Our monthly eNewsletter keeps you up-to-date on training programs, products, services and dive travel opportunities offered by Central Connecticut’s premiere dive center.
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Thank you for taking the time to complete Scuba Shack’s Quality Assurance feedback form. The feedback you provide is reviewed by the training director and Training Council to help improve our programs and ensure a great experience for all Scuba Shack divers.
Overall, combined results are shared with instructors, but we generally do not provide results with student names to instructors unless you specify you want us to do that in your feedback.
Effective Jan. 1, 2011, Scuba Shack’s Drysuit Diver program has been replaced by the GUE Drysuit Diver class. Scuba Shack’s instructional staff worked closely with the GUE team to develop and implement the new course.
Class Fee
Call Scuba Shack for pricing. Group rates available.
The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty Course will provide you with the knowledge and experience to begin your wreck diving adventures. You will learn the safety considerations for navigating and exploring wrecks, how to survey and map a wreck, how to use lines and reels to guide your exploration and techniques to avoid kicking silt or disturbing the wreck.
Your first dives will be at Dutch Springs on Sept. 14 & 15 to develop the basic procedures for wreck diving. With this knowledge and experience, you will be set for two dives on the wreck of the Chester Poling off of Cape Ann in Gloucester on Sept. 21.
You must be a PADI Adventure or Advanced Open Water Diver to participate.
The cost of this class includes the course fee, PADI Wreck Diver manual, and certification card. Please call for pricing.
You will be responsible for all of your own gear including a computer, compass and dive light, a slate or wet notes, and a line and reel. Additionally, you will need to fill out a medical statement that may require a physician’s signature and a liability release form prior to participating in the class.
Space is limited, so please sign up by Aug. 15. A pre-trip meeting will be held at Scuba Shack . Call (860) 563-0119 and reserve your spot. Bundle this class with our August Deep Diver Course and save.
Divers are responsible for their own lodging, meals and admission to Dutch Springs. Admission to Dutch Springs is $45 per day.
Divers are also responsible for their charter fee to the Chester Poling of $90.
Scuba Shack has a new opportunity to introduce divers to the Doing It Right (DIR) holistic approach to scuba diving. You have three opportunities to participate in the program – July 13, Aug. 10 or Sept. 14.
This introductory course includes three dives at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. You’ll be outfitted with a Halcyon BCD and long-hose regulator configuration. The three dives will introduce you to trim and propulsion with a focus on the frog kick. Each dive is designed to promote basic confidence and competence with the equipment and control.
The three dive package including instruction, usage of a Halcyon BCD and long-hose regulator is $145 per person.
Participants are responsible for bringing all other scuba gear including:
Rental packages are available, but you’ll need to make your rental reservation in advance.
You’ll also need to cover your admission fees to Dutch Springs ($45 per diver, per day), lodging and meals.
Contact us today at (860) 563-0119 to register for the program. Space will be limited.
Scuba Shack had a group of 11 head out to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos on Oct. 20 to dive with Dive Provo. And what a week! The weather was spectacular. Sunny and in the low 80s every day. We did some diving in West Caicos – Amphitheater and the Crack, two days of diving at French Cay, and also spent a day in beautiful Grace Bay.
We had swim throughs and beautiful walls, with Caribbean Reef sharks cruisin’ by on every dive. Lots of lobsters, and a couple of large turtles, one of whom sat and posed perfectly for us. Another day we had a small nurse shark who followed our group from beginning to end. And then showed up at the next dive site!
On our boat trips returning from French Cay we were treated to some stunning turquoise tinted clouds, reflecting the beautiful turquoise water below. And some curious dolphins. Magnificent!
Afternoons were spent with friends, new and old, lounging on the beach, taking a nap by the pool, a little sightseeing, and maybe an adult beverage or two. It was a very relaxing week.
We had dinner in some interesting locations. Danny Buoys, which was all decked out for Halloween, Mango Reef located in the marina and Somewhere Cafe, a breezy little place located right on the beach. Coco Van, an Airstream Trailer converted into a gourmet food truck, located in a grove of coconut trees and the Fish Fry, where there were lots of interesting Halloween costumes.
Thanks to our Dive Provo crew – Morro, Caroline, Selma, Pablo and Alan and everyone in the shop. Diving with all of you was such a pleasure.
Check out Scuba Shack’s upcoming travel in the Travel section. Next up – Cozumel, February 2019.
Scuba Shack Weekly – Volume 1, Number 13
Black Friday is over. Small business Saturday is behind us. And the Christmas commercials are a little overwhelming. I wonder just how many cars people really buy at Christmas time.
