Best Scuba Diving Shops In Washington Near Me

Andy McKinley: I’ve taken a series of certification classes with Blue Planet (AOW and specialties). The basic open water class could be a bit more “warm and fuzzy,” but I’ve realized in hindsight that the instructors are first and foremost teaching you to be safe. Jonas and Heather are amazing. Their passion is infectious and they do a wonderful job of introducing scuba diving and clearly explaining the class procedures. The classes are convenient as are the certification dives. In addition, the staff was useful as I picked out gear. What I truly love is their attempts to make diving affordable. The staff recommends purchasing your own gear, but they do not make it a prerequisite. Their rental gear is high quality and affordable, and their clearance sales are impressive. Moreover, their sponsored dive trips fit every budget. The dive trips are great. They attract a diverse set of divers (age, gender, experience level, etc) and are well run. I felt informed before and during the trip. Blue Planet partners with solid dive operators.

Kristin Muench: Top tier customer service. I learned how to dive with them and I felt so safe and cared for. Love these guys so much! Love their eco/green/planet-forward focus as well

Mike Weber: Blue Planet is a great dive shop - super staff and management, good selection of high quality gear, and they do a great job with training and trips. We have taken classes, purchased gear, and are about to go on our third trip with them. They are very knowledgable about all aspects of diving and marine life, care strongly about providing great customer service and amazing experiences, and have a strong focus on the environment. I highly recommend taking your scuba business here if you live in the DC area... Two fins up!

Holly Gerberich: I love Blue Planet. Great owners and staff who are passionate about diving. The trips are fantastic - not too posh, not too rustic - a really good, affordable balance of the two extremes. The folks at Blue Planet are wonderful, down to earth, and also very safety focused. Highly recommend.

Bruce Butterworth: Best Dive Shop Ever. I just returned from my 4th trip with Blue Planet DC, a great dive shop. Jonas Furberg and his wife Heather Tallent and their staff run a great operation, and I once again recommend people visit the shop and use them for dive trips and other resources. The trip to Baja California in November of last year, to Turks and Caicos in January of January of this year, and this latest trip last week, to Cayman Brac, were all superb. In Cayman Brac, as in the other two, the trip planning, organization and the resort and dive operators were great and, including on this trip, the weather cooperated. As before, on this trip the group was well-led; Jonas is really good guy and a superb instructor (I completed my deep diver certification). I think we all learned a lot from him as an instructor (3 of us were taking courses) but also in general – lots of good tips and knowledge passed at meals and just hanging around. The other thing about Blue Planet is that when the weather doesn’t cooperate, they don’t stop trying. Last June I went with Blue Planet to North Carolina for wreck diving. As you all should know, the weather there is very unpredictable, so for a frustrating 3 days, we weren’t able to go out at all. Well, that’s a test of a good leader, and he passed, because Jonas quickly organized some fun things for us to do (go-cart racing, a group barbeque at the AirB&B house that was rented, a trip to the beach, group dinners, everything). Blue Planet made a frustrating time tolerable and sometimes enjoyable. So, as many stars as possible to Jonas, Heather, their employees, and Blue Planet

Julie Shannon: I had a great experience in the short "Discover Diving" course. Yovani is an excellent instructor and made me feel completely comfortable trying diving for the very first time. Loved it and will certainly return! Thank you so much!

Catherine and David: Great customer service, had everything we needed to buy. And also rented suits for kids that were great quality and affordable.

Catherine Emily Carr: Just to set the record straight, NDC has new owners as of 2018. They maintain your gear, teach diving, sell scuba equipment and run trips.

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

Nina Gilkerson: Amazing service and very knowledgable owner!

Luke Hahn: fantastic and patient instructors.

