What people are saying about A-1

There's No Place Like A-1

Hi Scott,

Jay and I are going to Cancun just after Thanksgiving, and we'll dive one day with Dive Paradise in Cozumel. Since it's been 3-1/2 years since we've blown bubbles, we always like to get in a pool in our gear to re-familiarize ourselves with the basics so we feel confident when we drift dive in the ocean. Since we now live at the ends of the earth I found another dive shop and they said they had a pool attached that we could use.

Scott, I simply CANNOT describe how AWFUL this experience was...

As we drove away, Jay said, "Well...there's just no place like A-1 is there?" NOPE! We're sorry we're 10 hours away from the BEST dive shop in the world; but it's ALWAYS a pleasure to drop by, visit with you and Lynn, and buy a few things when we come to visit.

Thanks, again, for making sure that members of our family have a QUALITY dive training experience while they're learning how to do it safely. I think we'll have another couple of grandchildren checking in with you for their beginning scuba training next summer. I know you'll take good care of them.

Best wishes and lots of love always,

Sandra

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Hi Dave,

We had an absolute blast in your class. Tony hasn't had that much fun in a long time. We are so looking forward to our open dives. I was sooooo nervous on Friday night and you absolutely put me at ease very quickly. You are a wonderful, encouraging and gracious teacher!!

Many Blessings to you!!

Laura V.

Hi Lynn and Scott,

First I wanted to say thank you for the awesome trip to Roatan and staying at Anthony's Key Resort.  This was my first real dive trip and I was extremely lucky to win this during your May sale.  Everything on this trip was perfect except the airline forgetting my dive gear in Atlanta.  The staff at AKR heard what had happened and basically gave the equipment I needed to do some diving until my equipment showed up the following day at no charge.  Not only was I provided equipment to use but they also took care of getting my bag at the airport and bringing it to my room.  I have never had any resort or any place I've stayed at be so accommodating.  The diving was amazing the entire week and not once did I think about calling work to ask how things are going without me!

Prior to my vacation I was working with Shane on something I had dreamed of doing and that was shooting underwater video.  Shane was great to work with and helped me get what I was really looking for as well as show me some tricks.  Not only did I get something that will last me quite a while but it also shot some incredible video.  Let's just say everyone on the dive boat was jealous on the quality of footage. 

Everyone I have worked with at A1 has been very professional and courteous when I've asked questions, needed some advice or was looking to purchase something.  I've recommended A1 to several of my friends who are looking at trying scuba for the first time. 

Once again THANK YOU very much for everything!

Sincerely,

David

Dear A 1,

I just finished my PADI Rescue Diver Course this Sunday. Just thought I would let you know how pleased I was to have taken the course and particularly with the Instructor Fawn Hansen.

She is thorough, very good to deal with and committed to her students learning and perfecting the necessary skills. She is indeed dedicated and you are fortunate to have such a Good employee.

Thank You,

Roger P.

Dear A1 Scuba,

Just wanted to drop you an email and let you know that this past friday my wife Sylvia and I had the opportunity to dive with the sharks at the Downtown Aquarium. We met Kate outside, discussed the dive with her and were ready to go.

I wanted to let you know that the dive was absolutely spectacular and Kate was absolutely fantastic! The dive was easy and lots of fun. Sharks are such incredible animals. Kate was professional, fun, and we would dive with her any time - she's a keeper.

We had a blast on the dive and definitely recommend it. It was well worth it.

Thanks again,

Manny

Hello A-1,

Sarah and Kelly had a wonderful time on their dives today. They really had a positive experience for their first open water dives. Doug and I were so pleased about the whole morning. The girls said they loved seeing the fish swim so close to them up close and personal.

I have been around alot of scuba instructors. You have an amazing ability to welcome people to the world of diving. From my first visit to your shop, to todays dives you have been friendly, professional, encouraging and a lot of fun.

On behalf of my whole family I want to thank you for welcoming Kelly and Sarah to Scuba diving.

Christine H.

Hi Louise,

Sorry we could not stick around to say goodbye we had to get on the road to get Christina back to college. I wanted to send you an email to tell you thank you, Carol and Matt for a great weekend.

She had an amazing time and learned alot from you guys this weekend. She talked all the way home about how much fun scuba diving is and looks forward to working on her advanced diver certification. I think I'm even brave enough now to consider getting certified.

