Best Scuba Diving Lessons Raleigh Near Me

Alex Mercer: Kevin & Tarek have been great to work with in obtaining my first ever PADI certification. I had so much respect for the ocean and immense anxiety when starting. At every turn I’ve felt safe, even brave, and a constant positive reinforcement from staff as I learn the life saving underwater skills. I cannot wait to do my under water photography course, fish ID course, and eventual advanced open water!

Emily Christine H.: Kevin really knows the ins and outs of SCUBA diving and offers a variety of courses. By the Shore SCUBA Instruction offer trips to and tips for finding the right equipment. I recommend asking Kevin about finding the right type of dive equipment.

Kevin Colores: Highly recommend! Very personable and professional one on one instruction. Worked with my wife and daughter to get them certified and worked with me to get recertified. Went very smoothly was fun and worked with our schedule. Very knowledge and has a great bedside manner that works with all ages and experiences.

Frank Coppolino: Professional one-on-one training set up to fit the needs of our schedule. With each exercise the Instructor ensured we had as much time needed to complete. Instilled confidence in us and provided individual support based on the persons needs. Very relaxed, not rushed, a lot of fun. Entire experience was great! Thanks Kevin, we will be back to continue our advanced training and take it to the next level.

Lyndahof 1099LadiesNetworking: Just did a Cozumel Mexico trip with this company, excellent dive site, professional boat crew, all round wonderful trip. Kevin is very knowledgeable and it's easy to relax with knowing you are in good hands.

Ryan mitchell: My 12 year old son and I did a discovery class and OW certification during COVID. There was only one pool in the area available so scheduling with the pool was challenging. Ken and Kevin were very responsive and gave a lot of special attention to my son to ensure we could both learn the skills being taught. This included a special 1 on 1 OW dive. I also have purchased a bc from them. They were very flexible scheduling a time to assemble the equipment and spent 2 hours helping me put everything together and answering all of my questions. We will definitely take more classes/trips through By The Shore. I love being able to support local businesses through equipment purchases as well. It is an added bonus that their prices are the same or better than internet prices. Great shop and good people.

Margo Nelms: Positive:Communication,Professionalism,Quality,ValueI had an opportunity to learn from Kevin and Adam for OW training. They set an easy pace and personalized the experience to meet each class members needs. They are easy to work and dive with, fun experience overall. They offer great support, flexibility, adventure, and always excited to dive!

Adam Ring: Awesome group of dedicated scuba dive staff that will make sure you have a great diving experience! This is a great family oriented company, with a focus on making your experience all they can be.

Chris Pridgen: So I had a terrible experience trying to set up a day to do a refresher course with my girlfriend. We emailed Kevin over a month ago and tried to set up a date to come in. He did not respond so I had to reach out to him around 2 weeks later to remind him we were interested. At this point we set up a date but i had to contact him again about 2 weeks later to see what time the class was at. He had a bit of trouble pencilling me in for the day as he had forgot our appointment and scheduled another class on that day. However we worked that out. Finally on the day of (Sunday) he sends us medical forms to fill out 5 hours before our appointment to get signed off on by a doctor...on a Sunday. As such we can't make it now and have effectively wasted over a month of our time reminding him of our appointments to not be able to make it due to his lack of organization. As such I wouldn't recommend using this company. They are cheap for a reason apparently.

johan meurling: A big thank you to Kevin for his flexibility in working with me on my scuba certification.Kevin is a very experienced, matured, and knowledgeable diver, and you can certainly tell that he enjoys teaching for the love of the sport. He tended to every detail and worked with me to meet all PADI standards with patience and the highest level of professionalism.

Jennifer wall: Great teacher...

Hadley Fox: My husband and I were certified as Open Water SCUBA divers by By The Shore SCUBA and Kevin Alexander in December 2014. I cannot speak highly enough about the experience. Kevin managed to fit in our certification experience during a very short period before we went on our first diving trip. My husband used to dive but had not been in about 10 years. I was brand new to diving. Kevin did a great job teaching both us and making sure we had mastered all of the necessary skills. He was extremely knowledgeable, accommodating and professional throughout the course. I was particularly nervous and worried about the concept of SCUBA, and Kevin was so patient with me! He always made sure I was comfortable before moving on to the next lesson. It became obvious what an exceptional teacher Kevin is when we went on our diving trip-- we were much better prepared than the other open divers there. I would highly recommend getting certified (or recertified!) with By The Shore Scuba and Kevin Alexander to anyone. Not only will you learn a lot and come away a certified diver, you will have a great time. Kevin's a great guy in addition to being an excellent instructor!

