Typing this on my phone is difficult because I'm thrilled about my experience at Aquatic Ventures I just want to write forever. For 20+ years of living in South Florida, I wanted to get my open water diving certification but every year, life happens. Through friends I found Aquatic Ventures by way of an awesome foundation called Dive4Vets and there began my adventure. Setting up my schedule couldn't have been easier. The staff here are...well, are you old enough to remember Cheers? If you are, it felt like that-as if we've known each other for years. Walking into the shop, there's a great selection of gear but I'm here to learn and learn I did! Classroom and pool day was my first experience trying to breathe underwater which is an odd thing. The following day, we were off to Tigertail Lake not too far away. Note: even though it was close to 90, the water temp was 76! Be prepared. Final dives were again in Tigertail due to uncooperative weather. Through the staffs instruction, I feel confident and comfortable being underwater and they truly care about each individuals progress and success. If you are already certified, check out their gear at great prices. If you're not certified, go! RUN! FLY! To Aquatic Ventures. If you're a disabled vet, give Dive4Vets a look! read more

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I am thankful for the team that helped me get certified. I started off in a 9ft indoor pool with Instructor Z. He had a lot of patience to work with me due to my disabilities. Z even helped me on my 2nd day of certification in the open water. It was such a nice dive out in the reef. On my 3rd and final day I had Moe and Laura to help me with my final portion of certification. It was a great time as I got to see a turtle and tiny crab that dive. I corkscrew have had a much better experience at this place. Oh I forgot to mention, I drove in from Tampa as I was recommended this Dive Shop. I hope to come back and dive with them on a trip or two they have planned on the coming months. read more

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We were looking to get our open water course somewhere in the south Florida area as we live in Pembroke Pines, but I did not expect a course so reasonably priced less than 20 minutes from me. I figured it would be a good bet given the reviews and gave them a call, the owner Kary answered and immediately was super friendly and gave me all the information I needed to know. We booked it right there on the phone and he even made some schedule changes to accommodate. When we started it was a classroom (with coffee, drinks, and snacks!) and pool day with Kary, excellent instructor and a guy with many cool stories. It was such a pleasure to learn how to dive with him. He was very patient and explained everything well, and it felt like the whole class was no strangers at all after the first few minutes. Our subsequent dives in the ocean were with Zee, who is also an incredible instructor with some stories of his own. It was a very good mix of education and some fun, as he took the time each day for us to just enjoy the dive and look upon the corals. He has a great way of explaining things and why we do them, and I couldn't have asked for better instructors on my first scuba course. Easiest recommendation of my life, can't wait to come back and dive more when I can. read more

Top of the line equipment and amazing service! These instructors "Moe" & "Z" let me say are great people but know their gear exactly what it takes to be a safe and reliable Diver in any ocean! Thank you both! Now for Masterdiver Kary stand alone one he'll of a great guy! Thank you for service and adding me to your family of first responder and divers. I plan a great many dives a head with all of you and everyone that joins our family! read more

Very knowledgeable and friendly shop. I can recommend this dive shop because I've met a few folks who work their and can tell you they are safe divers who are fun to be around read more

I cannot say enough GREAT things about the staff at Aquatic Ventures. They made the entire process of open water scuba certification simple and enjoyable. But it doesn't stop there. They were flexible with scheduling for all dives, and if you had to cancel it was no big deal. The owner Kary is friendly and full of knowledge, along with Monica- who even let me borrow her super comfy mask, Grant-taught is the basics, then took us to the pool and first dive, he was fun and friendly and just overall amazing, and lastly Alex who took us out on my last dive- who was also incredibly knowledgeable, patient and has the answers to my compass questions (because I'm directionally challenged). If you're thinking about your scuba cert. Do it!!!!! I'm obsessed read more

Aquatic Ventures - Scuba Diving Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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This past week, I took my son and his best friend to get scuba certified. The entire experience was very organized, as well as accommodating with the adverse weather thanks to a Tropical storm warning. They had three different instructors and all were patient, thorough, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this shop for anything scuba related. My boys can't wait to dive, thank you for being so accommodating! read more

