Great dive shop, very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommend this shop for scuba, free diving and meeting other divers.

I completed the pool sessions for scuba diving and the open water dives through this shop. They really went out of their way to make sure I was feeling comfortable and safe. After the first lesson, all the instructors knew my name and were so personable. I highly recommend this dive shop to anyone looking to learn!! Thank you East Coast Divers! read more

Great people and great shop always willing to answer questions. Nick and his team are the real deal!

The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Any question or concern I had was happily and helpfully explained. They even stayed a few minutes after close when I was running late to pick up gear for an early dive the next day. I can't recommend them enough if you're looking for a dive shop in the Boston area read more

East Coast is great! They work hard to make it fun to learn and they're very professional. I took the course through the flexible schedule, which meant I could tell them when I'd be able to be there instead of having to adhere to their schedule. The classroom instruction is good and worthwhile, but it's in the pool where I really realized how much I was learning. The instructors go over skills multiple times and let you ask as many questions as you need to (not the case with other places!) and my student-instructor ratio was never more than 4:1. I felt very comfortable with my skills by the time I was done in the pool, and my final open water session was also comfortable and fun. I'm also a big fan of places that stand behind their service, and East Coast offers unlimited access to the pool for students. So, I'll definitely be going back to practice my skills before diving with anyone else. These guys are great - I would definitely recommend them. read more

I received excellent level two free-dive training with Nick. The tailored program provided me with incredibly efficient free-dive skills, as well as amazingly helpful gear recommendations and rental. Most of all, his stand for me to made it to depths even I didn't think I could, made all the difference in the world and is what got me to my new personal best of 90 feet. Thank you for introducing me to other free-divers in the area, I had a wonderful time diving with John and Julian. Looking forward to more diving and training when I'm back in July! read more

These people are amazing. They truly take the time and go above and beyond to make extraordinary divers. The attentive staff doesn't stop there but while in the shop they will walk you through any purchases you might make to make your diving experience unforgettable. Unlike other small dive shops the large staff allows for a very open schedule. I was able to go from start to finish in 1 month. In time for an amazing and safe time in Bermuda last week. They offer a bunch of specialty courses as well for divers to continue their training and education. Highly recommended EC Dive read more

Small dive shop with great people! From my first classroom session to finishing my pool sessions, everyone has been friendly, attentive to the details and generally awesome. It feels like I've made lots of new friends who I can't wait to dive with come summertime! Thanks ECD for making me feel totally comfortable learning (and still learning) to dive! read more

As I write this review based on my journey through scuba diving, I am consumed with emotions of love, loss, pain, inescapable suffering, tears, and triumph. Night and day, I had agonized, asking myself over and over again, "should I scuba dive?" Debating over it, the answer seemed to slip through my fingers as if I was trying to grasp at anything while sliding along the black algae on the rocks at Lane's Cove. Really, what business did I have in the ocean? Even though I had no business being in the ocean at all, I needed the ocean, but did the ocean need me? After contemplating this profound statement following a recent trip to Bonaire, where I was quite content snorkeling along the reefs near the shore with my ill-fitted mask and flopping around with my flippers ("they are called 'FINS!'"), I could not help escape the lingering curiosity of the enchanting allure of the abyss. Do I have the strength to become one with the ocean? Oh, but what a fool I was for waiting so long! Relinquishing my fate to the depths of the ocean, I decided to go ahead. I must find out what's down there because maybe, just maybe I would finally find the answer to all my questions in scuba diving. And, so I did. Beginning with classroom sessions followed by more pool sessions, I learned about the many ways to die and practiced almost dying. Entrusting myself to the varied instructors, my main problem occurred not with losing air, but with drowning. Losing air did not seem so bad, but drowning was the worst experience ever. Granted many things might seem scary at first, but a total facemask clear felt like death. Releasing the mask, a sudden rush of water unceasingly cleansed the inner orifices of my nasal cavity; I gasped for air only to inhale more liquid. After repeating this action several times and depleting the water in the pool by one-third, I managed to achieve my goal. Nothing like this could have been done without enough encouragement from a patient, calm instructor by the name of Larry - my favorite instructor at ECD; let's get that clear straight away. Overjoyed by my accomplishment, Larry said that I would someday make a great diver, of course, after I figure out how not to crash at the bottom of the ocean and not kick sediment in the face of Alejandro - intentionally or not. Leaving my instructors, except Larry, with the impression that I am unable to complete the task at hand, I laughed to myself and moved forward in my journey. Ultimately, after numerous pool sessions and fighting the will to live, I had to set sail upon the majestic ocean to try the new tricks I had learned. So, we sank ourselves to the bottom of the ocean. I began to feel really immersed in the ocean at this point, especially since my ill-fitted mask was filling up quite nicely with water. To think, my ill-fitted mask would fail me now?! Alessandro showed me his way of being sincere by thoughtfully offering to switch masks with me. Now, Aleixandre's face was starting to fill all the way with water causing him to clear it constantly. I laughed at how the tables had turned between Aleksandr and me. Afterwards, we packed our things, filled our tanks, bickered a bit, went home, and rested for the next day. My buddy and I continued our second day of checkout dives, coasting along merrily under the completely nonvisible wa- WHAT THE @#$% WAS THAT! Oh, it didn't bite us or tear us limb from limb and shred us into a billion pieces nor did it shoot poison darts at us, so we should be okay. Nonetheless, we resumed swimming along the murky maze, gazing at the possible wonders of the not-so-deep. I could not dream of any other place I would rather be. Thinking about all the unknown creatures I have yet to meet, this appeared to be just the beginning. Onwardly and outwardly, we paddled further into the deep, observing the black mass of seaweed covering the landscape filled with a newly formed stellar nursery. Reflecting on the connection between the stars at the bottom of the sea to the stars in the sky, I knew this is as close to heaven as I could get. Happily, I had passed, and Alexandros handed my certification to me. My eyes welled with tears of joy (not really). So, now what? Visibly, the next logical step is to embark on shipwreck diving after further training. It has always been a fascination of mine. Could this be my true destiny? Though, it is not without danger. Overcoming all fears of the water is the reasonable first step to scuba diving. Right now, my biggest worry is not knowing enough. Yet, I am continuing on my quest. Thank you, East Coast Divers. I could not have done this without you. To many, it may seem like a great feat. All the same, it can be done. No one could have provided a greater service. I shall be forever grateful. Can you find the shipwrecks in my story? read more

