Village Divers

I just finished my pool session and loved it! I'm looking forward to the open water session. I think the instructor was cool -- I feel ready for serious dives. I'd recommend this instructor/shop.

All around good service, equipment and instruction. I'd recommend this shop to anyone.

I was in the same open water class as traveler106 and while our instructor (cal) was a bit gruff (and opinionated as another reviewer wrote), he's an experienced instructor. I didn't go there looking to make a buddy - I just wanted a knowledgeable person to teach me th...e ropes and ensure I could dive safely in the future. That's exactly what I got. I can't speak to whether Cal rips off customers. I did buy equipment from him and while it was a little more expensive than the stuff I found online, I felt like I was paying for his knowledge. All in all, I feel that I got what I paid for. Read More

i just completed my open water with village divers and had a great experience. the instructor was really cool and completely prepared us for future dives. i feel a lot more comfortable now with my skills. V Divers is a great place to learn!

I've been a client for 2 years and I'm very satisfied with the gear I've purchased, with the classes I've taken, and with the information I've received.\t\n\t\nThe instruction is top-notch. Because Cal and his team are all technical divers who use more advanced gear con...figurations, dry suits, double tanks etc, they're extremely knowledgeable on the basics and on advanced topics. \t\n\t\nI would sum up the Village Diver philosophy as: Spend your money once for gear that will last, learn how to use it properly, practice practice practice and then dive everywhere you can.\t\n\t\nIf you want to get into local diving, this is the place to do it. If you want to get into Caribbean diving, I would still take lessons here as the instruction is fantastic but you should make sure the staff know that up front so they can set you up with the proper gear. Given the number of technical divers that pass through the shop there's a tendency (as noted in other reviews) to push for the purchase of more advanced/expensive gear. Read More

Here's my take on things. Cal is a well-intentioned guy, who is easy to misunderstand. While he can be a bit rigid at times, he often acts that way because he is insistent that you learn things well before you move on to the next step. The longer you spend diving (and I... have about 16 yrs under my belt), the more you appreciate this. Scuba is fun, but it is dangerous if you don't know your stuff. So, can Cal be a little rigid? Yes. Is he a solid teacher? Yes. Do I feel safe with him in the water? Absolutely. \t\n\t\nHe has a preference for certain brands of gear, which tend to be top or near top of the line. You can look at it 2 ways. If you get into tech diving, you need the good stuff. In 150 ft of water, you don't want your cheap reg failing on you, or you'll die. On the other hand, if you are a warm water diver who goes to the caribbean once or twice a year, then you should probably go for cheaper stuff. You just have to weigh your decisions. Cal likes to do things a certain way, but that is because he knows it works. He has a solid troupe of tech divers to prove it. If you want to get into tech diving, he's a solid guy to work with. Read More