PfcAJ
Contributor
4 years diving, all the certs, and a DIR expert. We get it....you're the boss.
Standardized Prices?
- Thread starter alewar
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You take GUE courses to do GUE course it's as simple as that.
Some people stop at Fundies, others go further because they want that style and level of training; and it comes with a price.
Are the courses expensive past Fundies, f**k yeah. No doubt about it. I had to cancel Cave1 this year due to unforeseen circumstances and I couldn't justify spending the $3,000 on it when I needed to pay food and rent! However that's how much it costs so I'll start from scratch and try to get the money together again.
Can I do cheaper Cave courses? Yes
Do I want to? No
I made a choice that for learning Cave, it should come from GUE.
That's all it boils down to. You can, cut some costs out of the course easily. I'm sure if you were a resident of Mexico C1 at Zero Gravity would work out cheaper than flying there and doing the course. Or flying your instructor somewhere exotic to the course, bit daft to be honest. I don't want to look at pretty stuff during the course, I want it afterwards and not while I'm paying for my instructor's gas! But actual tuition costs vary little at the higher level GUE courses.
Some people stop at Fundies, others go further because they want that style and level of training; and it comes with a price.
Are the courses expensive past Fundies, f**k yeah. No doubt about it. I had to cancel Cave1 this year due to unforeseen circumstances and I couldn't justify spending the $3,000 on it when I needed to pay food and rent! However that's how much it costs so I'll start from scratch and try to get the money together again.
Can I do cheaper Cave courses? Yes
Do I want to? No
I made a choice that for learning Cave, it should come from GUE.
That's all it boils down to. You can, cut some costs out of the course easily. I'm sure if you were a resident of Mexico C1 at Zero Gravity would work out cheaper than flying there and doing the course. Or flying your instructor somewhere exotic to the course, bit daft to be honest. I don't want to look at pretty stuff during the course, I want it afterwards and not while I'm paying for my instructor's gas! But actual tuition costs vary little at the higher level GUE courses.
Also, GUE Tec2 will get you a 90m ticket after 25 dives at the T2 level (T2+) which IMO is way better than a zero to hero deco procedures to full trimix jump...GUE understands that confidence and competence comes from experience, training and equipment and that's why I keep choosing GUE to provide my advanced diving education....it just makes sense to me.
gusser17
Registered
Interesting discussion with mostly constructive opinions being shared.
I think it highlights the fact that there needs to be different training agencies for different goals. Want to spend as little money as possible, get a basic ticket and go out and dive? Great there's an agency for that. You can take that ticket and learn as you go through self reflection, research, mentorship etc. Or you can dive a couple times a year on vacation and never think about diving any other time. There's nothing wrong with that approach and fundies would likely seem like a poor return on investment for those people. Similarly if you want to focus your money on paying for courses that will get you deeper or get you new gases fundies and gue may or may not be the best route for you as that's not really what the training organization is about.
I've been doing mostly vacation diving a few times a year for the past 8 years. After a bad experience on a trust me dive in Cozumel watching a newb with 6 dives dive past 100ft following a DM, incur a deco obligation and then cork from 20 feet blowing both her deco stop and safety stop and no one else on the boat expressing any particular concern about it, I decided I wanted to look for a different approach. The team approach and emphasis on planning and preparation in GUE appealed to me. I recognize that GUE does not hold a monopoly on these principles but it is certainly emphasized. I'm also the kind of guy that wants to be really really good at the things I care about. I felt like developing the skills to pass fundamentals would be a fun challenge and also allow me to be more relaxed, stay down longer and have more fun in the water. I have no particular aspirations for tech or cave diving, I just wanted to be a better diver.
I took fundamentals with Bob Sherwood in June this year. My course was everything I had hoped it would be. Due to an illness, the 2 other people registered for the course had to pull out at the last minute, Bob brought in some other divers to act as teammates for my course. I recognize this unique privilege, but I paid 700$ for between 40-50 hours of essentially one on one training and instruction from an absolute master. My lawyer charges me 350$/ hr, my accountant charges me 200$/hr, my golf pro charges me 80$/hr and here I am paying a truly incredible diver and educator about the same as I pay the 13 y/o babysitter who watches tv while my kids sleep. I honestly felt guilty for how little I had paid. Considering how little I learned in my 350$ AOW, 700$ seems a pittance. I passed the course on about my 50th career dive and finished with exactly the kind of control and comfort in the water and a more in depth understanding of planning and preparation that I was looking for.