The staff and owner, Kary, are outstanding when it came to our new diver certifications. Punctual, communicative and thorough to be sure we are prepared for all the elements you could be faced with in diving. We truly enjoyed the patience of our instructors Zack, Grant and "Mo" (aka Monica). They calmed our nerves when they arose and helped see us through to the final testing day. We had an amazing time and will look forward to getting our advanced diving certifications and Nitrox in the near future. Did I mention a portion of the proceeds benefit a disabled veterans dive program...that was the icing on the cake. Thank you to all for such a positive experience. read more

Aquatic Ventures - Mo, Grant and Zack were awesome instructors. Very thorough and calmed my nerves when they arose. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Shout out to Zach for going way over and beyond to help me get back into the water. He's a true instructor with such passion and care for his students. I recently had a bad experience doing my open water and the anxiety of getting back was inexplicable. Zach just helped me in the best way. We got into the water and he made sure I'm comfortable enough to start my skills. He's just an amazing instructor and got me pass my open water. I was scared to even get into the water but at the end I didn't even want to get out! Thank you Aquatic Ventures for making this an amazing experience! I will be definitely back for my advanced and look forward to improving my skills with this amazing company! read more

Aquatic Ventures is an fantastic dive shop. I took my open water certification class with my two teenage kids. Moe, our instructor, was awesome. She took the time to make sure everybody was comfortable and understood all of the exercises. She was very reassuring, thorough and patient. I also had the opportunity to meet the owner, who made all the new divers feel like family. I would definitely recommend this shop, and Moe, to anybody considering learning to scuba dive. read more

I recently got certified for open water and nitrox at aquatic ventures. I would like to thank all of my instructors (Victoria, Michael, and Kary) for being professionals and teaching good habits right from the start. I would like to thank Monica for assisting me when I first called. She was awesome in setting me up to get the certificates on time before a diving trip to the keys! Thank you for your hospitality and great attitude! read more

Excelente experience , lovely people. I live in miami and wanted to take my 14 years old for scuba certification and everything was booked near by so, by chance I saw this place reviews and decided to call. Kerry was incredible helpful and friendly on the phone , so I sign up with my son and his friend and decided to take the 40 minutes drive to the north and it was completely worth it. Instructors are knowledgeable, with so much experience, patience and so friendly. They take the time ,with each person , to make sure everyone understands everything and feel safe . The kids had a blast and are hooked with scuba now. They also have the store with all the equipment and very competitive prices . Go check it out .. you won't regret it ! read more

Aquatic Ventures - First day of training in the pool . - Scuba Diving Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Kary and team are fantastic, friendly helpful and very very down to earth. Forget 'scuba snobbery' with other companies, these guys are the real deal! ***2/5/2020 Update After using this dive shop for the last six months I can honestly say they constantly exceed expectations in every area of the scuba business. From training to dives to equipment maintenance, these guys excel all it all. read more

Sharing my review of Aquatic Ventures on Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34227-d2433615-r831474061-Aquatic_Ventures-Fort_Lauderdale_Broward_County_Florida.html In short, I loved my experience. I highly recommend using Aquatic Ventures to learn to dive! read more

I found out about this place through a Groupon offering one of my friends found. If you are considering getting certified for SCUBA, I highly recommend coming here to do it. My instructors, Kary and Michelle, were great to work with from start to finish. read more

Even though, I live in Miami, I chose AV for my dive certification. The reviews looked legit and the my first day there made me happy that my decision was a good one. Micheal is a fabulous instructor and he makes the learning fun for you to easily remember all the important stuff. The shop even offers a discount to all the students. If you want ti get certified or just go diving, I would highly reccomend AV. read more

Professional staff. The customer service and willingness to work with people that need a little more time is unbelievable! Safety is paramount in everything they do. Slowly progressed as the class was able and addressed every concern. Unbelievable amount of experience in Kary. Would not go anywhere else! Veteran owned and operated, they also run Dive for Vets. Incredible! read more

