Looking for a dive instructor in NC

[ncrunnerboy]

Hey scubaboard, I am new here and I am looking for a dive instructor in NC. I live in the Shelby area and have always wanted to get certified. My parents told me they would pay for me to get certified for Christmas. Cost is not an issue but time is kinda critical. If anyone knows of any good instructors in the Shelby area please let me know. Thank you in advanced.

 

[tbone1004]

you're going to have to go a bit out of your way I think

View Profile: TONY CHANEY - ScubaBoard - Scuba Diving Forum - Diving Social Network

Track that guy down, send him a PM. Tony is a VERY good diver, and he is somewhat local. I think he works with a few different dive shops that are good.

I'm up in Shelby somewhat regularly doing work with BW Fiberglass, but don't know the shops in that area. Only one that I know of and would recommend is Sink or Swim Scuba
https://www.facebook.com/SinkorSwimScuba

I don't know much about them other than recommendations from friends that have worked with them.

 

[ncrunnerboy]

thanks tbone1004 for the reply, I was kinda hoping to find an instructor a little closer. I did a google search for dive shops in NC, and quite a few came up. I then tried to call several, but it seems like most are closed on Mondays. The closest I found was Sink or Swim, Aquatic Pleasures, and several out of the Charlotte area. There were 3 others about 30 miles from Shelby, only one of those were open on Mondays.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Tbone1004, thanks for the very nice words. NCrunnerboy, I am a Tech. DM and as stated I have worked with several dive shops within the area as well as Japan. I currently work with an Instructor located in Pineville and we can take you from OW to Trimix. We pride ourselves in not only teaching you but continue to dive with you. We do not quit unless you do. Together we have well over 1000 dives to include OW, AOW, Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox, Decompression, Night, Deep, Ocean, wrecks, Dark water (Cooper River), caves and Trimix. Aquatic Pleasures is a great shop and I have worked with Calvin over several years. Calvin is closer to you and you will not be unpleased with his instruction. You can PM me for additional info if you like. I love to dive and enjoy seeing others enjoying what we see every week.

 

[tbone1004]

unfortunately there isn't a lot of diving water out by you to support a dive shop, most of the Asheville area guys head down to Jocassee for training, the rest up to Lake Norman Quarry, so you won't find a whole lot in the middle. I live down in Greenville SC, and there is one dive shop in the city and it is crap, so for anyone local to here I would still recommend they make a weekend out of it and go somewhere else instead of being local. Pineville isn't the worst drive especially for night classes since you'd be going against traffic, but the important bit here is that you really need quality instruction from the beginning so when you decide you want to go into more technical diving, guys like Tony and I don't have to break all of the habits you developed in OW and then have to basically reteach you how to dive which is irritating and time consuming.

If he's saying Aquatic Pleasures is good, I wouldn't balk at the 15 mile drive to head out that, it isn't that bad, even the 30 mile one out to Sink or Swim isn't bad for getting good instruction *if they have good instruction there, no idea*

 

[ncrunnerboy]

Thanks for all the responses. I tried calling Aquatic Pleasures but never could get a hold of anybody, all I got was a voice mail and it said they were by appointment only. I also tried to call Sink or Swim, but no one answered. Do dive shops typically not open on Monday's. I found 3 other dive shops within a 40 mile distance. Scuba Adventures out of Rutherford College, The Dive Shop out of Claremont, and Lake Hickory Scuba out of Taylorsville. Does anybody know anything about these shops.

 

[Steve_C]

T Do dive shops typically not open on Monday's.

It varies. Of the dive ops I have known:
some were closed on Tuesdays (so you could return stuff on Monday), some were closed on Monday, knew one that was closed on Sunday. Some it varies with the season. They close more in the late fall to early spring.

Best to check the web if they have a web presence.

 

[tbone1004]

check their websites, Dive Shops are normally like golf courses, so it doesn't surprise me they aren't open on Monday..... Best off emailing or trying to call today or tomorrow.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Cost is not an issue but time is kinda critical.

Not to sound too off key here but you will really want to see what equipment is "required" for you to get certified. Plese take it from someone who has purchased gear several times over. If someone would have steered me in the right direction to start with I would have saved several of thousands of dollars over the years. I gladly welcome all others to chime in pertaining to this.

 

[Steve_C]

Some are into equipment, some are not.

Some folks goals change, some do not

Some would rather spend the money on more diving than changing a BCD or trying the latest thing.

I tend to be a poke around and look at stuff and take a few pictures but stay out of deco kind of person. Other than tanks and some safety equipment (smb, knives, scissors, dive lights, ponty) and camera equipment and several wet suits, I dive the same BCD, regs, fins, booties, mask that I got certified in.

Has not stopped me from spending a couple thousand more. [On camera number 3, strobe number 3, for example]