would place the practicing diver between two buddies while performing the skills. The divers would rotate the center position as each team member practices the skill. Other skills such as the basic five also lend themselves to team building. Divers practicing this skill orient as a team with one dive buddy holding
the practicing diver’s hose during the “hose deployment” part of this skill. Likewise, divers practicing the s-drill should hold the donors long hose while the light cord is organized and the hose stowed.

New dive planning tool- GUE EDGE

GUE is unsatisfied with the previous dive planning tool know as SADDDDD. Divers are rarely able to use this tool effectively given the confusing relation of similar words. Going forward GUE will use the acronym GUE EDGE to facilitate dive planning.

GUE Edge is as follows:
G – Goal- Dive objectives
U - Unified team- team strategies
E - Equipment match
E – Exposure- Depth/Time
D - Decompression strategies
G - Gas strategies
E - Environmental issues

Standardized equipment placement for diver’s pockets

The lack of standardized placement for equipment stowed in a diver’s pockets continues to create confusion among dive teams and may be considered a hazard during emergencies in which a dive buddy needs to assist an incapacitated or troubled diver. Therefore, GUE has agreed to standardize the placement of equipment in a diver’s pockets. While it is understood that arguments might be made on all sides it has been
agreed that the diver’s left pocket will hold “utility” equipment while the right pocket should hold “safety” equipment. This convention allows divers to become familiar with placement which will best serve them in all diving scenarios. For example, a diver using a scooter can access “utility” items while scootering. Utility items include but are not limited to a primary SMB, double end clips, stage carry loops, jump spools etc.; safety
items include a reserve SMB, spare mask, safety spool, wet notes etc.

Light head stowage and clip placement

During certain diving scenarios it becomes desirable to clip the light head such that the beam points down away from a team member’s eyes. In order to facilitate this need while reducing the complexity of multiple clips GUE procedures utilize the placement of a permanent clip on the handle of the light head and a loop at the rear of the light head. The rear loop allows the diver to temporarily clip a double end clip to the beck of the light head. The permanent placement of clip at the handle ensures that a clip is available at the most important location and is easily used should it be necessary to stow the light permanently in the event of a failure or when the light is no longer needed. This clip is placed on the right side where the diver can hold it with the thumb of their left hand. Lights that are no longer in use should be stowed with the light cord tucked under the long hose.

Valve drill

GUE recognizes that drills are, at least partially, disconnected from real diving scenarios. Yet, every effort should be made to keep drills similar to real diving scenarios and consonant with the GUE ethos of simplicity. For example, GUE’s previous drill found a diver shutting down their necklace while breathing from this regulator; the diver was also simultaneously responsible for signaling their team and managing the long hose. There
were divergent opinions about the best way to manage this unrealistic scenario; in the end, we agree this problem is created by the drill and not real life diving scenarios. Given these issues GUE has created a new procedure to be used during valve drills; this standard is as follows:

Valve drill procedure:

The diver conducting the drill should prepare the team by signaling his intention to initiate the drill.
Purge the necklace regulator to verify operation. Begin signaling for attention; the light is situated on the left hand.
Shut down right post, evacuate the hose and switch to the necklace regulator.
Clip the long hose second stage to the right chest d-ring.
Reopen the long hose regulator, unclip the second stage and purge to verify operation.
Switch from the necklace regulator to the long hose.
Close and then reopen the isolator.
Grasp the top of the light with the right hand and begin to signal the team.
Continue breathing from the long hose while closing and then purging the left post necklace regulator.
Reopen the left post.
Return the light to the left hand.
Conduct a flow check to ensure all valves are open.

All valves should be completely open but not jammed in the open position. Divers turning the valve in the wrong direction will find the valve moving slightly; this reduces the risk that they will jam the valve in the open position, becoming unsure of the proper direction of movement.

Link to article (pdf)

[And]

Hi

Overall I don't think there is much to scream and shout about, although I still dispute that there is a reason to clip off the light head whilst doing anything with it operating, especially whilst cave diving. You need the light head to identify the bottle, and placing the lighthead in the right hand avoids any unnecessary movement during switches. Both myself and Bob have done plenty of switches in caves without creating a star wars bar scene and we don't need to fanny about with a double ender. I'll have to play around with it perhaps, as no doubt I will have to tie one on to my lighthead for future courses. Bah humbug!

I also don't really like GUE EDGE (I pronounce it gweedge ) but this probably falls into the realm of primacy. I was taught SEEDS (Safety, Exercise, Equipment, Discipline, and Signals) by BSAC and this still runs through my mind when planning a dive. I guess its the same for PADI trained divers, and I think it will be the GUE Open Water students who may benefit from this the most.

