Fantastic dive shop! The owner and staff actually spent time talking to me and my husband, making…read moreus feel comfortable about learning to dive (I had a lot of anxiety about diving). Steve is a wonderful instructor and was so patient with me during my MANY panic episodes. I cannot say enough good things about this shop. It's such a fun community and they hooked us up with other divers in the area.

I have visited other dive shops in the area and none compare to the awesome customer service at…read moreDive Florida. I was greeted and acknowledge the moment I walked in the door the first time. Now, I feel like family. I got my SCUBA certification last August and so glad I did. The last dive I went on was magical! Troy does a wonderful job with product knowledge and instruction. He is great to talk to especially if you a new diver. I would highly recommended Dive Florida!! Don't bother with the other dudes!

TL;DR Managment/ownership treats customers and employees terribly, would not spend money here…read more Repeat bad experiences, I'd rather buy online than go back in this store. As an avid adventurer of the western US, I tend to visit outdoor stores wherever I travel to see what their idea of adventure is there and take the chance to upgrade gear that's frustrating to use or worn out over time. I've visited Bill Jackson's on two separate occasions now, heading in each time with about $500 worth of gear in mind to shop for. The first time I came, I got great help from multiple associates and planned to purchase gear off of their advise, but witnessed a confrontation between management and an associate that I recall as mild but disruptive enough it made me leave the store without buying anything. I didn't come back for about 8 months. Now I'm back in town for a few weeks of work before heading on a 2,700 mile bikepacking journey and really needed to grab a few items I hoped they'd have in stock. Being interesting in all outdoor activities, I started talking with an associate about the ski shop they were building the last time I was here. He keyed in that I had ski knowledge from my time tuning skis and custom fitting ski boots out west and started talking to me about part time work as they expected to need some extra hands with ski knowledge and took me to show me their ski selection. To get there, we had to walk through an area that he explained was sectioned off for an upcoming sale, so not yet available, but the necessary route to the still-open ski shop. He made a pretty good case for their ski shop and my wheels were turning about coming to help them out in the fall. On our way back through the sale area, I asked a question about the items we were walking past and the associate was very clear that those items were not available for sale until the official sale start date, but took the opportunity to educate me about them(I knew very little about diving equipment but am curious to learn). I was quickly convinced that a decent snorkeling kit was necessary equipment to enjoy the area and decided I'd get a setup. Before he got a chance to redirect me to where the currently available snorkeling gear was(I could tell it was coming, this area was also tiny compared to the sale area), an angry manager/owner appeared ready to tear apart the kind and helpful associate that had just taught me what I needed to know to spend an extra couple hundred dollars on top of the items I was already planning. I hurriedly left the area while she continued to holler at me and once I passed the threshold of that room I heard her resume berating the associate in anger. I walked myself over to the full price scuba stuff and found another helpful associate, but I could not bring myself to buy anything from this store after that experience. It was not unreasonable for her to ask us to move along since we had stopped in a place we were meant to pass through, but she was incredibly rude to the associate for going above and beyond to take care of an enthusiastic customer. I won't spend money here, that manager is the most unkind person I've encountered since I've been in Tampa. In a town of incredibly kind people, there is no place for that. Very sad, I really wanted to like this store. The associates seem to be knowledgeable and passionate about the outdoors, but they don't deserve to be treated that way.

Melissa was super helpful in helping us pick out a roof rack, as well as other accessories, for our…read morepaddle boarding and kayaking adventures. Store also has a huge selection of everything a person could need for their next adventure!

My boyfriend and I would come back all the way from AZ just to dive with Ally V. again! She's…read moreincredibly kind and patient, and made our fossil hunt dive super fun. She's so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and elevated our dive experience above and beyond.

Fantastic full service scuba shop and I mean full service (lessons, gear, trips, community, etc.)…read moreand the most knowledgeable diver I have ever met, yes that's you Greg , so fortunate to have found Florida Underwater Sports.

Went in to get a prescription mask for my husband for his birthday and wound up talking to Mark,…read morewho convinced me that I should bring in my husband so he could find the mask that fit him best. We had a great time working with Mark and wound up getting a whole dive system from him. He has great patience, vast knowledge and experience and is funny, too! The shop is full service; from equipment to classes and dive trips. Ask for Mark, he'll take great care of you!

Gulf Coast Divers is located in a small plaza off N Dale Mabry and they are great if you're…read morelooking for a local, family owned dive shop that actually cares about their students. I just completed both my Open Water certification and my Nitrox class with them, the experience was solid from start to finish. The shop has a friendly vibe, you can tell they genuinely love diving and teaching. Matt and Jason were my instructors, and they were both informative, patient, and safety focused without making anything feel intimidating. They took time to explain the "whys" behind everything, not just the steps, which helped a lot with confidence and understanding. They were also very cautious in a good way always giving helpful corrections, and making sure everyone felt comfortable before moving on. Training days were a lot of fun, not as stressful as I imagined . Our dives at KP hole at Rainbow River State Park and Devil's Den were well organized and ran very smoothly. They balanced learning with fun. If you like supporting local businesses and want instructors who are knowledgeable, safety focused and that still make the experience enjoyable I'd recommend Gulf Coast Divers. Great people, great training, and a great overall experience.

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

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

Rob is awesome! My dad and I felt super prepared after getting our basic certification with him…read more Not just through and through class we really learned.

My daughter needed her open water certification and we were vacationing in the area I called…read morenumerous dive shops to inquiry. Robert at Depth Perception made me feel very comfortable so we booked with them. The communication prior to arrival was excellent we knew what to expect coming in from out of state. Once we met him in person I knew we had made the right choice. Robert is a GREAT instructor. He took the time to get to know my daughter's level of comfort in and out of the water. He is very patient, his tone of voice is very level so super easy to understand and he is very knowledgeable. I noticed that he was respected at both dive sites we went to. After completion of open water certification he made sure that the proper forms were submitted back to the home dive shop. I highly recommend Dept Perception and Robert.

Best dive shop in the area. Reasonable prices, friendly staff, and great atmosphere. Recommend to…read moreanyone who is looking to start diving, or looking to buy equipment.

My daughter did her dive certification through scuba quest. Her instructor, Missy, was amazing as…read morewell as the rest of the staff. Everyone was super helpful and kind - my daughter is 12 and the class had young teens about her age and adults - did a great job blending the two!

I stopped in this store while on vacation for a new mask and snorkel. They have a good selection of…read moremasks available and were very helpful with their recommendations. I ended up getting a basic Cressi mask for a good price. Teresa is who helped us out and she was delightful. She found out my son likes to make jewelry from the rocks he finds. She pulled out a large bag of shark teeth that she collected while diving recently and let my son and daughter pick out a slew of teeth. Such a simple act of kindness shown to people vacationing floored me. The kids felt like they won the lottery! Thank you Jim's Dive Shop!

Damn good spot. Not only do they show you what you're looking for, but they also give you advice on…read morethe tools that you NEED rather than what you WANT. They offer great inexpensive items that with proper care and treatment, your equipment can last for a very long time and never fail you on your dives.