New Diver seeking GUE in Bonaire

[wateraddiction]

I'm sending my husband to Bonaire for a couple of weeks as a gift to do his AOW and Rescue but he's become interested in GUE/DIR. He just got PADI certified last year and he's not interested in tech diving but finds the DIR philosophy & safety protocols very appealing.

It seems there's a GUE instructor at Buddy (where my young kids just got certified last week) and a place called Area 9. Am I missing any other shop or specific instructor he ought to contact? It's not that important that he specifically gets GUE certified but he wants to be rigorously trained by someone who is incorporating GUE/DIR protocols/practices. This sounds like "Mr G" at Buddy (according to an old thread I found) if he's still there?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm a rec vaca diver with only the vaguest idea of what GUE/DIR are but my wifey intuition tells me that it's a safe cult.

 

[Scott]

Mr. G has left Buddy Dive and started Area 9.

 

[crofrog]

I'm sending my husband to Bonaire for a couple of weeks as a gift to do his AOW and Rescue but he's become interested in GUE/DIR. He just got PADI certified last year and he's not interested in tech diving but finds the DIR philosophy & safety protocols very appealing.

It seems there's a GUE instructor at Buddy (where my young kids just got certified last week) and a place called Area 9. Am I missing any other shop or specific instructor he ought to contact? It's not that important that he specifically gets GUE certified but he wants to be rigorously trained by someone who is incorporating GUE/DIR protocols/practices. This sounds like "Mr G" at Buddy (according to an old thread I found) if he's still there?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm a rec vaca diver with only the vaguest idea of what GUE/DIR are but my wifey intuition tells me that it's a safe cult.

There are quite a few GUE instructors at area 9 now. They’re all great people and it’s a great facility.

Contact — Area9 Mastery Diving Research Center

www.masterydiving.com

Hit them up on WhatsApp or email.

 

[JoeTPhilly]

Mr. G and Ulrik are cofounders of Area9 Mastery Dive Research Center. Ulrick is the leader to re-architect the GUE training programs; see article linked below. Mr. G is a great instructor and Douwe just became a GUE instructor. Just email Mr. G at the link Crofrog provided and he will get a course set up. The Center is really great too.

Excellence In Performance: Introducing GUE’s New Performance Diver Course

By Ulrik Juul Christensen, Jennifer Thomson, & Dorota Czerny. Photos by Julian Muehlenhaus unless noted. A transformational course for existing divers not aiming for the technical path—yet… The Global Underwater Explorers (GUE)’s Fundamentals course has long been the primary entry point for...

indepthmag.com

 

[wateraddiction]

Thanks everyone, email sent!

1. Does anyone know if Area 9 offers gear rentals or will my husband have to buy a backplate/reg before the class? Ideally he would learn to dive with this new system and then have time to configure and build his own but it sounds like many people have to buy new gear prior to taking Fundamentals.

2. Are the course days usually 8 hr/day for 5 days?

3. Is it going to be an issue if I'm not getting GUE training since it's conceived as a team system?

 

[souladdikt]

Since he's newly certified, it looks like Performance Diver that's linked above could be a good fit for him. It's two days and is meant as a gateway to GUE training/philosophy/equipment setup.

 

[JoeTPhilly]

Thanks everyone, email sent!

1. Does anyone know if Area 9 offers gear rentals or will my husband have to buy a backplate/reg before the class? Ideally he would learn to dive with this new system and then have time to configure and build his own but it sounds like many people have to buy new gear prior to taking Fundamentals.

2. Are the course days usually 8 hr/day for 5 days?

3. Is it going to be an issue if I'm not getting GUE training since it's conceived as a team system?

Area9 has backplate/wings/regs and everything else necessary for GUE standards.

It depends on the course. Fundamentals was 4 days but could be extended a day. There are new courses namely Performance Diver which is 2 days. Fundamentals Basic is like 3 days. It all depends on the course and your husband's goals.

No. However, if you dove a backplate and wing you will not want to go back...

 

[NothingClever]

@wateraddiction

I'm in conversation with Mr. G at Area9 Mastery Diving Research Center to work up a plan for a long coastal exploration dive via DPV.

I'm finding the conversation to be very pleasant and productive.

Everything so far seems first class. I'm also pretty keyed up to dive from their boat.

Good luck with your efforts to support your husband's journey.

You're definitely in the running for "SCUBA Wife of the Year" award!

 

[JoeTPhilly]

@wateraddiction

I'm in conversation with Mr. G at Area9 Mastery Diving Research Center to work up a plan for a long coastal exploration dive via DPV.

I'm finding the conversation to be very pleasant and productive.

Everything so far seems first class. I'm also pretty keyed up to dive from their boat.

Good luck with your efforts to support your husband's journey.

You're definitely in the running for "SCUBA Wife of the Year" award!

The boat is a beast and fast!

 

[wateraddiction]

What is the minimum number of divers needed for Area 9 to teach Fundamentals? They have not been able to respond with a concrete date so I'm wondering if approaching them with 2 divers would facilitate the process? I booked a 2 bd Airbnb across the road from Area9 but my husband's friends don't dive and his former Ironman training crew aren't interested in starting (which I think is odd, but whatever).

1. Someone who has never gone diving shouldn't start with GUE Fundamentals, right? If someone receives a rec pass in Fundamentals this isn't the equivalent to a PADI OW certification?

2. Alternately, anyone want to join my husband for Fundamentals between Feb 17-March 1? The 2 bd unit is v inexpensive (new listing but the superhost is a known variable): Rental unit in Kralendijk · ★New · 2 bedrooms · 4 beds · 1 bath He's staying 12 nights because he has time off (plans to do AOW with Hens at Xpro before or after Area 9) but if someone wanted to come for just Fundamentals or stay the entire 12 nights and split a truck and dive, he would welcome either. AA award redemption for these dates are 20k RT from some U.S. cities.

If Fundamentals can't be scheduled, he'll just do Performance Diver which I guess is easy to schedule if it's 1:1 instruction?