I got to experience a Discovery Dive through LSC last night and it was an absolute blast! I had been interested in Scuba but honestly never expected to actually try it, so when I got the chance through a Yelp event, I was SO excited! Before attending, make sure you watch the intro video- it's super informative and saves tons of time when you get there so all your time can be spent in the water vs going over all the information. Bob and his team were so incredibly helpful, welcoming, and were great coaches for those of us who had never Scuba-d before. We got into the UIC pool with wet suits and all our gear, went through a quick orientation with Bob underwater, then spent the rest of the time swimming around the pool. Scuba diving in a pool doesn't seem that exciting at first, but trust me, it is way more fun than you'd expect. Everyone who helped us was so helpful and nice, and they really made the experience amazing. What an incredible organization led by a great person. Will absolutely be back to get certified some day!! read more

Learn Scuba Chicago - Scuba Diving Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Loved learning scuba chicago. I took this course with my sister and we felt extremely confident about taking our dive skills into the wild!! Thank you to Amy for making sure we got our course done in time for our trip. And special thank you's to Alex and Sam for helping me get over my fear of mask skills. And their fearless leader Zach/Bob for coordinating everything. Would definitely recommend this course they make sure that you are prepared and safe every step of the way. read more

What a fantastic adventure! I was invited through Yelp to check out a free scuba diving experience developed by learn scuba Chicago. I came late and was honestly going to take pictures, but the volunteer instructors were extremely accommodating and even provided a suit and flippers to wear. This was such a fantastic journey and experience. I have never scuba-dived before, but the instructors were super knowledgeable and patient with me throughout the learning experience, from learning hand signals to what each piece of equipment does to simply how to breathe. Let me tell you that breathing underwater was the most challenging. I will say I felt very cared for by my instructor. She never pressured me too hard when I didn't get something the first time, but she demonstrated well and allowed me to take my time to get used to the process. Once we felt ready, getting into the deep was so much fun. There were weights and underwater toys for us to play with, all provided by Learn Scuba. Overall a lifetime epic experience I would love to try again. I highly recommend everyone try scuba at least once. Easy 5 out of 5 read more

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Terrible customer service and staff that have no idea what they are doing. I visited their shop a week ago to sign my two sons up for NAUI certification and a refresher for myself which was over $1000. -They had 4 staff members just hanging around in the shop but NOONE knew how to apply the student discount. -The following day I contacted them via email with screen shots detailing a technical issue with how they set up the online course. They put two junior certification courses down under a single diver! I also provided my dive credentials and that their course pass code for my refresher was not recognized by NAUI. I requested they call me back. After a week, no call back, no confirmation that they received my credentials. All I got back after 5 days was an email telling me to contact NAUI but no phone number, email, department. The place is over staffed but no one who knows how to do anything is working is working. I will not be referring my fiance, the 4 other family members who are divers there, getting equipment inspected or purchasing any equipment if this is how things are run. How can you trust the safety of your children to a place that can not even call you back about a technical issue? Im probably going to request they change our purchase to a referral because frankly, I now have little faith in their pool and open water portions of their training. read more

My kids (13, 17) and I completed our Open Water Certification with LSC this June. We had an adventurous summer planned with one shore dive in Maui, two liveaboards, and a coral restoration project planned over a 10 week vacation. Every guide we met remarked on how prepared we three were for our dives. We got comments on our safety habits, buoyancy, and general ease in the water. These guides were very impressed with our learning from Learn Scuba Chicago. We encountered rough waters over two days on one of our dives, and still felt prepared. I learned to swim in February and that new skill, plus the training from Learn Scuba Chicago, helped me feel unbelievably ready for the adventure. I am grateful that they prepared me and my children. This is a reliable place to get certified. PS The pool at UIC is cold! Wear the wet suit. Bensenville is a drive, but the pool is warm. Book your pools early! read more

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My daughter and I received our PADI certification through LSC a few years ago, and I just took a refresher course to prep for dives I am taking in December. The instructors are clear, friendly, patient and safety-minded. My experience was awesome, but I want to describe what I witnessed happen with a fellow student. He was on his second pool session, and during one of the mask skills he panicked and swam to the surface. One of the training instructors surfaced with him and talked with him, and he was soon back in the water. As I swam the pool, I saw our lead instructor also working with this student, and writing him messages. After we surfaced, I overheard the student thanking the training instructor and lead instructor for calming him down, reminding him to relax and take his time--this incident encapsulates the ethos of LSC. When I was getting certified, I had a lot of trouble with a couple of skills, and through patience and wise words, the instructors mentored me through. A great organization! read more

