I took the beginner Open Water course in preparation for a trip to Maui. (read ahead of time course material, went over material in class, plus pool and open water sessions). My primary instructors were Greg and Ken, who are very knowledgeable and approachable about scuba. Learning to dive can be fun, stressful, exhilarating, and tiring all at once, especially if you aren't as comfortable with your face being underwater. But Greg, Ken and the other instructors (whom are all trained as at least Rescue Divers, which itself is an advanced and much more rigorous course) all made me feel very comfortable. Any indication of frustration or annoyance on the instructors part was directly primarily towards the time constraints of the course, this may be interpreted by some as being directed towards the students, but it was never my impression that was the case. Whenever the students asked questions or needed help, the instructors were very accommodating and friendly! The instructors want to insure your safety and comprehension, as well as your comfort. They may joke around, but they never made me feel ridiculed for having information repeated or struggling with certain aspects of the training. They sometimes offer extra sessions for those have a tougher time learning. Once you pass your last dive (which is more fun/relaxed rather than testing), you'll feel accomplished that you are now a certified beginner diver! I can't say it was a perfect experience, but I can only attribute that to my own shortcomings and struggles, not the class. My advice is, do the reading homework ahead of time, be prepared for discussion rather than just non stop lecture, and try to stay positive if you are having difficulty! This is also brought up in class, and a medical waiver is required, but the course will be so much easier if you are in good shape. You don't need to be Michael Phelps, but a basic cardio fitness level will help, especially when walking up and down the cove entrance in full gear! Thanks Underwater Sports! read more

My son and I just completed our Open Water and Dry Suit certification. These folks were great getting us set up with nice equipment and Brian, our scuba instructor was great. Patient and knowledgeable, he made the experience straightforward and got us through the tricky parts of the training. If you are interested in scuba certification in the Seattle area, give these folks a try. Even if you do the final open water referral dives in warm water, take the pool classes here, as this is a great team. As a side note, August diving in Lake Washington is just fine - warm water and calm conditions. read more

Great shop and PADI open water certification program! Our instructor Kyle happened to be in store the day before and was super helpful in selecting the right personal gear. I got a nice set of fins, goggles, snorkel, and wet suit, all fitting and functioning well above expectations. I'll likely stick to warm water dives but glad to know this place is close by and has a well stocked inventory of gear and knowledgeable staff! read more

Underwater Sports - Confined water dive ! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Super helpful in ensuring we purchased the right gear for the expeditions my friend and I were going on at different points this year. Trustworthy, kind, and do not try to upsell; give you all the input you need to make the best purchase decisions. Hope to go diving with them in the Puget Sound one of these days... read more

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. I got my snorkels from here. They are super nice. The staff taught me tricks how prep it for first time use a s how to apply anti-fog. I wanted a different color that they didn't have in the store, and they helped me order it. It came in, and I actually didn't like them. The staff helped get a different color and was very patient with me. They also do scuba certs here, so they know their stuff from experience. I highly recommend this place for getting your underwater gear. read more

Such a great experience here! The staff was so incredibly helpful and went above and beyond in every way. I went in to purchase the PADI certification course as a birthday gift for my fiancé and I was blown away by the customer service Max provided. He was super patient, super knowledgeable and super fun to work with for a novice diver. He made a custom birthday/ gift card for me and ended up staying half an hour later than their close time without even blinking an eye! We went back the next day to compete the sign up and were greeted with even more hospitality from Katie, Spiro, and another wonderful person who's name I unfortunately forgot. All around, awesome experience. Can't wait to start diving!! Thanks guys! read more

Amazing PADI Open Water Diving class with instructors Veronica Monell and Mike Magnan. So attentive, patient, knowledgeable and supportive teachers. Feeling very lucky to have them as my instructors. Guys helped me identify my mistakes and learn how to correct them. Some of my mistakes required quite a bit of repetitions. We dove in cold January and I was a bit wary of cold water and air, but the classes were so productive and fulfilling, I did not even notice the weather. The scuba sport is demanding and having the right guide is critical, so I am glad that I decided to take my certification with UWS at Bellevue. Thank you, guys. You are awesome! read more

These guys are great. Max took care of us with gear rental and he was very polite and helpful in shaping our dive plan. We felt very confident in his hands. The gear was all ready to go when we got there and it was in excellent condition. Thanks Underwater Sports! read more

I just finished my advanced open water certification with Ken Moore. He was a great instructor: very knowledgeable, pleasant, and most importantly: safety conscious (besides a large tank, he also had a pony bottle for our deep water dive). I look forward to working towards high levels of training with Ken. For the shop, the manager Doug is great, as are the rest of the staff. Very friendly, helpful, and not pushy for sales. It is important to support dive shops, as they are invaluable sources of information and training. While Internet sales do affect their bottom line, I try to buy most of my stuff now from here. I will point out though, the Internet cannot beat their price for the Light and Motion Sola 1200 dive light (a really great dive light!). read more

