seattle dive shops

[VooDooGasMan]

At least lamont is in the right direction,answer the man's question.Being dir mark at fifthd is a helpful guy and loves to dive. THEY DIVE LAKE WASHINGTON ALSO,great dives. There's a schooner with the sails still up thats awesome,just got to deal with low vis.

 

[MarcG]

I agree with Lamont, Based on your interests you may want to check out Fifth Dimension in Issaquah.

 

[Solitude Diver]

I haven’t been diving long enough to know most people in this area, and it sounds like this Mark at 5th Dim. Is more than qualified, but just to add a variety to the mix……my Tec instructor (and mentor) is a fellow by the name of Mike Mcgrath. He is a certified Tec instructor for various organizations, but is currently teaching the PADI TecRec Deep program. It is a pretty good program that combines advanced nitrox, and deco procedures. Final cert’s are depth 165 feet, and 100% O2. After that they also offer the Tec tri-mix for deeper depths.

PADI is supposedly also coming out with and advanced wreck diving class that will be for advanced penetration/deco procedures for those interested.

Mike dove commercially (ocean oil rigs), and owned Blue Dolphin Dive shop (Marysville) some years back. He now teaches Tec for Bud Gray (Bubbles Below) in Woodinville. He is an excellent instructor with over 30 years diving experience (started at 14, just so you don’t assume he has one foot in grave), and most people seem to have a high regard for him.

Anyway, one more agency just in case PADI’s your thing.

 

[lamont]

For a more resume-like plug for 5thD:

- Most of the technical instruction there is GUE (www.gue.org), using instructors like Steve White, Bob Sherwood, Gideon Liew and Jarrod Jablonski
- There's also doubles workshop, scooter 1 + 2 and wreck 1 + 2 courses
- They also teach recreational NAUI courses and NWGratefulDiver (Bob Bailey) is one of their instructors

Mark Tourtellot is the owner of the shop and is a mixed gas diver with SCRET (www.scret.org), and has dove both the Governor (240 fsw) and the Admiral Sampson (320 fsw). I believe he is Tech 3/Cave 2 certified with GUE and is a WKPP support diver.

The shop is a little bit DIR-ME-HARDER in its approach (probably blessing or curse, depending on your viewpoint) and they carry halcyon gear, gavin scooters, apeks regs, etc. I believe they're the #2 distributor of halcyon equipment after extreme exposure.

 

[Solitude Diver]

Well there you have it.

There are a couple of choices for advanced Tec diving in the area, depending on your prefered training agencies. From what I’ve seen of some of the others shops, there’s not likely many more choices for this type of advanced training in the Seattle/Eastside areas as least far as dive shops go anyway.

Thanks Lamont, after reading your last post, I think I may even have to pop in and check out 5th D myself. I was considering a DIRF/basics course to take to add variety of training and experience to my own profile, and for possible progression to cave diving which I hope will in turn make me a better wreck diver. Should make for a well rounded experience for me if it doesn’t clash too much with the PADI training and my preferred gear set up. (Although I suspect there will be some compromising). :05: If nothing else, I may meet a few new divers in the area.


-Steve

 

[NWBoiler]

Mark Tourtellot is the owner of the shop and is a mixed gas diver with SCRET (www.scret.org), and has dove both the Governor (240 fsw) and the Admiral Sampson (320 fsw). I believe he is Tech 3/Cave 2 certified with GUE and is a WKPP support diver.

That would explain his arrogant demeanor! A couple of years ago, my wife purchased a gift cert for my open water through 5th D in Kent for X-mas, the follow February (2 months later) I called to schedule and was informed, by Mark personally, that the Kent shop was closing and that I would need to go to Issaquah (that’s a haul from the old house). I asked if I could get a refund for the gift certificate, his response, and I quote... "I am not a bank, you will need to come in and cash it in on product". Nice attitude!

Now my two cents worth, being a combat veteran, an attitude like will get you killed no matter what the resume looks like! I will not spend a dime in that store nor would I dive with the guy, basically I think he is an arrogant Jack***** with whom I want nothing to do with!

I would suggest TLSea if you’re in the Des Moines area or Underwater Sports, can't go wrong either way!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Mark Tourtellot is the owner of the shop and is a mixed gas diver with SCRET (www.scret.org), and has dove both the Governor (240 fsw) and the Admiral Sampson (320 fsw). I believe he is Tech 3/Cave 2 certified with GUE and is a WKPP support diver.

That would explain his arrogant demeanor! A couple of years ago, my wife purchased a gift cert for my open water through 5th D in Kent for X-mas, the follow February (2 months later) I called to schedule and was informed, by Mark personally, that the Kent shop was closing and that I would need to go to Issaquah (that’s a haul from the old house). I asked if I could get a refund for the gift certificate, his response, and I quote... "I am not a bank, you will need to come in and cash it in on product". Nice attitude!

Now my two cents worth, being a combat veteran, an attitude like will get you killed no matter what the resume looks like! I will not spend a dime in that store nor would I dive with the guy, basically I think he is an arrogant Jack***** with whom I want nothing to do with!

I would suggest TLSea if you’re in the Des Moines area or Underwater Sports, can't go wrong either way!

Well, first impressions do matter ... and in the interest of full disclosure, I do teach for Fifth Dimension ... but most dive shops will not give you a cash refund on a purchase. At least not around here.

FWIW - I know Trux (at TLSea) and Walt (at UWS) ... and they're both great guys ... but I believe they have the same store policy.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Solitude Diver]

I know Trux and Lavonne (TLSEA) also and have to agree, they run a nice shop.

I don’t think they do much in the way of technical diving, but they are a fun and friendly group. In fact I just joined their club to do start doing some “fun dives” with them.

A great choice for the South Seattle, Des Moines area.

Sorry about NWBoiler’s experience. Maybe could have been handled a bit more professionally, but hard to judge...not being there.

5th D still sounds like an operation I’d like to check out for the DIR-F.

 

[TSandM]

I think (although I'm not sure) that Steve White may be teaching the course in January. I was very impressed with him when he taught our course in November. He really cares that his students get what they are supposed to get from the class.

 

[Cold_H2O]

I know Trux and Lavonne (TLSEA) also and have to agree, they run a nice shop.

I don’t think they do much in the way of technical diving, but they are a fun and friendly group. In fact I just joined their club to do start doing some “fun dives” with them.

I believe Trux and Lavonne told me that they now had a technical instructor on staff.. and would soon be offering some techie courses...
I agree very nice shop great staff..