Season Opener Social Gathering

The Dive Season Begins!

The dive season starts off on the right note with the Season Opener party at the shop on Tuesday night, May 14 from 6-8 PM.

Share your dive stories of those great warm water dives from your travel destinations of the past winter, check out the reconfigured shop and classroom set up and pick up the 2013 Summer Dive Schedule.

2013 Summer Dive Schedule

This summer MadisonScuba has over 20 Tuesday Night Adventure Dives (shore dives) planned along with several boat dives, weekend trips and day trips to area dive locations. Our traditional Advanced Training weekends of June 28 – 30 and September 27 – 29 at Lake Wazee in Black River Falls will have some exciting new twists to them. Pick up the entire summer schedule at this event.

Clean-up Dive

June 1 – sign up online now – The annual Monona Terrace Clean-up Dive, part of the “Take A Stake In The Lakes” project, takes place from 10am – 3 pm. We’ll be making 2 dives – 10am and 1pm – to clean up the garbage from the shore area of Lake Monona. Everything from cans and bottles to chairs and tables from the Monona Terrace are cleaned up each year. Yes, even tires are still found at the bottom of the lake where we bring them up and recycle or throw them away in a proper place. Free gear rental and free air are included for this event. Please reserve yours today by signing up on the website.

Tuesday Night Adventure Dive Rental Special

While the rental rate for a complete set of gear for the Tuesday Night Adventure Dives remains at $35 (what a deal!) a special SEASON PASS is available for $279. This gets you rental equipment for as many of the Tuesday Night Adventure Dives as you want to dive. If you make all of the dives, it’s less than $14 per dive! That’s incredible. This offer is only available until June 1 and is only for the Tuesday Night Adventure Dives.

See you on Tuesday night at the Season Opener.

Let’s get wet!

New Gear, New Look

New Look of the Shop

The shop at MadisonScuba has been in a transformation for the last couple of weeks. We have a new classroom, the pool is gone and the retail space has been enlarged (former classroom space). Bigger brighter displays of BCDs, masks, wet suits and accessories are in place with the finishing touches being completed. Overall, it will function better for all facets of the growing MadisonScuba shop.

New lines

We have added Tilos to our in stock brands of gear. They have great mask designs, innovative regular designs and creative fin technology. The price point of their products are very competitive while maintaining a quality product. We are very excited to bring you the Tilos brand. Stop out to check out the selections.

A new shipment of SF-15 X-Pert Zoom Z3 fins has arrived. New colors accents and even a couple of the white and pink sets are in. The staff loves diving the TUSA fins, especially those of us with tired knees. The split fin and 27 degree bend technology gives us great relief without compromising on thrust and control.Several new TUSA masks including the popular Freedom One that uses TUSA’s Freedom Fit technology to fit many shapes of faces, are now in stock.

Lavacore has retooled the fit and sizing of the popular Lavacore undergarment line. We have shipments coming in each week and can special order one or several pieces for you. A great layer to wear under your wetsuit to provide thermal warmth in and out of the water along with making it easier to don your wetsuit.

Stop into the shop this week to check out the new digs and gear. We are open M-Th from 5-9 pm and Sat from 9 am – 4 pm.

Let’s get wet! – Brian

Our World Underwater

Many of the staff are headed to Chicago this weekend for the ‘Our World Underwater’ trade show. Seminars, trade show floor, gear exhibits and more good old fun will be had. The training and education that we receive each year at this event will enhance your learning experience when you take a class with MadisonScuba.

Of course that means that someone has to stay back and staff the shop on Saturday from 9am – 4pm. JoAnn has graciously volunteered to do that this year. So come on in and get some good deals from JoAnn while the others are off getting educated.

Snorkelers (or anyone for that matter) – We have a great accessory package sale – mesh backpack bag, neoprene mask strap cover, antifog, and drybox for $29.95. Add a full jumpsuit skin for $25! What a deal!

Until next time, let’s get wet!

Dive Planning

Or Plan Your Dive and Dive Your Plan

Remember back to your first certification when your instructor went through the dive tables? Pressure groups … surface intervals … residual nitrogen with all the warnings on the back of the dive table about not staying down too long, diving in cold water, flying after diving, and more.

Or, if you have been certified in the last couple years, you were taught how to use the eRDP.

Oooo… the brain strain

Let’s bring back some of those painful memories and perhaps make it more fun this time. How many of you can figure out the ending pressure group after a dive to 60 feet for 45 minutes with a one hour surface interval? And to make it just a little harder, what’s your ANDL for a second dive to 50 feet? By the way, what does ANDL mean?

Dive safer

There was a reason your instructor went through all that information, and probably more than once. It was to help you become a safe diver. Without creating a dive plan that you have verified through a dive table, the eRDP, or a dive computer, you are putting yourself at greater risk for an emergency, injury or worse. It takes only a few minutes to check your tables, or press a couple buttons on your dive computer to make sure the dive you are planning is within acceptable limits.

The most important part of all of this planning is to then dive your plan.

