sport chalet

[cakemoto]

i was told that sport chalet certifies more padi divers than any one? is this true.....any one have any thing bad to say about the? i was looking into going there.

 

[Grover48]

I had a very bad experience with sport chalet because the instructor was a flake. Six other people in the class had the same problem. I wound up taking the classes over again at my own expense. Sport chalet wanted me to pay for equipment rental and the dives for testing.

The instructor lost his endorsement from PADI for his conduct. Sport chalet would not do anything for me to compensate me for my time and trouble except waive the fees for the class.

I have not gone back to sport chalet for any instruction.

Check on the instructor, most are good, some are not.

 

[BarrelRoll]

I wouldn't doubt they turn out more PADI divers than anyone else, but so would Wal-Mart if they did training.

I wouldn't go to Wal-Mart, Costco, or Sports Chalet for diver instruction, pilot's license, or to receive surgery.

 

[j yaeger]

wicked analogy,barrelroll!!!!
some things you just dont do!!!!!
amen...

 

[Bubbletrubble]

There are good and bad instructors everywhere. Take dumb luck out of the equation. Ask around to find a good instructor. At the very least, interview potential instructors. There's a wonderful sticky here on SB about how to find a good scuba class.

I know a few employees at my local Sport Chalet who are great divers and conscientious instructors. I don't know what the instructional staff is like at your Sport Chalet.

 

[Teamcasa]

I know some very good instructors that work out of Sport Chalet stores. It's not the store, it's the instructor.

 

[BarrelRoll]

To be fair I don't live in California any more, I've just been in the Sports Chalets around Southern California.

I'm sure there's some good instructors that work there, just like I'm sure there's some pretty bright guys wearing a Wal-Mart apron in random places around the country. To someone brand new, though, I can see a far higher probability of getting a generic, cattle processing instructor from a place like that.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

To be fair I don't live in California any more, I've just been in the Sports Chalets around Southern California.

I'm sure there's some good instructors that work there, just like I'm sure there's some pretty bright guys wearing a Wal-Mart apron in random places around the country. To someone brand new, though, I can see a far higher probability of getting a generic, cattle processing instructor from a place like that.

@BarrelRoll: Perhaps you have more experience than I do in sizing up the "quality" of scuba instructors. My interactions with the staff at my local Sport Chalet have always been very positive. I know great instructors who are affiliated with different dive shops in my local area. A few happen to work for Sport Chalet.

Sure, Sport Chalet sells lots of different sports equipment besides scuba gear. IMO, that has very little to do with the quality of instruction.

Am I missing something here? What evidence do you have to back up your generalizations?

 

[=C=]

In my experience the quality of training has been OK.

I had an instructor from them in Los Angeles who kept trying to pick up the women in his class but no serious issues otherwise.

The classroom was in good shape, they could explain everything, and it all ran on time.

The whole system of indentured servitude of diving and the part-time instructors it creates is a topic for another thread.

 

[cakemoto]

wow,guys thanx.this is what i need to know.i think i need to do some more research.the last thing i want to do is have a flake and pay double.i did a discovery scuba there and they seem to know there ****.