Diveshop Feedback - Federal Way, WA

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Please be aware that your standards are much higher than most recreational diver standards. This is your opinion and not everyone holds the same opinion! Your last statement is just not accurate, yes, none of the other shops focus on the DIR diver, but that does not make them bad, just not to YOUR standards.

So I've taught for several ships. There is a difference in equipment being used. I never taught at 8 and have no affiliation with the shop. It was extremely frustrating with a student being given a poorly fitted dry suit that made acclimating to diving dry impossible.

My last statement is accurate. The recreational instruction at 8 is not GUE, but NAUI.

Jade Scuba is an SDI/TDI shop.

Teaching neutrally buoyant and trimmed is not DIR just proper instruction. Agencies like NASE and RAID mandate this. Other agencies is purely optional. It happens but not here.

And other shops don't teach this way. There may be an exception here and there and if you know of such an instructor by name, please let me know

Diving is not brain surgery. Get your students off their knees. It has been 14 years since PADI published the article "Moving to neutral buoyancy" written by a number of folks here on SB.

Most divers just don't know what is quality as they are inundated with mediocrity. I didn't know either when I started out even as a diving instructor.

I am not concerned about the feelings of other instructors or shop owners. I only care about the diving public getting the training and quality equipment they deserve. These are challenging conditions in the Puget Sound and shops and instructors alike have to step up to meet those challenges.

Just look at the con ed/retention rates of different shops and see the difference.

 

[l)33l>3l2]

Thanks to all for the contributions. I do not want to derail this thread, but I have a question about agencies. Does it really matter?

I am PADI certified. Ready to start DM. Do I still work with a PADI shop, or do I work with a shop that reps a different agency?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I am PADI certified. Ready to start DM. Do I still work with a PADI shop

If you wish to become a PADI pro

, or do I work with a shop that reps a different agency?

only if you wish to become a dive pro with another agency.

A bigger question (and this really should be in a separate thread) is what are your goals? Why do you want to do this? Have you considered the financial aspect of this? As dive instructors are poorly paid in the area. It is typicallya losing venture that is partially mitigating by max ratios in courses. DMs are typically not paid. One part owner of a shop complains about DMs getting free air fills for classes they are assisting.

There tends to be high turnover as a result. There are some who keep at it because they really love it.

 

[KenE]

Thanks to all for the contributions. I do not want to derail this thread, but I have a question about agencies. Does it really matter?

I am PADI certified. Ready to start DM. Do I still work with a PADI shop, or do I work with a shop that reps a different agency?

Really depends on where you want to teach. Not every shop will take a PADI Pro as an instructor, but PADI shops may not take you if your cert is from another agency. So, where you plan to teach can make a difference. If your plan is not to teach but want the training, then it is all about the instructor and type of diving they are teaching.

 

[professorpaddle]

Wowsers... How fun this place is. I remember the days of big forums where people trash talked and went wild. I feel like I finally found my new E-Home!

I have family members that recently did their OW at Federal Way Underwater Sports. Here is my feedback only based on my experience.

1. The instructors and volunteers are great. They are knowledgeable but they are not as Tech focused as say 8 Diving. Some people might say everyone should start with the simply basics. There are however many driven individuals that might be best off starting down the GUE course and would benefit from the very start that way. My family is not in that boat. If they end up going that route we would likely move over to 8 Diving but not because the instructors are poor at Federal Way, only because the GUE course, material and process is IMO superior to all the other buy a cert groups.

2. The staff at the shop are very friendly and from every experience I have had they are honest and open. IE they are not going to try and sell you something that is not right for you. They also do not talk poorly about any other shops in the area.

3. They have little to no gear selection. I know they have a few exposure suits hanging up, but the gear selection is minimal at best. Don't plan on going down there to check stuff out. The prices are reasonable but as with any store front, you are not going to get some super insane deal.

4. The rental gear is whooped. I have very little experience with the rental gear at other shops in the area. All my rental experience has been on vacations etc.. When our family rented gear it was... well let's say, functional but seriously well used. Other places we have visited IE Cozumel, Cabo, PV etc.. had much much nicer rental gear. I am guessing that is due to the nature of out of town people that go to Seattle to dive. Not many compared to warm water locales so you can't offer the same quality of rental gear?

