SCUBA stands for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus,” something Rakel and Winegardner know so much about they teach it to others, offering courses in swimming pools and open waters throughout the region.
Previous owner Mike Mays told Rakel, a SCUBA teacher there for about a decade, that he was ready to retire, which prompted the change of ownership.
“Robyn had been working with students there for a similar period of time,” he said. “And we kind of looked at each other” when Mays said he’d be leaving it behind.
They didn’t want the business to die.
“This would be our third business venture together,” Rakel said of his partnership with Winegardner.
They already owned the building on Main Street in Hamilton for another business, where they also work as real estate professionals.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
At the time of the move, the business still had folks signed up for courses and scheduled to attempt their certifications. There were group excursions planned — that all came with the business as they moved it to Hamilton, where the same activities continue today.
Inside the shop that sits next to Bethart Printing in a busy area of the city, visitors will find items they can’t get at nearby stores: The shelves offer fins, face masks, wetsuits and other items needed to keep divers alive, comfortable and safe under water.
SCUBA divers who need their tanks filled with compressed air can even roll up behind the shop and someone will come out to take care of it. The shop also performs diving equipment repairs.
Getting started
Rakel and Winegardner agree the biggest need in the diving world today is new divers.
“One of the things I ask every class when we start off is: What are you nervous about?”
Most people reply, “sharks,” Rakel said.
“Unfortunately, Hollywood has done a great job of making them the scapegoat villain. And nothing you see in the movies is even remotely close to actually how these creatures are ... they are beautiful underwater,” he said.
Potential divers who enroll at Cincy SCUBA learn safety techniques and how others manage to avoid injury by animals. Rakel’s advice: Don’t try to touch them.
Another fear some folks have is running out of air, he said. But there are safety measures in place, including gauges and dive computers, to protect from that.
Winegardner’s story of getting into SCUBA involves making excuses, she said.
She drove by the store for years before someone gifted her with lessons, and that led her to taking the leap.
She said she wished she hadn’t waited so long.
People will say things like, “oh I just had babies, or oh, I’m too heavy,” Winegardner said.
But nothing should stand in someone’s way ... even if they aren’t great swimmers, she said.
“It’s not an Olympic thing,” she said of SCUBA diving.
“We absolutely love educating people, seeing the little light go on, and when they finally get it ... that’s cool,” Winegardner said.
There is a concern that fewer new divers means it is a sport that is going to die. Rakel and Winegardner’s message is that anyone with desire to do it ... should.
“We can certify people as young as 10-years old,” Rakel said. “We get a range of ages, but there is a gap between 18- to 30-year-olds.”
The biggest benefit to becoming a certified SCUBA diver and exploring under water throughout the world?
“It’s relaxing,” Rakel said. “Your phone doesn’t work underwater. For the first time for some people, they are disconnected and ... there’s a stress release that comes from that.”
MORE DETAILS
What: Cincy SCUBA
Where: 527 Main St., Hamilton
Phone: (513) 521-3483
Other: Explore options and get started on the shop’s website at cincyscuba.com.
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