Those who have much more experience then I will argue that I could have gotten those skills with practice and mentorship but for me time,access and the absence of a mentor are my major limiting factors. I probably can't get 30 dives in in a year so I really think it would have taken me years to get what I gained in 4 days in fundies. Ill add to the previous analogies with my own golf analogy. Part of the fun of golf for me is constantly trying to be better. In 10 years I've gone from a 25 handicap to a 10. But I spent countless hours on the range hitting the same bad shots over and over. Sure I have fun even when I suck, but I have more fun when I'm improving and playing well. If someone told me I could shave 10 strokes off my game for 700$ with some intensive instruction and hard work in 4 days it would be a no brainer.
Clearly the course isn't for everyone, there are those who have developed comparable skills through other training agencies or with years of practice. There are those who also just can't afford to invest in a course that doesn't get them any deeper or breathing new gases as they have particular tech goals in mind. In fact there are those who can't afford to invest any more in training. All fair arguments. But for those who will enjoy diving more with efficiency and control in the water and by being a better prepared individual and teammate, in my experience there is no question of value.
jesse
I think it highlights the fact that there needs to be different training agencies for different goals. Want to spend as little money as possible, get a basic ticket and go out and dive? Great there's an agency for that. You can take that ticket and learn as you go through self reflection, research, mentorship etc. Or you can dive a couple times a year on vacation and never think about diving any other time. There's nothing wrong with that approach and fundies would likely seem like a poor return on investment for those people. Similarly if you want to focus your money on paying for courses that will get you deeper or get you new gases fundies and gue may or may not be the best route for you as that's not really what the training organization is about.
I've been doing mostly vacation diving a few times a year for the past 8 years. After a bad experience on a trust me dive in Cozumel watching a newb with 6 dives dive past 100ft following a DM, incur a deco obligation and then cork from 20 feet blowing both her deco stop and safety stop and no one else on the boat expressing any particular concern about it, I decided I wanted to look for a different approach. The team approach and emphasis on planning and preparation in GUE appealed to me. I recognize that GUE does not hold a monopoly on these principles but it is certainly emphasized. I'm also the kind of guy that wants to be really really good at the things I care about. I felt like developing the skills to pass fundamentals would be a fun challenge and also allow me to be more relaxed, stay down longer and have more fun in the water. I have no particular aspirations for tech or cave diving, I just wanted to be a better diver.
I took fundamentals with Bob Sherwood in June this year. My course was everything I had hoped it would be. Due to an illness, the 2 other people registered for the course had to pull out at the last minute, Bob brought in some other divers to act as teammates for my course. I recognize this unique privilege, but I paid 700$ for between 40-50 hours of essentially one on one training and instruction from an absolute master. My lawyer charges me 350$/ hr, my accountant charges me 200$/hr, my golf pro charges me 80$/hr and here I am paying a truly incredible diver and educator about the same as I pay the 13 y/o babysitter who watches tv while my kids sleep. I honestly felt guilty for how little I had paid. Considering how little I learned in my 350$ AOW, 700$ seems a pittance. I passed the course on about my 50th career dive and finished with exactly the kind of control and comfort in the water and a more in depth understanding of planning and preparation that I was looking for.
Those who have much more experience then I will argue that I could have gotten those skills with practice and mentorship but for me time,access and the absence of a mentor are my major limiting factors. I probably can't get 30 dives in in a year so I really think it would have taken me years to get what I gained in 4 days in fundies. Ill add to the previous analogies with my own golf analogy. Part of the fun of golf for me is constantly trying to be better. In 10 years I've gone from a 25 handicap to a 10. But I spent countless hours on the range hitting the same bad shots over and over. Sure I have fun even when I suck, but I have more fun when I'm improving and playing well. If someone told me I could shave 10 strokes off my game for 700$ with some intensive instruction and hard work in 4 days it would be a no brainer.
Clearly the course isn't for everyone, there are those who have developed comparable skills through other training agencies or with years of practice. There are those who also just can't afford to invest in a course that doesn't get them any deeper or breathing new gases as they have particular tech goals in mind. In fact there are those who can't afford to invest any more in training. All fair arguments. But for those who will enjoy diving more with efficiency and control in the water and by being a better prepared individual and teammate, in my experience there is no question of value.
jesse
Taliena, there are a lot of people who figured they didn't need Fundies, because they were full trimix from another agency, or even technical instructors through another agency. I wish I could put my finger on a relatively recent report from a full trimix diver who took Fundies and wrote a very thoughtful report about how much he felt he learned from taking the class. I know my friend ucfdiver did Fundies as a Full Cave diver from another agency, and felt it was well worth his while. Until you have done the class, seen the standard to which the students are held, and experienced the team approach, you really don't know if you would ace the class or if you would learn anything from it.
