Open Water Adventures Review

Open Water Adventures is a top notch dive and training center and retail store. Cannot say enough about the staff and service. I've been on 2 live aboard trips with them down to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The trips were well organized and planned, you just show up and dive the beautiful seas for a week or more! The dive shop/training facility/pool is so convenient and easy. The pool is indoors and heated so it's easy to show up, have class, then jump in the pool. I would highly recommend anyone interested in learning how to scuba or expand their skills/training to work with Open Water Adventures. Joe is the owner, very knowledgeable and helpful in all aspects of diving!

Huge shout out to Marcella who has been helping my boyfriend and I get the gear we need! She has been super pleasant to work with and honestly we don't want to go anywhere else now! Thank you!

Top notch facility and the most experienced instructors in CLT... wish I had gone to them for my early OW c-card!

My son Eli has been in the swim class since he was a baby. He is now 2&1/2 and has made so much progress! The swim program is very structured and the instructors are VERY professional as well as personable. I have every confidence in Eli's Safety while he is in class. He loves his swim class and his instructor Mrs. Lynn! My husband and I are also scuba certified through OWA and I am thankful for the extra mile they go in the program. We were certified in Florida with graduates from other programs and it was there that I realized OWA adventures had prepared us far better in comparison. They are also trustworthy servicing/safety checking your equipment. We have been on a handful of group scuba vacations and made some awesome memories. I cannot say enough about this group! They Are the Best!

Great shop with a really awesome staff of instructors and divers. I have been helped every step of the way be it signing up for lessons, check outs, or even recommendations on buying gear. They are very helpful and very knowledgeable people.

Great facility, friendly staff, but communication is very lacking. A dive shop sells fun, so it basically sells it self, but when you don t keep appointments, never call with cost estimates for servicing gear etc, what you end up with is frustration, wasted trips, and more $ spent than you may have wanted to spend.
This shop is very close to my house so I will probably get tank fills here, but my kids training and gear from now on will be at another shop.

Outstanding Service! My child has been swimming with OWA for a year +. She loves going and they have been nothing but professional with her and my family. I am glad to have my child learn this "life lesson" at Open Water Adventures. A+++!

Holy cow! What a team of professionals. I highly recommend Open Water Adventures if you want to learn to swim, snorkel or Scuba dive...My instructor Dave Anderson is the best...OK I'm partial...truly they are all great....They are a team and family in every sense. Dave gave me the confidence to believe I got this and I do...They have opened my eyes to another world. ...I also recommend one on one I believe you learn faster but at your own pace or at least it was the best decision for me. But first and foremost invest in top of the line equipment before u start. ..Learning to dive is so much easier in your own equipment. And nobody knows you like yourself. It's investing in yourself and your safety and allowing you to enjoy diving even more. Bravo Zulu Dave....Job well Done...And that k you to Joe and his team I feel like part of your family!

I have to call BS when I see it. I asked to use their pool today so I could demonstrate to my buddy how to operate his console dive computer in water. I called twice during the week and asked if there was anything I needed other than a cert card. I told them I planned to use my equipment and needed only air and weights. When I got there the owner insisted that I couldn't dive in his pool unless my equipment had been serviced in the last 12 months and I had to prove it. Yes it had been serviced but I couldn't prove it. They produced a tag that they put on their serviced equipment and acted as if it was industry standard. I have never heard of such nonsense. I was then told I could dive if I rented his equipment which would be useless since it was our equipment that I was attempting to demo. We ended up going to the YMCA where I could properly demo his dive equipment. Come on man.

They only need your money and are very harsh with kids....

I am currently in the process of getting my SSI open water diver certification from Open Water Adventures. I have thoroughly enjoyed the classes so far. These people are professionals to the core. The atmosphere is always great and their equipment is top of the line. My instructor is John Humphries. He is a delightful man. He taught me all the skills in a fun and easy way. He always places a great emphasis on safety which is nice. John always made the classroom and pool sessions fun. He gives individual attention to each student. OWA guarantees equipment fit so if you buy something and it does not fit they will exchange it. I am going to Blue stone next week for my check out dives. I highly recommend OWA to anyone looking to get into scuba diving

Swim lessons are well organized and efficiently run. The swim coaches are great. Communication through email, website and smartphone app has been amazing!

