Hampton Roads Dive Shops - Let's hear it

[RAD Diver]

No hard feelings here, just so many people put the diving around here down. Dive shops always rub people wrong if you are not familiar with them.
I know it aint the best, but it does have its up side. I live 8 minutes from the dock, get to dive all day & sleep in my own bed that night.
Most of the time people will only get to the Tower (which in 5 years I have never been to, since diving the Rigs in the Flower Gardens has spoiled me) the Tug (which if you get the right conditions is a nice dive) or the Tiger (same as the Tug for conditions to make a nice dive).
Of course the Morgan is slated as the premire wreck we have, but if you go a little further out we have the Mexicana, Chennago (sp) or the Eureka. All rival the Morgan if not beat it, plus being further out they generally have better vis.
I dive with JT quite a bit. But also spend plenty of time on the Miss Lindsey.

 

[4Logan]

I would drive from Charlotte , NC every other weekend just to dive with LDC. I enjoy the people, the boat, and the sites.

I had my 19 pony tank serviced one year and they lost it. They quickly gave me a 30 pony tank at no charge.....I have no complaints. Their customer service has always been good and I have always had fun.

Logan

 

[Shoe2Dive2011]

So I know this is an old thread but it seems to still have a bit of life left. I am a new diver finishing my certification in the Tropics this winter. I have always wanted to get my certification and finally got it!

I have had some good and some bad experiences in the limited time I have been involved.

I got my certification from LDC and that was a great experience. My instructor was excellent, taking the time to make sure we actually understood what we were learning. Even though I felt a certain loyalty to LDC, my experiences after the training have been disappointing. Every time I have gone in I have either not been approached, or felt an attitude that seemed to say... "You are not in our club!" I know I am still green but so is my $$ and for now it won't be spent there.

I thought the guys at D. Quarters were better although it was not an immediate warm and fuzzy feeling. After talking to one of the guys for a while I felt he was very knowledgeable and friendly. They also offered up use of their pool (free) even though I did not get certified through them. They have the best pool in the area and I am sure this will eventually lead to more purchases.

I thought Joel at Dive services was awesome! I was recommended to him by a diver I trust and he was very friendly, courteous, and offered a wealth of knowledge for a new diver. He was willing to spend time talking about our goals and fitting me with the gear to match. I got the impression that he was willing to make deals that could come close to the online prices and I am planning on buying my computers him before the summer comes to full swing.

I also had a great experience with Deep Dream Diving in N. News. Yeah it is a haul from VB, but I was over there visiting family and I thought I would stop in. I called him since he was not open Sundays and he came right over and opened up his shop for me. He was nice, knowledgeable, and I did not get the feeling he was looking down on me for being a new diver. I ended up purchasing two regulator packages+octos, fins, weights, a camera and he threw in two Large Aeris gear bags! When I got home I scoured the internet and found that his price beat the internet prices by well over $1000. I had done research on his brands but I was still shocked.

I may be a new diver, but my opinion is based on the experiences I have had and I feel like my assessments are fair even though they are based on limited experience. I thought about not posting this because of that but it is my hope that people from these shops read these reviews and will understand that quality and friendly customer service are just as important as price. I spent over 10 years in a specialty retail environment and I always knew that any customer could walk out of my store, drive 20 minutes to the next guy and get pretty much the same stuff for the same price. I knew that I had to be faster, more knowledgeable, more friendly, and give deals whenever I could afford to do so.

 

[Randy g]

sorry Iz gotz fat finga'z

 

[Randy g]

Welcome aboard Shoe! You will find diving here in VB alot different than the warm blue water in the south but if you can dive here, you can dive almost anywhere.

Bobby congrats on the 1000th post.......:balloons:

Being on the Virginia Aquarium dive team puts us in touch with alot of LDC folks, most of the are great individuals but with 3/5 visits to the shop being negative. We spend our money at DQ.

Cant wait to get this season started!

 

[RAD Diver]

Hey I didn't even notice.

Still think the gang at DQ is tops, can do everything you want, basic PADI OW to TDI Advanced Nitrox/ Deco procedures.

Plus they do my Trimix fills.

 

[JohnB47]

Update on local air prices, Jan 2013:
Divers Unlimited: $8 for 133 cu. ft.
Underwater Adventures: $17.50 for 100 cu. ft.

 

[RAD Diver]

Wow seems a bit steep for air, but JT jumped his price up to $6 per tank $7 for HP, but we only fill for divers on the boat.
Joe at DQ had told me Nitrox prices were going up, but we really didn't get into air prices & once you get a Trimix fill nothing else seems too bad.

 

[Scubapro67]

Dive Services Home

$10 for Nitrox fills. Great service and gear servicing.

 

[divengolf]

I second Dive Services. Joel is super responsive. His air fills are $5.00 regardless of tank size. He does PP blending and can blend to spec if needed. Plus he has an awesome setup for checking and servicing regs. And is certified by a number of manufacturers. He's bailed me out a couple times on short notice.

Highly recommended.