There's really no better place to spend the weekend with your family than at Northbrook's Berry Dive Center, IL. This place is obviously the place to be, so get your calendar out and make plans to visit it soon.
I bought this training for my niece and nephew so that they could dive with me, but I wasn’t able to go with them to the shop. Berry wound up charging them over $300 for a mask, snorkel and fins so they could do the class. If these weren’t a 13 year old and a 16 year old I’d say buyer beware, but taking advantage of kids like that is pretty low.
Dan
Report|2 years ago
The people at Berry are awesome. Very informative, love what they do and are willing to help you out any chance they get. I understand the Groupon deal brought a lot of last minute before the end of certification season buyers including myself but they handled the larger classes well without issues or a bad attitude and as long as you approach Scuba and the fact that its not a game to be 60 feet under water you'll love Berry and their instructors and personnel. If you're just getting certified to put it on your IG account then I don't think anyone at Berry nor fellow students would give you much respect anyways.
Matthew
Report|2 years ago
Great staff and thorough training. You’ll be in good hands here!
Christopher
Report|2 years ago
Instructor was awesome with my wife who was very nervous about doing the discover scuba.
Stacy
Report|2 years ago
We originally signed my son up for a full day lassroom and pool session. We had a conflict for the afternoon pool session and needed to reschedule. It took about 5 phone calls. He did finally accommodate us but after far too many phone calls. Then it took 3 phone calls to get referral paperwork that was promised the day after we completed the pool. Worked out but was a frustrating experience.
Jon
Report|3 years ago
Had a wonderful experience getting certified with Berry Dive Center! Between the test, pool dive and open water dives, I felt I was in good hands and enjoyed myself through the certification. I would definitely recommend BDC to all of those wanting to get open water certified.
Casella
Report|3 years ago
Great service and training.
firuzan
Report|3 years ago
Sorry my English. I am impressed the Berry dive center
Mike
Report|3 years ago
First off, I loved the attitude of the people there. They were fantastic. But the professionalism of the course left a lot to be desired. I didn't initially receive the discounts (and free log book + subscription) in the Groupon and had to call over multiple days to get a response.
The open water dives only took us down to 20 feet which, according to PADI, only certifies us to 20 feet. The instructors disagreed but it's clearly stated in the PADI Open Water manual (Page 7 & 8). Because we only went down to 20ft, I don't feel confident in my ability to dive down to 60 alone without an instructor. The instructor stated that it wouldn't be fun down at 60 because it would be dark and cold. I'm there to learn how to dive safely with a professional in case of emergency, not to remain comfortable at all times.
Thankfully, I found a local dive master who's willing to take me down there but I'm irritated that I have to take another weekend of training to do so.
I would've loved to give them a higher rating, but feeling unprepared after being certified in a potentially dangerous activity was a big red flag and I'll be going to another dive center to continue my training. I would return to Berry if they focused more on safety, but right now I feel that it's too laid back and I would gain more skills and confidence at a different dive center.
Rob
Report|3 years ago
Great experience. Great staff. All around very happy with the experience.
Inside one of Illinois’ oldest PADI–certified dive centers, Berry Dive Center’s eight instructors call upon a combined 100 years of experience to increase the underwater expertise of small student cohorts. Lessons unfold in both pool and classroom, with instructors sharing textbook techniques and safety tips before offering personalized critiques during supervised practice dives. The PADI five-star IDC facility—which was recently given a 35-year store award—keeps skills sharp with PADI certification courses and weekend excursions to Kankakee’s Haigh Quarry, with adventure-diving opportunities such as exploring wrecks, deep-water diving, and apprehending goldfish smugglers. The center’s dive shop also stocks a full line of diving equipment and manuals.