Diving in 50 degree water in mid-November in Massachusetts was not high on my list of things to do before I die. ECD made it a fun, gratifying, and safe experience. All of the instructors were fabulous -- taking their jobs seriously while at the same time creating a welcoming, fun, and stress-free environment in which to learn how to SCUBA. These guys live, eat and breathe SCUBA, and love passing their enthusiasm on to their students. Since so few people dare to brave the November cold, the classroom, pool, and open water sessions tend to be less crowded than at more appealing times of year, so you get lots of personal attention. All in all, it was well worth the price and the mild pain and suffering of diving at such an absurd time of year. Thanks especially to Nick, Alex and Dan for all their hard work!!! read more

Ok i just want to go on the record and say that i have never gone freediving in my life but ive seen videos of spearfishing and my buddy that freedives started to get me i terested in trying it. Took my first training class during the week which ecd runs at the bu pool and was instantly hooked. I did absolutely horrible but i knew with the right people like nick and savanah training me and strong will to succeed i could gwt better. To this date ive only done my classroom 1 of the actual freediving course, But been coming to training atleast once a week since new years and i have seen a conplete turn around of my capabilities in the pool. When i first started on empty lungs i could only stay down for maybe 5 seconds. Never did i ever think i would be able to swim the lenght of a pool 8 times on empty lungs with only a one minute stop between each lap. Something that seemed inpossible to me a month ago is now starting to come more naturally from what i have learned off of nick. After talking to him for about 5 minutes you would think he is a doctor with all of his knowlegde about how freediving effects your body and the science behind it. The shop is awesome and not overcluttered with useless stuff. They only sell what they recomend using and dont look to hust make an easy dollar. Staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recomend this class and this shop because of one simple thing. They took someone like me who could barely stay under water at all and doubled my breathhold time. Im fairly confident that when i get in the water all the aspects of safety rescue skill and technique i learned i will be a decent free diver. Hey yelp is there a way to give more than 5 stars? Because i would if i could. Go take the class and i guarantee you wont be dissapointed read more

More fun than I've had in forever! Incredibly knowledgeable and kind staff, easy scheduling for classes, and just great all around. I'm almost convinced it would be worth it to go diving in Gloucester and tough out the cold water. The classes are at a BU pool, there's parking, it's ,challenging in all the right ways and totally addicting. The owner, Nick, is determined that there not be any jerks among his staff, and he's succeeded. Each trainer is nicer and more helpful than the next. Can't recommend them enough. One more thing--if you're not young, and are used to being condescended to when you try something new, don't worry about that here, they treat me like they treat everyone else, with respect and generosity. Sounds corny, but there it is. read more

The friendly and knowledgeable staff is willing and able to answer any and all questions from new divers and seasoned divers alike. I took a course taught by an affiliated instructor and went on a live-aboard trip with two affiliated instructors and I can't begin to praise them for their knowledge and willingness to help a brand new diver read more

