Certification is costly

[Centrals]

Diving certification is NOT really costly in SE Asia.
For OW and AOW courses, everything was included including manual(long time ago) and full equipment(still true).
Buying new or used equipment is no difference from car or others.

 

[Celt]

I

It can be even more costly with used gear. I've seen a few times where buying something used and having it serviced cost more than what the shop would have sold a new one for.

Yes, sometimes it is good, but not always. Buy used when you can afford to be burned by it. I just bought a used boat motor. Knew a fair bit about what I was after. In the end it turned out to not be what I thought it was. But I got enough good stuff it wasn't a total burn job. Displacment was not what I thought it was going to be and it happen to be a reverse rotation engine. But I got all the marine specific parts.

It’s another option for someone wanting to try diving. But yeah you can get burnt. If you buy from a fellow diver it helps.

 

[Mr. Ed]

That's a reasonable price for those certifications considering your area, nearly in Canada, probably low demand, and far from any ocean. Drysuit diving is the norm up there most or all year. My local shop would have charged $1200 for those classes. Nearly everyone gets nitrox, and I did my ice diving course in your neck of the woods so dry suit is certainly appropriate.

What are you doing during your pool sessions if you're not doing skills? Are you sure you're actually using your allotted pool sessions if you're not doing any skills? It takes us two 4-hour pool sessions to teach skills for OW, drysuit would be an extra pool session. If they are charging you for each, then I suggest asking how many sessions come with OW and how many with drysuit. Most instructors are making less than minimum wage in the end, so if an instructor is working extra class sessions specifically for you its not unreasonable for them to ask you to pay for extra classes. My local shop would work you into subsequent scheduled pool classes so instructor isn't really spending any extra time total; you would repeat pool skills until you're comfortable going to OW.

Even down here near DC we'd suggest those classes if a student wanted to be certified locally over the winter.

Sam

As I near completion of contained water skill set I have no qualm with the cost I am paying for pool time. The pool is owned by YMCA that rents out pool time sessions on an hourly basis. My complaint was the elongated length of time spent discovering and replacing my gear due to poor fitting or failure to work properly.

Thee is no extra cost for OW training.

 

[TMHeimer]

As I near completion of contained water skill set I have no qualm with the cost I am paying for pool time. The pool is owned by YMCA that rents out pool time sessions on an hourly basis. My complaint was the elongated length of time spent discovering and replacing my gear due to poor fitting or failure to work properly.

Thee is no extra cost for OW training.

Our shop here pays the cost to rent the pool. Another thing I'm not sure of-- whether that is the norm or students paying is the norm.
I know that in certain places the student pays if the OW checkout dives are done from a separate boat or at a quarry/lake, etc. that is privately owned. But I haven't heard of students paying pool fees.

 

[Still Kicking]

As I near completion of contained water skill set I have no qualm with the cost I am paying for pool time. The pool is owned by YMCA that rents out pool time sessions on an hourly basis. My complaint was the elongated length of time spent discovering and replacing my gear due to poor fitting or failure to work properly.

Thee is no extra cost for OW training.

Sounds like things have changed since your opening post when you said:

"Not knowing the total cost of pool sessions and the length time it will take is disturbing. It’s like throwing money to the wind not knowing where it will land. Other than this I have no complaints."

Regardless, it's good to hear things are moving forward and you are going to do your open water dives.

Going back to the poor fitting gear -- who sold that to you?

 

[Belzelbub]

Our shop here pays the cost to rent the pool. Another thing I'm not sure of-- whether that is the norm or students paying is the norm.
I know that in certain places the student pays if the OW checkout dives are done from a separate boat or at a quarry/lake, etc. that is privately owned. But I haven't heard of students paying pool fees.

Same here.

I’ve taken two OW courses, and paid for two more for my kids. Pool use was included as was regulator, BC, wetsuit, and tanks.

OW 1: No pool sessions, OW checkout dives were local at a public site, so no addition fees.
OW 2: Lots of pool sessions. Pool was owned by the university where I took the course, so probably included in the general A&S Fees. Checkout dives were done in Key Largo, and was an extra field trip charge.
Kids’ OW: Pool was owned by a nearby golf club, no extra charge. OW dives were extra. Paid to dive shop at a discounted rate compared with regular rates of the sites.

 

[Scubster]

So you don’t even own your own mask? Clear difference between local and vacation divers.

I've been both, a local diver and now a vacation diver. I was never interested in getting my own gear, because rental was just so convenient.

I think more than just local vs vacation diver, it has to do with the frequency of diving. If a person spends every weekend or every holiday diving, it makes sense to get your own gear. I was a local diver for years, but diving was not my priority.

 

[Wibble]

I've been both, a local diver and now a vacation diver. I was never interested in getting my own gear, because rental was just so convenient.

I think more than just local vs vacation diver, it has to do with the frequency of diving. If a person spends every weekend or every holiday diving, it makes sense to get your own gear. I was a local diver for years, but diving was not my priority.

Largely depends on where you're diving. If warm, benign waters then rent. If cold dark waters then you need a fair amount of your own clothing at least including a drysuit. Then there's torches, SMBs, PONY bottles, etc.

 

[Doc Harry]

I paid in excess of $800.00 for eLearning, OWC, Drysuit and Nitrox Computer certification. The cost included 4 paid pool sessions. I had to buy a different BCD, Mask and Fins using 3 of the 4 pool sessions without any skills training. I am paying $50.00 for 2 hour weekly pool session not knowing how I have to pay before I can begin open water training.

Not knowing the total cost of pool sessions and the length time it will take is disturbing. It’s like throwing money to the wind not knowing where it will land. Other than this I have no complaints.

 

[TMHeimer]

Largely depends on where you're diving. If warm, benign waters then rent. If cold dark waters then you need a fair amount of your own clothing at least including a drysuit. Then there's torches, SMBs, PONY bottles, etc.

I think it depends more on how often you dive, not where you dive I agree that "vacation" divers-- like one/two trips a year-- maybe it pays to rent. Any more than that and you're better off financially to buy everything and rent only tanks when travelling (assuming you don't live where it's warm). Due to the small amount of weight needed in the tropics, I usually bring my own as well. Plus, with such things as a regulator, it's nice to always have your own.
I dive here 6 months in my wetsuit and very sparingly in the winter (20 minute dives). Never owned a drysuit, but it would be nice.