Fundies cost?

[ppo2_diver]

$500 is the going rate. I think I paid around $400 for mine, but it was a 3 day class back then. I drove to my instructors in Detroit. One of the instructors let me stay at his place one night, saving me some $$$ on a hotel. If you are in So Cal, I can't recommend Mike Kane high enough. He's come out my way in the past and has been great answering my emails.

 

[Gombessa]

why teach a four day class for $500, which you can teach Cave 1 over five days for four times that much?

That's very interesting. Tangent: It may not apply to a popular caving destination like MX, but I wonder if, generally for instructors, there's a balance between skewing instruction towards more sustainable T1/2/C1/2 courses, and making time to teach fundies to keep the pipeline filled.

 

[Rainer]

That's very interesting. Tangent: It may not apply to a popular caving destination like MX, but I wonder if, generally for instructors, there's a balance between skewing instruction towards more sustainable T1/2/C1/2 courses, and making time to teach fundies to keep the pipeline filled.

Most of the cave and tech instructors don't need to worry about "filling the pipeline". The majority of GUE instructors can't teach the courses above GUE-F. From the economics side of it, it just makes sense for them to concentrate on the higher paying courses (which are also probably more fun for them).

 

[CuriousRambler]

Awesome, very relieving! When I found the price on the MX site I had a moment of "holy crap! I guess I see why people hate GUE...$1500 for their "basic" certification!" Saving a grand over that has me convinced to do it here in California already

Reading around on the forums, I've seen some about tec passes and rec passes with fundies...What exactly is that? If I want to (eventually..) move on to tech, would it be easier to get a tech pass my first run around? Is it just a higher level of mastery to get a tech pass?

Thanks to everyone who's answered thus far, all very informative.

 

[TSandM]

You can take Fundies in a single tank and without a canister light. If you do, no matter how well you do on skills, you will get a "rec" pass. This means you are not cleared to go on to technical instruction with the agency yet. A "rec" pass can be upgraded to a "tech" pass, if you do a checkout dive with an instructor in doubles and with a can light, and perform to standards.

If you take the class in doubles, you must achieve a certain score to get a tech pass. If not, you are sent off to practice and come back for a reevaluation. I believe you have to get a 4 on all the core skills, but this could be wrong, and if so, I hope someone corrects me. The standards for buoyancy variation and deviation from horizontal trim are tighter for a tech pass. A tech pass clears you to go on to Tech 1 or Cave 1.

The Rec Triox class has been an odd man out in the sequence, because it, too, can be taken in a single tank, and you don't have to have a tech pass from Fundies to take Rec Triox.

Hope that information is helpful.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Be glad you're not taking it in Europe -- I've seen some pretty expensive quotes for GUE-F classes over there, especially with the exchange rate the way it was awhile back. :shocked2:

However, with that being said, I believe the Eurasia area is probably the fastest growing segment of GUE. The organization has truly become "Global" Underwater Explorers. It makes me happy to look at their instructor listing and see people from all over the world.

 

[CuriousRambler]

I'm going to be taking my nitrox through SDUA this weekend, and they've got an alliance with GUE and Halcyon, so I plan to ask a multitude of questions while I'm in there.

Do they have any requirements on which tanks you're using as doubles? I plan to set up a set of twin al80's when I get back from my next trip overseas and start diving them to get used to the idea of doubles until I can afford to piece together some "higher end" doubles with larger steel tanks..

 

[NudeDiver]

Just out of curiosity - how come so many of you are having to pay for instructor travel and hotel expenses??? Is there just no diving locally or what?

Class around here is also $500. I dunno if that fails to include everything or what. I lost interest when I found out its $500, and you're required to have (buy or rent) specific equipment that I don't own and I am unwilling to buy (when I have perfectly serviceable equipment now).

 

[Bismark]

I'm going to be taking my nitrox through SDUA this weekend, and they've got an alliance with GUE and Halcyon, so I plan to ask a multitude of questions while I'm in there.

Do they have any requirements on which tanks you're using as doubles? I plan to set up a set of twin al80's when I get back from my next trip overseas and start diving them to get used to the idea of doubles until I can afford to piece together some "higher end" doubles with larger steel tanks..

Just so you know, a basic nitrox certification is included with the GUE Fundamentals program. Might save you a bit of money. AL 80's for doubles will work.

 

[Bismark]

Just out of curiosity - how come so many of you are having to pay for instructor travel and hotel expenses??? Is there just no diving locally or what?

Class around here is also $500. I dunno if that fails to include everything or what. I lost interest when I found out its $500, and you're required to have (buy or rent) specific equipment that I don't own and I am unwilling to buy (when I have perfectly serviceable equipment now).

If you take a look at the instructor list, you will see that there are not very many GUE instructors in the USA. If you live somewhere where there is no instructor, you will either have to import one, or travel.

I have yet to meet a graduate of the Fundamentals class that did not believe they received good value for their money.

As for the equipment requirement, this is the DIR forum, so you might get a couple of comments about that part of your post..........