GUE Open Water class documentary

[Adobo]

"Testing New Waters" GUE Rec1 dive course on Vimeo

I thought this was interesting to watch. The honesty with which they show the divers on the first day, and their dives on the last, was very impressive to me.

This is what ten long days of instruction can produce, in terms of diver skill and comfort in the water. Very few of our students look like this when we're done with them . . . How about anybody else? Anyone willing to sign up for a more than $1000, ten day open water class?

I think that the people who realize the value of a class like this already have their open water cert (and likely have taken fundies). So the people who do "get it" don't have a need for the class. Really, the market for this class is around the friends and family of GUE divers. I just can't imagine anyone uninitiated figuring the value for themselves.

Personally, now that I have seen good training (and not so good training), the more baffling thing to me is that it is far easier to sell a $1500 dive computer than it is to sell a comprehensive open water class like Rec1.

 

[oldogre]

This Course was aimed at a very specific market. The talk about price is a bit of a red herring. To enrol for this course there very specific requirements, including 275m swim in 14mins and 15m breath hold swim, what % of new divers are required to do that? (275m takes me 20mins and I can breath hold 12m, having not learned to swim until after I retired)

 

[Adobo]

I love my Zeagle Stiletto when I don't need much weight (6 lbs or none if diving steel) diving a 3mm in warm water. For this type of diving the BP is not needed, and I like the weight pockets vs a weight belt. BP/W are required for doubles but how many divers ever dive doubles?

Why would I buy 2 BCs when 1 BC does the trick all by itself? I used 7 lbs of lead with my aluminum plate diving a 5/4mm in Hawaii with calatlina al80s.

I see lots of rec divers who have a BP/W system but gain no benefit over a back inflate BC. In fact they may be overweight with the plate in warm water.

How do you know none of those divers do other kinds of diving where a backplate is useful? You know for a fact that none of those divers take trips do cavern diving? You know for a fact that they never will?

Even if they don't decide to travel for overhead diving or decide to take up tech diving, plenty of fun add ons for a backplate that don't work well with garden variety back inflates (backup lights, canister lights and scooters for example).

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I see lots of rec divers who have a BP/W system but gain no benefit over a back inflate BC. In fact they may be overweight with the plate in warm water.

That seems odd, because an aluminum or Kydex backplate is practically negligible when it comes to adding negative weight. I wonder if those divers are using a stainless-steel backplate when they don't need that weight? If so, you could chalk it up to wrong material choice, but perhaps not to bp/w's in and of themselves.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I think that the people who realize the value of a class like this already have their open water cert (and likely have taken fundies). So the people who do "get it" don't have a need for the class.

Well I may just be a weirdo (no need to confirm), but I did a lot of looking around trying to find a class that would give me MORE information, and be less "hey, diving is fun and you can meet people!" but I couldn't find anything. If I had seen a syllabus that looks like I imagine the one for the GUE class does, I would have been in. I can also imagine people a bit less like me, but still sort of, who would become receptive with some explanation of why this class adds value.

On the other hand, like they said in the video, they know they're never going to be teaching the majority of divers. But it may be more than you'd think?

 

[divad]

Bob Sherwood teaches regularly at Dutch Springs, which is likely the closest training location to NYC anyway. Give him a call and have a chat. I'm also happy to meet up and dive as well. Drop me a PM.

I would love to meet up and dive....... My point was meant to be (and I'm drinking now), re what Adobo just posted, what are the odds off several non-divers getting together and forming a rec one class? Out of the blue? It's preposterous.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Ts&m I understand My post was to ama on his day & night post, ama understands it also.

Peter being good on film is for the viewers you want not putting to public. The vid is actually pretty good and public will always have a crack at what they think.

JJ first video many years ago was just terrible, and he made it this far. AG's UTD vid of gear configuration on side mount, looks like he is on cocaine or speed he can't be still. Which AG is trying to race through to have a short video, and funny when he does the how fast you can set up, from the time AG pulls out of bag to when he is finish he is out of breathe.

 

[scubadada]

This Course was aimed at a very specific market. The talk about price is a bit of a red herring. To enrol for this course there very specific requirements, including 275m swim in 14mins and 15m breath hold swim, what % of new divers are required to do that? (275m takes me 20mins and I can breath hold 12m, having not learned to swim until after I retired)

Sorry, work on your swimming skills, I would be hesitant to dive with you if I was aware of your performance. The course skills are hardly Michael Phelps level.

Divers should be able to swim well enough to save themselves, if not others.

Good diving, Craig

 

[randytay]

Reading the first six pages of this thread reminded me of a famous zen story:

A learned man visits a zen master to see what zen was about. As the master started teaching, the man would constantly interrupt with comments about how he learnt it differently or how he thought the master didn't know enough because his approach was different. Finally the master stopped and began to serve tea. As the tea filled the cup, the master continued pouring. The man exclaimed: Enough! Don't you see that the cup is already full? The master replied: Indeed it is, but if you do not empty your cup, how can you taste my tea?

Sorry cannot help it. But back on topic: great video. If I had taken a class like this from the beginning, it would have saved me a lot of time and money.

 

[limeyx]

Reading the first six pages of this thread reminded me of a famous zen story:

A learned man visits a zen master to see what zen was about. As the master started teaching, the man would constantly interrupt with comments about how he learnt it differently or how he thought the master didn't know enough because his approach was different. Finally the master stopped and began to serve tea. As the tea filled the cup, the master continued pouring. The man exclaimed: Enough! Don't you see that the cup is already full? The master replied: Indeed it is, but if you do not empty your cup, how can you taste me tea?

Sorry cannot help it. But back on topic: great video. If I had taken a class like this from the beginning, it would have saved me a lot of time and money.

Nice post Randy .... definitely something we could all do with practicing at some point or other.

(Also, just saw this exact one in the movie 2012