Quad Cities Dive Community Says Goodbye as Scuba Adventures QCA Announces Closure After Six Decades

One of the longest-running dive centres in the US Midwest is preparing to close its doors, marking the end of an era for the Quad Cities diving community.

Scuba Adventures QCA, based in Bettendorf, Iowa, has confirmed it will cease operations after more than 60 years serving local divers, according to a report by WQAD, a long-established ABC affiliate covering eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

The family-run business has been a cornerstone of regional diving for generations, providing training, equipment sales, servicing and community support for recreational divers, instructors and clubs across the Quad Cities area. For many, it was the place where their first open water certification began.

In its coverage, WQAD reports that owner Scott Jones made the decision to close following careful consideration of the challenges facing independent specialty retailers, including rising operational costs and changes within the dive industry. While the closure is not attributed to a single factor, it reflects broader pressures affecting brick-and-mortar dive shops worldwide.

Founded in the early 1960s, Scuba Adventures QCA built a reputation not only as a retail outlet but as a hub for diver education and local exploration. Over the decades, the shop trained thousands of divers, supported regional trips and played a role in growing the Midwest diving scene far from the ocean.

Information published on the Scuba Adventures QCA website confirms the shop’s long history and its role in offering scuba instruction, equipment sales and ongoing diver support within the community.

Local divers have taken to social media to share memories, photos and messages of appreciation, with several posts referencing farewell sales and final opportunities to visit the store before it closes. The response highlights just how deeply embedded the shop has been in the lives of its customers.

While the loss of a long-established dive centre is always felt keenly, many in the Quad Cities community have expressed gratitude for the decades of training, mentorship and friendship the shop provided. Its legacy will continue through the divers it certified and the underwater experiences it made possible.

As the dive industry continues to evolve, the closure of Scuba Adventures QCA serves as a reminder of the importance of local dive centres and the role they play in sustaining grassroots diving communities.