5. They do not perform gear re-building at this location. Hydros, Regs etc.. all go up to Seattle.

6. Fills. Make sure you communicate when you need the tanks filled by. I have yet to have my tanks not ready when I have told them I needed them. That being said I have dropped tanks on a Sat. and randomly stopped in on a Tuesday hoping to find filled tanks and they weren't filled yet. They are closed Sun&Mon so it's really on me to call ahead. Just saying if you drop your tanks off for nitrox and expect them ready the next day without specifying it, you might want to call ahead. And lastly on tank fills, they are not lazy. They will keep a fan on, make sure they aren't hot fills and if they are cranking them out they will ensure they are topped cold. I have yet to get a weak fill from this shop.

7. They are clearly the red headed step sister. The main Seattle shop seems to get all the attention and focus. I can't say that the ownership and management do it on purpose but I have overheard conversations where the staff in Fed Way is advocating for a client multiple times. On each occasion I was left wondering if the owners are oblivious to the fact that the branches reflect back on the entire organization and in many cases reflect more about the leadership of a business in how they are supported to deliver for a client.

my 2 cents.

 

[l)33l>3l2]

Wowsers... How fun this place is. I remember the days of big forums where people trash talked and went wild. I feel like I finally found my new E-Home!

I have family members that recently did their OW at Federal Way Underwater Sports. Here is my feedback only based on my experience.

1. The instructors and volunteers are great. They are knowledgeable but they are not as Tech focused as say 8 Diving. Some people might say everyone should start with the simply basics. There are however many driven individuals that might be best off starting down the GUE course and would benefit from the very start that way. My family is not in that boat. If they end up going that route we would likely move over to 8 Diving but not because the instructors are poor at Federal Way, only because the GUE course, material and process is IMO superior to all the other buy a cert groups.

2. The staff at the shop are very friendly and from every experience I have had they are honest and open. IE they are not going to try and sell you something that is not right for you. They also do not talk poorly about any other shops in the area.

3. They have little to no gear selection. I know they have a few exposure suits hanging up, but the gear selection is minimal at best. Don't plan on going down there to check stuff out. The prices are reasonable but as with any store front, you are not going to get some super insane deal.

4. The rental gear is whooped. I have very little experience with the rental gear at other shops in the area. All my rental experience has been on vacations etc.. When our family rented gear it was... well let's say, functional but seriously well used. Other places we have visited IE Cozumel, Cabo, PV etc.. had much much nicer rental gear. I am guessing that is due to the nature of out of town people that go to Seattle to dive. Not many compared to warm water locales so you can't offer the same quality of rental gear?

5. They do not perform gear re-building at this location. Hydros, Regs etc.. all go up to Seattle.

6. Fills. Make sure you communicate when you need the tanks filled by. I have yet to have my tanks not ready when I have told them I needed them. That being said I have dropped tanks on a Sat. and randomly stopped in on a Tuesday hoping to find filled tanks and they weren't filled yet. They are closed Sun&Mon so it's really on me to call ahead. Just saying if you drop your tanks off for nitrox and expect them ready the next day without specifying it, you might want to call ahead. And lastly on tank fills, they are not lazy. They will keep a fan on, make sure they aren't hot fills and if they are cranking them out they will ensure they are topped cold. I have yet to get a weak fill from this shop.

7. They are clearly the red headed step sister. The main Seattle shop seems to get all the attention and focus. I can't say that the ownership and management do it on purpose but I have overheard conversations where the staff in Fed Way is advocating for a client multiple times. On each occasion I was left wondering if the owners are oblivious to the fact that the branches reflect back on the entire organization and in many cases reflect more about the leadership of a business in how they are supported to deliver for a client.

my 2 cents.

Wow, thanks for taking the time to share such a detailed response. This was great feedback. Much appreciated.

 

[professorpaddle]

Sorry for mis-understanding the focus of your post. Here's my opinion on your direction.

Last week I met a chap that is a GUE Tech 1 going on 2, and after our quick night dive, I got to hear his how I got started story. We all have them. He and a buddy got the bug and started collecting the Padi stamps. His buddy decided to go the DM/Instructor route with Padi. He diverted from his Padi focus and went into GUE.

My loose impressions. His buddy wanted to turn it into a lifestyle or perhaps a job more or less... While he was really only focused on skills and knowledge. He had zero goal for financial opportunity (if there really even is one) and was more obsessed with the pursuit of better fundamental knowledge and application.

I would say I am right at the same place, done stamp collecting and want to get into Tech. I have zero ambition to make a living or even earn a single dollar from it. I have had other personal passions that I tried to monetize because I wanted to be able to "live the dream" and it ruined them for me. There are those also that simply want to advocate for the sport and use teaching as an outlet. They are not motivated by money though. I might fall in that category as I teach my kids, but I could care less about teaching strangers.

So what are your motivations? Evaluate and determine them with care and then light that candle baby!