OMGOODNESS! Just finished my Open Water Cert. and I am riding an Awesome momentous experience and Amazement. After getting passed the pool session (treading, laps), it was amazement at first breath...underwater! From the in shop staff to the awesome instructor(Jim H.) from the first step into the dive shop to the last step out of the water, today, with the completion of the Open Water skills session... Just Fantastic! Looking forward to earning the rest of the Cert through Underwater Sports. Gracias!! read more

I just finished my Padi Open Water Diver certification and I'm blown away by the professionalism and friendliness of the whole team involved in the course and the dive shop manager- Doug. Greg is an excellent instructor, very understanding and makes you feel calm and secure in situations where you can feel under pressure doing some of the drills that the course involves! Regarding gear, the dive shop is the place to be. Doug is extremely knowledgeable and always willing to answer all your questions (everybody has tons of them getting in that sport) regarding classes and gear. Check the place out, you wont be disappointed. read more

My 13 year old son and I got open water certified and had a fantastic experience with Ryan as our instructor. We feel like we got very thorough training and had a great time while doing so. read more

We went through Underwater Sports to get our initial open water certification. I'd say the communication was ok, not great. We had to call to confirm where class was being held, and then we also had to get driving instructions (not included in any of the confirmations) on where the pool was located for in -water training. The instructor was great, but the rental equipment is an absolute disaster. Torn or damaged BCDs (still usable, but iffy), and the same for wetsuits. Due to health issues, we were unable to complete our open water with our traching instructor, so we had to go another weekend with someone else from Underwater. Frustration here included, again, no confirmations on dates or times, poor directions to the dive location, extremely overweighted for our initial dive, and no checks from our Divemaster on if our weight was appropriate or if we were comfortable. All in all, a decent place to get your open water cert, but would never rent equipment from here again. read more

After trying diving in Hawaii. I contacted Underwater Sports to get my open water certification and was amazed at the service I received from the Bellevue store. They are truly committed to diving. The customer service I received from the manager is the best I have seen in a long time. read more

I love the staff here (Bellevue) . They're so helpful! I didn't train with them, but have been buying gear & getting tanks filled for several years now. I can always count on good service, answers & help figuring out issues. If the Bellevue shop doesn't know they find out for me. read more

Great bunch of knowledgeable guys (Doug mgr, Nathan, Greg and Tom) working there. I get expert advise on equipment (even though in this store stock is limited, but can be delivered from Seattle store), certifications, dive sites, boat dive sign ups and even photography (ask for Tom) . Equipment prices are fair if not better when comparing against another store in the area. I highly recommend this or any other Underwater Sports store. Steve K Marker Buoy Dive Club member read more

I was certified here and I would suggest them over all as they are professional and safety is a huge here. Alwsys great prices and deals as well. Close to home but the only down fall is the water is freaking cold in this area and you can't see 10 feet in front of you. The down size to all the training in Northwest is if you quit because of the cold water you lose your money. Fair enough but just warning to all. If you can't stand the cold then ger certified down south. read more

Took my gear to Underwater Sports in Bellevue for repairs prior to a dive trip to Belize. On my first dive, the equipment malfunctioned. I popped to the surface without a safety stop and messed up my ears; I couldn't dive for 3 days, missing 50% of the dives. Problem was the equipment was self-inflating. Went to the repair shop expecting a full refund for the repairs. The store manager offered to reimbursement me for a bad hose, about $15 which I rejected. I then spoke to a manager in Seattle who said the same thing and insisted that the equipment could have been damaged in transport. I told him that if that had been the case, I'd be going after the insurance company that was supposed to cover the repair cost of equipment damaged on the trip. Then I asked for his manager who was supposed to call me back but never did. Their poor work ruined my vacation and they aren't willing to make it right. I always thought this was a reputable shop but blowing me off demonstrates their lack of concern with customer service. I saved all year for that trip; I think the least they should do is refund the amount of the initial repairs, over $200. I will continue to pursue this. read more

I had the best experience with this company. From signing up for the class, to taking the class and completing the dives in the pool and the open water it was a positive experience. I have to plug my nose when swimming so I had a challenge to overcome that as well as my overall fear of being underwater and not drowning. :) The instructor Ken was amazing! His patience was much appreciated. We had great help with two assistants both named Dave. The teacher to student ratio was great! 3-1 or 2-1 depending on the skills being performed. All of the instructors were patient and explained what we were going to do and they showed us prior to each skill. I had to keep from having a panic attack at times and believe me if I can do it...you can do it! I am so proud of myself and I made some new friends too! If you are looking for a professional organization this is it! I did my research prior to signing up! Thanks again Ken and team!!!! read more