My 16yo son, Jake, & I participated in the beginner scuba course on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, & what an incredible experience it was! We came in with absolutely zero scuba diving experience, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. We met our instructor, Tommy, at the Hilton Hotel pool, where he walked us through the basics, including hand signals & important safety information. His teaching style was clear, patient, & reassuring, which helped ease my nerves right from the start. Once we got suited up and into the water, Tommy made sure we were completely comfortable with each step before moving forward. He also took extra time afterward to answer all of our questions, which we really appreciated. Later, we met at the dive shop at 12:30 PM, headed down to the dock, & joined our captain, Drew. From there, the adventure truly began. It's honestly hard to put into words just how amazing the entire experience was. Everything was perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing. During our first dive, I had some difficulty clearing my ears, but Tommy stayed right by my side the entire time. He patiently guided me up & down the rope, allowing me to adjust at my own pace until I was comfortable. At one point, I started to feel anxious, as he had taught us, I signaled it, with a bit of panic beginning to set in. Tommy immediately recognized it, calmly reassured me, & helped me regain my confidence. Thanks to his steady guidance, I was able to relax & truly enjoy the rest of the dive. We completed two separate reef dives (each with a tank), & the underwater world was breathtaking. We saw a sea turtle, a stingray, a goliath grouper, lobster, trumpet fish, lionfish, and thousands of other beautiful fish. Tommy did a fantastic job pointing out marine life we would have otherwise missed. Scuba diving is something I've always wanted to try, & thanks to the passion & enthusiasm of both Tommy and Drew, my son & I are now completely hooked. We've already signed up for the open water online course & are excited to continue toward our certification. If you have the opportunity to take this excursion, don't hesitate, it's an unforgettable adventure. Thank you, Tommy & Drew, for making this such a meaningful & inspiring experience for both of us. You've truly sparked something special! Chris & Jake Mueller Oglesby, Illinois read more

Couldn't have been better! Hadn't dived in years so got recertfied before coming to the Keys. My 20 year son and I did a 2 tank reef dive with Dean as our guide. He was fantastic! We felt totally at ease and had a lot of fun. Couldn't wait to get back out so we signed up for a night dive with Southpoint but visibility was too poor for the dive to go out so we rescheduled for the Vandenberg wreck. Honestly, if we hadn't gone out with Dean already we wouldn't have done a 100 foot wreck dive. So glad we did! Never felt unsafe - Southpoint's focus on safety and preparedness was obvious - and we had an experience we'll never forget. Such an iconic dive, not to be missed. Hoping to get back to Key West in the not too distant future and, if we do, we're definitely going diving again with Southpoint. read more

Southpoint Divers - The Phoenix - conveniently located behind the Hyatt Centric - Dive Shops Near Me - Key West, Florida

Wonderful service - had boat to ourselves for first day if diving. New guide was friendly and responsive. Great captain and Palmer on board boat. read more

Southpoint was amazing!! Finished my Open Water with them and was on the boat w/ Palmer, Mike and Drew. There was another gentleman who's name I didn't catch, but they were all very cool. A gentleman came up from his dive in a bit of distress and they handled it like seasoned pros and total empaths across the board. The divind spots were great from what I paid attention to, but I was honestly focused on certifying and they were all super patient and very funny. I would go back just to dive with them in a heartbeat. read more

