seanw - 10/24/2020 11:36 AM
Yea, that’s why I was interested in the differences between agencies. Pool time, gas, etc, should all be the same. If I understand it correctly, the only difference in the cost basis for the instructor between agencies is the academics part, the card issuance, and annual instructor dues.
I’m in Northern VA and it’s around $800 to get certified which includes everything from academics to the quarry fees. There’s some minor variations such as going to a different agency or if you are willing to drive a bit to find a shop with lower real estate/pool costs, but it’s at most $100 cheaper. So I wasn’t sure if PADI was really that much more expensive, or maybe if the shops that teach for other agencies are able to keep more of the money for themselves.
Does that $190 (or whatever the online course costs) go entirely to PADI or does the referring shop get a cut?