I first went to Rami and Scuba Sensations about 5 years ago when I was looking to purchase some gear. I was so impressed with his low pressure approach and his genuine desire to find the right equipment for me and not to just sell me stuff. So I stayed in touch and eventually went on a dive trip with him - such a positive experience that I signed up for another. But what really stands out about Rami is his teaching. I did not know how incomplete my instruction was until I experienced learning with Rami. He takes the time to make sure you really know what to do and have mastered a skill. I credit him with really helping me become a competent and safe diver. You cannot go wrong with Rami. read more

I went into Scuba Sensations last night because my husband was looking for a new mask, we both needed snorkels, and I am in need of a scuba refresher before our trip to the Philippines next month. We didn't expect much given that it's a small shop off of the street, but we were actually quite impressed. The owner, Rami, was very nice and encouraged my husband to try a bunch of different masks until he found the right one. Rami wasn't pushy at all, in fact, he talked about the pros/cons about all snorkels / masks, whether there was a more expensive alternative or not. Scuba Sensations seemed to carry a nice selection of gear and we were impressed at the inventory in the store. We found prices to be very reasonable. My husband looked online when we got home and masks were the same cost online as he paid in the store (we knew we wanted to support an independent store, but knowing that we didn't get ripped off in the process is a bonus!). Rami was clearly very knowledgeable about the equipment and encouraging about our trip. I am looking forward to taking my refresher course with him in a week or so and I'll update my review if anything changes. read more

I'm going to make this review short and sweet. I did research on where to go and couldn't be happier with my selection of Scuba Sensations. I took a refresher course through them in preparation for a vacation, after not having dove in 15+ years. In 3 hours Rami and Steve thoroughly did the following: -Refreshed my knowledge -Regained my comfort level diving -Gave me peace of mind through the skills they taught that my future dives will be safe ones I particularly loved that even though we were done with the refresher and skill portion at 2.5 hours, they allowed us the remaining 30 minutes of free time in the pool to continue gaining comfort with the gear and being underwater. Lastly, new and nice equipment! read more

The experience of scuba diving with Scuba Sensations exceeded my expectations far beyond what I could have ever imagined. I started my certification with pool dives and classroom training in Chicago and finished my certification on a trip through the shop in Roatan, Honduras. Everyone I met, from Rami, the owner of the shop, to the dive masters to the people on the trip, were amazingly supportive, fun, funny, down to earth and friendly. I went into the scuba trip with people I hardly knew, had one of the most amazing experiences of my lifetime, and left the trip feeling like I had a scuba family. Thanks to Rami and the crew at Scuba Sensations, becoming scuba certified was easy AND fun. The trip to Honduras was coordinated so well and the people were incredible - it truly was one of the best trips I've ever taken. read more

We needed some diving gear last week before embarking on our vacation to Mombasa in Kenya two months ago as we intended to explore the Coral reef area and some refresher course as well. Yelp helped us find this shop that was not recognizable from the entrance. But once you were in, the tons of equipment were impressive. Meeting Rami was a great experience because he went out of his way to ensure that we got what we needed and allowed us to sample different types of gear while advising us on the most suitable ones to pick. We then embarked on the refresher course that got us back into shape and for sure Rami once again took us through the whole exercise with such personal interest it felt more like a friend getting us up to speed with scuba diving than a mere instructor. I was impressed by his personal approach. read more

I have been on 12 dive trips and 5 have been with Scuba Sensations. from the Bahamas to the Philippines diving with Scuba Sensations is a special experience. Rami leading the dive trip guarantees that there will be lots of laughter, professional support, and immediate connection with the fellow divers. Rami has a way of bringing out the best in his fellow travelers. Whether you come solo, as a couple or with friends, you will leave with new friendships, wonderful memories and amazing stories. I do not hesitate to recommend Scuba Sensations for dive trip opportunities to my friends. I look forward to future dive destinations with Scuba Sensations and Rami. read more

