Great American Divers

🚨 LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP! 🚨

Join Great American Divers on Saturday, June 27th at Mermet Springs for our Youth Dive Weekend and exciting Underwater Escape Room event!

🌊 Underwater Escape Room Challenge: $50 sign up includes Event Souvenier
🔍 Solve clues
🧭 Test your dive skills
🤝 Work as a team
🏆 Win prizes and bragging rights!

Whether you're a young diver looking for adventure or a family wanting to make unforgettable memories underwater, this event is packed with fun, games, challenges, and prizes throughout the day.

📍 Mermet Springs – Belknap, IL
📅 Saturday, June 27th

Spots are filling quickly, and registration closes soon! Don't miss your chance to participate in one of the most unique dive events of the summer.

Contact us today to reserve your spot!

📞 636-685-0000
📧 [[email protected]]

Adventure awaits beneath the surface! 🤿💙

Every June 14th, we celebrate the Stars and Stripes on Flag Day. While we’re all familiar with the United States’ flag, we might not know all of the history behind this symbol.

To celebrate, we wanted to share a few fun facts about the history of the flag that might surprise you:

🔹 The current 50-star design was created by a 17-year-old. Robert G. Heft of Lancaster, Ohio, submitted the design as a high school project in 1958. It was chosen by President Eisenhower out of more than 3,000 submissions in 1960.

🔹 There have been 27 official versions of the flag. Twenty-five of those changes were solely to update the number of stars every time a new state joined the Union. The star additions were admitted on July 4th, and, together, they give us a rich visual history of the country's growth over time.

🔹 The colors for the flag have taken on their own meanings over the years. Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress in 1774, suggested that red represents hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

🔹 Six American flags have been planted on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin were the first, but five additional Apollo missions have also left a flag on the lunar surface.

🔹 The current design is the longest-running version in history. No new states have been added since Hawaii joined the union in 1959, making this the most enduring flag design the country has ever had.

Wishing you a wonderful Flag Day filled with pride and appreciation for the history behind the flag we share.

Mikenna absolutely crushed her Open Water pool session this week, and we could not be more proud of how well she did! Watching her confidence grow with each skill and seeing her excitement for the underwater world has been such an incredible experience.

A huge thank you to our Dive Master Mitch for entrusting his daughter to us and helping us introduce her to the adventure that exists beneath the surface. It’s an honor we never take lightly, especially with children, and we cannot wait to continue this journey with her as she works toward completing her Open Water certification!

Huge congratulations to our newest divers this weekend! 🌊👏

Shoutout to our newest Rescue Divers — Andrew, Shana, and Shane — for successfully completing their course with Instructor Nick and Divemaster Kristin! Your hard work, problem-solving skills, and determination truly showed all weekend long.

And congratulations to our newest Open Water Divers — Kennedy and Thomas — for completing their certification with Instructor Heather and Divemaster Mitch! Welcome to the underwater world and the start of so many amazing adventures ahead.

This weekend definitely wasn’t easy! With more than 200 divers at the quarry, cold temperatures, and murky water conditions, everyone had to push through some challenging circumstances — and every single one of you did an outstanding job. We are incredibly proud of all of you for staying focused, positive, and determined.

Way to represent the dive community and prove that great divers are made in all conditions! 💙🤿

In honor of Memorial Day, we invite you to join us in taking time to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country and preserve our freedom.

Please note that our office will be closed on Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 26th, and will respond to any messages received during the closure as promptly as possible.

Wishing you a respectful and meaningful Memorial Day.

🚨 IT’S ALMOST TIME! 🚨

Our Swap N Sale kicks off TOMORROW and continues through SATURDAY! 🎉

Come dig through amazing dive gear deals, score incredible finds, and connect with fellow divers all weekend long! Whether you’re hunting for upgrades, looking for backup gear, or just love a good bargain — you do NOT want to miss this event.

🔥 Used gear
🔥 Great prices
🔥 Dive community fun
🔥 Hidden treasures waiting to be found

Doors open bright and early — get here before the best deals disappear! 👀

See you at the shop! 🤿

Send a message to learn more

Happy Birthday to our incredible Dive Master Mitch from all of us at Great American Divers! 🎉🤿

Your passion for diving, patience with students, and ability to make every adventure more fun and memorable never go unnoticed. Whether you’re assisting with Seal Team or an Event, helping new divers build confidence, or keeping us all laughing along the way, you’re such an important part of our dive family.

We hope your day is filled with laughter and great company! Thank you for everything you do for our team and community.

Help us wish Mitch the happiest of birthdays! 🎂🌊

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we want to take a moment to honor the mothers, grandmothers, and maternal figures who enrich our lives with love, wisdom, and unwavering support.

We hope your day is filled with the appreciation, warmth, and joy you so richly deserve.

Happy Mother's Day!

What an incredible way to kick off our dive season! 🌊🐣

Opening weekend was nothing short of amazing—perfect conditions, great company, and a whole lot of milestones worth celebrating.

A huge congratulations to our Easter Egg Hunt winners:
🐰 Mark & Rachel – you’re headed toward a FREE PADI certification!
🐰 Mark & Kim – enjoy those new shop rash guards!
The turn out was fantastic! A HUGE thank you to all of the staff that came to dive with people and be surface support for all of our Event goers and students this weekend; without your help this weekend would not have been possible.

We also had an awesome weekend of certifications:
👏 Tyler – Open Water Certification with Instructor Heather
👏 Tiffany – Advanced Open Water with Instructor Heather
👏 Jeremy, Rick, & Andrew – Night Certification with Instructor Lawrence
👏 And Rick again – adding a DSMB Certification with Lawrence!

We couldn’t be prouder of all the hard work, determination, and passion shown by everyone this weekend. This is what the dive family is all about 💙

Here’s to an unforgettable season ahead—let’s keep making waves! 🌊🤿

🌊🐣 Reminder from Great American Divers! 🐣🌊

We will be closing early this Friday, and closed all day Saturday as we kick off dive season in the best way possible—at the Underwater Easter Egg Hunt at Mermet Springs! 🐢🥚

If you’re heading out with us (or on your own adventure) and need rental gear, please plan ahead:
👉 Pick up rentals Thursday evening before you leave town.

We want to make sure everyone is fully geared up and ready to enjoy an amazing weekend underwater!

Thank you for your understanding and support—we can’t wait to see everyone out there! 🌊🤿