Nitrox course - is it a rip off?

BarryNL · Sep 10, 2005

I'd like to get my PADI Nitrox card but I find the price of the course ridiculously expensive. The cheapest any dive school seems to offer is 190 euros. As far as I can see this should cost a dive school about as much to teach as PPB which goes for around 100 euros.

Is the nitrox course only so expensive because its the only way to get Nitrox fills? At least if you find PPB too expensive you can just teach yourself but you don't get that option with Nitrox because you need a piece of plastic to show the fill stations.

RonFrank · Sep 10, 2005

BarryNL:
I'd like to get my PADI Nitrox card but I find the price of the course ridiculously expensive. The cheapest any dive school seems to offer is 190 euros. As far as I can see this should cost a dive school about as much to teach as PPB which goes for around 100 euros.

Is the nitrox course only so expensive because its the only way to get Nitrox fills? At least if you find PPB too expensive you can just teach yourself but you don't get that option with Nitrox because you need a piece of plastic to show the fill stations.

I can not comment on the course price in the UK. In the USA one can do Nitrox with another course (AOW for example) for $95 US. Is it worth it. IMO definately.

Nitrox course - $95
Jupiter Reef Boat Dive - $100
Getting 45 minutes
of additional Bottom
Time on Jupiter Reefs
diving Nitrox - Priceless

Kim · Sep 10, 2005

190 Euros does sound like a lot! Of course you could always go somewhere nice - Red Sea/Thailand/Netherlands Antilles for example - and do it much cheaper there.
I went on a liveaboard from Phuket last April. They did the course on the boat for very little money!!!

gcbryan · Sep 10, 2005

BarryNL:
I'd like to get my PADI Nitrox card but I find the price of the course ridiculously expensive. The cheapest any dive school seems to offer is 190 euros. As far as I can see this should cost a dive school about as much to teach as PPB which goes for around 100 euros.

Is the nitrox course only so expensive because its the only way to get Nitrox fills? At least if you find PPB too expensive you can just teach yourself but you don't get that option with Nitrox because you need a piece of plastic to show the fill stations.

It's usually over priced but there are things to learn and you do need the card for fills so the best you can do is to just find a good instructor who will make sure you learn something new to justify the price.

I bought the book and could have passed the test before I even took the course but my instructor was also a tech instructor so I just picked her brain about other subjects and felt that I got something for my money.

mike_s · Sep 10, 2005

That all depends on what is included in the price.

I used to think that the price of OW cert in the resort areas was expensive at $300-$400, but most of them typically include two days worth of boat diving for check out dives that you don't get included in the lower price where I live.

$190Euro seems expensive, but what comes with it? (boat dives? nitrox tanks for checkout dives, books/materials, etc).

*Floater* · Sep 10, 2005

A bare bones course (no dives, no books, no tables) will cost at least $50-$100, so as mike said if your course includes 2 dives with everything, plus books, tables and other stuff, then it may be a competitive deal depending on how much 2 dives and the nitrox material would generally cost in your area, and whether you really want to do the dives there and get PADI nitrox material.

If you don't want to do the dives, then look at your local SSI and NAUI dive instructors as those agencies don't require the dives though their individual instructors may.

mike_s · Sep 10, 2005

My LDS charges $120 for the class plus $45 for materials, which includes books/tables/etc. Also included the tanks for the checkout dives (Nitrox tank
rental value typically $14/tank) You do your check out dives at ANY of their
trips or outings. You can do it on a beach/ocean trip or on their Quarry trips,
which are as cheap as $18/day. Add it all up, ($120+$45+18=$183) and you
get close to that comparibalby. Replace that quarry dive with a $70 4-6 hour
boat trip and you're up to $235 US, which is almost exactly the same value as
$190 Euro. Just to give an honest comparison.

bertschb · Sep 11, 2005

Like most classes beyond OW, it's waaaay over priced. But, using Nitrox has many advantages and you have to get certified to get Nitrox fills so..... they got ya. The course is VERY simple and you could easily pass the written test just by quickly reading the book. There really isn't much to learn.

If I had to I'd pay $500US for the cert. Nitrox is that important to me.

robh · Sep 11, 2005

The idea that a nitrox class requires OW dives is silly. It's a way for instructors (who badly need it) to make some extra cash. There are no in water demonstrable skills required for nitrox besides "breath in, breath out." It's a class room training and that's all you should have pay for. If you want the OW dives with an instructor, pay for it and have a great time, but I don't see that it's necessary for certification.

bertschb · Sep 11, 2005

I agree

Nitrox course - is it a rip off?

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