AOW vs GUE Fundamentals

[tomfcrist]

GUE isn't an option in 99% of locations. If I were to exaggerate a little I'd tell you that there are 20 instructors in the US and they all live on the same street.

As far as AOW being a money grab, in many places it is exactly that. In other places it's a comprehensive course designed to actually prepare you for something.

 

[stevensamler]

Is your AOW course five days of 9 or 10-hour days? I know there are some instructors who teach an unusually thorough AOW course, but if they still cram it into two days and don't really make sure students are on their way to mastering those skills, then it does not have anywhere near the intensity of Fundies.

Did my advanced training through LA County ADP two yrs ago with over 100 hrs of training which entailed every sat/sun for 2 1/2 months. Fundies is next and hopefully with Steve Millington or Karim Hazma at Hollywood Divers.

 

[KevinNM]

GUE isn't an option in 99% of locations. If I were to exaggerate a little I'd tell you that there are 20 instructors in the US and they all live on the same street.

IIRC, there are a total of 216 GUE instructors in the world. So you are likely to have to travel to get to a fundies course, unless you live in Gainesville, Kona, LA, or a few other places in the US.

 

[boulderjohn]

The comparison is, frankly, silly.

The AOW certification was created by the Los Angeles County organization with the intention of trying to deal with the high dropout rate of OW divers. The purpose was to introduce divers to different kinds of diving in order to keep them interested. It was and still is intended to be an extension of OW training.

GUE fundamentals was created for the purpose of preparing divers for cave diving. It was intended to be an intense program that would prepare students for extreme rigors required for the world's most dangerous diving.

According to their original designs, anyone who takes GUE Fundamentals should have completed AOW (or its equivalent) long before. To compare the two is like comparing an algebra class to a precalculus class and then dissing on the algebra class because it is not as thorough as the precalculus class.

 

[Centrals]

IIRC, there are a total of 216 GUE instructors in the world. So you are likely to have to travel to get to a fundies course, unless you live in Gainesville, Kona, LA, or a few other places in the US.

Up until few years ago there were two choices locally: travelled aboard or relied the LDS to organize the course.
I believe we have two by now.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

If you take GUE Fundamentals hardly any dive operator anywhere will even know what it is. While it may be worthwhile to do Fundies it will not qualify you do do anything other than take more GUE classes. If taking more GUE classes is your goal go for it. But it does nothing for you with dive operators or for establishing prerequisites with other agencies. AOW will be almost universally understood what it is. It may still be worth taking Fundies but do understand its limitations in the larger diving world.

 

[KevinNM]

Up until few years ago there were two choices locally: travelled aboard or relied the LDS to organize the course.
I believe we have two by now.

Outside the U.S. I think it's easier to find instructors in many countries. IIRC, about 2/3s of GUE members are outside the U.S. Not sure is that translates to 2/3rds of instructors, but there is a big world map in the GUE conference room with pins for instructors and there is a lot higher density in Europe than in the US.

 

[bradells]

IMHO, there isn't a comparison between the two.

Fundies will further you diving skill and awareness than the baseline AOW, regardless if you want to enter technical or cave diving.

I travel quite a bit, and yes, I have had a few operators (and many DM) not know what GUE is. That hasn't limited what I can or can't do with them as far as a AOW is concerned.

I usually am in contact with the dive OP/charter well in advance and make all my information and dive parameters known (ie, am I bringing a large camera/video rig, certifications, gas availability, am I looking for a certain dive or type, etc)


The Fundies card does state the big attributes of your training (Trained in skill refinement, the use if 32% Nitrox, and drysuit - if you did it in a drysuit that is)

It further goes:
EN14153-2/ISO 24801-2 & ISO 11107 certified course

And further:
European Underwater Federation Certified (EUF CB 2013001)



My AOW card states nothing of any sort, except how to contact PADI.


BRad

 

[tursiops]

The Fundies card does state the big attributes of your training (Trained in skill refinement, the use if 32% Nitrox, and drysuit - if you did it in a drysuit that is)

Really? It only trains you in 32% Nitrox%?

 

[KevinNM]

Yes, 32% is what you use to 100 feet. GUE goes to trimix deeper. Richer mixes are only used for deco.