I'm not sure if it's a little late to contribute my personal opinion and experience on this topic. I know my case might be different from most, but I would have really appreciated hearing what I've learned over the past 7 years since I got into the GUE scene so that my experience could have been friendlier than it turned out to be.
The first thing I want to say is that I really like GUE's structured procedures and the high level of discipline they require. I feel super comfortable following the GUE approach, and I'm genuinely happy with everything I've learned so far. I'm not saying GUE is the best approach for everyone—but for me, it absolutely is.
What I do regret, though, is the way I went about learning, the insane amount of money I wasted on training that, in the end, gave me very little, and the overwhelming frustration I went through during the process. Or maybe my expectations were just different. I won't go into too much detail, but I think there are some points that could help others—just like they would have helped me 7 years ago.
When I discovered GUE, I was a PADI OWD with around 20 dives under my belt, and I was very eager to learn how to dive properly and safely. At the time, many people told me, "You're lucky because you're starting with very little experience, so you won't have any bad habits that are hard to fix later on." I also came across some fantastic videos online showing people mastering buoyancy and trim in a pool and so on during Fundamentals training, and it all looked amazing.
BUT…
The reality was quite different. The theory classes and dry runs were great, and—as someone else in this thread wrote—“Far more important than skill mastery is the mindset and critical thinking taught in a GUE course.” I completely agree with that. But in my opinion, GUE training often feels more like an evaluation process to determine whether you already have the skills. If you don’t, like in my case, you don’t pass, and it’s up to you to figure out how to fix whatever you're missing. That might mean practicing on your own, or paying someone else to teach you the skills (which to me doesn’t make much sense). I’m not saying no instructor puts effort into helping you learn and fix issues—but in my experience, less than half of them actually did.
My most frustrating experience has been trying to meet the Tech 1 skill requirements. After two instructors and five years, I still haven't passed. I’m not saying they should just hand me the certification—I fully understand that I need to demonstrate my skills, but I assumed that by paying for such expensive courses I would receive guidance and support to help me improve. And the solution? You're told to go dive and let's see (literally) so you have to get trained elsewhere to fix your issues, then come back (and pay again) to be evaluated. If you don’t pass, you go home, train again selsewhere, and repeat. Just in Tech 1 training fees, I’ve spent over €3800—plus all the logistics—only to be told, “You didn’t pass because of X. Go fix it, then come back and let's see.”
What upset me the most was that after my last Tech 1 training—or rather, evaluation—I was deeply frustrated and didn’t even want to fill out the "quelity form" they ask for at the end. But because they insisted, I submitted my honest opinion. What I got in return was an email from a GUE Board Director who responded in a way I felt was extremely unprofessional, unfair, and arrogant. I was honestly shocked. I never expected anything like that.
So in summary:
I do recommend the GUE path, but if you go that way, try to master all the core in-water skills beforehand, dive as much as posible with other GUE divers and look for an instructor who’s genuinely committed to helping you progress when you hit a roadblock. Otherwise, you might end up just paying for very expensive evaluation processes.
