Now, maybe I'm a little off here, but isn't this what the dive courses used to be like? This.. I'd say this is a $500 class and worth every penny.
How much would you be willing to pay?
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My OW was $25.00. Except Nitrox, the rest I got paid to take. 
Gary D.
Gary D.
PvtStash
Contributor
was a cheap option where I could just pay for the testing/checkout dives (sans instruction) and keep the cost down to like $50.
But of course that wasnt an option and I had to pony up $275 (ish) for the OW course.
I'd spent 6 mos. here on SB and read Multiple dive books prior to setting a foot into my LDS... I didnt Need a 5 week spoonfed training course (and I certainly didnt want to PAY for one!), I was ready to take my tests then an there... all I really needed was a rubber stamp on what I'd already learned so I could get the C-card.
So again, I would've liked to see a $50 checkout/testing option that puts the onus of learning on the diver, and no I dont really see a safety issue here... if I Dont know the material I wont pass/get a card , and if I Do know the material I shouldnt be forced to pay you $300 to tell it to me again.
From the standpoint of the LDS owner/instructor , would $50 be a "fair" price for you to administer the written test and do checkout dives ?
But of course that wasnt an option and I had to pony up $275 (ish) for the OW course.
I'd spent 6 mos. here on SB and read Multiple dive books prior to setting a foot into my LDS... I didnt Need a 5 week spoonfed training course (and I certainly didnt want to PAY for one!), I was ready to take my tests then an there... all I really needed was a rubber stamp on what I'd already learned so I could get the C-card.
So again, I would've liked to see a $50 checkout/testing option that puts the onus of learning on the diver, and no I dont really see a safety issue here... if I Dont know the material I wont pass/get a card , and if I Do know the material I shouldnt be forced to pay you $300 to tell it to me again.
From the standpoint of the LDS owner/instructor , would $50 be a "fair" price for you to administer the written test and do checkout dives ?
BHB ScubaTroll
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I am answering this without looking at any other post, other than your original statement...
The initial Open Water certification is designed around giving new divers the information they need to make safe dive profiles and safe dive skills. It is not intended to be a comprehensive education and is focused toward the novice diver with the intention of "teach new divers howto "NOT" kill themselves while gaining experience."
If the novice diver desires/wants additional training they take advanced courses to learn how to be a better diver/dive buddy.
Dive shops charge what the market will bare. It is free enterprise and those who cannot keep up will be cast aside...
The shop where I learned usually kept the "top-of-the-line" equipment right next to the "basic-line" equipment... when asked about equipment, they told the truth. Then, they told the truth about the "TOL" equipment. They usually sold the "TOL" equipment and made up for their "loss" incurred during instruction...
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I maintain that the initial Open Water certification no longer meets that specification, not even close. Most new divers survive not because they have the skills that are needed but because they are, by sheer chance, usually not stressed sufficiently to have to actually perform the skills that they've done once in the pool. When they are, we've all seen what happens.
YouTube - Diving Accident Broken Regulator
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I can only assume you are joking. $50?
And there would be zero market demand for this course. Regardless how much you read, bouyancy and skills can not be learned on the internet or from books. You need to practise, and there are few in the world who can climb into scuba gear and be good enough instantly even to pass the PADI tests.
I agree with those who point out that someone who knows nothing....knows nothing. Unless you are the type of person to research stuff before you do it, maybe by joining a site like this for instance, you have no idea before hand about what is even involved. Many people go on holiday and see a few dive shops or whatever, and that might be the first time they even thought about it. How do they know how to price it? I think most would just compare the available shops, maybe look at the kind of facilities, condition of the gear, number of customers etc etc, and then make their decision.
However - if you go a little further and for instance a diver wants to draw a friend, or a relative, maybe a child, into the sport, it becomes very different. I paid $450 for my course, which included all rental equipment and course materials etc. I got a very good instructor (by luck) and actually I'd be more than happy to send anyone to him. However - if I could, I'd quite happily pay more for more. More practice, more dives, more skills. If it was my daughter I was sending I'd quite happily pay double - $900 - if she was getting say 6-8 pool sessions dealing with all the normal skills, plus proper buoyancy, different kicks, donning/doffing gear etc - plus theory covering gas management and the basic Nitrox theory, navigation, as well as the usual, and say 8 open water boat dives, including the 4 checkout dives, a navigation dive, deep dive, night dive and one elective (so basically OW + AOW)
Oh.....and I'm basing the "normal" stuff on the skill set that I was taught - including things like CESA and buddy breathing.
However - if you go a little further and for instance a diver wants to draw a friend, or a relative, maybe a child, into the sport, it becomes very different. I paid $450 for my course, which included all rental equipment and course materials etc. I got a very good instructor (by luck) and actually I'd be more than happy to send anyone to him. However - if I could, I'd quite happily pay more for more. More practice, more dives, more skills. If it was my daughter I was sending I'd quite happily pay double - $900 - if she was getting say 6-8 pool sessions dealing with all the normal skills, plus proper buoyancy, different kicks, donning/doffing gear etc - plus theory covering gas management and the basic Nitrox theory, navigation, as well as the usual, and say 8 open water boat dives, including the 4 checkout dives, a navigation dive, deep dive, night dive and one elective (so basically OW + AOW)
Oh.....and I'm basing the "normal" stuff on the skill set that I was taught - including things like CESA and buddy breathing.
vladimir
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Once or twice a week I pay $30-50 on a bottle of wine I've never tasted before. If my girlfriend does the shopping, she pays $10-20. My palate is not discerning enough to detect "complexity," "notes of vanilla," or a "silky finish." I just operate on the assumption that you generally get what you pay for. She believes a penny saved is a penny earned.
There seems to be general agreement that experienced divers know enough to opt for a more expensive introductory course, either in retrospect or on behalf of friends or family. I'm not a marketing guy, but I would suggest that with proper branding, an instructor or agency could persuade the ignorant to do the same.
There seems to be general agreement that experienced divers know enough to opt for a more expensive introductory course, either in retrospect or on behalf of friends or family. I'm not a marketing guy, but I would suggest that with proper branding, an instructor or agency could persuade the ignorant to do the same.
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Noob@40
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Lets face facts.
We live in a WalMart, fast food, buy now pay later scociety.
When I took OW I wanted it now and for as little cash as possible. I wound up getting good instruction for $250ish and am very happy with the value I received. Now I may choose to stay an OW diver and continue to learn from my dive buddies and other sources or seek further instruction for more money.
That being said, I would have gladly taken Thalassamania's course for $1000 or more with a buy now pay later plan. Say one year, no money down, no interest. I, of course would also expect my complete money back if not satisfied. I know this is a little over the top but this is the kind of thing that is expected today.
We live in a WalMart, fast food, buy now pay later scociety.
When I took OW I wanted it now and for as little cash as possible. I wound up getting good instruction for $250ish and am very happy with the value I received. Now I may choose to stay an OW diver and continue to learn from my dive buddies and other sources or seek further instruction for more money.
That being said, I would have gladly taken Thalassamania's course for $1000 or more with a buy now pay later plan. Say one year, no money down, no interest. I, of course would also expect my complete money back if not satisfied. I know this is a little over the top but this is the kind of thing that is expected today.
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