Thanks, it seemed much more apropos than Dark Side of the Moon. How did you put that cool annotation "Darwin..." underneath your name?
So, what is the point of AOW???
- Thread starter jd950
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This is just a matter of priorities. I'm no longer willing to pay the agencies for for the privilage of teaching when they aren't much help in the whole thing. Besides, now that I'm not a professional member of the agency, I am no longer under a contractual obligation not to bash them, LOL. If you want to issue certifications and do so from an insured position, though, you don't have much choice other than to play the game.
That's rich. I'd have to think about that one...there's gotta be some way to make that a standards violation
Why is helpng to build JJ's wealth any worse than "Putting Another Dollar In"?
LOL, some of the newly DIRFed (as I sometimes call them) can get pretty smug. After that little work shop and a couple of weeks of practice, they get feeling pretty good about the difference in their diving.
I don't think DIRF is expensive. I think OW courses are rediculously underpriced which is probably why there are so few teaching it who are any good. There's no money in it.
I'm not a DIR guy and there is several things about GUE that I don't care for but when it comes to discussing good solid dive skills and where to learn them, I don't know what other agency I could recommend. I just don't know of another agency that consistantly teaches to that level across the board. Do you know of one?
There are individual instructors with all agencies that teach well but it isn't built into the standards as it is with GUE so it's the exception rather than the rule. The quality just isn't there.
All of the agencies have their issues. I'm sorry if I'm a little skeptical when it comes to the whole "pay a lot for certification from my agency and then pay a lot for gear from my company" thing. For the record, I'm not certified through PADI, but as soon as my agency does start telling me what gear I have to use, I'll find a new agency.
A little smug? There have been a few I really wanted to kick off my boat. And I don't mean tell them to get off. I mean kick them until they fall off the boat.
What does price have to do with it? Personally, I'm not in it for the money. That's what I have my full time job for. I teach because I enjoy diving and I like helping others enjoy it. My course is pretty darn cheap and I think the fact that I'm not doing it for the money makes me a better teacher because I'm not afraid to tell someone they have to repeat a pool session or that I'm just not going to certify them.
I wouldn't even recommend GUE. I only know a couple GUE instructors and I think they're "poopyheads" so I would never recommend them. I don't recommend agencies, I recommend instructors.
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Don't most (all?) of the tech agencies specify equipment configurations? I know mine does ... and it ain't GUE. Remember that GUE is primarily targeting tech divers, and the rules change when you start getting into that sort of diving.
There's arrogant people in all walks of life ... I've engaged in discussions right here on ScubaBoard with some incredibly arrogant people ... some of them only OW certified and with less than 50 dives. GUE doesn't have a lock on ... um ... poopyheads.Nick_W:A little smug? There have been a few I really wanted to kick off my boat. And I don't mean tell them to get off. I mean kick them until they fall off the boat.
I'm with ya there ... I have a day job that pays me well. I teach because I enjoy teaching ... never expect to make a living at it. On the other hand, my Course Director cautioned me not to undercharge for my services because ... "if you don't place a value on your time and expertise, your students won't either" ... at the time I disagreed with him, but I've since come to the conclusion that he knows what he's talking about.Nick_W:
I've met a couple of arrogant GUE instructors ... well, only one, really ... the other five I've met were all really nice people. And even the arrogant one was worth recommending because he had the chops to back up his attitude.Nick_W:
It's the arrogant ones that don't have the chops that burn me up ... there's plenty of 'em out there ... and they ain't GUE instructors.
Nick ... it would be helpful if you'd put a little information in your dive profile. I'm not doubting the sincerity of your words, but it's tough to judge where people are coming from when you don't know anything about their background.
You're fairly new here ... this topic's been hashed to death. Not sure if a thread on AOW is really the right place for it ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Yes, the majority (I won't say all because I'm sure there is probably one that doesn't) will specify configurations. But GUE specifies (or specified) to the point where there was only one company making the gear that met their specifications. Like I said, stuff like that, whether rightly or not, makes me skeptical.
I understand that. That's why I stopped walking my previous life.
I got sick of the egos. And while GUE/DIR does not have the monopoly on egos in diving, they sure do own Boardwalk and Parkplace.Yeah, I don't undercharge, there has to be some incentive for the student to care, but I'm certainly the best deal around.
I'm sure they're out there. I just haven't met them. To be fair, I've only met a couple though.
What can I say? I'm a shy guy.
Just judging by how many times I've bludgeoned this dead horse in the "real world" I'm sure the e-horse is unidentifiable at this point. But any time someone brings up the "GUE is the bestest thing to ever happen" conversation, I just can't help myself.
SparticleBrane
Contributor
GUE is the bestest thing to ever happen.
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That may have been true at some point in the past ... but not for several years now.
Oxycheq, Golem, Deep Sea Supply, and several others make rigs that are completely DIR-compatible ... and they sell a lot of them. Salvo probably sells more canister lights to DIR folks than Halcyon does. ScubaPro still rules when it comes to fins. ScubaPro, Apeks and Atomic are the "regulators of choice" for the DIR folks I know. The DUI TLS350 is still the "Signature" drysuit ... red overlay is all the rage these days.
If you look at the gear that the typical DIR-trained divers are wearing, there really isn't that much that displays the "H" on it these days ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
That's why I used past tense. And I'm not going to knock JJ for it, like the kids are saying these days, don't hate the player, hate the fans.
SparticleBrane:GUE is the bestest thing to ever happen.
You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
daniel f aleman
Contributor
GUE is only accessible to 0.005 of all divers - and that's the same amount of divers who will ever take a GUE/F course.
In my extremely well-versed experience any AOW course tought by an interested instructor is a benefit to the beginning diver - in general, any instruction post OW is prefered.
I have an AOW class starting Jan. 8 with four students in it - I can assure that they will get everything offered in the book and 50% more.
In my extremely well-versed experience any AOW course tought by an interested instructor is a benefit to the beginning diver - in general, any instruction post OW is prefered.
I have an AOW class starting Jan. 8 with four students in it - I can assure that they will get everything offered in the book and 50% more.
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