Question How to improve dive skills as a rec diver - alternatives to GUE fundamentals course

[Patmol]

Diving & training in my area would likely involve getting into Drysuit diving (except maybe in full summer where 7 mm could be OK), and accepting less attractive dive sites (quarry dives, low vis, zero marine life, ...). This doesn't really float my boat.
We do seem to have a training pool in the area (33 m deep) which I should check out once I have bought my own gear. It could indeed be my training ground where I can get familiar with my new gear and train new skills.

It will depend on how well you are supporting cold water but you can dive with 7mm from May-June to end of November without too much problem.
And there is some stuff to see. Of course, as you said, it can be less attractive, but I found that it was still fun to see some “big” fishes coming next to you during your dive, or go in the various wrecks that are put by the owners of the quarries.

Yes, there is Nemo 33 next to Brussels. It can be a solution is not too far from where you live, especially if you don’t like cold (or at least, not too warm) water.

 

[Roger Hobden]

Some GUE instructors apparently believe that if you want to dive with a single cylinder and a wetsuit, then you shouldn't be doing the GUE Fundamentals course ... which is very unfortunate ...

 

[Ayisha]

Some GUE instructors apparently believe that if you want to dive with a single cylinder and a wetsuit, then you shouldn't be doing the GUE Fundamentals course ... which is very unfortunate ...

Really, that's odd since a lot of Fundies students take the course in a wetsuit and single tank.

Can you elaborate?

 

[Sebs]

An Intro-to-Tech type course would certainly do the trick, but if you're not interested in tech diving, why not take a course geared toward your recreational diving?

It's unfortunate naming but ITT teaches the exact same thing that GUE fundies teaches and you can absolutely do it with a single tank. Buoyancy, trim, propulsion, S drills, smb deployment.

Let's be realistic, next to nobody learns proper trim and propulsion on their open water/AOW course, especially when done in tourist locations. There's just not enough time. I've seen some places offer DIR OW/AOW now but the course length is an extra one or two dives.

 

[ginti]

Note that the GUE cult is highly protective and "secretive" about very similar skills sessions with pretty much the same skills--which they didn't actually invent, imagine that!--and yet they try to keep it all private to protect their "GUE [business] Edge" : ) Gotta protect that inflated mantra of being different ('but better'), and the premium-level cash flow! Be warned, it does operate like a cult, after you shell out the first $2-5k of initiation tithes, you will be encouraged to only dive with GUE divers, only take GUE courses, and only buy their specially endorsed products & equipment (customer retention, lots of religions work this way too)

???

GUE is actually totally open about what they teach since everything is published in their standards. And you can find exactly the same things in any other intro-to-tec or similar course.

Not sure where you got the perception that what they do is secret, but it isn't real.

They're only quite proud of the consistency of their course's outcome, which is actually quite recognized among instructors of other agencies, so it reflects more or less the reality.

As someone who went through the "GUE Fundamentals" in a twinset & drysuit with someone who was also just an amazing diver/instructor/human being--as well other courses under different agencies--I'll repeat others who say it's almost all about finding a good instructor who covers the skills adequately, honestly and with ample attention to your development of personal competence & comfort. And I think that should be about you and the diving (e.g. TDI vibe), not so much about how the organization renders all other divers to be untouchable heathens (GUE vibe)

Can't agree more. The instructor is the most important thing, especially at the beginning; at higher levels, other aspects actually play a role, but the instructor is always the most crucial factor.

@Wagiman :
- The counterparts of GUE-F are intro-to-tec courses from other tech agencies. I am not sure whether rec agencies offer these types of courses. If you are not interested in the card, you can even ask a good instructor for some personalized training: you will save money on the agency fee.
- Cavern courses might be an alternative; this choice has pros and cons. Personally, I would prefer to gain more experience before heading to an overhead environment if I were you.
- The instructor is ALWAYS the most important thing to consider; in detail, you need to evaluate three key aspects:

(1) Diving skills.​

(2) Personality.​

(3) Teaching skills.​

When I previously said that GUE is so consistent, it is partly because it managed to ensure that all its instructors have good diving skills; you still have to check the other two points. With other agencies, point (1) isn't always guaranteed, and for inexperienced divers, it is the most challenging point to verify, so I suggest you ask for feedback here once you find an instructor. Point (2) is quite easy to check: just call the instructor and have a chat with him/her. Point (3) - you should ask precise questions about his teaching methodologies before jumping on the course and seek feedback from previous students (again, if you ask here, you may have good answers).