Getting my scuba certification was great with this group! They challenged me to try many different things to build my confidence in scuba, and they made everything fun and were super friendly and helpful! read more

LSC's certification program is incredibly well-run and the experience was terrific. While originally hesitant to sign up (due to time commitments, general open water anxiety, etc.), I'm stoked I did. Bob and his staff are top-notch: experienced, patient, and overall great company. The pool sessions are solid but the quarry days are downright all-American -- grilling, tunes, and sunshine in between dives. Not much more you could ask for. If you're considering a scuba certification, I would highly recommend LSC. read more

If you're looking to get scuba certified in Chicago - go to LSC! I was drawn to LSC because of their competitive pricing, their reputation as the only NFP scuba shop the world, and their reputation for giving back to the community and communities in need in Chicago; specifically, veterans, disabled divers, and low income divers. I was so happy to find that my personal experience with them matched all the wonderful things that I had read online. They have a welcoming and helpful shop staff, knowledgable and caring instructors, and are overall just a great community of people. I specifically want to thank Bob and his team of instructors for all of their one on one coaching they gave me to help me overcome my anxiety with mask skills. I struggled with this skill so badly the first session that I feared my dream of becoming a scuba diver was lost. I felt scared, embarrassed, and dejected. When I told Bob and his team how much I was struggling they motivated me by telling me what I was experiencing was normal, they coached me through the skills one on one in the pool, they essentially saved me from and talked me through several anxiety attacks, and they encouraged me to keep trying. I continued to have nerves up until my final certification and the whole team (Bob, Will, Clayton, Sam, and more) were right there asking me how I was doing and cheering me on. Not only did I complete the skills but I felt accomplished in knowing that I had learned how to properly manage my anxiety underwater while diving. Thanks to Bob and his team I feel fully prepared to go out and safely enjoy the open water! I'm living proof that with the right instruction and mindset - anyone can learn to scuba dive and I cannot thank LSC enough for helping me make this lifelong dream of mine come true. Can't wait to use my skills out in the wild and hopefully join the LSC community for one of their many upcoming dive trips, of which they do several to incredible locations throughout the year; just another perk of certifying with LSC! Bubbles up y'all and see you soon! read more

THIS is the place to get scuba certified in Chicago. The staff is kind, knowledgeable, and organized. I love that they are non-profit, and provide special deals on gear. LSC even organizes trips and dives for after you are certified. Shout to to DMC Sarah (sp?) who wears the purple swimsuit- she's an incredible teacher and an overall awesome lady! read more

Learn Scuba Chicago - Scuba Diving Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went in just for my coursework and certification, and left finding myself getting fully sucked into an expensive hobby in all the best ways possible. LSC takes pride in making sure scuba diving is accessible to those who wishes to join the hobby and provides a safe haven and community for scuba diving in the Midwest (where scuba diving isn't as big as somewhere along the coast line). The divemaster and instructors love sharing their adventures and knowledge to everyone and the shop managers are always available to answer any questions you have. It has been a lot of fun and a whirlwind of adventures since joining the LSC community. read more

LSC is a great school to learn scuba whether you are a beginner, like me, or have scuba dived before. My boyfriend and I just finished our pool dives so we can go to Hawaii with a referral and finish our certification. We did all of our dives at UIC and they were great. I think if you can get to the other pools you have more time but this location fit our schedule best. The guys were awesome, very patient and fun. I struggled with a few things but they worked with me and offered suggestions and I cannot be more excited to get to Hawaii to finish this thing! I was skeptical at first, since I have never dived but I felt very comfortable with the gear and instructions in no time. I would recommend Captain Bob and his crew if you have any desire to scuba diver, whether to complete the program here or in a destination of your choice. read more

