I went in as someone who knew nothing about diving and they were great. I did my open water certification with them and the team made every step clear and they were always there to answer questions. Everyone was super easy to talk to and really enthusiastic abut working with novice divers and sharing what they know. It was a blast and I cant wait to do some other dives/certifications with them. From what I can tell the prices for everything they offer, from gear to lessons, are fairly average (and who doesnt like supporting small businesses).

I came and did a refresher dive since it had been 2 years since my last dive. The family that owns this place is awesome! So knowledgeable and helpful. They also did a great job of understanding my comfort level and reviewing the skills I was looking for. Definitely check them out if you are looking for a great dive shop!

Great crew running this place. Also they have an indoor pool! Makes training convenient!

Ridiculously pricy .. my GF went there to do her course .. she didn’t know the price range .. so they over charged her.Very important to check other shops before!We talking about more than double .. price wise

Best place to get certified. Best people.

Friendly and professional - I just finished my PADI confined water courses and Ashton was amazing! He made the courses stress-free and fun. Highly recommend getting your certification with this crew.

I had Ashton as an instructor for my beginning classes in the pool in December with my best friend. He’s such a cool guy and knows what he’s doing. He was able to make everybody engage when in the bookwork aside from the pool. He was very detailed and comforting with everything. Learning how to breath under water is not something your mind will not easily accept. He was able to walk us through every Part in assembling gear and Tasks underwater.We then continued our experience and became open water certified this weekend with Frank and Dale. Dale was amazing at keeping us calm underwater. It’s kind of silly but I have a horrible fear of deep and dark water aaaand fish.. I have no idea how he did it but he knows that quarry like the back of his hand, and even though we swam on the murkiest day, he found each of us with no problem.I love the staff. I’m definitely continuing all my scuba classes here.

I finished my open water dives and have to say Ashton K. was an amazing instructor. He was extremely patient with me when I was anxious at different points during the training. His fun yet serious attitude was exactly what I needed to calm down and recenter myself. If I didnt have a great instructor I could have easily seen myself giving up and quitting but Ashton was great at helping remind me why I wanted to learn to dive and to take my time learning something new. I look forward to taking more classes with him!

Good people, good ideas. I got me PADI open water and nitrox certification. I visit whenever I have a diving need

Great plaxe to get scuba gear and to do your training. People workin there are very friendly and knowledgeable. I also did my padi license with Underwater Safaris,. Jamie was great instructor.

Fantastic experience from start to finish! My dive instructor Jamie was super knowledgeable and personable, and really made us feel comfortable diving. So happy I chose these guys for my PADI certification.

Ashton is an amazing instructor! Hes patient and will explain things clearly and precisely. I had a great experience getting my OW cert through UWS.I know it was cold, and Ashton was a trooper about it all. He put his personal feelings about the cold aside to ensure I could finish my cert over the weekend.Thank you, Ashton, for the great service at your shop!

The staff here is really amazing. They make sure they take care of you as a customer and get you with the proper gear. Safety has always been their top priority. They also buy only gear that is top class so you know you will get quality and not something that wont last down the line. The instructors are excellent and ensure they are thorough and ensure that they train you really well. They organize great dive trips as well! Do all of my shopping and training here!

Super convenient location with a pool. My instructor Greg was awesome and made sure we all felt comfortable and confident with each skill before moving on. Highly recommend Underwater Sufaris if youre looking to get certified.

I’ve done several certifications with Underwater Safaris, as well as buying multiple pieces of equipment from them, and their knowledge and service is absolutely above average.Their courses, especially their approach to the Open Water certification, are great and their instructors are super qualified. Can heartily recommend going here.

First, I really appreciated Jeans (the owner) willingness to help me get along with the classes, the pool sessions, and the open water course - considering the fact that I was an exchange student in Chicago for few months. The Underwater Safaris team and Jean help were outstanding!Second, the pool sessions instructor - Mike! amazing guy!! I think that most (if not all) of us, 8 students in the class, had a strong consensus regarding the fact that he knows exactly how to approach people with scuba diving material and how to teach in a simple, straightforward and easy to grasp way. Mike, you are awesome...!!!Thirdly, the open water instructors - Adam, Mark, and Frank - WOW !!! Totally with straight continue to Underwater Safaris trend, we got 3 marvelous and remarkable instructors. Super professional, nice, calm, patient and most important fun to learn from and work with.The overall experience of the course, the open water diving, and Underwater Safaris was very special and unique for me and I will always remember you guys :)Well, thats all. It has been amazing experience, so - THANK YOU JEAN and Underwater Safaris Team!!!

My husband and I have been diving with Underwater Safaris for 3 years now. We did our open water, advanced, and rescue certifications with them. Now we are working on our divemaster certification with them. Weve been to the quarry with them for picnics, scavenger hunts, and pumpkin carvings. We went to Cozumel and Cayman Islands with them and are going to Honduras with them over Thanksgiving. Why do we do all of this? Because we cant get enough of Underwater Safaris and diving! Since the beginning Underwater Safaris has been so helpful and friendly. The staff is professional and the instructors are top-notch. They make you work hard which is a good thing. Scuba diving is a blast and fun to learn, but should also be taken seriously. Underwater Safaris covers all the bases and makes sure you learn scuba and safety and have fun all at the same time! Stop by their shop for fun sometime and take a look at the indoor pool, etc. Its a little oasis in the middle of the city!

