sport chalet

[B.L. Justice]

I initially learned through a So Cal dive shop that many would know but I won't name. The Open Water class was a nightmare and I left the class with little or no confidence in my abilities. Many years later I went into a Sport Chalet where I was not happy with the service. The sales person did me a real favor by mentioning that their summer tent sale was that weekend, they did much more scuba business at the Huntington Beach store so would have more gear on sale. I went there that weekend and have gone there ever since even though it is a LONG, LONG drive.

It really isn't about the store. It is about who the instructor is. I don't really think that it is about the agency, it is about the instructor (here come the flames). I have worked with the same core of instructors for two years and have earned a number of certifications because they took the time and understood my needs. They were role models.

Every place you go, you will have good and bad experiences. You will mesh well with people or you won't. My experience has been that a large organization like Sport Chalet or any of the others would rather help you and keep a customer rather than chase you away and keep a buck. They understand that the nickels and dimes saved through poor customer service mean that the big bucks go someplace else. That said, sometimes customers ask the unreasonable or even the impossible. The truth is that the customer isn't always right BUT they are always the customer.

Checking the instructor out is always a good idea. Referrals and word of mouth are the best way to find a good fit. I like it when I see a potential student asking a newly certified student who is returning their rental gear, questions about their experience. If the instructor did their job well the reviews will show it. If they don't, the retailer will suffer.

 

[cakemoto]

thanx again guys.i have been to a few lds and cant tell the difference.the sport chalet i wanted to go...i ask the person who works there if i could talk to the instructor and they said"well he a good guy,not here that much and never had any complainants".well this is where i started to wonder???? i did get all the academics from sport chalet along with my personal gear.there is two lds that i have been looking into now instead. what is a good way to get a referral? in the mean time i have just been reading my manual. also i do not have set time or anything,just wanted to get it done before summer gets here and i have tons of things to do and places to go.

 

[fnfalman]

thanx again guys.i have been to a few lds and cant tell the difference.the sport chalet i wanted to go...i ask the person who works there if i could talk to the instructor and they said"well he a good guy,not here that much and never had any complainants".well this is where i started to wonder???? i did get all the academics from sport chalet along with my personal gear.there is two lds that i have been looking into now instead. what is a good way to get a referral? in the mean time i have just been reading my manual. also i do not have set time or anything,just wanted to get it done before summer gets here and i have tons of things to do and places to go.

You're in SoCal and it's summer time. Divers will be out galore.

Get your OW done by Sport Chalet and hook up with SoCal divers and go learn how dive properly with them.

 

[cakemoto]

well the lds is a naui cert.and the claas starts tuesday night.is there a big difference between the naui and padi manuals?is this too soon to start a class without reading the book through.

 

[DiveNav]

It is all about the instructor !
When I first got certified - from SC - back in 1999, my instructor (a nice young lady that after a while moved to Florida) was God to me and everything was nice and rosy .

After few years I went back to SC for my AOW class ... and the instructor (a different one) was ...sub-par (to be polite) ... he even aborted a dive because he lost a fin ... but told us to go ahead on our own.
Now that I think about it maybe my AOW class was not properly completed?

Anyway, the problem is that those days in the early stages of my diving career was a bit difficult to figure out what to ask.
Nowadays we have more "tools" (like SB) .. and you are doing the right thing.

BTW, there are 4 dive stores in a 5 miles radium around my home (2 SC and others) and I visit them all

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[fnfalman]

well the lds is a naui cert.and the claas starts tuesday night.is there a big difference between the naui and padi manuals?is this too soon to start a class without reading the book through.

Basic knowledge is pretty much the same, however I'm sure that there will be minor differences. As far as if you can start the calss without reading the book, it all depends on your instructor. Some may be cool with it as long as you don't hold up the class. Some may not like it.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There can be BIG differences between PADI and NAUI certs. The books are not the same, the classes are not the same, and depending on the instructor the order in which things are covered may be totally different. NAUI instructors have a great deal of freedom in teaching their classes. The NAUI manuals are nothing like the PADI manual. All of the NAUI materials I have seen and own are written in a different style. Much more direct and I guess the best words I can use are "more technically oriented". No cute cartoons, more theory, and a lot less advertising. Your NAUI instructor technically doesn;t even have to use the book. He/she can use parts of it, and as long as standards are met, is free to add material and require additional materials. Don;t be surprised if you get handouts the instructor has made themself. The NAUI course also includes a number of rescue skills that PADI does not. Basic courses are not all the same at all. That is a fallacy that some want everyone to believe.

 

[cakemoto]

you guys are tons of help!!! thank you very much

 

[Scubamike16]

Hi there. This is my first post and I just found this board and it is amazing. I wish I would have found this board earlier. I was wondering what some people thought of the way they train at Sport Chalet and their pricing of their classes. A friend of mine took her class and when she asked how much the class was it was all varied, when I got certified it was once price set and it broke down what it included. She had to buy a Crew Pack, Rental gear, Dive Boat trips and a PIC Card. Why do they do that instead of just paying one price that covers everything. They seem to push additional classes after you complete a course. Any thoughts on how they operate would be greatly appreciated.

Cakemoto you will love this sport. It is amazing and you learn to have a fine appreciation for all this water around us.

 

[wadedeeper]

I think there are a lot of people out there who think that Sports Chalet is an even empire since they make it hard for local dive shops. Well, tough...truth is they have done more good for Scuba than they have bad. Most people who have never considered scuba walk into a sports chalet and become interested just because they walk by the aisles. I have talked to countless people that told me they were there to by some workout clothes or something else and checked out the scuba gear and got hooked. So to those like BarrelRoll who want to whine about the big bad empire...go cry yourself to sleep.

I have taken a class at one myself when I first started out and I will admit that some stores are more equipped and have better instructors than others. I often find myself running in to pick up a quick fill as they stay open longer than most LDS do. So lets see...open longer, cheaper, and they train more people that may never have considered diving except they went in and walked by the aisle. Well...I think all the complainers can silence themselves now.

Yes, they do teach more people than any other company but part of the reason is that they count all stores together so by default they have more stores than any other dive shop.

As for the specific stores to go for training...look for the ones that have a pool on site. Those typically have the better instructors as everyone wants to work at one with a pool. I have know a number of instructors who have worked for, or still work for SC and they are some of the best in the industry. They also have higher standards than even PADI does because they don't let regular OW instructors teach students past Rescue as PADI allows. By Padi standards, any instructor level can teach a student up to Divemaster level. Yet, Sports Chalet doesn't care and they refuse to allow any but IDC and above train divemasters which I think is by far the better choice.

As for quality of training or the specific instructors...you may always come across bad instructors or poor quality training at any establishment. Do what you can to ask around before signing up for the training. Normally you sign up for a class and the instructor is assigned based on availability. Ask prior to signing up who the instructor is and check around. Its your money...be smart with it. You don't walk in and buy the first car on a lot...you check it out and take it for a test drive. So...do the same with the instructor...walk in when the guy or girl is teaching and check out how they are.

As a side note, I know of a number of people who were once employed by PADI Americas and then left and teach part time at Sports Chalet. Well...lets see...some instructors came from PADI, Sports Chalet is open longer, cheaper, and have higer standards than even PADI does in some cases...seems pretty clear that they aren't all bad eh?

I don't hate any organization that promotes SCUBA Diving. I especially don't hate ones that get people that otherwise never would have considered diving interested. Some may argue with me on other points like air fills or their repair department...but as for the instruction...give me a break...overall they provide a great learning environment and lots more people learn from them than ANYONE else so lighten up.