Hello, from Bergen Norway.

MattDuke · April 28th, 2006, 07:34 PM

Hi,

I'm a British diver who moved to Norway in 2002. I started diving in 1992, and have taken qualifications with the BSAC, IANTD, TDI and NDF. Bergen has quite an active GUE trained diving community, and our own GUE instructor, Fredrik Taule. Often he works with a swedish chap called Richard Lundgren who has been working hard to help educate a lot of Nordic divers! I guess these names are know well to you guys.

There are various things about the GUE system that appeal to me. The first thing that caught my attention was the kit configuration. It was only much later that I realised this was a very small part of the concept.

I arranged to dive some wrecks in the 60-70m range, and had 2 teams of GUE divers on our boat. The bottom line, is that I felt these dives were conducted "In a Team" underwater by the Tech 1 lads, and more as "Solo dives" in a buddy pair by us TDI/IANTD divers. I believe I am a safe, experienced and competent Trimix diver, but again watching the Tech 1 lads on the ascent I felt ashamed of my bouyancy control skills. Effortless would be the right word to describe them!

We had a fantastic presentation on GUE at Bergen university by Richard L. last year, but I really needed to see it in action to believe it. I'd also been really put off by some vocal DIR-F divers who were extremely rude about my holding TDI qualifications. It was only when I met divers that actually dive the GUE system, that I realised these people were the vocal minority!

This year I have adopted new dive kit. I did my trimix course in 1999, and to be honest it was time to swap out some things anyway, so it has been fun to get some new equipment. So for 10 months roughly I have exclusivly dived a hogathian rig, and have found it most enjoyable.

I am enrolled on a DIR-F course in October, and will try and take the Tech-1 reasonably quickly afterwards. (If the instructor agrees)

My comfort level is for a maximum depth of around 60-70m. I think that the GUE system will allow me to dive wrecks in this depth in an even more enjoyable and safe way. As a father of young viking, that is my driving factor. To continue my diver education in order that I may be a better, safer diver and have a reasonable chance of watching her grow up.

I don't dismiss my current diver training and experience either. I've done hundreds of decompression divers in cold water, and I am still here. GUE divers who have been in the water with me have been generous in their appraisal of my diving. Many of them are only really setting out on their journey as wreck divers, and have much to learn about wreck location and seamanship, but I feel they have a tremendous advantage underwater. An advantage that I want to enjoy and share with them.

Best Regards

Matt Duke

http://www.diving-in-norway.com

vid · April 28th, 2006, 08:00 PM

hi and welcome -

by the way - that's a really balanced/good intro

enjoy yourself

vid

*Clare Gledhill* · April 30th, 2006, 12:59 AM

Welcome Matt.... I hear from a friend of yours that you may have a lot to offer here

Hope the board will offer you some fun and info in return.

GLOC · April 30th, 2006, 01:17 AM

Matt, Welcome.

This board is a great source of knowledge, from those newbies who pose questions to stuff we take for granted, to those very experienced GUE operators who can answer those questions....

Regards

MattDuke · April 30th, 2006, 05:03 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Gledders)

Welcome Matt.... I hear from a friend of yours that you may have a lot to offer here

Hope the board will offer you some fun and info in return.

Thanks guys. You can't learn to dive from the interweb, but it's a great place for discussion.

Well it must have been a nice friend then gledders. :D Have you dived over here? Some classic trips are run out of Bergen & Floro, nice wrecks in very reasonable depths.

Cheers

Matt

(Just back from a scooter dive in horrible viz! Boooo.

)

MattDuke · May 14th, 2006, 11:06 PM

Just though I'd add a little update.

I'm also booked in on a YBOD course and have decided to purchase a unit.

I'm still booked on a GUE course in October, but for various reasons I have elected to train and evaluate CCR diving too.

I have always elected to get as much diving education as possible, so the next 6 months will be a very interesting time for me!

Matt.

MattDuke · August 21st, 2006, 10:29 AM

And what a 6 months it has been!

Final dates are through for the GUE course, and we are now foucussing hard on preparation. We are doing the course with a chap called Fredrik, and I am going to try my best to pass! Long term goal is Cave 1 and Tech 1, so now it's time to see how close we can get.

Whatever happens, my regular trimix excursions in Norway will certainly be safer after the course, and I hope my diving will have improved. I would feel far less nervous if I hadn't dived so much. Gonna feel like a right plumb if my divings not up to task.

I'll be sure to post a report on the course, as maybe it can be fun to do as the "Old dog, trying hard to learn new tricks" perspective.