No, it doesn't give you any "permissions" that you don't already hold. Doing Cave 1 when I already had Cavern and Intro didn't get me any permission I didn't already hold, but it was absolutely and totally worth doing, and worth what I spent on it. The difference in the intensity of the training and the demands made on us as students were huge. But I will admit that when I took C1, it was $1400, and worth every single penny of it. It's $1000 more now, and I know folks for whom that is a month's rent, or two car payments. It's a lot of money, and the start of this thread had to do with the high cost of the classes. AJ and I both wish it were not so steep, but at the same time, if the instructors are teaching every bit as much as they want to, more power to them.
No, it doesn't give you any "permissions" that you don't already hold. Doing Cave 1 when I already had Cavern and Intro didn't get me any permission I didn't already hold, but it was absolutely and totally worth doing, and worth what I spent on it. The difference in the intensity of the training and the demands made on us as students were huge. But I will admit that when I took C1, it was $1400, and worth every single penny of it. It's $1000 more now, and I know folks for whom that is a month's rent, or two car payments. It's a lot of money, and the start of this thread had to do with the high cost of the classes. AJ and I both wish it were not so steep, but at the same time, if the instructors are teaching every bit as much as they want to, more power to them.
lv2dive
Formerly known as KatePNAtl
There is no doubt that the instructor plays a large role, regardless of agency. I totally agree if the instructor/student fit is not good, one is going learn less than if the fit IS good. I personally have had both ends of that spectrum with GUE but have to acknowledge that even in the class where the fit wasn't good, I still learned enough to want to stick with GUE... which was quite a frustrating experience, at the time, rest assured!
I only had a couple hundred dives when I started diving with GUE - I consider that pretty inexperienced - and fundies really helped shape my future diving. To this day, the most "bang for the buck" class I've ever taken was my GUE drysuit class. I did take non-GUE "advanced" classes after Fundies - so some of my later GUE certs paralleled certs I had already obtained with other agencies. I had my reasons, and to be clear, I learned something from all the classes I took. But what it really comes down to, is I am at a place with my diving that I want to be sure I have "stacked the deck in my favor" as much possible.
I do find it interesting that experienced cave and tech INSTRUCTORS are humans like the most of us, and sometimes don't get a tech pass out of the gate, but other people have so much confidence in their skills. I certainly agree that a lot of the concepts behind DIR can be taught informally / mentored. Two of those concepts, which are easily explained outside of a classroom, are standardized gases and the idea of a holistic system. I "got" them both easily, even if it took me a while to come around on Nitrox and Helium below 100'. But hey, JMHO and all, but if it's not standardized gases it's not the holistic approach and it's not DIR...
Not every one of my dives is "DIR" - and it does not have to be. Mostly I just want to dive with people who have their stuff together, are respectful of their environment, and are paying attention to their teammate/s. Who will stay calm in the face of SHTF. GUE training gives me a baseline for people I do not know - and for people with whom I dive with regularly, we have a lot of that covered
I only had a couple hundred dives when I started diving with GUE - I consider that pretty inexperienced - and fundies really helped shape my future diving. To this day, the most "bang for the buck" class I've ever taken was my GUE drysuit class. I did take non-GUE "advanced" classes after Fundies - so some of my later GUE certs paralleled certs I had already obtained with other agencies. I had my reasons, and to be clear, I learned something from all the classes I took. But what it really comes down to, is I am at a place with my diving that I want to be sure I have "stacked the deck in my favor" as much possible.
I do find it interesting that experienced cave and tech INSTRUCTORS are humans like the most of us, and sometimes don't get a tech pass out of the gate, but other people have so much confidence in their skills. I certainly agree that a lot of the concepts behind DIR can be taught informally / mentored. Two of those concepts, which are easily explained outside of a classroom, are standardized gases and the idea of a holistic system. I "got" them both easily, even if it took me a while to come around on Nitrox and Helium below 100'. But hey, JMHO and all, but if it's not standardized gases it's not the holistic approach and it's not DIR...
