How much should I be spending on PADI training?

[mmerriman]

Q1. Why are looking for the cheapest you can find? Do you do that with food, clothes, cars, auto repairs, dentists?
Q2. What does "everything" include? Classroom time vs eLearning? Boat dives? Use of equipment? Extra pool sessions if you need it? Private classes if you learn better that way?
Q3. Why do you have gear, have you dived before? Do you have "everything" or only some stuff? How do you know it still works? how old is it? how long since it has been used? Usually all you need for a class is mask, snorkel, fins; all else is provided as part of the class.

A1. Is $500 too much? Depends on what you get for the $500.

3 words: gas station sushi.....

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

3 words: gas station sushi.....

I can one better you. There is a gas station in my neighborhood that has a freshly shucked clam stand kind of next to the pumps. Mind you. This is a block away from the East River in Manhattan. Not only gas station clams but East River clams. You'd have to be very brave or equally as stupid.

 

[Wibble]

For those of us not familiar with PADI e-learning...
* How much is the e-lerning for OW & AOW?
* Is it time limited? Meaning you Pay Another Dollar In and it expires... how long do you get? How much to extend for another ~year?
* What's the material like? Is it more than "death by powerpoint"?

I know it's odd, but I do have my PADI books on my bookshelf from a decade ago. They've not stopped working and virtually all of the information in there's still pertinent. Very little would have materially changed subsequently.

Just wonder why people would plump for paying a small fortune for ephemeral information in e-learning format? Especially as you can't write on the material to make notes, stick in post-its, use it to discuss a point with your instructor...

 

[Esprise Me]

Dangerous nonsense.

I get not encouraging new divers to buy old training materials as a general principle. But I'm a little skeptical that info from 2008-2010 is "dangerous nonsense." Do people who got certified back then and have continued to dive casually without taking more courses need to redo OW? What were they teaching back then that was so perilous? Split fins?

 

[tursiops]

I get not encouraging new divers to buy old training materials as a general principle. But I'm a little skeptical that info from 2008-2010 is "dangerous nonsense." Do people who got certified back then and have continued to dive casually without taking more courses need to redo OW? What were they teaching back then that was so perilous? Split fins?

My comment was about the bulk of his post, not specifically the link to the 2008-2010 material.

 

[ofg-1]

Cost of PADI training?

 

[Diverlady13]

One thing I will note @Seville is that PADI fairly recently updated their e-learning program and website, so there may be new information that wasn't covered when you did the course (and even when I did the course) if you choose to stick with PADI. I'm not sure what all changed, but it was quite different (and better) when my son did the OW and AOW work last year vs. when I did it in 2019.

 

[Seville]

Don't worry about it - there was a reminder of this in at least two of our internal PADI professional webinars this last year so PADI must be getting lots of questions on this very topic from shops! I wouldn't really know if that is on the website even.


In case it helps, I found the wording from the 2007Q2 Training Bulletin, the official communications that all PADI pros have access to:

Q How long does a diver have to complete a PADI course?
A There is no time limit as long as the student diver resumes training with the same instructor, or with another instructor at the same dive center. A PADI Referral is valid for one year (12 months) from the last completed training component (except Adventures in Diving and Specialty Programs which have no time limit on referrals); however, this is not the case for course completion. If there is a 12-month (or longer) break in training, have the student diver complete new administrative paperwork including a liability release, medical statement and Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding. Reassess and remediate where appropriate.​

It should give you something to discuss with your dive shop in case they try to quote some (nonexistent) PADI policy on course expiry. They are obligated, in a sense, to help you complete the certification you already paid for. Certainly the best outcome would be a discount on a full course; alternatively, you may be able to work out a combination of pool check dive, extra dives, knowledge reviews, final exams, etc. with them. After all, they are responsible for your safety and readiness for open water dives, so they can legitimately ask you to do the remediation work.

I hope you can get to an arrangement that's good for both sides!

thanks soo much. I was originally told that it expired after 12 months but I have proof to back it up. My friend recently went through the e learning and after completing the course she really did not know much about diving. I guess the new course does not teach dive charts. She relies on the dive master on the boat trip to tell the group when to do the decompression stops. But it could be different for everyone based on what number dive it was.

 

[oly5050user]

For those of us not familiar with PADI e-learning...
* How much is the e-lerning for OW & AOW?
* Is it time limited? Meaning you Pay Another Dollar In and it expires... how long do you get? How much to extend for another ~year?
* What's the material like? Is it more than "death by powerpoint"?

I know it's odd, but I do have my PADI books on my bookshelf from a decade ago. They've not stopped working and virtually all of the information in there's still pertinent. Very little would have materially changed subsequently.

Just wonder why people would plump for paying a small fortune for ephemeral information in e-learning format?

thanks soo much. I was originally told that it expired after 12 months but I have proof to back it up. My friend recently went through the e learning and after completing the course she really did not know much about diving. I guess the new course does not teach dive charts. She relies on the dive master on the boat trip to tell the group when to do the decompression stops. But it could be different for everyone based on what number dive it was.

PADI is recreational no decompression diving. I am sure her instructor would explain a RDP if asked and at that time explain why she should own a dive computer

 

[boulderjohn]

Interesting. Thanks for the correction. When my son did the course last year, were explicitly told that after completing the "book work" he had a year after that to certify or he'd have to redo the e-learning (and pay again). Maybe someone at the dive shop misunderstood.

In PADI instructor webinars, they ask the group multiple choice questions, and the time limit for a course was one of the recent questions. I don't remember what percent got it right, but I think it was a bit over 50%. I think most instructors are confused by the one year limit on referrals.