Dive instruction, quality verse cost

[aviator8]

What makes you believe that there is any correlation between costs and quality?

there may not be, but I am seeking to find that. My expectation is that if I pay more I want better quality instruction. That is not necessarily the case as demonstrated in my LDS. Thats why I am here asking. where can I get the top notch instruction in my area or relatively close travel wise?

 

[aviator8]

Do a course with Jarrad Jablonski, you will be pleasntly suprised just how good instruction can be and come to the conclusion that he is worth what he charges.

Michael

He is GUE and they wont teach children under 16. Does he even instruct anymore?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Do a course with Jarrad Jablonski, you will be pleasntly suprised just how good instruction can be and come to the conclusion that he is worth what he charges.

Michael

There is correlation, but is it linear? Does one become a 2x better diver from a course that costs twice as much? GUE instruction is amazing, but I increasingly ask myself if the incremental education is worth the incremental cost. I believe it also depends on what course one is looking at. For OW, as much as I believe GUE's Rec 1 is the most comprehensive, highest quality OW course available, I have to ask myself if a more sensible route for one on a limited budget is to take the typical OW course and then continue learning and improving on one's own.

 

[michael-fisch]

And that's what I thought. The instructor was good, but not the best. The difference is the shop adding on profit, and basically gouging from what I can tell. Don't take me wrong, I paid it, I went in with eyes wide open so I didn't come here to belly ache. I did it out of convenience and to get it done since two other cert attempts did not work out for different reasons. This all kind of validates what I felt. Now I need to find really good instructors, and I prefer to go directly to independent instructors rather than pay markups to a shop like this where I don't feel like I am getting much for it.

Take a look see trip to Ginnie Springs (near High Springs FL) and ask the clerks in the store who they reccomend for OW instruction. They see them all and their students. Some of the very best OW instructors show up there regularily. Talk to the few that are reccomended and if you hit it off you won't go wrong. AFAIR they are all freelance instructors so you won't pay for the dive shop rental and all the money goes to the instructor who is doing it because he/she is good at it, enjoys it, and makes enough money with his/her instruction to pay for the other hobby of practical pistol shooting, cavediving or technical diving.

Michael

 

[Marie13]

Wow....that's expensive no matter what agency you're getting her certified through! My LDS switched to SDI at the end of last year and our OW class, including gear rental (all new 2-months old) for the checkout dives runs $250 in the peak season and $199 in the fall & winter months. Add in expenses for your personal gear (mask snorkel fins and booties), about $75 for course materials and then about $70 for the lake weekend ($20/day entry fee and $10 air fills x3) and in total you might be at $600-$700. If you want you can even add in maybe $15-$20 tip for the DM at the lake. And because it's SDI, the gear rental also includes use of a dive computer (Mares Puck or Cosmiq DeepBlu). Also included in that price is a hard card that can be printed there at the shop as soon as all the paperwork is turned in. So how an OW class gets to be $900+ is beyond me unless you're doing private instruction. I mean in comparison to the lifetime of memories you will make and the incredible experiences you'll have it's a drop in the bucket but still.....WOW.

You have to add things like location and overhead cost into the equation. My SDI OW class with DRIS 3 years ago was $450. Included all gear rental, eLearning, etc. Just had to get your personal gear and quarry entrance fees. Cost is still $450. The exact same class with PADI is $650 through the same shop.

DRIS is in the expensive Chicago area. They do not have a pool so they have to rent a lane in the big public indoor pool next town over. That is expensive.

 

[aviator8]

Really, no recommendations for great instructors besides Jarrod, or go to the Spings and ask around? I know they are out there. Id really over to hear recommendations based on peoples experiences, or directly from instructors.

 

[Marie13]

Really, no recommendations for great instructors besides Jarrod, or go to the Spings and ask around? I know they are out there. Id really over to hear recommendations based on peoples experiences, or directly from instructors.

There's aways Pete - SB owner. @The Chairman He's an independent instructor. He lives in cave country.

 

[Jcp2]

I can recommend Landon Lasseter in Fort Lauderdale. He charges for his time by day per student. If you are up for it, you could dive 4 times in that day. Boat dive fees are extra, shore dives are included. Very knowledgeable, very patient, very good teacher.

 

[aviator8]

There's aways Pete - SB owner. @The Chairman He's an independent instructor. He lives in cave country.

Thanks I will have to contact him.

 

[aviator8]

I can recommend Landon Lasseter in Fort Lauderdale. He charges for his time by day per student. If you are up for it, you could dive 4 times in that day. Boat dive fees are extra, shore dives are included. Very knowledgeable, very patient, very good teacher.

I have talked to @LandonL about diving down there and it is on my list to get down there and do a dive with him. I have told him I'd like to take a course with him and probably will in the future. He did say he isn't teaching much OW/AOW stuff these days, more tech classes. When I get prepared for that I could head there for that class. Maybe it is worthwhile having my daughter and I just do time with him not for a cert but to just work things like trim, propulsion, drills, task loading, navigation, etc.