+1 on doing Nitrox. If you do, I'd advise to check with the shop where you plan to do the in-person stuff before you sign up for the online course.
Most shops will charge you a fee for the in-person part, even if you already paid and did the online "e-learning" class. The times that I have looked into it, the total cost, when done that way, always works out to be more than if I just did the whole course at the shop and skipped the e-learning option.
Some people would rather pay the extra because the online course suits them better, for whatever reason. That's fine. I just think it's prudent to identify the whole path before you start down any part of it.
Most shops will charge you a fee for the in-person part, even if you already paid and did the online "e-learning" class. The times that I have looked into it, the total cost, when done that way, always works out to be more than if I just did the whole course at the shop and skipped the e-learning option.
Some people would rather pay the extra because the online course suits them better, for whatever reason. That's fine. I just think it's prudent to identify the whole path before you start down any part of it.