Where is the cheapest and fast place to get Certified

[Walter]

Check out LA County. They have some of the best classes anywhere.

 

[dwaters]

Welcome to diving... most of us are very excited to see new members get into this
addiction we call diving... We just want you do be around to enjoy this sport and learn the right and safe way. Many good thoughts already brought up here and I hope you kept a open mind and ears to what has been said. One thing that is more important than which dive shop you sign up with or which cert. you go with (PADI, NAUI,etc) is
the teacher him/herself. Make sure you interview the instructor before dropping your hard earned $$$ down. Now that we know you live in the OC/So L.A. area, check out this list of options. http://www.ocscuba.com/ocs/retailstores.aspx
Dive safe and enjoy! And I hope to see you in the water some day soon.

 

[Codyjp]

I resent the idea that a fast paced training course is by nature unsafe. I feel that this is 100% not true. Sure, they can be unsafe but are not inherently unsafe. As a flight instructor I specialize in condensed courses where my students get their private pilots licenses in 4 weeks as opposed to the normal 4-8 months. I honestly feel that they are more prepared than the guys that drag out their training. Also, more frequent exposure to the learning environment allows for less time for the student to forget what has been learned in the previous lesson. Also when there is no need to review students can progess much faster.

I would recommend that mtnbikerbumbum meet with an instructor a discuss his options. I private course is a must but reasonable. Cheap is definitely not possible in this case. (that has already been covered). So, as a breakdown here it goes using hockeyguys estimates, we will average with 35 hours. So 35x$45=$1575. Not exactly cheap but that there you go. I am also just taking a stab at what an instructor should charge… What does an instructor charge for private classes?

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of diving!

Dive safe!

 

[Ben_ca]

And cheap is a very subjective..... If you normally get paid 20.00, 30.00 or 40.00 bucks an hour if your hourly = 1 hour of instructor time is that expensive? And then again it's the value you place on that training that makes it worth what you think it is.

YMMV

 

[SoCalAngel]

Call Laguna Sea Sports. I have had many of my high school students get certified there, and there are few other places/instructors I would trust with my life. A private course through them is actually only about $475, plus materials and rentals. They will have you do the book work on your own with a video/dvd thingy, then you meet with the instructor to go over bookwork, pool stuff, and finally diving in Shaw's cove.

There are many great instructors at Sport Chalet, too, depending on the store's location. Usually at this time of year they are running a special that equates to about $350, plus rentals and boat and materials. This is NOT the private price.

Last, you can contact southcoastdivers.com to email Rich. He knows quite a few OW instructors that are good and willing to take the neccesary time to work with a single student.

Oh, and Otter's not too bad an instructor, either...:10: Love you Craig!

Do be choosy and do ask LOTS of questions. Don't let price be the main factor, but sticking to a budget is not neccessarily equate to your immediate demise once certified,k?

 

[Codyjp]

$475 these poor saps might as well be working for free! that is an injustice to the instructor!

 

[SoCalAngel]

$475 these poor saps might as well be working for free! that is an injustice to the instructor!

Agreed, sooo how much did you pay? You also need to remember that this is what the shop gets...not all goes to the instructor. A few years back, Sport Chalet had the highest instructor pay in the OC area, at $125/ student/class. So if an Instructor has 8 students in a class, he/she will make $1000. 6 hours in class, approx. 6 hours in a pool, and one or two days doing ow dives.

Personnally, I learned in Thailand and paid about $400 for both OW and AOW. It sooooo rocked!

 

[MntbikerBamBam]

Ok so what should i look for, i have come to the conclusion that private classes aint gonna happen (to much $$$$) but other than that, what should i look for in a class?

 

[SoCalAngel]

Ok so what should i look for, i have come to the conclusion that private classes aint gonna happen (to much $$$$) but other than that, what should i look for in a class?

You want an instructor who has done a lot of classes. Has lots of time in the water doing both fun and teaching dives. Someone you are not afraid to ask questions, no matter how silly they may seem. Also, you don't want to be part of a large class. 2 to 4 people is good.

SC does offer one and two week classes, check around. I think their winter prices are 2 for 1 at about $300, plus boat fees, materials and rentals. Even though the store closest to you may not fit your schedule, another one may. So call around.

LSS charges something around $350 for a group class (plus extras).

I dont know what Otter charges, nor what any of the SCD instructors charge. I am not an instructor, but I do know quite a few, so feel free to PM me if you would like some names and numbers. I used to be a working DM with a couple of really good ones. The names I give will not lead to any $$ coming back to me, so I am pretty unbiased. You're probably not going to get many peeps listing prices here, so do call around. Did I say that already?

 

[Hooked-Again]

ok see if it takes a month but im meeting 3 times a week im fine with that, i just dont want to have like 1 one hour class once a week. i cant learn like that, i dont want a low quality class, i just dont want a slow paced class.

I suggest you pm "0tter" above and see if you can't work something out. If not, suggest you find an LDS, see if they can give you what you need;or find an you an instructor for private lessons. It will cost you a little more but you will at least learn the skills you need to be a good, safe diver.