Too many divers simply follow the dive leader with the expectation that they will lead a safe dive. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. That is why it is important for you to check your own dive plan, just like you check your own air.

Use those skills or lose them

Your dive tables and eRDP is like anything else; if you don’t use it, you lose it. We have a class scheduled for Tuesday, February 12 starting at 7 pm. Come in and we will review your dive tables or eRDP’s with some sample problems, explain the R.A.T. shuffle, and get you back up to speed on your dive planning. Never tried an eRDP? We have a demo you can try. If you are Nitrox certified, feel free to bring along those tables and we will be happy to review AED, oxygen exposure, and anything else you want to review.

Dive computers too

That same night we have a dive computer class starting at 6:30. So if you already have a dive computer, but feel you aren’t getting the most out of it, come in and let us help you figure it out.

Dive tables … eRDPs … dive computers. They are all great tools to help you plan safe dives. But, they only work when you know how to use them. Stop into MadisonScuba and let us help you become a safer diver in 2013.

Scuba lessons – beginner diver

Scuba lessons, scuba certification, beginner diver, what does it all mean?

When just starting out in any activity you seek expertise, knowledge and a teacher that can point you in the right direction down the path to success. Introducing people to scuba through beginning scuba lessons, PADI Open Water Certification, is one of the most satisfying things we do at MadisonScuba.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1 – Classroom – Two sessions of learning what scuba diving is all about from the equipment used to basic safety to the skills developed while diving. Both sessions are conveniently held at the shop in Sun Prairie.

2 – Pool – Two sessions of actually putting the lessons you learned in the classroom into practice. In the confines of a pool (the new Sun Prairie High School pool), you learn and practice real diving skills.

3 – Checkouts – Two sessions of actual diving demonstrating your understanding of the lessons you learned in the classroom and pool. These sessions take place in ‘Open’ water – a lake or the ocean – either seasonally here with MadisonScuba or by referral on your vacation in a warm water destination.

Complete these three steps (with MadisonScuba) and you qualify to become a PADI Open Water Diver.

Sign up here for the start of your next adventure!

Let’s get wet!

It’s a blizzard in Madison

It’s a blizzard in Wisconsin today. Not the greatest conditions to be out and are about in, so stay home, drink hot chocolate and dream of warm water diving!

The shop is closed tonight but will be open 9am – 4 pm on Saturday for that last minute gift for your diver or snorkeler.

Stocking stuffing dive related trinkets, jewelry; accessories and small items the a diver always needs; a super sale on the remaining 2012 wetsuits (3x? we have it for you) and great deals on in stock wet suits in 3, 5, and 7 mm.

Let’s get wet (in a warm place) soon!

12-12-12 = 12% sale

While the world is worried about 21-12-2012 we like 12-12-12! Let’s celebrate this once in a 100 year event with 12% off (regular retail price) on all current sale items.

Talk to us about special 12-12-12 pricing on other in stock items.

One day only. Limited to stock on hand. The shop is open 5pm – 9pm on Wednesday night.

See you there!

Sale starts today!

Wes and Tilly are off to Cozumel for a well deserved bit of R&R for a week so we are having a SALE!

All in stock wet suits are $10-$20-$30 even $40 off. This includes our Henderson models for children and adults in 3, 5 and 7 mil. Even the Aqualock in stock is included in this sale.

Make us an offer on remaining 2012 Waterproof wetsuits. Just a couple left. Make a reasonable offer on these fine wetsuits. Let’s make a deal.

Rental/Training gear is reduced to $150 for our Cressi AquaPro 5 BCDs and $300 for our Cressi 3 gauge console Reg sets. Gently used for the past year, this is a great opportunity to get into your own gear.

We also have a wide variety of gadgets and accessories, masks and snorkels, fins and BCDs.

Stop out today or this week. This sale ends Dec 15 and is limited to stock on hand.

Lights, Cameras, Action

Just added – Camera Class with Stick!

One classroom session on Tuesday night November 27 and then a pool session on Sunday morning Dec 2.

Tryout some new cameras, learn some new techniques and pick up some good pointers of what to do and what not to when taking those National Geographic moments underwater.

Sign up now, spots are going fast.

Parading down the avenue in Sun Prairie

Once in a while we do something that doesn’t involve getting wet. This weekend our Sun Prairie community celebrates with it’s annual Corn Fest event. Things kicked off with a parade on Thursday night and MadisonScuba was there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We handed out lots of fish and pirate temporary tattoos.  And our various minions plus the king of the pontoon (Stick) blew lots of bubbles to go with our these of “Come Blow Bubbles with Us.”  Notice the wonderful decorating.  The Powers’ girls outdid themselves with the signs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following right behind is the team pontoon boat.
Note Stick’s well rehearsed wave technique.
Wait until you see that underwater!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love to have fun above and beneath the water line. Come out and join us on our remaining Tuesday night Adventure dives or enroll in an upcoming Open Water class or just try it out in the pool with Discover Scuba. We know you will love it.

Let’s get wet!

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