Got myself the quintessential open water certification in 3 pool sessions and one trip for the final test in actual open water. Learn Scuba Chicago made it a painless, fun and smooth experience. I did the referral certification, meaning that I did the final test (4 open water dives) separate from the package. I took my records, flew to Indonesia and completed it there instead. Being a water baby means I'm pretty comfortable with water so I was able to do each session pretty quickly, but on average, it should take about 3 - 4 pool sessions, hashed out over 2 weekends or weekly for a total of 1 month. I always choose the sunday sessions at the Uchicago pool - there's always ample free street parking that's a crawl away from the pool. Plus, being a student, I also received a sweet discount. Even better, being a UChicago student meant that pool entry is free - more perks! It's one of those rare moment when I'm able to cross a bucket list without resorting to a ramen diet. Learn Scuba Chicago also has a store where you can buy the mandatory gears. Highly recommend buying with them since they price-match and lets you try all the gear for the perfect fit. Bonus advice: wet suit is not mandatory but I recommend purchasing one than renting one for $5 each class. For those considering NAUI or PADI, it does not really matter that much. You can go down a reddit hole, but long story short, both are interchangeable. In fact, I completed my open water dive with a PADI institute in Indonesia to earn my NAUI certification. The only distinction is that NAUI is non-profit and a bit cheaper in price. read more

A great experience that opened my eyes to the world of scuba! I went to Curaçao for my honeymoon and competed my open water certification there. However, my course work and confined dives with Learn Scuba made the open water certification seem like a breeze. Bob and the rest of the team did a great job getting me ready for my certification and my open water dives, which I will never forget. They are all very helpful and knowledgable and I would highly recommend them to anyone. read more

Learn Scuba Chicago - Scuba Diving Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Got my PADI license 14 year ago and haven't gone diving for 13 years...but planning on going in the next month, so decided I should probably take a refresher course. Did some research and LSC seemed to be a great fit in terms of location, cost, available dates, etc. I was the only one doing the refresher course (while others were getting certified), but they had different DMC's for us to be able to get personalized guidance through. It was really helpful to get a refresher about the gear and skills to use while diving. My DMC was absolutely so patient with me and I was so grateful! As someone who works for non-profits, it also doesn't hurt that they are one as well. They aren't pushy and very affordable. And the staff are volunteers. Kudos to the LSC team! read more

It's taken me a long time to write this review because I'm not a huge Yelper. I went twice and was really excited (invested a lot of money because scuba stuff is not cheap). My first instructor was really nice and patient, but the second person I had was a female maybe a bit younger than me. She was working with me (my second dive) and another girl (her first dive) and the other girl could barely swim let alone scuba or use fins. She obviously had to focus more attention on the other girl and was frustrated when we didn't catch on quickly. She really want me to learn how to inflate my vest y using my mouth so she unhooked it from the thing you do with your hand then swam away to go help the girl that couldn't swim. Since you're weighted down and it was my second time with the scuba equipment I couldn't get my head above water and started to panic because i wasn't able to inflate the vest by blowing into it. I'm not a bad swimmer - this was just new to me and I was panicking. Anyways I finally got my head above water and took a giant gasp of air and a different instructor swam over to make sure I was OK. I haven't gone back since and it was scary! Maybe I'll learn to Scuba one day, maybe I won't It just sucks I made this huge investment in stuff I might not ever use. I think the owner should've called and apologized or asked what happened. My advice is keep the different groups together - so if you are on your second dive, be grouped with only be people on your second dive. Also don't have the instructors swim far away from the students. read more

I really enjoyed my experience getting certified through LSC. All of the instructors were super helpful and generous while making the experience fun. I'd highly recommend them to anyone who wants to get into scuba! read more

My boyfriend and I were going on a trip to the Bahamas to snorkel (we're not quite scuba pros yet) and needed to pick up some gear. The owner of the store helped us find a few rash guards and even chatted with us about all the amazing places to dive. He really encouraged us to want to learn how to scuba (I'm also terrified of open deep water. Did I mention that?). When I ultimately overcome my fear and learn to dive, this will be my first stop to pick up all my new gear. read more

Learn Scuba Chicago is amazing! I am moving to Southeast Asia for 5 months so thought it would be fun to learn to Scuba dive. I love that this is a volunteer organization which is why I chose it. I took the PADI open water referral and am finishing it in Langkawi, Malaysia. I am very much a rookie and really felt comfortable from the get go. Sera helped me pick out equipment and was very patient with all of my questions. I was on a very short timeline so had to take the test a week later and passed. It took me 4 classes to pass the pool sessions. It was hard for me but the staff was amazing and really took the time to teach me. They are all patient and knowledgeable. I am sure I will be back for more certifications in the future! read more