I really am super disappointed in myself that I've not gotten around to this review sooner. It seriously shocks me that Scuba Sensations only has 25 reviews on yelp. I can only assume it's because people think yelp is for reviewing restaurants as opposed to businesses. I went here to get scuba certified almost 3 years ago and I can't tell you how great an experience it was. Rami (the guy running the shop, teaching the classes, and doing the certification dives) is one of the nicest and most down to earth people I've ever met in my life. He's perfect for this kind of business and really should be doing it in a much more desirable climate where he can dive year round and live in paradise because he deserves it. He's a real people person. Never once during my certification process did he try to push merchandise that I probably don't need on me. Seeing as that's where the guy makes a majority of his money (profits are in the merch, not the classes) this was a refreshing treat compared to the other places I've ever taken classes for something at. Even years later I get personal invites via Facebook for weekend dives and overseas trips that he organizes out of the good of his own heart. The guy literally puts together amazing dive trips for free that you would pay a travel agent to do for you. He just wants everyone to have a great time and in his mind, "the more, the merrier." If you need a scuba certification or a refresher course to go diving, you won't find a better place or nicer guy to do it with in the Chicagoland area. Rami is great. He's an excellent teacher and runs a shop that has everything you need to go diving. He will even point you in the right direction if you just want to rent equipment rather than buy something from his shop. If I'm ever in a position that I need scuba gear, I don't care how far out of the way it is or if I could find it cheaper elsewhere, I'm going to Scuba Sensations just to chat with Rami and give him my business. Scuba Sensations is top notch! read more

This LDS has the ability to be one of the best in the Chicago - North Shore area. Rami, the owner, has a great personality. I have already taken one DAN class with him and hope to take more. He understands the concept that, "one size does not always fit all" in instruction. My daughter and I went with him during a Discover Scuba class. We had different needs (some refresher training for an up-coming dive trip), and Rami worked out things so we had everything we needed. It is exciting to find a business owner, in any field, take as much interest in customers and potential customers as Rami does. read more

Can't believe it's taken me this long to write this up (it's been over a year since certification)! If you've ever been interested in learning SCUBA, this is the place to go. Rami is the man and is a great teacher. He's also a really funny guy so that helps make the classwork less boring. Although he's a funny guy, he's serious about SCUBA and he will make sure you are comfortable and that everyone knows the plan before descending (pool or otherwise). We did our open water cert through Scuba Sensations and the certification dives were at the Haigh quarry in Kankakee. It made for a fun weekend hanging out with the other divers and the instructors. The instructors are all really friendly and fun to hang out with. My wife and I did our first ocean dives in Mexico this past spring and the divemasters said that we were excellently trained and that we should give compliments to our instructors. We both felt really comfortable and prepared thanks to all the dives, learning and preparation we had done with Scuba Sensations. Thanks guys! read more

If you're looking to do any level of PADI certification I would highly recommend Scuba Sensations. I went into the Open Water training not knowing what to expect. What I discovered was an awesome learning environment fostered by Rami, an extremely passionate and knowledgeable instructor and diver. Not only did he make the learning process fun but he encouraged me to take full advantage of the certification and dive as much as possible! If you're looking for diving gear Rami has a plethora of equipment to choose from for most any budget. He has a large selection of high end as well as an affordable selection of equipment and gear. We went with Atomic Aquatics for our fins, mask and snorkel. I will definitely hit up Scuba Sensations when I'm ready to purchase more gear. All in all I had an awesome experience! read more

Rami is the absolute best! First off, some of the greatest customer service I have ever experienced! I have been open water certified for 12 years and my experience with Rami and Scuba Sensations is one of the best I have experienced for my gear. *I did not dive with Scuba Sensations*. I did take my gear to be serviced after collecting dust for far too long before a big diving trip to the Cayman Islands. I took two regulators and a BC (all of different manufacturers) to Rami two weeks before my trip and he was more than accommodating for drop off AND pick up times. Even with the poor Chicago winter weather, he stayed open late to let me drop off my gear before my trip. When pick up time came, I was having an issue with picking up during regular hours so Rami opened the shop for me to pick up my gear! The prices were reasonable and living in the Northside of the city, it was difficult finding a shop near downtown that would service my gear on shorter notice. This was above and beyond all expectations and I will absolutely be using Scuba Sensations again! read more

