GUE Community
AN INTRODUCTION BY THE PRESIDENT
Global Underwater Explorers has always aimed to harness the benefit of local and global communities dedicated to exploration and conservation. These communities combine teamwork with experienced divers who are often working toward project goals, but who also provide support to newer divers. Whatever your passion in diving, sharing it with a like-minded community can lead to lifelong friendships, which is one of the most significant benefits of diving within a community.
What are GUE Communities and how are they significant?
GUE communities bring together groups of dedicated divers whose passion and commitment enable them to achieve great things. If you believe, as we do, that people are looking for a sense of purpose and that they want to be part of the solution but don’t know how, let us help you find like-minded divers with the same desire. Form a community and make a difference together--whether a dive community favors exploration, conservation, or simply fun diving, sharing in the excitement makes it all the more rewarding.
Joining a community allows you to learn from more experienced divers while sharing your enthusiasm with an ever-expanding group of people. This has many benefits, including experience with local sites and support for highly diverse diving interests. Communities are a great source of mentorship toward your diving goals, offering skill refinement opportunities for an upcoming class or building experience in preparation for an exploration or conservation project.
Communities also provide opportunities to achieve much more than any individual effort could. A community supplies a diversity of knowledge and experience that can add immeasurable value in developing far-reaching and successful diving projects. It also means more regular diving, more opportunities, and ultimately more fun!
To find a GUE community near you, get in touch now.
No community near you? Start your own!
Although GUE has divers around the globe, areas remain where GUE is less established. If this applies to your area, consider it a great opportunity to lead community efforts where you live. If you are interested in establishing a new community and would like advice on how to get started, contact us here.
Don’t be daunted by the prospect of starting a GUE Community. They often start small and require only a modest amount of effort to manage. Most importantly, the benefit gained for this effort can be enormous.
What do GUE communities get up to?
Community Events
Communities host events in their local area like dive days, demo days, skill practice, holiday events (like underwater pumpkin carving), and more. To see the list of GUE events currently scheduled, visit our calendar.
Project Diving
One of the other advantages of diving within a community is project diving. Project types include archaeology, conservation, exploration, research, and more, and most projects include collaboration with other entities to achieve their goals. These entities could be local governments, nonprofits, universities, or businesses who can benefit from the unique places divers are able to reach. If you're looking to form a project in your area, Project Baseline and Ghost Diving are great organizations to start with. For more ideas for starting your own project or to see what projects other GUE divers are conducting around the world, check out our annual Project Reports.- Have a nominated community coordinator and communications coordinator. This can be the same individual, if necessary.
- Have an affiliated, active-status GUE instructor available for support and guidance. This instructor does not need to live in the region, and GUE HQ may be able to assist with filling this role, if needed.
- Ensure that the activities of the community promote the best interests of Global Underwater Explorers and are in line with GUE Standards, Policies, and Procedures, as published and available here.
- Operate as a nonprofit entity and ensure that any funds raised or any profits from the sale of group-branded merchandise are used by the group for group resources and local education, conservation, and exploration-related activities.
- Verify that any logo based upon the GUE logo, or any element of the GUE logo, is approved by GUE HQ.
- Ensure that the content of any Facebook pages and/or groups, websites, other social media, and use of any GUE-based logo promotes the best interests of Global Underwater Explorers and is in line with GUE Standards and GUE Social Media Guidelines.
- Ensure that the group provides equal and fair access to and visibility of all GUE instructors and GUE Diver Centers in the country or region. This includes access to associated Facebook pages and/or groups, websites, or any other other media channels.
- Agree to add and maintain a GUE HQ staff member as an administrator on any current or future social media pages that represent this GUE group, e.g. Facebook and Instagram..
- Maintain open access to social media pages by all community members, unless a clear violation of media policies has occurred.