Sam Fischer: Too the refresher SCUBA class yesterday, as it has been five years since I was in the water. Kevin was SUPER patient with me - made me feel very comfortable in the water. The pace was unhurried - I never felt rushed (which was a GOOD thing!). I highly recommend Kevin - try it - you won't be sorry!!!!

Heajin Bang: Kevin is such a patient diving instructor. When I first started taking classes, he showed me all the options I could choose from for equipment ranging from low to high cost and explaining the pros and cons of each. During the sessions, he was very calm and answered all the questions I had for him and then some. He carefully went through the information, summarizing some of the more simple concepts but still remaining thorough and he was sure to review all the material continuously.For anyone that is thinking of getting a scuba diving license, I highly recommend going to By the Shore because I don't think any other place will be like it!

Suli Kaleta: I just got certified with Carolina Dive Center. Everyone who had part in this was very kind and helpful. Thanks Art, Mike, and Jim for dealing with me lol.It’s not an easy sport in the beginning and my only feedback is that I wish I knew this going in so I’d be better prepared to fail a few times.I also wish I knew from the beginning that I need to memorize or log my gear rental number to make sure it didn’t get confused with anyone else’s.Looking forward to my next certs, and diving more!

Hank Barnes: I chose Carolina Dive Center for my initial Open Water Scuba Diving Training. The communications were clear; the connection to PADI for Online Learning worked flawlessly, equipment pickup and return was easy, and the in water sessions were run by two very effective communicators, Vince Jamnik for the pool sessions and Mike Welch for Open Water. Mike, in particular, helped me and everyone get comfortable without ever seeming to burden him. I'd recommend them to anyone looking to learn.

Jim Kornegay: Capt Jim,Thank you so much for an awesome dive vacation to the Philippines!

Toni Jabson: Very helpful and informative.

Mollie Calder: I stopped by to refill my tanks and buy a snorkel because I lost my we earlier that day. I let an employee know I really only needed it for tomorrow and she offered me her own! They were beyond generous and kind, 100% would go to again!

Janel Norris: If you are looking for a dive shop to get your scuba certification (or any gear) you will not find a better facility in the Triangle than Carolina Dive Center. I had started my journey to scuba certification with another facility and had an instructor who was less than ideal (I’m sorry but an instructor teaching scuba diving to novices should not yell at them for not having trouble with a particular requires skill, which incidentally happens to be the skill that gives new divers the most challenge). I needed to complete the open water phase of my certification and time was of the essence as I had a trip to FL in the upcoming week. Carolina Dive Center was not only able to fit me in at the last minute for that weekends’ class, but I was fortunate enough to have some amazing instructors that were not only enthusiastic about diving, but wonderful, patient, and encouraging teachers. If you have the opportunity to learn from Lisa, Art or Amy you will leave your training feeling confident and enthusiastic about your PADI Scuba Diver Certification. I cannot recommend them/this facility enough!

Haley Urick: I completed my PADI open water and nitrox certification courses at Carolina Dive Center and could not be more satisfied with my experience. I needed my certification completed in a very short time frame prior to a Cozumel dive trip, and everyone I spoke to at CDC was extremely accommodating and made it happen ASAP. My instructor David was phenomenal. I did a private course and he made me feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire process. He was professional, kind, knowledgeable and incredibly patient. I felt extremely confident on each one of my dives in Cozumel, and I owe it all to David. Thank you to CDC and especially David for having my back and helping me start my dive adventure!

Antonio Planchart: Carolina Dive Center is awesome. From great charters off the NC coast to planning outstanding trips to incredible destinations, from the best gear at reasonable prices to expert technical service, from knowledgeable staff to all the necessary certifications you need to become an accomplished diver, CDC does it with professionalism and courtesy. We’ve been going to CDC for years and wouldn’t go anywhere else. The trip to Dominica (not the Dominican Republic…) was outstanding. Diving on walls formed from ancient volcanoes, going to amazingly beautiful waterfalls, swimming in gorges carved over millions of years by water that’s crystal clear, and hanging out with Jim and Elise was the most fun we’ve had in a long time!

