Got Air Scuba

Just finished my open water certification with Got AIr and they were great. My instructor throughout was Mike. He had us do the different skills until we got them right but was always helpful and encouraging. My wife bought a Groupon for the open water class and it was a great deal compared to other shops. I’m going to do my advanced certification with them in 2016.

John and Kim and Staff are awesome live breathe SCUBA! Some of the nicest folks north of the Mason/​Dixon.

The first time I met the team at Got Air Scuba is in May 2013. Kim and John was absolutely amazing with their knowledge and patience. My friends convinced me to take advantage of the groupon. I was terrified and was deathly afraid of drowning. They helped me get over this fear and guided me to get my Open Water Certification.
Today folks I’m getting my ADVANCE Open Water.
Bring it!
FEEL THE FEAR and DO IT ANY WAYS!!!
Got Air Scuba Got My Vote!

I used a groupon coupon for my open water certification and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My instructors name was John and he was awesome. He did a wonderful job at making sure he taught everything that we needed to know and really made it fun. He is very into the sport and it seems he just wants to get others into it as well. I ended up buying all my gear from them as well. I looked around online for gear and found they actually had better prices plus I got a free dive computer. I am planning on going back for my advanced open water training through them next year and he told me that if my friends want to get certified that he would give them the same price without having to wait for the groupon deal. bottom line if you are looking for great value with a wonderful passionate instructor look no further.

Terrible customer service! Snagged a groupon for a full cert including open water dives. Finished the classroom/​pool fine, but was never told there were only a few possible dates for the open water part or you LOSE YOUR MONEY. Nowhere in the groupon was it stated and never was I told about it by them either. When I finally called to schedule, John, the owner, told me it was going to be another $ 200 because my available dates had passed. I questioned the fact I was never told that or was it listed in the groupon, but was verbally attacked on the phone and was unwilling to do anything about it because he already had my money. Too bad, as I was going to purchase the rest of our scuba gear from them to support local business as I did with the mask. I will gladly pay the additional cost to get fully certified somewhere else.

I was calling around to see who had training and associated rental for the PADI Dry Suit and SDV/​DSV Specialty Certifications. I could not believe the derelict I wound up with on the phone from this place. First, it took about 3 minutes to explain what a SDV was (he called it a DSV — spare me! It’s the same thing!). They don’t offer the certifications and they don’t have any gear for rental. C’mon — if you’re going to be a professional dive shop, at least equip yourself for those of us who are looking for more than the basics to be able to dive once on an upcoming cruise. I am not impressed — it came across more like this was being run out of a spare bedroom.
UPDATE: The owner’s comment tirade just says volumes all by itself. For a few feedback notes, I offer the following:
*On the SDV/​DSV/​HIV/​XYZ (give him points for crass and unapologetic), I specifically mentioned a Bladefish 5000 — well known and every other dive shop knew what it was, even if they didn’t sell/​use/​train with it. Oh, and the Bladefish web site makes not one single mention of «DSV», so apparently I’m not as dumb as he tries to pass me off as, eh?
*They rent a «full line of gear» — but no dry suit, even when they offer training in it? Very unusual in the local area to offer training but not rental or even sale of the specialty equipment in question for training.
*Overall, the owner’s reply just reinforced the snotty attitude I received. Parent’s basement — gee, how original (sarc).
I’m a fairly experienced diver and he treats me like this. What will he do to you? Do you trust your safety to someone who acts like this? Things to think about…

The other reviews are spot on, these people are nice and their passion for scuba is contagious. The old adage find something you love to do and you will never work a day in your life comes to mind with the staff here.
The only thing I would add is that I used a groupon. Normally, when I use a groupon I am treated like a second rate citizen. This is absolutely NOT the case here, they are very accommodating as well.

Got Air Scuba is run by really nice people who absolutely live and love everything about diving. I absolutely loved my classes with them and the open water dives were a blast! If you’re considering getting certified in the northern suburbs of Chicago, I highly recommend Got Air Scuba.

Thanks to a Groupon deal, I am getting certified with John Zalewski and Got Air Scuba. John is patient, helpful and his passion for diving shows in his every move. This is a serious operation that provides a safe and comfortable environment for learning and practicing. All gear used was brand new and the entire staff was very accomodating. Tips: study well at home prior to the class and the sessions will be a breeze. Use their parking lot and avoid street parking, as Elk Grove Police is a bit less friendly.