This is a great place for SCUBA certification. The people there are great! The price was very reasonable.

The Captain and crew were awesome. Always ready to help and assist in anything from getting gear on or helping in and out of water. The crew in the water with us was helping us spot marine life and knew exactly where to look. A++ from my wife and I. We will be going back to them to hit more dive sites around the area. read more

Gulfport Dive Center - 116' barge wreck and a grouper - Diving Near Me - Gulfport, Florida

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I had an issue that was left over from previous management and they agreed to take care of it. Will continue to use these guys as my dive shop. read more

We did there open diving certification and it was fantastic! They were extremely helpful and it made it super easy to learn the whole process. All of the staff are super friendly and I would recommend these people to anybody wanting to learn how to scuba dive! Jim did a great job with us on our first 2 days as he was super nice and was very good at going slow and making sure we truly understood everything. Mike was our guide for the last day and he also did a great job and let us treat it like a true open water dive. Like I said, would highly recommend this place to anybody! read more

The crew was absolutely amazing, extremely helpful with anything we needed. The group we went out with was small, which made everything a lot easier. The diving was great, the crew pointed things out to us while we were down. Will definitely be back!! read more

Being a new transplant to Florida, I quickly researched dive shops in the area. After stopping at a few others, I got to Gulfport Dive Center and that was the best thing that happened to me! The entire team is incredible, they intently listen to understand individual needs and then have the right gear so that you can explore as you wish. Last night my girlfriend and I did a night dive aboard the boat, the crew was fabulous again and the dive site was incredible. Did I mention it was the 2 of us plus 1 other diver--an awesome small group. Thanks! read more

I was on a recent trip to visit family in St Pete and saw this shop so I stopped in to find out about the local dive scene and check out the gear they carry. Apparently under new ownership. The shop was clean, organized, and well stoked. Aiden was super friendly, very professional, and we chatted for quite a while. This shop has plenty of gear and great local knowledge for the traveling diver or the local diver looking for a reliable, well-run local dive shop. read more

We often start with dreams, unfortunately for many of us these dreams do not come true. Today we completed our open water certification that was spectacular with Gulfport Dive Center. After snorkeling many places around the globe Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico, Bahamas and many domestic places such as the keys and Hawaii we decided to take the next step. Worried that we would be in over our head in water (literally and figuratively) we quickly realized we needed a dive shop that would ensure our bucket list item was a dream and not a nightmare. We learned of this dive shop from a friend and boy are we thankful. We both were a bit skeptical at the low cost (299pp) in comparison to many other dive shops in the location offering open water. To our surprise, we quickly learned that cost had no association with great quality teachings and knowledgeable staff of Gulfport Dive Center. In fact, we believe the low cost was directly related to their love and passion of the sport. These folks truly have a passion for teaching people and seeing them succeed. The start of our journey was about four hours of free education around gear; trying all different masks, wet suits, fins, booties. Thanks Mike and Tucker for being so patient with us. We certainly realize quickly how different each fin and mask fits. Not to mention wet suit. Yes, folks, don't just go buy a mask online cause its cheaper than a retail store. Doing so will more thank likely leave you quite miserable with a bad fit. Leaky mask, nose squished or maybe a combo of more things. We quickly got suited up in a no pressure environment with great prices. After getting the right gear, we were off to the next step of the experience. Course work; SSI course work via their mobile app was great. I was traveling for work and could download the content directly on my phone and make the most out of those boring airline rides. We finished our course work at our own pace and moved on to the class session. This class session had an additional review to ensure all the mission critical items were burned into our brains. Once the review was completed the written test was conducted. This prepared us to be not only educated around scuba but ensured our safety would come first with what was about to come next. After two pool sessions and learning all the different required skills: clearing the mask, taking off the gear, putting on the gear and more. We then did our first few dives in devils den which was a great place to learn since there was no current or other adverse weather conditions. Today we completed our first two dives in the gulf and we are officially certified. (oh yeah, did I mention the fabulous boat crew and dive boat) Overall, we couldn't be more satisfied with everything. Scuba is a sport that can be unsafe (when uneducated), but with folks like Tucker, Mike and Jeff we couldn't have felt safer. Thanks again all for your patience and close care with us. We will highly recommend you to anyone! read more