Friendly, knowledgeable, fair well stocked full service dive shop. Very helpful from snorkeling to dry suit scuba. A great resource for the community.

Did my Open Water Dive classes, pool dives, and open water dives with UW Safaris and highly recommend them. Stacy, Jamie and John made all the difference - they know their stuff and are happy to share their knowledge and experience with their students. A great bunch!

Kyle was a fantastic instructor. We had a small but great group and he was able to adapt his teahcing style to each and every one of us. He was very patient, thorough and friendly. Excellent experience for those venturing in the world of scuba diving. The facilities were good and the indoor pool water temperature was perfect for the class in the middle of Chicagos winter. Highly recommend them.

I love this dive shop! The classes are very good, I have always received a lot of attention when buying equipment, and they do a great job of organizing trips - Ive been on one! Everybody who works here definitely cares about diving!

I know Chicago doesnt match with scuba... But get your training here before your next trip! Friendly staff and very accommodating.

Staff was extremely knowledgeable and helpful when it came to selecting gear as a new student. Adding in personal stories, you know they genuinely care about enjoy working with customers.

Great place for gear, advice and classes. Professional divers, honest and serious about their passion.

I was certified here and its been my one stop shop for classes, gear and most importantly advice.The main lady that is always near the back counter is just full of useful advice, honest tips and a love for diving.They just do everything right.

Amazing experience in scuba diving class with a great teacher Jamie!

Great service and staff. My instructor, Ashton K., was phenominal and really helped calm me down as my body was learning that it was, in fact, ok to breathe underwater. Really patient and supportive.They have a pool on site where you do you practice your dive skills, which is very convenient!

My go to dive shop. My tank had expired visual inspection and they lended me a take to use while mine was serviced. Very knowledgable and cool people.

I started nearly 2 years ago at Underwater Safaris with a Groupon Discover Scuba, I quickly signed up for my Open Water Certificate and then went with a group that February to Cozumel Mexico to do my open water. Everything from training, equipment and trip planning is always top-notch. The staff is professional and knowledgeable as well as welcoming. Scuba diving is a door to a whole new world, and Underwater Safaris make the beginning of that journey safe, fun and adventurous.Whenever I speak about learning to dive or where to get dive equipment or trip planning I always recommend Underwater Safaris

Great experience with Underwater Safaris! Very patient instructors and great facility. The in store pool made getting my pool sessions done a breeze! Thanks again!

Took 2 courses here with this company to obtain an open water certification as well as purchased a beginner scuba gear package. The staff was very friendly and accommodating as well as providing experienced help for buying gear. The courses were well structured, not laborious in the classroom and provided helpful and practical skills that have been helpful to diving beyond just what you can learn from PADI. Overall a great experience and has made my introduction to scuba diving an easy and fun hobby.

Great service and excellent selection of diving gear.

Loved this placed. Learn scuba here

I go to UWS for all my diving needs. Its a family owned stored and everyone in the shop is friendly and helpful. Its the best scuba store in Chicago.They go above and beyond at times, for example, I had a dive planned the very next day, both my tanks that needed to be filled were old and needed to be hydro tested (takes about a week). They lent me their tanks for free! My trip would have been cancelled otherwise. Thank you UWS! See you soon😉

I did my PADI Open Water, Peak Buoyancy Cert, and PADI Advanced Open Water courses through UW Safaris and had a great experience with them every time! Highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great dive shop with down-to-earth experts to help you along your scuba education journey!

Totally freaking awesome went in there expecting one thing and got another something more professional definite place to go to for scuba gear Plus just like the Viking Ski Shop on Fullerton Avenue just good stuff

Took my PADI scuba divers class at this location, great employees and service.

Great to have a family owned and operated store, but especially for Scuba!

Been going here for at least 4 years. Got my initial scuba certification and progressed all the way to advanced open water. Next is divemaster when I have time. Every memorial day weekend they have a trip to Cozumel, which is EXCELLENT. They take good care of you, and if something comes up that might be a problem with certification, theyll help you work through it.Instead of it taking 10 weekend classes to get certified, they can get you ready in 2 - ANY time of the year. Then you can go dive a Haigh Quarry (warm weather only) to finish your certification, OR go anywhere in the world and actually FINISH the certification - most dive outfits will help with that.Stopped in today, and was surprised to see the little moray eel in the tank near the back is now over twice as big as it was when I first came there. Say hi to him for me.

Nice shop with nice people.

Very good and friendly service.

Very friendly and knowledgeable. Great family business. Bought all my equipment and had it serviced here. If ever there was an ooopsie with anything, theyve addressed it right away. Definitely recommend when youre ready to go into the water! (Pic is from one of our cert locations)