Again please tell everyone a big thank you!!!!!!

Christina and Kim

Scott,

I just read about your induction into the Disabled Divers Hall of Fame. I want to say congratulations, it's well deserved.

I'm proud to have been part of the A-1 family of diver graduates and still reflect upon my initial training (OW thru DM) at A-1. You're personal attention and guidance in the classes I had you for my instructor still go with me in my own continuing career as a PADI instructor. I've always regarded the training I received at A-1 as the best anyone can receive and it's due mainly to you and the staff you maintain at A-1.

Your background in physical therapy and as a scuba professional has lead you to this point and this particular recognition is long overdue. This along with all the other contributions you've given to the scuba industry, is something you can be very proud of and something everyone should look at when thinking about their own career and where it can take them if they are fortunate enough to be able to work in this industry.

I wish we could all do as much.

All the best,

Mike D.
PADI MSDT

Hi Scott,

I wanted to thank you for everything you did for us in the IDC, including your dedication and enthusiasm. It was really special.

If all my teachers in Israel and the U.S. would have wanted my success, with the same enthusiasm and passion you had, I would have been a better man - that's how I feel.

Thanks again,
Shmulik B.

Thank you A-1 Scuba for the opportunity to complete two of the four required open water dives at the Downtown Denver Aquarium. It was an absolutely amazing and fun adventure!

The experienced, helpful, and gracious dive instructors and aquarium personnel made the certification process a wonderful experience for me. Plus, getting two of the dives completed just 10 minutes from my home, made it very easy and less time consuming to complete my last two required open water dives on my vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Thank you A-1 Scuba for giving me the knowledge and skills needed to learn how to safely Scuba dive.

Best Regards,

Christine

Dear A-1 Scuba,

My SCUBA certification in the inaugural program of completing the first two open water dives in the Downtown Denver Aquarium was a great and wonder-filled experience!

It was a great "jump start" for the ocean and diving with the fish in the aquarium was awesome!

Not only did it allow me to complete my first two open water dives in a comfortable environment, it allowed me to get certified the first morning of my dive trip!

Thanks for making my certification experience so easy and fun.

Kevin

Dear A-1 Scuba,

No problems and no surprises on our vacation. Every aspect of our vacation was great and the trip exceeded our expectations. It was one of the most delightful vacations I have had in years.

We couldn't have asked for more, Cozumel was beautiful and we enjoyed the convenience of staying at Hotel Cozumel. Dive Paradise treated us so good and their dive masters were fantastic.

We will use A-1 Scuba & Travel Center in the future to book our vacations.

Katie was the best!

Dwight

Dear A-1 Scuba,

Thank you so much for doing a wonderful job teaching us so well.

I was a little nervous for several of the skills, and you helped me to feel much more comfortable under water.

Thank you so much for being so dedicated.

Sincerely,

Sam S.

To Katie, our travel agent expert!

Thank you for all your help in getting us into the Iberostar Cozumel for the 4 night package including New Years Eve.

We had a fantastic time: great diving, food, room, beach volleyball…we hope your 2011 is full of His peace and joy!

Dan & Ange

Dear A-1 Scuba,

My name is Becki and I just did my pool dives this weekend at A1. I just wanted to write a note and let you know how happy I was with all of the staff I met this weekend. Everything far exceeded my expectations.

First of all, there were only two people scheduled for my class and one of them canceled. I was very happy that instead of canceling the whole weekend, I just got to have a class myself. Jeff McGhee was my instructor and I really couldn't have asked for a better teacher. I have had some bad experiences in the water previously, and was a little nervous about some of the tasks I knew I would have to complete. Jeff had me at ease after about five minutes in the water though. He explained everything extremely clearly and did excellent demonstrations. I felt very safe with everything that we were doing and was very excited to finish up everything in one weekend. I had a lot of questions and he was able to answer all of them.

I also wanted to mention that I was very pleased with the experience I had in the retail shop as well. I wanted to buy my snorkel, fins and mask so that I had an opportunity to try them out before my trip. I really didn't know much about buying equipment though. Ryan did a great job of showing me and explaining to me all of my options and helping me narrow the choices down. It was a pretty big purchase for me so I had lots and lots of questions, and he answered them all very patiently.

