Best Scuba Diving Shops In Washington Near Me

Gwynedd Tysse: The BEST I am genuinely in awe of the community Heather, Jonas, Jeff, and the rest of the Blue Planet crew have built. BP is so much more than a dive shop. It’s a community of kind-hearted people with a shared passion. I started diving when I was a teenager and was already a semi-experienced diver when I took a scuba refresher course with Blue Planet. The passion of instructor, Mickey, helped inspire me to finally go after my Divemaster certification. I’ve been on 3 trips with Blue Planet and they are my go-to spot for gear. If you’re looking for the cheapest option for classes and gear look elsewhere. Buy cheap snorkeling equipment on Amazon and come back to Blue Planet after your vacation with blisters and a leaky mask. As a former employee/customer/student I can’t express how many hundreds of time I saw this happen. Blue Planet sells top notch gear at fair prices and has excellent service technicians to keep your underwater life-support equipment in tip-top shape. I’ve been to and worked at other dive shops and there’s truly no comparison. When you join the Blue Planet community you become part of the family and you can trust you are receiving the best travel, gear, and instruction around. Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t been able to dive in over a year that’s got me missing Blue Planet but truly they are THE BEST dive shop in the DC area and I’d even say one of the best dive shops in the country.

Annie Acosta: Excellent. Very professional and helpful staff and instructors.

Alexa Van Anne: Mike was extremely knowledgeable and a great instructor. He had lots of experience and personal stories to share. He was able to answer all of my questions during the course. They used effective teaching techniques and had special adaptations to make sure everything was extra sanitized for COVID. The other Mike (there are two) managed our class well and provided a positive, safe experience for everyone.

Kathy Daniel: My 73-year-old husband talked me into going to the Blue Octopus to purchase hooded scuba ice vests and fins, because he wanted to support a local small business. The manager and her colleague told us that they didn’t have hooded ice vests, but that they wore Bare Exowear jackets with separate hoods, which they highly recommended. They didn’t have my size, but swore that I should wear a size smaller that they did have. After that they showed us fins, beginning with the most expensive, which they said they used. I said I just wanted the full-foot kind that didn’t need separate booties. Instead they showed me the next most expensive fins and said I would be much happier with them and booties. When I asked for the price of the fins they had shown me, neither one answered. I asked to try on the full-foot fins and then, again, how much each cost. The full-foot fins were half the price of the second most expensive fins, which would have also required booties. Even though I felt very uncomfortable about their upselling, my husband bought the jackets, hoods, booties for himself and the full-foot fins for me. In mid-May we left for our three-week vacation. The incredibly tight jacket was still too bulky to fit under my wet suit and the water wasn’t cold enough for my husband to need his jacket, so we wanted to return them. We hadn’t even taken off the tags. That was when I was told of the Blue Octopus’ draconian return policy: “All product sales are final and not eligible for refunds.” When I protested the manager and her colleague left the room. When they came back, the manager was holding a “Refund Policy” in a plexiglass frame (see photo). She said that they always told customers the policy at the time of purchase. I know that isn’t true, because I would never have let my husband pay almost $175 for a jacket that didn’t fit and that I was pretty sure I wouldn’t wear. The other unfair Blue Octopus policy that potential customers should beware of is “Educational courses are refundable with a doctor signed letter stating student(s) are not cleared to participate.” Yet the very next sentence says “Educational course may be rescheduled within one year of purchase.” All in all, this business does not earn my respect and I recommend that divers and potential divers look elsewhere for their scuba needs.

Piotr Kulczakowicz: I am a recreational, technical, and cave diver; also an independent scuba instructor. Submerged is the best scuba dive shop in the DC capital area ( DC-MD-VA). Tanya rocks!

TJ M: Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy is awesome. We had a great experience and the staff ensure we started our scuba adventure on a strong foundation. The store is well stocked and has lots of options for the beginner to the expert. We look forward to our next adventure. June 2021 Update: Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy continues to impress. We had a great experience during the Peak Performance Buoyancy course. Roberto taught us the skills and then gave us the opportunity to test those skills. I could not have asked for a better course and experience.

Raymond Powell: Had a seamless and professional experience here for dive gear servicing. Bruce asked me when I needed my gear back and had it back to me in a timely manner consistent with the exceptions he set. This shop services most of the major brands and has a decent selection of recreational dive gear. The fin selection seemed limited to mostly flutter kick style fins, but the fins on display seemed consistent with the recreational customer base. The shop has a great selection of everything a diver needs to go from open water up to rescue diver. The whiteboard displays a nice availability of dive classes and trips to some interesting places. The shop seems a bit understaffed which was a bit stressful. I felt rushed when testing my equipment in front of the register with four customers behind me and more on the phone. It would have been nice to have been set aside from the retail customers to be able to take my time to check my gear. Honoring of the Aqualung parts warranty was unclear. My wife’s regulator part kit wasn’t covered under warranty but mine was. I walked away confused and Bruce was unable to explain the warranty coverage. I’m sure I’ll figure it out for a future successful maintenance plan. Would recommend going at a non-busy time if you’re a serious diver that needs to take their time with gear checks and have a more in depth understanding of their dive gear maintenance.

