Niky House, For the Daily News

Published

1:02 am EDT, Monday, June 29, 2020

In March 2019, the owners of Dive & Glide – SCUBA Snorkel and Travel opened their second store in Midland. The first one opened in Bay City on May 17, 1997.

For Angie Klapish-Widmer and Keith Hintz of Midland, the idea to open Dive & Glide surfaced for a couple of reasons — one being an interest in a kayak.

“Keith and I were talking and I’d been looking for a kayak. But I had to drive a long way to get one,” Klapish-Widmer said.

A long way turned out to be about 100 miles at the time.

“We came up with the idea to open a scuba/kayak/canoe shop, and that went from an idea at the beginning of April 1997 to ‘open for business’ in just six short weeks,” she said. “It was a whirlwind to find a place to go, find vendors and incorporate.”

Another reason they went that route was for a change of pace.

“I was working at a construction company; Keith was working at a scuba shop,” Klapish-Widmer said. “People coming into a scuba shop are a happy people.”

Being able to meet the needs of the customers and customize their experience also has its allure. This is one aspect of the business she really appreciates.

“Meeting new people and sharing the love of scuba diving, snorkeling and travel with them. There’s really nothing better than the excitement shared between people having a really good time doing something they love,” she said.

After kayaks were more available in retail stores the focus for Dive & Glide shifted to selling and repairing scuba equipment as well as providing scuba diving and snorkeling classes.

And seven years ago, travel agency services were added, offering individual and group trips.

“We’ve specialized in scuba diving travel but are able to book travel of almost any kind,” Klapish-Widmer explained.

Dive & Glide plans to add land-based group trips to destinations including Africa, Australia, the Canadian Rockies and Ireland. Dive trips have frequented Fiji and Roatán as well as Little Cayman.

Dive & Glide also offers metal detectors and air guns. Co-owner of the store Keith Hintz said the air guns have similarities to a standard rifle.

“The precision is the same; they use the same force. The perimeters and accuracy are the same,” he said. “And you don’t hear a loud bang.”

All along, Hintz has enjoyed teaching through Dive & Glide. In addition to scuba diving and snorkeling classes, he teaches first aid, CPR and AED training.

He is certified with the National Association of Underwater Instructors and Scuba Schools International.

“He has been teaching for over 30 years and has trained thousands of people to dive,” Klapish-Widmer said.

Last summer, the owners realized their business had outgrown its downtown location. They were hoping for something more spacious that also had convenient parking.

“We saw the place on Cambridge that had dedicated parking outside the door. I don’t think we could have found anything better in Midland,” Klapish-Widmer said.

Dive & Glide moved from downtown to 600 Cambridge St. The store opened on Cambridge in early March.

Shortly after opening, Hintz had taken a group on a scuba trip to Little Cayman. Then the news broke about the havoc COVID-19 was wreaking worldwide. He wondered if he and the group would be able to get back home, but timing was on his side.

“In the Cayman Islands, there were no cases of the virus,” he said. “In Chicago there were thousands of people coming through customs, but we got through customs OK… From Chicago to MBS, I didn’t know what I was coming into. When I got here, nobody was on the road. I could not believe this.”

The owners maintained e-learning during the shelter orders and now their doors are open again at the new location and in Bay City.

They have added new staff members and look forward to continuing to serve the community.

Meanwhile, they answered some common questions that people have asked them in the past.

“We get asked a lot, where do we scuba dive? The Great Lakes have a lot of places to scuba dive. And who can scuba dive? There is a common misconception that it is an extreme sport, so they don’t give it a second-thought,” Klapish-Widmer said.

Dive & Glide has a scuba camp for kids as young as 8, which includes snorkeling and a set of scuba gear.

“We teach them how to use it and introduce them to the sport,” she said. “By 10 they can earn their certification and scuba dive just like an adult. Thirty to 35% of our students are under the age of 16… For people in relatively good health, anyone from 10 to 80 can participate.”

Dive & Glide still offers paddle sport products by appointment and will fill paintball and air gun tanks along with scuba tanks.

For more information, visit www.diveandglideinc.com or call 989-486-3627.