Everyone that I met this weekend was extremely friendly and willing to offer advice and help. You could really tell they had a passion for the sport and it got me very excited about it as well. I can't wait to finish my certification now. Once I do, I will be sure to return to A1 for future classes and equipment needs.

Thanks for everything,
Becki

Dear Wendie,

Please pass onto my wonderful instructors - Carol, Louise, Scott, and especially Peter King.

Went to Free Port Bahamas dived into the pygmy caves saw 3 sharks and a eel, then dived shallower second dive fresh farm area held a baby starfish and several schools of fish.

I’d never have seen any of these critters had it not been for them. Loved it!!!!!!

Lori

Hi A-1!

I have now taken scuba classes with three different dive shops… the ones I took with A-1 were by far the best! Sure, the classes were fun, but most importantly, I actually learned a lot.

Your classes really helped making me a much more confident and independent diver. So, thank you A-1, and special thanks to your outstanding instructors, Louise (rescue) and Carol and Joanne (adventure last year).

Cheers,
Ulli

 

Hi Doug,

I wanted to thank you and Bruce for your outstanding instruction in our recent rescue class.

This is the best PADI class that I have taken so far. I appreciated the opportunity to practice the skills multiple times, and your breakdown and analysis of our efforts with tips to improve on our skills made me a better and more confident diver as a result. I would definitely recommend this class, and you as an instructor to anyone. Once again, many thanks, and hope to see you again in the future.

David

A review recently posted on YELP

This place is a Denver institution and beloved by many Denver residents. How has no one reviewed it before?!

My boyfriend bought me scuba diving lessons for my birthday, which is how I came to fall in love with this place. He was very picky about the scuba center that he went through, and after lots of calls and visits to shops all over the Denver area, he finally settled on A-1.After taking the class, I can see why he picked A-1.

I had an incredibly positive experience with my classes. Our instructor Joanne was top-notch and very energetic, and definitely knew her stuff. Everyone else who works there is super-friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, and can answer any and all questions you have. On top of that, their prices on their equipment are VERY fair, and they even give a discount to people who take their scuba classes through A-1. They have an extensive shop - the biggest I have seen in Denver - and their own pool that they conduct confined water dives in.

They also have THE best repair shop in the area, and even repair gear sent in from other states who are not equipped with the correct tools.

On top of that, they have a travel center full of lovely ladies who will coordinate a trip for you, whether scuba or otherwise. And every couple of months the shop does a large scuba trip that is usually all-inclusive and reasonably priced.

Once my BF and I save up enough money, we are definitely doing a trip through A-1. And I wouldn't buy my gear anywhere else. Or take scuba classes anywhere else. Really, it's the only scuba shop I could ever need! They even put out snacks for customers, like brownies and lemonade :) That's just how nice and accommodating they are!

Amanda G.
Durango, CO

Dear A1 Scuba,

My name is Patty. This past June, I participated in the scuba certification program and received my initial scuba license. I am writing you this letter to thank you, more than I can say, for helping me 'slay a dragon" and begin new adventures of a life time.

When I was about 18 (many years ago), I was initially certified. The experience, though, was incredibly stressful and adversarial. It was almost as if ‘you all will get certified, but not if we can help it.’ It was a horrible experience for me, and I swore I would never go scuba diving. Thus, when my husband suggested last spring that I become re-certified, I was filled with dread. It was only my love of snorkeling and beaches across the world that led me to your door.

In class, Aaron, despite my occasional late night whining, insisted we cover every skill thoroughly. Believe me, when I took my first ‘real dives” in Tahiti, I understood why he was so insistently thorough. Although I was nervous, I knew just what to do and felt pretty darned confident, if I must say so myself.

Stosh, who supervised my open water dives at Chatfield, was equally helpful. He also worked with me in the pool, one-to-one, to ‘fine tune’ some skills I thought I was weaker in. Stosh was funny, professional, and very supportive.

Finally, Katie (cashier Katie) was really great in helping me pick out my equipment to buy. She spent a very long time with me and, again, when I was to Tahiti, I was so glad I picked the equipment I did. Katy (in travel) was also very helpful in hooking me up with ‘Bathy’s in Tahiti.’