We are in full maintenance mode here at the shop. After a very long and busy dive season, we now have a several weeks to get all of our gear serviced and ready for 2019. The van has been unloaded and all of our tanks will be inspected. Our regulators will be serviced as required and all BCs inspected and made ready for the new season. And that’s not all. The maintenance shop is also very busy servicing full-face masks and regulators from our public safety clients.
One of the skills we teach during our open water course is the giant stride entry. We do this because most of our dive adventures start from a boat. By the end of the course everyone is fairly comfortable with the giant stride. We also talk a lot about safety stops. During the classroom we discuss the various equipment that the boat may provide to make our safety stops easier and less stressful.
On our trip to Turks and Caicos I was able to capture some pictures of what this equipment looks like underwater. First there is a hang bar that is off the side of the boat at approximately 15 feet. Just make a slow ascent and “hang out” for three minutes. Dive boats also typically have a line off the stern with a buoy ball and suspended from the buoy ball is a line with weights on it. This is another place to hold on if you need to steady yourself.
A final safety measure provide by the boat may be a regulator (also called a hooka reg) at safety stop level should you run low on gas. This equipment is there for safety but one of the best safety options is to dial in your buoyancy and relax on your safety stop.
I came across a short article on Dive News Wire about a new book called The Airplane Graveyard. I would call this a coffee table book that combines military history and scuba diving. If anyone has it, I would be interested in your thoughts on the book.
Hopefully we will see you around the shop in December. Come by for “hot stove” scuba any time.
Thanks for tuning in,
Jeff
Scuba Shack Weekly – Volume 1, Number 16
Five days to go until the big man does his thing and delivers all those wonderful presents under your tree. Don’t forget the milk and cookies.
We are wrapping up 2018 here at the shop. Businesses have a lot of year end activities and we are no different. We are however going to take a little three-day break for Christmas. The shop will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year. The last day that we will be open before the holiday is Saturday, Dec. 22.
Science is a wonderful thing and keeps us moving forward. We have been carrying a brand of sunscreen at the shop for a number of years with the goal of helping protect coral reefs. This topic of “reef safe” sunscreen is hot (no pun intended) and we are now seeing laws that ban sunscreen that is not “reef safe”. Needless to say there is some confusion so I did a little research and as you know we like to keep things simple here at Scuba Shack. Here is the low down – avoid sunscreens that have oxybenzone or octinoxate and use one that has zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
There is more – ensure that the minerals used are non-nanotized – that means the particles are not too small to be absorbed by the coral. Our new choice at the shop is Stream2Sea, arriving this week. Another great benefit is that the tubes are not plastic – they are made of sugar cane resin. We continue our commitment to the health of the ocean.
We have finally gotten the remainder of our 2019 dive travel up on the website and trips are now open for booking.
Nassau is the same great price and value as last year. The Little Cayman trip in October (all inclusive, air, hotel, diving, meals, airport transfers) is filling up fast. Last count we had 10 already signed up with a maximum of 24 divers. Little Cayman is extremely popular and your trip leaders will be Jeff, Donna, Monty and Matt – yes, we are all going.
Our spring trip to Key Largo is also posted. Come join Matt and me on this fly and dive. Check out all the travel details on our web site.
Happy Holidays from all of us here at Scuba Shack.
Thanks for tuning in,
Jeff
With an eye to expanding education, repair, service and fulfillment, Scuba Shack now has a more extensive service area and a streamlined showroom. We have dedicated areas to Recreational Divers and Public Safety Teams.
In addition to a wide selection of gear, our showroom area also contains a classroom, dressing room, and Sunny, our official greeter and unofficial door chime!
Our Air Fill Station offers fills for SCUBA, SCBA, and many types of paintball and air rifle tanks. We are able to fill Ultra Pure, CGA E Air, Nitrox, and Trimix for properly certified divers.
Our Repair Station features full service for AGA and OTS full face masks, a wide variety of in house regulator repair, BCD service, as well as a dedicated tank and valve service are.
On the other side of our showroom is our fleet of BCDs, regulators, tanks, and wetsuits ready to fulfill your rental needs.
We’re quite pleased with our new setup that allows us to serve you and meet your service needs more quickly and efficiently.
Come visit us today!
Your PADI Open Water Certification is the most widely recognized certification rating in the world. You can dive anywhere up to 60 feet in depth in conditions similar to those in which you trained.
If you are in good health and comfortable in the water, you can earn your certification. If you are between 10 and 14 or have a child between these ages, there is a PADI Junior Open Water Diver program offered. Scuba Shack instructors recommend kids start diving at 12 years of age.
During the course, you’ll learn the basics of scuba, including diving fundamentals, equipment and techniques. You’ll complete an online home-study program, more than six hours of academic reviews and pool time and four open water dives. Most of the course time is spent in the pool, developing your scuba skills and giving you time to practice until you are comfortable.
