Great customer service and terrific, highly professional experience end-to-end. Rob was great to work with in scheduling the certification training and supporting equipment. Chris and Caleb were top-notch dive masters, giving personal attention at every turn. They clearly cared about the success and learnings of every single participant in the dive. read more

Went in with $900 in hand fully intending to sign up for Advanced open water class for myself and wife. I had already researched numerous shops to compare courses and price so the sale was as good as done. I only had two questions I needed answered. Unfortunately, Rob was more concerned with where I had completed my basic open water and ironically telling me about their (First Coast Divers) recent "recon" of Divers Supply where they found customer focus lacking. At one point, he literally stopped his conversation with me mid-sentence to strike up a conversation with an apparent friend that just walked in the shop. Leaving me awkwardly standing there. Considering I am a new diver and not "married" to, or particularly loyal to any one dive shop, I find it very hypocritical for one business to bash another business as they literally do the very same thing! In the end, since I couldn't keep his focus on our conversation for more than 30 seconds at a time I finally got fed up and left. $900 still in my pocket and back to the drawing board. I truly hope this was a fluke and First Coast Divers does a better job keeping their focus on their students than he did on his customer. read more

I would not recommend this shop to anyone who is looking for training or certification. I recently took the open water course here and the amount of things they hid from you until you paid could fill a book. Firstly, this is a dive shop in Jacksonville but the training does not take place in the ocean but a hundred miles away from the shop past gainsville for which you have to provide your own transportation, accommodation, and transport all of the rental equipment as well. Next, the amount of people that they allow to take this course at a time is way too many. For my open water course there was one instructor and ten students. 90% of each dive we were forced to be underwater, cold, not doing anything while the instructor made his rounds to the other 9 students. Not only was the instructor split between the open water students, but he was also actively training advanced students as well on the same days. This means the open water students were constantly waiting for the instructor to be done with the advanced students before we could get our training and go on our dives. What could have been done in 3 hours was stretched to 8 hour days because of the dive shop's greed for more customers. The instructor himself did seem like a good guy but the organization, the lack of shared information, and the fact that twice as many people were allowed to sign up as there should've been made this an awful experience where I was wishing I had gone with any other shop. read more

Just got my PADI certification here last week. Dan, the owner, is extremely knowledgeable in all facets of diving and his passion is evident from the moment you meet him. I had my training dives with Chris aka Boats and it was an absolute blast. Couldn't recommend this place enough, and I was able to sign up just a week before. read more

Awesome experience. Drew Chubb was fantastic and definitely helped me through getting certified. I can't wait to dive again!

Awesome shop, went in today for snorkeling equipment, and am so happy with all the help, pointers, and advice. Great shop. Look forward to my refresher class and getting my husband certified. read more

We started our PADI Certification in Pennsylvania, but wanted to get our certification dive in Florida. We were hoping for The Florida Keys, but the weather was too unpredictable. So we opted for First Coast divers, and the Sinkhole and Rainbow Springs dives. We had a Great time!!! Drew was our instructor and was friendly and personable, answered our questions in a clear and understandable manner and all instructions were repeated until everyone understood them. No one was left struggling, very important when safety is involved. All of the gear was functional and in good working order, and any issues were handled promptly. Thank You to Dan for guiding us through the process and to Drew, Laura and Jen for getting us certified and opening the door to the wonderful adventure of Scuba!! (We went first weekend in July 2024; 4 dive sessions in 2 days, water was cold but nice contrast to the 90 degree humidity. We carried all gear; BCD's and cylinders for 3 of us in our vehicle and transported them each day, so bring a larger vehicle if you can for ease. Stay in Ocala for a few nights to be close to the locations to shorten driving times.) read more

See all

We had a wonderful experience at the First Coast Divers shop. Went there to get snorkeling fins and masks and left very happy with our purchase. Dan made us feel very welcome. He asked lots of questions wanting to make sure he knew our preferences and gave helpful advice. It was a real treat to have a professional diver like him patiently explain the basics to us. We are looking forward to our next snorkeling trip! read more

Everyone who works there is so helpful and helps you get the best gear. The classes are great and the instructors thoroughly promote safety and ensure you are qualified for your certification. The gear they sell is top quality and the community this dive center creates is phenomenal. Definitely the place to go to get a certification and to get great gear. They give great advice when diving and have your best interest at heart when choosing gear. read more

I love this shop! Dan is very knowledgeable and helpful. I never feel silly asking questions about a product and he's always welcomed me to try out a product before committing to it. I appreciate being able to go to a shop with such a trustworthy and friendly staff. read more

This is the shop to go to if you want personalized attention and people who truly care about ensuring every aspect of learning to dive is exceptional. I have a disability, and Dan went above and beyond spending time with me picking out equipment and trying it on to make sure everything would fit and work successfully with with my unique situation. He spent hours with me to make sure everything was perfect. I can't say enough about Dan and everyone and First Coast Divers. read more

Love this place! Dan is very helpful and they seem to have everything you need for diving, snorkel or any water activities. I will be back! read more

Dan the owner is amazing. I spoke to him about getting my certification & 3 months later came back to the shop - he totally remembered me and made me feel welcomed & was ready to work with me to get my Open Water. I now have w my Advanced Open Water w Nitrox because he and his employees are awesome - I will NEVER go anywhere else - oh the prices are good too!!!! read more

We have been to every dive shop in the area. Even bought a significant amount of gear from a different shop. But this shop is the one that kept us coming back and will have all of our business from now on. Other dive shops in town are either too pushy or just plain rude. Shop around, you'll see what I mean. Dan is friendly, and knowledgeable about the sport and everything he sells. He manages to help the most inexperienced divers feel confident. Definitely top notch! read more

The manager/owner, Dan, is phenomenal! My fiancé and I have very busy work schedules and personal obligations that can be daunting, but Dan always worked with us to ensure we got everything we needed. I can't imagine having a better experience. read more