It is late at night, and this letter doesn’t do justice to the people at A-1 who have worked with me to bring me to this point. I just want, though, to let you and to let them know what a great job they did with me. On my last dive in Tahiti, I was diving (62 feet down, I’ll tell you!) in a place called ‘The Rose Garden.’ At my feet was a tremendous expanse of overlaying big darkish red-maroon ‘petals’ and in front of me was a wall of deep blue. A black tipped shark swam right past me…all I could do was hover there (thanks Aaron!) and say into my regulator, over and over, ‘Wow! Wow! And, of course, I thought of you all.

So thank you more than you could know, for a life of prospective new adventures in my favorite place, the ocean. And thank you also for helping replace an extremely unpleasant memory with such hard-earned, successful, and happy memories.

Sincerely,
Patty

Scott and Lynn,

My girlfriend Amy and I recently did our open water certification (finished August 7th) with Joanne and Carol (and Jade, who assisted on the weekend pool dives). We were getting the certifications in preparation for a diving trip to Grand Cayman and Roatan at the end of last month, and since that trip it's resonated with both of us just how good the training with A1 was.

I don't think until you get out there with other divers that it really sinks in -- I mean we certainly thought everyone at A1 was friendly, that the instructors were awesome and fun, and that after the class we had the basics down enough to take our first tentative steps into the world of diving, but the real proof of the education was in seeing the disparity between ourselves and others when we spent that week in the Caribbean. Having now not only done so but also getting to see some of the risks of diving first-hand (we saw someone run out of air in Roatan -- thankfully he was OK) and the random silly mistakes other newly-certified divers were making, even at our beginner level the difference between our preparation and that of others was readily apparent. In fact it was somewhat shocking, after only 4 dives in 2 days "in the real world," to see so many things go wrong for other divers that we, with nothing but our OW certs in our hands, were more than able to deal with.

Given that this isn't the safest of all recreational activities I think at a minimum a "thank you" is due for that, as well as letting you know how much we've appreciated the experiences with your instructors and the rest of the staff we've met. Their efforts have most certainly created two loyal customers -- as Ryan will attest to, since we're already signed up for AOW in October, the November Cozumel trip with the shop, and mapping out our gear purchases with him for the next six months.

Thanks again,
Rich & Amy

Greetings Carol & Joanne,

Christian and I would like to personally thank you again for helping us achieve something that we can do together through years to come. I wanted to learn and do scuba diving since I was eight living on a lake.  It was on my bucket list for years. I am a pretty active gent who loves traveling,  long distance cycling, skiing, snowboarding, fly-fishing, backpacking, snow-caving and just being outdoors.

I have for years sought out an activity that Christian has a interest and /or passion that we can do together, especially now since he is of college age and has other life pursuits. I do work  around the world, with some extended stays I can now get him to jump on plane, do something that we have a passion for, and spend some quality time between son and father. He is so jazzed!

So thanks again to your skilled  and enthusiastic training sessions to you both, Dan Niblick (class room / confined instructor), and the A-1 staff.

Bram and Christian

Just wanted to send an e-mail about the great service I received today. With the assistance of your employee Ryan, I was able to purchase my first set of scuba gear. Ryan was exceptionally helpful. I can't tell you how much I appreciated his knowledge and customer service skills.

Thanks for the help Ryan!
Cory

Kudos to you and your band of pirates from A-1 Scuba! What a time we had at the aquarium! Thanks to you, Carol, Joanne, Jack, Stacey, Stoch, Fawn & Shane (Louise was in there some place). I know the divers with disabilities (Shannon, Matt, and Pat) were thrilled, but so were all the family members (Julie, Jud, Rose, Don and Tracey) and the hundreds of kids, parents and families that wandered by watching all the fun. If you haven't been down to the tunnel to watch yourself, you should. A-1 Divers ARE THE ATTRACTION, not the fish. The divers with disabilities are truly awe inspiring.

Jud Williams

Dear Scott, Please allow me to take this opportunity to let you know how pleased I am with this whole new experience called Diving. I came to you on a recommendation (only given to me because you were close to my home and the person I spoke with drives by every day) to learn to dive. I did NOT take an "intro" to scuba but went for the whole ball of wax and got the entire family (confined water) certified (all 4 of us, including my 13 & 10 year old). Your entire staff there was nothing but pleasant to work with.