Charles: I am a certified AOW, Rescue, sidemount, and cave diver. I’ve been all over the world and diving is the most amazing hobby I’ve ever learned. Me and my wife do it together, and it’s by far the best experience you will ever have and we make it a regular thing- we do a few dive days on every vacation. I want to thank Mike Parker and Roland for originally Open Water certifying us and teaching us everything we needed to know. I have dove with many dive instructors/ dive masters while on vacations, and I can promise you, it doesn’t get any better than Mike and Roland! -Their class is amazingly fun, and challenging in a good way -The learning sessions with Roland are fun and interesting. He breaks down the science, techniques, and safety tips very well, so that it’s easy to understand, but also in depth. -The pool sessions with both of them are really fun, and educational. It almost reminded me of Coast Guard training that you’d see in a movie. Not quite that intense, but still really fun, and you learn both individually and in the group -You come out of their classes excited, happy, educated, and enthusiastic to dive. By contrast, me and my wife have had a couple arrogant and condescending instructors (from completely different dive stores) who were rude and almost took the fun out of diving (almost… it’s hard to make diving un-fun haha). For real though, don’t go with anyone else, a lot of qualified instructors can be jerks lately, or they can be unqualified and not helpful. Mike and Roland are a good mix of extremely knowledgeable, qualified, certified, intelligent, helpful… BUT they are also kind, honest, fun, easygoing, and positive. They’re really who you want to go to for your OW certification, I’ve met many other dive instructors from other places and just being 100% honest, a few of them may have turned me off of diving before I even get started. I’ve also met some good ones too. But in the MD/DC/VA area, SPE dive school with Mike and Roland is simply the best

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.

Jon: SPE Dive School is as good as it gets when it comes to scuba diving education. While most other shops will have you perform all your studying on your own, Mike has experienced instructors on staff and leads informative classroom sessions. Yes, this means you’ll need to set aside a weekend to attend these intensive classes (pool time included). However, it’s well worth it as you’ll actually walk away with valuable information about scuba diving that will keep you safe while at depths. Don’t underestimate the danger involved with diving. It’s a serious leisure activity that can kill you if you don’t know what you’re doing. Having a classroom environment where future divers can learn and ask questions is, in my opinion, the only way this knowledge should be administered. Mike is a genuinely sincere, honest, and experienced diver and rest assured, you’ll walk away from his class feeling informed and confident in your newly acquired diving skills.

Christopher Ott: At first I was nervous about spending my entire weekend stuck inside learning about scuba for 12 hours each day, but Mike and his assistant instructor Roland made the time fly by and I learned a great deal. They go over a lot of information, but don’t make you feel overwhelmed. They definitely don’t skimp out on covering all the risks which I thought were extremely important to learn about. The pool diving portion was by far the best part and Mike and his instructors were both educational and professional throughout the training. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in getting into Scuba Diving and will most likely be going to the Grand Cayman Trip in the future!

Erika Brooks: We just finished the two day weekend course for the open water dive certification and we are so glad we went with Mike and his team. We will never regret making the decision to educate ourselves on the safety and physiological effects that come with diving. We were able to tell that the whole team was genuinely interested in educating us about diving rather than selling the business or products. We appreciated Mike and Mr. Arnold’s enthusiasm, patience, and honesty. We didn’t feel judged or pressured in any way; rather, we felt as though a good friend were providing sound advice and feedback. We highly recommend taking this course and take the grand cayman trip with his team!

Samuel Martin: Awesome team working here! Very knowledgeable, friendly and just an overall great place to visit!

Jackie Toth: With so many products on the market I wanted to find someone who would be honest about what I was interested in and not just a sale. Blue Octopus Staff was exactly that! They have amazing staff ready to help as soon as you walk through the door. If you are in the market to buy or just want a friendly face to talk about your last dive with, this is your kinda place!

Jill Captain: Tanya helped us choose replacements for some equipment that went missing on a flight. We are a recreational diving family with a lot of kids. Good value is very important. Having said that, we are not that savvy about the equipment details and nuances. We know how to use it, but choosing the first stage, mouthpiece, octo, inflater, etc and assembling it is beyond our expertise. Tanya was very knowledgeable and helpful. She looked at our remaining reg setups and helped us choose the equipment and configuration that met the best needs of our family. Submerged did not stock the BCD we were looking to replace (I think wearing a BC is like wearing shoes, you only want to wear what you know fits you) but they had contacts that could replace it. Kudos to Submerged.

