Favorite Front Range LDS?

[skierbri10]

What is everyones favorite dive shop on the front range? Why is your favorite? I guess you can put your least favorite here too. I have only been to 2 LDS's so I like Underwater Phantaseas South.

[BigBubbaJ]

I like Planet Scuba in Castle Rock, and also Ocean First Divers in Boulder.

[g2]

Hi Skier!

I like any LDS that will treat me like a valued customer! PM me if you want my highly aggravated opinion of a particularly bad LDS/puppy-mill whose name I shall not mention.

Please, please, if you find an LDS that is knowledgeable and helpful, doesn't screw-over their customers, and knows the difference between an HP130 and an AL13, email me. I am in need of such an LDS.

[RonFrank]

I have found that the instructor has more to do with a class than the LDS. Not all are created equal for sure...

[HelloExactly]

Not that I have any experience with a different LDS to compare it to, but I really like Underwater Phantaseas Lakewood. Friendly, helpful staff and instructors. Very competitive pricing too.

I am a new diver. Been through a few classes with them (up through Rescue Diver) and one trip. No complaints whatsoever!

[Byrnebrew]

Underwater Connection on Academy in Colorado Springs has my vote. They know what there doing and have treated me very well. I've recommended them to friends often and no complaints.

[Ocean One]

#1 Alpine Scuba is my haunt! Northern Colorado's best mental health therapist. But then I'm biased since I instruct there with a great group of other folks...
#2 A-1 Scuba, want to become an instructor, A-1's the place to go!!!!! Staff there will have you over prepared!!!

[Waterskier1]

Underwater Connection on Academy in Colorado Springs has my vote. They know what there doing and have treated me very well. I've recommended them to friends often and no complaints.

While the instructors at Underwater Connection are top notch, their customer service and repair shop are not. I had my regs serviced by them for 3 years, only to find they didn't. They didn't disassemble them completely, and didn't replace the parts that were provided in the repair kit. I took the regs back twice because of hard breathing, and they charged me twice to tell me they were fine. Long story short - they weren't. And since the parts hadn't been replaced as required (verified with the manufacturer), they regs were destroyed in attempting to replace the parts. When I went back to show the owner what happened, thinking he might need to reevaluate the repair process, he told me he knew more than the manufacturer and service techs, and that I must have caused the damage by using the regs. I was invited to find another shop, which I have done.

I still have friends who teach there, and like I said, if you're looking for instructors, of the 8-12 I have personal knowledge of, they are all very competent. I was certified by them. That said, I would not have anything serviced there. I'm not sure how they treat there rental gear - I suspect it's replaced often enough that maintenance/service is not a problem.

It would help if the OP stated what specific services/products he was looking for in an LDS. I say this because some shops have a much larger inventory of products than others. Some cater more to tech divers than others. Most have good instructors, but again, depending on what you're looking for (tech classes?) only a few with fit that bill. For overall inventory, variety, customer service, and instruction to include technical, my vote would be Ocean First Divers in Boulder. I will travel to them from Colorado Springs because they offer that much more.

[snowdog]

I have to say "Denver Divers" is at the top of my list of LDS in Denver.
Reasons; 1. They don’t try and sell you something when you walk in the door. 2. Bright, clean and open operation. 3. After the first visit, I’ve felt like family.

[g2]

Well it's happened again.

I'm in British Columbia, starting on a long-awaited dive trip. As I unloaded my steel 130, freshly inspected and oxygen-cleaned for waaay too much money, and now emblazoned with a shiny UTD inspection sticker (what does that mean anyway when it comes to tank inspections?) I just heard the down tube rolling around inside. I haven't even had one dive on it yet.

Am I aggravated? Yes. Inconvenienced? Yes. But mostly, I'm really annoyed that I *paid* someone to do this professionally and, once again, they screwed it up. I reiterate my request for a good LDS.

Here's what's going to happen...

I'm going to have the tank repaired while I'm on the road. When I get back to Boulder in two weeks I'm going to ask OCEAN FIRST DIVERS for my $45 back. If they're lucky I won't ask them to also pay for any costs associated with fixing their shoddy work. I've had all I can stand and I'm not going to take it any more.