Southpoint Divers...a pleasant all-around dive experience in Key West, FL. The negative: There was really only one "negative" and as it turns out, it's a "Key West" thing and not really a failure on Southpoint. As a certified diver, I was sent on the dive with another certified diver as my buddy. That's all fine and dandy because we knew what we were doing, but having never been to Marker 32 or Nine Foot Stake before, we had no idea how to proceed or where to go. We ended up just kinda wandering around looking for something to see. This is probably the most important job (besides safety) of a dive master...to guide you and show you stuff. Having a $45 fee to have the dive master guide you doesn't make any sense. In 30 years of diving, I've never seen this. The positives: Literally everything else about this dive shop was positive. The shop owner, Patti, was a pleasure to deal with. She made sure that everything was in order and was very friendly and top notch in customer service. The crew was very helpful, friendly, and professional. Dean was meticulous in briefing the certified divers and helping us with our gear. Drew was a fabulous Captain and made sure that we understood all of the safety issues related to boating on the open ocean. There were four other guys onboard helping a class of four or five getting their certifications. Plenty of help for everyone! The boat - M/V Phoenix - was very roomy and had all of the safety equipment you'd need. It rode fairly well in 2-3 foot waves. The equipment was in pretty good condition, though I would recommend that they have "shorties" as a wet suit option. The full wet suit was a big hassle and I took it off for the second dive. The water was warm enough in late April to dive without a suit. The BCD, mask, fins, regulators, and tanks worked very well. Thank you so much, Southpoint Divers, for making my SCUBA experience on Key West a very enjoyable one! I'll definitely recommend you on base (at Sigsbee) and tell everyone I know what a wonderful job you did. read more

Southpoint Divers - Southpoint Divers shop front. - Dive Shops Near Me - Key West, Florida

I'm officially dive certified!! Thanks to the awesome team of Southpoint Divers, the crew was great and Dean was awesome. He is a great dive instructor and highly recommend this dive center if you want a well trained crew to keep you safe while diving the beautiful waters of Key West. read more

Not Beginner-Friendly: Don't Waste Your Money! I told the company that I had never scuba dived before, and they assured me I would receive training. However, the training was super quick, and I didn't feel ready at all to be in the open water. I tried three times to descend into the ocean but had no luck, so I spent the rest of the trip on the boat. ​I was really disappointed and felt cheated. I wish they had at least warned me that it is better to be certified to truly enjoy the experience. Overall, I did not enjoy myself. I wouldn't recommend this unless you are already a certified diver. read more

Friendly and professional. First time diving with them in 6 or 7 years and was totally satisfied.

Great customer service. Had the best time diving in the keys. Kimberly was the instructor and she was very informative, professional, and friendly. Can't wait to come back and dive again! first time diving in the keys and can't wait to come back read more

Southpoint Divers - Dive Shops Near Me - Key West, Florida

Unsafe practices encouraged - Was scheduled for a night dive for 3 divers and a snorkeler and one diver had an issue rendering them unsafe to dive. The shop would not credit the one diver who was (again) medically unsafe to dive. The owner was completely unreasonable in efforts to have the single diver credited. This was supposed to be a final trip for a deploying member of the family, the party credit for 12 months would expired before we could come back. They literally wanted the medically unsafe diver to remain on the boat and dive. Do NOT trust this shop with your families safety. I have NEVER had a shop encourage a medically unsafe diver kit up and dive. In thinking from a business perspective, the boat did have other divers - We were not unreasonable in the request for the medically unsafe diver to get a credit. read more

Love, love, love Southpoint Divers! My second visit with them, May 13, 2025, first was in November of 2024, working on certification. I had to return due to weather conditions in November being too rough to go out and my own difficulties as a student diver. Patti issued a voucher for my return, no muss, no fuss. Palmer was my instructor on both ocassions, and I cannot say enough about his professionalism, knowledge, and his doing everything he can to get me certified. My second trip back, I struggled the first day. I reluctantly returned the second day, discouraged and feeling defeated, and when I walked in the shop door, he looked at me and said, "You're getting certified today." Palmer crafted a plan to get it done, was patient with me, extremely conscientious of what I was experiencing, kept a close eye on me, offered instruction and solutions when I was struggling . . . and WE GOT IT DONE! :) I am a working professional and was looking for my next adventure in life and shake up the doldrums of everyday corporate life. This is going to open up so many possibilities and amazing places to visit, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Eternally grateful for Palmer's encouragement and gently pushing me out of my comfort zone. I felt very safe with him as an instructor in an underwater world that was totally foreign to me. Every staff member I met during my two visits to Southpoint Divers was friendly and helpful in guiding me through what I needed. And I picked up some very cool merch in the shop. Thank you, Southpoint Divers and especially Palmer, for giving me a whole new world to explore! read more

