Our choice for gas

I owe Lamar and
Lee Ann a helluva
lot, so they always get a free plug

How Much?

Sooner or later, the question of “How much?” has to come up. Bear in mind, course fees constitute just part of the total cost of learning to cave dive. You also have to budget for:

• Course materials.
• Transportation and accommodations.
• Meals.
• Dive site admission fees.
• Gas fills.
• Equipment purchase/rentals.
• Certification card processing.

On this page, we’ll give you a rough idea of the costs involved, so that you can better plan for training expenses.

Course Fees

This part is pretty straightforward. Course fees are as follows:

Note: Course fees cover the cost of instruction only. You are responsible for all of the items listed at the top of the page.

Course Deposit and Balance

To guarantee your spot in any particular course, you need to place a deposit as follows:

• For two-day programs, a deposit equal to at least one full day of instruction.

• For programs of three or more days, a deposit equal to at least two full days of instruction.

Deposits are nonrefundable two weeks prior to the starting date. Balances are due at the beginning of the course.

You can pay for your course deposit with a major credit card, using PayPal. As far as the balance due, your choices are:

• Pay at least one week in advance of the course with Pay Pal.

• Pay with cash at the start of the course.

We will send you a PayPal invoice for the course deposit after you complete the online registration form. A week prior to the start of the course, we will contact you to see how you want to handle the balance.

Course Materials and C-Card Processing

Tech Diver Courses: Students need to purchase the PADI/DSAT Tec Deep manual or student kit. These are available from a variety of sources.

Cave Diver Courses: Because the curriculum is largely identical, the same cave course can result in certifications from PADI, IANTD and/or NSS-CDS (remember, however, that you really only need one card). Of course, if you want IANTD or NSS-CDS c-cards, these organizations require that you purchase their book as well. PADI would have the same requirement — they just don’t have a book yet.

The IANTD or NSS-CDS books run $30-$40 each, and are available from a variety of sources. We provide students with the current PADI Tec Cave training outline (which, at 106 pages, is extremely comprehensive) at no charge. This is the primary reference for all cave courses we teach.

In so far as certifications such as Cavern, Basic and Apprentice should just be temporary stopping points on the way to full Cave Diver certification, we issue temporary cards for these levels.

For completion of the entire eight-day/sixteen dive Cave Diver program, students receive either the PADI/DSAT Tec Cave Diver card or, if they do not meet the prerequisites for PADI, the NSS-CDS Cave Diver card. You can have any additional cards you qualify for; you just have to pay the processing fee.

Transportation, Accommodations and Meals

These expenses can vary widely, depending on your situation. You will not only need to get to north-central Florida to take part in the part, but also drive anywhere from 20 to 100 miles a day or more to get to various dive sites. An adequate vehicle is essential.

The closest airport is Gainesville; however, for the best air fares and a wider selection of direct flights and rental vehicles, most students choose Orlando.

The High Springs/Alachua area boasts a variety of motel and dining establishments. A favorite among cave divers is the High Springs Country Inn, with high-speed Internet access and single rooms in the $40-$45/night range. The phone number is (386) 454-1565.

Among the things we will send you when you register is a comprehensive listing of local motels and restaurants.

Dive Site Admission Fees

During the course of the program, we try to expose students to as many dive sites as possible. Entry fees here will vary. Some sites, such as Little River and Cow Springs, are free. State parks, such as Madison, Peacock and Manatee, charge $10/day — or you can get an annual pass.

Ginnie Springs (specifically, the Devil’s Eye/Ear cave system) is an important training site. It is not unusual to spend at least one day at every level of training here. Current diver admission is $30/day, plus tax, making it the most expensive site to dive. The good news is, as it is just a short drive from High Springs, you make much of that back in gas.

Gas Fills

On a typical training day at the Apprentice or Full Cave level, students go through around 100 to 150 cubic feet of EAN32, and another 10 to 20 cubic feet of oxygen. Anywhere else in the USA, that could cost you $50 to $60 or more. Here in north-central Florida, you’ll spend about $20.

Equipment

The equipment you will need, not only for Cave Diver training, but for all the dives that follow, is certainly among the greatest component expenses of learning. It’s important enough that we’ve devoted a separate page for this.

What You Need in Terms of Equipment »

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