Nathalie Vidal: Amazing time in Dominica

Kody Grilz: Great service. Friendly, knowledgeable, eager, helpful staff. We recently moved and still drive way out of the way to go to CDC.

Sam Sharp: Recently purchased BCD and regulator equipment. While there was a global shortage of some components they went above and beyond to take care of me and make sure I got my equipment before my upcoming trip. Great experience!

Lauren Berry: I have been a patron of Carolina Dive Center for ten years. The staff is organized, very knowledgeable, and great fun! I have dove with CDC off the coast of NC, as well as traveled on dive vacations. They fully believe in working hard and playing hard! Highly recommend buying your scuba gear from the store - support local business AND they take care of you!

nick lebon: I just finished a dry suit certification course through these guys. After the first set of checkout dives I developed a bit of sinus and ear issues was not comfortable diving the second day to finish the checkouts. I let the instructor know this and had no issues rescheduling the checkout dives. During the first set of dives my instructor, David, noticed that I was having some ever so slight issues keeping my feet below my head. He suggested using ankle weights which I used on the second day and what a difference. They were extremely professional and helpful throughout the process. They also processed my paperwork extremely quickly. I finished the class after business on a Saturday and was notified by PADI and sent a temp card by Tuesday. They were closed on Sunday and Monday was MLK day. Highly recommended!

Mick Tellefsen: Nice people, great place to get certified.

Ted Kostich Jr.: Awesome dive shop! They have a huge selection of equipment on hand, the staff is knowledgeable, and they're in a convenient location. Will definitely use them again!

Jerry H. Evans Jr.: 5 star Knowledgeable, Resourceful, upto date high tech equipment, all new items. I would recommend this dive shop.

Ricardo Rojas: Positive:Communication,Professionalism,Quality

Ian Radford: Great selection of gear and accessories. Great service!

Mike Welch: What a great team! I've been snorkeling for years, and would buy a set of fins or a new mask here, and recently, I took the plunge into SCUBA. I had a team of great instructors, between Art, Amy, and Brian, I learned so much. Add in Zach and Captain Jim at the store, and there is so much knowledge and insight, I now make a list of questions to take with me when I go. I love this place. Now, I just need to get back in the water for some more experience diving.Thanks folks!

Levi Lester: Wife and I signed up for our open water PADI course here. The entire process has been amazing. Everyone at the store has been friendly and helpful. The store is clean, and they follow CDC guidance on operating a business in the pandemic.We have not done our open water dives yet, we just finished our confined water dives with an instructor named Rick. Rick is awesome. He clearly loves scuba diving and likes teaching it. He was a great guy who really wanted to make sure we all knew what we were doing. He also let us have some fun on our own in the pool while watching attentively. Some of the other divers wanted to practice skills on their own and he was willing to help them.I was very apprehensive about diving before the confined water dives, but after Rick and all the training I am incredibly excited to become a diver. I hope I see Rick and the rest of the staff on other dives and I plan to try to join them on trips :)I can't comment on price/value because I'm new to this, but I'm generally the kind of person who would rather pay more for quality service anyways. In this day and age with computerized everything, having quality, friendly, service is invaluable in my opinion. Simply the ability to talk to someone who can guide you, or help you if needed. This should be a 6 star review. It's so rare that I honestly don't have any criticisms of something.

Mark Woods: Super friendly staff! My wife and I just visited to pick up snorkeling gear for an upcoming trip and Christian (I hope I remembered his name correctly) was super helpful and kind.

Vlad Pambucol: Oh man.... we have not been there for a while but great transformation into a modern place full of fun, life and colors.

Carolyn Drover: Great dive shop! Did a refresher course before headed on a Caribbean trip and Joe focused not only on a general overview/refresher but also what I would be likely to experience on this trip as far as boat set-up, pre-dive briefing, and conditions. looking forward to doing some specialty certifications with them.

