They have a good selection of products, timely servicing of regulators, friendly, professional,…read morefair prices.

I got a funny feeling when i visited another scuba shop closer to home; got on the phone to talk to…read moreother shops before more time wasted. Spoke with Donna and immediately had a more reassurance, sense of honesty and competency. After trekking the extra 40 min to Dale City, i was not disappointed. Informed, high integrity, cordial, polite. Despite living in DC i will go back and will look into diving trips with this establishment. I got a real sense of enjoyment and community when I got my OWD certification with a friend in Puerto Rico and wasn't sure I would find it in the sales/finance driven environment in my city. I got the sense this shop espouses a sense of fellowship and support that will make further exploration of scuba more meaningful. Donna was not rushed; answered all my questions and just told me to "most importantly have fun."

Unfortunately they are now closed. The Realtor has a for lease sign up and inside remains the…read moretropical colors. When they were open it was a huge shop just outside of all the craziness of the DC Metro in a tiny little rural town / farm area of Catharpin. Prices were good. People were good. Location was just 10-ish minutes off I-66. They had racks of wetsuits, shorties, BCs and had plenty of dive gear. They could work on your Regs, Octopus, and most gauges. They could get you a regular fill or a Nitrox fill and you could drop it off or get a sandwich from the gas station. They had training and refresher courses, quarry dives, pool dives, vacation dives in the tropics. There are only 2 good dive shops in the area that remain. It's like people would rather watch TV than go out and dive...

Review for the shop:…read more This shop is huge, their selection for all types of diving is excellent, and the staff there was friendly and better yet, informative on everything. They went above and beyond in answering all of my questions, including being able to tell me the mechanical details of how a regulator first stage (piston type) works, the pros and cons of each type of regulator, possible freezing temperature (unlikely but possible), air flow capacity etc... they were able to tell me the different types of BC's and all of their pros and cons... list goes on for everything I purchased. Now naturally, one would expect sales people to be attentive, sure, but they were educators first and salespeople second. I never was pushed, just helped and I'm satisfied with everything that I purchased. They helped me assemble my regulator first and second stage, and hoses. (I would have liked to have seen the process for that- but then again, I didn't ask, so that's my fault. I can always YouTube it.) Before buying, I even grabbed some food and double checked what they told me in the car via online research, and they had been honest. I had spent an hour at Best Buy last night trying to get a GoPro to no avail (Best Buy didn't have a waterproof glass casing in stock), however this store had a pretty decent competitor to the GoPro 4 for less than half the price, and it already came fully encased, waterproof up to 300 feet. And yes, I checked all the specs. ============== Review for the dive instructor/class: Immediate pro is that it cost only like $210 for the entire advanced certification, including 5 entire dives, 2 days with instructors, AND a drysuit rental. I found it exciting, challenging, and more difficult (in terms of dealing with cold water, low vis) than your average warm water dive or pool class. Which is exactly what I expected and wanted, walking into it. It was great for training and building mental toughness in the water. The instructor is very informative and helpful, and the class size was small (me and maybe 1 person), which is never a bad thing as you get a lot of help and focus. He's friendly but also expects you to perform your skills right; which is how it should be for an advanced diving cert/class. The only thing that didn't go as planned is that we weren't able to perform all the skills we were supposed to, as visibility was only about a foot (it rained heavily this week). Which is completely understandable from a common sense/liability POV, but it still sucked. The instructor said next week should be better though, so we'll see. If it is, I'll update review to show that. Either way; I get to come back for free until lake conditions are acceptable for training. Worst case scenario if they're not is a free day of partial dive training. Only things to work on: try to get a better range of sizes for drysuits and 7mm wetsuits. Bottom line: I highly recommend every new scuba diver in the entire D.C./MD/VA area come to this shop for their gear, and also for their advanced certification

What a great shop! Knowledgable and fun! They are wonderful! They have taken care of us through the…read moreyears. Thank you Monica, Tige, and crew.

Virginia Scuba isn't just a dive shop--it's like joining a big, welcoming family that happens to…read morelove the ocean. We (family) got certified through them, and from day one, we felt right at home. The owner and staff are not only super knowledgeable, but they genuinely care about making diving fun, safe, and totally pressure-free. Their dive trips are next-level. Whether you're exploring local waters or heading somewhere tropical, they know how to make every adventure unforgettable. No gimmicks, no sales pitch--just great people, great vibes, and amazing diving. If you're even thinking about diving, this is the place to start.