Just got the PADI Open Water Diver certification just in time for the scuba trip I'm taking. The folks at LSC were great. The staff that teaches you in the pool and dives with you during the certification are mostly volunteers and LSC is not-for-profit so there's no pressure to spend extra money. The initial cost of the classes is expensive (but not more than anywhere else as far as I can tell) but it includes the classes and the certification (which discovered was going to be an additional $450 if I did it at my destination!). You'll have to buy your own gear but you're going to want that if you go anywhere anyway! Plus the shop sells it at a pretty good price. One interesting thing about the volunteers is that they're learning to be dive masters and instructors as they teach you the Open Water skills so there's a little bit of learning going on for you and for them. But there's always someone there making sure you cover everything! Be aware of where your pool dives will be. They do them at various locations around Chicago and in the suburbs. I did 3 training dives in 1 week at 3 different pools. Also, you may not want to wait until the end of the season like I did (certified Oct 1/2). More people are trying to get their certification in which means it takes longer to get through the classes. But a plus is that there are more people to meet! Speaking from personal experience, once you're certified you'll be looking to schedule your Advanced diver certifications and volunteering at LSC yourself. read more

I just completed my PADI Open Water Certification. I have nothing but good things to say about my experience. I found LSC to be extremely accommodating, the instruction was high quality, the pricing was fair, and the instructors were happy to be there. LSC has gone out of their way to find a multitude of pools where you can do the confined water dives, and you can schedule the dives at your own convince to work around your schedule. Although someone commented that scuba diving is expensive (it is!), I have found LSC to have great prices, with no hidden charges, and they don't nickel and dime you. When doing your confined water dives there is no pressure to finishing them quickly. I only needed 3 sessions to complete mine, but if I had needed more they would have happily let me come back for as many sessions as I needed to feel comfortable and safe at no extra charge. I bought fins from the shop, but changed my mind and exchanged them for different ones LSC special ordered. When the spring straps on those were too small, they exchanged the springs for larger ones for free. Getting to the store is a bit of a hike for me, but they were happy to bring the fins to the pool session for me and save me the trip. There were no extra charges for restocking, special ordering, etc. I worked with a lot of instructors during my training. They all seemed knowledgable. Everyone of them was very patient and willing to answer questions and review the material several times. Every instructor seemed genuinely happy to be there and sharing scuba with new students. Based on my experiences getting certified I am looking forward to going camping and diving with LSC next weekend on my first recreational dive as a certified diver. And I look forward to continuing my education at LSC. read more

I purchased a groupon last year, "*$139 for a PADI scuba-certification course (a $285 value)". It was during the time when they were opening the office, so it was a bit of a chaotic mess of boxes and such. No biggie, I understand they were just moving in. I showed up to get a required book. i was told to read it and I would be tested on it. That was it. No direction, no guidance, no study guides, etc. That is a lot of info to just take in and guess what to study. Hopefully they have changed this business practice to something more supportive now, but I don't know. I didn't proceed with anything from there, so I can't comment on their actual training or expertise. If they offered more support from the beginning, it might be worth the $145 for the 40 ft cert. This is another important piece to note. They have a Groupon at the time of this writing for $145 NAUI certification. This is some info they don't include in the promo, but they did email me to explain. NAUI Certification Groupon: A 40 ft certification limits you to diving with just a divemaster or instructor to a depth of 40 ft. Coral is at that depth, but most shipwrecks are beyond. 60ft (recommended) cert is $425 60ft is the most common certification in the world *(So if you want the "most common certification in the world", the Groupon is not the route you want to go.) Additional Note: They are a non-profit organization. The entire water staff consists of volunteers. They use the revenue from their able body training and gear sales to fund their charitable efforts with disabled individuals, Vets and kids with less opportunities than most. So, your money is going to a good cause. :D #GoodPeopleAlert read more

