Good price for OW certification?

[DannyBoy8]

I was given a rate of $146 for online PADI course and $300 for training, use of equipment, etc....(does not include buying my own equipment)

total about $450

Is that a good rate?

A diver friend also told me that PADI also stands for "Put Another Dollar In"...Lol

at $146, are online PADI courses a requirement to get certified???

 

[diver 85]

Danny, 1st I have no idea about the monies etc, but do have a question........the 'PADI course'(that you speak of for $146), is that how everyone does it today???-----ie online???.....Keep in mind it's been since the very early 90's when our last 'kid' got certified & I haven't been involved(with these classes) since...........TIA.....

EDIT:...But, I do remember the cost in 1985 for the whole class was $125 each(that might have been a little bit of a break because it was for 3 of us--wife, daughter, & myself........but.....it was 'private' lessons ALL done @ our house ie pool & theory(book) parts...Even took our written 'final' @ the house).......

 

[oly5050user]

I was given a rate of $146 for online PADI course and $300 for training, use of equipment, etc....(does not include buying my own equipment)

total about $450

Is that a good rate?

A diver friend also told me that PADI also stands for "Put Another Dollar In"...Lol

at $146, are online PADI courses a requirement to get certified???

online is not a requirement. You can purchase a crew package consisting of text book,log book,rdp dive planner and a DVD..really do not require to own DVD, but must view it. We have students purchase DVD as it is impracticable for us to loan or rent it. People fail to return it due to carelessness or just being lazy, so we only sell them. Online saves about 5 hours of classroom presentations. Cost difference is minimal , about $30 more for elearning. You are paying for the convince and time savings with elearning.
Does the $300 include the ow trading dives and gear rentals? If it does that price is dirt cheap for my area of NY. Around here start to finish a course can be $500 for academics,pool and ow dives. Includes rental gear for ow training. Does not include required personal gear of mask,snkl,fins,boots. Add it other odds n ends,quarry entry fees, and you can get to $800-$1,000 real easy. PADI is not put a dollar in, want to learn to dive and go diving? Like anything else you need to make the commitment in time and money.Nothing in this world is free. Does not matter what agency you go with or activity you go for..Want to be the diver that may make 1-4 dives a year, or every few years, just take a discover scuba course every time,it's cheaper and safer for this kind of person, why bother to get certified..you get dive with and be led by a pro very time you dive. Dive that little and you never really get competent enough to plan and execute a dive with your buddy on your own. You get certified and dive that little you would be the one everyone comments about as the "insta buddy" on the boat that no one should be made to dive with unless they are being paid as a pro.

 

[ManuLani]

Locally here in Las Vegas classes range from $300 to well over $600 for OW (not incl. personal gear(mask, fins, booties, snorkel, misc. clips))
Here the price you are charged has nothing to do with the quality of the training, its based on shop overhead and profit margin. Do not get to hung up on the cost, within reason, and get some local feedback and reviews from people that have recently taken the course. IMO.

Personally I think the online option is fine if you have time constraints, but the in shop option is better because you have more instructor interaction, can ask questions/get explanations right there and bonding with your fellow dive students.

 

[iluvtheocean]

bottom line -- prices vary but you need to check out the shop and check out the instructor -- see the stickies for more info about what to ask.

 

[DannyBoy8]

online is not a requirement. You can purchase a crew package consisting of text book,log book,rdp dive planner and a DVD..really do not require to own DVD, but must view it. We have students purchase DVD as it is impracticable for us to loan or rent it. People fail to return it due to carelessness or just being lazy, so we only sell them. Online saves about 5 hours of classroom presentations. Cost difference is minimal , about $30 more for elearning. You are paying for the convince and time savings with elearning.
Does the $300 include the ow trading dives and gear rentals? If it does that price is dirt cheap for my area of NY. Around here start to finish a course can be $500 for academics,pool and ow dives. Includes rental gear for ow training. Does not include required personal gear of mask,snkl,fins,boots. Add it other odds n ends,quarry entry fees, and you can get to $800-$1,000 real easy. PADI is not put a dollar in, want to learn to dive and go diving? Like anything else you need to make the commitment in time and money.Nothing in this world is free. Does not matter what agency you go with or activity you go for..Want to be the diver that may make 1-4 dives a year, or every few years, just take a discover scuba course every time,it's cheaper and safer for this kind of person, why bother to get certified..you get dive with and be led by a pro very time you dive. Dive that little and you never really get competent enough to plan and execute a dive with your buddy on your own. You get certified and dive that little you would be the one everyone comments about as the "insta buddy" on the boat that no one should be made to dive with unless they are being paid as a pro.

