Maximum Scuba @ Houston

I have always felt a small ping of jealousy, when I heard about other’s trips aboard, scuba diving here or there. I always knew that I wanted to push my limits and try it. After seeing the maximum scuba sign on the way to work for over a year, I finally walked in.
The best option was that you are allowed to come back to the pool or dive session as many times as you need without an extra cost added. They don’t charge you additional fees for the scuba equipment if you need an extra day to learn. Keep in mind that the air tank, scuba equipment costs the store, and they could very well be justified to put a rental fee for it on returning students. However, in this place, it is included in the course price. A BIG PERK, in my opinion!
I have a fantastic time, learning my open water course through instructor Carl. He was very professional yet personable, had lots of patience, and knew how to encourage the students. I felt relaxed to take as much time as I needed from him and he instilled a lot of confidence in me. I received world-​class instruction from Carl. who has logged more than 3000 dives.
All the other staff at the shop were very courteous. I also met with the owner/​instructor Jeff Gordon and Daniela, who was very sweet and helpful in taking my pictures and helping me in/​out of gear in my first dives. The Lake Mammoth facility is very nice too, with great rest room kitchenette, great deck, and a heated pool.
Also, it’s a good idea to buy your own gear. You can try it one and Jeff and the rest of staff really want us to be happy and content with our purchase. It’s a good to have your own mask and snorkel for sure, and the mesh bag. The prices in store are quiet on par with what you’ll find else where, with the added advantage of trying it on and input from the staff to help you find a fit. I must say that they also ordered a specific color/​size for me when it wasn’t in store and I was very pleased to find my fins waiting for me a week prior to my departure date.
Overall, I highly recommend another considering to go Maximum Scuba. They are simply the best in town!

Finding Maximum Scuba was one of the best things that happened to us in Houston. My fiancé and I wanted to get open water dive certificate and found Maximum scuba through its glowing online reviews. Now that we got the certificate, we agree with the reviewers. Maximum scuba rocks.
One of the features we liked about Maximum scuba was that they are not solely profit oriented, but they genuinely want you to fall in love with scuba diving, and they care about your experience. In one word, we felt like they loved their job of training scuba divers.
Our instructor was Carl, and we couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. Carl is very professional and safe (both as a diver and as an instructor), and has the perfect attitude for training. We liked that Carl never addressed issues in a personal level, but he always talks to the team, even if it concerned only one diver.
Besides Carl, we got to know Don and Jeff. Jeff was the owner, and we figured was the soul behind the good attitude at maximum scuba. Don, was our dive master, and his combination with Carl was beyond imagination. They both have a very good sense of humor.
The folks at Maximum scuba are the type of people you do not only want to train with, but you also want to go scuba diving with. We will definitely go to Maximum scuba if we want more certificates for scuba diving, or if we want to take a diving trip to the places which Carl notes as the «heavens».
If you are wondering wether or not to take the deal where you purchase your own equipment (e.g. mask, snorkel, fins, boots), don’t hesitate, and take the deal. Maximum scuba carries high quality equipment (mostly from Atomic aquatics) and the pricing is very fair (better than you can find online!). You also get the added bonus that you get to try everything, and select the one that suits you best.

Service? Top notch.
Safety? Above everything else.
Carl (our main instructor) lives and breathes scuba — no pun intended. Couldn’t ask for a better instructor to make everyone in the class comfortable. I had a mask malfunction during one of the certification dives and thanks to the training from Carl and crew, didn’t panic in the slightest. Can’t say enough good things about Carl.
That said, every instructor we met during our dives and pool time were very professional, patient, and also helped build confidence. Carl and crew seem to have an uncanny ability to gauge your sentiment and tailor their message for you. Jeff, the owner, spends days with students in the pool as part of helping them learn to equalize. This attitude of no one left behind and one-​on-​one service is a theme across the business. Also can’t say enough good things about Jeff and the trainers that were with us in the pool and in the lake.
Friendly tip: summers are obviously busy season. Keep that in mind as you aim to join a scuba class.
If you’re considering getting your PADI cert, this is the place to do it. After this experience, my girlfriend and I don’t want to dive with anyone else.

I can’t appreciate enough regarding how great my learning experience was. At the beginning of the pool session I was not very comfortable. The instructors were patient with me and later on although I couldn’t go in the lake, they had individual dive masters giving me more one on one practice. At maximum scuba it is really about the students. You don’t feel rushed, you get the practice as long as you don’t give up. All the people were there for you, working at your pace. I also met people who came back because one week wasn’t enough for them. Jeff let us in for free and he and his staff never give up on you as long as you don’t give up yourself. Thanks again, it was well worth it!

