Berry Dive Center is Chicago lands premier dive center. As a PADI five star (IDC) Instructor Development Center we have been serving and training water enthusiasts in Scuba Diving for over 35 years. We are a full retail and instructional dive shop offering the latest gear for sale as well as for rent.
Please navigate our website to shop on-line or stop by the shop for a visit in person if you're local. We have an experienced Instructional and Sales staff waiting to talk 'scuba diving' with you! Let us service your gear! Designed for multiple applications down to 300 feet/100 meters, the Sea Dragon Mini 600 features a wide 75-degree beam angle, two power modes, and easy on/off control with the twist of the light head bezel.
Please navigate our website to shop on-line or stop by the shop for a visit in person if you're local. We have an experienced Instructional and Sales staff waiting to talk 'scuba diving' with you! Let us service your gear! Designed for multiple applications down to 300 feet/100 meters, the Sea Dragon Mini 600 features a wide 75-degree beam angle, two power modes, and easy on/off control with the twist of the light head bezel.
Services
BERRY DIVE CENTER, a PADI five star IDC facility has been a PADI member for over 35 years. We have been serving and training water enthusiasts in Scuba Diving for just as long. We are a full retail, instructional dive operation offering gear for sale and rental, along with teaching the beginning open water student through the Instructor rating, and offer scuba diving trips to various dive destinations around the world.
If you don't see a time for class or pool that works for you call us lets see if we can make something work with our on site tropical dive pool. There is a 7 day cancellation/change of class date policy. If you cancel and/or want to change dates it must be before 7 days from your original class date.
Start your Certification right now! PADI eLearning is internet based (online) course work that you can access from anywhere via the world wide web. With PADI eLearning, you can sign-up and complete the knowledge-based dive training from the convenience of your home, office or on the road, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Emergency First Response (EFR) is the fastest-growing international CPR, Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and First Aid training organization. Dedicated to training the lay rescuer, EFR courses encompasses adult, child and infant CPR skills, provides AED and First Aid training, and feature an outstanding First Aid at Work component.
Our award-winning technicians are certified by ALL of the top manufacturers. Our techs are highly trained in the service and repair of the latest technologies and in a wide variety of older models as well. Don't trust your life support equipment maintenance to anyone else! We are confident our quality and service will meet and exceed all of your expectations.
Reviews (27)
Omar A.
Jan 27, 2022
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Nick (owner) is a great guy that understands a "good customer is a repeat customer." He always goes out of his way to ask questions and understand what you need (as an individual diver). He has never tried to "sell" me anything. Instead he explains the pros and cons of the equipment based on my level and types of diving. Diving is expensive, so when I make an investment in equipment it is important to know that I am dealing with a guy that is looking out for ME and my wallet (not a quick sale).
Go visit his dive shop. You will like the extensive inventory, and get
Go visit his dive shop. You will like the extensive inventory, and get
Jonathan Samek
Jan 08, 2022
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This place was great. The owner was extremely helpful. We are complete “newbies” and not only did he spend time with us and for us, he was also extremely cost conscious on our behalf. I would recommend this place to anyone.
He was also willing to chat about all of the store’s services without trying to hard sell them-
Totally without pressure.
He was also willing to chat about all of the store’s services without trying to hard sell them-
Totally without pressure.
Emily Keaton
Nov 26, 2021
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Ray O.
Jul 15, 2021
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My family and I recently completed the Open Water Dive Referral Course at Berry Dive Center. Nick was easy to work with in setting up a private class for the four of us. Pam, the classroom instructor, and MooJay, the pool instructor were great. They were very patient, answered all our repeated questions and took time to make us feel welcome and special. It was a wonderful experience and we look forward to diving with the shop after completing our Open Water dives in Hawaii.
Michael Furdock
May 03, 2021
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Luke Sanderson
Feb 02, 2021
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Dropped off my new regulator so they could add a low pressure hose. Specifically asked the employee when it would be done and to my surprise when I went to pick it up there was no employee in the shop during business hours. I waited in the parking lot for two hours until deciding to give up after no one answered the phone or email. Ill never use this shop again. Id recommend you don't unless time is no object.
Ivy Shtereva
Jul 10, 2020
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The owner, Nick, is unresponsive and irresponsible. I have been trying to get the physical PADI certification card I earned for OVER TWO YEARS now. Have called and emailed dozens of times, sent in dive logs and proof of payment and gotten no response. It's mind-boggling how this person has a business. There are a number of wonderful dive centers in Illinois, do not waste your time and money here.
Ashley Elizabeth O.
