GUE recreational classes - early details

[Vie]

From Letter from the Editor, Quest 9.2, Spring 2008:

"Spring is a time of renewal and this spring is no different; I have been informed that, in addition to a Diver Propulsion Vehicle Specialty class, GUE's long-awaited Recreational Diver Program is being scheduled for release.

Here is what I have been told by the Director of Training: This new curriculum will structurally mirror the Cave and Technical Curricula. Like the others, the Recreational Diver Program will be comprised of three hierarchically ordered classes: a Recreational Level 1 (Nitrox Diver) class, a Recreational Level 2 (Triox Diver) class, and a Recreational Level 3 (Trimix Diver) class.

The Recreational Level 1 or Nitrox Diver class will function as GUE's entry-level class; it will span eight days, have a depth limit of 70ft/21m, and will incorporate the use of nitrox as well as in-water rescue training. Structurally the class will be made up of three academic modules, three night lectures, three confined water modules, and four days of open water training.

Building on the theory and practice of the Nitrox Diver class, the Recreational Level 2 or Triox Diver class will function as GUE’s advanced or recreational deep class; it will span five days and have a depth limit of 100ft/30m. This class, I understand, is an expanded version of the current GUE Triox class and will include additional environments.

The final level in this series will be the Recreational Level 3 or Trimix Diver class. In this class, divers will be taught to dive safely to a depth of 130ft/40m, while never exceeding a PO2 of 1.2. They will be using twin cylinders filled with 21/35 Trimix and a small deco bottle of Nitrox32.

Exciting days lie ahead.

Safe diving,"

Dr. Panos D. Alexakos

 

[Kevrumbo]

21/35 Trimix with a small deco bottle of Nitrox32??? Uh . . .interesting
(That has to be a typo error: Is: Nitrox32, Should Be: Nitrox50). . .

As currently practiced within the "DIR" model, Eanx32 is not even a standard deco mix coming off normoxic trimix. . .

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Well, it will be a great social experiment to see if entry level divers will have that kind of commitment in time and money. Unfortunately, I suspect not. I saw the same thing in martial arts. The drop out rate is likely to be similar. Who's going to take two weeks off of work to learn to dive, not many. And reputation doesn't go far with people that don't know the industry. They are not likely to pay 3 or 4 times more for a class just because it supposed to be 'better' with no understanding of what's involved.

I wish them luck and I'll be watching with interest...

 

[OH-JJ]

Well, it will be a great social experiment to see if entry level divers will have that kind of commitment in time and money. Unfortunately, I suspect not. I saw the same thing in martial arts. The drop out rate is likely to be similar. Who's going to take two weeks off of work to learn to dive, not many. And reputation doesn't go far with people that don't know the industry. They are not likely to pay 3 or 4 times more for a class just because it supposed to be 'better' with no understanding of what's involved.

I wish them luck and I'll be watching with interest...

in addition to the above I question if your average Rec diver would be willing to pay for triox and trimix fills.

 

[gsk3]

Well, it will be a great social experiment to see if entry level divers will have that kind of commitment in time and money.

This is a pretty exciting development. As an intro diver with a keen interest in safety and skills development, this interests me greatly. I have seen people decry the lack of interest in advanced techniques on this board, among ow divers, but if all of the great training is cave-oriented and son have no interest in cave diving....

Air

 

[Geoff_H]

Will be fascinating to see where the demand comes from for the course. I can't imagine most non-divers would be interested in it.

 

[rainman_02]

If GUE R1 will be a class for non-certified divers, I think that sounds like a pretty good general class description.

R2 should be <120 feet and MDL...this artificial limit of 100 feet for 30/30 is silly.

R3 is just plain retarded! GUE teaching a class with "light" deco on a non-standard deco mix??? Going from 44% N2 in a mix to 68%...not exactly a good way to deco... Would the switch be at 110' (1.4), at 132 (1.6), 100 (1.3), or at 70 (1.0)? I guess 132 would be out, since you're looking at a crazy END by GUE standards. 110 would also be out. 100 would match the GUE marking of the bottle. 70 would match the 50% switch for the possible next class (T1).

So, if I switch at 100' from 21/35 to 32%... ppN2 goes from 1.76 to 2.72 ATA. If I switch at 70'...ppN2 goes from 1.37 to 2.12 ATA. ppN2 on 21/35 at 130' is 2.17 ATA. To drive the gradient, switching at 100' doesn't make any sense. Switching at 70' barely makes sense from a deco standpoint.

R3 is like the Chewbacca Defense.

 

[b1gcountry]

.....

 

[JeffG]

Lets hold off bashing it until we're sure what the courses entail.
Tom

Well the post does quote Dr. Panos D. Alexakos.

So let the bashing continue.

 

[DanLVolker]

Will be fascinating to see where the demand comes from for the course. I can't imagine most non-divers would be interested in it.

Well, I have 3 friends I just got into diving via getting them into freediving..now they want to learn scuba.....I love the idea of a GUE recreational cert for them....relatively speaking, a PADI cert is a complete waste of money--it teaches little of value and wastes time. Not to mention, if they went to a PADI OR NAUI certification next week, when they completed, I would still have to teach them how to dive after the classes...after a GUE cert, they would already know

Dan Volker

p.s.
( but yes, this does limit the market base, because most of the American public wants a majic pill to get anything--most will not want the work involved in actually "learning" how to dive...so most will go to a place that will offer a cheap certification, and they may learn enough to survive in a swimming pool for 30 minutes, without supervision..maybe.
It's all about making diving cheap enough for the masses, and trying to teach the minimum possible, to allow the cheap pricing...but some people should not be divers, and there are too many dive shops competing for the much smaller number of potential divers ,who actually should become divers.


DanV