I can't recommend Rami and Scuba Sensations enough. As a certified diver myself, I was looking for a highly qualified instructor who was good with children. I had my 13 year old son take Rami's PADI open water certification course and it was a fantastic experience. Rami is very customer focused, incredibly thorough and balances having fun with always being highly professional. He goes above and beyond... read more

All the reviews you've read so far are true, I cant say enough good things about Rami and Scuba Sensations. I met Rami at a local dive spot while I was taking my certification class with a different instructor. After meeting Rami I though I would check out his shop, I went twice. The first time I went Rami was not there but his wife was running the shop. I mentioned I was just looking around. When I left, she was busy with another customer at the time so I simply walked out. She cam running out of the shop to chase me down just to apologize she didnt say good bye to me before I left. I went back again a few days later to buy a dive log binder. Rami remembered meeting me and was happy to see me stop by. I informed him I was looking to buy all my own equipment but not for another couple of weeks. Knowing that, and that I was only there to buy a $20 dive log binder, he still took the time (almost an hour) to show me all the different gear, explain the differences, let me try stuff on, etc. I rarely write reviews on here but this shop was so good, I had to write one to let others know. I'll definitely be going back for my rental equipment this weekend, and then later in a few weeks to buy my own equipment. read more

My experience with Scuba Sensations includes the PADI Open Water Diver course, gear consultation and purchase, and the Open Water Dive Certification. Every class and every transaction was a positive, human experience. I always look forward to visiting the shop whether it is for a purchase, gear fitting, or practice a scuba skill. Rami helped me select the best gear for me, which I appreciated since I had never considered dive gear before. The classes taught me to be a self-sufficient, safe diver and I had a ton of fun learning scuba and meeting people in my local community. Rami's classes go above and beyond what PADI requires by teaching best practices which make diving more comfortable and fun. You are learning when you don't necessarily realize it, and you are certainly prepared to embark confidently as a new diver. I am thrilled with the prospect of diving and would recommend anyone considering gear purchase or classes to consult with Rami before making a final purchase/decision. read more

I came here with no expectations and to find some info for a trip that I was taking to the Florida keys. I ended up buying the course after a very informative talk with the shop owner, Rami. he is so passionate about what he does and it shows through and through. My pool sessions were great and intense. This guy is serious about teaching you the right stuff. The great thing is that Rami, an instructor himself, has a funny sense of humor. He put me at ease at every turn. Taking my mask off in the middle of a dive is not what I would call fun, but he made sure I was prepared and calm for any surprises. I can't say enough about this shop. They know their stuff and are great instructors. I plan on continuing to support this shop with my new found hobby. If you are thinking of getting into SCUBA, plan on visiting Scuba Sensations for some useful knowledge and some funny stories. Rami even set up my Open Water dives in the Florida Keys. read more

Rami is THE BEST for anything scuba. My husband & I just finished our padi open water certification. I cannot imagine a better, more well run shop than this. Rami's passion & enthusiasm is off the charts. If you want to really REALLY know what you're doing, Rami's shop Scuba Sensations is hands-down the place to go. Seriously, I can't say enough great things about this place and about Rami. Awesome experience, great people. Can't wait for the next certification class we'll take & hoping to join one of his upcoming dive trips. This is THE place to go for scuba. read more

I'm a scuba diver and have known Rami and Scuba Sensations for many years. I have had many positive diving gear and troubleshooting experiences that keep me coming back. Rami always has a smile when I walk in, and goes above and beyond each and every time to make my experience positive. There have been times where I am running late, but if I let him know, he's very willing to stay at the store longer past closing time to help me with my diving question/gear/issue. He strives to make it easier for his customers to the best of his ability. He's helped me with valve issues on tanks, re-adjustments on my bands for twin-tank configuration, dry gloves, and lots of basic diving/photography skills. I really appreciate the time he takes to show and explain things to me (about my questions), which is a great chance to learn and become a better diver. I think I learn something new each time I go there! More than that, he himself is humble and open to what customers may have to share about their experience so that he can learn from them. At the store, I've seen Rami's patience, experience, and humor come together when working with customers. While I haven't taken any classes through the shop, as an avid diver, I really like and respect how Rami pushes his own personal diving beyond his comfort zone (taking additional advanced classes for himself and his personal enjoyment), since that's going to show through during his instruction. I hope more (new and experienced) divers realize that the quality of instruction goes a long way towards becoming a proficient and confident diver. read more

