Just curious about how well marketed "GUE" concept is in various parts of the world?

[detroit diver]

To feed the troll some more:


Unless I am totally off here, I believe that GUE is a non-profit corporation.

If the intention was to sell equipment, and market classes to make the big bucks, they could not operate as non-profit.

 

[Lead_carrier]

The only disagreement with GUE, PADI, NAUI, SSI, BSAC, MOUSE, etc. are the fanatics that insist that since I choose not to wear bp/w and use a dir setup, or did not certify with their agency, or take a certain class that I am a statistic waiting to happen. I am far from an excellent diver. I learn every time I get in the water. I have also tried a number sets of equipment including a complete dir setup and configuration. It is not what I like. I have sent students of mine to places so they could get dir training and configured for cave and tech diving because they immeadiately had that goal for themselves. Let's try a new and novel approach and see if we can't get along without downing others equipment, agency, or diving style, as long as it is safe. If notI, then please, let me be a statistic in peace.

 

[Custer]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...


I don't think the common rec. diver and his or her family that love to dive on vacations a few times a year needs back plate and wings. I couldn't imagine trying to pack that on a small commuter plane flying out to a bahamian Island.

But GUE seems to work out great for a small population of divers.

I have over 20 yrs. experience as a certified diver and I am certified by 5 agencies as an Instructor or higher.

GUE could be of benefit to anyone who dives, not just a small population. Having 5 different agency instructor cards, you should see that.

As far as saying that people who don't dive much don't need them, that group needs little of anything.

As far as travelling, your knowlege of backplates seems limited.

I have a travel plate (a skeletonized backplate) and wing that weighs 4 pounds, and takes up much less space than a BC.

For a single tank, you can also get aluminum or plastic plates.

 

[JohnF]

cornfed once bubbled...


"Have"? So you got it back?

The Lesser Canuck finally got his own Oxycheq 45 pounder and turned his nose up at the Halcyon. 8)

JohnF

 

[Custer]

JohnF once bubbled...
For those who don't know about it, Scott Koplin (thru Oxycheq) has designed a travel plate made of stainless steel and a matching STA. I believe the two pieces together weigh in at under 3# and, when combined with a small wing it packs as slick or better than any BCD on the market. I happen to have a 27# Halcyon, because last year when I was shopping it was the best solution on the market.

And talk about versatile. I took it with me to Mexico in January to do a cavern course. My instructor and I agreed that it would be a plus for me to do it in full cave gear (for the experience). He was skeptical about putting doubles etc on this little bitty plate but it worked great. Absolutely no compromise. And now I'm trying it with my new set of steel doubles up here in the cold water.

JohnF

http://www.selchie.com/

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

detroit diver once bubbled...
To feed the troll some more:


Unless I am totally off here, I believe that GUE is a non-profit corporation.

If the intention was to sell equipment, and market classes to make the big bucks, they could not operate as non-profit.

What do you think Non-profit means? That nobody makes money.... Come on... The Red Cross is a non-profit but when Elizabeth Dole ran it she made around a quarter mill per year....

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Custer once bubbled...


GUE could be of benefit to anyone who dives, not just a small population. Having 5 different agency instructor cards, you should see that.

As far as saying that people who don't dive much don't need them, that group needs little of anything.

As far as travelling, your knowlege of backplates seems limited.

I have a travel plate (a skeletonized backplate) and wing that weighs 4 pounds, and takes up much less space than a BC.

For a single tank, you can also get aluminum or plastic plates.

What I was saying if you would go back and read my post again is that the CURRENT population of GUE Divers is small.

As for travelling with a BC vs. BP/Wings there is no comparing the two. I've been there and done that too. Get the Cressi travel BC. That thing folds up to the size of a soccer ball or smaller.

 

[SeaJay]

eod once bubbled...

My opinion about the GUE way is that it is sounds very good, I wished they had basic OW classes.

The do offer a basic class... It's called "DIR Fundamentals." It alone won't certify you as a scuba diver... For that, you'll have to go to PADI, NAUI, SSI, or the like. But once you've taken one of those classes and are officially a scuba diver, then you're clear to take DIR-F. It's the most basic course that GUE offers.

Having said that, there's lots of experienced divers who cannot do what DIR-F asks them to do... Don't be so intimidated. It's not because the course is so hard... It's because things are taught in DIR-F that aren't taught anywhere else. Thus, most divers don't develop the skills until they're shown them in DIR-F.

It's interesting to see seasoned divers and newbies alike both have equal difficulty with DIR-F... And it's also interesting that sometimes newbies, who are often in a better mindset to learn (i.e. they don't have an ego or bad habits to break), sometimes pick up DIR-F quicker than seasoned divers.

The point is that DIR-F is exactly what you're talking about in your post... A basic course. Don't let it's reputation of being so difficult scare you. As it was said to me my MHK in my DIR-F course... "Don't beat yourself up over this, man... You've never been taught this stuff before."

 

[DrSteve]

>Having said that, there's lots of experienced divers who cannot >do what DIR-F asks them to do... Don't be so intimidated. It's >not because the course is so hard... It's because things are >taught in DIR-F that aren't taught anywhere else. Thus, most >divers don't develop the skills until they're shown them in DIR-F.

Having gone through BSAC, SSI and PADI training I am curious what does DIR teach you that the other don't (or more likely that SSI and PADI don't)? Please don't bring up the wing...I need something more than an equipment choice...what skills as so hard that an experienced diver cannot manage them?

 

[Custer]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...
What I was saying if you would go back and read my post again is that the CURRENT population of GUE Divers is small.

Sorry, I thought you said this:

"But GUE seems to work out great for a small population of divers."

I thought that it said that GUE would work out great for a small population of divers.

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...
As for travelling with a BC vs. BP/Wings there is no comparing the two. I've been there and done that too. Get the Cressi travel BC. That thing folds up to the size of a soccer ball or smaller.

Doesn't seem to be the consensus here, from those that own both. Not only is a Cressi travel BC nowhere near as versatile, a soccer ball seems to be 24" in diameter, which is more than 24 times the thickness of a BP/W.

They seem, at the very least, comparable.