A panoramic view area of the Potomac River with many swinging metal couch chairs to sit & take in…read morethe views. We were walking through all the waterfront parks in Old Town on our first day exploring the historic district of Alexandria when we found Pendleton Promenade. It is still in the middle of construction and new. We enjoyed taking our time here and seeing the beautiful river views.

A favorite spot for a nice walk…read more If you don't like dogs, be prepared that some people will often bring their dogs unleashed to the park (although not allowed). The green boats program (which offers hour long kayaking sessions where you also pick up trash from Kingman lake,via water) is one of my favorite activities on the program, in addition to enjoying all of the lovely trails. It's a great (less traffic filled) short cut to get from Benning road to Oklahoma avenue, if you are on foot or bike. The trail can be bumpy and rocky in places so I don't recommend for road bikes or scooters and absolutely no motorized vehicles.

A little known fact is that Washington, DC has several islands throughout the city where you can…read moreescape from the hustle & bustle of city life and commune with nature right within the city limits. I used to visit the Kingman and Heritage Islands Park quite often when I lived in the DMV. They tend to have a lot less foot traffic due to their NE DC environs.

Beautiful and well kept state park with picturesque walking trails. Perfect for enjoying the…read moreoutdoors, nature, picnics, and water outdoor activities. We went to a 2024 Eagle Festival and had a very wonderful & educational time. The entrance to the park was free on the day of the festival and free transportation from the parking area to the festival location was free. We saw beautiful birds: falcon and owls and snakes. The staff and the organizations at the events were very informative, professional, and fun. They gave a lot of free gifts, educational opportunities, information about wildlife & the environment, and photography moments with the birds. I can not fully express how impressed I was about the Eagle festival in Mason Neck in this review. I strongly suggest you visit next year festival event in Mason Neck or just visit it. Beautiful and well kept state park with picturesque walking trails. Perfect for enjoying the outdoors, nature, picnics, and water outdoor activities. We went to a 2024 Eagle Festival and had a very wonderful & educational time. The entrance to the park was free on the day of the festival and free transportation from the parking area to the festival location was free. We saw beautiful birds: falcon and owls and snakes. The staff and the organizations at the events were very informative, professional, and fun. They gave a lot of free gifts, educational opportunities, information about wildlife & the environment, and photography moments with the birds. I can not fully express how impressed I was about the Eagle festival in Mason Neck in this review. I strongly suggest you visit next year festival event in Mason Neck or just visit it.

Mason Neck is a peninsula which is mostly parkland but is divided confusingly among several…read moredifferent jurisdictions. The best views are the state park, which this is not. The federal wildlife refuge amounts to a couple of miles of trail through the forest, leading to an overlook. There wasn't a ton of wildlife when I dropped in, though I just caught site of a large bird of prey on my way back. The topography wasn't as varied, nor the trails as extensive, as compared to the state park which is just a bit farther down the road. However, that costs money and this does not, so this section is still nice for what it is.

We found ourselves on a rural Great Falls road in an attempt to buy something from someone via…read moreFacebook Marketplace. Really beautiful and quaint area. Along the way, I saw a sign for a general store and we decided to check it out on the way back home. We love antiques and figured it might be interesting. As expected, once you step through the threshold, you feel as if you're transported back in time. Old fashioned canned goods, souvenir drinkware, old artifacts, various candies and even my childhood fave Cracker Jacks. My girl grabbed a roll of some caramel candy and I wanted the Cracker Jacks. I love that the box was the old fashioned - didn't love that it tasted like it was from the 1930's. When I say this $2.50 box of Cracker Jacks was stale, that would be the understatement of the decade. I practically needed a jack hammer (see what I did there?) to get the stuff off my teeth. As a consolation, the four peanuts were tasty. Bottom line: Cracker Kenny was not happy with the Cracker Jacks. Quaint General Store but the Mill was not open when we visited. Worth a quick visit if you're in the area.

We did a tour as part of the FCPA family events. So much fun! It's perfect for 7yr+ kids. The guys…read more(they were all men) that showed us the mill were so engaging and answered ALL the questions little kids have. Such a fun gem in Fairfax!

Was a peaceful park. Had a nice quiet trail you can go…read morerunning or walking. Definitely worth checking out .

Nestled in the neighborhood of Fort Totten is Fort Totten Park, a spacious park run by the National…read morePark Service on the grounds of an old Civil War fort that once defended the city. The fort itself is long gone, but the earthworks are still there. What's also there are picnic tables, trails, green space, and a sign honoring the fort's history. The Metropolitan Branch Trail runs by it. Note: There are no restrooms at the park.