[Mal Bridgeman]

Originally Posted by big_si

That sounds interesting Al. Is that planned as an entry level course? Or is it designed as a fundamentals precursor after already being in the water for a few dives?

If it's an entry level course then 4 times the cost of a PADI course (which must put it in the region of £1200???) must make the cost quite prohibitive to most divers-to-be who at that stage don't even know if they like it?

My understanding is that it is designed as an entry level course designed to take a non-diver to the 30m Rescue standard that Al described.

As far as I can make out, it sets out what GUE believes is required to train a diver to be safe and competent in those depth ranges. Of course, not everyone learns at the same rate and I suspect there will be a number of people who don't pass, even after that expense, but a well constructed curriculum with a competent Instructor should be able to get the majority to the required standard I think. I don't know what the approach is to "remedial" training.

I am sure it will not be a commercial success .... the industry seems to believe that Instructing should be a vocation and that a couple of hours in the pool with a couple more in the open water, suffices for new divers.

My own view, given that the diving tenure of most divers about 2 years, is they don't have the core skills sufficiently nailed early enough to allow them to enjoy their diving and progress it in a safe way....so once they have completed a number of diving courses under the watchful eye of an Instructor, they find something lacking and, sadly, they drop out and go and do something different.

The entry level training bar is set very low IMO, but if your main role in life is to sell training courses then the current regime seem to suit. If your role was to create life long safe enthusiastic divers then I think you would approach it differently.

Mal