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Steve, I think it would depend on your ability to blag more than anything else.
Just a thought tho', I'm not sure that PADI is the complete money-pit that people make out.
Take my local SSAC - to join costs about £40 plus another £40 to SSAC itself add to that £15/month and in a year you've handed over £260 quid for a worthless insurance policy cover and equipment hire and training. It'll cost you another £220 in year two and so on for as long as you're with the club. Over five years that's nearly £1200.
For that money you could pay for OW/AOW/RESCUE AND maybe DM and afford DAN insurance. OK - I understand that you don't get the kit to borrow but you'll buy your own anyway, you won't have a ready-built network of buddies but you don't necessarily need that anyway to dive regularly - in fact YD proves that.
I honestly believe that diving in a club environment is probably best value for many/most folk but not for everyone.
Bren made a point on handbagnet earlier this week agreeing with someone who was saying that we sometime have a tendancy to whinge about the cost of everything and I also agree.
Diving isn't cheap and as we're all different we have to find the route that suits us best. I feel very lucky to have had good PADI training with two different and professional outfits who focus on getting it right rather than quick results and also the TDI stuff with Mr Hayhurst who has a very different but equally useful teaching methodology.
BTW I'll be joining the SSAC Club in the New Year but I'll also be diving with PADI divers and maybe doing further courses.
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