TheGarnisher 
 
May 7, 2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
This past fall, I had the incredible opportunity to snorkel with sharks in Hawaii. It was amazing, but I kept thinking... I want to be deeper. That’s when I got it in my head to try scuba diving. The problem? I live in New Mexico. With a trip to Iceland on the horizon—including the chance to dive at the stunning Silfra fissure—I needed to figure out where to start my scuba journey. If you're anything like me, you might feel uncertain about whether you'll even enjoy diving. And walking into some dive shops can be overwhelming, as it quickly becomes clear their main focus is selling you lots of expensive gear. That’s why I’m so glad I found Bill and his crew at Viking Dives. If that initial uncertainty sounds familiar, this is the place to go. They won’t claim to be the cheapest training option in town, but what they do offer is exceptional, high-quality instruction at a pace that suits you. They make sure you truly understand each concept before moving on, which results in you becoming a more skilled and confident diver. I recently completed my Open Water and Deep Diver training with them, and at no point was there any pressure to buy gear. In fact, unless I specifically asked about it, equipment sales never even came up! Now that I’ve caught the diving bug, I’ll likely be asking a lot more in the coming weeks and months—but on my terms. And if you do decide to invest in your own gear, Viking Dives won’t just push the most expensive options. They actually dedicate part of their Open Water course to discussing what equipment is not worth your money! Instead, they make honest recommendations based on years of experience and tailor them to your diving goals. Since I needed a cold-water focus for Iceland, they made sure I had the right information without unnecessary upselling. Viking Dives is run by people with a true passion for diving, and their enthusiasm is contagious. I cannot recommend them enough!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Annie Krueger 
 
December 30, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Just completed a refresher course with Bill and can’t say enough about how amazing it was! It’s been 6 years since I dove last and overall and I only have about 10 dives under my belt so I was starting to get anxious for an upcoming dive trip. I am SO glad I did my refresher with Bill, it was a 1 on 1 session in the pool and I left feeling so much more comfortable in the water! I learned new skills and feel so much more prepared! Some of the other reviews articulate it better but Bill is so patient and so supportive and went out of his way to make sure I was comfortable! Truly can’t recommend enough!!!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Mark Swinney 
 
October 10, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Working with Viking Dives has been, hands down, the best retail buying experience of ANY kind that I have ever had. My son and I bought new equipment and the personal care we received ensuring that everything is perfect for us was simply off the charts! We cannot be more grateful and are SO very, very happy!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 James Cox 
 
October 10, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Bill is extremely knowledgeable about diving and the corresponding equipment and great to work with; he does not have that "I am God's gift to diving attitude" found at some dive shops. He was very helpful toward me finding some fins that I could use for dry suit diving.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Chris Adams 
 
August 13, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Great customer service.  The bags are as described and expected.  We use them as personal equipment bags for a fire department dive team.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 J Ehudin 
 
August 5, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Excellent service from Viking Dive Center! I needed a Razor BCD in a hurry for a friend overseas, and I was really impressed by the way Bill and Karin went out of their way to get it to me fast! Highly recommend working with these folks!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Kyle Rolfe 
 
August 1, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Quick shipping and great customer service.  Very responsive and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
    
 
 

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WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN SCUBA WITH US

Bill here, I’m the owner of Viking Dives and I’d like to tell you a little about me, why I founded this company, and why I love scuba diving. I learned to dive in Albuquerque, with my wife. But there was a problem: we had no idea what we were doing.

Our training was bad, and it’s a wonder we didn’t end up killing ourselves. We did not know how bad our training had been though, because we had nothing to compare it to. Big surprise: my wife stopped diving because she did not feel good about diving.

Maybe I am dumber than my wife. I took more classes and in time, learned the skills I should have learned on our first day in the pool.

Somehow, I became an instructor. I saw what average scuba training looked like, and I realized it was bad.

The scuba industry is broken.

Here’s what they do. . .

Two Things that They do (and we never will!)

1. They sucker you in with cheap training.
2. They sell you overpriced stuff.

You think you’ve signed up to learn something, but they’re teaching classes to get you to walk into their shop.

You are just a bank account to them. Their job is to take money from your bank account and move it to theirs. The more money they can move, and the faster they can move it, the better.

That’s how they make money. I know people who paid close to $10,000 for equipment (often the wrong equipment)!

