Sport Chalet...Good or Bad

[saintsfan]

I love SC 1st off they are 5 minutes from my house,second is all the things mo2vation said.I had to send in my semidry for zipper repair they gave me free rental wetsuits, when my tanks were in for hydro I got free tank rentals,beat that. Like any store you have to know who to talk to which just takes time.

 

[GDCB]

I have to admit. I've received great service and crap service and advice. It depends on who's working and if someone is actually in that department. I have several friends who have taken various classes with Sport Chalet and have had mixed reviews depending on the instructors. Mine was and is first rate. We've become friends and I trust her to tell me "I don't know" or "I'll find out". She'll usually get back to me with good reference material. In talking with other divers about skills they learned in their OW/AOW, I seem to have received "more". The trouble is when you know "nothing" going in you have no way of judging for yourself. Do your Due Dilligence before you buy.


Carl

 

[xSandman3]

As an instructor for SC, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. Most of the dive shop employees are fairly well-versed in the gear SC sells, but not so much with other brands or styles.
2. If the dive shop has a manager who is at least an OWSI, the shop runs fairly smoothly. If it is run by a kid who is not a diver, it can be trying at best.
3. Their payroll for instructors is too confusing to decipher. Whenever I finally give up on being paid for a class, I get a check in the mail.
4. If the shop has an established clientele, there is as much comraderie and opportunity to have fun diving as anywhere else.
5. As stated previously by others, their hours rock.
6. They pay my professional liability insurance for me...can't beat that.

Overall, I have been happy with my local SC, and consider it to be my LDS.

 

[Humu-out-of-Water]

As an instructor for SC, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. Most of the dive shop employees are fairly well-versed in the gear SC sells, but not so much with other brands or styles.
2. If the dive shop has a manager who is at least an OWSI, the shop runs fairly smoothly. If it is run by a kid who is not a diver, it can be trying at best.
3. Their payroll for instructors is too confusing to decipher. Whenever I finally give up on being paid for a class, I get a check in the mail.
4. If the shop has an established clientele, there is as much comraderie and opportunity to have fun diving as anywhere else.
5. As stated previously by others, their hours rock.
6. They pay my professional liability insurance for me...can't beat that.

Overall, I have been happy with my local SC, and consider it to be my LDS.

As a CUSTOMER of SC I'd agree with all the above. I got my OW, drysuit and will get my AOW with SC, but with a particular instructor. I LOVE that I can get a drysuit rental... AND in women's sizes! I was a little wary of getting my scuba gear/instruction fromthe same place I get my running shoes and sports bra... but the dept head really knows his stuff and they WILL match another dive shops price (not internet). They will take back ANYTHING for a return witch not all LDS will do around here. Very good customer service. But if the dept head is not there, watch out because whoever is there might not be that knowedgeable

 

[ScubaKimmie]

I've used them in San Diego a few times, they were fine.

 

[mrtremere]

In San Diego the Mission store is pretty good and the prices are cheaper than most LDS . Of course all the LDS prices are negotiable, I dont want to haggle over knicknacks. I want the best price the 1st time around. I dont know anything about the La Jolla Store.
But it the sales staff not name that makes the shop. 8:30pm fills are very convienent.

 

[CompuDude]

There are exceptions, but as a rule they have very inexperienced people working there. Not just in the SCUBA department. My youngest took his OW there and that was a dismal experience, poor instructor and store was full of excuses for very late or missed classes. I tend to put them in the same category as Walmart - Know what I want when I go there get it and get out.

Pretty much, yeah. Great for small things, if you know what you need, and can just walk in and walk out. Their hours are great.

The quality of the staff varies wildly. I know a few really good instructors who work out of Sport Chalet. I've also had conversations that sent me cringing away.

Buyer beware. Given that, take them for what they're worth, and be very careful with instructor selection and gear advice.

So I voted neutral.

That said, I really love the store for camping and outdoors supplies. Scuba is different matter. *shrug*

 

[Codyjp]

so far, service is hit and miss. can't beat the selection on some stuff. not a chance at getting anything tech.

In LA their boat charteres are a good bit more expensive than with my LDS even on the same boat. say waauhh?

 

[K9trnr]

As an instructor for SC, I have come to the following conclusions:

2. If the dive shop has a manager who is at least an OWSI, the shop runs fairly smoothly. If it is run by a kid who is not a diver, it can be trying at best.

Overall, I have been happy with my local SC, and consider it to be my LDS.

There's a new SC out here in Arizona that's close to me, and they hired a PADI course director as their department head. I had assumed none would have a manager that wasn't at least an OWSI, but I guess I just got lucky with the store that's closest to me.

 

[Tripod]

There's a new SC out here in Arizona that's close to me, and they hired a PADI course director as their department head. I had assumed none would have a manager that wasn't at least an OWSI, but I guess I just got lucky with the store that's closest to me.

Hey which store was that? I am in AZ and just signed up for AOW at the Scottsdale SC. I'll say that I got great service while there. I talked to Dave (instructor) who gave me excellent service and knowledge. I got my OW cert from SC in huntington beach a few years ago and that was a good experience as well.

Also, I just bought a crap load of equipment (aqualung Legend LX, Seaquest Balance, Suunto Gekko, bags, misc equipment) and they really hooked me up. With the student discount (10%), misc sales, package discounts (15%) discounts and price matching policy ($60 bux off my legend for PMing a LDS price) that were going on, I saved over $500 on my $1500 purchase. No hassles either

On the minus side, their selection is limited to certain brands (mostly seaquest, aqualung, and sherwood), but i knew exactly which pieces of equip i wanted and SC had all of it. I had shopped around at most of the LDS's in the phoenix area and El Mar was the only one that was close to SC in price (they Price match also) but they were often more expensive by a few bux and SC throws in 10% if you are a scuba student and 15% if you buy certain combo packages which El Mar wouldn'tdo. The other LDS's were wayyyy higher in price than SC... albeit they had a better selection and some higher end stuff..but i wasn't going to shell out an extra 200 bux for an atomic reg anyway.

The other advantage I saw with thsi is that SC can service all my gear and will have my warranties on file with their stores AS WELL as with the manufacturer which should eliminate some of that hassle, especially since I split my time between AZ and CA where they have stores all over the place.

I dunno, maybe i am tooting my own horn, but i have only had great experiences at SC.
well ok, one time i was there browsing in teh evening and some girl was at the Scuba counter working looked like she was ~20 years old and couldn't tell a lift bag from a breast implant, but I think it was cuz i was there on off hours. I don't count this as a negative experience cuz she was pretty damn hot...eye candy.

again only gooooood experiences.