The Dive Shop

This shop is just outside of downtown on Macleod Trail. The knowledgeable staff is younger than some of the other dive shops, and have newer experiences.
The place is clean, well kept and I have done the splash here 5 times. The pool is large and clean.

Oh, the Dive Shop. I had a great experience here getting my PADI OW certification last summer. The thing I love about this shop is that the staff is young, and fun. There were countless Hooters and Back Alley jokes that made the classroom portion so much more fun.
My classroom instructor was Chantal. I’m not sure if she still works there, but she was fantastic, and very professional for her age. Although she’s younger than me, she boasts a very impressive CV, and is full of knowledge about dive equipment. My OW instructor, Sean, is pretty hot. But once you’re under water and he’s wearing his drysuit, hood, and mask, you can’t tell the difference. At least you won’t be distracted by his good looks, and you can focus on his instructions instead. (Ladies, he still works there.)
The Dive Shop has pretty decent facilities. The retail shop is large, the change rooms are clean, but the pool? Oh god. That is a different story. It’s absolutely disgusting, but I loved it at the same time. They don’t drain the water every night, so you see floaties everywhere. They just dump a bunch of chlorine (or whatever they use) in it. I don’t know what the standard is for scuba training pools, but it was gross. It was an ongoing joke for the whole weekend.
I recently reviewed Aqua Sport Scuba Centre, and gave it a recommendation. I would definitely recommend this place too. There aren’t very many options in Calgary, but these two are the most reputable by far. I will continue taking courses at the Dive Shop because the staff is professional but fun, they have a nice facility, and I could really care less about the nasty pool. The only thing that I wasn’t impressed with was the lack of training with dive tables. I know that almost everyone uses dive computers now, but when I was diving in Vancouver with Edge Dive Centre, they were surprised that I didn’t know how to use dive tables.

If you want to become a certified diver in Calgary in a fun, professional environment, then head to the Dive Shop. That’s what I did, and I’ve been reaping the exciting rewards ever since. I never thought I’d learn how to scuba dive in a stripmall across from a Hooters, in the dead of winter, in Calgary, but alas, I did. That’s because the Dive Shop boasts a FIVE STAR training facility, with a newly renovated pool, change area, and classroom. The instruction I received had me well prepared and confident by the time I made my first open water dive in Cancun.
Besides offering courses for beginners, they also offer courses for more experienced divers, and they have all the equipment you need available for purchase in their store. Moreover, if you want to put your new found skills to use, the Dive Shop has a travel division, which specializes in arranging exotic dive vacations.

Dive in to every diver’s dream, at the Dive Shop.
Undeniably the location with everything you need for diving; masks, snorkels, apparatuses, oxygen tanks, dive suits of every size and texture and flippers.
Not only can you get the equipment here they will even teach you how to dive. Choose from basic snorkelling at $ 30 to open water dives to $ 150. They even have a bubble maker’s class for the kiddies.
Choose the Dive shop it ain’t no dive!