There are an unlimited number of ways that the dive shop and our Scuba Squad could spend our time during the “shelter at home” period. Some productive and some…not so much!
At Scuba Adventures we’ve been ramping up inventory, upgrading the retail area, pool training facility and preparing our area at The Scuba Ranch to handle hundreds of students over the summer.
Reminder: We have a dive season kickoff event on May 2nd at The Scuba Ranch. Fingers crossed the social restrictions will be lifted we can enjoy brats on the grill; DM led dives and a few other fun things we have up our sleeve!
As divers in Texas, we’re not usually thinking about diving this time of year.
Granted, we like to schedule trips to Florida or exotic locations during Spring Break. COVID – 19 arrived just in time to mess up Spring Break plans.
As a result, the dive center finds itself with a pristine pool, brand new student gear, and a packed retail center. And we can’t open our doors!
Lights out, doors locked. Bummer.
Thanks to everyone who has reached out and tried to help.
One thing hasn’t changed:
We exist to elevate the sport; provide excellent training; build the local scuba community, introduce the sport to a ton of young people AND to take you diving in cool locations.
It’s impossible to accomplish our mission if we’re forced to be closed.
We need each other right now.
We need your support to make it out of this economic train wreck and you need us to be rip-roaring ready when restrictions are lifted so you can dive.
It will be a beautiful and welcome day for us all.
But what to do in the meantime?
First take care of yourself and your family
Shelter in place like you were asked to do.
Follow all the current COVID guidelines the same way you would follow your scuba procedures. They were designed for your safety, so depart from them at your own peril!
Eat healthy and stay mentally and physically strong so you can handle everything the world throws at you and then spring free when dive season hits.
Avoid digging yourself a hole so deep it takes months to get back in scuba shape. Don’t get sucked into the trap of too much Netflix, wine, beer and queso (although it’s tempting!)
If you simply can’t get motivated, how about this?
We’ve got brand new, extra stretchy wetsuits in larger sizes and they’re very, very expensive! So, bring your checkbook!
How to get in "Scuba Shape"
Here are some selected articles on the topic of stretching, exercising and healthy eating for open water divers. Customize your own program based on your current level of fitness, medical history and, as always, in conjunction with your physician.
- Scubadiving.com's "Wetsuit Workout"
- Divein.com's "Diving Fitness: Training for Scuba Diving"
- Deep Blue Diving's "How To Exercise For Scuba Diving"
- Dive Training's "Back Basics: Exercises to Keep Your Back Scuba Ready"
- Exercise Ball Exercises for Scuba Diving
- Scuba Diver Magazine's "Dive Like a Pro: How to Get Diving Fit"
And from our friends and physicians at the Divers Alert Network (DAN)
Get your existing dive gear ready
Taking care of your equipment is important in any sport but taking care of your dive gear is especially important because it’s life support equipment.
And your scuba regulator is the heart of the system. Having your equipment serviced according to the manufacturer’s specifications (if in doubt, 1x per year) means that you can always count on the dive regulator being ready to go when you need it.
Call the local dive shop and schedule a drop-off. We can come to your car if needed, but this is the time of year to get your work done. Don’t wait until we’re a week away from dive time to drop off your gear!
Also, remember to never take a trip with regulators that have just been serviced. You need to dive on them before the trip to ensure they work as planned so you can make tweaks.
Purchase the items you need for upcoming dive classes and dives
Taking Advanced Open Water this year? You’re probably ready for your own BC and regulator set or maybe a properly fitting wetsuit.
Call and let us know you’re ready and we can walk you through the process, make sure you get the proper gear and pricing plus we can mail it directly to your house.
If you already have your core gear, including a computer, you will likely want an SMB, spool, a dive light, dive flag and compass for your Advanced Open Water specialties. If you’re really wanting to be an over-achiever you could use a tank beacon, slates, backup dive light, and a cutting instrument.
Give us a call so we can discuss how the gear will be used and the pros and cons of your options. All our items for sale have been vetted by the owners and are known to work favorably under the conditions you will be trained to dive.
Gear gets expensive when you have to rebuy because of a bad fit or you got something only partly correct. Always chat with us first so we can get you the right item, fit and price the first time.
Sign up (reserve your spot) for the classes you wish to take this dive season
Think about which dive skills or knowledge you want to improve on in 2020. Either you’re improving or you’re getting rusty. There’s not much in between.
Open Water certified divers have three choices when it comes to scuba diving courses; sign up for Rescue Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver or begin specialties.
From a specialty standpoint, the best one to take is the one that you are interested in. If you feel it, go for it.
If you’re not sure, we encourage divers to start with Advanced Buoyancy or Underwater Navigation.
You can spot a good diver because they have great buoyancy, trim and know how to navigate make it back to the dock, boat or shore.
What good is it to have $4,000 worth of gear if you unknowingly drag it over coral? Or you kick up silt blinding the rest of the group. Or you run out of air too quickly because you’re constantly releasing or adding air to your BC?
You’re dive buddies don’t care what you look like. They care how you dive.
Be the person who doesn’t get lost and brings the group right to the exit point!