April 28th, 2006, 07:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
MattDuke(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 33	Hello, from Bergen Norway. Hi, I'm a British diver who moved to Norway in 2002. I started diving in 1992, and have taken qualifications with the BSAC, IANTD, TDI and NDF. Bergen has quite an active GUE trained diving community, and our own GUE instructor, Fredrik Taule. Often he works with a swedish chap called Richard Lundgren who has been working hard to help educate a lot of Nordic divers! I guess these names are know well to you guys. There are various things about the GUE system that appeal to me. The first thing that caught my attention was the kit configuration. It was only much later that I realised this was a very small part of the concept. I arranged to dive some wrecks in the 60-70m range, and had 2 teams of GUE divers on our boat. The bottom line, is that I felt these dives were conducted "In a Team" underwater by the Tech 1 lads, and more as "Solo dives" in a buddy pair by us TDI/IANTD divers. I believe I am a safe, experienced and competent Trimix diver, but again watching the Tech 1 lads on the ascent I felt ashamed of my bouyancy control skills. Effortless would be the right word to describe them! We had a fantastic presentation on GUE at Bergen university by Richard L. last year, but I really needed to see it in action to believe it. I'd also been really put off by some vocal DIR-F divers who were extremely rude about my holding TDI qualifications. It was only when I met divers that actually dive the GUE system, that I realised these people were the vocal minority! This year I have adopted new dive kit. I did my trimix course in 1999, and to be honest it was time to swap out some things anyway, so it has been fun to get some new equipment. So for 10 months roughly I have exclusivly dived a hogathian rig, and have found it most enjoyable. I am enrolled on a DIR-F course in October, and will try and take the Tech-1 reasonably quickly afterwards. (If the instructor agrees) My comfort level is for a maximum depth of around 60-70m. I think that the GUE system will allow me to dive wrecks in this depth in an even more enjoyable and safe way. As a father of young viking, that is my driving factor. To continue my diver education in order that I may be a better, safer diver and have a reasonable chance of watching her grow up. I don't dismiss my current diver training and experience either. I've done hundreds of decompression divers in cold water, and I am still here. GUE divers who have been in the water with me have been generous in their appraisal of my diving. Many of them are only really setting out on their journey as wreck divers, and have much to learn about wreck location and seamanship, but I feel they have a tremendous advantage underwater. An advantage that I want to enjoy and share with them. Best Regards Matt Duke http://www.diving-in-norway.com

April 30th, 2006, 12:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
Clare Gledhill(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Pacman Champion! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,547	Welcome Matt.... I hear from a friend of yours that you may have a lot to offer here Hope the board will offer you some fun and info in return. __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk

April 30th, 2006, 01:17 AM	#4 (permalink)
GLOC (Online) Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fleet, Hants Posts: 1,994	Matt, Welcome. This board is a great source of knowledge, from those newbies who pose questions to stuff we take for granted, to those very experienced GUE operators who can answer those questions.... Regards __________________ Gareth Images of Life Photography DIR Team Foxturd Travels Underwater and Further Afar If you don't have the time to do something right, where are you going to find the time to fix it? - Stephen King

April 28th, 2006, 08:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
vid(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: london/surrey border, UK Posts: 353	hi and welcome - by the way - that's a really balanced/good intro enjoy yourself vid

April 30th, 2006, 05:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
MattDuke(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 33	Quote: (Originally Posted by Gledders) Welcome Matt.... I hear from a friend of yours that you may have a lot to offer here Hope the board will offer you some fun and info in return. Thanks guys. You can't learn to dive from the interweb, but it's a great place for discussion. Well it must have been a nice friend then gledders. :D Have you dived over here? Some classic trips are run out of Bergen & Floro, nice wrecks in very reasonable depths. Cheers Matt (Just back from a scooter dive in horrible viz! Boooo. )

May 14th, 2006, 11:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
MattDuke(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 33	Just though I'd add a little update. I'm also booked in on a YBOD course and have decided to purchase a unit. I'm still booked on a GUE course in October, but for various reasons I have elected to train and evaluate CCR diving too. I have always elected to get as much diving education as possible, so the next 6 months will be a very interesting time for me! Matt.

August 21st, 2006, 10:29 AM	#7 (permalink)
MattDuke(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 33	And what a 6 months it has been! Final dates are through for the GUE course, and we are now foucussing hard on preparation. We are doing the course with a chap called Fredrik, and I am going to try my best to pass! Long term goal is Cave 1 and Tech 1, so now it's time to see how close we can get. Whatever happens, my regular trimix excursions in Norway will certainly be safer after the course, and I hope my diving will have improved. I would feel far less nervous if I hadn't dived so much. Gonna feel like a right plumb if my divings not up to task. I'll be sure to post a report on the course, as maybe it can be fun to do as the "Old dog, trying hard to learn new tricks" perspective.