I just completed by NAUI Passport Diver certification and it was an amazing experience. I have wanted to learn to scuba for the longest time, but never really got around to it. Then a trip to Cancun came up and I read there were amazing spots to scuba (MUSA - Underwater Art Museum at Isla Mujeres!) Rather than waste precious vacation time to get certified at the resort, I looked into getting certified asap. When I was signing up for the pool sessions, I realized that I was in a bit of a time crunch because most of the classes were full, but LSC was super accommodating and put me on the waitlists and got me into the classes. I was a really nervous and panicked a couple times during my first pool session, but my instructor was really patient and helped me work through my issues. He taught me techniques to resolve my anxiety and made sure I was fully comfortable by the time I was done. I was lucky enough to have him for my second pool session and was able to complete all my skills in two sessions! The quarry was also a good experience and even though I started to feel a little panicky again, the instructor was able to help me work through my anxiety and I was able to complete all the skills and pass. Everyone I met and worked with were so accommodating and patient and really worked with each student according to his or her need. It was obvious that each instructor was genuinely there because they wanted to be, as a volunteer, which made me appreciate them more. Now that I've gotten my feet wet, (ha!) I definitely plan to get my NAUI 60ft Diver Certification once I return from my Cancun trip. I would HIGHLY recommend LSC for anyone that is even the slightest bit interested in learning to scuba. If you're unsure, start with the Discover Scuba and try it out! PS - thanks Bob for holding onto my earrings at the quarry so I wouldn't lose them during my skills tests! read more

Capt. Bob and Learn Scuba Chicago is awesome! I have already recommended them to friends, coworkers, strangers-everyone! Out of the water Bob and his crew are super fun and I loved hanging out with them. In the water they are knowledgeable, patient, clear, and it's obvious safety is #1. I just finished my Open Water certification and will definitely do at least my Advanced Open Water soon! Your search for underwater bliss is over. Go to Learn Scuba Chicago. Seriously. read more

I just completed my PADI Open Water certification. I originally bought a Groupon (which ended up expiring because I procrastinated so much) and upgraded to the 60 feet certifcation. It's worth the extra money because now I won't need to do pool refreshers in between my dives. It's not that expensive compared to other dive shops since LSC is a non-profit organization. My friend had recommended this place to me and I'm glad I went with LSC. I was hesitant since I live in the suburbs and didn't want to have to drive into the city several times for the certification but it was completely worth it. I took care of the written quizzes before doing my pool sessions. It's easier just getting that all out of the way first. When you first sign up, you get to rent a book from the shop to study up before taking the quizzes. If you return the book, you get another book for advanced certification & a dive table. I did my pool sessions at NEIU. The address they send out in the email is NOT the pool location. Just look up the Physical Education building on Google maps instead or else you'll end up wandering the whole campus like I did the first day. Depending on how comfortable you are in water, you could finish the pool sessions in 3-4 times (for the PADI open water course). But the great thing about the volunteer instructors is that they never rush you and would much rather have you come back for more sessions until you are comfortable to proceed with the next dive. There were plenty of instructors to help out since they are all volunteers. Most of them made a point to get to know every student by name. I got lucky on my last pool session to work one on one with an instructor since there weren't many students signed up that day. At the quarry, the timing is pretty laid back. You won't get an email til the Friday before your quarry dive as to what time you are scheduled for so make sure you keep the entire day open. You most likely won't start on time so don't be too worried if you are late. The DMC's go over each dive thoroughly before everyone gets in the water. I would suggest not waiting til October to do the quarry dives. I procrastinated and ended up managing to squeeze my pool and quarry sessions back to back all the way to the very last day they were doing their quarry dives. Bob was there on my last quarry dive to thank us for choosing LSC which I thought was a really nice thing to do. read more

First off, I'd like to say if I could give this organization 10 stars, I would. I decided to buy the Open Water certification on Groupon for Learn SCUBA Chicago (LSC) because the price was right. I have to say that the staff at LSC have all been awesome since Day 1. I was surprised to find out after signing up with LSC that this organization is a non-profit. This is particularly special because almost all their staff volunteer their time. This shows me that they have your best interest at heart and it's not about the money. Captain Bob (as they call him), is the lead instructor for the LSC really knows his stuff. He keeps learning light hearted while still making sure you know the material required to become certified. He teaches the material while using humor which I personally enjoy. I don't know anyone who likes the mundane monotone type teaching. The pool sessions after passing the online course work were easy to sign up for and the staff was always willing to help. The finally quarry days for check out dives were fun and not just something that had to be done to obtain the certification. We all hung out, they grill hotdogs and burgers for you and have a sense of camaraderie. I throughly enjoyed the entire experience and can't wait to be more involved with the entire LSC team. Thank you again! read more

