The GUE Fundamentals course is for any certified diver who wishes to enhance their situational awareness, safety, knowledge, performance, and finning techniques. The goal is to build a solid platform, which allows divers to develop sound diving practices with the focus on GUE principles such as:
- standardized equipment configuration
- dive procedures
- balance, buoyancy and trim
- propulsion techniques
- teamwork
- maximizing safety
GUE Fundamentals has two different paths to choose from depending on a diver’s future goals: Recreational Level (on a single tank) and Technical Level (on doubles).
The course also includes a Nitrox certification so you won’t need to do this a separate course and the theory for the Nitrox in the Fundamentals is much more solid than other Nitrox certifications.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
You can see more information here or drop us an email at info@scubaseekers.com to inquire.
The GUE Fundamentals course is for any certified diver who wishes to enhance their situational awareness, safety, knowledge, performance, and finning techniques. The goal is to build a solid platform, which allows divers to develop sound diving practices with the focus on GUE principles such as:
- standardized equipment configuration
- dive procedures
- balance, buoyancy and trim
- propulsion techniques
- teamwork
- maximizing safety
GUE Fundamentals has two different paths to choose from depending on a diver’s future goals: Recreational Level (on a single tank) and Technical Level (on doubles).
The course also includes a Nitrox certification so you won’t need to do this a separate course and the theory for the Nitrox in the Fundamentals is much more solid than other Nitrox certifications.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
You can see more information here or drop us an email at info@scubaseekers.com to inquire.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
This course is for GUE Fundamentals certified divers holding a Recreational Pass who wish to upgrade to the Technical Pass.
The Upgrade takes 2 Days with Day 1 being an assessment and skills dive day, while Day 2 is scheduled for the official upgrade.
Please email for us at info@scubaseekers for more details or to book.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
This course is for GUE Fundamentals certified divers holding a Recreational Pass who wish to upgrade to the Technical Pass.
The Upgrade takes 2 Days with Day 1 being an assessment and skills dive day, while Day 2 is scheduled for the official upgrade.
Please email for us at info@scubaseekers for more details or to book.
The GUE Fundamentals course is for any certified diver who wishes to enhance their situational awareness, safety, knowledge, performance, and finning techniques. The goal is to build a solid platform, which allows divers to develop sound diving practices with the focus on GUE principles such as:
- standardized equipment configuration
- dive procedures
- balance, buoyancy and trim
- propulsion techniques
- teamwork
- maximizing safety
GUE Fundamentals has two different paths to choose from depending on a diver’s future goals: Recreational Level (on a single tank) and Technical Level (on doubles).
The course also includes a Nitrox certification so you won’t need to do this a separate course and the theory for the Nitrox in the Fundamentals is much more solid than other Nitrox certifications.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
You can see more information here or drop us an email at info@scubaseekers.com to inquire.
Congrats – you did it, added that first shiny certification card to your collection! Now begs the questions – what next?
It’s a question we hear all the time and while many will be quick to tell you “the Advanced Course, duh!”, we’re here to say slow your (back)roll and consider these alternative options instead.
Dive!
That’s it. Just dive.
I know, I know – it sounds crazy. But hear us out.
You’ve just spent how many days working on skill after skill? Filling your mask, clearing your mask. Recovering your regulator, clearing your regulator. You’ve done the work, you’ve put in the hours – both physically and mentally – so take that certificate and go have fun with it.
You’ve quite literally earned it!
Dahab is rich in spectacular dive sites suitable for Open Water level divers. Underrated sites such as Golden Blocks, Moray Garden, Canyon Gardens and the Islands all provide the perfect coral-filled backdrop as you practice and gain confidence in the water.
There is no substitute for experience so dive, dive, dive! As your comfort level increases and diving starts to feel like second-nature, then it’s time to start thinking about the next certification level.
Learn How to Dive with Nitrox
Hungry to expand your diving knowledge but not feeling quite ready for the Advanced Course yet? Consider taking the Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) course – one of the most useful certifications in a diver’s repertoire.
With the Nitrox certification, divers are able to dive with a higher concentration (up to 40%) of oxygen than standard air tanks.
Why is this beneficial for divers? It means:
- Longer bottom times. Diving with Nitrox means you absorb less nitrogen which allows you to stay underwater longer as it lengthens your no-decompression limits.
- Longer repetitive dive times. If undertaking multiple dives in a day, you’ll have a longer allowable bottom time on subsequent dives than if you were using air.
- Shorter surface intervals. Breathing less nitrogen shortens the required “off-gas” time needed between dives which means you can get back in the water quicker.
- Less fatigue. This last point is up for debate but many divers swear diving on nitrox makes them less tired than diving on air.
The Nitrox course is normally conducted as a dry course and with the eLearning completed ahead of time, divers can take the course alongside their guided dives meaning no need to sacrifice their time underwater.
Further Enhance Your Foundational Skills
The key to getting the most out of your dives (and fully enjoying them) is having the proper foundations – think buoyancy control, finning techniques, situational awareness, etc – in place before advancing to deeper diving.
While you learn the basics in your Open Water course, students are often left with a margin for improvement when it comes to refining their foundational skills. It’s better to master these at the start of your diving journey rather than have to unlearn bad habits later on.
What is the best way to go about this? We’ve outlined some options below:
- Personal Training Days: many Instructors and dive centers (including Scuba Seekers) offer one-on-one workshops customized to a particular student’s training needs.
