GUE introducing learn to dive.....

[RJP]

I doubt the course is intended for those people ... I can't see GUE mass-marketing anything.

I suspect it's for those friends and family members of current GUE adherents who want their loved ones to learn to dive to the standards they've become accustomed to.

Makes sense...

 

[Rhone Man]

I doubt the course is intended for those people ... I can't see GUE mass-marketing anything.

I suspect it's for those friends and family members of current GUE adherents who want their loved ones to learn to dive to the standards they've become accustomed to.

I hope so. IANTD struggles to get students through its recreational arm (although TDI have done a better job in this regard). I suspect that the stringent GUE approach to, well, everything, won't appeal as much to the mass market as the fluffy bunny PADI approach.

 

[Gilldiver]

It is commonly known that GUE are not concerned about market share, only making better divers, so the issue of whether people will flock to this course is immaterial to GUE. Some people will recognize and be willing to pay for a higher quality course, and those are the folks who will sign up for this training.

GUE are expecting their instructors to charge about 1000 USD per student (plus expenses) to teach Rec 1 - roughly twice as much as for Fundies, but for twice as many contact hours. This covers the instructor's fees for all parts of the course - classroom, confined water, and open water training. GUE will have their own training materials for the course.


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I just checked the web page for the only GUE shop in CT and they have PADI upen water listed at $239.

So the same shop will have PADI open water at $239 and GUE open water at $1,000.

See a problem here?

 

[Gombessa]

I just checked the web page for the only GUE shop in CT and they have PADI upen water listed at $239.

So the same shop will have PADI open water at $239 and GUE open water at $1,000.

See a problem here?

It seems like in this case, you get what you pay for. But I don't know if I see that as a problem. GUE instructors don't seem to be hurting for students, and from what it sounds like, most have already got their hands full when it comes scheduling classes. It doesn't sound like there is any "sustainability" problem associated with low numbers of students or classes.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I just checked the web page for the only GUE shop in CT and they have PADI upen water listed at $239.

So the same shop will have PADI open water at $239 and GUE open water at $1,000.

See a problem here?

No -- I'm betting that GUE doesn't want the people who choose the cheaper course just because it's cheaper. They want the person who will evaluate each course (the ones that ask to look over materials and asks what each course entails) and realizes that the GUE course follows the "you get what you pay for" mantra.

 

[CoralSeaMan]

This should completely resolve the dispute about whether it is the agencies or the public that are responsible for low standards in courses.

 

[String]

Just released here that its expected to cost roughly £1200 ($1900 USD) for the course. That's roughly 3x the cost of a normal open water course elsewhere and more the double OW/AOW combination. A lot of money for a 21m/65ft certification.

 

[String]

No -- I'm betting that GUE doesn't want the people who choose the cheaper course just because it's cheaper. They want the person who will evaluate each course (the ones that ask to look over materials and asks what each course entails) and realizes that the GUE course follows the "you get what you pay for" mantra.

Given we're talking entry level divers here unless they're related to or know a gue diver they wont possess the tools to critically evaluate any of that. They'll see it as 3x the cost for the same thing they can get faster and cheaper elsewhere.

 

[PentiumIV]

I've dived with the GUE Rec1 divers: Natalie Sych and Gustav Wetterwick. I can only say one thing : I AM DEAD IMPRESSED. In fact, one of the dives they did better than me, and I am GUE-F and also have tech card from the other agency(not GUE).

So, once more, GUE is in a different league!

 

[TSandM]

I haven't dived with a GUE OW graduate yet, but I have with a UTD OW graduate, and I was impressed. Given that the GUE class is longer and involves more dives, I would imagine people coming out of it would have even stronger basic skills, and more knowledge (Nitrox, for example). It is a superb way to begin diving, and it's kind of sad that it isn't more saleable.