Fantastic Dive Shop! Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. My wife and I did the classroom and pool session with them. We both felt incredibly well prepared for the open water certification! (the ONLY reason we didn't get certified with ECD is because we took the classes in the winter - we were certified on vacation). They also have very competitive prices for the gear which is not the norm for retail stores. read more

SSI is not a good program, not at all, i took this cert, and went to australia, boy did i feel stupid, they told me diving to 9 meters was safe, and to fly next day was safe, divers in my good went wild when i told them , also they wanted a dive plan, and refused to dive with me with this SSI, ccertification, now a do over, forget SSI, it is cheap, maybe a reason for it read more

In a nutshell: This is more than just a dive shop, it is a community of people who are truly passionate about the sport and love making more divers. People who get certified at ECD not only gain the knowledge they need to have fun (and stay safe) blowing bubbles underwater, they meet like-minded friends who keep them active in the sport. After all, what good is it to be the kid on the playground with the most toys if there is no one there to play with? Above all, Nick and Alex care most about giving their customers the best experience possible from their very first first pool session, to an advanced level U-boat dive, and every endeavor in between. This attitude is not only upheld in the classroom and in the ocean, but on the sales floor as well. You can feel confident that you will walk out of ECD with a gear package that is custom tailored to your needs as a diver, not a random assortment of pieces that the shop turns the biggest profit on. This level of customer care is rare in the business world, and is what makes this dive shop so wildly successful and popular. This truly is THE dive shop to go to in New England. read more

Great facility, not just dive gear sale and rental, but all the help and support in certification, including the written test. My kid gets her start at East Coast Divers, and just gets certified. Thank you. read more

Awesome dive shop! Run by some of the most outgoing and friendliest guys I have ever met and they will literally bend over backwards to get you into gear that's right for you. They don't just try to sell you the item with the biggest price tag like some shops. Great selection of classes and gear and very experienced and knowledgeable staff. These guys offer student and beginner equipment discounts as well as rent to own programs and other offers that you wont find anywhere else. I got my certification in New Hampshire but realized how much the instruction is here after sitting in on one pool class. You would be crazy to go anywhere else! read more

This shop deserves 7 + stars. As soon as my wife and I walked through the door they made us feel welcome, like family members. Not like a "paycheck" like some other shops. Their love and knowledge of all things SCUBA really showed. Their "rent to own" program made it more economical to dive more often and allowed us to try different equipment before buying. Nick even let me use his gear for a few dives. We did our Open Water summer 2011, but weren't able to much diving until this year. We have taken several Advanced courses with them and can't wait to take more. Their instruction style is amazing, they spoke to our level and were able to answer any question we threw at them. I highly recommend this shop!!! read more

Amazing customer service. Outgoing, fun, knowledgeable, experienced are but a few words that describe what you will find at East Coast Divers. From the first 30 minute conversation on a day that the shop was closed (Nick answered the phone anyway) to the moment we stepped off the edge of the pool and into the water, we were provided the tools necessary not only equipment wise, but knowledge wise to ensure we were comfortable and prepared. Once we hit the pool water, it only got better. The entire experience has been wonderful so far. Thank you to Nick and the rest of the East Coast Divers team. You guys are awesome! read more

ECD is a great place for all local divers to connect with. I was certified last year while on vacation in Honduras and was anxiuos to connect with a group back here in Boston. I looked at a few places and I just didn't feel like part of their group when talking with them. As soon as I contacted ECD I was welcomed with open arms. The staff is very knowledgeable about all things diving related and will go out of thier way to help you out. Their rent to own program in great- I would never be able to buy all the equipment in one purchase. And they don't try to sell you just the most expensive equipement- they want you to be comfortable with what you buy so you can get out there and dive alot!! Now I get to try out different pieces of equipment when I dive, and the money from the rental goes right to pay off my equipment package. They are very professional and truly love what they do. There are multiple dives to go on each week with a group and plenty of course should you want to take it to the next level! You will not be disappointed when you visit the shop! read more

I have been diving for quite some time all across the globe and was thinking of getting my advanced certification when I stepped through the door of East Coast Divers ... and this was probably the BEST THING I have done in my entire (diving) life !!! I have rarely, if at all, seen such combination of professional and personable people. Most of the diving shops/clubs I have experienced over the years are just out there for your money and provide mediocre training, especially for beginner divers. This is definitely not the case with this happy bunch of people: they are passionate, really care about students and provide the best training I have seen so far. They invest time in each and everyone, making sure each student acquires all the necessary knowledge and skills to become the best possible diver. Whether it is 'in' our 'out' of water you will not regret (like me) stepping through the door of East Coast Divers. And thumbs up to Jake, Nick, Alex, Kim and Liz !!! read more