Aquatek Scuba. Edmonton

[nadwidny]

Yes. Exactly. You're entirely right. There have been a ton of great dive shops that I've worked with over the years - none in Alberta (though I am scouting out some new shops), but plenty in BC and California. Great people doing wonderful work to keep this hobby fun, safe and interesting.

I met Jeff back in 2000 when he was just an annoying nobody, and I detested him immediately. He may have been passionate about scuba but to me it appeared it was all to feed his ego. He made himself to be more than what he was. I knew his background, his training (or lack of), the dives he did (and didn't do) and went on a couple of trips with him before he became Mr Aquatek. What he told people about his experience wasn't anywhere near what he made it out to be. Not even close. He was technically one of the worst divers I've ever seen in the water. People that didn't know any better would fall for his shtick. Over the years I saw how he would suck new people in and then betray them. The trail of people that hate him is long and goes back years. I've never met someone that was so universally loathed by people that knew him. Don't let your experiences with the dick tarnish what is otherwise a great pastime. You weren't the only one to fall for a smile, a bucket load of c-cards and a load of crap.

 

[thewalrus]

I met Jeff back in 2000 when he was just an annoying nobody, and I detested him immediately. He may have been passionate about scuba but to me it appeared it was all to feed his ego. He made himself to be more than what he was. I knew his background, his training (or lack of), the dives he did (and didn't do) and went on a couple of trips with him before he became Mr Aquatek. What he told people about his experience wasn't anywhere near what he made it out to be. Not even close. He was technically one of the worst divers I've ever seen in the water. People that didn't know any better would fall for his shtick. Over the years I saw how he would suck new people in and then betray them. The trail of people that hate him is long and goes back years. I've never met someone that was so universally loathed by people that knew him. Don't let your experiences with the dick tarnish what is otherwise a great pastime. You weren't the only one to fall for a smile, a bucket load of c-cards and a load of crap.

Hmmnnn well, I don't think it was (or I hope it wasn't) quite that obvious. And I don't consider myself to be a bad judge of character. Or naive. But who knows. Maybe I was back in '08 when I first signed up...

I trained almost exclusively with him and his group - and I think I've turned out to be a pretty proficient diver (as have others who dove mostly with that group). Certainly no other divers I've dived with have had any complaints or indicated that my training may have been something less than adequate. So, Jeff's moral failings aside, I'm not sure I can buy into the argument that I was sold a complete bag of false goods with my training.

I will say this - I had to put the brakes on my training when I felt uncomfortable with what was being suggested I try. Being told that I should buy a rebreather when I was at less than 50 dives, was, obviously, patently absurd. The speed with which it was suggested that I start technical diving and decompression diving was high in my estimation as well (and indeed, I never did it)... though Jeff does still owe my $300 for a course I signed up for, and never had scheduled...

 

[nadwidny]

Hmmnnn well, I don't think it was (or I hope it wasn't) quite that obvious. And I don't consider myself to be a bad judge of character. Or naive. But who knows. Maybe I was back in '08 when I first signed up...

He fooled a lot of people, including the people that originally started up Aquatek and they were not new divers (Well Carol sort of was). I was there when Aquatek started (he was a late comer to the ownership group. I'm was friends with all of the original owners and still am with 2 of the 3 original owners). When I first met him (this was a couple years prior to Aquatek) it wasn't from the same perspective that you had. I was already doing the dives he wanted to do and when the first thing he did was try and blow smoke up my rear by trying to tell me how great he was, it didn't bode well for his future relations with me. I tolerated his presence over the years because of my friendships with others and local dive politics. People like yourself had no base to determine whether or not he was full of crap or not. He comes across very personable. I get that. I had the advantage of knowing that he was a fake right from the get-go.

I trained almost exclusively with him and his group - and I think I've turned out to be a pretty proficient diver (as have others who dove mostly with that group). Certainly no other divers I've dived with have had any complaints or indicated that my training may have been something less than adequate. So, Jeff's moral failings aside, I'm not sure I can buy into the argument that I was sold a complete bag of false goods with my training.

I was the video guy for a DIRF course that he took. This was after he was an instructor. I can show you on video how bad his basic skills were in the water. I saw him on fairly benign deco dives on a couple of trips I was on with him where he was a total mess in the water. As a former instructor, I can tell you that beyond OW (because even a monkey can teach OW) that you didn't get what you paid for. Your current competency is most likely because of your own innate abilities and are despite being taught by him, not because you were taught by him.

I will say this - I had to put the brakes on my training when I felt uncomfortable with what was being suggested I try. Being told that I should buy a rebreather when I was at less than 50 dives, was, obviously, patently absurd. The speed with which it was suggested that I start technical diving and decompression diving was high in my estimation as well (and indeed, I never did it)... though Jeff does still owe my $300 for a course I signed up for, and never had scheduled...

Kudos for being able to recognize your own limitations so early in the game. Lots of folks don't and just go with whatever the shop monkey tells them.

People tried to complain to the agencies about him but were always met with denials. Money talks I guess.

If you want more stories come out to Twin Lakes some time. You'll be able to vent with others for days and days about the stupid things he has done. As I've said before I've never known anyone universally hated as much as he was. He was a pox on the industry and I'm one of many glad to see him gone.

 

[Jonn]

This the same guy, Jeffrey Atvars? Had my eye on that steel tank, he’s got all sorts of stuff listed…
Apologies for necropost.

 

[nadwidny]

This the same guy, Jeffrey Atvars? Had my eye on that steel tank, he’s got all sorts of stuff listed…
Apologies for necropost.

Same idiot. I'm sure the banks would be interested in what he is selling. I went to the bankruptcy auction for Aquatek and there was a lot of stuff missing that should have been there. However I did pick up 4 or 5 nice 3600psi cascade cylinders for $25 each so I left happy.