Being new to the sport, I actually expected a to have bit of an inferiority complex when I first walked in, but they never once made me feel like I didn't really belong in your shop since I was a "newbie" . So we were in class with Rita, who incidentally, deserves a Nobel prize for her patience and dedication to getting us (especially my 10 year old) over the hurdle of the pool certification, when you walked in and started asking the class questions. You asked my family if we were going to do our open water with you. When I told you we were planning on doing it on our vacation in Hawai'i, you immediately recommended Jack's Diving Locker in Kona. After completing our course there, before leaving the following week on our trip, I scheduled our open water dives with Jack's. I must thank you for the recommendation, because our experience there couldn't have been better. We all successfully completed our certification and are now new members of the diving community! I look forward to going out on many more dives in the near future, and hope to participate in some of your trips as well.

Your company and also your recommendations have created an experience that anyone wanting to give diving a try could only dream of having. I have started off on the right foot and that is always what we hope for in any new adventure. I can honestly say I have spent larger amounts of money on things that really were bad to start and have been turned off from those things because of that first impression, regardless of the costs. Granted diving is extremely expensive but because of your way of doing business, I am much more at ease spending the money (especially in your shop), regardless. In fact, don't be surprised to see me in future classes, such as instructor, adventure, etc! Thank you so much for all you have done and don't change a thing! Sincerely, Kevin Samson

Dear A-1,

THANK YOU! I certified in 2001 with you and since have gotten by Advanced Open water, under water photo and peak performance cards.

On my 57th dive off Cozumel last week I had my first regulator problem at 70 feet.  It jammed up and then free-flowed putting me in a serious low air situation.  All of the training kicked right into place - used the octopus, cleared the mask, got assistance from the dive master, gathered the group and made a safe ascent.  I was ready for the afternoon dive with no reservations.  I know these sorts of things happen, one trains for emergencies but it sure felt good confidently knowing just what to do.

Thank you for the life saving skills!
Sincerely, Donna

We recently got back from our first trip with Explorer Ventures on the Caribbean Explorer II Southern Bahamas trip (booked with A-1). Just wanted to let you know that we had a great time and really liked Explorer Ventures. The boat was not necessarily their most luxurious but the crew was great! Professional, Safety minded but still a lot of fun. Food was excellent, crew was always making sure you had everything you needed, great dive deck! They recognized people for new certifications and that Chris and I both passed our 100th dive while on board. They sent us an email asking for feedback upon coming home. They seem to really have every aspect of their business in order! We will definitely travel with them again and just wanted you to know! I already saw you have them listed for an upcoming Galapagos trip which we'll keep an eye out for!

Thanks A-1! Carolyn, we appreciated the card we received when we got back!

Andrea & Chris

Dear A-1,

I've done a couple of DSD outings and I've decided that it is time too move forward. My recent DSD experience in Belize prompted me to stop at A-1 on a Friday evening late in June. A nice lady by the name of Wendie did a great job of telling me about the open water course, she talked about the highly competent training staff, and she took the time to show me the training area; I was impressed. The next morning I returned and signed up with Ryan receiving nothing less than first class service; again I was impressed. I trust my course experience will go the same way. I can certainly see why A-1 is the oldest dive shop in Denver. So far job well done A-1! It early on but I can see that the staff and the facility clearly differentiate themselves from other dive shop facilities. I look forward to meeting you on Friday evening.

Best regards, Willie

Dear Wendie,

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the trip to St. Lucia. Never having gone on a group trip, I was a bit reluctant to go. I didn't know what to expect. But after having made this trip, I don't think I will hesitate to do it again.

I attribute a lot of that good time to you. You made me feel like we had been friends forever, not just new acquantances. I know it is your job to be nice to the people that you take on these trips, even old guys like me. But it felt, and i'm sure it was, much more genuine than just you doing your job. I like that about you. You, Kate, Steve, and (almost) everyone else, were great to spend time with. It was really a good group.

I thought 8 days might be too long, but now that I'm back to work (only 95 emails waiting on me) I think it went by way too fast. That says a lot about the terrific resort we stayed at, the diving, and the new friends I was with.

If you would like to have the post dive party at my house, we can do that. I wasn't sure if you were kidding about that or serious. I will provide the chocolate ice cream. You can mix the Bentleys. I'll see you at the shop -- maybe in Curacao if my workload permits.

Thanks for everything.
Michael T.

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