This is the most professional dive shop I have ever encountered. If you want to learn to dive, this is your place. If you want gear, the staff will guide you and will not coerce you into a purchase. This place does not disappoint. read more

Just got my Open Water certification with Aquatic Ventures! It was an overall great experience and I would definitely recommend getting your Open Water certification with this team. I really appreciated how the entire staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and took the time to make sure we felt safe, comfortable, and confident through every step of the certification process. Everyone we interacted with - Monica, Zach, Michael, Evan, and Kary were fantastic and fun people! If you're looking to scuba and/or get certified in the Fort Lauderdale area - highly recommend the Aquatic Ventures team! read more

I wanted to write this review for anyone that may be considering certification but is hesitant because they are not certain if they are up to the task or what is involved. My husband is a certified police rescue diver and I have considered getting my open water certification for years so that we can dive together. However, at 51 and being in just "average" physical shape, I was concerned that I might have difficulty completing the certification training. Thanks to Aquatic Ventures that was not the case. I never for a minute felt unsafe and both Kary and Michael were extremely patient and made me feel comfortable at all times. My husband bought me the course as a birthday present and like others have said, he spoke directly with Kary to set it up instead of going through Groupon. I would be lying if I said everything was done quickly and with ease. There were several exercises that I (and others) had to repeat until our instructors were comfortable that we had mastered them. This is how I know that they are concerned with the safety of everyone that they certify. For example, while I hope I will never have to remove my BC or weights underwater while diving, I am confident that I can. I can't say enough positive things about Aquatic Ventures. If you have ever thought about getting dive certified, don't hesitate to at least talk to them. Also, I am so impressed by what Kary gives back to the community and veterans. That alone is enough reason to support this shop. Yesterday I completed my open water and Nitrox certifications with Michael and my husband is doing his side mount course on Thursday. We will then move on to our 15 year old son so that we can dive as a family. Thanks Aquatic Ventures. We are big fans. read more

Got my Open Water scuba certification here. They were amazing the whole way through. Kary and Michael were very patient and informative during our dives. By the time we left the water I truly felt ready to handle it on my own. Victoria helped with the out of water learning and she as well was super patient and helped prepare me well for the water. I highly recommend read more

Hands down one of the most fun experiences I have ever had. Diving with Kary, a retired marine and the owner of Aquatic Ventures was not only fun but gave me confidence in what to do to be a safe diver. He kept us focused and was still able to have fun. Also has a wealth of knowledge and education to back it up! I enjoyed it so much I ended up pulling the trigger on my first S.C.U.B.A. dive gear and I felt that even though its a big purchase that I was also getting a really good deal that would be hard to find anywhere else, trust me I ebayed and amazoned the equipment as well as visited other dive shops in the area! I will be returning soon for the advanced course so I can go deeper safely. read more

Aquatic Ventures - Scuba Diving Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Just got certified! Had a great experience with all the instructors Victoria, Kary, and Michael are truly passionate about diving and teach you exactly everything you need to know. Had an amazing experience on our last dive would definitely recommend! read more

My girlfriend and I did our dive certification at Aquatic Ventures and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The rental equipment was great and the dive instructors were patient and thorough. The dive shop experience was equally as impressive as they helped us pick out all the personal gear we needed to embark on our future underwater journeys, offering excellent advice on the proper equipment for each of us at great prices. If you want to join the fish and sharks up close, this is the place in South Florida to get you diving like a pro! They also support the veterans which is awesome! read more

From my open water certification 3 years ago to my Master Diver Cert, I have never been slightly disappointed in Aquatic Ventures. The shop, the staff and the owner Kary are amazing. Dive trips, excursions, equipment and gear from A-Z you'll find your diving dreams fulfilled here read more

