Cincinnati Dive Shops

I have some neighbors that have asked for my opinion on an LDS for getting certified. We live near West Chester and Hamilton. Does anyone have good/bad things to say about getting certified at the various dive shops in the area? I was certified in Texas, so I am not all that familiar with classes at LDS here.

Thanks!

First of all....welcome to the board...

Second....I am not certain about training at cincinnati LDSs. Biscuit7 who is on the board would know more about the immediate area than I do. Also, jbd in KY mas some good info I'm sure.

I know that there is Cincinnati Dive Center in Blue-Ash, and another place over on the west side by cross-county highway, but I can;t think of the name. I have never had training at either of these shops.

Mike fererra can give you a good list of questions to ask local shops like this...

1. Do you have any references?
2. What all is included in the price of the class?
3. Do you have a safety record available?
4. If I feel unfomfortable with a few things, is the class going to go ahead without me?
5. How much pool time will we have before we get to OW check-out dives?

He is a dive shop owner in indy and is a fairly active member on the board. Maybe he'll drop in and give you some advice.

I trained with Scuba Unlimited.

http://www.2dive4.com/

This was out of convenience because they taught classes at UC, but everyone was great.This shop donated time to offer free training to inner city kids and sponsored trips to Florida in conjunction with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission

through Central Coast Dive Center in Edgewood, KY. It's about 10 minutes from downtown. I know a bunch of the instructors down there and it's a really nice bunch of folks. Their rates are reasonable and they have a pool on the property that former students have full access to as long as they want to come in and blow some bubbles. It's a nice amenity.

PM me for more details if you want them!

Rachel

There are approximately 11 dive shops in the Greater Cincinnati area. Many more than most coastal cities in Florida!

All the shops have their good points and their bad points as with any retail establishment. I've done instruction for 2 of the shops and trained IDC with a third. If you want to PM me, I can recommend specific instructors at two of the shops, one in NKY and the other in Blue Ash.

Your friend's specific schedule may come into play in which shop he/she chooses.

A friend and I used Scuba Shack in Northern Kentucky. I will be the first to admit that it was a long drive, 45 minutes after class each night, but they do have weekend class schedules that can solve that problem. They have an on sight pool and give unlimited use of it for free, which is nice over the winter. They will not send you to open water until you are ready and they will work with you regardless of how much time it takes. I can call with questions and they always take the time to talk about it and make sure that I feel I have an understanding of the answer. If I mention a problem that I was having while diving, they will also talk through it and have even suggested that I come in and fine-tune it in the pool. The instructors are top notch and include some of the Who's Who in diving in this area. The have a first class dive shop and carry the better brands. However, when you walk in, they will spend time talking about your needs and budget and will recommend what you need, vs. push the more expensive lines, plus they let you demo stuff in the pool. In fact, they let me demo the stuff I bought during my checkout dives. They line me up with a dive buddy when I don't have one and will even bring a tank for me if they are diving where I'm going to save me the drive to the shop. When I go on vacation, they recommend a dive shop and call them and talk to them expressing their expectations of how I should be treated as well as discuss with them what they feel are my limitations. This place is just a class act. The web page is www.scubashack.cc