Pirate’s Cove Diving Inc

I have used this store for many years with great success and can only say great things about the staff and support. I learned to dive here in 1969 and have been diving and teaching others to dive for many years. I’m not an employee but an independent P.A.D.I. instructor. Equipment sales and service, air fills, and a great resource for local diving. Equipment prices are competitive and they know the industry very well and can get you any equipment if they don’t have it in stock. Yes the shop is small but there is great value here.

There was no Air conditioning on and it was in the upper 80’s. It had a horrible odor when we walked in. We left.

I got certified in another scuba shop in Milwaukee (Brookfield to be precise) and I was pretty happy with it until my boyfriend got certified at Pirate’s Cove. They let me use the pool to lap swim during the pool classes and dive in the lake with them for the open water dives. So I am able to tell you that both places are totally different !
My boyfriend decided to get certified there as their prices are lower, and the shop is in the city. I got horrible memories of having to drive 30 minutes twice a day to get my equipment in Brookfield, bring it back at night, and doing the same the following day. Your instructor at Pirate’s Cove will do this for you which will save you a lot of time and energy !
Pirate’s Cove is a small and more old school place. It could scare you at first, even more when you’re new to scuba. But you quickly change your mind when you start the training. My boyfriend’s instructor was Mike. Super nice guy, knows what he’s talking about. And most of all you can tell that he loves what he’s doing and that he’s not doing that for the money. I would say this is what I really like about this place. They just want you to have a good time and they’re not trying to take your money. I rented my equipment for the lake dives for $ 25 (everything included). We decided to go diving the following weekend and we just kept everything for an extra week for $ 50. If you look around, you will realize what an amazing deal this is.
I used their Lake Michigan Charter once for my Advanced Open Water certification. It was great and we will probably go back this summer — now that I have a well-​trained buddy They will also include the Lake Michigan dives in your Advanced Open Water if you decide to take it. I paid an extra $ 110 for those dives at the other shop. I guess that the fact that Pirate’s Cove owns the boat is a big advantage.
If you are looking for a laid back place to get certified with instructors who will make everything they can to make sure you have a good time without spending crazy money, then this is the place for you !

Scuba diving + Milwaukee = does this make sense?
Yes, yes it does.
I can’t speak to the scuba diving part of this whole shebang, but what I can speak to is Jerry’s depth of knowledge when it comes to diving, the Great Lakes, and super cool MKE history.
(Depth of knowledge… get it? Depth? Scuba diving?!?)
Sorry.
So Pirate’s Cove is this dive little shop on Oklahoma that specializes in gear and charters and whatnot. I really would have no occasion to go to here, as I’m no scuba diver and my claustrophobia when it comes to weird breathing situations really seems to suggest that I’ll never be one. That said, this place is wicked cool, because who thinks of scuba diving and MKE in one breath? Not me before visiting Pirate’s Cove, that’s for sure.
(One breath… get it? Breath? Scuba diving?!?)
So how in the name of sweet baby Jesus did I end up here?
A Unilocal-​related neighborhood tour, of course! Christina L put together a fabulous tour of her little known but much beloved Morgandale ‘hood in January, and we got a chance to check out some super cool, under the radar local businesses just west of Bay View as a result… Pirate’s Cove being one of them.
Jerry knows ALL THE THINGS about shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, and listening to him talk about maritime underwater property laws and MKE history? FASCINATING. This dude knows what’s up when it comes to scuba diving, that’s for sure. He’s fun, funny, knowledgeable, and approachable.
So while I can’t speak to gear prices, charter costs, or anything else, I can speak to Jerry… when I visit. (Har har.) Really though, Jerry is a treasure trove of knowledge and information and he’s a super nice guy. Should you have any questions or want to learn more about scuba diving in the Great Lakes, Jerry’s your guy and Pirate’s Cove is your spot.
(Treasure trove… get it? Treasure? Scuba diving?!?)

I met Jerry and visited his shop as part of a Unilocal neighborhood event. I can’t stop evangelizing about him to everyone I’ve talked to since, so I need to write a review.
I have not been scuba diving but I’ve been snorkeling. I was also raised as a water sprite by parents who were both lifeguards, swimming instructors, scuba divers, certified sailing instructors, lakefront cottage owners… you get the drift. At a later point in life I hope to take up this hobby… admittedly in warmer climes.
The scuba lesson and certification part is an important part of what this shop offers. But what makes Jerry and his shop amazing is his knowledge of the Great Lakes, the shipwrecks and the understanding of what lies below the surface of that gorgeous body of water that’s a few blocks from my door. I was fascinated by the stories he told of finding and mapping numerous shipwrecks.
Jerry apparently is a guest on local and national public radio stations often and if you get a chance, dial in. If you want to learn more about scuba diving Pirates Cove is a good place to start because they have all the stuff!

They do just about everything, but the problem is they don’t do it very well.
As far as Lake Michigan charters for wreck diving, they are pretty much the only game in town. This is their strength. You will get taken to the scheduled wrecks, you will get moored up, and you will be mildly assisted in and out of the water. If you have a close call, like we did when we almost ran out of air on the Milwaukee, you will be chastised and teased by the staff instead of helped and treated with respect.
The shop is tiny. The sell some gear, but it is extremely marked up.
They do certifications, but the instruction is nowhere near that of a 5 star shop. I did not know this until I took classes at other dive shops.
Go here if you want to dive the Great Lakes, but don’t expect much.

UPDATE:
After 8 months I figured I would call the shop to find out what happened to my tank. The person I spoke to on the phone said oh yeah we have it right here its been ready for a while. I asked why they didn’t call me when it was ready and was told that they couldn’t possibly call people when their equipment was ready they were far to busy and that they would be on the phone all day. When I went to pick up the tank from the shop I noticed that they were so extremely busy that the place was completely deserted. I would exercise extreme caution with this business as they seem to lack any professionalism and obviously do not take running their business seriously. I would recommend using them only as a last resort as they received their last business from me permanently.

The best Lake Michigan diving! Jerry knows all the best dive sites. The «Lender» may not be the fanciest dive boat… but Jerry and his crew are the best!