Alisa Dotson: Tanya is celebrating 10 years today at Submerged. This is a perfect scuba center for new and seasoned scuba divers.

Jerry Huang: Was really great helping our Submarine race team in a pinch when our previous sponsor backed out on our equipment. Thanks to submerged, we were able to keep 5 divers in the water along with a pilot and won first place in the single person propeller high school division.

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.

Andrew Crosson: My partner and I just purchased a full SCHBA gear set for an upcoming move to an island in Oceania. Co-owner Mark was very helpful and patient with all our questions, and didn’t try to oversell or upsell us. I highly recommend this shop! Prices were equal to or better than online stores on most items.

Kenneth Davis: Wonderful, ethical, passionate and dedicated team! Whenever I can move from Divemaster to Assistant Instructor or PADI Open Water Instructor, I know Aquatic Adventures sets the bar. Thanks for your support adding Discover Scuba Diving Leader to my DM certification. Cheers

Laura Profumo: My husband and I got certified in November. We had the best experience and learned so much. Matt, April, and their team are such a delight and so incredibly knowledgeable. We cannot wait to put our scuba cert to work and hopefully go on a trip with the Aquatic Adventure crew!

Jennifer Roop: My husband and I got certified here, bought our equipment here and have gone on dive trips sponsored by Aquatic Adventures. I found them helpful and knowledgeable. I would do business/vacation with them again. The diver trips we went on tended to run to a more mature crowd and safety was always a number one focus. As new divers we felt we had a lot of support from both the group and the leader of the trip. We have had our gear serviced here and feel we received good service in a timely manner.

Jessica Dexter: Fantastic dive shop! So glad my husband and I found them for our certification, recertification, and additional dive training. Instructors are top notch, patient and knowledgeable. Shop is stocked with quality products and well organized. Will definitely recommend them to everyone I can! :D

Max Starkel: Wonderful shop! I was able to get myself, my girlfriend, and her friend certified here! They have an absolutely amazing team and we had a wonderful experience. Very patient and understanding instructors who are willing to put in the time and effort one-on--one with their students.

Ava VanSickler: Good selection and service is top notch here. My son had lots of questions about the gear to be used for class next week. Rob was able to just get him fitted with the gear at that point wrote down all the info so my son could pull the gear at class on his own. More importantly, Rob gave him all the info he needed to feel comfortable and answered his questions.

Chad Coerse: Ed is awesome. He worked with us to get a couple of check out dives scheduled on extremely short notice for my son. I highly recommend anyone needing Scuba training in the Dale City area to give them a call! Excellent customer service!

Scott Gardner: I recently got my Open Water Diver certification with Woodbridge Scuba and recommend them 100%. Because I work full-time in DC, the shop and instructor were flexible and worked with my busy schedule to do all the dives required for the course. They were always in contact for questions, were very detailed in their instruction, and made every effort to personalize my scuba education the entire time! Not only all these wonderful things, but they were great to get along with! Thanks to Al, Ed and Donna for everything they did!

Isaac Muns: If you are thinking about scuba diving, it is the place to go. The staff is very friendly and knowledge. They are very focused on your safety and that you have fun. They offer multiple classes at reasonable prices and they take multiple trips to the Caribbean each year so that you can see some amazing underwater wild life.

