I got an email from a reader a couple weeks ago. He asked me one simple question, “Do you hate dive stores?”. I know that some of my posts may come across as being highly critical of dive stores. All dive stores serve a purpose in the diving industry, but certainly I don’t hate any one of them. Some are better than others. Below is a list of dive stores and charter operators, in my area, that I do business with.

The Dive Stores and Operators

There are two dive charters in the Chicago and Milwaukee area that I like to go out on. Shipwreck Explorers ran by Capt. Jitka out of Milwaukee, WI is a great operation that does technical and recreational level dives in Lake Michigan. The new motor in her boat is super fast and she is a lot of fun to spend the day on the lake with. I also use Captain Dale. Captain Dale runs another great charter out of Waukegan, IL (just north of Chicago). Dale’s boat is super sturdy and he runs a very safe operation. The goal of both operations isn’t to make money, but to take people out diving on Lake Michigan and have a lot of fun. That’s why I do business with them.

For dive stores in my area, I really only go to one. I take my Scubapro regulators to Scuba Emporium to get serviced. I may not see eye to eye with them in terms of training, but these guys really know their stuff when it comes to the Scubapro product lines. They dive the stuff constantly and know all of the fine little details about Scubapro products. You don’t get that kind of product knowledge by simply reading the sales brochures.

Even though they are not in my area, I also like Do Dive In in Peoria, IL. Jan, the owner, shares my similar passion for quality training. They also have great product lines like Aqualung, Apeks, Scubapro, and Suunto. So if you find yourself in mid-state Illinois, stop in and say hi.

I Don’t Hate Dive Stores

As you can see, I do like to do business with some dive stores in my area. The dive stores and operators that I prefer not to use are the ones who put making money as a higher priority instead of just diving. They more I go down this path of diving, the more I realize that diving is a wholesome activity that is immensely fun. When people start putting money ahead of what is right, then I start to take my business elsewhere. The scary thing is, the more you see different types of diving become more popular, the more you’ll see these people try to get their hands into the cookie jar. When these people realize they can make more money, they’ll jump into it. Whether it’s recreational, technical, even DIR, they’ll try to make money off of it. In diving, there are more important things than making money.

Ignore the “Hot Deals”, “Birthday Sales” or “Group Buys” that are posted all over the internet. My advice, find a dive store, charter operator and/or instructor that genuinely cares about your diving and support them. Even if you have to pay a little more for equipment and training.

Dive Safe,
Duane
Precision Diving