Khadija Athman: Great customer service. Did my open water dive with them and since then Ed and all feel like family. They also organize numerous dive trips throughout the year.

Eddie Perez: Awesome atmosphere and great people. Customer service is important to them and they reflect that. Even though I am certified, they were able to provide me insight into higher levels of proficiency in my skill (which is important to me). They also have the gear that I need to stay safe. This is where I would refer folks to who are either interested in starting or want to get back in if they have been away for awhile. This is where I go and where I put my trust.

Chuck Ziethen: Having went through training at other Dive shops, I feel as if I can provide an unbiased review of Aquanautics Scuba Center. I apologize for my review being a little long, but these guys are worth it. By far, this was the most experienced and accommodating staff I have had the pleasure of being with and as you can see, I gave it 5 stars. I would have given more if I could have. From the moment you meet Matt and have class with Jim, you can see these guys not only know their job, they love it! By the end of the first day, you feel as if you’ve known them for years and by the end of training, you’re sad to go and wish there was more training you could take with them. As for the training, it was thorough and very well taught. Their teaching skills make it easy to understand and enjoy the class while still emphasizing the importance of safety. My family and I had originally trained under a different dive center and different program but do to a family emergency, we couldn’t complete the training. I’m actually glad we didn’t (although I could have done without the emergency). We learned so much more and had so much more fun with Matt and Jim. I highly recommend this center, especially if you have teenagers or younger ones. As for equipment and supplies, again, Matt is great. He does not pressure anyone regarding sales. To the contrary, he’ll work with you. My take is Matt truly enjoys the sport and wants others to enjoy it.

--: This is the best dive shop in the DC area. It is surprisingly large and well stocked. The other dive stores I have been to around DC are little hole-in-the-wall places with extremely limited inventory and no evidence of professional service staff. Coral Edge Adventures has a much larger inventory of equipment than any other dive shop around, and their service shop is on full display. Their regulator service prices were also less than other places I solicited quotes from, too. This is a very professional operation and an excellent value.

Kristen Haynes: Amazing instructors and very informative classes. I got my open water certification with them and can not speak highly enough of the team at this shop. I had trouble in the pool with flooding my mask and the instructor Jeff D was able to calm me down and help me, so not only can I do it, I no longer am scared of it were to happen at depth. Also in the lake I had trouble with my ear not equalizing that well and our instructor Terry Wells was so great he let me go down at my own pace (which was pretty slowly) and I was able to do it and feel comfortable in the water. Excellent instructors, fantastic shop! Also Amanda at the shop is fantastic and helped me with my mask and fins that I bought! If I could give more stars I would! I highly recommend Atlantic Edge!

Nicholus Steward: Blu Water Scuba was a fantastic place to take scuba classes. The instructors were funny, knowledgeable, helpful. We had a great time and look forward to taking more classes with them as well as starting our scuba lives together!

Dedeye 514: This a top notch operation with very professional staff. My two sons just got basic open water qualified in preperation for a family trip. The instructors worked with us to schedule dives to make sure the boys met the requirements. I would highly recommend the shack to anyone in the Stafford, Fredericksburg area considering diving.

Erin V.: Positive: ProfessionalismGreat place to go for scuba diving certification. Super knowledgeable and professional. I also rented the pool for a small party and it was FANTASTIC!!! Great to work with in coordination, very private, clean, and just fun! I definitely recommend.

Forever-World: Welcoming staff, all very professional and does not just recommend expensive gears. I got the gears I wanted and they made sure to have me try them and tested. Very pleasant buying experience and would love to go diving with them!

David Kenneth: Friendly staff and great instructors I felt safe the entire time when I was doing their classes to get my SCUBA certification. I highly recommend this shop if you want to get into diving!

steve whitelock: Jessica is awesome. Was looking for a new tech bc had a hundred question she was very helpful as and patient.

Michael Tyminski: Amazing experience!!!! Let’s just say they are well worth the price you pay! The technician was experienced and well mannered Found all our leaks and sealed them within the hour! He went above and beyond to correct the issue we have been dreading. NE Dive is a great company and highly looking forward to working with them again for any other concerns or recommending them. A+++!!!!