Sep 19, 2019
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Sarah Clare
Nov 01, 2018
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Did the open water referral course with my husband. Had great instruction and felt really confident in everything we learned. It was a very enjoyable experience and introduced us to a new and exciting hobby. Staff was knowledgeable, accommodating, and incredibly friendly. They offered a lot of real-world advice which was appreciated. Highly suggest going here for a certification. If you are on the fence, check out their discover scuba course. I was even able to find some awesome fins at their dive shop.
David R.
Aug 01, 2018
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My girlfriend and I did our PADI Open Water certifications through Berry Dive Center, and it was an amazing experience. Our classroom instructor, Pam, was very knowledgeable, and was patient with us throughout the course. Our Open Water Dives instructor, Mark, was excellent as well, and made us feel comfortable doing our dives at the Quarry.
The owner, Nick, is awesome and informative! He had no problem answering the plethora of questions that I had for him, and gave us no-nonsense information as we start our journey as Scuba Divers!
**Please note, that the instructors are brought in as-needed
The owner, Nick, is awesome and informative! He had no problem answering the plethora of questions that I had for him, and gave us no-nonsense information as we start our journey as Scuba Divers!
**Please note, that the instructors are brought in as-needed
Sam Bova
Dec 20, 2017
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This dive center rocks!!! They have a huge inventory selection and let you try gear in there heated indoor pool!! I have also been to Cozumel on a Berry trip!! Best trip of my life! Meeting dive buddies on the trip years ago we have become best friends,wouldn't have been possible with out Berry Scuba!
Bradley Berndt
Sep 15, 2017
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Did the groupon certification as I am headed on vacation and wanted to have it done ahead of time. Nick spent 30 plus minutes on the phone with me before I purchased talking me through what was required and what needed to be completed. The class was awesome and interactive. The pool dive session the next day was even better as Diane was very thorough. I have seen some bad reviews on here but honestly I can't understand why. Keep in mind this is a small shop run by people who love diving not a used car salesman type place trying to sell you everything and anything to make a buck. Also the price
Cailie M.
Jul 18, 2017
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I was trying to squeeze my open water diver certification in before vacation and as with everything in my life, I waited until the last possible second. I called the shop and spoke with Nick (owner) who helped explain what was involved in the certification and (several questions and a few phone calls back to him later) got me into a class that same weekend. I picked up my book a day or two before and attended the classroom session that Saturday. Joe was our instructor - super nice guy, very engaged and made it fun and interactive.
The rest of the class completing the certification went to the
The rest of the class completing the certification went to the
Jackie H.
Jul 08, 2017
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Although I had been diving several times in the past on various vacations, I used a Groupon to get my Open Water certification and it was an overall great experience. Nick (owner) is very personable and accommodating. Diane, Rob and the other stuff are wonderful to deal with -- very professional and knowledgable. They made the learning process very fun. Following the completion of my certification, I went diving in Mexico and the dive shop there was very complimentary of the education given to me by Berry Dive Shop. They mentioned that typically a new student coming out of the Open Water certification
Joey R.
May 06, 2017
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The absolute most unprofessional business I've ever dealt with. On top of lying and cheating his customers and not ever answering the phone. I was sold a $1200 drysuit that was supposedly brand new. I found out that was a lie and then the drysuit was faulty. They did nothing to help the situation. I work in commercial diving. If they have no problem screwing over professional divers and doing this type of thing to the commercial diving community just imagine what they'll do to a new comer. Stay away from this place. Myself and the rest of my community have already put a huge red flag
Caroline K.
Mar 23, 2017
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John K.
Oct 04, 2016
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Owner (Nick) made diving fun and easy! I had a few issues in the pool and Nick did not hesitate to take extra pool time to make sure I had all the skills perfected. He did not charge me extra for additional pool time and was more concerned on making a safe knowledgeable diver then making an extra dollar. You can tell he loves what he does and has years of experience in the water. Can't
wait to dive a shipwreck in lake michigan with Nick and the Berry crew!!
wait to dive a shipwreck in lake michigan with Nick and the Berry crew!!
Joey Joe Joe Jr Shabadoo
Jul 08, 2016
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Berry Dive Center is the BEST place to get scuba certified. No where else compares. Nick is extremely knowledgeable about the sport and takes his time teaching his students ensuring a safe and fun experience for all. I hope Berry Dive Center is around for a very long time because their service and expertise are second to none.
Sandra P.
Aug 23, 2015
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Extremely unorganized. Used Groupon to purchase open water dive course. Received 1 email acknowledging scheduled class but otherwise no instructions. I received a call 3 days before class to say pool time had been changed. At that time was informed I should have picked up the book and have it read before class. They are 1 1/2 hours away. No instructions as to what you had to do to complete course. I had to search the website to find out the few things I did.
