As an instructor who have taught his fair share of DUP courses, I can say that how beneficial this course is depends on the sutdent's level as a photographer prior to the course as much as on the instructor's skill and involvelment with the course.
For those of you who have already taken the course, you may recall that a good deal of the academics deals with really introductory CD/DVD. That's why I have always thought that a better name for the course would be 'An Introduction to Underwater Photography Today' rather than what it is, but marketing is marketing. To somebody who can produce well-composed, beautiful images using the functions and features of his/her camera to a good extent (e.g. not overexposing images, using macro, white balancing the camera) the course itself would be of limited use UNLESS he/she got together with an instructor willing to go the extra mile. Nonetheless, there are also (still) some people that have never used a digital camera before in their life, and now, having learned to dive and somehow having acquired a camera, wish to make some images of their experiences. To anybody in this category, I think the course would be of great benefit.
The in-between category, meaning those who have a camera but have limited knowledge and functional use of aspects such as f stops, white balance, exposure, ISO, or no experience with strobes and wide angle lenses some parts of the course may seem really fundamental while in other instances the learning experience may pick up and become more challenging and rewarding. In these instances, the ability of the instructor to focus the course to the students' needs becomes crucial for the overall learning experience.
As an instructor, I have always tought my students that the A and Z of all diving is buoyancy skills. Undewater photography is probably the activity that will make any shortcomings in this realm shine, with obvious effects on diver's enjoyment, safety, environmental impact and overall experience. I actually insist on NOT teaching DUP to newly certified divers unless they take a buoyancy course first and I allow no cameras in my OW courses unless I personally carry them (and my students have been really nice, persuasive and making good progress). After all, the videographers have to make a living too...
