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Purpose
The primary purpose of GUE Recreational Diver 1 is to teach non-divers to master the art and science of sport diving through cultivating essential diving techniques and sound diving practices from the very beginning. Being GUE’s entry level program, the Recreational Level 1 serves the following purposes:
1. It teaches non-divers to master the art and science of sport diving through establishing a thorough understanding for diving related academics and cultivating essential skills needed to safely and efficiently enjoy exploration of the aquatic realm.
2. It represents and entry point to GUE’s training curriculum for non-divers.
3. It develops student capacity through beginning competency build-up with the end in mind by cultivating student proficiency towards meeting the diving industry’s most rigorous standards.
4. It provides the solid foundation of skills required to engage in further GUE training.
5. It orientates students to the GUE organization and its efficacy – promoting student involvement in GUE long- and short-term aspirations, such as conservation of our planet’s aquatic resources.
Prerequisites
1. Must meet GUE General Course Prerequisites as outlined in Section 1.6
2. Must be a minimum of 16 years of age
3. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 50 feet/15 meters on a breath hold
4. Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in less than 14 minutes without stopping. This test should be conducted in a swimsuit and, where necessary, appropriate thermal protection.
Duration
The GUE Recreational Diver 1 class is an 8 – 10 day program (logistics represent a controlling factor). The class can either be taken as a continuous process over 8 – 10 days or the class may be divided over a longer time frame such as 3 – 5 weekends. GUE Recreational Diver 1 involves a minimum of sixty (60) hours of instruction, encompassing both classroom and in-water work.
Course Limits
1. General Training Limits as outlined in Section 1.4
2. Student to instructor ratio is not to exceed 4:1 during any in-water training and should be adjusted downward to account for bad conditions and/or poor visibility
3. Maximum depth 70 feet/21 meters
4. No decompression
5. No overhead environment diving
Course Content
The GUE Recreational Diver 1 course comprises 3 training components:
• Confined water training, meaning initial in-water training carried out in pool-like conditions
• Open water training, meaning ocean diving in benign conditions
• Academics designed to support the in-water training
The training components contain 10 confined water dives*, 10 open water dives* and 10 lectures. The dives/lectures in each training component is spaced over 4 modules to facilitate gradual capacity build-up and ensure that student capacity evolves while always remaining comfortable during training.
As for the in-water training, these components begin with the very most basic scuba skills (buoyancy, trim, propulsion, stability and breathing control). Having established a baseline of fundamental skills the remainder of the in-water training continues to cultivate the student’s capacity based on the solid foundation that have been established from the very beginning. Apart from the basic skills team work, GUE principles and techniques included in the criteria for the GUE Fundamentals Recreational Pass is introduced and practiced.
Course requirements include a minimum of sixteen (16) hours of academics and twenty (20) in-water sessions.
* For students taking GUE Recreational Level 1 using a dry suit, 1 additional dive is included in both the confined and open water training component
Required Training Materials
1. Beginning With the End in Mind: The Fundamentals of Recreational Diving. Jesper Berglund, GUE, 2008, Stockholm, Sweden.
2. Doing it Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving. Jarrod Jablonski, GUE, 2001, High Springs, Florida.
3. Encyclopedia: Submerged – mastering the art and science of sport diving. Jarrod Jablonski, GUE, 2008, High Springs, Florida.
Academic Topics
Module 1
Introduction to Scuba Diving
Buoyancy, Physics and Physiology – Beginning With the Basics
Diving Equipment
Module 2
The Balanced Rig and Going Beyond the Basics
Going Beyond Basic Physics and Physiology
Module 3
Breathing Gas Dynamics
Decompression
Dive Planning
Module 4
Accident Prevention and Diver Rescue
The Aquatic Realm
Land Drills & Topics
1. Dive team protocols
2. Equipment fit and function
3. Propulsion and maneuvering techniques
4. Skin diving and ear equalization
5. Mask clearing
6. Regulator functionality, breathing and clearing
7. BC operation
8. Pre-dive drills
9. Basic 5 scuba skills
10. Basic 5 rescue techniques
11. Inflator management
12. Free flow regulator management
13. Dry suit management*
14. Compass navigation
15. Buoyancy and breathing control
16. Balanced rig
17. Surface marker deployment
18. S-drill and valve-drill
Required Dive Skills & Drills
1. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving techniques; this would include pre-dive preparations, in-water activity, and post-dive assessment.