David Fox: Great Instructors

Sabrina Sternbach: Very knowledgeable, friendly and outgoing people. Great pool for lessons. Many diving trips available. Any equipment you need, they can get. Love the place!

Bruce Davis: Great place!

Walter Meyers: We had a great experience with Gypsy Divers. Billy and Peter are top notch instructors. Christian and the sales crew were very knowledgeable on all equipment and helped streamline the whole process. Thanks a bunch to everyone. See you on a trip in the future 😎

Nate Cash: Everyone is nice and willing to answer questions. Always a pleasure to try out your gear after it gets serviced.

Marty Martin: My son and I loved our first diving lesson last week!Multiple instructors for our group inspired individualized attention as required, and their passion for diving was palpable. We were driving on our first lesson!We highly recommend Gypsy for lessons, and equipment!

Anthony Lacy: Pros- Good people. Gear they do have is prime for my style. Bought the Hydro Pro bcd setup. Greatly appreciated.Thanks for the tee and stickers!!!!🤙🏼🤙🏼They amazingly had the rubber straps for my fins!! Just bought spring style at a shop right before I went to Gypsy.Cons- Could use more selections of 1st stages setups, masks and wetsuits and gear in general.Sweet spot and good peeps so I will be back for sure!

J J: Excellent shop with absolutely great people and fantastic service

Thomas Powers: An excellent dive shop and Scuba training facility. The best training staff in Raleigh! Most of the gear is Scubapro and thats good, it is the best. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

Yohanan Assefa: Got certified for open water with Gipsy. Randy was an exceptional instructor. He is very good at breaking down concepts, asking questions, explaining and re-explaining things patiently. He was also very flexible with accommodating my schedule and made the whole experience easy and fun.Really glad I went with Gypsy and very excited to go diving beyond the quarry :)

Geoff Stephenson: Nice shop. Friendly staff. KNOWLEDGEABLE service techs. Good size pool.

Keegan Czesak: Hands down to Billy and his highly educated team at Gypsy Divers! They are truly a one stop shop for all of your diving needs, gear and certification. They are very honest when it comes to making equipment purchases and provide only the highest quality equipment regardless of your budget. My dive instructor Peter Brown was phenomenal; he was able to tailor our classes and open water dives around my schedule. Always felt very comfortable and thought the information was presented in great detail moving at the pace I was comfortable with. Wether you’re new to diving or are highly experienced, Gypsy Divers has a great thing going on!

Lora Lyon: Great experience! We were looking for a way to get a prescription scuba mask for my child who can’t wear contacts and the gentleman was extremely helpful, professional and knowledgeable!! We had such a good experience we signed up for a class too. Thanks, Matt!

Jonathan Woodlief: My fiancé and I just wrapped up an open water certification with Peter. It was a ton of fun and we are feeling very confident to get out in the ocean this summer!

Tracy “TracyMac” McNeil: First day of swim lessons at 53 years old. My instructor Alison was incredible!

Tim Wright: Great dive shop. excellent customer service. Encouraged me to test my new gear in the pool which is on site. doesn't get any better

Varun Namasingh: Awesome instructors and a nice facility

Win Talton: Great service! They offer certification classes that work with your schedule and small class size.

Sarah Parker: Nice shop, nice people, good inventory. The only downside is they only take cash or check.

Joshua Grove: Great shop! They have everything you can need or will get it for you. I took my scuba cert class here with Ron, the owner, and he makes sure you are ready to dive, is very friendly, and know his stuff. I wont go anywhere else!!!

cindi gray: Broadreach has been life changing for my daughter. Her passion for ocean study as well as scuba diving has flourished. Well trained guides on all aspects of the program of choice who also foster relationships between the group. My daughter has gone on two trips with Broadreach (would have been 3 without pandemic). Not knowing any of the other kids and comes home with new best friends. I highly recommend Broadreach!!

