GUE Practitioners...Convince Me

[nadwidny]

Nadw wrote

I must take exception to this statement.

I have only taken one GUE class so I have direct teaching experience with only one GUE instructor (OTOH, I have taken classes from a couple of ex-GUE instructors so perhaps that counts, but who knows).

I have also watched people take classes from other GUE instructors (and been involved in "support" of those in the classes).

While it may be true that GUE instructors have a higher "base level" of training, this is still a case of "it is the instructor AND the agency" not just the instructor nor just the agency.

Brian, I'd change your statement to the following:

You may find a good instructor with other agencies. You may find a great instructor with GUE who fits your educational needs.

Not every GUE instructor works for every student.

I stand by my statement. There are some people that even a GUE instructor can't fix.

 

[TSandM]

Thanks, Brian . . .

 

[lv2dive]

I can't imagine why anyone would consider this forum intimidating or condescending.

 

[PfcAJ]

Seems like this is a recurring theme...

 

[floridakid]

Thanks for all of the responses. I am probably going to go ahead and take fundamentals and go from there. I like GUE's intensity and I really like the fact that GUE certifications require renewal. Something I have picked up in my "real" job (Fire-Rescue) is that all skills are perishable, no matter how simple the skill, if it is not practiced, it is forgotten. GUE seems to be the only scuba organization that realizes that fact.

 

[Crush]

To my mind, passing Fundies (and possibly other GUE courses) is a difficult accomplishment and therefore conjures up the pride reflected in the St. Crispen's Day Speech (William Shakespeare, 1599)

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
...
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

 

[Rainer]

I really like the fact that GUE certifications require renewal. Something I have picked up in my "real" job (Fire-Rescue) is that all skills are perishable, no matter how simple the skill, if it is not practiced, it is forgotten. GUE seems to be the only scuba organization that realizes that fact.

Honestly, the GUE renewal process is pretty lame. It just involves you sending in a sheet saying you did the required 25 dives in the past three years. No details, no logbook, certainly no checkout dive. That's it. Oh, and $30.

If the whole thing is just going to be based on the honor system anyway, why not just issue certifications for life and ask people to tear them up if they don't do what GUE asks of them? Wouldn't be any less effective and would save the divers some cash.

 

[JeffG]

Honestly, the GUE renewal process is pretty lame. It just involves you sending in a sheet saying you did the required 25 dives in the past three years. No details, no logbook, certainly no checkout dive. That's it. Oh, and $30.

Don't tell PADI

 

[Ramsy]

Honestly, the GUE renewal process is pretty lame. It just involves you sending in a sheet saying you did the required 25 dives in the past three years. No details, no logbook, certainly no checkout dive. That's it. Oh, and $30.

If the whole thing is just going to be based on the honor system anyway, why not just issue certifications for life and ask people to tear them up if they don't do what GUE asks of them? Wouldn't be any less effective and would save the divers some cash.

From a legal perspective, the GUE renewal process makes good sense. If someone has a diving accident, a plaintiff's lawyer may sue the training agency for inadequate instruction. That piece of paper you sign wherein you state that, within the last three years, you have done at least 25 dives within the level of certification you are recertifying would be valuable evidence that GUE's instruction was more than adequate. This is because this statement is a voluntary and affirmative statement from the diver, regardless of whether or not it is truthful. Without such statement, GUE would not have renewed the certification. Thus, GUE will have a better defense than any other diving agency because they require certification renewals every three years.

 

[Rainer]

If that held much water, don't you think the agencies with the greater risk of their divers having accidents (and suing) would have adopted such a policy already?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of renewing diving certs (at least at the "technical" level). Having renewed my T1 card recently, though, I was pretty jaded at the process. I'm quite capable of holding myself to honor code standards without payment. I assume most GUE divers are, too.

From a legal perspective, the GUE renewal process makes good sense. If someone has a diving accident, a plaintiff's lawyer may sue the training agency for inadequate instruction. That piece of paper you sign wherein you state that, within the last three years, you have done at least 25 dives within the level of certification you are recertifying would be valuable evidence that GUE's instruction was more than adequate. This is because this statement is a voluntary and affirmative statement from the diver, regardless of whether or not it is truthful. Without such statement, GUE would not have renewed the certification. Thus, GUE will have a better defense than any other diving agency because they require certification renewals every three years.