I promised myself when I started this business that I would be honest with everyone. I want to be honest, even if I lose money.

I can’t promise you’ll save money on training or equipment with us. What I promise you is…

Ten Reasons to Dive with Us!

1. You will get the best training we know how to deliver.
2. You will get the best equipment recommendations.
3. We will help you buy things even if we don’t sell them.
4. Introductory classes never have more than three divers in the water.
5. We teach you at your level.
6. We will not make you feel rushed, bullied, or hurried.
7. We will help guide you to becoming the diver you want to be in 5 years.
8. Our recommendations will be based on your desires.
9. We will train you to be the diver you want to be.
10. Your instructors will be well compensated for their time because they are teaching you to enter an alien environment with life-support equipment.

That is how we deliver a better scuba experience:

We teach scuba the way I wish I had been taught.

We treat customers the way we want to be treated.

We give you individual attention, the best equipment, and advice, even if you don’t buy from us.

We want you to be ready to dive at the end of your first class.
So we hold ourselves to higher standards.

Five Benefits Of Learning with Us

1. More dives during training. The minimum for Open Water Scuba Diver training is 4 dives, we do 5.
2. Three students to one instructor. (8 to 1 is the average)
3. Better training.
4. Individualized training, based on you.
5. More training. Our classroom training adds to the minimum. You will learn things that divers who have been diving for years don’t know about!
6. Altitude Diver Specialty certification is included with your open water course at no additional charge.

If that sounds good, you can sign up today and start learning right from your computer.

We know that giving you our best means we will earn your loyalty. We would rather give our loyal customers training and equipment that will last a lifetime. Nothing we sell will have to replaced in a few years. Our students aren’t told to come back and take a peak performance buoyancy class because they have the skills they need at the end of their first open water class. We treat you this way, even if that means our short-term profits are lower, because we know that well-trained divers keep diving. We are sure we will make you customers for life because we have earned your trust.

High-quality Technical and REcreational SCUba Training

Take this survey to see if Viking Dives is right for you:

- Step 1 of 2

What best classifies your interest in diving? *

• I'm just exploring my options.
• I'm thinking about diving, but I'm not sure I'll like it.
• I'm ready to sign up to scuba dive!

What diving experience do you have? *

• I am certified.
• Certified, but no dives in the last 6 months.
• Not certified

Refreshers are no problem!

We are happy to get you back in peak shape to dive. Just fill out your contact information below, or call us or email us and let's go diving!

You don't need this form. come dive with us!

If you're certified and you're thinking about taking classes with us there's no better way to figure our if we're right for you. We try to get to Blue Hole at least once a month to dive for fun, and if we have a class going on, you're welcome to come and hang out!

We will always find you a buddy to dive with, and if we can't find someone (even if we are teaching!) we'll buddy with you.

99 percent of the time, our calendar is correct, but it doesn't have fun dive weekends included, so just call us or email us and let's go diving!

Name *

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Can you come to Albuquerque for training? *

• Yes
• No

Maybe our training isn't right for you, but check out our shop for some great deals on equipment (including used and demo gear)!

Also, check out some of our blog posts about the scuba industry and scuba instruction.

Keep shopping around, and keep us in mind for future classes! Sometimes what you think you want when you start out doesn't work out so well. If that's the case for you. Come back and see us again!

What option is your highest priority for your training? *

• Low Priced Training
• High-Quality Training
• Fast Training

It's not you, it's us.

We aren't the kind of shop that lures people in with gimmicks like "GET CERTIFIED TODAY FOR ONLY $99!"

Why? Because we pay our instructors to teach. "Discount" dive shops are going to hard sell you on equipment that's wildly overpriced (that's where they get their money - retail sales) and they pay their instructors poorly (we used to make less than minimum wage teaching for one of those shops!).

We formed Viking Dives because we hate that model. We pay our instructors a professional wage, and frankly, do you want to learn to operate life support equipment in an alien environment from someone who could be making more money flipping hamburgers?

We will sell you equipment, but we don't hard sell anything. We teach you how to avoid being ripped off in the future, and if we don't carry something that's right for you, we will help you find it. We'd rather have your trust and lose a sale.

Let me say that again: We value your trust, and we will help you get the right equipment and training, even if we don't sell it ourselves.

If you are going to "go cheap" on your training, do yourself a favor and look at our blog posts about the scuba industry and scuba instruction.