LOVE LOVE LOVE maximum scuba. Everyone here is super friendly and Jeff is the best!!! He helped me overcome the fear and also gave me a great deal on the scuba gear. I’m glad I didn’t quit the class at first. Diving is so fun and it’s totally worth it.

Best dive shop in Houston. The owner, Jeff, is awesome! If you want to get into scuba diving or are already into it but new to Houston, come here first

love the experience, have recommend it to many friends.
they care about you getting a good training, and my instructor carl gave me pool sessions even though there were only me and another guy for the first day, and only me the second day.
lifetime free refresher, only have to pay for lake fee, best deal ever.

Get your certification done here. The staff is awesome and they make sure it’s a great and fun experience for you. Eric was my instructor and he was great and seemed to be passionate about what he does. He was also patient with me. I would definitely recommend my friends and family to come here if they needed certification.

Gave them another chance and they rocked it. Took my son and we both earned our Advanced C card. Instructor Eric and Divemaster Ed were fantastic. I might suggest that the advance class not have a start time until 1 instead of noon. The instructor was still in the water with the open water class. Otherwise great weekend, even in the rain.

My husband and I have wanted to our advanced for a while now. When we saw the living social deal for the advanced certs, we knew it was an opportunity we could not pass up. The lady that answered the phone was a little short, but after coming into the store and getting everything set up, it all went very well! The Friday before our dives we came in and got fitted with all our gear.
These are a good group of people and we will definitely be diving with them again. Jeff really cares that you learn it and you can always ask questions. They have dive masters at the lake that are there to work with you.
Just to say, we loved it!

Okay, I can’t speak for the customer service of the store. HOWEVER, I’d like to gear this review more specifically toward PAT and the rest of the scuba team. Wow, these guys are so patient, friendly, free-​spirited. Most importantly, they love scuba and it shows. I’m apprehensive with deep water and was nervous about the entire thing. But every step of the way, I was encouraged and reassured.
I recently got my Open Water Diver certification. When I first met Pat, I was like, «yep, he’s crazy»…and he is – but in such a great way! His off-​beat personality is engaging and I was never bored. The first two days are in the classroom. The hours are long, but Pat’s enthusiasm kept us awake, alert, and excited. The third day’s in the pool. I’m not a strong swimmer, but Pat and the gang gave me great verbal instruction and support. The last two days are at Mammoth Lake. I struggled with equalizing my ears the first dive. Phoenix was super patient with getting me down as far as my ears would allow. I also struggled with clearing my mask – I struggled a lot. The whole water in my nose and face thing… Anyway, Pat was incredible at calming my nerves. I have never experienced someone so unbelievably patient while still pushing me, even when I wanted to quit and go to the surface. Despite my lack of confidence in myself, Pat believed in my abilities and I am so grateful I chose Maximum Scuba.
For anybody who is considering scuba but is apprehensive, do it! Make sure it’s with Maximum Scuba if you want a great experience. The whole thing takes just 1 week. The staff is fun, and their love for scuba is contagious. They work with you for scheduling conflicts. They talk you through your weak points. They’ll help you one-​on-​one if needed. They offer free refresher course. They keep their equipment in great condition. They organize tropical trips you can join in on. They offer discounts on gear rental and purchase and have a price match guarantee. Great place; great people. Thanks Maximum Scuba!

… scheduled for a trip to Barbados in 3 days, I decided to get rid of my old Aladdin Pro, and buy a new dive computer. Online was obviously not an option.
I headed to this place (close to my office), and must have gotten the unfriendliest service I have experienced so far in Houston (this includes all Chevron gas station shops!).
It’s one of those scenes where the guy at the counter doesn’t think you deserve any of his valuable time.
Anyway, made my way through grumpy «what do you want» and «I can’t be bothered with you idiot» shit for 15 to 20 minutes, after which it got better (or I just got used to it).
Anyway, paid roughly 30% more than online.
But hey: I am o.k. with paying more for instant access and good advice/​personal shopping experience — but not for being treated like an idiot and feeling highly unwelcome.
Whatever — have my dive computer — and won’t go back — and now sharing my experience.

