Cheap PADI OW Certification

[Graeme Fraser]

While I agree with most of your post, the above is just wrong. PADI standards state the following

"Student divers may participate in no more than three open water training dives in a single day, night or combination thereof."

This means the OWC can be done in two days although I prefer to teach it over the span of three days.

Four days for the complete OW course; two days theory and CW, followed by two days OW.

 

[ChuckP]

While I agree with most of your post, the above is just wrong. PADI standards state the following

"Student divers may participate in no more than three open water training dives in a single day, night or combination thereof."

This means the OWC can be done in two days although I prefer to teach it over the span of three days.

To get thru knowledge reviews, five confined water and four open waters in two days, you're teaching rock stars which isn't always the case....... And if they ain't rock stars, you're leaving a lot to be desired - just my opinion.

Three days is pushing it with great students teaching a great class. One on one instruction does make it go quicker but that's a lot to take in..........

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

To get thru knowledge reviews, five confined water and four open waters in two days, you're teaching rock stars which isn't always the case....... And if they ain't rock stars, you're leaving a lot to be desired - just my opinion.

Three days is pushing it with great students teaching a great class. One on one instruction does make it go quicker but that's a lot to take in..........

I think you are assuming the learning is done via a book and not e-learning. With e-learning I give them a quick review test as soon as the training forms are filled out and before we get into any teaching.

This allows me a chance to see what I need to cover in greater detail. As for leaving a lot to be desired, no, I have taught my students well and they leave with good buoyancy, trim and proper knowledge of dive planning and safety protocols.

I think you are right about the time it takes IF one is teaching from the book and doing the KRs.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Even with Elearning, I'm personally a 4 day guy.

D1 - CW 1+2, swim tests and Skin diving taking time to master basics and deal with kit etc. D2 CW 3-5, D3 OW 1+2 with all flex skills and some CESA's (depending on group size) , D4 OW 3 +4 plus remaining CESA.

All OW skills are done neutrally during the dive. No stopping and herding group into a circle for skills. No platform nonsense. Kneeling on sand is easily prevented due to sea urchins

Like Turk, all my OW dives are off a boat. Don and Doff kit can be a challenge if there's a slight chop, swell or surface current - but hey, welcome to the real world

 

[ggunn]

One thing that establishing a minimum elapsed time for training does not consider is how much training the student actually needs. I am degreed in chemistry as well as engineering, so the training about the physics of gas and water pressures was stuff I already knew much more about than a diver needs to know. We could have skipped that part.

 

[Christi]

To get thru knowledge reviews, five confined water and four open waters in two days, you're teaching rock stars which isn't always the case.......

Not to mention a violation of standards. No more than 3 training dives may be done per day. You have 9 immersions required, so 3 days absolute minimum just for the water portion. If you' complete the e-learning first, then possible - but e-learning is $150 out of the gate with PADI - the instructor does not get that, it goes straight to PADI

 

[horn34]

Not to mention a violation of standards. No more than 3 training dives may be done per day. You have 9 immersions required, so 3 days absolute minimum just for the water portion. If you' complete the e-learning first, then possible - but e-learning is $150 out of the gate with PADI - the instructor does not get that, it goes straight to PADI

Is that $150 price what a student pays through you? Signing up directly through PADI online is $190.

 

[yle]

And I don't get why it's so high in Cozumel. I can get an OW cert from a good dive shop in Austin for $325.

Some dive shops use the OW class as a "loss leader", essentially charging students less than what it costs to run the class and figuring the shop will make up for it with gear sales to the newly minted (and very excited) divers.

But shops in Cozumel (and other tourist oriented destinations) don't have that option. It's very rare that someone will get certified while on vacation and buy their gear then also.

 

[tursiops]

No more than 3 training dives may be done per day. You have 9 immersions required, so 3 days absolute minimum just for the water portion.

The restriction of three dives oer day is for open water dives, not confined water. And you can go from confined to open water on the same day. And the five confined-water dives can be bundled into fewer than 5 immersions. So is not correct that the confined plus open water dives MUST take 3 days.

 

[yle]

Not to mention a violation of standards. No more than 3 training dives may be done per day. You have 9 immersions required, so 3 days absolute minimum just for the water portion. If you' complete the e-learning first, then possible - but e-learning is $150 out of the gate with PADI - the instructor does not get that, it goes straight to PADI

Christi, I've always been under the impression that the confined water "dives" are not limited to three per day. That is, the CW portion of the PADI OW course is separated into five sections, but not necessarily five "dives".

I've seen the OW course handled in a busy weekend within standards. The schedule looks like this:

After students complete the online portion...

Saturday morning: review online portion, swim test, float test, Confined Water 1, 2, 3,

Saturday afternoon: OW Dives 1, 2

Sunday morning: Confined Water 4, 5

Sunday afternoon: OW Dives 3, 4

It can work... if everything goes according to plan.