Where to start technical diving

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This was years ago, but I paid $180 for private coaching from a fundies instructor after I took fundies (different from the course). It was money well spent. Far better than some 2-dive Con Ed specialty.

People get too hung up on price and they don't consider value. The value/price ratio for GUE instructors is so much higher than the average. I got very little value in most of the con ed I've taken.

Agreed. Still, money is a factor.

Also, usually, people who start tech training are not interested anymore in cards. The reason why they don't do coaching is to save money for equipment, diving or advanced training - not to put that money into a speciality card.
 
I did a coaching session this past spring on my finning. Doesn’t help that my local buddies are all recreational only divers and don’t know what a decent frog kick looks like. Went with an instructor friend elsewhere in the Midwest who I’d seen get good results with a mutual friend. Cost was reasonable and it really helped. I’d definitely do it again.
 
The reason why these workshops and private coaching are not that common is probably the cost - people take the money factor into account.
Someday I will go through my training log and try to estimate and add up all the costs of basic tech training--it will easily be a few thousand USD. First there was drysuit and doubles primer, then many weekends of practice, interspersed with several coaching sessions from different instructors. Because good places to train, with platforms and reasonable vis, were not always available nearby, I had the cost of travel and overnight stays, and site admittance fees. And of course fills. Over the course of 2+ years I spent over 20--probably more like 30--weekends away to do practice sessions with my buddy. For me, the cost of getting to the Fundies tech upgrade was way more than the cost of my original Fundies course. A more talented student could have gotten there faster, but I doubt I'm the only one who needed this much work. If one is untalented like me, the road to tech can be crazy expensive.
 
Someday I will go through my training log and try to estimate and add up all the costs of basic tech training--it will easily be a few thousand USD.

Easily that much. I went and counted 16 training days to go from Zero to Stage Cave, at $300 a day is $4,800. Another $2k for AN/Helitrox. Fills, and AirBnBs probably roll that up to around $7,500

#ThisIsWhyIAmBroke
 

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