Dennis, Sandy, Ted, Jeff, and the rest of the crew at Gulfport Dive Center are all top notch, knowledgeable, professional and committed to passing on their many years of experience to others at all ages and all levels from beginner to professional diver. They are also a fun crew to get to know and work with, as that is the point of scuba diving, to have fun under the sea, ha. The instructors and classes are very accommodating when training new scuba divers, so they can fit anyone's schedule. You learn classroom training and from online / classroom study materials. Their first priority is to make sure you know what you are doing, and are a safe diver before they certify you. They offer various training courses each month, as well as 1 on 1 courses if needed to fit anyone's budget too. Their instructors make the classes easy and fun, and the hands on training in the local swimming pool is great before moving on to an open water area such as a lake, river, or the Gulf/ Ocean. They also offer many advanced training courses such as Nitrox usage, search and recovery, and diver stress and rescue, along with advanced diving courses such as; deep, ship wreck, cave, altitude, boat, night, river, and wreck diving. If you are already a certified Open Water Diver and want to increase your knowledge and skill level, they can train you for Advanced, Master, or Pro level. GDC is a Diamond certified SSI (Scuba School International) and their certifications are known and accepted all over the world. They also keep your certifications and documents online if you find yourself somewhere wanting to rent some scuba gear and need proof of certification. GDC can refill your tanks, and they sell all types of clothes, equipment and gear you need at any level of skill. They can also special order items for you, in case they don't already have them in stock. They are a dealer for Aqua Lung, Apeks, Akona, Deep Sea, Lavacore, Ocean Pro, Genesis, and many others. Prices are as reasonable as can be expected for this type of water activity. Join their club and go on a scheduled dive with this fun crew and make some new scuba friends. GDC is open 7 days a week and here for all your scuba needs; diving products, training, trips, services and repairs. They're located in a small strip mall in South Pinellas County, just south of the St Pete area. read more

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I just finished my SSI SCUBA open water certification with GDC's course, and I purchased almost all of my gear from their shop. These guys helped change my life and teach me to get out of my comfort zone. I can breathe underwater now, and it's the most frightening and exhilarating thing I've ever experienced. It's liberating, and they are the ones who got me from panic mode to gliding underwater until they kicked me out. Every single instructor was helpful and has their own style. I learned from each one, because I needed extra time and help. If I had any misunderstandings, they were resolved in a friendly and professional manner. If one person's teaching style isn't working for you, another teacher's will. I promise. Just communicate, and you will like all of them even more, for the way they handle any issues you may have. They would never say it, but I know I was a little problem child. The patience they had with me was commendable. We all have our reactions to fear, and m On each dive, we were joined by at least one master diver. It's kind of like having a high schooler help an 8th grader. They can teach, but they're also brushing up on skills and feel like peers. Buy your gear at the dive shop: 1. You're supporting a local business with quality products, and they will not push anything on you that you don't need or won't like. 2. Their prices are the SAME as Amazon or elsewhere online, PLUS you get a 10% discount as a student. 3. If you buy anything online, you WILL need to send it back, because you haven't worn it. They can fit you here. They have excursions to beautiful dive sites throughout Florida, for a small fee (All of their rates are competitive - I comparison shop when I drop a lot of money, and I've done the work for you. Go here.). I would definitely go and trust them as dive buddies. I discovered that these guys certified my chiropractor! Apparently I like to go to the best of the best, so just stop looking and go here. Jeff, Mike, and Tucker, thank you for helping me change my entire life. You saw me at my worst and were there to meet me. You will always have a place in my high standards. read more

The owners are very friendly and helpful. We purchased everything for a beginner diver, without being pressured, extremely patient and very knowledgeable. We highly recommend new divers to start here! Great shop with awesome staff! read more

So my wife and I decided we wanted to learn to scuba dive one bright sunny Sunday afternoon. On our way to lunch we decided to stop in here and inquire as to pricing, what was included, etc. After having encountered a very friendly and knowledgeable staff, we decided to go for it. Best decision we ever made! The level of professionalism and customer service by the entire staff was amazing! We had run into a few issues that precluded us from finishing the course on time, however Dennis, Sandy, and Genny were more than accommodating to our needs and went well out of their way to ensure we completed the courses we had signed up for as quickly as possible. Without their patience we most likely have had a very difficult time. I want to say a very heartfelt Thank YOU to Dennis, Sandy, and the rest of the staff here and look forward to continuing the adventures ahead with them!!! read more

I would highly recommend the Gulfport Dive Center. I took my refresher course with Jeff and he is very knowledgeable and professional. The owner Tucker was very helpful in helping me pick out the dive equipment I purchased. read more

I'm a fan of Gulfport Dive Center. The staff is knowledgeable, professional, and courteous.They offer the best scuba training I've personally experienced and regularly organize scuba trips regionally and abroad through their Meetup Group which can be found here: http://www.meetup.com/Club-Azure-Gulfport-Dive-Centers-dive-club-FL/ read more

Gulfport Dive Center is everything you want in a dive shop. This includes the divers who are regulars on their trips such as Colin and Dawn. This group is conscientious without being overbearing and fun. Dive with them whatever your skill level, they will have a challenge for you. I was hesitant to dive without a buddy but they hooked me up with the perfect buddy. It was great diving and being on the road with them. I'm looking forward to the next trip. Jeanna M. DeSisto. read more

Update: I received a call from Tucker the day after the initial review was posted and he said he would honor the mask return for an in store credit as he had mentioned when I purchased it. Thanks tucker for honoring your word! read more

There's a reason I don't shop at any other dive shop. Staff is superb, friendly, and knowledgeable. Feel like family when I walk in their store. read more