I don't normally join forums, but...

Joe Hesketh · November 25th, 2005, 03:59 PM

...I thought I'd make an exception for this one.

Hello everyone, my name's Joe, and reading this back I've rather rambled on a bit (sorry, not used to posting in forums).

I started diving three years ago with a BSAC club (who I still dive with) after remembering that I'd always wanted to dive as a kid.

Shortly after my basic cert I found a website with some information about diving (the GUE website as it turned out) which seemed to make sense, especially the concept of diving the long hose. I wanted to incorporate this idea into my kit, so began to think of ways to try and do this but the more I embraced one idea, the more sense it made to embrace more of them and the better all those pieces seemed to fit. I was running mental rings around how to achieve these benefits without adopting the full system when it occurred to me that I was only doing this to try and justify all my shiny kit that was still only a few months old (Mares Abyss, SeaQuest jacket, the usual sh*t

).

So to get the hog loop I went the whole hog and bought the farm (as it were) - harness, single tank wing, new regs, fins, the lot. At the start of 2004, I emerged wearing all the kit. I suffered all the "DIR" taunts from my club (despite my protesting (genuinely) that I wasn't DIR - kit alone means nothing) and the usual ill-informed knee jerk reactions like, "that won't work..", "that's too short...", "you're gonna strangle yourself with that...", etc. However, just being in the kit made a whole heap more sense than my previous setup (no jacket squeeze, clean rig, etc.).

After getting a set of doubles, I trained with Izzy in Portland - advanced nitrox, deco procedures and then trimix early this year. I do most of my wreck diving with Marcin Kaluza, whose new software some of you might have come across - if not, shameless plug for HLPlanner :D

In June this year I went out to México with three friends to take a cave class. By a long series of coincidences far too tedious for this already overly long post, we ended up taking Cavern and Intro to Cave with Chris Le Maillot and Fred Devos (due to also become a GUE instructor shortly, I think). We couldn't do the GUE course as none of us had done fundies, but from reading Cave 1 reports subsequently we got pretty much the same (perhaps minus some of the intensity). As Chris told me when I asked him what the difference was, he said "I don't have a GUE hat and a NACD hat that I can switch between, I just teach you how to cave dive" (or something similar).

All of us were unanimous in thinking that the standard of instruction from Chris and Fred was (to quote my friend who also did the course) "head and shoulders (and waist and most of the legs) above anyone else" that any of us had ever experienced.

Finally, I bought into the whole GUE thing (the idea I mean). After all that, I thought it was the least I could do to attend a DIR-F which I did a couple of months ago with Rich Walker. Again, a bravura performance on his part confirmed that GUE really aren't bullsh*tting about global standards for instructors. My only regret is not having done Fundies right back at the start.

Future plans are to go back to Xpu Ha next year and put the whole DIR thing firmly back on track by taking Cave 1 and doing some more diving.

Sorry for rambling and good luck with the site. I might even break the habit of a lifetime and post a few things.

Joe

*JohnKendall* · November 25th, 2005, 04:02 PM

Hi Joe,

Welcome.

J

fraser · November 25th, 2005, 04:12 PM

Welcome Joe,

I would be very interested in your experiences, so please, post away

All the best,

Fraser.

Divingniknaks · November 25th, 2005, 04:52 PM

Hi Joe,

Welcome on board, this place is starting to look like my CRM system, so many familiar names :D

Envious of your plans for next year , moi ? :D :D :D

(Techadmin, can we have a green mad type smilie ?)

Cheers

Rob Andrews · November 25th, 2005, 05:26 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Divingniknaks)

Hi Joe,

Welcome on board, this place is starting to look like my CRM system, so many familiar names :D

Envious of your plans for next year , moi ? :D :D :D

(Techadmin, can we have a green mad type smilie ?)

Cheers

Phil

I think this board should be your CRM system!! :D

***Bob Cooper*** · November 25th, 2005, 07:56 PM

Hi Joe and welcome.

I have good memories of diving with Chris and Fred a few years back in Mexico.

Where are you in London?

Bob

Joe Hesketh · November 25th, 2005, 08:19 PM

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

Quote: (Originally Posted by Bob Cooper)

I have good memories of diving with Chris and Fred a few years back in Mexico.

So do they! They both mentioned you...

Quote: (Originally Posted by Bob Cooper)

Where are you in London?

Bayswater - near to Paddington Station.

