DallasDivers.com recently visited Carrollton’s International Scuba and our own videographer Chris Hinkle shot and put together video highlights of the tour. Thanks to Patti Stewart and Rich Thomas of International Scuba for rolling out the red carpet and giving us the star treatment. And if you happen to be in the Carrollton area, stop by International Scuba.

About International Scuba:

Since opening in 1998, International Scuba has attracted a loyal following from the local dive community. Located in Carrollton, International Scuba is a full-service scuba shop and dive training center. With a wealth of certified instructors, an on-site, heated training pool, and two classrooms, one “wet” (i.e., adjacent to the pool) and one “dry”, International Scuba is well equipped to meet the training needs of any diver. As a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center, they offer classes for beginners all the way to master instructors, and for the technical diver they offer the entire cirriculum of TDI courses. In addition, they are a retailer of the industry’s top lines, offer equpiment service, and travel to local and exotic destinations.

Contact Information:

• Address: 2540 Marsh Lane, Suite #128, Carrollton, Tx 75006
• Phone: (972) 416-8400
• Web site: International Scuba

Written by Chris Manning

My enthusiasm for diving is becoming contagious as evidenced by my 21 year old daughter’s recent interest in the sport. Since she lives in Frisco, I called Blue Dolphin Scuba to get her enrolled in their PADI discover scuba class. Since I had already sent my son through their program, I knew Blue Dolphin Scuba was an excellent choice.

Blue Dolphin Scuba conducts their classes in The Colony at the Aquatic Center on S. Colony Blvd., another reason to choose Blue Dolphin, especially if you live in The Colony like I do. Teaching the class was David Frazier, a PADI dive master and Blue Dolphin sales associate. Frasier has been diving for over 40 years and is a certified PADI Dive Master and Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) Leader.

For a $40.00 investment, my daughter received one-on-one instruction in a large swimming pool with all equipment included. They even let me get a free tank fill and observe the course, which was cool. While at the shop, Kevin “Guppy” Guthrie, who was performing the fill on my tank, noticed that I had a faulty O-ring and promptly replaced it. Thanks Kevin! Emily was shown how to flood and clear her mask, breathe without a mask in place, equalize, and fine-tune her buoyancy to achieve that great sensation of being weightless.

All in all it was a great experience, and a great opportunity to share my love for diving with my daughter in a safe environment. Between my experience in OW certification and seeing my two older kids go through the Discover scuba program, I can highly recommend Blue Dolphin Scuba and any course they offer. It was a great experience and David Frazier equipped my daughter to take the next step and take her OW class.

Special thanks to David Frazier, Kevin “Guppy” Guthrie, and Blue Dolphin Scuba for a great day at the pool.

You can visit Blue Dolphin Scuba’s web site for more details or stop by and check out their store.

DallasDivers.com is not affiliated with Blue Dolphin Scuba or any other local dive shop. We exist to promote the sport of scuba diving in the Dallas area.

Written by Sebron Snyder
Lone Star Scuba’s Dallas location is tucked away in a quiet shopping center just south of 635 on Preston Road. The large SCUBA sign atop the building guided me to a parking spot at the front door and then in a typical Pavlovian fashion, the Scuba Pro signage gave me the warm fuzzy feeling that quickened my pace into the shop.

I have visited Lone Star Scuba on numerous occasions and it is always therapeutic to go to dive shops to feed the equipment “jones”, even when you don’t buy. Once I entered the store I immediately began checking out gear. For a small shop, the selection is effective and their choice of top brands says something about their shop. The layout of the store is smart and the Palapa/Tiki cash register is a nice touch. A small classroom located in the back rounds out the facility.

While I was there, a student dropped by to finish up Nitrox training. We all stood around and talked shop. This is where I really saw what Lone Star is about. It’s all about getting us back to where we all came from. What is it about hydrogen and a couple of atoms of oxygen that makes us all so happy? After a few minutes, Randy Diercoff, the shop’s director, arrived and we discussed all things scuba.

Q1. How long has your dive shop been in business?
A1. Lone Star Scuba got started back in 1988 out in Fort Worth by Manny Montoro. A few years after that the Dallas location opened. I came on at the Dallas location in a very round-about way. But once I came on here things really took off for me. I can’t say enough about how Lone Star has allowed me to come in and develop as a diver and to impart that knowledge to all our customers. Our Fort Worth shop is a twin to this operation with equal services and training.

Q2. How long have you been diving?
A2. Well, I decided to take a Scuba Class while at Texas A&M back in 1984 because my family was taking a trip to Cozumel. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, shortly after that I had a really bad car accident. Once I recovered, diving became a very comfortable and welcoming place. It is still great therapy for me.

Q3. What got you interested in the sport?
A3. The family trip! Well, it’s a good way to get those Physical Education credits out of the way.

Q4. As a diver, what level of certifications do you hold?
A4. Well, I have over 97 plus certifications and specialties. That includes Padi Dive Master and Master Diver, Naui Course Director and TDI Advanced TriMix Instructor Trainer. Lone Star has been great at supporting the staff and myself when it comes to certification and dive proficiency.

Q5. What kind of training does your shop offer?
A5. We’ve got six instructors on our rolls and we offer all types of training from Open Water basic to Technical diving. One thing I would like to tell you about us is that we are very hands on. I have the ability, as director, to customize your training. Not everyone has the same needs or skill level. After my accident I really understood that. We find the ways to train you safely and effectively so that your diving can be fun and safe.

