How much did it cost you?

[GreenDiverDown]

So... how much did it cost you to become full cave certified?

I haven't added it up yet but I can estimate that it easily cost ME about 20 grand over the past 2 years. This would include gear, training, and trips to training land. This is just an estimate of my direct expenses. I would guess maybe twice that figure or $40,000 if I added up ALL of my expenses on my 'journey to cave' and that is probably WAY low... it's probably more like 60K. I don't know... it's just a gut feeling.

It's serious sh*&, though... and it ought to cost a lot. But please... don't tell my wife.

 

[Rainer]

Stephen, mind breaking costs down for those of us who haven't gone down the path?

 

[rjack321]

I believe the $20k estimate. Gear alone is an easy $5k, without counting the boat, compressor or the single tank stuff I got to free up the doubles gear for dedicated use.

2 sets doubles 2k
doubles regs 900
plate and 2x wings 700
primary light 600
backups 300
drysuit 1.5k

Just a bit of training, not even full cave can cost 3 or 4k:
lodging, car, food, airfare for 10 day trip to MX 1.6k
5 day cave1 class 1.5k

jeesh the list goes on....

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Stephen, mind breaking costs down for those of us who haven't gone down the path?

I don't know... I think I'll have to break out the calculator.

Just gestimating I would say that I have spent about 6 to 8 on gear (in the last 2 years alone), 2 directly to the instructor (Cavern, Intro and Full), and 6-8 on 2 trips to the Yucatan (again, just in the last two years). Add to that the cost of my physical training program and the cost goes well above 20K. Shoot... I might be able to come up with another 5 with a little more thought. For instance, I could include a couple more trips to the Yucatan in the past two years. These were for cenote tours but were important to me in deciding whether or not I should pursue overhead training.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

jeesh the list goes on....

Ya... exactly. Where do you draw the line? What do you count as a cost in achieving the goal? To me, it would include an awful lot of what I have spent over the past ten years... other training, gear, trips to wherever... I spent a heck of a lot of dough getting a huge amount of experience before I even considered any technical training.

 

[Jason B]

I live in NC and I can go cave diving for several days in Florida cheaper than I can do a one day charter offshore here in NC (this is including gas for the drive, lodging, food and fills). As you can imagine, I don't do many charters.

Adding up all gear, courses (cavern- full), lodging and such, I think 20k is a bit high (for my experience anyway). Maybe closer to 10k. I'm not adding the price of regs, drysuits, and backplates as they were purchased for diving - not just cave diving.

This is strictly training - not including all the trips in-between classes.

 

[marcienko]

It's serious sh*&, though... and it ought to cost a lot. But please... don't tell my wife.

How do you spend that much $$$$ and she does not know ???? :doctor:

Please tell me you secret !!!!

Regards

Marcin

 

[GreenDiverDown]

How do you spend that much $$$$ and she does not know ???? :doctor:

Please tell me you secret !!!!

Regards

Marcin

In Mexico it's easy... a lot of Tequila!

 

[marcienko]

In Mexico it's easy... a lot of Tequila!

O right then .....I go to try.

 

[Peter Guy]

This topic is NEVER supposed to be discussed!!!

Never, ever begin to total up the $'s spent on one's hobby!