I have learned so much about equipment and classes that I can take from the employees here at Midwest Scuba! Everyone I talked to was very knowledgeable and passionate about snorkeling and SCUBA. I highly recommend their expertise. This is a place where you will want to keep going back.

Alex is an amazing instructor!My husband and I have been certified for a few years but do not dive regularly. Now that our kids are teens, we wanted to get them certified and start taking diving trips as a family. One issue... our youngest is on the autism spectrum. Alex has been totally amazing with him. Our son is a visual learner, and we didnt even have to tell Alex that, he just flexed to his learning style without issue. Our son still has some skills to perfect, but hes making good progress. He hasnt made it to open water diver yet, but he has a different level of certification that will allow him to come with us on most trips while practicing his skills so we can get him to a full open water diver. Im very pleased that Alex was able to find a way to get us where we wanted to be (able to do something as a family) without compromising his integrity in terms of not just rubber-stamping our son through the program. I appreciate this about him and shows his commitment not only to his customers but to the sport.During some of the training with our kids, Alex was also working with other divers to earn different types of certifications (including one who was becoming an instructor). I was AMAZED how Alex was able to put some much attention into our son while at the same time able to watch over this instructor in training who was working with our daughter on other aspects. Really, he was training three different people at the same time all with completely different needs and getting it done. I would have have no qualms sending anyone to Alex.Alex is also flexible in terms of finding times that work with your schedule and places to actually do the underwater work. Our training was pushing into the fall and our son was needing extra time in the water. We did some in the pool, some at a quarry and some at a state park.The shop has everything you need or he will get it for you and he has great advice on equipment. He also sets up dive trips on a regular basis. We hope to take advantage of more of those now that were all certified as a family.Thanks for everything, Alex!

Wow! Midwest Scuba Center and owner, Alex Gentner, are a winning combination. His store is well stocked with great products, and he is knowledgeable and informative. If you need something he doesnt have in stock hes happy to order it for you. I have purchased a number of products from him that continue to be helpful to my diving and make it an enjoyable experience.Besides a fine store owner, Alex is a first class instructor. I have earned a number of certifications through the variety of classes he teaches, and am looking forward to more. I have also observed how patient and helpful he is to those who are first learning to dive. One thing that really impressed me was when a new student mentioned that she chose to learn to dive through Midwest Scuba Center, because when she did her research Alex was exactly the kind of instructor she was looking for.Alex certainly passes on his love for scuba diving to all who meet him.Besides his store and instructor abilities, Alex offers great scuba trips.I have been with him on local excursions, journeys to Florida and trips to exciting overseas places. He puts together good packages that combine excellent diving, logistics, accommodations, meals, and prices. He spends quality personal time with the attendees and helps to ensure that everyone has a fantastic time. His trips also provide fun things for snorkelers and non-divers too.If yourre planning to learn to dive, just thinking about it, wanting to continue with fun diving experiences; stop by Midwest Scuba Center and ask for Alex. Youll meet a lot of life long friends too.

This review is from Dean and Charlene Rhoden.Alex Gentner of Midwest Scuba Center is an awesome instructor! He has always been very patient and helpful in explaining everything I needed helpwith. He will work with anyone that might need extra help passing the courses. We have been on several diving trips in USA and in the Caribbean that Alex has put together, they were all great! My wife doesn’t dive but he has always made sure she has just as good time snorkeling. Alex has helped me get 4 certifications to advance me in my knowledge as a diver and a First Responder . If anyone needs to get certified as a diver Alex is definitely the person to help you with getting that !

I do not question Alexs ability as a diver or instructor, but as a person, he is borderline criminal. I registered for my open water diver certification through Midwest Scuba Center and the pool portion of the class went very well. Then came the issues...A.) I ordered a pair of boots from the shop and was told they would call me when they came in. I was never notified and only when I came in to take my final written exam, and asked about them, was I given my boots. Having known now what I know about Alex, I have zero doubts that he wouldve gladly taken my money and never told me my boots were in stock. B.) I travel for work, and was forced to relocate to Texas prior to completing my open water dives to complete my certification. He refused to reply to any calls/texts/emails for WEEKS, and I actually had to contact PADI to FORCE him to provide my referral documentation so I could get certified in Texas. C.) I registered for my open water dives prior to moving to Texas, and was forced to cancel(because I was moving). Alex replied to my message stating that he had the dates wrong, to which I informed him that I emailed him stating I wouldnt be able to attend. Fast forward a month later after PADI reached out to him, and he told me that he would not give me a refund, because I canceled the same day. It was actually 4 days prior to the planned dive, and based off the photos he shared on Facebook, me not being present had zero affect on their turnout for that dive. Thats fine, he must need the money more than me.Long story short, hes a shady guy and I would highly recommend doing your dive certifications elsewhere. When I did my in-pool refresher once I got to Texas, my instructors questioned several of skills I was taught, stating they would never teach their students that way. Take that for what its worth, as I felt as though his in pool teachings were actually very good. However, Overall, hes a sketchy guy and I prefer not to do business with people like that. Proceed at your own risk.

Alex and his team are amazing! They walked me through the entire process of obtaining my open water certification. The classes were very well taught and fun! I highly recommend them for anyone interested in scuba diving! Thank you for an amazing experience!

I highly recommend MSC! I have been a certified diver for almost 3 years now and in that time I have bought all my equipment, taken a handful of courses, and gone on a vacation to the Caribbean all with Alex and MSC. Alex is a good instructor and makes sure everyone gets the proper and safe training they need for the course. He puts together around 10 to 12 diving trips a year all over the world and within the country. If you live in central IL and want to learn to dive, this is where you should start.

Great operation!

Alex is amazing🎉. I think he is one of the best instructors you can get for diving. He is knowledgeable, patient and super friendly. I can highly recommend MSC!Greets from germany 😃

Alex is very friendly and a great instructor, I did a refresher course with him a while ago, and bought a really nice pair of booties from the shop.

Alex was extremely helpful when I had to get some certifications done very quickly for my work. He is super friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. Everything is reasonably priced, and a got a great wetsuit from his shop. I will definitely be coming back!

I had a great time getting trained with Alex from Midwest Scuba Center. He is a very patient, encouraging and interesting instructor. I highly recommend to take a course here with Alex.

I was blown away at how good the service was. I went in to buy some basic scuba equipment for my dive certification. Very friendly, very knowledgable, very polite. The owner didnt try to rip me off or make me pay for something I didnt need he was very up front and honest. I would definitely recommend his shop. I will continue to business with him.

I had a great experience training and shopping with Midwest Scuba. The scuba training was excellent (PADI certification) and has a relaxed & fun pace. Alex the store owner is enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

I had a wonderful experience at Midwest scuba! The prices are reasonable and there is a great selection for equipment! Alex was a wonderful instructor! I highly recommend getting your scuba certification through Midwest scuba!!!

The current owner Alex Gentner is a nice guy. He helped me pick equipment that worked best for me. He is also a patient and reliable instructor.

Alex is the man. Had a great time taking classes from him at the ARC