Other than that, I am sure there will be criticism of the SDrill malarky but that might help (or demonstrate on the course) the students ability to stay close and hover together without swimming around each other as is so often the case on DIRF courses. As a diver gets to Tech1 level then it probably isn't necessary and the diver should be able to sort his sh*t out without holding hands

Oh, the pockets thing is banana's. Anyone who has the 'proper' DIR suit which has a bellows on the left and a flat pocket on the right, will not be able to seperate contents in that manner, and there is no need to. We have two bungie loops, one at the front for stuff you know you will need, and one at the back for emergency items. If you place emergency items in the pocket first and the other stuff on top then this works perfectly. The flat pocket stores wetnotes, spare wristseals, survey stuff if you want it etc. See GI's pocket contents here You can see that on one loop he has a couple of double enders and a scooter/stage leash, whilst the other loop has emergency stuff, like spare mask, extra light, snips etc.

Andy

[Janos]

I'm not GUE, but I also question the value of surface swims. Not saying it's wrong. Just how does it work. I used to swim breaststroke competatively, and the frog kick used there is very different to the diving frog kick.

When swimming, the legs go out flat and when bring feet in towards your bottom, dropping the kneees below the body. When diving, your feet are above your head the whole time. So how can your head be on or just above the surface, with your feet above your head? Or am I missing something?

Janos

[neilh]

Originally Posted by And

Anyone who has the 'proper' DIR suit which has a bellows on the left and a flat pocket on the right, will not be able to seperate contents in that manner, and there is no need to.

Ah, but now you don't have a "proper" DIR suit
Gotta agree with you though, there's nothing major in the updates - just a bit of tweaking. Personally I think it's ok (things need to progress), but like you I'm not convinced by the hand-holding for the s-drill.

There's often been discussions about what to fix to your light head and what goes in each pocket - it's a bit of a shame to be able to point to a standardised response now

I do like the valve drill change though.

Originally Posted by Janos

I'm not GUE, but I also question the value of surface swims. Not saying it's wrong. Just how does it work.

There used to be part of the fundies course that was spent lying on a table or on a gear gulper in a car park going through the movements for the kicks. As I understand it recent courses have switched to practicing the kicks in the swimming pool after the swim tests instead and people have been finding this working better than the dry land practices.

[divingniknaks]

Janos, I think the kicks thing is probably down to "how do you ?" type thing when out of the water.

RichW seems to have nailed this as on Fundies we did it laid on a table and it worked fine IMHO, Rich was able to stand behind and move your feet in the proper way so each person could get the "feel" of it.

Good icebreaker as well, as everyone gets to look a complete burke before you even get in the water and make a real hash of stuff.

Valve drill makes sense to me as it stops the ability to turn off all your gas (now who would do that )

S drill, holding the second stage IMHO is boll*x, you should be able to stow your stuff on your own. I'll try it, but at first thought it would seem to be potentially a mess with someone hanging on to the reg.

Pocket contents I will argue about when I've got the rest of it nailed, eg bouyancy, trim, team awareness etc etc. IMHO opinion as long as the team knows where the stuff is, is that not good enough ?

Personally I've got too much to work on to be worried about some of this stuff yet.

Must be nice to be so good that you can spend time worrying about boltsnaps or dbl enders on lights

Maybe one day I might get there

.

[And]

Originally Posted by neilh

Ah, but now you don't have a "proper" DIR suit

I don't have a proper 'GUE' suit you mean surely ?

Don't worry, its all bollox anyway

Andy

[neilh]

Originally Posted by And

I don't have a proper 'GUE' suit you mean surely ?

I was quoting you, I'd have said "GUE"

Originally Posted by And

Don't worry, its all bollox anyway

Definitely - plus they haven't standardised the actual pockets.... yet

[divingniknaks]

Originally Posted by neilh

Definitely - plus they haven't standardised the actual pockets.... yet

Got to leave something for next years jamboree mate

,

[neilh]

Wetnotes contents as well perhaps?

[ahar]

Originally Posted by Janos

[size=2]I'm not GUE, but I also question the value of surface swims. Not saying it's wrong. Just how does it work. I used to swim breaststroke competitively, and the frog kick used there is very different to the diving frog kick.

Rich Walker tried practising kicks with us in a swimming pool rather than dry land and it proved to be useful...but then that might be because I've never got the hang of 'proper' breast stroke legs and tend just to use my arms when swimming

Nice to see GUE have come round to my way of thinking on the pockets - I've always thought it would be better to put a spare mask on the right so that stage bottles don't get in the way of getting it out if you need it.