What is scuba instruction worth?

[DiveTyme]

I have read threads complaining about too many students in a class, classes that are too quick, and now even wanting free classes. I teach as a hobby and mostly private classes anymore, but I do feel sorry for the instructors that are trying to make a living teaching scuba.
Recently I was involved in a remodel and the going rate went something like this: carpenter $30/hour, painter $45/hour, heating/cooling $65/hour, electrician $80/hour. I have more money invested in the equipment of my craft, more time in my education than any of the above. So what is good, complete scuba instruction worth? I ask the question not to price a class, but is it of value at all? It seems like a lot complain about poor instruction but also expect the "$99 class.
Tim

 

[MechDiver]

A question that will never be resolved. People who look at diving as a hobby (most) and dive a couple times a year in the tropics (many), don't want to spend a lot of money on something they don't perceive as "dangerous" or "technical".

The people who know better and decide to do something about it are few and far between.

In addition, you have the classic suppply and demand. There are lots of scuba shops and instructors so the price is low. What the class is worth to you to teach should be fairly simple to quantify. Whether you will sell any classes is another story.

Also, a journeyman carpenter for $30/hr is pretty good.

MD

 

[Boogie711]

I think people don't mind paying money for good instruction. A weekend PADI course costs $99 and there are tons of complaints about PADI on here. A weekend GUE DIR-F course costs $400 and I have not honestly seen one complaint saying the weekend was overpriced. So I guess it's true - you get what you pay for.

 

[garyfotodiver]

I spent about $500 for my daughter's PADI OW class and referral dives last year. Money well spent.

To give a perspective, in 1970 I paid $65 for a NASDS class given in the local YMCA. Money well spent.

 

[simbrooks]

To give a perspective, in 1970 I paid $65 for a NASDS class given in the local YMCA. Money well spent.

And in today's money, would that be about $150 or more? You did however probably get quite a bit more in the OW class than your daughter - so i hear from the old timers out there.

I paid $220 and that was a bit above average for my area, that didnt include any boat dives (we dove in a lake), but everything else was in there. The type of instruction we got i felt was over-priced and more in line with the $99 jobs i have heard about. On reflection i would much rather have spent a little more $300-350 to get a better course that fully grounded me even if again that were only in a lake for checkout, $500 i would imagine would cover two sets of boat dives and a hotel for the night on top of the instruction.

I think the biggest problem (as has been stated many times before) is to justify to a generally unknowledgable public why your course costs more than x,y,z shops down the road (that is even if they listen to the explaination of the quality after hearing the price and comparing it to the others they have phoned around for). I currently pay a reasonable rate to my new instructor and feel that i am getting my money's worth out of him for that.

 

[T.P.H.]

It is true that an independent instructor wil have a hard time trying to make a living teaching a class simply because,in most cases,the "instructor" is afiliated with a dive shop and of coarse,the equipment they are able to sell is where the money is mostly made.The classes that are "too quick" are designed for the people that are superior in knowledge retainment and are very comfortable with all aspects of the diving training and aplication.My self included did a 2 day coarse and never looked back..but I dive with experienced people 98% of the time.Still the cost was $280.00 and the instructor world renowned.Personaly,I had great instruction.This is only an opinion,but,a short class and quick training of the majority of divers I see out there leads to too many mistakes being made wich could also be compounded by less that qualified instructors.New divers need to research the instructor and the classes available to see what best fits them.I recommend to everyone that wants to learn to take at least a week coarse before hitting the water just to make them more at ease or more aware of what to expect when they do go for cert.I deal with up to 6 different instuctors and thier students on any given weekend day at TwinLakes here in s.e. Texas and though the prices very from $175.oo to $300.00 to cert,I have yet to run into a student that has complained about too short of a class time or too much money.The ones that want the $99 dollar class are not taking into consideration that thier lives are at serious risk;and to those instructors that see these people,I pray,would tell them just that.What is good instruction worth??Actually..considering a life;its priceless. steve

 

[DiveTyme]

Mechdiver, your are right that this question will not be resovled. I asked it not really expecting to get "the" answer but just to have people think about what they would like dive instruction to be.

 

[DiveTyme]

What is good instruction worth??Actually..considering a life;its priceless. steve

Steve, that really is the answer I was looking for. I am not in it for the money but I think it is worth more than "free".

 

[munkispank]

I would gladly pay major money for good instruction. I was very fortunate to take my open water cert with an excellent instructor affiliated with a univerrsity- I was more expensive than the LDS and took a month of two evenings a week and weekend dives, but it was worth every penny. I really feel I had the best instruction possible and it stays with me today.
I was also fortunate to have a really good instructor based at a LDS for my AOW, he was also priceless and gave me so much more than i could ever have got from reading the books alone. He was worth every penny.

These expereinces are made even more valid by the stories I hear from friends and colleagues who ignore my recommendations of who to get instruction with. I have heard some stunning horro sotries from other instructors who are affiliated with the bulk "get em in and out cheap" operations (like 'Inflate your BC to get to the surface at the end of a dive") So the money paid to the instructors who are doing a good job should never be considered a waste- Its your life insurance.

 

[ShakaZulu]

I'm gonna go with DiveTyme, but then again, what is the going rate for a life these days, certainly more in the US than in Irak.:monkeydan