About Learn Scuba Chicago

Learn Scuba Chicago (LSC) began its operation out of a garage in 2008 with the intent to run a dive boat in Lake Michigan. As the years went by, gear started to accumulate, and staff came aboard, the garage operation turned into a storefront in 2014.

From then on, LSC has been operating as the world's only full-service non-profit scuba shop. Our mission is to bring accessible, cost-effective, and personalized scuba diving education to the Chicagoland area. Through the dedication of our volunteers, we direct our resources to bring the scuba world to veterans, people with disabilities, and youth organizations. Other examples of that mission include bringing awareness about coral reef destruction and plastic pollution that impact our oceans' fragile ecosystems, and trying to make a difference.

In 2013, Learn Scuba Chicago became the only NAUI-certifying facility in the Chicagoland area. As of Spring 2023 we are the only NAUI affiliated shop in all of Illinois. NAUI, the National Association of Underwater Instructors, is America’s oldest, and only not-for-profit, recreational scuba certification agency. Since 1959, NAUI has promoted dive safety standards at the highest level. NAUI is the dive education program used by the US Navy Seals.

Learn Scuba Chicago is also PADI certified. PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, is the world’s largest dive certification agency.