Fantastic dive shop and PADI open water certification course! I completed my classroom/pool training with a different dive shop in NYC, and then finished my open water dives with Learn Scuba Chicago at Haigh Quarry in Illinois. And wow, did I notice a difference in course quality! Learn Scuba Chicago was extremely comprehensive in their open water training - very comfortable student-to-instructor ratio, great attention to detail for each student, and enthusiastic staff more than willing to help with anything the other divers and myself needed during our dives. I especially enjoyed the complimentary BBQ potluck lunch between our Saturday open water dives! Highly recommend LSC to anyone looking to get their PADI open water certification or any levels beyond. These guys are the real deal - decades of combined diving experience among the instructors, friendly staff, and top notch gear for rental during training. If you're looking for diving certification at almost any level, look no further than LSC. read more

For someone who hates the bottom of the pool, Learn Scuba Chicago was fantastic at getting me comfortable with being in the deep end of the pool. Capt. Bob and his crew were great. Stephanie was true help, she made feel calm and comfortable as I descended to the bottom of the pool. I did the Discover Dive and had plenty of time in the pool. While it took some time before I actually put my face in the water, Stephanie was calm and attentive the entire time. I'll definitely be back to do a few more discover dives though I'm not sure if the ocean is for me. read more

This was hands down the best experience I had in Scuba Diving lessons. I'm still shocked that such an amazing service can come at such a low price. The refresher course got me up and running prior after 2 years of no diving and prepped me for a dive trip of a lifetime in Belize at the Great Blue Hole. Working with Sarah, Ben, and Stephanie was fun and they were great teachers. Sarah whom helped get me set up for the class was easy to get a hold of, extremely organized, and prompt in helping me get the proper paperwork filed in order for me to make my dive and prepare me for it. Stephanie was patient, professional, and was able to adjust the tempo of the course to fit each individual students needs. Anyhow, the team is absolutely amazing. You can tell that they absolutely love what they do and they are confident in their skills, rightfully so. While we're on land they reteach a few basics such as hand signals and about the gear . Nothing overly complicated, they make sure you have the basics nailed down. You get to practice until you're comfortable and then off into the water! You can't beat the value you get with Learn Scuba Chicago read more

I had a trip planned to the Bahamas a while back, and got my scuba certification through this place. The guys were all very niec and patient, which was nice since some of us were a bit hard to work with im sure. The instructors seemed to care about the customers which was great. It wasn't as expensive as I thought it was going to cost either. Would recommend this place for certifications. read more

Learn Scuba Chicago is the Go-To scuba school! Capt Bob and his crew make the learning environment relaxed and fun but safe at all times. The online scheduling of your own pool dives at your own pace with various locations is a plus! Finishing your open water cert in the local quarries (not the best vis for sure) is a challenge for sure. But if you can dive in these conditions, the clear waters will be like a bathtub! Walker, Marj, and the rest of e team always provide personal attention even with 3-4 other divers. Check out the groupon deal for sure as this will make ANYONE want to dive! The group also provides monthly camping trips to dive sites with reasonable rates. Call them today and reserve your spot!!! read more

Capt Bob & all the DMCs are just amazing!! We just finished our open water certification & can't wait to come back for Advanced. I was never rushed into learning a skill. If I needed extra time, someone would take me aside to work on it. Everyone genuinely made me feel like more than a number in class. SCUBA is so much fun; but, the relaxed, comfortable & friendly environment really is more than you can ask for. I'd highly recommend the shop to anyone looking to learn to dive. I will hands down keep returning for all my diving needs. read more

Learn Scuba Chicago, is one of the best schools in Chicago to get padi certified. Everything from Capt. Bob, to his staff, all the way to the locations where you actually train at is great. Capt. Bob - is a unique character, both fun loving and absolutely concerned about your experience and of course your safety. He makes you feel comfortable as he briefs you before you even start your program. His welcoming demeanor assures you that you can ask any questions or be nervous without any worries of how you might look. Not to mention his funny stories that he loves to tell. Staff & DMC - This is where Learn Scuba really shines. Bob is selective in who h chooses to be on his staff and in his dmc program. These are the individuals who you spend most of your time with learning from. They are ALL very fun, informative, and great people. They all make you feel comfortable both in the water and outside of the water. Everyone you encounter always has a smile on your face and makes you feel like a scuba all star when you complete your skill sets. My hat goes off to all of them, if it wasn't for them My wife most likely would not have felt as comfortable about some of the skills you must do in order to become certified. Locations - LSC has several pool locations throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. While some might be outside of Chicago, they are worth the drive since you get a considerable amount of time in the pool once you are there. The quarry where you complete your open water dives is great also. This location is not owned by LSC but used by them to finish the course. Great location with parking, picnic benches and a great body of water to dive in even after you finish your program. LSC, has also teamed up with Warrior Scuba Project to provide scuba programs to disabled veterans. This is a great program, since we owe our veterans so much for defending our freedom. Overall it was a great experience, my wife and I loved every minute of it. Personally we would like to say thank you to Ashley who my wife and I spent most of our time with. She was awesome to train with and helped my wife overcome some of her fears. Stephanie, for being an awesome instructor, Marj is really the brains of the operations, thank you so much to her for fitting us in we could get certified before our big trip to Hawaii. Thanks to all his staff we had a chance to work with over our time with them, aaron, eric, i cant remember all the names right now, but of course Capt. Bob for providing this great school. read more

