400 plus educational materials. Why would anyone do DM if they do not yet have their own gear? You should be fully outfitted by this time. I did not and do not pay for air including nitrox, all pool fees were covered, discounts on gear and course fees while interning. I do work at the shop a few hours a week still for free. In exchange I get the aforementioned perks plus write off the travel to and from. Like others have said I have all my own gear plus enough to outfit 3 or 4 other people but I don't since I don't carry the extra insurance to do that. If I did then I'd charge rental fees. As for how long it takes due to a number of outside issues mine took nearly a year. But during this time I got alot of diving(100+), working with alot of different students, over 160 hours in the pool, and had alot of fun. I also got to see alot of different environments, weather conditions, dive related problems, equipment related issues, and personality differences and how to handle or solve them. Bottom line, I feel qualified to handle most situations that would come up in a recreational setting under any conditions- That makes the time and effort spent well worth it.
