What is the future of GUE?

[_Ralph]

As mentioned above, Seattle, LA, BC, Hawaii, San Diego? Have FB pages, and others (GUE affiliates) have their own websites outside of FB.

If there's not one in your area, start one! Or maybe there is one, but you don't know about it? (Or on a different site)

Make it easier for people to dive together and find each other.

A great article in the latest quest by a GUE-BC member is dedicated to just that, establishing communities.

_R

 

[seeker242]

If there's not one in your area, start one! Or maybe there is one, but you don't know about it? (Or on a different site)

Make it easier for people to dive together and find each other.

There isn't one like the other places but I would love to see one. Although, starting a non-profit chapter generally takes a team of people. I started a couple in the past and I was pretty much the only one doing any work, that sucks! If I can find some people to help, I will definitely consider starting one. Good article too, thanks for the tip!

 

[rlynch]

we have a good following in the local area.. (Raleigh NC) and are doing classes about once or twice per year. all instructors are with other agencies (myself included) but it really dosen't matter, those of us whom have trained with GUE teach with a GUE mindset and strive to set the students up with the skills to be succesful no matter which way they decided to go. I'd like to see it grow but as all things it takes time.

 

[Ayisha]

What's the point to enroll into a 'more' expensive courses and gear if you cannot dive a lot - for a team-based philosophy this is kinda hard when you do not have GUE divers around who got the same training or you have to make hundreds kilometers or move to another country to dive.

This is how communities begin! Other divers will notice how proficient you are and will often ask how you look like that and how to achieve such buoyancy control, trim and propulsion. You let them know you did a GUE (or whichever) course and peak their interest. Slowly, you start to build a community.

There is a global FB page which hosts a lot of good people. For regional I know of Seattle and BC. There's one for LA. There just has to be more.

I'm sure there are many more. We have the FB groups, "GUE Ontario" and TAUE (Toronto Area Underwater Explorers), the latter which is for people who are interested in GUE, but may not be GUE yet. There is also FLUE in Florida.

 

[Darghu]

I do understand your point @Ayisha
But this is the same what's the point to start to build a community where you are in some places where most divers are not that ready / close to spend expensive training, expensive standardized gear, etc etc. I believe some already tried in my country but I do not see much events on social network (mainly facebook) to think this is starting to become famous or interesting to consider.

But - of course - this is an interesting project to build a community.

 

[beester]

Heya Darghu.... you probably know Stephane Paziente... I think he is (or was) trying to develop GUE-FR. Not sure what he's doing at this moment but he seems still active (but maybe again more in Southern Belgium and not France... don't know).

I totally get that it's very hard to meet likeminded divers, specifically when GUE or our "procedural way of diving" is not very well known, like in France. I don't know where you are in France but in Southern Belgium there are some active divers. Not all are GUE trained but many are. Look up "dir-belgique" on facebook. If you are in the SE of France you could link up with Italian divers. I know quite a few of them that are in the Liguria area (from San Remo which is not so far from the French border) all the way down to Portofino.

Obviously most diving in FR is club organised (FFESSM), but even within a club (if you are attached) slowly but steadily you can move people. I'm still attached to my local CMAS club in Belgium and slowly but steadily there are a couple of people within the club who adopt a more hogarthian approach... some even taking GUE classes.

 

[Darghu]

Hello beester
Of course I know Stephane Paziente and I have no idea if he is still active to develop GUE-France.
I also know that belgium regulation / policy laws are far more open than french laws. And you can see by yourself you are close to us.
Come and try to speak to some of us. You'll see how most will reply except tech and cave diver as Gramat is kinda the cave- paradize where every divers around can freely dive together.

I can see according GUE schedule:
- Cave 1 (33) Cave 2 (3) DPV Cave 1 (1)
- Tech 1 (0) Tech 2 (1)
- Fundies (1) only 1 I remember at least 2 friends who made their Fundies and will finish Part 2 this year.

Umm I am not that sure. Where do people make their Rec / Fundie training ? Who are able to speak French ?
Right now I asked to 5 instructors (this is around 4 major local dive shop),15 divers (mostly FFESSM N3-N4) and
none look to be interested to completely change to another system especially when it is highly required to modify gear configuration - and have standardized gas - and a teamplay approach.

Of course I will try out - but I consider that an instructor must / help to do it.
and this is kinda hard in France.

 

[Ayisha]

Umm I am not that sure. Where do people make their Rec / Fundie training ? Who are able to speak French ?
Right now I asked to 5 instructors (this is around 4 major local dive shop),15 divers (mostly FFESSM N3-N4) and none look to be interested to completely change to another system especially when it is highly required to modify gear configuration - and have standardized gas - and a teamplay approach.

FWIW, I started replacing some of my gear when it was very worn and/or needed to be replaced anyway, years before I ever went GUE. At some point, people will have to look into new gear, so that's an easy time to look at all the options. Of course, if new divers just choose that gear in the first place, it's even less of a change to a hogarthian system.

There are French speaking GUE instructors, but not necessarily in France. I believe we have a Quebecois French speaking instructor, but Quebec Canadian French is pretty much a slang of Parisian French, but still understandable. Instructors get paid to travel to do courses a lot, but that would require really motivated students. I have met quite a few French speaking GUE divers.

 

[delmolino]

I believe that these changes on the Rec diving curriculum are important to develop these local GUE communities you guys are mentioning. Many friends and acquaintances asked me in the past about scuba instruction and the time and financial commitment to take the full Rec1 always steered them away from the GUE path, though I agree that taking OW, AOW and Nitrox will certainly be more expensive and more time consuming, but the ability to first experience and progress in smaller steps is certainly attractive to a larger audience, it was in fact how I started.

In the Northeast we have the NEUE that has a lot of "cross-over" with TAUE guys. I live in the NYC area and we have an active NYC community (that we run together with some UTD folks) and try to keep in touch with the Washington area people as well.