Not every one of my dives is "DIR" - and it does not have to be. Mostly I just want to dive with people who have their stuff together, are respectful of their environment, and are paying attention to their teammate/s. Who will stay calm in the face of SHTF. GUE training gives me a baseline for people I do not know - and for people with whom I dive with regularly, we have a lot of that covered
Cyprian
Contributor
OK, I must admit that I'm happy to see the maturity displayed in this thread by all posters. When I originally posted and stated that I typically do not join in on these threads, there was a reason...historically this is this type of thread that just turns into a battle, with no yield from either side. I stand corrected.
So why am I back? I want to let folks know that there is one instructor that charges $2500 for an all-inclusive C1 class. Unless he has changed his pricing, you get the class, all entry fees to dive sites, all tank rental and dive gas, lodging at the Extreme Exposure house, as well as the use of the "Twinkie"...the yellow Ford van that appears in many photos. Yes, the entire package for $2,500.00. That is not a bad price at all. The instructor? Doug Mudry.
And Taliena, I will echo TS&M's comments (which I often find myself doing), in that you might be surprised by Fundies. I know a full cave, full Trimix diver that recently took Fundies and was extremely impressed. This person did not get a tech pass on the first outing. Stating that you are an automatic tech pass is a dangerous assumption. Many have went into a Fundies class with the same assumption. But I digress.
Finally, I would like quickly revisit something I posted early and touch on the same point that Gusser17 made: compare a Fundies class at an hourly rate. I paid $650 for the class itself and went to Florida. So, yes I had travel, room and diving gas expense to factor in. However, the $650 is what the instructor was paid. And what did I get in return. Easily 50-60 hrs. $10-13 per hr to the instructor. Yes, there were 3 of us...so he was making $30-39 per hr. For excellent instruction....I don't consider that I bad price at all.
So why am I back? I want to let folks know that there is one instructor that charges $2500 for an all-inclusive C1 class. Unless he has changed his pricing, you get the class, all entry fees to dive sites, all tank rental and dive gas, lodging at the Extreme Exposure house, as well as the use of the "Twinkie"...the yellow Ford van that appears in many photos. Yes, the entire package for $2,500.00. That is not a bad price at all. The instructor? Doug Mudry.
And Taliena, I will echo TS&M's comments (which I often find myself doing), in that you might be surprised by Fundies. I know a full cave, full Trimix diver that recently took Fundies and was extremely impressed. This person did not get a tech pass on the first outing. Stating that you are an automatic tech pass is a dangerous assumption. Many have went into a Fundies class with the same assumption. But I digress.
Finally, I would like quickly revisit something I posted early and touch on the same point that Gusser17 made: compare a Fundies class at an hourly rate. I paid $650 for the class itself and went to Florida. So, yes I had travel, room and diving gas expense to factor in. However, the $650 is what the instructor was paid. And what did I get in return. Easily 50-60 hrs. $10-13 per hr to the instructor. Yes, there were 3 of us...so he was making $30-39 per hr. For excellent instruction....I don't consider that I bad price at all.
The hourly break down is definitely a great point. As far as Fundies go my wife and I have less than a month to go and our instructor has already been devoting time to questions and getting everything set up. Not to mention that our diving (safety particularly) has already improved as we are applying what we learn in the reading and studying we are doing prior to the start of class. So while everyone is definitely going to see the cost in a different light, if you look at "getting what you pay for" or the hourly break down of the instructor fee's and the level of attention you receive in my opinion its not cheap but something worth even putting off the class for awhile and saving towards it. It took me two years to finally pull the trigger (thanks to a bunch of OT at work 
) and get the finances in line but I really feel its going to be well worth it and help us achieve our diving bucket list.....
) and get the finances in line but I really feel its going to be well worth it and help us achieve our diving bucket list.....OK, I must admit that I'm happy to see the maturity displayed in this thread by all posters. When I originally posted and stated that I typically do not join in on these threads, there was a reason...historically this is this type of thread that just turns into a battle, with no yield from either side. I stand corrected.
So why am I back? I want to let folks know that there is one instructor that charges $2500 for an all-inclusive C1 class. Unless he has changed his pricing, you get the class, all entry fees to dive sites, all tank rental and dive gas, lodging at the Extreme Exposure house, as well as the use of the "Twinkie"...the yellow Ford van that appears in many photos. Yes, the entire package for $2,500.00. That is not a bad price at all. The instructor? Doug Mudry.
