Northwest Diving Institute Certified Since 1972
Where the Pacific Northwest learns to dive!

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Copyright (c) 2008-2013
Northwest Diving Institute

The Northwest Diving Institute is a family-owned business supported by a wonderful staff. Al Schumer is a PADI Course Director, TecRec/CCR Instructor Trainer with over 40 years diving experience. He holds Masters Degrees in International Finance and Computer Science, and was National Committee Chairman of the American Alpine Club. Alex Schumer is a PADI Staff Instructor, a commercial diver trained at the Diver's Institute of Technology, and an active duty tank commander in the United States Marine Reserves.

We are located in downtown Bellevue on NE 8th Street several blocks east of 405 near the intersection with Bell-Red Road. Our address is: 729 122nd Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98005. Getting to our shop is easy - from Seattle and the Eastside just exit 405 at NE 8th Street in downtown Bellevue and head east. The entrance is about a 1/4 mile on the right. Or, if coming from Bellevue or Redmond, head down Bell-Red Road, turn left at 124th Avenue NE and then right on NE 8th. You can't miss our logo! Plenty of onsite parking is available.

We are open Monday-Friday from 12:00PM to 6:00PM, and Saturdays-Sundays from 12:00PM to 6:00PM. Our hours are especially convenient for weekend divers that need air fills, after work classes and group meetings, and lunch time for classes (yes, classes with lunch provided), drop-ins and air fills.

The most important part of any dive center is the staff - those folks who will be instructing you, taking you diving, and helping you with equipment purchases and dive travel. All of our staff are highly experienced with a minimum dive rating of PADI Divemaster up to Course Director. Our store staff are all PADI Instructors and above so the same person assisting you in the shop will also likely be your instructor!

Due to average water temperatures in the Puget Sound of 50F, for your comfort and safety all of our open water classes are conducted in dry suits at no additional charge. These suits, compared to wet suits, keep you warm and dry in or out of the water. For those continuing on, we offer highly competitive rental packages for tanks, dry suits, BCDs, regulators and weight belts. We even have rental programs for closed circuit and technical divers!

Continuing your education beyond open water increases your abilities and confidence, and provides access to more challenging dive sites. We offer recreational classes from PADI Advanced Open Water all the way to Master Scuba Diver with your choice of over 25 Specialties. Is one tank not enough? We offer a full range of PADI Technical diving programs including trimix and sidemount. Want the ultimate experience? We offer a full range of PADI recreational and technical rebreather programs.

For those that hear the calling, our PADI Divemaster programs are is the first step in your professional diving career. It's a challenging course that can lead to becoming a PADI Instructor. We offer our Instructor Development Courses twice a year which prepare you to successfully complete the PADI Instructor Exam. Still want to go further? Do you Master Scuba Diver Training with us and even take our Course Director preparation class.

Good diver experience is an important part of diving. We offer regular shop dives in the Puget Sound, both boat and shore. In addition, we organize underwater cleanups twice a year which benefit our local waters and are tons of fun! For the international crowd, we offer dive trips to Canada, Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, Egypt, Cocos and Galapagos Islands. Not to mention wreck diving in Canada, Florida, and the Great Lakes, and cave diving in Florida and Mexico. And, rebreather trips to all these destinations as well!

Being a member of our community is an important part of our existence. In addition to underwater cleanups, we offer Boy Scout merit badge and Venture programs, along with Discover Snorkeling and Scuba classes for those still undecided or planning a dream vacation. Need First Aid training? We regularly offer Emergency First Responder (primary and secondary care) and Oxygen Provider classes.

Our state-of-art air system features a brand new NuVair compressor with not one, not two, but three filtration stacks producing the cleanest air in the industry. Filled exclusively with our air, your tanks will never need cleaning again. We bank air, nitrox and trimix at 4,800 psi, and boost oxygen and argon so you'll never have to wait for a fill. Plus, you can order fills from home, night or day, and even check the status of your fills online!

Our showroom and meeting areas are some of the most beautiful in the world. You'll notice right away there is no traditional sales counter. The entire shop is Wi-Fi enabled and you do your shopping from one of our Apple iPads, enjoying the same experience as from home. Get the assistance you need while enjoying complimentary coffee or bottle water, and then check out electronically. Need to kill some time waiting for the kids or tank fills or to enjoy our reading library? Surf with our free WiFi!

Diver education is an important part of what we do and your classroom reflects that. Comfortably seating up to 12 students, it features a large working area, projector and sound system. Don't have time to eat before class? No worries! We offer complimentary Cup-of-Noodles, granola and candy bars, in addition to coffee, tea, hot chocolate and bottled water. Or, bring your own - we have a refrigerator, microwave, and plenty of hot water.

Our confined water sessions for all classes are conducted at the Mary Wayte Pool, 12 minutes away, in Mercer Island (8815 SE 40th Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040, 206-588-1117). Mercer Island has a strong tradition and interest in aquatic activity and Mary Wayte pool is one of the most popular pools in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to our diving programs, a full range of programs and services are available for infant to senior, recreation to competition, as well as programs for the adaptive population.

Unused equipment may be returned within 7 days of purchase provided in sellable condition. Class fees are fully refundable prior to 48 hours of the first day of class. Rentals may be cancelled prior to 24 hours of the scheduled first day of rental. Event fees are fully refundable prior to 48 hours of the event.