- Peak Performance Buoyancy Course: this course is often a great start for those who just completed their Open Water and are looking for more guidance and practice on the key goal of mastering one’s buoyancy.
- GUE Fundamentals Course: if you are really serious about developing the right foundational platform and have lofty diving goals, consider this vigorous – but extremely rewarding course.
We hope the above helps give you some ideas on where to go next in your diving journey.
Mapping the Abu Talha Canyon
Project Baseline
In December 2018 we started the Abu Talha Canyon Project. Our aim is to map and create a 3D model of this fascinating tectonic feature.
It’s a site that’s not as well known, or as well dived, as Dahab’s more famous Canyon. The main reason being that the depth and location of the Abu Talha Canyon makes it a technical diving site, rather than a recreational one.
Our team love diving the Abu Talha Canyon and this project has been a fantastic opportunity to learn more about its topography.
The project: how to map a canyon
Mapping features like this underwater can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. We’re using multiple methods to map the canyon and create our 3D model. In the initial phase of this project we’ve conducted a 2D survey and created a map of the site.
This is what we’ll be using as the basis for our eventual 3D model. Carrying out this kind of survey underwater and at depth takes time and a well-trained dive team. JP Bresser has been instrumental in getting us started, and creating the initial 3D model.
Our team have been measuring distances underwater, making notes of specific features, taking still photos and shooting videos on their dives. Combining all of these elements has enabled to us to create an initial 3D model of the canyon using Sketchfab. You can see the detail of the canyon’s walls and how it twists and turns through the reef.
But this is just a baseline 3D model. We’re not finished yet. In the coming phases of this project, we’ll be continuing our survey work, allowing us to add more features. We’ll also be including key information about the depth and length of the Abu Talha Canyon, as well as its direction.
The video JP Bresser has produced gives an indication of the scale of the Abu Talha Canyon, but when you look at it next to the 3D model it’s easy to see that a video is far from the whole picture of this incredible site.
Training the team: GUE Documentation Diver
The team taking part in the Abu Talha Canyon Project have all completed their GUE Documentation Diver qualification. This is a four-day course that includes six dives and a minimum of 32 hours of instruction.
It’s designed to prepare divers for project-based work and it teaches you reliable techniques for documenting your dives. This includes basic videography and photography, survey and mapping skills, planning techniques and specific communication and team skills that are needed during documentation dives.
You’ll also learn how to set clear objectives and work plans for your project, as well as how to manage team tasks and create a report about your activities.
The course builds on your core diving skills, whether recreational or technical, and will give your dives a purpose beyond simply having fun (although that’s important too). Completing this course will not only improve your diving skills, but also mean you have the opportunity to get involved in projects like ours to map the Abu Talha Canyon.
Some of our previous GUE Documentation Diver students created a video about their experiences of the course – take a look to get a better idea of what’s involved.
If you’re interested in completing your GUE Documentation Diver qualification, or any other GUE courses, get in touch with us to learn more.
Don’t forget to check in with our blog and Facebook pages to see the latest updates from the next phases of the Abu Talha Canyon Project as we make more progress in the future.
As a beginner diver and intern at Scuba Seekers Diving center in Dahab, and as someone who is always surrounded by professional divers most of the time, I came to understand that there is more to diving than just breathing into a regulator and waving at fish. My inquisitive nature forced me to ask different divers about their diving experiences. I learnt more about the differences between diving federations, until I came across GUE (Global Underwater Explorers).
About GUE
GUE was founded in 1998. It is a nonprofit federation with the purpose to increase the quality of aquatic education by building an international base of qualified and capable divers and explorers. GUE’s high standards and prerequisites for enrolling divers into any course is why I was intrigued to learn more about it. Initially, the person has to be a non-smoker.
Since diving is a physically demanding sport that requires a person to be fit, the preconditions made sense. The damages caused by smoking on the lungs and cardiovascular system can put a diver at higher risks of DCS than a non-smoker. The oxygen carrying capacity in the body decreases, making the body unable to sufficiently rid itself of the nitrogen absorbed, causing an increase of bubble formation in the tissues. Most divers would already know the following consequences of such incidents.
GUE also focuses on standardizing and improving certain skills such as the importance of buoyancy, and efficient trimming and propulsion techniques. The GUE standard gas used in recreational dives is Nitrox, which means that all GUE divers are already a good deal familiar with the difference between different gases and the biological effects they have on the human body.
How to be a quality diver
I was very hesitant to take the course at first, believing that it made more sense to continue my courses as a dive guide instead of wasting time and money on a course that will only enhance my diving skills from A to Z. Nonetheless, I still wanted to be a quality diver before becoming a dive guide, knowing at the back of my mind that the GUE course included everything I needed to achieve that.
After having a discussion with a friend about his GUE experience, he said that the Fundamentals course has completely changed his perspective on diving, which was enough for me to finally take the plunge and enroll for the course.
Throughout the 4 days of physical and mental training, I felt my perspective in diving gradually changed as well. I became more aware of my habits and how to logically enhance them, and also focused on the small details that make drastic differences. Even though most diving federations teach the same set of skills needed to become a diver, GUE presents the information differently in a way a diver logically learns the reasons behind why certain things are done before learning how to do them.
Conclusively, my expectations of the course were not only met but also exceeded. I feel more confident in the water, now that I can consider myself a safe diver for others diving with me and myself.
References:
Hamza, Heather. “Doing It Wrong: Smoking and Diving.” Quest: Vol 12. No. 3