Tim Thomas: The reason for this review is that the instructor, Bob Flenniken, demonstrates everything I have come to expect in an instructor. Bob and I became friends many years ago through our church. He had been a diver years earlier, but a health issue ended that…until a modern medical procedure corrected the issue. Bob jumped back into SCUBA and never slowed down. As a former US Naval Officer, he understands training. I expected nothing less; but, he surprised me with his understanding of modern, dynamic training concepts. My own career included being an enlisted US Marine and Fairfax County Police Law Enforcement Instructor with 28 years’ experience training police officers, civilians, adults and children. Bob was solid and knew the material and techniques. He was well organized and had all equipment present and ready to go. As is normal for his personality, he remained focused and on task; yet, mixed in humor. Bob set the standard and held me accountable to complete each element of the training and could answer technical question and listened to my concerns. Law Enforcement developed a training concept years ago that changed the training environment. Training up until this time use to consist of staging scenarios with specific restrictions or guidelines that forced officers to respond naturally to what was presented. That natural response was typically wrong. The officers were then berated and talked to in a manner that belittled and made them feel dumb. This was negative reinforcement, failure, and less than favorable desire to return to training. Then, they would be shown the ‘correct way’ to accomplish the mission. Other examples of poor law enforcement instructor techniques included firing their weapons on the pistol range. If they were using semi-automatic pistols, they would fire until the magazine was empty, attempt to eject it into their hand or let it drop to the ground. As soon as they finished shooting, they would quickly bend down and pick up the empty magazine. Through research of actual, life threatening, shoot outs, it was shown that the officer would reload a magazine and during the gun fight, while remaining in a life-threatening event, would bend down to pick up the empty, worthless magazine in stead of staying in the fight. The officers were not stupid or dumb. Under stress they were reverting to their training. They were being trained to do the wrong things at the wrong times. Stress limited their ability to rationally think and react…we all react under stress to do what we know, what we have practiced, what we have learned, and what training told us to do. Out of these training errors developed the concept of first training someone the right way to accomplish a task, demonstrating it being done and then having the student perform the task. In this way the student gains a positive training experience, positive reinforcement, a feeling of accomplishment which equals confidence in one’s ability. Bob Flenniken understands and grasps this concept applying it to his teaching in SCUBA instruction. The shop owner, Ed Finck, Jr., should be commended for developing such an instructor.

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.

Liz Chase: Great experience. Ed and Donna can and will answer any question you might have. Would love to take a diving trip with them.

Kim Magalona: Great shop! They have some pretty unique stuff such as their rolling slate and boots with holes on the bottom that I love. The staff are helpful and welcoming. Tige has always been a reliable source of information and fun to talk to. They are a fun and relaxing bunch of people, I highly recommend this shop.

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.

Zachary Thornburg: Great place to learn how to dive! Very active dive club, the instructors were knowledgeable and fun. Great deals on equipment and trips. I would recommend to any new and returning divers, or anyone looking for a good dive shop to dive with.

Tom Burns: I have been a customer and student since the shop open in 2002. I have been an instructor since 2006. Virginia Scuba has been a great place to learn to dive and teach diving. I recommend the shop and its instructors to anyone looking to learn how to dive and enjoy the dive life.

Garrett Cooper: Virginia SCUBA is my favorite shop in the DC area. The staff is friendly and the facility is close to an open water training quarry. Virginia SCUBA has been my favorite to shop to hangout since around 2006 when I moved here and sampled all the other shops.

Ian Hochberg: I am new to scuba swimming and recently I called Aquanautics seeking guidance. Matt the owner was very helpful and advised me about what equipment to get. I bought a snorkel from them that is working very well.

Brian GoneFishin: These folks are the BEST!!! The shop is run by a Fantastic husband/wife combo. They are the source for good scuba knowledge and the best shop I have found to service PG county and Annapolis. (I am aware there are other shops. This one is the best) Located close to bwi they are a hop, skip, jump off 97 (for me from annap). They do all my hydro testing for tanks and service my scubapro equipment. I have not attended one of their educational classes yet but have been in the pool with the students and they seem very satisfied with the training / hospitality of this shop. Their rental equipment is nice quality and well taken care of. Matt is a great tech and sidemount diver too for more advanced questions and gear configurations he is awesome and will be sure to get you set up with the right stuff for your rig.

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.

Tim Skane: The staff and instructors are awesome! Getting certified with my 2 daughters was easy and fun. Highly recommend Matt, Cody and Randy. They were incredibly helpful and patient.

Tony Briggs: The shop was very helpful, informative and knowledgeable. Steve one of the instructors was very passionate, accommodating and safety conscious. First timers to advance you will not be disappointed. Highly recommend!

Ryan P: Steve, Randy, and Richard were extremely professional. I felt very safe and learned a lot. Everyone at the shop is great.

