Fair price for independent instruction on local lake

[apenland01]

I own a bass boat and am intimately familiar with the lake above the surface, but not underwater. What is a fair rate to pay an instructor if I'm providing the boat and open water access for the dive? I have no idea what independent dive instruction costs, but just trying to get an idea, since I would be providing the transport.

My specific wants would be instruction on diving in low visibility conditions with entanglement hazards and with a move towards being a "self-reliant" diver in those same conditions.

Assume that we met at the lake, which is 2 hours away. The instructor would simply load their gear/drinks/snacks onto my boat and go. I have depth finders that will tell us what we are diving into as far as bottom depth and structure, etc. I would already have all my gear and 2 full tanks for the day.

I could pay the typical rate, but I'm also using the boat that has it's own costs associated with it. What is a fair rate for local lake instruction in this scenario?

 

[wnissen]

I can give the perspective from California. I'd say the boat doesn't affect what you'd pay your instructor. Around here, if you want an instructor to come with you on a dive boat, you pay for their seat in addition to the normal instructor fee. A 4-hour roundtrip would probably mean additional travel expenses. You're talking private instruction since presumably the instructor would not be able to bring other students on the boat, nor combine the trip with other instructing. I would let them know the location and ask what their rate is for private instruction.

 

[tursiops]

I read this to mean you are not certified and want to get certified.
What is the water clarity?
Initial instruction MUST be in clear water, with an area where you can stand up. Think swimming pool.....
A day or two for he initial instruction.
Two days for the certification.
Private instruction like this, 4 days of an instructor, typically $600 in my area. Plus logistics.
Then 100 dives.
Then you can take the Self-Reliant class.
Maybe you need to be more realistic about this?
--------------------------------------------------------
If, on the other hand, you are already certified and experienced, and just need some low-visibility training with possible entanglements, you might want to look for a public-service diver-trainer....that is the kind of conditions in which they work. But never solo! Always a buddy, and often tethered.
Maybe you need to be more realistic about this?

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Just looking at this from a liability standpoint...I think you’d be hard pressed to find an instructor to take you on, given the scenario you’ve presented. For starters...you’re asking an instructor to violate agency policy to even conduct the training:

-As @tursiops said...you need 100+ dives to take a solo / self-reliant course. I’ve seen no agency rules that will entertain a waiver for that dive count. It’s “go complete 100 dives and then come talk to us.”

-Your profile says 0-24 dives, 10+ years experience, and PADI. Is that x < 25 dives spread out over 10+ years?

My experience on getting into this...I did my first solo near zero vis dives (I could see my hand about 1’ in front of my face while using four 1000 lumen lights) around dive 35. All of the 35 dives leading up to that were completed within one year and in a variety of conditions, including poor visibility.

My thought at the time was that I would do this again, but I’m glad that I did not attempt this earlier. ex. Fighting a current while freeing a hose from a submerged tree/log at ~40’. Granted you won’t have to deal with the current on a lake, but the entanglement hazard is just as real.

If your listed dive count is correct and is really spread out over 10+ years, I would recommend getting additional dives under your belt before attempting this.

 

[Dark Wolf]

I agree with the other two posts. Low vis, solo dives take on added risk. More so, in my opinion, if it is a heavily fished lake. My nearest lake matches all those conditions, and can be.......challenging.

I am not saying it cant be done, but baby steps (and a solid understanding of possible risks) are wise.

DW

 

[apenland01]

Thanks for the responses. I should have provided some context.

I'm PADI certified in 1992 with about 30 dives by 1994. I haven't been diving since I got married and had a son. I'm currently doing the PADI refresher course and my pool work is in about a month, so I'm trying to plan out some ways to work with what I've got.

6 of the previous dives were in crystal clear water at Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The rest were in Conchas Lake and Ute Lake, New Mexico. Conchas usually had 10 feet of visibility or so, while Ute was around 5 feet visibility most of the time. Both were heavily fished and there were lots of line, braid, rope, tree, bush and barbed wire fence hazards I had to work around.

