Elmer’s Watersports

Joined in on a scuba lesson with Elmer’s to see if it was something I could be interested in (per my husband’s request). When we went to the shop to sign up the guy who helped us was very nice and knowledgeable. I was very terrified to try the classbut everyone involved in the class was so attentive and thoughtful. Myron is a fantastic instructor. He made me feel comfortable and welcomed me into the class. I would recommend them to anyone wanting to take scuba lessons. If it weren’t for the time of the lessons I would have definitely continued.

Update from my original review. I bought an Oceanic Pro Plus 3 from this shop. On my first dive here in little cayman the sensors failed. Opened the system to try to see if removing the battery would do fix the crazy issue and the previous battery exploded and there were remnants all over which tells me the unit is used. Im even more pissed off with this dive shop. Going in as soon as i get back on dec 1 to get a refund and take my business elsewhere.

Great dive shop! The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Their equipment service is top notch. I’ve had regulators services here and recently they packaged and shipped my cylinders out for me. I’ve also assisted with classes and Myron is a great instructor who is really on top of things.

Started as rank beginner. Brought along through the whole process with terrific personal approach by Myron and staff. Now as more experienced diver I still continue to be impressed with his style and expertise. Same goes for all divers I’ve referred to his shop. No matter their level experience, they all say he’s the best they’ve encountered to work with.
Classes have been great.
Dive trip with Myron absolutely terrific

Great scuba shop staffed by friendly, knowledgeable people. I have done my AOW, Nitrox, and Drysuit certifications through them, and Myron is the most patient and experienced divemaster you could ask for. (And trust me, patience is necessary, as I have almost killed myself on numerous occasions because of my inexperience and stupidity.)
I’ve also done many wreck dives in Lake Michigan, and Myron is consistently a great teacher on those as well. No matter how basic or advanced a question, or how badly you screw up, Myron never makes you feel like an idiot or gets frustrated; instead, he teaches you how to do things better, and has you try again. As a classroom teacher, I know good teaching is not easy, and deserves to be recognized when it happens.
The rest of the shop staff are friendly as well. The prices might be higher than buying online, but it’s entirely worth it for the level of expertise and service you get. I plan on continuing to do wreck dives and more certifications through Elmer’s as long as I can.

My husband and I go on one or two dive trips every year, with all our own gear. We have trusted Elmer’s for several years, for both purchasing and repairs. Did a trip with them for the first time recently and had to Unilocal… it was a fantastic experience! We felt so safe and had so much fun with Myron and the rest of the group. No other dive shop in Chicago even comes close… we heart Elmer’s!

I just had a fabulous trip to the Philippines with Elmer’s Watersports. We have traveled with Myron in the past and have truly enjoyed the experiences. We have been diving all over the world. Myron really pays attention to detail. Our trip is planned from the time that we get to the airport to the goodbye hugs at the end. We dove at two resorts on two different islands. On Cebu we did mostly reef dives. Wonderful diving! On Negros we did muck diving. I have never seen so many weird and wonderful creatures as I did diving Negros. We even got to dive world famous Apo Island! The people we traveled with are mostly local, although we have had people travel with us from San Francisco, Michigan and even Qatar! I look forward to my next adventure with Elmer’s Watersports!

—UPDATE—
My husband talked to Myron today after picking up the computer since he was out and Myron threatened him if he said anything on social media.
He then had the audacity to tell my husband that I didn’t even deserve the new computer (replacement from the manufacturer) when in fact he ruined my computer by incorrectly closing it. Oh on top of it, I had to pay for!!!
Terrible business practice!
1. Breaking my computer and making the customer pay for ½ the cost since Elmer’s broke it originally and the owner Myron thinks he doing me a favor?
and the TOPPER…
2. THREATENING A CUSTOMER
If I were you, I wouldn’t visit this shop. I thought this was a good shop since it was local and I was a repeat customer and I was completely wrong. This place does not care about repeat customers or customers in general.

Absolutely amazing in every way! My boyfriend and I took our PADI open water diver scuba certification class here, which lasted 7 weeks (meet for 3 hours once a week for video/​quizzes and then pool time @ Northwestern’s pool) – after that 7 weeks, I felt confident in my training, as ALL of the instructors are very helpful and will assist you with skills you want to practice if you’re not feeling 100% about them. We also did our 4 open water training dives to obtain our certification with them @ Haigh Quarry, which was also a wonderful experience… we bought all of our basic gear here (wetsuits, masks, snorkels, fins, boots) and all of our questions/​concerns were addressed. These guys LOVE to scuba and want to share their love of scuba with students (and do it in a safe way that will make their students safe divers… some classes last only a weekend, which can be dangerous and potentially unsafe – these guys do it right) There are also the usual local diving charters offered, as well as vacation trips — if you want a fantastic experience, I highly recommend Elmer’s for those out there who want to learn how to scuba dive safely and effectively (all the employees have a great sense of humor and will keep you laughing as well – bonus!)

My girlfriend and I went to buy a mask, snorkel and fins. Myron was extremely helpful and patiently guided us through all the options, even staying a half hour past closing time. I couldn’t imagine trying to buy this stuff online without the expert help. The merchandise is very high quality. We were both extremely satisfied.

This place is as good as it gets for Chicago dive shops. There prices are pretty good, the service is great, lots of local dive trips, and knowledgable staff.
When I graduated college (and had a job lined up), I took my signing bonus straight here to buy a full set of dive gear and then booked a trip with Wild Countrly in Normal IL to go Lobster diving (see my picture with lobster in hand).
I also did my Nitrox certification here. Good class, highly recommended to have this if you plan on doing any live aboard dive trips or a vacation where you dive every day.

I bought my very first pieces of dive gear from Elmer’s back in the summer of 2005. At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about diving or dive gear but the guy who helped me with my purchases, Luke, was a huge help. I remember him after all this time because he patiently explained my different options and made some very good recommendations (100% confirmed now that I’ve been on 100+ dives). If I remember correctly, Luke became a certified PADI instructor at the time so look him up if you want to take a course.
The selection at Elmer’s is pretty decent for an LDS (local dive shop) not in a major dive destination. The prices may not be the lowest but you’ll probably get better service than with an online emporium. When I brought a leaky snorkel back to them, they exchanged it without hesitation. OK, most places would probably do that but they’d most likely raise eyebrows at you first. The staff were cool and friendly, and the vibe very comfortable.
I liked. You will like.