#3691
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$400 dollars for a deep diving course sounds extremely expensive to me. At my LDS specialty courses are usually around 99-125 a piece. Besides isn’t deep diving a must for your Advanced cert. I know for my Advanced OW deep and navigation were mandatory and the other two specialties were up to. By the way my AOW costs only 250 and that was four specialties; drysuit, deep, nav, and search and recovery. I do think though if you are planning to do deep dives and cavern those are must courses. I feel there’s some courses that will be more beneficial to you depending on the conditions that you dive in. The more you dive, the more comfortable you will be, and the better diver you will become.
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#159
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From OUBobcat: $400 dollars for a deep diving course sounds extremely expensive to me. At my LDS specialty courses are usually around 99-125 a piece. Besides isn’t deep diving a must for your Advanced cert. I know for my Advanced OW deep and navigation were mandatory and the other two specialties were up to. By the way my AOW costs only 250 and that was four specialties; drysuit, deep, nav, and search and recovery. I do think though if you are planning to do deep dives and cavern ... Im not sure, but I THINK the Deep part of the AOW course covers from 60-100 feet and the Deep specialty takes you to 130 feet. So, Im wondering how much this course will help me. The course itself is between $100 to $130. Its the associated dives that go with the course that make up the bulk of the remaining fee.
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#3691
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Must be more of a difference between agencies vs the course. My AOW is SSI and in that I have four full certs for drysuit deep nav and search and recovery (4 dives per specialty) and my with my deep cert I am covered to 130’. SSI has something like your talking about I think with the Advanced Adventurer.
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#963
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PVK - 7/03/2012 7:35 PM 
SSI IS WHERE IT’S AT YOU GOT RIPPED OFF
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#3732
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Rather than getting into a ’This agency is better than that one’. I truely believe that you should learn to dive by diving and choose your courses to fit the way you dive. You like wrecks take he wreck course. Dive in cold water take the ice/cold water course etc but learn to dive between courses to fit your dive life. Call around for price from different shops "DO THE RESEARCH". Go slow and dive at your pace. Dont let anyone leed you on to more than your limits...Dive safe
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#1543
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400$ would be right (still overpriced a bit) if the 4 dives with boat charter were included. Course plus materials in most places I saw were around 200$. @OUBobCat all the dives in advanced training are introductory speciality dives - first of usually 2 to 4 dives. If you choose to pursue the speciality you did during advanced training instructor may skip the 1st one as you did it already. Doing only one dive at the advanced training doesn’t make you a specialist in any area.
Now to the main question - is it worth it or is it a cash grab? It’s a bit of both. If there is really challenging dive site some operators might as you for the deep dive speciality or at least to see the log to prove your experience. Wreck diver in my opinion is absolute the must, as you’re not allowed to penetrate the wreck without it (if you were than operator is irresponsible dick which puts money before your safety) and believe me that’s where the fun with wrecks begins.
No-one will ask you for UW photo speciality so you can make a pics, but you can learn a few tricks doing it. Most of the courses are like that, but wreck, cavern and deep specialities topped with rescue diver certification in my opinion are really the ones that’ll improve your knowledge and experience a lot and worth spending your money.
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#365
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Rogue - 7/04/2012 4:28 PM
The instruction is the most important part of any of the dive courses you take. A poor instructor will make whatever price you pay not worth taking the course. All of the courses I have taken have improved my diving abilities and confidence, in turn making me a better diver and dive buddy. Some of the more less asked for courses, under water photograher or DPV, aren’t ever asked for but can be fun to take. Depending on how far you want to go with scuba diving is how I have based my training. If you are never going to do more the recreational diving, no real need for rescue or wreck specialty. All of the courses make are doing nothing more than teaching what equipment and techniques you will need, and if you are planning on just diving mostly freshwater and saltwater reefs, don’t waste money on the wreck specialty, and if you aren’t able to willing to save someone’s life at the risk of being sued, it happens, then don’t take the rescue. Suite your training for what you want to do with diving, after all it is your diving and no one elses.
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#4617
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First the AOW with PADI requires you to do ONE dive of Deep, Night, Nav Plus to other single specility dives. To get your DEEP certification is three Dives Second I would look into to other Dive shops because it does sound a little to much for the cert. Now a Certification for deep is not required but I felt it gave me a little more information to properly deal with the increased responsiblity.
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#159
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Thank you to those of you that took some time to offer your insight. It’s very helpful.
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#1543
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@Rogue - I’m surprised that being certified rescue diver you talk such nonsense, especially about being sued for attempting the rescue. Most if not all of civilized countries have a "Good Samaritan" law in place which protects you from that, secondly rescue course is more likely to teach you how to help yourself and be more self-aware and recognize the symptoms in yourself and the others to prevent accidents. Rescue skills are still the best thing I learned from any course/certification so far.
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#3108
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Geezz... that’s over price. I’ve taken numerous speciality courses and never spend that much. I’m SSI certified and yes, they did help me become a better diver, but that’s steep for a deep dive class.
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#159
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From oceanfloor: Geezz... that’s over price. I’ve taken numerous speciality courses and never spend that much. I’m SSI certified and yes, they did help me become a better diver, but that’s steep for a deep dive class.... The class is $100. The associated dives (4 of them) with the instructor makes up the balance of the $360. But, yes, I agree it is very steep. That is why I wanted to know if the classes were worth it. The price seems to be comparable to other dive shops in the upper keys. I am committed now. Heading to Key Largo tomorrow for the weekend to take the class. I think it all going to work out and it will turn out to be a great weekend.
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#3691
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Makes a little bit of sense now with the price...LOCATION..LOCATION..LOCATION. I have heard from numerous friends that the Keys are very expensive; not just for diving but for everything in general.
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#159
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Just got back from Key Largo. Took my Deep Diver speciality course with Pirate Island Divers. We did the Spiegel and the Duane. Great class and dives. Seen my first Goliath Grouper (4 actually) and first shark (a Nurse, I think). I did learn a lot. Thank you everyone for your input.
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#21
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if you would have got advanced scuba diver under NAUI you would already be certified to go to the limit of rec. diving. therefor not feeding the PADI monster at all.
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#159
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From bouy15: if you would have got advanced scuba diver under NAUI you would already be certified to go to the limit of rec. diving. therefor not feeding the PADI monster at all.... Im starting to see how PADI operates in that fashion. Im considering a different association for learning. My concern is that I have several classes under PADI and don’t know if I should mix them up. I thinking I would like to teach one day and keeping all my education under one umbrella would probably be better for that goal. However, my current goal is just getting the best education for me. It’s a tough decision.
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#216
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im new to diving so take my advice with as much salt as u want. but being in the military, we have many sayings about safety, one of which is this: u cant put a price on safety. also: u can never learn to much. i understand u have a budget im on one too so i can understand ur apprehension. i would recommend looking into the details of what the course covers a little bit closer and see if its worth the price.
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