Academy of Scuba Advantages

In the Phoenix metro area, there are approximately 20 dive shops. The one question that pops into everyone's mind in the middle of the desert is where do you dive?  A fair question from the novice or rookie diver. Hopefully, we are the "training facility" to help you find the answer.

With all the dive shops in the metro area, it is important that you choose the right shop for you and your family. Not all shops are equal nor is any shop the right shop for every diver. It's important to do your due diligence and find the dive shop that suits your lifestyle. When you pick the right shop, Scuba diving becomes a rewarding, life changing recreation for the whole family.  We believe the Academy of Scuba is a great place for you to start your underwater exploration.  Stop in, ask questions, take a dip in our pool, and LearnScubaToday.

With that in mind, you may be asking what makes the Academy of Scuba so special? We think the following list is a lot of good reasons.  But the best way to answer that is to give us a shot at earning your business. Come dive with us!  We think you'll like it.

The Academy of Scuba is Training Focused!
We are constantly striving to differentiate our training from the competition. We pride ourselves on exceeding the industry standard. We strive to give our customers more training for less cost. We are working hard to earn your continued business through our continued education.

The Academy of Scuba is a training facility that .... dives!
This isn't a philosophy, it's the way we live our life.

A lot of shops talk about diving. However, the Academy of Scuba is a collective group of divers. And, we dive whenever we get the chance. That's a lot of diving!

Phoenix has a lot of "local diving".  We consider Lake Pleasant and Lake Mohave to be the best training grounds in Arizona and we spend a lot of time practicing our skills and refining our art. Rocky Point and San Carlos are just 3 to 7 hours south of Phoenix and are the gateways to the Sea of Cortez, the body of water Jacques Cousteau called the "Aquarium of the World". It's an easy five hour drive to dive the world reknowned "Wreck Alley" in San Diego or just a few more hours to hop on a liveaboard dive boat in Catalina or Santa Barbara.

When we're in the mood to be a bit more exotic, Phoenix is a direct flight to the Mexican Riveria (Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco or Puerto Vallarta), or to the Riviera Maya (Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum). Uniquely positioned between Hawaii and Florida, you never have to leave the states to enjoy diving -- just pick a direction. A quick connection later and you are deep in the heart of the Caribbean or the South Pacific. In a way, Phoenix is a great launching point to some of the greatest diving in the world. It's not a matter of where you dive, rather a matter of where to dive. Every week, you will see our staff and customers heading off to one of these destinations. A true Scuba diver is happiest when he/she is wet!

What makes a great diver?
The Academy of Scuba understands the nuances of what makes a great diver. Simply put, it is the Three "E's". A harmonious balance between Experience, Education, and Equipment. We teach all of our divers how to achieve becoming a great diver. We start by providing them with the best possible educational path. We help through the right equipment choices to match even the most discriminating budget, and we help them find the best possible experience. Every dive professional at the Academy of Scuba works closely to tailor a path to help every diver reach their own personal greatness. This path is waiting for you! Whether you are brand new to diving or have been diving for many years, we can work together to make you the best diver possible.

State of the Art Facility
The Academy of Scuba is a full service dive shop. We offer an on-location heated pool with a large deep end, air-fills on site, a wide array of Scuba equipment from all major brands, showers, large changing and wash rooms, and a high tech classroom with digital projection and high definition televisions.

Additionally, all our lesson plans are computerized using the latest teaching methods to instill the most retention possible. Our materials are constantly being updated and maintained to ensure our divers are getting the most recent information. All of our rental and training equipment are state of the art and it is the same equipment our instructors use.

eLearning comes to Academy of Scuba
As a further commitment to our High Tech facility, the Academy of Scuba has embraced eLearning for the self study and knowledge development portion of your dive education. Our eLearning classroom features the latest content, online testing, interactive conversations with our e-Instructors, and much more. While you still need to complete your pool and open water training, our online classroom will be a great place for those with discriminating schedules. The Academy of Scuba is your 21st century dive center.

Extensive Agency Neutral Curriculum
Most dive shops are affiliated with a single agency. The Academy of Scuba is affiliated with most major agencies in the dive industry. Additionally, we offer a balanced schedule and custom tailor learning paths for each of our students. We offer this curriculum with bias to the student, not the agency. We keep your best interest in mind, not which agency flag hangs on the door. Arguably, no other dive shop in the valley offers such a diverse course offering.

Flexibility and Options
In today's 24/7 world, not everyone's schedule is conducive to the Academy of Scuba's course schedule. We understand that and will custom tailor a schedule that works for you. If you don't see a schedule that works for you, sit with one of our educational consultants and we will develop one that does. Scuba shouldn't be stressful, it should be fun!

Our staff makes all the difference!
Our dive staff are some of the best in the industry. We're not just saying that; their experience says it all. Our staff is approachable, friendly, sociable, and, most importantly, experienced. There aren't too many places where one of us hasn't dove. Additionally, our industry connections are vast and ready for you to benefit from. We love to dive and we foster a low pressure sales environment and a culture built around being a personalized resource for our customers. If good people are important in your selection process in choosing a training facility, we think you will find the Academy of Scuba staff a refreshing industry standard.

Family Oriented Dive Shop
The Academy of Scuba is family oriented! Most of our staff are parents and respect the fact that we want to have fun, we want to play hard, but we also want to keep it fun for the family as well. You can rest assured that the Academy of Scuba is a safe place for families and a good time for all ages.

Frequent Organized Social Events: All are invited!
Getting divers together is the best way to keep diving and have fun. Diving is an inherently social sport and usually the people who get involved in diving want to meet people just like them. No cliques, no private invitations, no drama, just fun and diving. Check out our social schedule and join us when you are in the mood to meet lots of divers.

Dive Equipment Manufacturers Association (DEMA)
Our management team is an active participant in DEMA. Every year, we trek to DEMA's annual show to learn of the new products being offered so we can unbiasedly educate our divers on the latest equipment in the Scuba industry.

Do your due diligence!
If you are a new diver, then we hope you will call around and inquire with the multitude of Phoenix shops and see firsthand the differences between the Academy of Scuba and others. Not all shops are equal! Our hope is you will choose the right shop for you ... not just the closest. We believe that shop may be the Academy of Scuba.

In either case, we look forward to earning your business. Thank you for your interest and consideration. Please contact us with any questions, concerns, comments, or suggestions. We love hearing from our customers.