GUE Practitioners...Convince Me

[floridakid]

I am planning on going down the path of cave certification. GUE classes appear to be more expensive that most other certifying agencies and I would have to drive much further to the closest GUE class than I would to take classes from other entities. I understand that GUE has ridged standards and GUE has many accomplishments attributed to their affiliates. Some of the things that WKPP has accomplished blows my mind. I greatly respect GUE on many levels.

That being said, what are the advantages of going with GUE certification? I am an incredibly self-motivated, safety conscious person, so regardless of who I choose for certification, I will take initiative to be the most knowledgeable and best diver I can possibly be, which is probably why I am considering GUE. What I really would like to know is what benefits will I receive from GUE certification as opposed to any other full cave cert?

 

[skankpile]

Thats like walking up to a Masonic Temple, knocking on the door, and asking them why you should become a member.

IANTD, PSA, NSS-CDS offer similar certs.. see if you can talk to some independent instructors and get their take. I bet there are more around you than you thought.

 

[floridakid]

Well, how else are you supposed to find out about free mansonary if you don't walk up to a mason and ask them why anyone would want to be one. If GUE certification really holds merit, GUE practitioners will easily be able to effectively point out all the benefits of GUE over other organizations and won't scoff at the question.

I know there are lots of organizations around. I just want to know what benifits GUE certification would offer from actual GUE people. Believe me, I have heard plenty of reasons not to go GUE. I have reasons not to go GUE (cost, distance). I just want to hear from Pro-GUE people what they have gotten from the organization, and what I could get from the organization that I could not get elsewhere.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

Well I havent taken Cave, so I cannot speak directly to that, BUT I have taken GUE and non-GUE tech training. I will say that the GUE training is on a different level than other tech training in regards to instructor professionalism, information presented, and basic/advanced water skills (and the level of performance expected). I imagine that their cave classes are similarly superior. Can you find an instructor that teaches an extremely good class? Probably. Will you find other instructors in your area that are doing the exploration that the GUE cave instructors have done? Likely not. Either way, good luck with your cave class.

 

[floridakid]

Here's another question...

How difficult would it be to get into exploration as a non-GUE diver? If I decided to try to join a group like WKPP that required GUE certification, is there some sort of bridge program for experienced divers? I know people may scoff at this statement (since diving is an absolute money pit) but the sheer cost of GUE training is almost prohibitively expensive, especially considering the huge cost of equipment alone.

 

[Karen Cleveland]

Here's another question...

How difficult would it be to get into exploration as a non-GUE diver? If I decided to try to join a group like WKPP that required GUE certification, is there some sort of bridge program for experienced divers? I know people may scoff at this statement (since diving is an absolute money pit) but the sheer cost of GUE training is almost prohibitively expensive, especially considering the huge cost of equipment alone.

Here is the link to the WKPP website. I am not sure how up to date it is but contact info is given and seems like a good place to start to find answers to your questions about participating.

Team Contacts | Global Underwater Explorers

Karen

 

[TSandM]

Well, I'll tell you, Floridakid. I have taken cave classes from TDI, GUE and NACD instructors. None of them was bad. But the level of intensity, the attention to detail, and the standard for performance were far higher with the GUE classes. And I say that as someone who struggles. I did not pass GUE Cave 2, and could not afford to try it again. If I could have, I would have. I have dived with a variety of people who have trained with various agencies; without exception, the people I really enjoy diving with, because they are good buddies, have had some GUE training.

The classes are expensive, and I hear that . . . oh, how I hear that. I think everyone who tech or cave dives should dig into their pockets and take at least one GUE class, just for a frame of reference.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Here's another question...

How difficult would it be to get into exploration as a non-GUE diver? If I decided to try to join a group like WKPP that required GUE certification, is there some sort of bridge program for experienced divers? I know people may scoff at this statement (since diving is an absolute money pit) but the sheer cost of GUE training is almost prohibitively expensive, especially considering the huge cost of equipment alone.

When considering the costs of different courses from different agencies, you might be comparing a more expensive class that offers more vs. a cheaper class that offers much less. Often the cheaper class is just part 1 of what's effectively a 2 part class. The combined cost of parts 1 and 2 could be more than the cost of the other original "more expensive" class.

Compare closely and you might find that the more comprehensive and more expensive class is the one that offers more and was fairly priced....all things considered.

Considering equipment costs is a wash, since you'll be buying equipment no matter which route you choose.

The answer to your question can be found by looking at the final product produced by the different agencies. It sort of speaks for itself.

-Mitch

 

[floridakid]

So your saying that with GUE I would take fundamentals, cave 1, 2, and 3, but to get the same level of training I would have to take a full cave course, plus decompression procedures, trimix, ect. Which makes sense and is a great point.

I have noticed that several dive sites require "full cave" certification prior to diving at that site. Which level of GUE training would be considered equivalent to "full cave" because when I looked at some of the topics covered by the courses, "Cave 3" appears to be way more in depth than most of the topics covered in a "full cave" course. Is this an accurate assessment?

 

[Karen Cleveland]

Which level of GUE training would be considered equivalent to "full cave" because when I looked at some of the topics covered by the courses, "Cave 3" appears to be way more in depth than most of the topics covered in a "full cave" course. Is this an accurate assessment?

Cave 2 would be considered Full Cave. Cave 1 would be considered Intro to Cave. Cave 3 is a class all to itself and I can't really speak to that one.

Karen