If you're looking for a place to get certified (or take other classes I'm sure, I just got certified), there is nothing better around! Rami and his crew are awesome, patient and well versed in all things scuba. I bought a ton of gear here and will go back next time I need something. I only have great things to say and recommend them wholeheartedly ;) P.S. Rami loves waffles and if you bring him some, he'll let you sleep in a bit :-) read more

A trip with Scuba Sensations is like no other. Rami has the ability to gather people who have never met and turn them all into friends. I have been on 6 dive trips. 5 with Scuba Sensations. The diving is always good to great on a dive trip. Rami makes it special. Everyone becomes friends and has a great time both below and above the water. Even if you don't know anyone at Scuba Sensations, take a trip with them. You will be delighted. read more

Great place to learn scuba for PADI certification and buy gear! Rami and staff are very flexible and knowledgeable. The gear is competitively priced and there is a diverse collection to choose from. They are always there to guide you at every step of your scuba life. They also have a scuba community going and arrange trips locally as well as national and international scuba getaways. read more

I found Rami, the owner, when looking to get certified to dive on my honeymoon. He gave me flexible, one-on-one instruction with safety AND fun as the top priorities. I can not recommend Scuba Sensations high enough. I don't think you will find a shop in the city that will take the time and that cares about their customers the way Scuba Sensations does. Top Notch! read more

This is going to be a long review, so for those who don't want to read the whole things here's the short story: this is great place to shop, Rami is patient, knowledgeable, and honest, I have no hesitation to enthusiastically recommend his services (store or lessons), I would shop here again in a heartbeat, and if (when?) I do scuba certification this is where I will go, no questions asked. This review is about a year overdue, and even though Rami has nothing but 5-star reviews I still feel I owe it to him to write another one. My wife and I went with my father to the Galapagos Islands in December 2012. The person who was our point of contact in the Galapagos suggested we bring our own snorkeling gear since it would be cheaper than renting equipment down there. After seeing the great reviews on Yelp we went to Scuba Sensations. The three of us went on a Saturday, and my wife beat us there by about 5 minutes. When my dad and I walked in the door, we were greeted by the owner, Rami, who turned to us with a big smile on his face and enthusiastically said, "Galapagos Islands, huh? That's awesome!" He seemed genuinely happy for us to be going on this trip, and maybe even a little jealous as well. After getting over his excitement, the next thing Rami did was ask us questions about what we were planning/wanted to do, how much we've snorkeled in the past, etc. I really appreciated this because I could tell he was asking the questions so that he could give us better recommendations rather than just steering us towards equipment that would make him a bigger profit. Then, the service got even better. Being complete novices, we told Rami we knew little to nothing about snorkeling gear and put ourselves in his hands. He then explained that there is a wide variety of snorkeling equipment, in both quality and cost, and you basically can spend as much money as you want. Going to the Galapagos Islands is a once in a lifetime trip, and while we weren't looking to spend money just for the hell of it, we weren't going to be skimpy either. So, Rami starts out by having us try...the all-in-one $60 traveler's kit??? He explained that it's a good place to start, and if the all-in-one kit mask doesn't fit well then we can look at the more expensive a la carte options (where masks alone can be $200+) that have more variety in terms of shapes, fits, etc. I go first and try on the mask from the all-in-one kit, and when Rami asks, "How does it fit?" my answer is, "I have no idea." After he stops laughing because he remembers I'm a novice, he explains how a mask should feel when you try it on dry, and that while it's impossible to know how it will work underwater until you're actually there, there are a few tricks that will give you a pretty good indication if the mask will be okay. So, we try the "fitting tricks" and...the mask fits! Keep in mind, this is part of an all-in-one (mask/snorkel/fins) set, and I'm pretty much willing to buy a mask, snorkel, and fins that each cost five times as much as the kit if he tells me I need to. Instead, he tells me this mask will probably be more than sufficient for me. Somewhat surprised, I ask him what's to gain by upping the quality of the mask, and his response essentially was, "You'll spend more money." So my wife and dad go next, and his verdict for each of us is that the traveler's kit will meet our needs and that's there not much if anything to gain by any of us going al a carte. If there were any thoughts of shopping around, they evaporated. We did buy some accessories, but at no point was there any pressure to buy anything. Rami gave us information and let us make decisions. When we asked if we needed anything else, he didn't say, "you'll probably want," "it'd be a good idea to have," or anything like that. It was more like, "some people use [insert item here], and if you're interested I carry it, but you don't need it by any means." He spent a little more than an hour with us, and even though we stayed past closing time there was never any rush; Rami took the time to make sure we had all the information we wanted. All in all, the three of us spent a few hundred dollars when we were willing to spend upwards of a thousand. There wasn't any pressure to buy or upgrade anything and we walked out very satisfied customers. Rami is an honest and no-pressure merchant who loves what he does (ask him how he got in to scuba diving because it's a really interesting story), he lets the customer make informed choices, and offers products at a fair price. I don't know what else one looks for in a shop. BTW, the snorkeling gear did fit/work/do what it was supposed to do with no problems whatsoever, and the snorkeling was the highlight of our trip. If you've stuck with my review through the whole thing, thanks, I hope you found it helpful. Now stop wasting your time and go see Rami at Scuba Sensations. I promise, you won't be disappointed! read more