Even if we aren't a great fit, we want you to be successful as a diver and we have a few tips to help you make informed decisions!

Keep shopping around and keep us in mind for future classes! Sometimes what you think you want when you start out, doesn't work out so well. If that's the case for you. Come back and see us again!

Speed is of the essence!

Did you lose your wedding ring at the boat dock? Going on vacation next Friday and you've scheduled a dive next Saturday, but you aren't certified? We can run a private class for you, right now.

There's a saying, "Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick any two..." We don't mind saying we're good, and you want fast. That means not cheap, but hey, you were there already. Since time is of the essence here, get on the phone and call us at (505) 585-1648. We will take care of you, without compromising our standards or your safety.*

*Paying for dive training isn't a guarantee of certification. We're pretty good at getting our students to an acceptable level of competence in a short amount of time, but we can't and won't certify a student unless we'd let them dive with our loved ones.

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Sign me up for the newsletter! (Occasional News, Training Tips and Discounts)YesNo

When you learn to dive, your instructor matters a lot. Would you like to know and speak with your instructor before you sign up for the course? *

• Yes, I'd like to make sure that my instructor and I will be able to work well together.
• No, I'm ok with anyone.

You want a deal, we get it

The problem with cheap scuba courses is they only cover the very basics, they are boring and you don't get any individual attention. You won't be just a number with our shop. We don't "go cheap" on your training, but we try to save you money in the long run by offering you options for equipment that will last you a lifetime.

We know that if you're well-trained, you'll enjoy diving more.

Call us at (505) 585-1648. We can talk about your individual needs. If you decide we aren't right for you, we'll even recommend other shops to you!

Take a look at our blog posts about the scuba industry and scuba instruction. Even if we aren't a great fit, we want you to be successful as a diver and we have a few tips to help you make informed decisions!

 

Thinking about diving gives me anxiety.

• True
• False

I cannot swim.

• True
• False

I'm afraid of the water.

• True
• False

I'm not sure I'll like scuba diving.

• True
• False

Would you be interested in learning more about pay-as-you-go options or group discounts? *

• Yes
• No

How often do you see yourself diving after you are certified? *

• This is a one-time thing. It is on my bucket list, but I probably won't dive again.
• Once or twice a year, mostly on vacation.
• I want to dive regularly, at home and abroad.

Next

Pay-As-You-Go

Pay-as-you-go starts with signing up for eLearning.

Once you've finished with eLearning, you'll pay $200 for your pool sessions, and then the remainder of the price of the course (about $158.84...) before you go to your open water sessions.*

You can get started right now by signing up at this link. You'll receive your eLearning course and you can start right now!

Group Discounts

If you're signing up a group of 2 or more, call us or email us and we can offer you a group discount!

*Pay-as-you-go works for all our classes, but the prices above are for the Open Water Scuba Diver course.

It sounds like you are a good candidate for a discover scuba experience!

Sign up right now and save $100!

Not everyone can be sure they want to commit to a full class right away. We think you'd be better off taking a short class and then coming to the pool where you can get a taste of scuba diving! We will have a short class and then teach you a couple of skills then you can try out diving. If you like it, we'll send you another coupon for $49.99 off your open water course, so really there's no cost for trying scuba out. That's a pretty good deal!

You can't swim! We've got you covered.

As Rudy likes to say, "Scuba ain't swimming!" That being said, you do need to be able to swim to pass through your open water course.

Usually, we can get you swimming well enough to pass the course during our pool sessions. You won't look like Michael Phelps in the water, but once you learn how to float, moving through the water is a piece of cake!

If you're really worried about your swimming, give us a call, we can set up a private session for you. We promise we will make you comfortable in the water!

You seem like a good candidate for a private class, or some one-on-on time with an instructor.

Fear of the water or bad instruction can really sour a scuba experience. At Viking Dives, we LOVE working with people like you.

That's not hyperbole. We got into this business because we wanted to share our love of diving with others, and as instructors, the most rewarding classes we teach are for people like you. Taking someone who is afraid of the water, or someone whose instructor did something to make them afraid to dive and giving that person the time and space to grow into someone who loves the underwater world is incredibly rewarding for us. We have a lot of experience working with folks just like you.

Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner.

We are a perfect match! Your choices match up with our philosophy, so let's get started!

Enter your info below and we will reach out to you, or just call or text us at (505) 585-1648 or email us at info@vikingdives.com.

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