5hundo
Registered
I saw this thread and had to chime in. Here is the gist of my experience with Rusty and his shop:
Went to the school back in November; I was not impressed!!! Rusty is very pushy and mouthy. Acts like a "know it all", which I don't personally respond to very well. If you ask him "What time is it?", Rusty will refuse to give you the time and insist that you listen to his lecture about how to build a clock!
SSI is a very anti PADI environment; no PADI prodcuts at all in the entire shop and it seemed as if they have contempt for PADI, in general. I know they are an SSI school, but don't sell me dive tables I can't use when you know I'm taking the PADI course. I'm basically a recreational diver with an advanced open water cert. and I could care less about who is better between PADI, SSI and NAUI; I REALLY DON'T CARE. Some people get into that "my cert is better than your cert" game but I don't. I don't have time for it...
Rusty's brother (forgot his name) was also at the school when I was there with my wife and I personally witnessed him making derogatory remarks to female students. If you go to Yelp, there is a similar complaint by a member named Lara H. So, I think it's safe to say that women should really consider another school. The men's bathroom was disgusting; looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the 1980s. At one point, a piece of gear that had been left behind by a student was discovered. Another gentleman brought it to Rusty's attention. Rusty responded by saying "That guy was a knucklehead. Go ahead and keep it." I shook my head in disbelief; if I left some gear behind, I would hope that a Dive School would have the integrity to return it. Of all the things I noticed, that exchange was the most disturbing.
For your own sake, I suggest you take your business elsewhere.
Went to the school back in November; I was not impressed!!! Rusty is very pushy and mouthy. Acts like a "know it all", which I don't personally respond to very well. If you ask him "What time is it?", Rusty will refuse to give you the time and insist that you listen to his lecture about how to build a clock!
SSI is a very anti PADI environment; no PADI prodcuts at all in the entire shop and it seemed as if they have contempt for PADI, in general. I know they are an SSI school, but don't sell me dive tables I can't use when you know I'm taking the PADI course. I'm basically a recreational diver with an advanced open water cert. and I could care less about who is better between PADI, SSI and NAUI; I REALLY DON'T CARE. Some people get into that "my cert is better than your cert" game but I don't. I don't have time for it...
Rusty's brother (forgot his name) was also at the school when I was there with my wife and I personally witnessed him making derogatory remarks to female students. If you go to Yelp, there is a similar complaint by a member named Lara H. So, I think it's safe to say that women should really consider another school. The men's bathroom was disgusting; looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the 1980s. At one point, a piece of gear that had been left behind by a student was discovered. Another gentleman brought it to Rusty's attention. Rusty responded by saying "That guy was a knucklehead. Go ahead and keep it." I shook my head in disbelief; if I left some gear behind, I would hope that a Dive School would have the integrity to return it. Of all the things I noticed, that exchange was the most disturbing.
For your own sake, I suggest you take your business elsewhere.