E T: First time there but not the last!!! Had a great time in this amazing dive center!! Spent about 2 hours there looking around at all of their goodies, and picked up some really great deals!!! Met one of the owners, Jim, who was just as nice as he could be!! Lady working there helped my wife for over an hour trying on stuff off of their clearance rack that was loaded with incredible buys!!! Overall I was super impressed with the entire store and operation, and look very forward to going back. I live about 20 miles south of Richmond, and it was well worth the drive!!

Mary Powell: If you’re looking for the best dive shop in the DC area, then you’ve come to the right place. I just finished my open water certification with them and could not be happier with the entire experience. Having worked with several dive shops, all of which were phenomenal, I know you will be an exceptional diver if you train here. I watched a new diver on the brink of a panic attack brought back from the edge by the Coral Edge instructors. With real finesse, they worked diligently to help calm and reassure her and the other students. This is a skill beyond just diver training, it’s rooted in a real passion and desire to make the *best* divers. Just one example of their exceptional training and support, but a meaningful one. Beyond that experience: 1. I had a full gear rental – the equipment was new, extremely well maintained and their retail shop reinforces that – new gear, new filling stations/compressors, etc. Highly recommend walking around their shop as I found a wide selection of gear. 2. Open water certification - cost was right on par with other shops and industry averages: i. Small groups, so lots of individual attention ii. student to instructor ratio was 2:1 in my class iii. There was never a sense of urgency; No one was rushed, no skills were glossed over, and there was a very deliberate thoroughness that I find to be unparalleled. Coral Edge is interested in creating GREAT divers. As one of the owners said to me “We want you to enjoy diving right away; not after you’ve been diving 100 times”.

william hall: Great dive shop, instructors are cool and knowledgeable. They own their own lake/quarry for diving in Manassas which is very convenient for diving close the the northern Virginia area. The Quarry has good visibility as well which makes for good diving and can see the cool sunken plane and boats at the bottom

B C: HUGE store with an amazing selection and inventory. Great staff, fair prices, always something on sale. Perfect for those new to diving all the way through mixed gas, expedition CCR divers. I am still blown away to find such a great SCUBA store in Norther Virginia.

James Alpert: I have taken two Scuba Refresher courses from Atlantic Edge at various times over the past few years. They offer the course at a local Arlington high school which is convenient for me as a NoVa person. The classes were very helpful in getting me ready to go back in the water after a bit of time away! Also did the Baltimore Aquarium dive with Atlantic Edge. fun times! Seems like a well run shop. I hope I can get to do more stuff with them.

Tyler Lilly-Salkowski: Great experience getting open water certified with Atlantic Edge. The instructor to student ratio was great and made me feel extremely comfortable on the training dives. The out of water instruction was easy to follow and well laid out. Instructors were very willingly to cover any questions and very enthusiastic about helping people enjoy the sport.

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!

Suresh Kurella: Great place to learn Scuba diving in DMV area. They were very patient and methodical in training Scuba diving. I had to go the 2nd time and they were very helpful. With 4 dives on open water, I become certified diver within 4 months. I would have given it 5 except my experience with one instructor on my 1st session. However, Atlantic Edge Scuba took care of it on next session and the instructors were great.. Awesome experience and completed diving course and became a diver. I highly recommend them.

Peter West: I have taken two courses--peak-performance buoyancy and nitrox-from Atlantic Edge and done one National Aquarium dive (and am scheduled to do an aquarium photo dive in September). All have provided exactly what I wanted out of the courses and I recommend them highly. I am getting back into diving after a break of a couple of decades, and have resolved to "shop" local dive stores to get a sense of what is available and experience a variety of instructors and instructional styles. I still will do that and have taken classes at other shops as well, BUT I rate Atlantic Edge a first-class operation, regardless.

Ray Rubio: A group of us attended a dive event at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD in February 2020. We all had an amazing experience. Terry Wells from Atlantic Edge Scuba provided us with a wealth of knowledge regarding the marine life at the aquarium. He is an energetic, fun spirited, and extremely knowledgeable dive master, which contributed to our positive experience at the aquarium. We would definitely do the dive again with Atlantic Edge Scuba. Thank you to Terry and the rest of the Atlantic Edge Scuba staff!