We completed the open water PADI certification. We were ecstatic at the level of competence the DMCs and Captain Bob had in teaching the course. We felt safe, secure, and never felt rushed throughout our learning process. I had struggled a bit on my second day at the Haigh Quarry, and Hector, DMC, was patient and thorough ensuring my safety was a priority. It was great having that level of personalization. Cheers to LSC! I look forward to diving with your crew more on excursions and volunteer opportunities. read more

The first thing to know about LSC is that they are extremely flexible. Classes are held on weekday evenings or weekends at 3-4 locations around the city. Flexibility also applies to them allowing you to learn at your own pace and allowing you to come back and practice skills until you feel comfortable. The groups for each skill set are usually 2-4 people and the training leads are extremely patient and helpful. I can't speak more highly about LSC. A truly great not for profit that succeeds at its mission. read more

I got my Advanced certification with LSC last year, and had a great time. Though the quarry was freezing! I was the only Advanced student signed up for that day, and got to work with the Instructor (Walker) one on one. I signed up for one of the camping trips to finish my certification, and had a great time. The LSC staff was great about getting my certification dives/skills in, even when I took a long time or wasted a dive because of nerves. The instructors and DMCs at the time were very patient with me and helped me remain calm. I actually liked the group and diving so much that I joined Captain Bob's crew as a DMC the following season, and now I get to help students get comfortable with diving while also furthering my experience and skills! I definitely recommend LSC to both inexperienced divers wanting to get certified or just test out the waters, as well as experienced divers wanting to further their certifications or just travel with other fellow divers (on weekend camping trips, as well as week-long destination adventures). I'm constantly telling my family and friends to get their certifications with LSC. I think the thing I like best about them is that they recognize that scuba diving is a fun, recreational sport; it's important to teach the students the necessary skills and make sure they feel comfortable diving, but there's no reason you can't have fun at the same time! read more

What a great experience! Jack, Sarah and the entire team at LSC were awesome! I highly recommend them for your SCUBA certification. They're super nice, very responsive, helpful with picking out equipment and just a pleasure to work with. Can't say enough...so I'll stop! read more

Learn Scuba Chicago was super awesome and considerate of my needs as a beginner. I first called the office when I saw the Groupon and wanted more information. The manager, Sara was so sweet and helpful that I had pretty much made up my mind to go with LSC by the time I got off the phone. I also had a tight schedule trying to get my referral done before leaving on vacation and both the dive instructors and Sara were really great working with me to help me finish everything in time. All of the instructors were super considerate and friendly. I was impressed with the number of instructors/skilled divers in the pool at a time. This meant that if people needed individual attention they received it. The instructors paid close attention to how each diver completed the exercises and gave individualized tips and comments which were very productive and helpful! The instructors were very patient, understanding and fun! A big thanks to the whole LSC team, I had a great experience! read more

This is a great shop with awesome NAUI teachers. Jack the manager was very helpful in guiding me through my nitrox and open water cert course sign up. All of the NAUI instructors they have volunteering are fantastic to work with and knowledgeable. Highly recommend. read more

When my now-husband asked me if I wanted to get scuba certified before our honeymoon, I wouldn't sure if I would be able to do it .... but Learn Scuba Chicago made it so. I can't stress how awesome the staff and instructors are. They are knowledgeable, patient, compassionate, and able to work with students who take right to the water, as well as those (like me) who need extra time in the pool to feel comfortable. Thanks to this team, we had amazing ocean adventures in Hawaii, and even got to do the manta ray night dive in Kona! (If you told me six months ago I'd be swimming around in the dark with giant sea creatures, I would have called BS.) Thanks, LSC, for giving us a wonderful new sport we can enjoy together for years to come! :) read more