GUE - Global Underwater Explorers

Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) is a non-profit organization that stands at the forefront of diving education, conservation, and exploration. Unlike other scuba training programs, GUE's curriculum is described as "highly refined," a testament to its development by a cadre of elite explorers, conservationists, and scientific researchers. Renowned for leading-edge open circuit cave and technical diving courses, GUE's educational offerings are constructed to bolster global exploration projects, setting a new standard within the realm of underwater discovery.

What distinguishes GUE's entry-level programs from others is an unwavering commitment to mastering neutral buoyancy, balance, and trim from the outset. This focus ensures that all critical skills are practised and perfected in a position that mirrors the natural, streamlined posture divers must maintain in the water. This philosophy extends to the prerequisites for enrolment in their Recreational Diver 1 program, which mandates candidates to be in robust physical and mental health and to abstain from smoking.

The GUE Recreational Diver 1 course is rigorous, entailing over 40 hours of training spread across 5-6 days. This includes classroom lectures, 10 confined water sessions, and 6 open water dives. An indication of GUE's innovative approach is the inclusion of nitrox diving studies and gas analysis in the curriculum. Students may also have the opportunity to train using a double tank configuration, with a long hose as standard equipment.

Becoming a GUE instructor involves a challenging and prolonged pathway, underscored by an annual requalification assessment—a requirement not commonly found in other diver training agencies. This stringent criterion ensures that GUE instructors represent the pinnacle of scuba education expertise. GUE's "zero to hero" approach is intentionally avoided, emphasizing the organization's dedication to not just meet, but exceed the industry standards for safety, skill, and stewardship of the underwater world.