Out of curiosity, what’s driving the urgency?
NM…I read your post more thoroughly. Sounds like it’s simply the narrow time window you’ll be in Florida with access to tech instruction.
Do you reed urgency? I don't. This diver already has a cmas 3* cert, this means 60m on air. He now wants to do it a little bit more according to modern standards. But I don't read rushing.
I did all my techcourses in 6 months (or 6.5), this was from advanced rec. trimix to full cave to full trimix. Oh and it was just 18 months after my open water when I finished my full cave course (dive 390) and just 24 months after my open water when I finished my full trimix and did my first 100m dive (103m, dive 521).
So I am a little bit allergic to people who think that others are rushing, do things too fast, etc because you don't know details. If I just mention 18 months after open water full cave, you would say impossible. If I say I have 374 dives and start my full cave course, nobody is complaining. Same with full trimix, just 2 years diving means too fast, over 500 dives means this is ok.
Also a lot of divecenters and instructors don't know that the cmas 3* is a divemaster cert, but also a 60m on air cert. This diver can go directly to an IDC from padi, ssi, iantd, tdi, or whatever. But can also do deep air diving.
Even now I am instructor, I understand some reactions about the negative 'zero-to-hero' or rushing or going to fast, but I also know that not everything is 'zero-to-hero' if you don't know details. I ask students about the amount of dives, about the difference in dives, about the divetime under water, etc. And I also try to make a 'let us know each other dive', to know if something is realistic in the wishes of a student.
And not every diver is the same. Even if standards of minimum dives are met, some are not ready to move on, others are.
And also the question about the cheapest way is for some people a negative aspect. I understand that and don't understand that, I did the same when I wanted to do technical diving. I just made a calculation about the least needed certs/courses and the fastest way to reach it. I only did not choose for every course the cheapest instructor. Is that wrong? No, it is just possible according to standards. I had and have the opinion never to do courses that don't bring me further or deeper. So I did and I still understand when divers have the same opinion.
But I have also seen that some divers better can slow down or do something extra. I only do not want to make this as standard. So where a students asks for a allowed shortcut because they have done their homework and know what is really required, and he is able to do it the way he thinks he can do, and it is not against standards, why not do it? If the student is not able to do it, then advice what will be the best way. But don't advice things that are not needed please without knowing the diver. I see this too much. An example is requiring a sidemount cert for technical courses. This is not required. So let the diver show his skills, and then decide if the sidemount course is really required. Same with a drysuit cert when diving in a drysuit, this is not true. And the cavern course can also be skipped in a lot of cases. The ccr normoxic can be skipped if you are already oc full trimix diver and there is a technical cave crossover from oc to ccr and no complete course required.
Are you a cert seller or a trainer and instructor? You don't need to work for free, you can ask a good price for a course, but being a good instructor is also being a person to look at the student and then decide what is best. Prejudices are not bad, but don't let them guide you. And if you act right, there is a chance that you sell a course that is not required, but just because the diver trust you in your way of teaching things.