Virgil: There are four things I want to say about Air Hogs Scuba and its owner, Thomas.First, if you’re the too long; didn’t read type, I HIGHLY recommend Air Hogs Scuba for your needs. In Raleigh? Durham? Drive the extra distance. It’s worth it.Second, Thomas and Co undoubtedly know their craft. There are experts, and then there are THE experts. I don’t have the largest sample size, but of the shops I’ve visited in NC and FL, Air Hogs Scuba has THE experts in the field. There is not a question I have asked that has not just been answered but answered in-depth with explanations and reasons why.Third, Thomas has been imparted with Forbidden Knowledge only granted by the Goddess of the Deep after your 1,000th dive about regulator service. I brought my regs in for service, fully ready to get a new pair because they kept leaking at the end of a season. Thomas discouraged me from getting new ones, instead explaining why they did that, what I could do to fix it on the fly, and what he could do to tune my regs to be the best they’ve been. I just finished using them on eight dives of various depths after service, and not only do they not leak or have any issues; they breathe better than any set I’ve ever used. The only restriction I had breathing was tweaking the flow setting to try to optimize my breathing effort. The work blew me away. And they work on Hog gear, which many shops won’t touch.Finally, I want to say Thomas and those at Air Hogs are genuinely lovely people looking out for the diver and not their bottom line. They went out of their way to ensure I got my regs back in time for a dive. I went in to talk about getting a new BC setup, and Thomas encouraged me to dive a new setup first before spending money on it and even offered customizations if I did decide to go with the new setup (plate & wing). I got the impression I would have to convince HIM to sell me one without trying it first! That’s just good customer service and good (diver) community service, in my opinion.Again, I HIGHLY recommend Air Hogs Scuba. They are knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and genuinely care about their customers and craft.

Gene Kicklighter: Very professional and knowledgeable owner and staff. More than willing to help with all and any of your needs. Many classes ti help you with your dive adventures. Can help anyone who is new to diving all the way to technical divers and more. All staff members are knowledgeable, professional, and awesome.

Blaze Rogers: The guy inside was super helpful and knowledgeable! We were in and out pretty quick fully equipped and ready to go!

Patrick Whitfield: Talked to Thomas over the phone in reference to getting my scuba cylinders filled. I came into his store and bare witness to Thomas talking to a family about their daughter scuba needs.Thomas was very thorough and descriptive addressing the family needs in getting their daughter prepare for her scuba course.Again he is very knowledgeable in his skillset/craftsmanship. Always pointing out safety consideration.I would highly recommend the professionalism of and from Air Hogs Scuba. When you are in Clayton North Carolina drop by and see them. Always in the best hand's with a Veteran Owned Business.

Gloria Cambre: My son just finished the open water certification and he loved the experience. The team from Air hogs were knowledge and very helpful and his quarry dives were awesome.I used to scuba dive many years ago and I wanted to gift my son something that will be a unique and different experience. I can happily said he is loving it as much as I do and he just started!Thank you Thomas and specially Kevin for a great introduction for him to this underwater world.I’m looking forward to mine.

Pebbles Worthington: I love this Dive shop! They are an awesome group. I especially like that they are Veterans and I will always do my best to give my business to a fellow Veteran! They have always been super helpful any time I have been in. I also appreciate that they offer great advice and recommendations. They are no-nonsense and tell it like it is and I appreciate that a great deal. I feel I can fully trust their advice and definitely fully trust them with the gear I use while diving.

Bernardo Gelabert: We are a family of five working on our scuba certification. We had the opportunity to work with Thomas and Josh, and we were not disappointed! They are patient, insightful and they provided great service. The store is organized, clean and with quality equipment.  If they do not have what you are looking for they can order it for you.Somos una familia de cinco trabajando en nuestro certificación de buceo. Hemos tenido la oportunidad de trabajar con Thomas y Josh, y no estábamos decepcionado!  Son paciente, Inteligentes y el Servicio es estupendo.  La tienda es organiza, limpia y con equipo de calidad. Si hellos no tienen lo que usted busca te lo puden ordenar.

Kevin Littleton: these guys run an amazing operation. They are knowledgeable, professional, and quick with their service. Their prices are in line with most of the industry. Ever since moving here I was worried that I wouldn't find a shop that would meet my needs, it is definitely worth the drive.

horse horse: I got there just as they were going to close and the staff was very friendly, the filled 6 tanks for me and even changed over a new regulator,They have a great selection, I know I will return and I will recommend them to anyone.Thank you Air Hogs

ryan kj: Great staff, fully helpful everything you need for diving

Jose Nieto: An awesome shop, I am an independent PADI instructor and get support from Josh and Thomas at Air Hogs that is unprecedented! This has been incalculably helpful, especially when handling logistics (Air, eq etc) for an intense weekend of training! Thanks Guys!