November 25th, 2005, 03:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
Joe Hesketh (Online) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 657	I don't normally join forums, but... ...I thought I'd make an exception for this one. Hello everyone, my name's Joe, and reading this back I've rather rambled on a bit (sorry, not used to posting in forums). I started diving three years ago with a BSAC club (who I still dive with) after remembering that I'd always wanted to dive as a kid. Shortly after my basic cert I found a website with some information about diving (the GUE website as it turned out) which seemed to make sense, especially the concept of diving the long hose. I wanted to incorporate this idea into my kit, so began to think of ways to try and do this but the more I embraced one idea, the more sense it made to embrace more of them and the better all those pieces seemed to fit. I was running mental rings around how to achieve these benefits without adopting the full system when it occurred to me that I was only doing this to try and justify all my shiny kit that was still only a few months old (Mares Abyss, SeaQuest jacket, the usual sht ). So to get the hog loop I went the whole hog and bought the farm (as it were) - harness, single tank wing, new regs, fins, the lot. At the start of 2004, I emerged wearing all the kit. I suffered all the "DIR" taunts from my club (despite my protesting (genuinely) that I wasn't DIR - kit alone means nothing) and the usual ill-informed knee jerk reactions like, "that won't work..", "that's too short...", "you're gonna strangle yourself with that...", etc. However, just being in the kit made a whole heap more sense than my previous setup (no jacket squeeze, clean rig, etc.). After getting a set of doubles, I trained with Izzy in Portland - advanced nitrox, deco procedures and then trimix early this year. I do most of my wreck diving with Marcin Kaluza, whose new software some of you might have come across - if not, shameless plug for HLPlanner :D In June this year I went out to México with three friends to take a cave class. By a long series of coincidences far too tedious for this already overly long post, we ended up taking Cavern and Intro to Cave with Chris Le Maillot and Fred Devos (due to also become a GUE instructor shortly, I think). We couldn't do the GUE course as none of us had done fundies, but from reading Cave 1 reports subsequently we got pretty much the same (perhaps minus some of the intensity). As Chris told me when I asked him what the difference was, he said "I don't have a GUE hat and a NACD hat that I can switch between, I just teach you how to cave dive" (or something similar). All of us were unanimous in thinking that the standard of instruction from Chris and Fred was (to quote my friend who also did the course) "head and shoulders (and waist and most of the legs) above anyone else" that any of us had ever experienced. Finally, I bought into the whole GUE thing (the idea I mean). After all that, I thought it was the least I could do to attend a DIR-F which I did a couple of months ago with Rich Walker. Again, a bravura performance on his part confirmed that GUE really aren't bullshtting about global standards for instructors. My only regret is not having done Fundies right back at the start. Future plans are to go back to Xpu Ha next year and put the whole DIR thing firmly back on track by taking Cave 1 and doing some more diving. Sorry for rambling and good luck with the site. I might even break the habit of a lifetime and post a few things. Joe Last edited by Joe Hesketh; June 24th, 2006 at 12:30 AM.

November 25th, 2005, 04:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
fraser(Offline) "I'm only late on your timescale" Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kent, UK Posts: 463	Welcome Joe, I would be very interested in your experiences, so please, post away All the best, Fraser. __________________ Damn it feels good to be a gangsta

November 25th, 2005, 04:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
Divingniknaks(Offline) Resident purveyor of shiney kit.... Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Midlands UK Posts: 1,038	Hi Joe, Welcome on board, this place is starting to look like my CRM system, so many familiar names :D Envious of your plans for next year , moi ? :D :D :D (Techadmin, can we have a green mad type smilie ?) Cheers __________________ Phill ----------------------------- Salvo Lights, DirZone Gear , Frog Wings Dive ? http://www.divingniknaks.com

November 25th, 2005, 04:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
JohnKendall(Offline) GUE Instructor/DIRX Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 1,102	Hi Joe, Welcome. J

November 25th, 2005, 05:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rob Andrews(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wombourne, West Mids, UK Posts: 133	Quote: (Originally Posted by Divingniknaks) Hi Joe, Welcome on board, this place is starting to look like my CRM system, so many familiar names :D Envious of your plans for next year , moi ? :D :D :D (Techadmin, can we have a green mad type smilie ?) Cheers Phil I think this board should be your CRM system!! :D

November 25th, 2005, 07:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
*Bob Cooper*(Offline) Moderator - "Don't stop me now!" Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: South East London, UK Posts: 684	Hi Joe and welcome. I have good memories of diving with Chris and Fred a few years back in Mexico. Where are you in London? Bob

November 25th, 2005, 08:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Joe Hesketh (Online) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 657	Thanks for the welcome everyone. Quote: (Originally Posted by Bob Cooper) I have good memories of diving with Chris and Fred a few years back in Mexico. So do they! They both mentioned you... Quote: (Originally Posted by Bob Cooper) Where are you in London? Bayswater - near to Paddington Station.