Jacqueline Ross: My family and I went here for the Discover Scuba class and it was AMAZING! They managed to accommodate our busy vacation timeline and with fabulous customer service. My children (aged 11-13) varied in comfort level of pretty nervous to downright excited and their patient instructors made sure EVERYONE was comfortable at any given time. As a matter of fact my most nervous child (who made no plans to go to the deep end of the pool) ended up in the deep end and oh so happy to tell everyone about it! They had a marvelous time and could not stop talking about their experience. If you are looking for a place to get exposure to scuba diving look no further. Tom and the staff at Blu Water Scuba have my unending thanks for such a richly rewarding and positive experience for myself and my family.

Krystin Manweiler: I needed to rent tanks and Tom went out of his way to be at the shop at 9am so that I could rent the tanks and weights and do my dives for the day. Also very knowledgeable and friendly! Plus, he has a shop pup! That’s always a bonus! Will be looking at doing continuing courses and purchasing a new dive computer in the near future!

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!

eric tamke: Went through PADI Open water training with my sons. Great Training and great water experiences. I especially appreciated the emphasis on safety that was done without scaring my kids (or me). We understand HOW to be safe and WHY we are doing what we are doing because the team at BluWater made sure we understood how and why. We all have the confidence of how to be safe, understand our limits, and now are ready to enjoy diving. The team made the learning fun. Dive shop was great and had everything we needed, in the right sizes. Team worked hard to make sure everything fit right. Overall, these are the go-to folks.

David Lane: My daughter Emma took the Discover Scuba class last night. Rick was great working with her and walked her through the various things a new and potential long term diver would need to know, helping her get comfortable in the water and used to the gear. I encouraged everyone interested in becoming a diver to check Blu Water out! I am looking forward to them getting established in their new location in Manassas!

Scott Jarrett: Tom and the gang are awesome! We have been working with Bluwater Scuba for 3 years (both kids open water certified, 6+ discover scuba sessions for scouts and explorers). Tom is a great supporter of our Boy Scout troop and Explorer Post (underwater ROVs). Just finished a week of diving in Key Largo Florida with Bluwater Scuba and BSA T1371- a perfect week. Already planning our next dive trip. Highly recommend BWS.

Rachael Rhodes: We completed our PADI Open Water Certification with Scuba Shack and it was a great experience! The instructors are very knowledgeable and supportive throughout the entire training process. Highly recommend Scuba Shack for training or for gear!!!

DS DS (Traveler): Met with them few days ago. They were able to trouble shoot my Reg. Genuine staff!!! Wife and I will be setting up future dives with them. Lots of knowledge and skills with this shop! - Cheers and Semper Fi!

Matthew Castell: Can’t really speak on the “scuba-ness” of their shop, however my friends and I go there to fill up our paintball tanks and they are always helpful and friendly!

Call sign: Capone Jones: Amazing ppl quick friendly fast service

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.

Charles Mutter: My family received our open water and nitrox cert. Ralph was great and his instructors were very patient with my 13yo. I highly recommend to anyone interested in scuba. No intimidating class or instructions.

Majordadto10: Friendly place, lots of quality scuba gear.Employees are still wearing masks though. Weird.

James C: Very knowledgeable and friendly. Found exactly what I needed at good prices

Jessie S: We just had my daughter’s 10th birthday party there last night.The pool was heated, so was the concrete. Such an amazing place! Very clean and private. They had a new plastic slide that’s available to use.They also have floats to use as well!

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.

Frank Michalski: I got my open water training there. Jim Lapenta was my instructor and I must say I am happy with the training I received. Their prices are good and the Owner Brian is knowledgeable also. Jim and Brian are both long term divers and carry multiple certificates.