This Maximum Scuba team is awesome. Instructors are very good: informed, friendly, caring, focused on safety. When I had a scheduling difficulty, they worked with me to find a good time for all. My two teens are getting certified and I could not be more happy with Jeff, Danielle and the team.

Getting scuba certified is one of the best things I’ve ever done. Do it! It literally opens up a whole world.
Pat and Jeff are both a bit rough around the edges, but nice guys who love what they do.
I got trained in the winter which means I had to wear the thickest wetsuit ever and hoods and gloves and booties, and a second wetsuit in top… It was literally miserable. And the winter dives are in a foggy lake with no visibility in the shadow of petrochemical facilities. So– I highly recommend getting your traininh done in summer if you can.
That being said, I now think I am even better trained because I had to endure the winter diving. I just got back from my first tropical dive and it was great.
Thanks Pat and Jeff for great training!

Stop shopping… if you want to get your C card for scuba Jeff is your man! Flat fees make it simple and you get the chance to discover scuba before buying all your gear… call now!

Maximum Scuba rocks! Not only because it has the best price in the world, it is the best place to learn scuba diving whether you are a beginner or you want to continue to become a pro.
I took the PADI beginner open water class in such a time crunch, and the staffs and instructors were super supportive and helpful working with my crazy schedule. They were not trying to charge me for private lessons when I was the only person in the session, and they were not trying to sell me gears, all they wanted was for me to understand the course materials and learn all the necessary skills to become a successful and safe open water diver.
I want to give a special thanks for my instructor Pat Keller, because his dedication in teaching and his passion for scuba diving has made my learning experience extremely enjoyable. He was fun during the classroom session, and he was even more fun under water! You got to see his batman-​themed gears and his dance under water.
Now I’m ready for many more scuba diving adventures, all thanks to Maximum Scuba and Pat.

I had wanted to get my scuba certificate for a long time.
Plowing through all the dive shops to find the best deal was always a chore — Some of the dive shops’ pricing were so convoluted that it gave me a headache and others never fit my schedule.
Not so with Maximum Scuba — Jeff had an all inclusive price of $ 300 and was ready to start the following Monday. To my surprise, I was the only student in my class — all the more surprising was the fact that he did not cancel the class nor waited until more students signed up.
That’s the nice thing about Maximum Scuba — Jeff will teach one or thirty it makes no difference to him, unlike many other PADI shops that are purely profit oriented Jeff sees his primary mission as teaching.
The classroom time was fairly straight forward and was done over the course of three evenings — obviously being solo, sped up the process quite a bit.
The fourth evening was spent in the pool and this is where you actually learn the skills that will keep you safe in your SCUBA career.
The pool is also the area where Jeff’s teaching skills really excelled, his technique made it a breeze to learn the required skills.
Once the lake dives crept up this past weekend — I felt that I was thoroughly prepared for the skills to make me an Open Water diver.
Sure enough the lake dives were easy and even though the water was a mere 65 °F — Maximum provided me with wetsuits thick enough to keep me comfortable.
So now a week after starting, I finished my Open Water Certification — as a matter of fact I so enjoyed Maximum Scuba that I decided to keep going to the next level.
Incidentally, all inclusive really does mean all inclusive: Books/​DVD, class, gear, mask, BCD, fins, wetsuit, tanks and pool time — everything except the lake fees which is $ 15 per day.

I found out about Maximum Scuba through a friend, and I am glad I did! Like some of the other reviewers mentioned, their prices are absolutely the most competitive because they do not force you to buy equipment. All of the necessary rental equipment is included in the cost of the class, and you only buy equipment if you decide that you want your own. This is absolutely essential, as you really need to try out different types of equipment to determine what is right for you before you buy — not an option with most of the other dive shops. Maximum Scuba employees are also extremely helpful in choosing equipment for purchase depending on the type of diving you plan to do as well as how often you plan to dive.
They are also really flexible too — I had a tight schedule, and they found a way to squeeze me in a class last minute so that I was certified in time for my trip to Cozumel. The instructors are very knowledgable and patient — they took extra time with me when I had some difficulty with parts of the courses and offered to do additional dives to increase my comfort level.
Maximum Scuba allows you to be involved with scuba as you would like to be. They schedule trips and events and nearly always have dives planned if you want to dive but don’t have the time for a long trip. I would highly recommend Maximum Scuba to anyone who is interested in scuba diving — whether just buying equipment or getting certification, they are the best. The staff is awesome, prices are competitive and the schedules are flexible.