Course Fees and Policies:

At HDI, we offer a private Open Water Course that includes e-learning materials, confined and open water dives, ongoing instruction, and a lifetime of refresher courses. We also offer group classes with a maximum of three students, so you can choose the best option. Plus, if you're active duty military, a veteran, police, fire, EMS, or a university student, be sure to ask about our special discounts that are valid with ID. 

General Training Guidelines: ​
1.) Day listings are estimates; dive listings are minimums; courses may need to run longer to work on skills if necessary and usually include other dives.
2.) We recommend that students purchase their own wetsuits/Drysuits, masks, and fins before class. However, they are available for rental for an additional fee.
3.) Boat trips are optional, permitting availability for additional fees.
4.) If time allows, we will do extra dives outside of training for new experiences at no additional charge; however, training takes priority over extra experience dives.
 
Training will be done per student/per day for $300 + Course, Registration, Site/Boat, Rental Equipment, Gas, and eLearning fees. 

This package includes, confined and open water dives, ongoing instruction, and a lifetime of refresher courses in-person (Site fees only) or digitally over Zoom (Non-Dive).

*** Group Classes are on a per-student basis with a maximum of 4 students. ​ ***

Tuition does not include rental gear, site/boat fees, gas fills, instructor gas fills, or instructor travel. 

Deposits for Classes and Dive Sessions:

To reserve a spot in a class or dive session with Hart Divers International (HDI), you need to pay a 50% deposit within 3 days of booking. However, for longer dive sessions or classes scheduled far in advance, the initial deposit might be less than 50%, and HDI gets to decide that. This deposit will be deducted from your total fee, which is due 45 days before your class or session begins. If there are other fees like travel, those due dates will be clearly mentioned on your invoice.

Even after you've paid, it doesn’t mean you’re automatically in the class or session. For classes, you have to finish filling out your profile, sign waivers, complete a medical questionnaire, and clear up any questions or additional medical clearances with HDI. For coaching and guiding, you need to sign a waiver and provide any additional paperwork like medical clearance or proof of certification that HDI requires. If HDI decides not to provide services due to medical conditions or lack of experience, and you’ve responded to all their paperwork requests on time, you’ll get your deposit back.

But if you’ve given incorrect information about your diving experience, certification level, or medical history, HDI can decide not to refund your deposit.

Remember, you’re paying for training time, not guaranteed certification. Certifications need to be earned. All bookings are set for specific dates, and if you need to change dates, you might have to deal with cancellation policies.

Final Payments:

You need to pay the remaining balance 30 days before your class or session starts. If you miss a payment, you might lose both your spot and all the deposits you’ve paid, depending on what HDI decides. If you can’t make a payment on time, talk to HDI in advance and in writing, and they might be able to work something out with you. Ignoring their emails or calls about missed payments won’t help your case.

Cancellation Policies:

- If you cancel more than 3 months before your class/session, you’ll get your deposit back minus a $75 booking fee per diver.
- Once you've started the online learning part of the class, your deposit won’t be refunded or transferred, no matter when you cancel.
- If you cancel within 3 months of the start date, or if you booked within 3 months of the start date, you won’t get any refund or be able to transfer your deposit.
- Deposits for cave/tech/instructor development classes, and some other specific bookings, are not refundable or transferable.

Travel Deposits:

If HDI has to make non-refundable travel arrangements for a class or session, you’ll need to pay an additional deposit before those arrangements are made. This deposit won’t be refunded or transferred once the travel plans are in place.

Group Bookings and Shared Lodging:

If you’re part of a group package or shared lodging arranged by HDI, you might need to pay a deposit or advance payment. If your cancellation doesn’t increase costs for the rest of the group, you’ll get your money back. But if it does, you might not get a full refund or any refund at all.

Refunds for Rentals, Charters, and Dive Site Admission:

You’ll get a full refund for deposits or prepayments for equipment rentals, site admission, and other bookings if you cancel. However, if your cancellation increases costs for others in the class or session, your refund amount might be reduced. For boat charters, you need to cancel at least 72 hours in advance and get a reply from HDI to get a refund.

Why Cancellation Policies?

As the class or session date gets closer, more of your payment becomes non-refundable. This is because it's hard for HDI to fill your spot on short notice, and they might have turned other people away in the meantime. Also, if they’ve already made travel arrangements or other non-refundable bookings, you won’t get that money back.

Payment Methods:

You can pay with cash, cashier’s check, money order, credit card, or PayPal. If you’re paying with a personal check from a US bank, it has to arrive 45 days before the start date. There’s a $60 fee for returned checks, and a $150 fee if you dispute a credit card charge.

Make-Up Classes:

If you miss a class session and your class is on non-consecutive days, you might be able to make it up, but it’s up to your instructor and depends on availability. You’ll have to pay the private hourly rate plus any extra costs for make-up sessions. If you can’t make up a missed session privately because of course standards, there might be an extra fee. You can rejoin the class once your instructor agrees you’ve caught up.

Other Policies:

All prices are in US dollars, and fees can change at any time without notice. The fees for your class or session are set when you sign up. Guided dives and buddy dives are not instructional sessions, and they’ll be within the limits of your current certification. Some dives are only for groups of three (a guide and two divers). HDI can limit a class to 3 students, even if they could have more. HDI and Hart Divers International reserve the right to refuse service to anyone at any time.

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