The $99 scuba course question

[redacted]

Depending on the shop circumstances, the marginal cost of offering the classes can be pretty close to zero. They may already have the facilities, and staff as existing overhead, and not everyone uses boats for check-out dives, or they charge additional if they do. Whatever they bring in from the class is bonus revenue to a large degree. In addition they likely make some sales, and prospect some customers. $150-$200/head aside from course materials to the shop for a class of 4-6 sounds like good money if the space and time would just sit idle otherwise. A shop that has to pay instructors extra or rent facilities is in a different situation.

In other words, efficiency operations can undersell inefficient operations and still make their profit. Imagine what could happen if that caught on in scuba!!!!