6 replies to this topic

[DoctorB]

Hi everyone,

I just got back from a great weekend in Denver at the Downtown Aquarium. It was a great experience!

this was my first aquarium dive, so I wasn't sure just what to expect. I figured since I was making a special trip to Denver I would make it worth my while. The aquarium has an exclusive relationship with a1scuba, and you register with them to arrange for the dives.

There are three exhibits you can dive in, two tropical ("Under the Sea" and the Dining Room), and one shark exhibit. Most instructional dives are done in the dining room.

The exhibits were 75 degrees. As with most aquarium dives, you use their equipment to prevent contamination of the exhibit. I did use my own mask, camera systems (still and video), and dive computer. They even put my transmitter on a regulator for me. 5 mm wetsuits are provided.

You meet in the lounge, where your guide takes you to a locker room to change into your swimsuit. A freight elevator takes you to the top of the exhibits. The water was easy to enter, and, they assemble and put your gear on for you (unless you are doing a training dive; in which case you have to assemble and don your gear to meet PADI performance requirements).

The people were all very helpful. In the tropical exhibits, you are allowed to explore freely. The tropical exhibits include a variety of fish as well as nurse sharks.

In the shark exhibit, you stay along the back in a trench. It provides a good vantage point for seeing the sharks. At the end of the dive, there is opportunity to interact with the guests through the glass.

The package also includes either a free exhibit pass for the "dry side" which you can use afterward or give to someone, or you can get your parking validated.

The restaurant was very good. I enjoyed a very reasonably priced steak and lobster tail after my first day of diving.

Overall it was a great experience and one I would recommend.

[scubajunkie6]

That sounds like a really fun memory! How deep are the dives? How many people were with you on the dives? Hope you logged them, and got a stamp in your logbook from them!

[Greg@ihpil]

Dr. B...,Just noticed your in my neck of the woods.. .
As for the Aquarium dive.How expensive was that one??I'd love to have that experience here..The Shedd here, I think is way out of line..I understand there is another one in Atlanta as well..

[WreckWench]

This might be a great SD event!

[Greg@ihpil]

This might be a great SD event!

Should I persue this ???

[DoctorB]

That sounds like a really fun memory! How deep are the dives? How many people were with you on the dives? Hope you logged them, and got a stamp in your logbook from them!

I dove in three separate exhibits (Shipwreck -- Aka shark tank, Dining room, and Under the sea). All have nurse sharks. The dining room and under the sea are free swims, the shark tank is guided.

I did three specialties while I was there (altitude, Digital photo, and PPB). I had already done 1 PPB for my advanced, so I only needed one to complete the specialty. The coolest thing was making master (dive #50) in the shark exhibit.

The Max depths are
Shark - 22
Dining Room - 16
Under the sea - 13 feet

the water is 75 degrees, and they provide 5mm wet suits.

There were between one and five people in each group. I had a couple of dives with myself and the guide. The fee was $175 per dive (includes all equipment; you have to use theirs, but can bring your own computer, camera and mask). Specialties are extra. You can do digital photo for $249 which includes two dives, or adventure diver which includes 3 dives in two separate exhibits.

The staff was very helpful. The fun dives are valet diving where they assemble, don and doff your equipment for you. The specialty dives you have to do it yourself in order to meet PADI performance requirements.

I attached a few pictures from the dive.

They do offer a group rate (I think it's buy 6, get one free). A1scuba of Englewood CO runs the program. 303-789-2450 Ask for Wendie might be a good group trip. I got a hotel 10 minutes up the freeway for $69 /night that also has a shuttle that'll take you to the aquarium. The thing that's a pain in Denver is the airport is out in the sticks.

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[DoctorB]

Dr. B...,Just noticed your in my neck of the woods.. .
As for the Aquarium dive.How expensive was that one??I'd love to have that experience here..The Shedd here, I think is way out of line..I understand there is another one in Atlanta as well..

The Shedd doesn't have a guest diver program. You would have to volunteer to be an unpaid underwater janitor to dive there, and you have to volunteer on the "dry side" for a while to even be considered.

There was another guy diving with me who is working on diving all the aquaria in the US that have a guest diver program: Denver, Atlanta, Baltimore- National Aquarium, Epcot, Florida aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium. Shark Reef Aquarium, Mandalay Bay Las Vegas has a program and they make you wear chain maille during the experience.


See my other reply regarding cost.

This was my first aquarium dive, and I was not disappointed. It was like diving in a large swimming pool with fake coral and all kinds of interesting specimens.