Favorite SE Michigan Dive Shop?

[joedelt]

for those of you who drive a bit, ZZ underwater world in lansing, and Diversmast (my shop of choice) in jackson are both good shops. i do almost all my travel w/ diversmast.

/john

 

[yknot]

My favorite is Sea The World in Farmington. Craig, James and the rest of the crew are great. They'll bend over backwards to help you and the shop has been around longer than my other 'top' stores.

Other stores I've used with no major clomplaints, just not my favorites are Rec Diving in Royal Oak, Sea Side in St. Claire Shores, Another World in Allen Park, SCUBA Centers of Detroit in Lincoln Park, Underwater Outfitters in Commerce Township and Huron SCUBA in Ann Arbor.

Check some stores out and see which fits your style the best.

Paula

CathyS, where (approx) are you located? As Paula states, these choices are somewhat geared to what you want specifically. I've dealt with Sea the World and had good results there myself but they don't have a pool onsite and don't know what limitations this would cause for further training. If you want anything Aqualung/Apeks/Suunto, also go see Paul at Scuba Centers of Michigan, in Lincoln Park. They managed to give me a price a while ago that was very close to LeisurePro's, but you need to know what those prices are and need to be willing to buy a package and not just one piece of gear. I've been in most of the other stores Paula mentions. Rec Scuba (Royal Oak) is a ScubaPro dealer, so somewhat choice limited, unless you want SP gear. Another World (Dearborn Hgts, actually) is also going to be limited- certs thru, I think SDI, no affiliation with a major conglomerate brand, etc. I've also found some of these other stores mentioned to be rather pricey and aloof but I'm sure others have had different experiences. If none of these shops seems interested in selling you what you want at a price you want to pay let the board know.

 

[CathyS]

CathyS, where (approx) are you located?

I'm in the West Bloomfield area, so Sea the World is one of the closer locations of those people have mentioned. I did my OW class through Sea-Side in St. Clair Shores. They also don't have a pool on-site, so we did the pool sessions at a local high school which worked out fine.

I'm too green to know what I want/need, so I don't want to start buying a lot of gear until I've rented a few times at least to see how different gear performs for me. I've read the gear section on this board quite a bit and my head is spinning at all the options. I figured I didn't want to feel like I have to keep shopping at Sea-Side just because my first class was through them, so everyone's opinions have been really helpful. I need to start shopping around.

 

[CathyS]

Just an update on this thread. Since I originally asked for advice, I've been to Sea the World and Great Lakes Dive. Both have been great. Great Lakes Dive was able to help me out with a wetsuit rental in no time flat when Sea-Side couldn't come up with anything to fit me. (I am very overweight, but working on it.)

I can't say enough good things about Sea the World. I posted another thread about Charlie and Mike (instructor and divemaster candidate) who actually waited around at Portage for my friends and I last weekend, after their classes were long over, just so they could take us on a guided tour. And that all came about just because my boyfriend and I stopped into Sea the World a couple of days earlier and happened to mention we'd be going to Portage. Wow, what helpful people.

Sea-Side, on the other hand, is turning out to be a major disappointment. That's the shop through which I took my OW class. We were in there to pick up rental stuff on Saturday and Paul Skoglund (who I think may be the owner) was extremely unpleasant to me when he learned that I ordered a custom wetsuit online instead of through the shop. I could see where the conversation was going, so I told him there was no point in trying to make me feel bad about my decision since the order had already been placed. But boy, he just kept on going, telling me all the things he thought I did wrong (should have ordered 5mm instead of 7mm, shouldn't have ordered online because if it doesn't fit then I have to ship it back, etc etc etc). Completely turned me off to Sea-Side.

I did buy a hood, gloves, a weight belt and weights there after the conversation with Paul - only because one of the other employees, Patty, was EXTREMELY helpful to me when we were trying to find a rental wetsuit that day. But I have no intention of going back to Sea-Side for training or equipment. I don't see much point when there are other shops that are closer to me that have been nothing but helpful and I haven't really spent a dime with them.

Woo, that turned into quite a rant. Sorry. :sorry19z:

 

[twosheets]

I like the river diving in that area but having trouble finding air fills. There is an air station around the South Park neighborhood of Port Huron. A long time diver with more relics than you will likely see in any museum offer air fills out the side of his house. But where are the dive shops in this area?

Stay Safe, twosheets!

 

[MichiganMan]

Aquatic Adventures is the Bomb!!!!!!

 

[diver_paula]

Aquatic Adventures is the Bomb!!!!!!

LOL!!! I'm not going to disagree because I personally like the shop and it's owners. But, how subjective do you think such a post is from the shop's H.S. worker?

Paula

p.s. Brighton has a typo in your profile.

 

[MichiganMan]

just tryin to liven the place up a bit....and the funny part is..becuase i am the shops H.S. worker...i can say stuff like "It's the Bomb" and not get bashed...lol!


thanx for pointing out the typo

 

[rjchandler]

I like the river diving in that area but having trouble finding air fills. There is an air station around the South Park neighborhood of Port Huron. A long time diver with more relics than you will likely see in any museum offer air fills out the side of his house. But where are the dive shops in this area?

Stay Safe, twosheets!

Dive inn watersports in Port Huron. www.diveinnwatersports.com

 

[RiverDigger]

i was there on the day she writes about . it went nothing like what she says, in fact the only comment made was regarding the fit. she apparently likes to read her own remarks