I recently got my open water certification through Scuba Sensations. Rami is great. He is very passionate about what he does and goes out of his way to make for a fun training experience. I will be going back to him for all my future classes. read more

I was recommended to Rami and Scuba Sensations through a friend- I would classify myself as someone hoping to take PADI certification seriously and learn it the right way. I was impressed with the experience. Rami was technically oriented and made sure we understood the fundamentals and safety necessary for a lifetime of good diving practices. He has a gift for teaching and always led into his lessons with the end in mind. Moreover Rami made the process fun. He and his staff are really warm, hysterical people. I walked away more excited for my next dive. Flat out this was a great experience- I would recommend to anyone. read more

I only have fantastic things to say about this dive operation. Here is a list of key points: -I have dreamed about learning to scuba dive for 20 years and my expectations of this experience were extremely high. The owner Rami and his staff exceeded those expectations. -Rami and his team take diving and safety very, very seriously, but they don't themselves too seriously, which creates a laid-back learning environment that is focused on safe diving and delightfully peppered with wise cracks and one-liners. -Rami is a hardcore diving geek and he surrounds himself with other diving junkies; this shop attracts some of the most passionate people I have ever met. The goal of this shop is not to certify you so you can cross scuba off the bucket list and never go diving after that, they are geared toward giving you the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to be a life-long diver. To them, the safer and more trained you are, the more fun you can have relaxing and enjoying the underwater world. -The pool sessions were superb. Extremely detailed pre-dive briefings and excellent one-on-one attention. I had questions about my dive computer and while we were underwater, Rami took the time come over to me and show me exactly what I needed to know on my own computer. -The classroom sessions were very fluid, it felt like we were just talking about scuba for a few hours, but the information imparted and the personal experiences Rami told us as a long-time diver were an invaluable part of training. -The shop has a great selection and is priced very reasonably. Within 6 months of my Open Water certification, I have a full set of my own gear, all purchased from the shop. Rami takes the time to explain each product, its functions, its applications and its benefits. No-pressure sales environment. Its all about learning the kind of diving you want to do and equipping you for that. He honestly does not care if a less expensive option is the right one for you, he wants you to have the right equipment for your needs, period, and he won't up-sell you into the priciest gear if you don't need it. He just gives you the information you need to make an informed decision and he lets you do the rest. I went and bought regulators from him on a Saturday morning and the dude gave me a doughnut. A DOUGHNUT! If that ain't customer service, I don't know what is. BOTTOM LINE: You will walk out of this course a safer, more confident and more skilled diver than many others who have the same Open Water certification as you do. Rami loves diving with all his heart and he wants to spread that joy to as many people as possible. I will be diving for the rest of my life thanks to the infectious enthusiasm and top-notch training offered here. If you have ever thought of trying scuba, don't wait 20 years like I did. Your dream shop is just a little ways north on Western Avenue. read more