Went to Aquatic Ventures to get dive certified. We found a deal on Groupon, but Nick used to know the owner of this shop, so we felt more comfortable with it. The current shop owners were nice and authentic. The location is small and unassuming, way west of the ocean, in an older strip mall. The shop itself is teeny tiny. The coupon we signed up for was for NASE certification. The most well-known cert is PADI, which is interesting because NASE is supposed to be more technical and conservative. I'm not sure yet whether having a lesser known certification really matters, but I don't think it does. Gear was pretty good quality as far as rentals go. We did training in three locations. Across the board, all first trainings take place in a pool so newbies can learn and test their skills in a controlled, safe environment. Our first location was a tiny pool of questionable cleanliness at a tiny motel in Hollywood. They said they would have preferred the larger community pool, but that they often close for various reasons (other events, weather, etc.). I'm not easily bothered by things like this, but I felt like it might be worth mentioning. The second location was in the ocean off of Lauderdale by the Sea, which was great. We practiced in maybe 15 feet of water - enough to equalize and test your skills, but shallow enough that popping up to the surface would have been fine, if there was a problem. The third was at Oleta State Park - we went there because the water was super rough on the ocean that day. Oleta was just okay - super murky and very shallow (only 7 feet deep or so). Most people hear about this place from Groupon (we did too), BUT the owners said if you call the store directly that they'll price match Groupon even if you don't have one. This works out better for the business because they don't have to give half of their proceeds to Groupon - just FYI. I will also share that under the terms and conditions of their Groupon, they talk about an extra e-learning fee. With any dive certification, there are online materials and textbooks that you have to get. The e-learning fee was an additional $90 or so, on top of the original coupon. This is apparently pretty standard and most dive shops do it, since they have to pay for the training materials directly from the dive organization. Just something to keep in mind when you're considering pricing. I have no means of comparison, since this is my first and only time getting dive certified, but I'd say if you can deal with the questionable pool that the price is right, the staff are nice, and I learned some good stuff. read more

Hands down best experience I've ever had! After doing numerous reef snorkels over the years I decided to step it up and get my recreational scuba certifications. Aquatic Ventures has the best ratings so I signed up. I finished my first open water dive/instruction today and I'm ecstatic that I picked them. Michael and Kary are professionals with 30+ years experience and some of the coolest guys you'll ever meet. They teach everything!!!! Recert- continued education- Dive Master- first certs and more! I highly recommend you try them out. You'll be hooked! read more

I recently completed my Open Water Certification with Aquatic Ventures and had a great experience. The first day we had Kary, the owner, as the instructor in the classroom and pool. The next day we did two beach dives with Tom, and the final day we did two beach dives with Michael. All three instructors were really great and brought different perspectives. Highly recommend this dive shop. read more

Aquatic Venture is the best place to go if you are looking for a friendly knowledgeable dive shop. I looked around before choosing and they are by far the best location to learn to scuba dive. The owner is great and so is the whole staff. We liked it so much we are bringing our girls back to Aquatic Ventures to get them certified too. Give them a try, you will be glad you did. The only thing I wondered after getting certified is why did I wait so long. I absolutely love swimming with the fishes and Aquatic Ventures made it possible! read more

Kary, Micheal, Tori and the rest of the staff are amazing! We finished our open water certification and we feel truly feel comfortable. Kary was able to match the groupon price and gave us a great deal on nitrox training as well. Tori was super helpful every time we called and she answered all our questions. We had a limited schedule of 4 days to get all of our training in, and when inclement conditions forced us to cancel our first day of open water diving they were able to accommodate us on our last day. The instructors have a great mix of military and recreational diving experience, making this a wonderful place to learn scuba! read more

I have taken some advanced classes with Kerry. He is a great instructor and his prices are excellent. Can't beat his prices on tank services. read more

After speaking with the owner on the phone and explaining my situation and how my schedule can be hectic and unpredictable - after I purchased on Groupon- and wasn't sure I would be able to fulfill it - the owner Kerry was as kind as could be and understood and agreed to work with me so that I would still be able to get my certification! I have not taken the course yet but if his training is anything like his customer service I am truly looking forward to an exceptional experience! Thank you aquatic ventures and Kerry - Rebecca read more

