Just finished AOW. Took me a while. It was garbage.

[telemonster]

Yea sorry I've been away from the thread for a bit. Perhaps I should put more of the blame with the particular shop. I don't mind paying for the instructors time. They didn't say that the card was another $40 on top of the original $250. The original $250 didn't really buy anything, I think that is my rub.

A friend recommended the book "Mastering Rebreathers" a while ago. For a $50 book or whatever, it's a true tome of knowledge. It's something you can pull off the shelf and find answers in. Yes, it's a technical book, but there is lots of value in it. I didn't see that much value from the AOW at the price point.

I know the point is to bring customers to the shop and make money for the shop. I'm sure it's a hard business. We've got a few local shops, but most of the ones close to me seem to have their flaws. I'm going to seek out the ones I've never been to and see how they are. I mean I like people at all of them but I've just had a good number of issues.

 

[outlawaggie]

If you choose to take additional training, of course you have to pay for it. It's called capitalism. Instructors have to eat, dive shop owners have to eat, and PADI has to eat--metaphorically speaking, of course.

I always have to laugh at the fact that a lot of the same people that will bash PADI are the same ones that defend the LDS (even the ones that charge 100% over online) and bash anyone that even suggests using an online retailer.