2. Demonstrate awareness of team member location and a concern for safety, responding quickly to visual cues and dive partner needs.
3. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver.
4. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver followed by a slow, direct ascent to the surface.
5. Comfortably demonstrate at least two propulsion techniques and 1 maneuvering technique.
6. Demonstrate a safe and responsible demeanor throughout all training.
7. Demonstrate proficiency in the ability to deploy a spool and a surface marker.
8. Demonstrate good buoyancy and trim.
9. Demonstrate proficiency in underwater communication.
10. Demonstrate basic equipment proficiency and an understanding of the DIR equipment configuration.
11. Demonstrate aptitude in the following open water skills: mask clearing, mask removal and replacement, regulator removal and exchange, long hose deployment.
12. Demonstrate aptitude in the following surface rescue skills: primary assessment, diver tow, remove personal scuba, removal of unconscious diver’s scuba, egress with an unconscious diver.
13. Demonstrate safe ascent and decent procedures.
14. Demonstrate proficiency in executing a valve drill.
15. Demonstrating proficiency in straight line compass navigation under water.
Equipment Requirements
Each student should have, and be familiar with, all of the following required equipment.
1. Tanks/Cylinders: Single tank/cylinder. Students may use dual tanks/cylinders connected with a dual outlet, which allows for the use of two first-stages.
2. Regulators: One of the second-stages must be on a 5- to 7-foot/1.5- to 2-meter hose. One of the first-stages must supply a pressure gauge and provide inflation for a dry suit (where applicable).
3. Backplate System: A rigid and flat platform, of metal construction with minimal padding, held to a diver by one continuous piece of nylon webbing. This webbing should be adjustable through the plate and should use a buckle to secure the system at the waist. A crotch strap attached to the lower end of this platform and looped through the waistband would prevent the system from riding up a diver's back. A knife should be secured to the waist on the left webbing tab. This webbing should support five D-rings; the first should be placed at the left hip, the second should be placed in line with a diver's right collarbone, the third should be placed in line with the diver's left collarbone, the fourth and fifth should be affixed to the crotch strap to use while scootering or towing/stowing gear. The system should retain a minimalist approach with no unnecessary components.
4. Buoyancy Compensation Device: A diver's buoyancy compensation device should be back-mounted and minimalist in nature. It should come free of extraneous strings, tabs, or other material. There should be no restrictive bands or "bungee" of any sort affixed to the buoyancy cell. In addition, diver lift should not exceed 50lbs for a single tank. Wing size and shape should be appropriate to the cylinder size employed for training.
5. At least one depth-measuring device
6. At least one timekeeping device
7. Mask and fins: Mask should be low volume; fins should be rigid, non-split
8. At least one cutting device
9. Wet Notes
10. Exposure suit appropriate for the duration of exposure
Note: Prior to the commencement of class, students should consult with a GUE representative to verify equipment requirements. Whether or not a piece of equipment fulfills GUE's equipment requirement remains at the discretion of GUE and its instructor representatives. Participants are responsible for providing all equipment or for making provisions to secure the use of necessary equipment before the start of the course. In general, it is better for the student to learn while using his or her own equipment. However, students should exercise caution before purchasing new equipment to avoid acquiring substandard equipment. Please contact a GUE representative prior to making any purchases. Information about recommended equipment can be obtained from the equipment considerations section of GUE's web site.
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