Other two points:
A - These skills need to be maintained; therefore, as others suggested, it might be a waste of money if you do not dive enough
B - Where do you dive in Europe? I may try to give you some references. In Belgium, Jerome Dechamps offers GUE and IANTD (or TDI, I do not remember) training. There is a bunch of GUE divers who teach for other agencies as well (PADI or IANTD). PortofinoDivers is amazing, and in Santa Margherita Ligure you'll have delicious food There are other options in France, Italy, Malta, Spain and Croatia that I can mention.

 

[Wagiman]

Thanks @ginti, very helpful. I am indeed already checking ou Portofino Divers, who offer the full rental of the equipment. Happy to hear your positive experience. I am also looking into an alternative route in Belgium where I am looking for an instructor that could train us in the scuba dive pool over the winter. I found in Malta GozoTechnical diving, who do rec and tec from all major agencies. Malta is a nice diving area, and we went there twice in past.
If you have further personal recommendations, feel free to share (also via DM if that is more convenient). Since it is after all vacation diving, we can plan to go to any location in Europe.

 

[ginti]

Thanks @ginti, very helpful. I am indeed already checking ou Portofino Divers, who offer the full rental of the equipment. Happy to hear your positive experience. I am also looking into an alternative route in Belgium where I am looking for an instructor that could train us in the scuba dive pool over the winter. I found in Malta GozoTechnical diving, who do rec and tec from all major agencies. Malta is a nice diving area, and we went there twice in past.
If you have further personal recommendations, feel free to share (also via DM if that is more convenient). Since it is after all vacation diving, we can plan to go to any location in Europe.

In Malta, also have a look at Atlantis diving Center.

In France, cote d'azur, look for Plongeetec Marseille and Eau Blue Cavailaire.

In Sicily, Italy, Capo Murro Diving Center.

In Spain, Islas Hormigas Club de Buceo.

In Croatia, Krnica divers.

Not all of these diving Centres offer training from GUE, but you can arrange a course with external GUE instructors (Jerome Dechamps knows well both diving centres in France). Krnica... I think they only do GUE, but I am not sure 100%.

If you are interested in caverns, maybe you can try TheCaveToBe in the lot, but frankly speaking, I think it isn't worth a trip to that place just for cavern diving (for caves, it's amazing, but it's a higher level than yours). Malta would probably be a better choice.

If you want more info about GUE in Belgium, get in touch Diveolution in Leuven. They are just a shop (not a diving centre) and have bizarre opening times, so check in advance if you want to go there in person. But I would suggest an email before going there. Although they aren't a diving centre, both owners are GUE divers, and both are instructors, but only one teaches for GUE, Peter Brandt. Peter is really top-notch (massive experience in any environment, comparable to several instructor evaluators, although he teaches only fundamentals and DPV). However, he is extremely busy with his main job, so scheduling a course with him might be tough.

Jerome Dechamps, the GUE instructor I previously mentioned, is in the French part of Belgium. His English isn't the best (although he is capable of teaching in this language), but he is the most friendly guy I have ever met, an excellent diver, and he organizes dives every week, so if you want to find a group of likeminded divers, definitely send him a message (later on, you can always decide to go for other instructors). Again, he teaches for GUE and other agencies.

There are other Belgian divers you may want to contact here on this forum (if I recall correctly, @beester and @Miyaru are both Belgian tech instructors, although I do not know them personally).

 

[ginti]

Lastly, any diving centres that offer GUE fundamental training should, in theory, offer full rental equipment for fundamental courses. So do not look at this as an advantage of Portofino divers - all other diving centres should be able to do the same if needed.

 

[NothingClever]

Really, that's odd since a lot of Fundies students take the course in a wetsuit and single tank.

Can you elaborate?

C’mon, @Ayisha - this is ScubaBoard. Alongside masterful skills and extensive experience as an Advanced OW diver, the next important skill qualification as a ScubaBoard keyboard diver is to write well-researched opinions about GUE without ever having met a GUE diver in the wild. The pinnacle skill is to shroud the truth in conjecture and speculation. True masters will skip reading GUE’s publicly-available standards and offer improvisational accounts about GUE that they overheard while shopping online for retractable leashes, pokie sticks and rattles.

 

[noserider]

Have a chat to a RAID school, there is one on Gozo that is high recommended