What do GUE/DIR divers look for in a learn to dive class for friends and family?

[mer]

I've found that a lot of people just aren't interested in an intensive/expensive class when they're just starting out. Its too much investment in something they might not even like.

I point them to GUE but its a hard sell to someone who's brand new.

I can't speak for all GUE instructors, but I'm more than happy to have someone schedule the first two days of Rec 1 to see if they like diving. If they do awesome and we'll schedule the rest of the class; if they don't they haven't committed to the full 5-6 day program.

As mentioned by others, the focus is different for Rec 1 versus Fundies. Since Fundies doesn't certify you to do anything new (other than nitrox and take other GUE classes), its purpose is solely to challenge students and generate improvement, even if they come through the door with Tech-rating level skills. Rec 1 is about teaching what it is to be a diver, what do you need to know about/to visit the underwater environment, and HOW to practice and get better. It is balance between challenges and experience.

The beautiful thing about Rec 1 with a never-dived-before student is how quickly they pick up horizontal/mid-water/neutral if that's the only way they've ever been taught to do it. Their "normal" becomes how we, as DIR practitioners, dive. This transition happens quickly in Fundies with those taking it straight from "typical" OW class, but NO WHERE near as quickly and efficiently as the learning curve of those who start with a Rec1/neutral-always class.

 

[Compressor]

I send them to an instructor who teaches well. This includes good trim and buoyancy. They don't have to be "DIR".

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

When people come to me and express their interest in learning how to dive, I always refer them to UTD/GUE instructors because if I was learning to dive all over again then that is where I would go. A lot of times however, it is hard for them to understand the difference because outside of diving, bigger market share is generally representative of a better product (Coke being better than RC Cola). Any agency that is teaching "the world how to dive" will have an instant appeal to the new guy against the one that only has a web presence and no resorts affiliated with it.

Secondly, many people who come to me prefer to go to a "shop" because a shop gives them everything under one roof. Retail, aftersale service, gas fills, trips etc can all be done under one roof and it serves their interest better than finding a really awesome independent instructor or traveling instructor who is going to abandon them after the course is done.

In the past I have recommended independent instructors but after finishing their training, the students ended up going to the local shops for their gear purchases and then continued with the rest of the training in the same shops. What I found interesting was that they acknowledged that the training in the shop was shorter duration and inferior to what the independent instructor was giving but it is less of a hassle for them if all services (training, gear sales, trips, gas fills etc) happen under one roof.

I feel that in terms of a free-lance GUE/UTD instructor to be successful in this kind of a market, they now need to develop areas outside of pure teaching. What can you offer to the student when he is not your student? Are you doing frequent trips within the experience level of the recreational student? My LDS is doing three trips to Bonaire this year. It is easy diving that people of various levels can do. How many such trips can you put together for 2017?

GUE and UTD have a lot to offer because they address everything that is wrong with the "industry" like short cut courses, compromised safety protocols, useless plastic gear etc. It is a matter of packaging the training and education bit into a greater product so that we can see the beginnings of a parallel industry.

 

[Ayisha]

I feel that in terms of a free-lance GUE/UTD instructor to be successful in this kind of a market, they now need to develop areas outside of pure teaching. What can you offer to the student when he is not your student? Are you doing frequent trips within the experience level of the recreational student? My LDS is doing three trips to Bonaire this year. It is easy diving that people of various levels can do. How many such trips can you put together for 2017?

What I see is that GUE instructors (since I don't know any UTD instructors, so I can't say) are more successful at earning a full-time living doing diving related things than many instructors from other agencies seem to be, especially those who have made a name for themselves.

I see that GUE instructors get students travelling to them from around the world, and students often pay for the instructor to travel to them. They also do paid coaching sessions and re-check-outs for students who didn't quite make it. Many of them also give paid and unpaid presentations; sell equipment, a lot of it extremely expensive equipment like rebreathers and high end scooters; and sell fills, and a lot of them are expensive mixed gases. They run dives often and people come from all over, some just to dive and hang out, and some to train. They develop students from the rec/fundies level and often build them into Tech 2/Cave 2 or anywhere in between. Some of them do Project Baseline projects and divers come from all over to participate and help out. The instructors dive with their former students and other divers just for fun, quite often to the maximum certification level of the divers. They work on building and mentoring the community.

I'm not an instructor of any agency, but that's what I see. The market that exists and has been growing steadily can provide a lot of opportunity.

 

[seeker242]

Do you send them to the most convenient/closest class and then "fix" them later with another course

That's what I'm recommending to my brother. He's just not going to drive 4+ hours to the springs when there are so many local dive shops. I would probably recommend a rec 1 if it was available locally, but it isn't.

 

[mer]

That's what I'm recommending to my brother. He's just not going to drive 4+ hours to the springs when there are so many local dive shops. I would probably recommend a rec 1 if it was available locally, but it isn't.

South Florida Rec 1's are available, just not super often.

 

[LiteHedded]

What I see is that GUE instructors (since I don't know any UTD instructors, so I can't say) are more successful at earning a full-time living doing diving related things than many instructors from other agencies seem to be, especially those who have made a name for themselves.

I see that GUE instructors get students travelling to them from around the world, and students often pay for the instructor to travel to them. They also do paid coaching sessions and re-check-outs for students who didn't quite make it. Many of them also give paid and unpaid presentations; sell equipment, a lot of it extremely expensive equipment like rebreathers and high end scooters; and sell fills, and a lot of them are expensive mixed gases. They run dives often and people come from all over, some just to dive and hang out, and some to train. They develop students from the rec/fundies level and often build them into Tech 2/Cave 2 or anywhere in between. Some of them do Project Baseline projects and divers come from all over to participate and help out. The instructors dive with their former students and other divers just for fun, quite often to the maximum certification level of the divers. They work on building and mentoring the community.

I'm not an instructor of any agency, but that's what I see. The market that exists and has been growing steadily can provide a lot of opportunity.

well yea. when the price per student is north of two thousand dollars and increasing all the time it's pretty easy to get by.

 

[mer]

well yea. when the price per student is north of two thousand dollars and increasing all the time it's pretty easy to get by.

I can assure you that the tuition for both GUE Fundamentals and GUE Rec 1 (Learn to Dive) is no where near that high.

Yes, GUE classes are more than a "normal" OW class or specialty, but every single student mentions the great value of GUE courses; the contact hours are much higher and the quality greater than most industry-normal courses.

 

[rivers]

Rec 1 costs about the same as PADI OW/Drysuit +nitrox in the UK. Not sure about anywhere else

 

[LiteHedded]

yes, rec1 and fundamentals don't cost that much. that's not what i was talking about. fundies will cost anywhere from 650 - 1000 bucks depending on who you take it with. still super expensive but not as much as the technical courses. typically the instructors only certified to teach fundies etc. aren't supporting themselves full-time anyway, but maybe that's changing with all these new classes they keep coming up with

if the rumors of a cavern class are true (I certainly hope not) there will be even more ways to separate students from their money.