Is there a good place for finding out about diving in Pensacola?

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sontek

Contributor
Messages
302
Reaction score
14
Location
Pompano Beach, FL
# of dives
200 - 499
I just moved to Pensacola and looking for some info :)

1. Who do you guys prefer as a dive shop?
2. Where are the best beach dives? I can't afford to pay to go out as much as I want to go out, so hoping to get some good beach diving in.

And if anyone is doing a dive trip and needs some company, I'm up for diving whenever
 
I can't help you with the gulf diving there, but I'm sure the Bugman will be here soon to help you with the shore dives. You should consider some of the freshwater springs in the panhandle, though. There's quite a bit available to you just an hour away, even more if you own a canoe or don't mind renting one every now and then. And if you save your pennies for a cavern class, you open up a bunch more sites within a couple of hours of Pensacola.
 
Sontek,

Welcome. Glad to have you here.

Ft. Pickens is a great beach dive. Buy the Annual Pass and it'll pay for itself in no time.

Dive Pros is a great shop. I've been with them for years. That said, be a smart consumer and try them all at least once. You'll find one that suits your style.

Dive trips are there to be had. There are lots of private boats looking for folks to share the trip. The dive shop can help you hook up with the other end. If you are looking for a paid charter, call me, Dr Dive. If I can't take you, I'll help you find a trip with a good captain/boat.

Stay on the board, post often, and let us know if we can help.

Capt. Jim
Dr Dive
www.drdive.com
drdive@drdive.com
 
Come on over to West Florida Dive Club. We are a friendly group and you can make a lot of contacts with other divers that have boats. A lot of the private boats are always looking for dive buddies. Come to the next monthly meeting and you'll meet tons of folks.

As far as a dive shop in Pensacola - Dr Dive told you about Dive Pros. You also have MBT, Scuba Shack and Gulf Breeze. You'll find that every one of them are solid people.
 
Sorry Carlos - That's BAY BREEZE dive shop in Gulf Breeze.
 
MBT Divers has always been awesome when I've stopped by. I haven't had any problems with Dive Pros either.

Pensacola Beach Reef, old pier rubble a few hundred yards east of the new fishing pier is a great dive right now.

Fort Pickens is a great jetty dive, just hit it at high slack tide for the best possible conditions.

Navarre Beach Pier was a great dive, dunno if you're allowed to dive it at this point?

Alabama Point Jetties in Orange Beach is another great jetty dive, again, hit it at high slack tide for best possible conditions.

Whiskey Wreck is in Gulf Shores and can be a great dive when there is some relief to dive, its been a couple months since I've made the swim to it, so can't give you a current report on relief or if its worth the dive at the moment.

www.saltwatertides.com for tidal information.

Lots of other stuff in the area, just gotta dig around for it a bit.
 
I just dove with Bay Breeze on their in house 6-pack on Wednesday and with H2O Below yesterday.

Carlos at Bay Breeze seems like a good guy. I was looking for a SeaLife replacement battery and he
spent a good 10 minutes calling every Pensacola to Ft Walton shop to see if anyone had one. Kent Stone was our DM
for a trip to the USS Mass. and the coal barges. Good guy, good DM - kept a close watch over my son and the other
teen on both dives and was very helpful. All around very positive experience. The only thing close to a knock here is that
the boat needs some work. I honestly thought the steering wheel was going to come off in the captain's hands.

The H20 below is a solid boat and crew. I dove the Oriskany with them on Thursday the 24th and they were top notch - from
the briefing to the dive to the hot dogs on the way back in. Very different set up as we had 14 divers (I think it was 14) on
board including some students on rebreathers and some tech guys.

Can't help you on shore diving - sorry.
 
Pensacola is a great place and all the shops have good people ready to help you have a good time underwater. I have only had one bad problem and that was with Scuba Shack not letting me know the trip I signed up for was a trip they didn't have enough people to got out with and I drove some 250 miles to find out I had no boat ride. Lesson learned I never leave home w/o checking. With that said I have done business with all of them and for the last 10 years MBT has been my choice.

Dr. Dive gave good advice try them all and see what fits for you. You'll meet some great people and have some fun. Good Luck
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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