Hmmm, seems I have to raise the prices for sidemount in open water if I follow what is written here.
But more seriously, if I'm going to ask 500 or more for a course, nobody will do it anymore because others will teach it for 250-300. I don't talk about a day price, but about the complete 'specialty course' price. Recreational divers won't look at the quality, but most times only at the price.
Most courses here are teached by instructors who never did it in caves, never went in caves, and only dive sidemount when teaching a course. Most students of that courses are the ones that only want to experience sidemount. And want another card. (buy a card printer, that is cheaper, for around 800 you have one)
And a lot of divers are selfteached here. The sidemount card is not required to do other tech courses.
From my experience with self teached, I see people who did it really well and people who did it crap, but the crap ones are most times not the ones that come to me for another course, because I am not a person where you get your cert easy.