From: awright@gssec.bt.co.uk (Alan Wright)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: The Cost of OPENWATER I
Date: 11 Nov 92 11:56:18 GMT
Organization: BT, Software Engineering Centre, Glasgow, UK


In article <1992Nov10.160611.5349@netcom.com>,
jnickel@netcom.com (John Nickel) writes:
|> 
|> [Deleted]
|> 
|> I will let you add this all up.  Diving is not any cheaper, or more expensive
|> than any other sport to get into, and get some experiance in.

I don't agree. IMHO diving (scuba) is more expensive than most sports to get
into. We had a discussion recently on the cost of sports and concluded that,
outside of things like motor sports, scuba was the most expensive. We compared
what we considered expensive sports (see list below) and I am open to
contradiction on this. Scuba is also the only sport that requires, in the UK at
least, an x-ray and medical before you can join one of the national associations
($150). I should stress that these were based on costs in Scotland (I have
converted the prices roughly to $US). I am not suggesting that diving is
over-priced but IMHO to say that it costs the same as other sports to get into
is misleading.

I should also say that the cost of racket sports (tennis/squash/table tennis)
is negligible compared to those listed.

Sport	Equipment($)	Hire($)	Annual Fees	Training		Rough cost
-----	------------	----	-----------	--------		----------
Scuba	1500 - 2000	100	50		100 - 500 (Mandatory)	2000 - 2500
Golf	200 - 1000	20	500		25/lesson (Optional)	1000 - 1500
skiing	< 1000		20	?		15/lesson (Optional)	1000

In terms of taking part in the sport a weekend/day trip may be more expensive
if you have boat hire but on the whole probably not. Holidays for the each is
about the same price.

|>   My final word before I close:  Be a consumer.  Go out there and try to
|> compare apples to apples, and organes to organes!  You will learn a lot just by
|> asking about what is included, the number of open water dives, the cost of stay
|> in the area, etc, etc, etc.  You have the power to select who you want as your
|> instructor and you will pay for a certification.
|> 
|> John
|> 

Agreed, Since Scotland is not that big on PADI I didn't have the OW. Recently,
however, I wanted to do some diving on holiday but was a bit concerned at the
cost ($50 per dive including equipment hire). I got into a discussion with the
instructor about a package deal for the 2 weeks and during it we started talking
about various national qualifications. He then explained their deal on the PADI
OW course ($400). If I did the course I could dive as many times as I liked for
the whole fortnight at no extra cost. Work it out for yourself: 12 days, 3
dives/day, all equipment, air and xodiac to get to the dive sites for $400.
I now have PADI OW I.

My critisism of the PADI OW I is that doesn't include basic first aid
and rescue? I was also very disappointed to find out how little is involved
in the Advanced OW. When someone tells me that they have an advanced diving
qualification I would expect it to involve more than just two days tagged
on the end of a novice course. This would mean that someone who had only
been diving for one week could go around calling themselves an advanced
diver. I have been diving on and off (probably mostly off :-() for the
past 12 years and I still consider myself a novice.

True story time: while I was doing the OW course a girl arrived for one
dive with qualifications from CMAS, BSAC and PADI. I watched her attempt
to put her equipment on. She had trouble with the wetsuit, had to be
helped connecting the BC/reg/tank and on the dive went through a 10litre
tank in about 20 minutes at about 12m. Now I am not particularly good
with air but I came up with about 60bar remaining after 49 minutes. Yet
throughout the trip she expounded at great length on her experience and
qualifications.

Alan.

--------------------------------------------
awright@gssec.bt.co.uk (Alan Wright)
BT, Software Engineering Centre, Glasgow, UK
--------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.scuba