It's really funny that so many GUE divers prefer Halcyon gear, isn't it?
BTW, the owner of GUE is the owner of Halcyon.
Please don't read that as a mock on GUE--I have nothing but respect for the organization, and when I patronized the dive shop that is their headquarters (Extreme Exposure in High Springs, Florida), I got excellent service.
All true, but the fact that so many GUE divers use Halcyon doesn't necessarily mean that GUE instructors push Halcyon the way PADI and SSI instructors are said to push the gear that their shops sell. I am not yet what I would call well informed about GUE, but I do know they didn't mention Halcyon when I took Primer there. Sure, you walk into Extreme Exposure and it's one big advertisement for Halcyon, but I didn't HEAR from the instructor even a mild suggestion to buy Halcyon when we discussed gear choices as part of Primer. In fact, my takeaway from the course was that the hardware is all pretty similar, and that the choice of manufacturer is the least of the things I should concern myself with as a GUE newbie. I suppose if a newbie GUE diver sees a bunch of other GUE divers using Halcyon gear, it might sway their choice of gear. But being swayed a bit by the gear that the people you hang out with are using is nothing new or unique to diving.