A history of certain health issues may require a physician’s approval prior to participating in the PADI Open Water Diver course. Prospective students must review the Medical Statement. If you answer YES to any question, you must have your physician (MD) review your medical history and sign the form clearing you for diving activities before enrolling in the class, purchasing equipment and registering for online eLearning.
Weekend Group Classes are our most popular option. Classes are limited to four students, with one instructor assisted by a PADI certified dive professional. PADI eLearning is completed online, on your own time before the first class. The group meets on a Tuesday or Thursday night, and all day the following Saturday & Sunday for pool and academic reviews.
This class moves at a brisk pace! Once completed, you are ready to take your Open Water Exam with Scuba Shack on a designated weekend May through October, or at any PADI shop worldwide.
A group class is the most cost effective way to earn your certification. Additional pool sessions are available, if needed. Fees apply.
We also provide private classes to those who want to work in a smaller group, on their own, or are unable to meet the set schedule of a group class.
Call Scuba Shack for pricing and schedules.
Students will need scuba-quality mask, snorkel, boots and fins as well as a log book and dive tables. Our professional staff will assist you in selecting gear to ensure your satisfaction, and we offer a 100-Day Satisfaction Guarantee on gear purchases. If you already have scuba-quality equipment, please bring it with you at the time of sign up to ensure it fits correctly.
With our PADI Open Water eLearning program, homework is completed online prior to class. After completing the home study, you’ll be ready to start working with an instructor.
Scuba Shack provides classroom sessions in conjunction with pool instruction. Rather than just read about wetsuits, drysuits and other scuba equipment, you can see and touch these items first hand!
You’ll be hands-on with scuba equipment and classroom sessions for more than six hours. You’ll review dive theory with your instructor, providing a strong foundation for your success. It is important that you are comfortable in the water before starting scuba lessons. You will need to complete a 200-yard swim – any stroke, no time limit – and tread water for 10 minutes to ensure you are comfortable.
After completion of the academic and confined water (pool) training, you’ll need to complete four open water certification dives over two days. These sessions, which include hands-on equipment use, surface skills and diving usually take four to five hours each day. You have three options.
Our Open Water Exam Fee includes the use of a 7mm wetsuit, compass and dive computer. A hood and gloves are required at certain times of the year. If you complete your dives on a referral, you may spend a little more overall as you’ll pay the dive center and/or instructor fee at your referral location.
Whether you are interested in diving in New England or want to dive in warm water only, we welcome all divers! We feature trips to the Bahamas, Florida, the Cayman Islands, Mexico and other exciting locations where you can complete your required dives.
Your PADI Open Water Certification is the most widely recognized certification rating in the world. Since you will be trained by Scuba Shack, one of the most respected training facilities in the United States, your certification will also be respected.
Group classes are held evenings starting at 6:30 p.m. and private classes are available.
Where do you start: If you are in good health and comfortable in the water, you can earn your certification. If you are between 10 and 14 or have a child between these ages, there is a PADI Junior Open Water Diver program offered.
You will need to complete a medical history questionnaire prior to the start of the course. If you answer YES to any question, you will need to have your physician sign the form clearing you for diving activities before any in-water training. A physicians signature is required for all Scuba Shack students prior to completing open water dives.
In general, Scuba Shack instructors encourage kids to start diving between the ages of 12 and 14.
What does the course involve:During the course, you’ll learn the basics of scuba, including diving fundamentals, equipment and techniques. You’ll complete a home-study program, five pool dives, knowledge development sessions and four open water dives.
Most of the course time is spent in the pool, developing your scuba skills and giving you time to practice until you are comfortable.
What will I need: You will need to provide your own personal gear including mask, snorkel, fins and boots. Your success in the course is directly related to the comfort, fit and quality of this equipment. Our professional staff will assist you in selecting from a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes to ensure your satisfaction.
Each student will need their own text book, dive tables full-action DVD and log book. If you are taking the class with family members, you can share a DVD.
How long will it take:The class is performance based. What this means is that you move through the program at your own pace as you demonstrate mastery of the course skills.
The group classes are scheduled one night per week over six weeks, and private classes move at the students pace – depending on availability – and is usually completed in less than two weeks.
Certification dives are scheduled during one weekend, between May and October. You can also complete your certification dives on one of our group trips or during your vacation at a participating PADI Dive Center.
What You Need: Personal gear including mask, snorkel, fins & boots. Class materials, medical statement & releases.
Your Commitment:Six weeks, one night per week plus four certification dives during one weekend.
Results to Expect: Comprehensive training for beginners, breathing underwater– and lots of fun.
Class Fee$249
What’s Next?Buoyancy & Control 101 and Enriched Air