Michele Harling: Cannot say enough great things about the guys at Air Hogs! I'm the advisor for BSA Crew 32 out of Fayetteville and we use them every time the Crew dives or does a training weekend. Josh and Thomas handle last minute requests without hesitation. They fit everything from my football players to my petite girls with everything they need. I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Juli Buker: Awesome shop! True lovers of the sport. We went for a new mask, and they wanted to get one that fit and made sense....they never pushed the most expensive items. We left very happy!!

Teresa Davis: Love this shop!

Jerry Davis: Great shop good personal service.

Robert Bradish: I've dealt with most everybody in Raleigh, having shared more than a buck or two with nearly all of them. That said, it was at Air Hogs that I felt I finally found a place, where I felt I could be a part of something. Theses guys came here with a goal of building something, not just maintain the status quo, like some of the others. If you want to be a part of something bigger, and haven't found it yet, give the guys at Air Hogs a try!

Kim Gissendanner: Our commercial diving company used Air-tech for for well over a year sending many regulators to them for repair. We also purchased several new regulators from them. To meet our industry standards we are required to have an extra one sheet form completed on each repair. When we asked them to this they charged us an additional $35 and did not want to provide us with a breakdown on what they did to the regulators. After several thousand dollars in business we were told by the owner "Billy" (in a very rude fashion) that he didn't want our business and that we should go somewhere else. Talking about a total lack of customer service!

Mark Nilson: Even as a newer diver I understand that that my pleasure in diving depends on professional care for my life support systems. Airtech personnel are friendly pros. They are "Been there, Done that" folks that will take care of you. I trust 'em.

Michael Cleary: Been using them for years. Always provided excellent service!

iain prater: Highly recommend, fast turn around, Professional customer service goes a long way...

Andy Dodge: Update: The owner of this shop, Dave Farrar, contacted me by email a few weeks later. He apologized for the poor service I received and offered to provide me with a new regulator free of charge. Between the time I picked up my disassembled gear and the owner contacting me, I had purchased a new regulator to replace the ones that were no longer usable. The owner again apologized and offered to pay part of the purchase price of the new gear. Today I received a check for 1/2 of the amount that he agreed to provide to me. I was very shocked and very pleased. I have never been shown this level of service by a business owner. I think Dave Farrar has shown an unusually high level of honesty and integrity and I will once again return to his store as a customer. Thank you Dave, you are a great dive buddy!Took my 2 regulators, 1st and 2n stage for both sets, in for service on 7/27/16. Was given pickup date of 8/23/16. Regs were branded to match dive shop brand for the dive shop that I purchased regs at 10+ years ago so the manufacturer could not be determined. The techs who wrote up the ticket told me that Dive Rite often did this and that they were pretty sure the regs were manufactured by Dive Rite.I called to check on the service on 8/20/16 and was told they were on track to be ready for the 8/23/16 pickup date.Got a phone call from AirTech on the afternoon of 8/23/16. They told me that Dive Rite confirmed they were not the manufacturer and that AirTech was not going to warranty the service and would not service the regs.I picked up the regs on 8/24/16. They had been disassembled with all the internal parts placed in a plastic bag. This left me with 2 unusable regs. I questioned this and asked what I was supposed to do with disassembled regs?So, it took me a month to determine they couldn't service my gear and then they returned to me a bag full of parts.There are several other shops to take your gear, I would avoid this one.

Frank Armstrong: I took my regulator in to have a leaking hose replaced (they had serviced it 6 months ago and it leaked after eight dives). I just picked it up and found they had not only replaced the hose, but also serviced both regulators again. So instead of $40, I have to pay $200. Beyond the lack of communication, I am wondering why they replaced stuff in my regulator that they had serviced six months earlier. Perhaps something had gone wrong with my regulator in six months and eight dives, or perhaps they did not service properly, who knows? But I will not gamble on them again.My advice to anyone who does, is to carefully review the work to be done and get an estimate up front. Hopefully I just have bad luck with them and its not a reflection of their normal business practice.