Outstanding shop that focuses on safety and fun! I moved away and still choose to dive with OWA because I know that the safety of their divers is #1 priority. Great selection of gear onsite, indoor pool for training, vast selection of dive trips, exceptional and knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend!

Wonderful find! You will find exceptional, knowledgeable, courteous, friendly, professional staff upon your every visit. Well-appointed facility, capable and equipped for all aspects of teaching and learning. Whether it be swimming, snorkeling, SCUBA or requisite gear, you will find the staff to be competent and helpful.

Convenient parking and easy to find. Very glad to have discovered these folks.

Excellent dive shop. My wife and I received our open water certifications here about 3 years ago. Instructors are excellent and extremely safety oriented. I have received all of my certifications up through master diver here. I have also purchased all of my gear and my wife's gear through this shop. Very active dive shop for trips, ranging from weekend trips to the coast to 2 week trips to the pacific. Highly recommend for anyone interested in joining this exciting sport.

BE WARE PARENTS! These people were EXTREMELY ROUGH WITH MY CHILD during swim lessons. The instructor was obviously not experienced in dealing with children and got very frustrated with my child and squeezed her by her head and drug her out of the pool. It traumatized my child. I tried to discuss this with Melissa and Joe but they both blamed my child. I am sure they just fear criminal charges or a law suit. I would never allow a child I care about to go there. They should not teach children there. They are evil people. I hope they all rot in Hell.

Did a refresher course with Dillon and this Dive Shop is FANTASTIC! They really do make the effort to go the extra mile - and Dillon gave a GREAT refresher for me (out of water 16 years) and was incredibly patient, never rushed and focused immensely on safety. I'd return here for any dive needs in a heartbeat. Clean shop, heated pool, all staff was professional & friendly!

If you are interested in learning to dive, need some equipment or want to expand your dive excursion horizons, this is the place! Everyone I met there was extremely helpful, friendly and very experienced. Joe, the owner, is committed to customer satisfaction and safety. They hold dive trips from the local quarries to worldwide destinations like the Galapagos and Thailand. Check them out.

Gorgeous facility including an indoor pool, great gear selection and a knowledgeable staff. These are your people for training, travel and FUN!

Joe and his band of merry professionals are top notch. I took a group of 10 students to get their open water certification. Joe, Chris P, and Chis S. were completely fantastic. They went above and beyond to make sure everyone was safe and had a fun experience. We went over safety procedures many, many times until it was routine. Their patience and care with our teenage kids was inspiring. Joe and his team demonstrated spectacular flexibility in rearranging schedules and juggling timelines so that all of our students were able to get certified. Our culminating experience was a fabulous trip to Florida Springs where we dove several times and even achieved our night diving certificate. These folks are professionals. My wife and daughters will be next in line to get certified.

I showed up dreading that it would take forever to get everything I needed for an upcoming snorkeling vacation. But Jeff took me through the steps of trying equipment and taught me tips and tricks for snorkeling. I was ready with all I needed in about an hour. He was sincere about finding the most economical equipment for me personally and took all of my concerns into account. I wouldn't go anywhere else for snorkeling or scuba gear/training. They know what's best... and the customer service is excellent!

Diving for 25 years. This is the best group of people I've ever worked with. Their training is out of this world. Just completed my Stress and Rescue. For those of you worried about SSI vs Padi or Naui ... DON'T. Both cover the same WRSTC material, always take instruction from someone you trust. References are very very important. Joe and team are definitely the best in Charlotte. Doubt you will find another group anywhere that is this capable unless they are situated on a dive site.

My wife and I chose OWA for Open Water certification. From Day1, we were treated like a piece of gold by the entire staff, even those with whom we were not working directly (Melissa and Andrew). Marcella took a high level of interest in getting us geared up properly and we were paired with Dillon Mathewson as our instructor, with shout out to Will and Chris for their collaboration and encouragement. Dillon was energetic, thorough and patient, answering all questions in and out of the pool to ensure our total comfort. The facility is fantastic and the showroom offers a wide variety of gear and supplies. Joe Gaydeski has created a terrific team here! If you are interested in full-on lessons or want/need to check it out, we highly recommend this group of folks.