Scuba Sensations is the BEST place for learning to scuba! There's no reason for you to shop any further. Rami and his crew are the nicest, funnest instructors you're ever going to meet. Their passion for scuba is completely contagious. It is important to them that you learn how to be a confident scuba diver and so with patience and expertise, they put in the extra time to get you there. I was reluctant to try diving and my experience at Scuba Sensations was nothing short of fabulous and rewarding. read more

I completed my advanced open water and dry suit cert w/ Scuba Sensations. Rami was knowledgeable and organized. He enjoys what he does and it shows through his teaching. He made it fun and safe. I wouldn't go anywhere else for future classes. read more

I don't have enough good things to say about Rami and Scuba Sensations. I just finished my open water certification and all the way through the classroom sessions, the pool sessions, and then the weekend of check out dives, Rami and his crew were extremely patient, knowledgeable, and FUN. Just all around good people. I not only feel completely confident in the skills I learned with them and super excited for my upcoming dive trip, I have some wonderful people in my life I can call friends. Thank you Rami, you're the greatest. ~ #1 :) read more

Scuba Sensation is amazing. My husband and I took our classroom and pool instruction from Rami and his team, and we just completed our open water dive today. We could not have enjoyed our experience more or be any happier. Rami and his team are great instructors. Equally as important, they are fun, friendly and fantastic people. If you are interested in scuba, this is your place. Big thumbs up to Rami, Joe, Steve, Brad, Larry and Kit! read more

I went in a few weeks ago to get some tanks filled. They do not have a compressor in their store, but the store owner (Rami) made a few phone calls to other local shops and let us borrow the correct adapter for our tanks so that we could get the tanks filled that day (as opposed to 1-2 days if we left the tanks with him). He really went above and beyond, and put our schedule and needs ahead of his business. read more

will get pissed at you if you buy your gear from another location and will not communicate with you anymore ... kinda stupid.

While I was somewhat interested in scuba diving, I was pretty content to be a snorkeler for life because I was nervous about scuba diving. My husband and I signed up for the Open Water certification class at Scuba Sensations, anyway. My fear and anxiety about scuba diving was in full force by week 2, and without Rami and Scuba Sensations, I probably would have been that snorkeler for life. Rami knew exactly how to treat me whether I needed to talk through my fears, realistic or not, for the first time or the tenth time, or whether I needed to hear a story or some other reassurance. He was so patient, and he somehow made me feel comfortable and safe, time and time again (not an easy feat!). Rami knows when to coach and correct you, and he realizes when you already know you messed up and in no way makes you feel bad about it. His small class sizes allow him to devote that personal attention and coaching to you; he really gets to know you. As the student, you not only reap the benefit of the extra time and attention, but you also do not feel the pressure of many students waiting and watching for you to finally figure out how to complete the skill. That made it much easier for me to learn some of the skills that were more challenging to me. Plus, you get more dive time and experience because you aren't sharing the pool time with too many other students. Rami helped me surprise myself with all of the knowledge, skill, and confidence I gained during my Open Water Certification; I'm so proud and excited to be certified! Throughout the course, Rami shared his personal knowledge and best practices to provide a truly comprehensive learning experience; he willingly shared his time and his knowledge to teach us more about everything from equipment to scuba techniques to suggestions on an upcoming scuba trip we have planned. We finished the open water dive component with Rami and his team as well, and I cannot thank them enough for the ongoing support, help, reassurance, tips, and laughs throughout our course. I'd highly recommend working with Rami from start to finish on your Open Water course, and I can confidently say that we will return to Scuba Sensations for scuba questions, dive equipment, and other courses (yes, visions of "just snorkeling" are definitely behind me). read more