Start your e-learning now for some of our top Scuba Diving International specialty courses. If you are interested in Wreck, Equipment Specialist, VIP (Visual Inspection) or Night Diver, give us a call and we’ll send your e-learning codes right over.
NOTE: Once you have completed Rescue and have 50 logged dives, you only need 4 specialties to earn your Master Diver Card.
Master Diver is the highest certification in the non-professional ranks. It’s like the black belt of the scuba world.
Reserve the course you want and start e-learning today.
Read a dive book
In between your e-learning courses read some scuba diving related books.
You can live vicariously through other divers’ experiences while you’re stuck at home. You also might learn a thing or too and become a better diver yourself!
Here’s some of the best (non- manuals) ever written.
Support The Dive Shop
As mentioned earlier, the dive shop finds itself with a pristine pool, brand new student dive gear and tons of merchandise, but forced to be closed for business.
Sadly, we still have rent, utilities, pool maintenance and other bills to pay.
We don’t want to lose the momentum that was created in January and February, but what an epic mess this is for retailers and other small businesses.
Our dive squad is awesome and looking for ways to support their local dive shop so we came up with a list of ideas of how you can help.
If we’ve missed anything, please let us know so we can add it to the list.
The top 10 actions you could take to support the dive shop while preparing for dive season
If it’s been over a year since you’ve been wet, sign up for the Inactive/Refresher course and we will send your e-learning immediately.
Sign up now for any of the core scuba diving courses you planned to take in 2020.
- That could be Rescue, Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, Instructor, or Intro to Technical Diving. Could even be Open Water Diver for a family member.
- Sign up and get your e-learning now. Schedule class and lake times once social restrictions are lifted.
Sign up now for these scuba specialties and start e-learning today.
- Choose between Advanced Buoyancy, Underwater Navigation, Equipment Specialist, Advanced Adventure, Computer Nitrox, Wreck Diver, Visual Inspection (VIP tanks), or Night/Low Visibility Diver.
Equipment Specialist will soon be available by Scuba-Nar (scuba webinar). It’s like a regular webinar, but about scuba.
Awesome right?
- We will record our team teaching the course, and when you pass the test, you’ll earn your certification card!
- Might be able to create a Scuba-Nar for Computer Nitrox but too early to tell.
If you know you want a new piece of gear, buy it from our new online store and we will ship it directly to your home.
The items inside the online store are the exact same items available inside our retail store. We won’t put anything in the shop we don’t personally approve of, and we’re very selective.
If it made the cut, you’ll find it inside our online store and at the same great prices.
Eventually all our core items will be in the online store except the Henderson Thermaxx Wetsuit. It’s designed as brick and mortar only. If you want one of those (and who doesn’t), call and we will make it happen.
- Here are the main categories and quick links:
Purchase a Gift Card
If you know you want a new computer, BC or wetsuit but you aren’t quite ready to buy it now because you want to do more research or test it out at the store, buy a gift card!
Buy a gift card now and as soon as you’re allowed to leave the house, come see us. OR buy a diver you love a gift card for a course, specialty or gear.
- We're running a great deal where you get an extra $10 for every $100 you spend on a gift card!
- You would be doing the shop a huge favor. Not to mention saving some money in the long run!
Save BIG on our closeout deals on “new” old stock and student gear from 2019
- NeoSport Boots at blowout prices. Call to see if we have your size from this "new" old stock deal.
- We have three Mares BC’s all in XS or Small, that were $500 but are closeout at $150!
We created a post recently inside the Scuba Adventures Private Facebook Group
The post offers dive fins from the 2019 Discover Scuba gear stock, that we’re offering at blowout prices. Select styles, colors, brands and sizes but if we have your size…you’re going to find a deal. Move fast because there aren’t that many.
- If you haven’t asked to join, please find our FB page @scubaadventuresplano and request to join the private group.
- Call us or send an email to have us pull your fins from the group.
Sign up for the June 27th Costa Rica Scuba Trip or August 1st Grand Cayman Scuba Trip
We should have restrictions lifted by then but if we don’t, you get your money back.
Flights should be cheap right now, and if they are lifted, you’ll be in Costa Rica or Cayman, diving and partying with Social Media Influencers from around the world! Probably or maybe.
But for sure, you’ll be needing these dives in a HUGE WAY by then.
And finally, the top thing you could do to help us while we’re closed and Sheltered In Place…
Give us a formal Review
Google, FB and Yelp reviews are critically important for dive shops. New students need to hear from satisfied customers: why they love the shop and what the course experience is like. #10 is something that ANYONE of us can do and it’s a big deal.
So, if nothing else on this list feels like a good fit…give us a REVIEW.
- Give us a review on 1 or ALL 3 platforms!
- Consider mentioning the quality of merchandise or the instruction you received; the nature of our retail shop and pool area; the spirit and helpfulness of the new leadership team; the convenient location; fair prices; the Scuba Squad Community or how incredible the January Party and giveaways were!
Friends, we're getting ready for you!
Busting our butts to bring you the best retail and training experience in the metroplex. Help us for 60 days and we’ll be back in the water!