Finding Aquatic Ventures and SCUBA Instructor Kary L. McNeal came to be through unique circumstances. My original Instructor, Gary N. Beiter was Kary's business partner. Sadly Gary passed away last year a week before I walked into the shop to inquire about Open Water training for my teen and pre-teen sons. When looking for the shop off of Davie Blvd. and 441 all I could think was "This has to be the place, it looks like a 'hole in the wall'!" I smiled, thinking "It's going to be cool inside." It didn't disappoint. Training is through the National Academy of SCUBA Educators (NASE) or https://www.naseworldwide.org. Kary's staff will set you up with an eLearning program that is self-paced and well laid out. My two youngest sons (pre-teens) completed it over a week's time, scoring in the 90's on the final, online exam. As a Divemaster from the "legacy" certification company of yesteryear, I followed their training carefully (and secretly too as a review for me). The subject matter was relevant, easily comprehended and in an organized format. The study material (manual) is downloadable in PDF. I had my sons save the file in the iBooks app on their iPads. It made for efficient reviewing at their leisure (between other non-sensical apps kids use today). The classroom and practical part of the course is typically three days long (weather dependent). Kary conducts a 1/2 day classroom session (in his own classroom at the shop, (see, it's a deep hole in the wall). The subject matter is reviewed in perfect preparation for the pool session. Having the classroom on site is a bonus with instructional staff having all the props they need on hand to aid with the subject matter. The pool sessions are held about 15 minutes away at a motel pool. The pool provides a room for the students to change, store personal items and also a restroom. Beach sessions are held on Dania beach, a location that I have trained and recreationally dove in the past. Easily accessible and well known to local divers as neat place for a beach dive. Load your smart phone with the "Pay by Phone" app or bring a credit card for the public meters. It's South Florida, you'll need it all around town at the beaches and popular venues anyway. Kary's shop provides all the gear that you'll need for training. I highly recommend that you at least purchase your own mask for training. While it may be easy to go to the "Big Box" dive shop AKA DD, talk to Kary first. Get some guidance on gear selection before purchasing from any location or online. Now back to the not-so-hole-in-the-wall shop. I own most of my own gear and like anything technical and regulatory, it needs routine preventative maintenance to keep me alive. Kary has to be the most knowledgeable regulator repair pro I have ever met. I used to work on my own stuff after being trained by a very knowledgeable regulator repairer. Kary overhauled four sets of regulators (plus octopi) and a BC for me. The price was extremely reasonable and more importantly it was done in one day. I have never had this good of an experience with any type of repair service. I should've paid him for the OJT he gave me on the gear repair. After he tuned up my gear, I went on to dive in Cancún, Dania Beach and the West Coast of Florida. I had smooth airflow and zero problems with my gear. If you need your equipment checked out, tuned up or overhauled, take it to Kary. He'll take care of it quick, cost efficiently and if it's not reparable, he'll let you know. I rented a pair of BCDs for my trip. The BCDs are TUSAs with integrated weight pockets. While in Cancún we were given typical web belt lead weights. Having the right BCDs made the trip efficient and safe. I'd recommend renting from Kary if you want modern, safe and well maintained gear. Lastly, the shop is well equipped for both regular air and Nitrox tank filling. There's very little in terms of gear that he doesn't have. The prices are very reasonable and if he doesn't have it, he'll find it and order it for you. I have to say that like most of the Aquatic Ventures team (and many others in So. Fla.) I miss my instructor, mentor and friend Gary Beiter. Because of his passing fate brought us to Kary and his team. He taught, coached and mentored two of my sons into successful open water divers. For that I am grateful. This was a vacation for the photo album. I'm very thankful for the service he gave us. We will be patrons for a long time. So forget the Big Box place, support your local hole-in-the-wall dive shop first, you're family there. read more

We received our certification from this dive shop and It was an amazing experience, anytime I felt a panicky and nervous the instructors and assistants were right there to ring me back in, now that I'm certified I will continue my recreational dives with this group because here I know I am safe and well guided I originally booked my training for early September but it waa canceled due to the weather and for that I am grateful they are always monitoring conditions making sure you have the safest and most beautiful dive possible, it's been an amazing experience the staff is WONDERFUL, Tori and Grant are the best! read more