Q6. What local dive facility do you take students for OW training?
A6. We don’t have a pool here on site but we do use the Saint Marks campus pool. We’ll do open water training at Clear Springs when appropriate and we’ve used Aquarena Springs if weather conditions are unfavorable here. As a standard Austin’s Lake Travis is always on our list.

Q7. Do you offer dive trips and if so how many trips a year do you take?
A7. Yes, presently we are up to about 20 for the year when you include Flower Gardens and that’s about our year average. So, we’re a bit ahead for the year! Tech trips to Fort Lauderdale is a new thing that I am really happy we are doing. There are some great wrecks down there.

Q8. What is the most common misconception about diving, especially among beginners?
A8. Okay, here comes the silly answer. Most people think they are going to be breathing pure Oxygen. Oh, also people think bowling is safer than Scuba. Go figure!

Q9. What does your dive shop bring to the table that is unique to the Dallas dive scene?
A9. What sets us apart? Well, we really get involved with you. Everyone is different that comes through that door. We treat you that way. We support all the major agencies; Naui, Padi and TDI. Along with extremely personal service we do offer Nitrox and Trimix fills.

Q10. This is your opportunity to promote your shop to our readers.
A10. We’re proud of what we do here; we service and train everyone with that thought in mind. You come to the shop and we take the time to make your experience worthwhile. We offer some of the best gear on the market to include Scuba Pro, Poseidon, Halycon OMS Mares Uwatec , Oceanic and Mares. We provide equipment servicing, tank inspection, equipment special orders and some of the best services in the local area. Oh, I think we are the most centrally located shop in Dallas. Being a block of 635 and mid-way between the Tollway and 75 has its benefits. Besides there is a great Chinese Restaurant next door.

You can visit Lone Star Scuba’s web site for more details or stop by and check out their store.

Thanks to Randy Diercoff and Lone Star Scuba.

DallasDivers.com is not affiliated with Lone Star Scuba or any other local dive shop. We exist to promote the sport of scuba diving in the Dallas area.

Written by Chris Manning.

Since opening in 1998, International Scuba has attracted a loyal following from the local dive community. Located in Carrollton, International Scuba is a full-service scuba shop and dive training center. With a wealth of certified instructors, an on-site, heated training pool, and two classrooms, one “wet” (i.e., adjacent to the pool) and one “dry”, International Scuba is well equipped to meet the training needs of any diver. As a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center, they offer classes for beginners all the way to master instructors, and for the technical diver they offer the entire cirriculum of TDI courses. In addition, they are a retailer of the industry’s top lines, offer equpiment service, and travel to local and exotic destinations.

I had the opportunity to interview Patti Stewart, Co-owner and General Manager of International Scuba, to discuss all things scuba.

Q1. How long has your dive shop been in business?
A1. The dive shop opened in February of 1998 so we are fast approaching 10 years!

Q2. How long have you been diving?
A2. I am still the new kid in some respects as I have been diving for 9 plus years

Q3. What got you interested in the sport?
A3. My husband and co-owner has been diving for 5 years longer than I have. I was consulting with a Hawaiian company and got a chance to snorkel. It was history after that. He found International Scuba to be the only shop that didn’t pressure him into signing me up. The manager, Mike Rowe, filled Brian in on the normal details but told Brian to bring me in to and let me decide based on my feelings. We have been home ever since.

Q4. As a diver, what level of certifications do you hold?
A4. I am a PADI Course Director. We have 2 Course Directors, 4 Master Instructors, 4 Staff Instructors, 7 Master Scuba Diver Trainers, 4 Open Water Scuba Instructors, 6 Assistant Instructors, and 3 Divemasters.

Q5. What kind of training does your shop offer?
A5. We offer the PADI system education of experience programs to Open Water all the way to Master Instructor. We have most of the specialties offered except those that aren’t applicable. (ice!). On the TDI side we offer all of their curriculum.

Q6. What local dive facility do you take students for OW training?
A6. We typically use Clear Springs but because we do multi-level training at all times be could be anywhere. Lake Travis is next followed by Possum Kingdom

Q7. Do you offer dive trips and if so how many trips a year do you take?
A7. Yes we offer trips. One of our Dive Masters is our Travel Agent. We travel somewhere monthly with as simple as Flower Gardens or as exotic as Galapagos, Palau, Micronesia, etc.

Q8. What is the most common misconception about diving, especially among beginners?
A8. Many people will say they are claustrophobic and so we ask details about what kind they experience.Typically we change their thoughts and make them divers. The other one is about sharks and we work through that with several different approaches.

Q9. What does your dive shop bring to the table that is unique to the Dallas dive scene?
A9. We focus on customer service. Both myself and Rich have that as a complete background throughout our history of working. Remember that no one is forced to walk through a dive shop door - so therefore if we honestly answer their questions, listen to their needs and help them decide what is best for them we typically have divers for life. We remove the obstacles for a divers success.

Q10. This is your opportunity to promote your shop to our readers.
A10. We have a unique atmosphere at the shop. As you saw when you looked around that we have bar stools. This type of relaxed environment allows divers to relax and enjoy themselves without high pressure sales. We have very high statistics where training is concerned and that is due in part the phenomenal team that surrounds us. We have a ‘get-er done attitude’ amongst the staff. Our team members will do what is right by the customer, take extra measures to make divers feel at ease and have fun doing it. Brian and I don’t have typical owner thoughts. Our team drive the plans as customers should drive what we sell. It is very easy to have fun.

You can visit International Scuba’s web site for more details or stop by and check out their store.

Thanks to Patti Stewart and International Scuba.

DallasDivers.com is not affiliated with International Scuba or any other local dive shop. We exist to promote the sport of scuba diving in the Dallas area.