I guess I'm just looking for someone to go along with me that is familiar with lake diving and I'd be willing to pay a fee. I'm not necessarily looking to get certified in lake diving, just maybe get a refresher on lake diving, if that makes sense. The lake I'm looking at diving has variable visibility with prime areas having 15 feet of visibility, based on my depth finder where I can barely make out the rocks on the bottom. Other times or areas, it is 3-5 feet of visibility. I wouldn't dive in anything with lower visibility because I wouldn't enjoy that at all.

I have no idea how the dive instructor system works, which is why I asked about independent dive instructors. It may be just as easy to find a new friend that likes to dive lakes and go from there. Then I can see how he/she sets up their gear, knives, etc...

 

[Zef]

Based on what you, the OP, has written, if I were an instructor I would be hesitant to work with you.

It is unclear whether or not you are looking for instruction to boost your confidence so you cod venture solo into the areas you mention.

There is no such thing as a "lake diving certification". The laws of physics that apply to diving are the same regarless of whethrr one is diving in lake, a pond, a puddle, or the great blue ocean.

What does matter is your level of experience.. your post does not read as if you have the experience to safely plan and execute a dive in low vis with lots of entanglement hazards....whether or not you have someone willing to splash with you.

Since there is no specific course of instructio for entanglment hazards, you would be hard pressed to find an instructor to take you into the environments you describe as it impacts their professional liability.

Do yourself and your family a favor and stick to staying i your boat on this lake, or find other places to dive until you have the experience to more fully understand the danger/risk you are contemplating putting yourself in.

-Z

 

[apenland01]

I appreciate all the comments, but this question has become moot now. I found a local dive shop that does lake diving 4 times per year at a desert lake about an hour away from mine, but very similar in bottom structure. I can hop in with them, which is 4+ divers diving as a team for $99. The trip is August 23, so I may even be able to do my refresher class at the lake at the same time.

I have to say, this board is extremely helpful and I appreciate all the discussion on my various topics...

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Thanks for the responses. I should have provided some context.

I'm PADI certified in 1992 with about 30 dives by 1994. I haven't been diving since I got married and had a son. I'm currently doing the PADI refresher course and my pool work is in about a month, so I'm trying to plan out some ways to work with what I've got.

6 of the previous dives were in crystal clear water at Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The rest were in Conchas Lake and Ute Lake, New Mexico. Conchas usually had 10 feet of visibility or so, while Ute was around 5 feet visibility most of the time. Both were heavily fished and there were lots of line, braid, rope, tree, bush and barbed wire fence hazards I had to work around.

I guess I'm just looking for someone to go along with me that is familiar with lake diving and I'd be willing to pay a fee. I'm not necessarily looking to get certified in lake diving, just maybe get a refresher on lake diving, if that makes sense. The lake I'm looking at diving has variable visibility with prime areas having 15 feet of visibility, based on my depth finder where I can barely make out the rocks on the bottom. Other times or areas, it is 3-5 feet of visibility. I wouldn't dive in anything with lower visibility because I wouldn't enjoy that at all.

I have no idea how the dive instructor system works, which is why I asked about independent dive instructors. It may be just as easy to find a new friend that likes to dive lakes and go from there. Then I can see how he/she sets up their gear, knives, etc...

If I were in your shoes...I would want to do AT LEAST 20 dives in a semi-controlled environment (ex. Quarry or other basic dive site) before I would even think about doing this. Those dives that you did previously...if it’s been years since you splashed...you may as well be starting from scratch with zero dives.

I ran into that to a lesser degree last month when I went diving for the first time in ~9 months. I had 44 dives in the previous ~1.5 years, but as I was expecting...the first dive, I was a bit rusty. I can only imagine how it is for people that haven’t been diving in 5+ years.

As you’ve been exposed to that kind of diving before, that’s something, but as @Zef said...with you wanting to just run out and splash in the lake solo...it doesn’t sound like you’ve REALLY thought through the hazards. Maybe after you do your refresher dives it will click (that there’s a bit more to it).

One recommendation...once you’ve made it through your refresher course and gotten some dives under your belt, ask in your regional forum if there are any local divers that hit that lake. Do some accompanied dives before you seriously consider diving it solo.

Edit: Good luck at the desert lake.