Thank you for your feedback and I appreciate it!

Yes, the $300 is with the ow training dive

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2014 at 11:02 AM ----------

Want to be the diver that may make 1-4 dives a year, or every few years, just take a discover scuba course every time,it's cheaper and safer for this kind of person, why bother to get certified..you get dive with and be led by a pro very time you dive. Dive that little and you never really get competent enough to plan and execute a dive with your buddy on your own. You get certified and dive that little you would be the one everyone comments about as the "insta buddy" on the boat that no one should be made to dive with unless they are being paid as a pro.

Based on what you said here and with you being an instructor. Do you think it is worth it to get OW certified if I plan on diving only 4-5 times a year or whenever I am on vacation???

 

[Colliam7]

I was given a rate of $146 for online PADI course and $300 for training, use of equipment, etc....(does not include buying my own equipment) total about $450 . . . Is that a good rate?

It depends. Generally, as OW courses go, it is a fair price. Your profile doesn't say WHERE in the US you are, and prices do vary a bit. But it is not a 'bad' price. Ultimately, a 'good rate' depends on the quality of the course you get, and that may have as much, or more, to do with the shop / instructor, as the certifying agency.

A diver friend also told me that PADI also stands for "Put Another Dollar In"...Lol

Hmm. Your friend is so clever, I wonder if he thought that up all by himself. Comments like that are irrelevant to what you need to know.

at $146, are online PADI courses a requirement to get certified???

Absolutely not. You can complete the academics through eLearning (and the materials are pretty well done), or you can complete the academics through a 'traditional' course, with actual classroom instruction, etc. PADI, and some other agencies, offer both options to provide student divers with the flexibility to choose. I personally prefer to teach 'traditional' classes, because of the additional opportunities for student interaction. But the eLearning students I have worked with come to me very well prepared.

 

[oly5050user]

Thank you for your feedback and I appreciate it!

Yes, the $300 is with the ow training dive

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2014 at 11:02 AM ----------




Based on what you said here and with you being an instructor. Do you think it is worth it to get OW certified if I plan on diving only 4-5 times a year or whenever I am on vacation???

if you are only going to do something like 4 dives in a year , even then not every year, why bother? going on 4 dive vacations a year, making a minimum of anywhere from 6 to 30 dives per vacation, definitely get certified

 

[driftwood]

Here's a thought, check with the shops in your area and take the discover scuba class before you go on vacation. That will put you a bit ahead while on vacation and saving vacation time is priceless.

One thing I would highly recommend is getting a good mask that fits you. Easy to pack and eliminates some of the most common complaints new divers have.

 

[TSandM]

I think that's about what a class will run you in the Seattle area. Places will advertise lower prices, but you have to check the fine print, because the lower the price, the more extras you have to pay for, and the bottom line stays close to the same.

You don't HAVE to do the online class work, unless the shop through which you are certifying has gone entirely to doing that. It is an efficient way to do the book stuff, because you can do it at home on your own schedule. In addition, you get immediate feedback on whether your answers are right or not. That way, you only spend class time with the instructor going over the things you had trouble understanding. I think that's better than my class was, where I spent hours listening to lecture and going over knowledge reviews of stuff I already had down cold.

My final comment would be to read the sticky at the top of the New Diver's subforum, entitled, "How to choose a Scuba Instructor". Price really ought to be way down the list in terms of criteria for choosing.