Prices

Generally, I no longer advertise or teach. However, I've been getting many requests for instruction as the quality of my instruction and my genuine love for and dedication to this sport spreads through word of mouth. To continue to offer my services to those who want to learn from me, I've come up with the following pricing structure:

Starting in 2008, I can be booked in one-week block increments for any type of instruction from open water through advanced decompression and cave diving or for guided dives of all types. The cost is $10,000 per week for up to four divers.

If you have any questions or would like to book me for a class or as a guide, feel free to email me through my Contacts Form and I'll get back you right away. You can also take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

The class fees pay only for my time to teach each class. Each student must earn the certification by demonstrating proficiency in the various required skills and by passing the written test. If at the end of the class I don't think you're ready to do these dives without an instructor, I will not issue your card. If I did otherwise, I'd be doing both of us a disservice. I hope you understand. Of course, you're free to sit in on and dive with my other classes for free (as many as you'd like) until your skills and knowledge meet the minimum requirements.

Cavern Diver

This is the first level of Full Cave certification. This class teaches the Advanced Open Water Diver the skills needed to dive in caverns within the limits of daylight penetration. The class includes instruction and skills drills in the use of a guideline and reel, anti-silting fining techniques, precise buoyancy control, dive planning, gas management, and emergency procedures. It includes at least four dives over two days.

Introductory Cave Diver (Intro)

This is the second level of Full Cave certification. This class teaches the Cavern diver the skills needed for light penetration of submerged caves. The class take the diver for the first time into the total darkness of the cave zone and includes instruction and skills drills in the use of a guideline, emergency procedures, gas management, and dive planning. It includes four to six cave dives over two days.

Full Cave Diver

This is the final level of Full Cave certification. This class reviews and reinforces everything learned at the Cavern and Intro levels and teaches additional skills, techniques, and procedures important to minimizing the risk of diving in submerged caves. Student's are critiqued and their skills refined until they're highly proficient. The class can be taken as one week-long course from Cavern to Full Cave, or (preferably) it can be taken after the student is certified to the Intro level and has had some time to dive at that level before proceeding to full cave.

Advanced Nitrox

This is "The Mother Of All Technical Diving". This class teaches the core theory and practice required for technical diving. The class covers everything from gear rigging to decompression models. It includes instruction and drills on various skills and subjects including physiology, psychology, decompression theory, oxygen toxicity, dive planning, logistics, gas management, and emergency procedures. The class includes four dives over four days. If combined with the Decompression Procedures class, both classes require a total of six dives.

Decompression Procedures

This class is the natural follow-up to the Advanced Nitrox class and can be taken back-to-back with Advanced Nitrox. The class reviews and reinforces the theory and practical skills learned in Advanced Nitrox including the use of tables and computer programs to generate custom decompression tables, and also teaches techniques and procedures required to perform staged multi-gas decompression. The class emphasizes proper gear configuration and techniques including lift-bag deployment, and drifting deco techniques. The class includes four dives over four days. If combined with the Advanced Nitrox class, both classes require a total of six dives.

Entry Level Trimix (to 200 feet)

This class is the next step after Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures for the diver wishing to dive to depths exceeding 130 feet while minimizing the risks associated with nitrogen narcosis. The class covers the theory and practice of trimix (oxygen/helium/nitrogen) diving with extensive instruction in the dive planning techniques that become critically important to performing dives to 200 feet. The class includes four dives over four days.

Advanced Trimix (to 300 feet)

This class is the final step in trimix instruction. If reviews and reinforces all the practical knowledge, theory, practice, and skills learned during the other classes. Emphasis is placed on understanding the physics and physiology of diving, dive planning, gas management, and complex multi-gas decompression procedures. Students are critiqued and their skills and knowledge refined to a high degree of proficiency. Divers certified to this level can dive to a depth of 300 feet. The class includes four dives over four days.

Gas Blender

This class teaches the theory and practice of partial-pressure nitrox and trimix blending. Emphasis is on procedures for properly cleaning and handling equipment intended for use with oxygen, techniques for the safe transfer of pressurized oxygen into SCUBA cylinders, and methods to properly analyze and label SCUBA cylinders. The class includes classroom lecture and practical hands-on blending experience and takes one day; no dives are required.

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