Do not purchase anything from this owner he is rude and do not want to refund your money even if you didn't use what you have purchased I called in since I bought the gift card I bought for my husband in 2016 after 3 month he got sick and could not use it it was 250 dollars gift card he needs to move back out of country they promised me to get back to me but nothing happened they don't want to refund me and telling me its been 3 years yes I've been contacting them every month for 3 years did not want to get an attorney because of 250 dollars but now for me its a principal matter please don't support these rude and for me scammers. They should not be able to do business stay away people!!! They are not even worth one star. At least they could have offered us a solution and show that they cared and would have maintained a good reputation and done good customers service. As you can see they won't even recognize it an make a solution they just pretending that I only contacted them now honestly I've been contacting them for 3 years you Kary hung up on me every time you are a big scammer to me! So don't defend yourself 250 dollars was out of the window to do you think I just after 3 years find it amused to ask for my refund seriously dude! I give people a chance to make up for their mistakes but you freaking hung up on me first time I called you said yes I will get back to you that was 6 month after I bought the gift card you told me that gift card was fine for 2 years!!! And if you need to tell that you have 100 of good review than you for sure have a problem the way you speak says it all ! Just stay away people! read more

Found this dive shop through Groupon for my open water certification. Would definitely recommend! The owner Kary is amazing, he's very knowledgeable and creates a safe enjoyable environment for his students. Can't wait to continue diving with this shop! read more

I decided I wanted to get certified to dive, so I started doing some research online at all the local dive shops that offer cert's/lessons. I then stopped in at a few places, and some of them were large well known names. I remembered seeing online a shop near my home and one day at the last minute I turned to go check it out. It was Aquatic Ventures. As soon as I walked in the door the owner, Kary Mcneal III, greeted me like I was an old friend. I say this because at several of the other places they were VERY COLD and unfriendly. Since I had already made up my mind that I was going to pick the place that I felt most comfortable at, that treated me like a customer and not a nuisance, to spend my money. In the first 10 minutes or less I knew THIS IS IT. Kary took as much time as I needed to answer ALL my questions and more. He continued to educate me even further and was glad to do it. I signed up that day. Kary honored the groupon price,and after price checking with other dive shops his price was BY FAR the best! I completed the online courses for both Open Water and Nitrox. We then did a day of classwork at the shop, which was excellent. Very well taught and very informative. After class we did our first training in a local pool close by. It was awesome! I wasted no time as I did my next two ocean dives two days later off of Dania Beach. The first dive was approx. 20 minutes at about 21 feet, then the second was approx 25 min at bout 25 feet, then we were able to see plenty of the reef for another 30 minutes, IT WAS AWESOME! I'M HOOKED!! I then completed my final two dives the following day and am now Open Water and Nitrox certified. I want to add that before I left the shop the first day after class, before leaving to go to the pool, I decided to go for it and I purchased all my gear. BC, Reg, Octopus, Comp, Fins, Mask, Booties and weights. I have since price checked these same items at other stores, NOT EVEN CLOSE, Kary offers unbeatable price for TOP QUALITY GEAR, I am extremely pleased and very satisfied with everything I bought. All the staff and Instructors here are awesome. Kary is extremely knowledgeable and has extensive underwater training. All the instructors are very skilled and professional. I don't think you will find a more friendly, personal Dive shop anywhere. I will continue to progress here and take Advanced courses and further my diving skills and abilities, as well as purchase all my future needs here. Last but not least I am proud to support a quality Dive Shop owned and operated by a retired US Marine! read more

Had so much fun scuba diving! Would encourage everyone to learn how! This place went through the necessary safety regulations and is very thorough. read more

Great dive shop with very knowledgeable staff. Would recommend to anyone looking to learn how to scuba dive.

These guys are awesome! I was terrified of the water, but they help me through my fear and let me take it slowly at my own pace. Now, I'm on my 15th dive and going regularly as I love being underwater with wildlife, and am comfortable scuba diving. I am now going to begin working on my Advanced divers certification. read more