Disappointing and Unprofessional Experience with Southpoint Divers - Not What We Booked or Expected We initially believed we were booking our trip with Key West Scuba, but all of our interactions ended up being with Southpoint Divers--a switch that was never disclosed prior to arrival. Our reservation was for a two-tank dive on the USS Vandenberg, scheduled from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. We arrived a few minutes early, only to find the dive shop locked and the staff strictly operating on "Island Time." Once the shop opened at 8:00 AM, we checked in with Palmer, signed our waivers, and received boarding passes with directions to the marina behind the Hyatt. After carrying our gear across the street, we met the only other two divers on the trip and waited roughly 40 minutes for the dive boat, M/V Phoenix (a 46' Newton), to arrive. While the captain delivered a solid safety briefing, the vessel itself was noticeably rundown, with exposed fluid containers, visible signs of poor maintenance beneath the seats, and a loud, smoking engine. All four divers were briefed by Palmer on the top deck. He supervised the Nitrox analysis for three divers (one dove on air), and the other pair had paid for a guide. Despite rough seas, we moored at the midsection of the Vandenberg, while another charter secured the bow. Dive 1 was relatively brief. We were led through midship port-to-starboard swim-throughs, reaching a maximum depth of 103', with an average of 65'. Our total bottom time was about 20 minutes. My dive buddy and I surfaced with over 1500 psi and plenty of remaining NDL. I immediately questioned why we hadn't explored more of the 525' wreck and why we paid for Nitrox without any dive plan to take advantage of its benefits. After a 52-minute surface interval, Dive 2 began--and quickly turned frustrating. We again descended at the midship area. Palmer led the group toward the aft, but seemed annoyed when we paused briefly around 100' to film flags. He then rushed us through murky, sediment-filled penetration areas. After just 15 minutes--despite all divers still having over 2000 psi and more than 20 minutes of NDL remaining--he abruptly ended the dive and signaled for us to surface swim nearly 50 yards in 5-foot seas back to the boat, bypassing the designated mooring line. As we passed another dive charter, their crew asked if there was an emergency, clearly confused by our early and unorthodox exit. Back aboard the boat, Palmer offered no explanation and refused to help with gear breakdown. When questioned again at the dock, his only response was, "I had to make a business decision." To make matters worse, when we returned to the dive shop later that day to discuss the experience, it was closed. The next morning, the only feedback we received from staff was: "Oh, so you got your exercise in." In summary, this was not the professional dive experience we paid for. The dive plan failed to account for Nitrox users, we were denied a meaningful exploration of the Vandenberg, and the guide made puzzling decisions that cut both dives short. The boat was not in the condition advertised, and customer service was unhelpful at best. Having dived with other reputable charters in Key West, this experience was far below the standard. We will not be returning to Southpoint Divers and cannot recommend them to others. read more

AWESOME! AWESOME! Southpoint Divers has been a fantastic find. They are safe and constantly calling the names on the manifest, checking divers well being and extremely friendly. They also give back by hosting the "icaretrashderby" and festival with the goal of cleaning the sea. They are the only company I dive with. Top notch company with top notch people! 5 stars not enough. read more

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the 3 stars is not due to the dive itself, the current was really bad and the captain did do his best to try and get us to a decent location. The 3 stars however is due to me paying the extra $50 for a guide whom I had to share. Sharing a guide is also not a big deal (although most places if you purchase a guide it's your guide) the issue was I had to share the guide with someone getting their open water certification, which meant there was certain things they had to do for certification which took away from the actual dive itself read more