And Taliena, I will echo TS&M's comments (which I often find myself doing), in that you might be surprised by Fundies. I know a full cave, full Trimix diver that recently took Fundies and was extremely impressed. This person did not get a tech pass on the first outing. Stating that you are an automatic tech pass is a dangerous assumption. Many have went into a Fundies class with the same assumption. But I digress.
Finally, I would like quickly revisit something I posted early and touch on the same point that Gusser17 made: compare a Fundies class at an hourly rate. I paid $650 for the class itself and went to Florida. So, yes I had travel, room and diving gas expense to factor in. However, the $650 is what the instructor was paid. And what did I get in return. Easily 50-60 hrs. $10-13 per hr to the instructor. Yes, there were 3 of us...so he was making $30-39 per hr. For excellent instruction....I don't consider that I bad price at all.
DaleC
Contributor
Good posts.
I'm not trying to be the downer but the last couple sort of focused my feelings.
What are peoples goals in diving, and what do you need to do in order to achieve them.
For most they have to do with diving, not learning how to dive. People want enough skill to get in the water and experience whatever that something is.
Unless the regime really speaks to you as a whole, or you plan to travel further into the risk pit, taking fundies, just for the skills, for the OW setting, represents a larger commitment of resources than many feel they need.
Cyprian mentioned 50-60 hours of instruction, and that's post OW. Forget cost for a moment. To put it in perspective, that's a week and a half worth of work days (8hr's/day x 7.5 days). How many people want to take that much time off work, or spend their holiday, learning something that will put them in the same position as those who don't. They'll wind up at the same vacation spot, diving with the same fellow tourists, being led by the same DM. How many want to forgo those holidays to save the money needed for that same course. How do you sell them on the idea that it is something they need.
If it's done by decrying how poor those mainstream divers training and skills are.. is it surprising that it creates a polarizing F-You backlash.
The truth is they don't need to take a tech gateway course from a whole different agency that promotes an entirely different approach to diving. They just need better initial training at the start, and to spend enough time doing basic diving to perfect those skills.
And would you believe, when I suggest that idea (spending time doing simple local dives to solidify skills and gain comfort in the water) many local divers I talk to think that is too much of a commitment. They only want to join me for a tune up dive to shake off the rust and go away on vacation to dive.
I'm not trying to be the downer but the last couple sort of focused my feelings.
What are peoples goals in diving, and what do you need to do in order to achieve them.
For most they have to do with diving, not learning how to dive. People want enough skill to get in the water and experience whatever that something is.
Unless the regime really speaks to you as a whole, or you plan to travel further into the risk pit, taking fundies, just for the skills, for the OW setting, represents a larger commitment of resources than many feel they need.
Cyprian mentioned 50-60 hours of instruction, and that's post OW. Forget cost for a moment. To put it in perspective, that's a week and a half worth of work days (8hr's/day x 7.5 days). How many people want to take that much time off work, or spend their holiday, learning something that will put them in the same position as those who don't. They'll wind up at the same vacation spot, diving with the same fellow tourists, being led by the same DM. How many want to forgo those holidays to save the money needed for that same course. How do you sell them on the idea that it is something they need.
If it's done by decrying how poor those mainstream divers training and skills are.. is it surprising that it creates a polarizing F-You backlash.
The truth is they don't need to take a tech gateway course from a whole different agency that promotes an entirely different approach to diving. They just need better initial training at the start, and to spend enough time doing basic diving to perfect those skills.
And would you believe, when I suggest that idea (spending time doing simple local dives to solidify skills and gain comfort in the water) many local divers I talk to think that is too much of a commitment. They only want to join me for a tune up dive to shake off the rust and go away on vacation to dive.
There are reasons to take Fundamentals other than just wanting to take advanced Tec training: it's for people that want to
actually improve their diving.
Talk to pretty much anyone who has taken the course and they all say it was a course they
got a lot out of (in terms of actual skills). I have heard one person say that the reason they took Fundies was because
they saw how someone else who took it improved..that speaks volumes IMO.
PADI offers specialties like Peak Performance Buoyancy, Nitrox Diver and even an SMB specialty. These specialty courses
are for those divers that want to improve their diving, achieve some new skills and be more comfortable in the water. This is what I am suggesting Fundamentals is for if you aren't interested in Tec diving.