Casey Londergan: Got most of the way to Open Water certification during the winter with Dave and Scubadelphia: they have the most frequent pool training sessions and a great inventory at their shop, and are very responsive and helpful. Also did nitrox certification with them. Looking forward to future training refreshers and trips coordinated by this very active shop and community.

erin delbaggio: Let me take some burden off of your decision making. This is the place you need to choose for diving instruction. Like, literally - if you choose to go somewhere else you’re wasting money, time, and the opportunity to meet rad people. The instruction is patient, personalized, enjoyable and applicable. The owners are knowledgeable, funny, kind, professional and responsive. One word of warning - you’ll want to continue your education after open water - trust me. Inherently, being around this group of people will make you decide that you want more to do with diving, so … saddle up. Also, buy crocs now, you’ll thank me later. Tell ‘em Erin sent you and good luck on your adventure!

Joshua Ferris: I am completely new to diving and I found the people at scubadelphia to be fantastic. The sales crew were nice and informative and it never felt like they were try to upsell a rookie. I thought the instructors were both informative and encouraging.

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!

Ryan Bennett: Great people!!! Great stuff, but more importantly - GREAT people. If you need it, Dave and crew will get it. Professional, reliable, speedy. Love these folks.

dominic addonizio: Definitely use scubadelphia. You will have fun meet great people and learn a skill unlike any other. I had some reservations about diving had a lot of hidden nerves the staff helped me over come. Now I am a certified diver looking to take some more classes with them and overcome that next hurdle of nerves of advanced diving.

Melina Klipp: Super knowledgeable and very friendly. Family owned business who actually remember their customers! Highly recommend!

Steve S: My son (12) and myself both felt very safe and prepared for our open water certification skills test. We did our open water testing in Florida, however Scuba Venture in Reading PA is going to be our primary Dive shop. If you need an instructor, I recommend Brett G.

Harold Weber: Went in to get snorkeling gear for an upcoming trip and was very pleased with the amount of time they took to help me fit and select each piece of gear. I feel the prices were very reasonable and the staff was great.

Jamie Wilkinson: Great guys, great selection and great teachers. Would highly recommend for equipment, air fills, and certifications.

Jon Leslie: I’ve been a customer of SV for over 2 decades. Their shop is top notch. Not only do they support all levels of diver, they have inventory so you can try things on and they can counsel you on fit and even make sure you’re buying the best tool for the job. I’ve sent many people there over the years and have only heard praise. Kudos Scuba Venture staff!

Lynn Sulli: Mark Sr and Jr both work hard to keep their clients well informed, safe, and happy. I love coming to this shop, even though there are shops closer to me. 30 years in business, and hopefully 30 more!

Mike Bodamer: The team at Scubaventure is always friendly and eager to help. Great place for training and getting all your scuba gear. I have bugged these guys for weeks with my beginner questions and they offer advice time and time again. Check them out.

Charles Foushee': I really the customer experience that you get at scuba venture, they really know their equipment!! I have bought 2 kid and 2 adult wet suits and have been very pleased with them. They take the time to make sure you are properly fitted and happy. I would rate them A+ in my book!

David Brown: I need a fishing harness with a back support in it. A friend suggested using a divers harness with a plate or B.D.C. The people here are top notch professional. I purchased a used b.d.c. and plate.

UMMC ECMO: Great experience... best instructors I have ever had... very patient. awsome service department....repaired my regulator even after 2 other shops told me it would never work again!!!!! Would never go anywhere else!!!!!!!Love you guys!!!!!!!

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

David Timpe: Sign on the door says open at 10:00 AM. I arrived about 10:15 and waited 30 minutes but no one opened the store.

Rebecca Hornsby: Great local dive shop.

Andrew Lewandowski: Great customer service!!

Rich Jaffe: These guys were great! Placed an order just a couple days ago for Hobie kayak accessories and they already arrived. Could not have been more efficient, communicative or easier! I will be back.

Eric Bogdan: New England Dive is worth every penny spent. They were courteous and professional and took time finding and fixing the leak in my pool. Highly recommend them.

Liz Linehan: The whole operation is wonderful. Ours was not an easy fix, and they had to come back... but they did come back within 24 hours, and our tech was really nice. I definitely recommend them, and highly at that!

Jonathan Ginter: Excellent service. The driver came out within 24 hours of booking the service. He found and fixed the leak in under an hour. Would definitely recommend.

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+++!!!!