Palmer and team led a wonderful diver experience! Well done, from a diver of 30 years. World class! read more

Great team - water was a bit choppy and they made a potentially sketchy trip very enjoyable and comfortable. Will be back to dive the shipwreck read more

Won't make that mistake again. Only thing that stood out was the first mate Darrin. Took us out when it was rough. Diving via was crap. By the time I was done with the first dive, no dive master ( that's an extra $50), half the boat was sea sick and we went in. read more

Captain Drew and dive guide crew Dean, Palmer and Michael were extremely helpful in preparing all on board with equipment, dive planning and safety. They are an exceptional team and made all aspects of the trip enjoyable. Highly recommended! read more

Had the best time snorkeling with Southpoint Divers --Drew, Michael, Palmer, and Patty were all amazing. The crew was super friendly, professional, and made the whole experience feel fun and safe. It was a great day! read more

Very professional shop with long track record of excellent service. Easy online booking. Instructors are solid with clear safety and environmental briefings and confidence on deck and underwater. Tommy an ex-commercial diver even invited un-guided divers to follow him on a reef dive. Insuring they were safe -- and had good time. Kim was actually on-board for a fun dive and allowed me to tag along with her on the Vandenberg while I completed a gear review and was able to see parts of the ship I wouldn't have found on my own. Overall, great team, great service. PS - at one point, my GoPro slipped from my clip and floated to the surface. Tropical Mike, the eagle-eyed captain of the Phoenix, caught the tiny glimpse of orange tossed a buoy to mark it and Tommy recovered. Above and beyond. read more

Southpoint Divers - Doing a gear review of the Orca headlamp. Southpoint instructor Tommy was kind enough to shoot video with my GoPro. - Dive Shops Near Me - Key West, Florida

In 2015 I was certified as an Open Water Diver at Southpoint Divers and couldn't compare the experience with other dive shops. Now 8 years later after experiencing other dove outfits I can say they are top notch! Their equipment is up to date and the instructors/guides make sure you have everything you need. They are professional and knowledgeable. If you're like me and only dive once a year they'll help put your gear together which I really appreciated. The dive sites they take you are full of beauty. Can't say enough wonderful things about this dive shop. I'll never go anywhere else in Key West! read more

Southpoint Divers - Dive Shops Near Me - Key West, Florida

Our trip should have been cancelled because of the strong wind. It was far to strong to be a good experience. On top of that was an instructor who was indifferent. The worst diving experience yet. read more

I scheduled a last minute dive for myself and my wife. The afternoon before the dive my wife had a bike accident. She was in no shape to go. I went since we had paid for the dive. The crew was supportive and helpful. They set me up with a partner, Shane, in no time. The dives were well managed and easily completed. My GoPro got away from me and floated to the surface; one of the crew jumped in and grabbed it. I have been on other dive and snorkel boats, these guys did an awesome job. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to dive in the Key West area. This group earned all 5 stars. read more

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Dove with Southpoint for the first time yesterday. Their service was awesome. My scuba refresher with Palmer was perfect, and Patty kept me informed of conditions and visibility at a great pace prior to the dive. The dive boat is nice and they really take care of their customers. Kim in the office is efficient and pleasant. good value too. I would highly recommend them read more

It was an amazing two dives. The first one was questionable whether we would go due to weather conditions but we did. The underwater currents were very strong but they had a great system to keep us safe. I would totally recommend going with this company. read more

Highly recommend this dive shop! Staff was fantastic, boat captain very knowledgeable, and dive instructor were great - ask for Palmer and Kim! read more

Great team and great experience. Justin took great care of my daughter and I throughout the dive certification. His attention to detail, both related to safety and comfort, was terrific. Highly recommended for newbies (like us!) and experienced divers. Thanks team! read more

Solid dive shop. We did the reef dive - 2 tank afternoon. Equipment in good shape. Nice boat, nice dive guides. Reef was average- lot of dead coral, a bit murky, but water was warm (no wetsuit) and good amount of fish and lobster etc. read more

