Steve’s Scuba Center

Although this is a small spot, the selection is great. The owner helped me find a mask that fit great, after another shop in the area left me to fend for myself and buy an expensive mask that never fit quite right. Having a mask that fit perfectly after all this time is so wonderful.

I was certified as a diver through Steve’s Scuba Center in 2009. Since that time, I’ve purchased equipment and received servicing from multiple shops and have concluded that Steve’s is the best in town.
Instruction: The instructors at Steve’s are friendly, knowledgeable and easy to work with. There is a LOT to learn when getting your certification. I never felt pressured to do anything that made me uneasy. They always had numerous safety divers for each pool session and open water session to help wrangle and keep us students safe. I think that my class had one safety diver for every two students. The price was less expensive than I expected. They will recommend that you buy some gear. At the time I thought that they were trying to «up sell» me and was weary. However, now that I’ve been diving for a while, I realize that they really were looking out for me by recommending that I get my own gear and get to know it. Under water, you want to be able to use your gear without thinking about it. That’s hard to do if you’re not familiar with the rental gear that you’re using.
Gear: I’m a huge internet buyer. I always feel I can get a better deal online compared to brick-​and-​mortar retailers. Steve’s is the exception. I don’t even bother looking online any more. Just go into the shop with your shopping list and a specific amount that you’re willing to spend that day. Steve will go through your list and start loading you up with more gear than you expected for the money. He’s great at putting together packages that bring down the overall cost of gear. Plus, he’ll often have used gear that’s in good condition that will save you even more. I go new on certain BCD and Regulator. But just about everything else I“m willing to go used. If you don’t need something right away, leave a list with Steve and he’ll keep an eye out when that used gear comes into the shop. The only thing you need to know about shopping at Steve’s is that it’s not an in-​and-​out experience. Plan on spending some time at the shop. One thing you’ll find at Steve’s that I haven’t seen in any other local shop is a sitting area with chairs around a table right in the middle of the store. That’s for a reason. Steve isn’t just there to sell you gear and services. He wants to talk with you about your diving and find out what your needs really are so that you’re happy with your purchase and your experience when you leave the shop. I’ve NEVER had buyers remorse with Steve. I have had it with other shops.
Service: In Jan, 2012 I had my reg and BCD serviced before a warm water trip. I didn’t give the shop much time to work on my gear (less than two weeks). Josh made sure that I had my gear back in plenty of time and he did a great job on it. I“m hard on my gear and it still works as well as the day I bought it.

Took my Atomic reg in for servicing and couldn’t get it back for over 6 weeks. Luckily my Cozumel trip was 2 months away but as the date drew nearer I started to get worried. Every time I called I was told that the technician wasn’t in. Steve himself didn’t seem to have any idea what his employee was doing or when he would be in. Calls not returned, promised completion dates missed, zero follow-​up. I could just imagine my rig buried under all the other misc stuff strewn around the work area which I saw first hand when I was there. Days before my trip I finally got my reg back. On my first dive I noticed that my BC was leaking like mad and found that the inflator hose had been reattached to my dump valve without a tie-​wrap. The inflator hose actually slipped off when I went to inflate my BC (at 90+ ft) and water poured into my BC. I continued the dive severely over-​weighted (a potential disaster for a beginner) having to kick more than I prefer (I dive with zero lbs so no weights to ditch). A quick fix once back on the boat but not what one expects when a shop works on life-​support equipment. Steve’s may have excellent instruction and sell great products but I cannot recommend the service side of the business.