NAUI OW diver, and downside to doing Nitrox thru PADI?

[tursiops]

At this point I don't give a $#!T.
I have seen enough at this point to know its all BS that I can/have learned on line but I gotta pay the fee to rent a tank with other than 21%

Very few people can do a good job analyzing their tanks for O2 content without some hands-on instruction and feedback. You don't get this on-line.

 

[MikadoWu]

We are currently NAUI Open Water Scuba certified and have been wanting to do the Nitrox class for a while but keep missing it.

1) I presume it is possible to get Nitrox certified thru PADI even though we dont have PADI OW?

2) Any down side to doing it this way, not hidden annual renewal fee or anything?

I know I am a little late on this, but hope it helps.

1. You can can lets say cross certify with as many agencies as you wish, It simply does not matter. What does matter is the Instructor. Find one you like, and use him. But do not be afraid to venture off, everyone has something different and new to teach. I know very few instructors that only learned under 1 system. That said, 75% of my PADI Rescue course was taught in my NAUI OW course. But again, that could have been the instructor.

2. Pricing is solely up to the instructor. I know instructors that charge $200 plus dives, and others at $75 and no dives. It all comes down to value.

3. Online Nitrox classes can be very valuable if done correctly. My CPR instructor teachers many in Hawaii, from Florida and does a great job. Happens to also be a HS Physics teacher.

4. LDS's are great, but never ignore Independents. Like LDS's, some are ok, and others outstanding. My independent Tech instructor is a Nero Surgeon, and flipping awesome. Loads of Dive articles in DAN and other Magazines. Really does a great job with advance Nitrox and extended range, rebreather will be next up with him.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

Class done.
Nitrox cert.
Then I find an extra hidden fee.
ecard.
You get a plastic card and an eCard good for 30 days and $36 to "upgrade" to a permanent one.
F... PADI
Screen shot works wonders.
Yeah!
PADI the publishing company

 

[yle]

Maybe some hidden online training fee not mentioned.

Definitely... $50 for an "instructor fee" sounds like they are spending minimal time with you. And $25 for "book and certification" is misleading. The PADI cert fee alone is $25. So there is no book.

Which means it sounds like the shop will tell you to do the PADI online as a substitute for classroom time and buying a book. The online access, through PADIs website, is probably $100 to $150 (just a rough estimate... I haven't looked lately because I've always taught my PADI courses in the traditional mode, i.e. textbook and classroom.)

 

[yle]

Class done.
Nitrox cert.
Then I find an extra hidden fee.
ecard.
You get a plastic card and an eCard good for 30 days and $36 to "upgrade" to a permanent one.
F... PADI
Screen shot works wonders.
Yeah!
PADI the publishing company

eCard isn't required, so it's not really a hidden fee. For some people it's a desirable option... so they charge for it. They could give the eCard free (like some agencies do), but that's not PADI's business model.

Many people take a nice picture of their PADI plastic cards and keep the pic in their phones, just as you suggest. Make your own eCard... and the majority dive ops are perfectly fine with that.

 

[Alekseolsen]

eCard isn't required, so it's not really a hidden fee. For some people it's a desirable option... so they charge for it. They could give the eCard free (like some agencies do), but that's not PADI's business model.

Many people take a nice picture of their PADI plastic cards and keep the pic in their phones, just as you suggest. Make your own eCard... and the majority dive ops are perfectly fine with that.

Funny how SSI was different, eCard for free, fee if I wanted plastic..

 

[Bob DBF]

You get a plastic card and an eCard good for 30 days and $36 to "upgrade" to a permanent one.

As was said before, you don't need an eCard, it's an upsell. The big question is how was the instructor? Finding a good instructor is what you should keep an eye out for, regardless of other annoyances.


Bob

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

As was said before, you don't need an eCard, it's an upsell. The big question is how was the instructor? Finding a good instructor is what you should keep an eye out for, regardless of other annoyances.


Bob

Honestly, the only thing I expected to learn beyond what I already learned from reading and watching YouTube was using the analyzer. That is exactly what I learned.

There is a reason why I avoided this place for my OW cert and chose the other shop.

But for Nitrox it was more about checking a box and getting the cert. I had already learned all the theory by myself.

I would have felt better about giving my $ to the other LDS but after 5 months of classes either not available or not fitting our schedule it was better just to "git 'er done"
I don't see myself doing anything else until I have 100 dives. Then the target would be Solo Diver through SDI which means I would have to use an out of town dive store

 

[tursiops]

I had already learned all the theory by myself

Dunning-Kruger. Passing the minimal "exam" for recreational Nitrox is certainly not ALL the theory.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

Passing the minimal "exam" for recreational Nitrox is certainly not ALL the theory.

Correct.
Its not even close.