Had a great time! Guides very knowledgeable and worked with me ( a newbie) to make sure I had a great dive experience. My first in the ocean. Would highly recommend everyone but Zac went out of his way to make sure I had a great dive, read more

Kim and Tommy are amazing. Very nice and very safety oriented. We thought we would have Tommy as our instructor but when we got to the boat that afternoon we were told we would be with Aaron. Aaron didn't seem like he really cared too much about diving or safety at all and seemed to be in a rush to get through the safety precautions to go hit his vape, I understand he does this everyday and it's no big deal for him but this was our first dive and we were nervous and he didn't make us feel safe really at all which I think contributed to our crappy time. Whenever we asked him a question he seemed slightly irritated and rushed. Overall would give this place a try again if we had Tommy or Kim as our dive guide, I do hope Aaron can read this review and hopefully in the future for others he can be more helpful. read more

I went to two reef dives with Southpoint Divers. Great group of people and Dive Master Kim was great. No issues at all and great boat as well. read more

I spend 3 days with South poit divers. dove the Vanderberg and the reefs. the team as usual was top notch notch. this this the second year i dove with them and i'm already looking for next year. Great team. read more

Are you squidding?! Amazing dive company, super close to downtown. Right in the heart of Key West. Instructors were helpful and knowledgeable. Rates were very reasonable. Don, the owner, was the man, advised to dive the second day at the Vandenberg wreck site, totally worth it, amazing site, rated 4th best site in world. Went to the reefs first day, Sand Key and Eastern Dry Rocks, saw two lemon sharks at Eastern and a nurse shark Don't go through an agency, they'll rip you off, call Southpoint directly Don't squid yourself, go dive it up with Southpoint, it was fintastic! read more

Dove the Vandenberg wreck two days in a row and love my experience both times (with and without a guide). I would definitely recommend this company, if you're in Key West. Staff is very nice too. Arden was a great guide! read more

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The afternoon dive was great with 30 ft visibility. I was trying out new equipment an the crew was wonderful to work with

not happy their service didn't took time to get to know me with my experience a lot of older dive instructors I would expect them to have a better people skills and. 27 minutes total dive time is way too conservative I feel like I was on some military training ... definitely rush! I went to another known Dive shop CAPTAIN CORNER. waaaaayyyyg better service !! Sorry was just not impress... only thing I can think of why they run it like super tight ship is maybe there was an accident in the past...please improve the people skills and please explain why it only takes 27 minutes to go to a wreck site? is this some kinda rules? Etc. i done on other sites but I never felt so RUSH like what they did to me.... read more

My son went on a discover scuba dive with them and he loved it. I was also able to go and dive with them. The instructors were excellent and had a great knowledge of the dive sites we went to. read more

My daughter myself and her boyfriend were supposed to scuba dive. My daughter's boyfriend was supposed to propose. Southpoint was supposed to take pictures. I needed up getting sick and didn't go but they assured me that the event would still happen. When my daughter and her boyfriend went out for the dive the guy who was supposed to take the pictures didn't go and there was no camera on the boat. My daughter and her boyfriend were sick the whole time as well. Southpoint did not apologize for dropping the ball. I would definitely not recommend them. read more

Tommy is a brilliant instructor! Highly recommend. Thank you for an incredible two days!

We did the online coursework through PADI and then the pool/open water sessions with Southpoint Divers. The whole operation is A-mazing! Our dive instructor was Mike and we saw him help three other people through their "resort dive" during the course of our training. He did a great job and everyone loved their dives. We decided after getting our certifications that we would book another dive to the Vandy & the Cayman. These dives were awesome! Swim throughs on the bow and great sea life. Mike and Zach did an exceptional job, we had high expectations and they exceeded them! Don't have any reservations in booking a trip with Southpoint Divers, they'll take care of you from start to finish. read more