Dillon is the best! Such a great experience! Between the classroom and pool you feel safe and learn everything you need to know about diving. Joe is awesome too! Dillon is such a great instructor and dive buddy and helped me so much to stay calm and safe under the water.

My almost 2 year old toddler just had his 3rd swim lesson today. This place has been awesome, he's built up so much confidence in the water. He's also learning how to be safe in the water through repetition and muscle memory. Melissa has been a great teacher!

I am so beyond impressed with OWA. My 3.5 year old has been here almost 2 months and the experience is like none other. We have tried another swim school in the past and it does not hold a candle to OWA. Jonathan is so professional and you can truly tell he loves your children and has a passion for teaching them to swim. I am so grateful to have a local school such as this!

WARNING! Don't trust these people. They are very mean and rough with kids. They are also disrespectful to women. I would never let anyone I care about step foot in this place. I'm surprised they stay open. They are very bad people.

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Open Water Adventures! Our children have become wonderful swimmers with great confidence in and near the water, and the credit all goes to OWA. Their instructors and management are first-class; kind, knowledgeable, and wonderful in their roles. We recommend Open Water Adventures to all of our friends and family in the area!

This is our dive shop! Great knowledge, experience and selection.

I didn't know what to expect from the folks at Open Water Adventures, to be honest. When you go into a dive shop, you can get anywhere from seasoned expert to hobbyist trying to make a quick buck.

Open Water Adventures in Charlotte is definitely the former. Joe, who I'm learning now is the owner, gave me his cell number so we could stay in contact about my upcoming trip to the Galapagos Islands--a destination he's visited six times, if memory serves. He wants to put me in touch with his contacts there for tours, lodging, the works. That's the kind of out-of-the-ordinary service I wouldn't have expected but received anyway.

Honestly, everyone in the place was outstanding. I made my appointment and paid with Marcela, did paperwork with Meghan, and trained with Anthony (Li'l Momoa, pictured center) for my diving refresher course. Things were a little harried at first, but I didn't think I'd be able to finish this course in a couple of hours, so I cleared my schedule.

As usual, it's a question of expectation vs. delivery. I think the quality of equipment, expertise, and instruction are well worth the time spent making sure ducks were in a row and all was prepared exactly right. Safety comes first--diving is a fun time, but it carries its share of dangers. Learning how to avoid them isn't something I'd prefer rushed. I want to know it all very well before I go giant striding into open water.

Diving isn't a cheap pastime. But it's one that will be incredibly rewarding if preparation and equipment are in order. And I feel as though Open Water Adventures knows that and puts it into practice.

I've been in the shop a couple different times now. Everytime the staff is professional, friendly, and very helpful. The store is very clean and well maintained. I have not been in the pool but it is always crystal clear, clean, and has a great deaign for lessons from swimming to SCUBA. todays visit and interaction with Joe was right in par with my other visits. He got me into a new wet suit that will serve its purpose very well. He also hooked me up with a new travel bag. I just got all my gear transfered from my boat bag to the travel bag and it is exactly as advertised and described with plenty of room for more cloths and gear. Long story short, great shop, great staff, great gear, and I am and will continue to be a customer.

Great service and totally caring. If these guys are even half as good in their shop and on trips as they were with us then there is no reason to go anywhere else. My husband and I had a unique situation in that we adopted a puppy from Mexico and we needed a host to bring him home from Cozumel on the plane. I had called Open Water Adventures as they showed they had a trip to Cozumel that very week and was amazed at how happy they were to help us. We worked with Jeff and Dillon and our cute pup came to us safe and sound. Words cannot express how appreciative we are. Very rarely do you come across such friendly and helpful individuals. Thanks so much!

My son and I worked with Joe to get our open water certifications. Joe was great to work with and he went above and beyond to help us. We purchased 2 full sets of gear and signed up to get our advanced open water.