Here is a cost comparison (course only, not travel and logistics,prices off of LDS websites):
Peak Perfoamancy Buoyancy: $229
Nitrox Diver: $229
PADI SMB Specialty: $125
Total: $583
Plus you get gas planning, team diving concepts, equipment configuration and world class instruction. All for ~$650.
Seems like a good deal to me - a no brainer if you haven't already taken a nitrox course and there is an instructor
nearby. Not to mention here that if you choose to go down the Tec path in the future you are already to go - just have to
upgrade to a Tec pass. I have seen numerous people take different paths trying to take shortcuts and in the end paying
more money/time than if they just stayed on the same path.
As for the cost of gear, if you need gear for a Fundies course...you can rent it (although I don't recommend it because
you need to be familiar and comfortable with your gear to facilitate better learning). Whenever I operating as a cameraperson in the course I see the people that succeed the most are those that are comfortable and can stay still in the water (although almost everyone raises their diving ability by the end of the course).
Now the advanced level courses are expensive and seem to keep going up. C1 in Mexico is now $2650. When I took Tec1 it
was around $1200 now it's $2-2.5k - that sure isn't just CPI inflation at play.
But let's compare to a similar TDI path (prices from a LDS website):
Nitrox Diver: $300 (1 day)
Advanced Nitrox/deco procedures $1200 (4 days)
Extended Range/Trimix Diver $1500 (5 days)
Advanced Trimix $900 (3 days)
Total: $3900 and 13 days at about $300 a day
To go down the GUE path and achieve approximately the same ticket (T2+) you would pay
Fundamentals: $650 (4 days)
Tec1: $2000 (6 days)
Tec2: $2500 (5 days)
Total: $5150 and 15 days at about $343 a day
Pretty comparable prices and not to mention again the world class and consistent instructors.
Now it seems the difference that people are talking about is actually travel costs. Those would be the same regardless of agency. The real complaint here to me seems like it costs to much to fly to/in an instructor as there isn't one nearby.
actually improve their diving.
Talk to pretty much anyone who has taken the course and they all say it was a course they
got a lot out of (in terms of actual skills). I have heard one person say that the reason they took Fundies was because
they saw how someone else who took it improved..that speaks volumes IMO.
PADI offers specialties like Peak Performance Buoyancy, Nitrox Diver and even an SMB specialty. These specialty courses
are for those divers that want to improve their diving, achieve some new skills and be more comfortable in the water. This is what I am suggesting Fundamentals is for if you aren't interested in Tec diving.
Here is a cost comparison (course only, not travel and logistics,prices off of LDS websites):
Peak Perfoamancy Buoyancy: $229
Nitrox Diver: $229
PADI SMB Specialty: $125
Total: $583
Plus you get gas planning, team diving concepts, equipment configuration and world class instruction. All for ~$650.
Seems like a good deal to me - a no brainer if you haven't already taken a nitrox course and there is an instructor
nearby. Not to mention here that if you choose to go down the Tec path in the future you are already to go - just have to
upgrade to a Tec pass. I have seen numerous people take different paths trying to take shortcuts and in the end paying
more money/time than if they just stayed on the same path.
As for the cost of gear, if you need gear for a Fundies course...you can rent it (although I don't recommend it because
you need to be familiar and comfortable with your gear to facilitate better learning). Whenever I operating as a cameraperson in the course I see the people that succeed the most are those that are comfortable and can stay still in the water (although almost everyone raises their diving ability by the end of the course).
Now the advanced level courses are expensive and seem to keep going up. C1 in Mexico is now $2650. When I took Tec1 it
was around $1200 now it's $2-2.5k - that sure isn't just CPI inflation at play.
But let's compare to a similar TDI path (prices from a LDS website):
Nitrox Diver: $300 (1 day)
Advanced Nitrox/deco procedures $1200 (4 days)
Extended Range/Trimix Diver $1500 (5 days)
Advanced Trimix $900 (3 days)
Total: $3900 and 13 days at about $300 a day
To go down the GUE path and achieve approximately the same ticket (T2+) you would pay
Fundamentals: $650 (4 days)
Tec1: $2000 (6 days)
Tec2: $2500 (5 days)
Total: $5150 and 15 days at about $343 a day
Pretty comparable prices and not to mention again the world class and consistent instructors.
Now it seems the difference that people are talking about is actually travel costs. Those would be the same regardless of agency. The real complaint here to me seems like it costs to much to fly to/in an instructor as there isn't one nearby.
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