Purging of instructors?

[RTodd]

I suspect the same can be said for most of the instructors who've left GUE ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Since we are going with wild guesses, that probably isn't true. I don't follow the instructor base, but I do know many of the "original" GUE instructors that left just quit teaching. Teaching diving has an incredibly high burn out rate. Once you make it to the GUE level you are probably close to that limit unless you are one of the rare individuals that continues to teach diving for a long period of time. Being in the diving industry tends to be pretty unprofitable and teaching as a hobby is both unprofitable and takes away from diving for fun and other pursuits.

 

[limeyx]

You realize, of course, that AG is still active and teaching. He just issues [nearly identical] cards from another agency now. And to my knowledge, those cards have no expiration date...

1) yes I do -- I have a "date" with AG next thursday
2) the problem with that is that divergences over time do creep in, and can become significant over time
3) if you take AG's Tech1 class, then you want GUE cave 2, you might find you have to redo GUE tech1 for instance which is a pain.

 

[Gombessa]

1) yes I do -- I have a "date" with AG next thursday
2) the problem with that is that divergences over time do creep in, and can become significant over time
3) if you take AG's Tech1 class, then you want GUE cave 2, you might find you have to redo GUE tech1 for instance which is a pain.

Did AG leave with/join JT to teach with a different shop in NorCal? Just trying to figure out who all these initials are. I heard from my Happy-DIR-Friends that the split might have had something to do with scooters. But by the time it got to me I'm sure it was a big game of telephone.

 

[CompuDude]

Did AG leave with/join JT to teach with a different shop in NorCal? Just trying to figure out who all these initials are. I heard from my Happy-DIR-Friends that the split might have had something to do with scooters. But by the time it got to me I'm sure it was a big game of telephone.

Andrew Georgitsis ("AG") teaches through 5thD-X/Breakthru Diving

I don't know who JT is.

I'm not going to touch the politics with a 10' pole.

 

[Gombessa]

Andrew Georgitsis ("AG") teaches through 5thD-X/Breakthru Diving

I don't know who JT is.

Ah thx. JT is Joe Talavera, who TSM mentioned earlier in the thread (and IIRC is also one of the 5thD-X guys).

 

[TSandM]

Joe is not currently teaching, and may not be diving at all. (This is really tragic, as he is a superb diver and a truly gifted teacher.)

 

[Hank49]

Since we are going with wild guesses, that probably isn't true. I don't follow the instructor base, but I do know many of the "original" GUE instructors that left just quit teaching. Teaching diving has an incredibly high burn out rate. Once you make it to the GUE level you are probably close to that limit unless you are one of the rare individuals that continues to teach diving for a long period of time. Being in the diving industry tends to be pretty unprofitable and teaching as a hobby is both unprofitable and takes away from diving for fun and other pursuits.

I think you nailed it RTodd. 95% of PADI instructors are out of the business within one year of becoming an OWSI. I'm one of those numbers. The top brass in PADI are the only ones making money at it, (unless you're a successfull shop owner in a tropical destination)
To become a GUE instructor takes much more time and money but as you mentioned, where are the returns? We all love diving but if you have kids and college tuition to pay etc etc....well, it's a tough way to pay the bills. Tougher for GUE due to extra time and money to get to that level. And then you have to compete against the cheaper courses of the other agencies. It's a tough one.

 

[JeffG]

To become a GUE instructor takes much more time and money but as you mentioned, where are the returns?

One of the issues I have seen is that to get a "return of investment" for becoming a GUE instructor, is that he/she would have to do a lot of the traveling road show type training. That also put a lot of strain on a person. I know that I wouldn't do it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

One of the issues I have seen is that to get a "return of investment" for becoming a GUE instructor, is that he/she would have to do a lot of the traveling road show type training. That also put a lot of strain on a person. I know that I wouldn't do it.

Most instructors can't afford to do it.

Dive instruction doesn't pay my bills ... it often barely covers my costs. I have a "day job" that allows me the luxury of teaching. Without that day job, I couldn't afford to do it.

I think that applies to a lot of people who teach scuba ... GUE and otherwise.

A pity about Joe ... he was my all-time favorite dive instructor.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[KMD]

Tech 1/cave 1 seems to be where the return on investment starts to swing in the instructors favor.

A 3 person 5 day tech class gets the instructor ~$4500.