Went to class and then pool all was fine except pool time was cut short due to a storm, no fault of theirs. But found out we would have
Went to class and then pool all was fine except pool time was cut short due to a storm, no fault of theirs. But found out we would have
Rafael M.
Jul 06, 2015
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TLDR; Nick (owner) basically ripped me off $900 worth of gear. Didn't get my money back or any kind of update on my order until I stormed into the store saying I was getting my money back or calling Amex and filing a dispute. I will never do business with these people again. Extremely unprofessional.
Went into the store and made a $2500 purchase for new gear - about $900 of which had to be ordered as Nick didn't have it in stock. He told me he'd let me know the next day when they would arrive. As you can probably guess, I didn't hear from him the next day. I waited about 2
Went into the store and made a $2500 purchase for new gear - about $900 of which had to be ordered as Nick didn't have it in stock. He told me he'd let me know the next day when they would arrive. As you can probably guess, I didn't hear from him the next day. I waited about 2
Joyce C.
Feb 11, 2015
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Kenneth A.
Nov 28, 2014
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Kamil S.
May 30, 2014
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We attempted the Advanced Open Water Certification with the Groupon and got what we paid for. If I had to do it again, I would go to a shop that didn't have to offer Groupons to get customers as this was just not worth the headaches.
Went to pick up the gear before the diving weekend, but the staff at the store was clueless, texting the owner as to what to give me and still got it wrong. It would be nice if they collected the gear from you on the last day of diving, but instead they make you make another trip to the shop to return everything.
First day of diving, we completed 2 out of 3
Went to pick up the gear before the diving weekend, but the staff at the store was clueless, texting the owner as to what to give me and still got it wrong. It would be nice if they collected the gear from you on the last day of diving, but instead they make you make another trip to the shop to return everything.
First day of diving, we completed 2 out of 3
Richard P.
May 20, 2014
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Overall: Good training program and instructors, but they make every step of the way a colossal pain in the butt.
I decided to get PADI open water certified with a few friends via a groupon, which was $250 and lasted over three weekends. Great, I was thinking, that's not a bad price at all. But literally every step of the process involves a fee that they don't tell you about beforehand, as well as a separate trip to their store to take care of something. When you live in the city, commuting to their little store in Northbrook is no easy task. In addition to the cost of signing up ($250
I decided to get PADI open water certified with a few friends via a groupon, which was $250 and lasted over three weekends. Great, I was thinking, that's not a bad price at all. But literally every step of the process involves a fee that they don't tell you about beforehand, as well as a separate trip to their store to take care of something. When you live in the city, commuting to their little store in Northbrook is no easy task. In addition to the cost of signing up ($250
Brad S.
Jun 05, 2013
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I've used this shop for my scuba maintenance (tank, regulator) and for some training(PADI Rescue Diver, Deep, Wreck, and Nitrox certifications). This is a basic entrepeneur's shop. I gotta be honest that the retail portion of the store, in spite of one of the best web sites of a scuba shop I've seen, is an absolute horrid mess. This may really annoy you but I can handle it (kinda - I guess tolerate is a better word). They have fair pricing for their courses and provide good quality instruction. For future certifications, I seem to have a knack for being busy whenever they have
Ken B.
Oct 08, 2012
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My wife and I just finished the full PADI open water certification yesterday at Haigh Quarry using the groupon, and we couldn't be happier. We didn't have any organizational issues and they even helped us pick up our gear a little bit early from the shop since we couldn't make it to the shop during the week.
My wife was very nervous about diving but I needed a buddy and talked her into it. The first pool session we had Roger as an instructor, and he was amazing. Took his time to explain everything really well and cracked some great jokes to help keep my wife calm. Fantastic instructor
My wife was very nervous about diving but I needed a buddy and talked her into it. The first pool session we had Roger as an instructor, and he was amazing. Took his time to explain everything really well and cracked some great jokes to help keep my wife calm. Fantastic instructor
Corey G.
Sep 22, 2012
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I took the PADI Open Water dive certification course here. The quality of instruction was fine, but Berry Dive Center could not be more disorganized. First off, they lost my email address so that I didn't receive half the updates I was supposed to about course logistics. Then, once I straightened that out with them, I found out that they had inadvertently removed me from the registration list for the second weekend (it was a two weekend class). Then, once I fixed that, they registered me for the morning session but told me I was registered for the afternoon session. So I got an early morning
