Scuba training costs..........

[BHB ScubaTroll]

I am only guessing here (based on your post, you seem to be in or near college age...) you are under 30?

expensive cars, rounds of drinks, cruise vacations, guitar, violin lessons are ALL choices made by someone deciding where to spend their EXPENDABLE cash.

Someone who has expensive cars, rounds for friend, $10,000 vacations, piano, guitar and violin lessons is LIKELY to understand the cost/expense economics of any business. (unless they work in a government position... lol)

People don't want to spend the money. Some people balk at the $250-$450 class and then expect to do the check outs for free or have their tropical warm water referral ckeck outs included.....These of course, are the "educated" student that also complains of the cost of textbooks for their Masters degree.....yet have no problem paying for expensive cars,rounds of drinks for their friends or a $10,000 cruise vacation.

These are the same people that send there children off to piano, guitar,violin lessons at $75+ per hour but don't want to spend hardly any money to lean a "sport" that can kill you.

I often see people on here rattling off numbers for lds or instructor profit....these people have never owned and ran a dive business and do not think about rent,cost of gear,compressor..or other bills that add up.

Yes there is money in gear but ther is also the internet.......
Ron

 

[Doubles]

For $230 per person and a course that covers 4 days and requires paying an instructor, dive master, insurance, rental gear and fills, pool rental, etc, PADI/NAUI/etc fees, I don't see how they make any money to be honest with you.

As a working DM, I can tell you that most of us don't get paid except for tips. My gas(breathing not auto) and diving expenses are usually covered. And I get unlimited access to the intructor that I work for- which makes me very happy.

Instructors who work for LDS probably don't make much money at all, independent's make a bit more. I doubt you will find any of them getting rich, and I doubt that they do it for the coin anyway

Cheers

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

As a group maybe they pay a total of 55 bucks an hour to the shop. After all the expenses listed in other posts, it does not leave much left. Hell, i will not stop teaching, I do like it. I just would like to see the cost of training begin to reflect what is involved in the background. How much for skydiving? Anyone know, I would like to compare that. Or a bungee jump. Pay for a 30 second ride, divide that by the hour. LOL

Bill

Ahh, the "I like it, BUT cost of background" speech.

Did you get all of your background training because you "like it" or because you "were forced to take it in order to get the high paying instructor's cert"? You can't have it both ways!

But, here is how you get it all back + more

• find 2 people who want the training and background
• teach them at the cost you paid

BOOM! doubled your money
:lol:

Now do it again with 4 people!

Wow, this is some kind of money making scheme here!!!
===
I don't know about Skydiving, but I can tell you what it is for Flight Instructor:

25-35 per lesson... how long is a lesson? That can vary. The cost is based on 1 hour of airplane time. The Hobbs meter starts when the plane starts, and stops when the engine stops

Generally, a private (one person) lesson takes 2+ hours of flight instructor time.

Hmm, looks comparable to scuba instructor pay

 

[cork2win]

I'd just like to know who's charging $99 for OW classes! I paid $474 for just the class, not including the $155 I still owe for the checkout dives!!

 

[Ron Brandt]

I am only guessing here (based on your post, you seem to be in or near college age...) you are under 30?

expensive cars, rounds of drinks, cruise vacations, guitar, violin lessons are ALL choices made by someone deciding where to spend their EXPENDABLE cash.

Someone who has expensive cars, rounds for friend, $10,000 vacations, piano, guitar and violin lessons is LIKELY to understand the cost/expense economics of any business. (unless they work in a government position... lol)

If you look at my profile you will notice that I'm 50 years old(sometimes it shows under my loged dives to the left).I also work for a college and own a small dive shop. I have been diving for over 25 years and am an instructor.

I also teach professional people to dive. It amazes me when someone that makes $100,000.00 a year plus complains about the price of a scuba course.....until they go on vacation where "price is no object".....It just must be the Western Canada thing to do.

Ron

 

[millphils]

I'd just like to know who's charging $99 for OW classes! I paid $474 for just the class, not including the $155 I still owe for the checkout dives!!

My LDS offers $99 OW classes during their annual, July dive fair. This included all gear and tank rental.

For my OW class, I paid $150 + book costs. There were 8 in my class, and only two of us are still actively diving. Actually, we are both finishing up on our DM course.

Phil

 

[Scuba_Steve]

I also teach professional people to dive. It amazes me when someone that makes $100,000.00 a year plus complains about the price of a scuba course.....until they go on vacation where "price is no object".....It just must be the Western Canada thing to do.

Ron

So how far East does Western canada stretch? lol.

I guess the deal is to just stop under cutting the next guy and start charging what you feel you're worth......it'll probably ensure you get more time for your own diving though

LOL... $99 dollar OW classes.....good luck. read the fine print for the real deal. That's taking a serious chance that you can get what you need to survive on the back-end....normally you'll just get it stright IN the back-end.

 

[Wayward Son]

Western Canada must reach pretty far south, too

 

[owlbill]

Lots of good points for course fees and instructor pay being higher or lower or the same as is currently. Of course, SCUBA is worldwide, but each city has it's own type of market and competitiveness. We will continue to charge what we think is fair for our services, in fact we are planning a small increase each year on training and services (reg service, VIP, etc.) until the "balance" is found.... Happy customers who are happy to pay what it takes to keeps us happy and in business long term.

 

[Ron Brandt]

.

Someone who has expensive cars, rounds for friend, $10,000 vacations, piano, guitar and violin lessons is LIKELY to understand the cost/expense economics of any business. (unless they work in a government position... lol)

Interesting...It is the ones in govt positions as this is a govenment town...

Ron