I am so glad I found Calypso Diving of Tampa! I originally went in to learn more about scuba diving since I am going to the Great Barrier Reef next year. Everyone was so nice and treated you like family. That is when I realized this is where I wanted to get my open water certification. I met Dan the instructor for the first time on day one. He was personable, patient and genuinely wanted to get to know us. What I appreciated the most was that he always reiterated that he would go at our pace and would not rush us. He constantly checked in through out the process and made it fun. Dan also mentioned a good mask was very important, which I learned very quickly in the first open water dive. That day I drove to Calypso and Rob helped me find the perfect mask. Day two of open diving at rainbow river was an experience I will never forget. I truly appreciate all the staff I have met there and look forward to future dives with the Calypso family! read more

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There is more to a modern dive shop than sales or even the training of new divers. Calypso gives a more than fair break when it comes to the former and is among the most conscientious, professional and safety-minded when it comes to the latter. You won't go wrong if this is where you decide to get certified, re-certified or make a great purchase. But modern dive shops should do more than these admittedly essential tasks. They have an obligation to grow the sport and make possible exceptional adventures to the diving community. Larry does exactly that. Calypso arranges for local dives to hunt for Megalodon teeth and trips to the East Coast for diving adventures in the Atlantic. They also regularly offer impressive trips that take divers around the world. Recently my wife and I joined Larry and Laura on a dive trip to Puerta Galera in the Philippines. The planning and execution was exceptional with divers being able to get in as many as five quality dives a day. Every aspect of the trip was first rate and something remarkable was experienced on every dive. In part this was due to the high quality care of the resort and their staff, but also to the first-rate attention to detail of Larry. So, if you are looking for a dive experience that is world-class and out of the ordinary, take a close look at what Calypso is offering. If you don't, you may be missing the opportunity of a lifetime. read more

Five stars all the way for Calypso! I completed the initial half of my scuba training in Chicago and contacted Calypso to do my open water dives. They were extremely flexible and accommodating since I had to change my trip a few times, always understanding and welcoming me to return! I ended up doing my open water dives with Dan C. He met me at the pool on the Friday before our dives to set up my gear and do an in-water pool review. He was extremely thorough and calm the entire weekend, making sure we all felt comfortable in the water. He cracked many a joke and had great stories to tell. I would highly recommend Calypso for any future divers! read more

Calypso - Scuba Diving Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Great shop, wonderful owners and fabulous instructor. I've received multiple certifications from Calypso and couldn't be happier with my experience. Laura and Larry the owners are always so pleasant and accommodating, beyond kind. I've had the same instructor from open water, advanced and rescue. Dan Capobianco, is highly recommended. In my first certification there was also a 16yo girl who he was so patient with while also instructing faster advancing divers. He's wonderful with all ages, wity, great guide, I've always felt extremely safe and well taught. He is very easy to talk to, not intimidating and beyond willing to go the extra mile to explain anything. So thankful for the owners, Dan and other members of the dive community I've been able to connect with! read more

I was looking for some diving equipment and found calypso just right off of 275 on bears. Walking in gave me a super quiet and weird vibe. I went in specifically for a bcd and diving stickers and was followed around the store by a creepy old man who worked there, when I asked questions or tried to have a conversation he just nodded and gave me a hmpf.. He didn't ask me if I was finding everything alright or if I needed help. Then I proceeded to walk around some more to look for stickers and was still followed.this was a super weird experience and will not be returning. Maybe hire people who don't profile and actually have some knowledge about scuba gear. After all that's why we the consumer go into local dive shops to be educated on the product we are buying. Not just blindly buying off of Amazon. read more

First review. Worst place ever. Wish I could give negative stars. They are in "Winter Hours" which means they close at 5 and not 6. They never updated website/yelp so I show up at 10 til 5 and the door is locked. Dude finally comes out yells that they are closed, points to "winter hours" and runs off. Never going back and seriously considering switching brands away from Aqua Lung due to this. Can honestly say the way they treated me I wouldn't trust them in the water. read more

Calypso Dive shop is an excellent establishment that has top notch training, fantastic equipment and an incredibly friendly staff! I just completed training with Todd and am thoroughly impressed with his teaching methods along with his vast knowledge of the content. He is also really down to earth and very personable. Great trainer! read more

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit this 5-Star facility you need to! Larry and the entire staff are fantastic to deal with and there is no pressure or "stodgy" feeling when you visit. I used Larry for private training and he was impeccable. He takes time to explain every detail and relates them to the real world. He takes time and is patient along every step of the way. Comfort is a primary concern when you're learning to dive or in advanced training and it is a staple. Their indoor pool is wonderful and the quality of services and products is phenomenal all around. You won't be sorry. I travel from Sarasota to use Calypso, passing many shops along the way. Next stop, a live aboard trip on the Aqua Cat in the Exumas! Thanks for all you do! read more

Me and my family went to calypso to get Our PADI Open Water Certification. We could not have been happier with our experience. Dan was our instructor and he made the whole thing so great. He continually made sure everyone was comfortable with everything we were doing. He fully changed my mind on SCUBA. He was hands down the best instructor we could have asked for. The Dives him and the Other instructor Charlie took us one were incredible. I would recommend this place to anyone who is interested as they made us feel very safe and comfortable in every way read more

I'm a new diver, I'm 52 years old, I always wanted to learn how to dive, I signed up with Calypso and I was assigned Edward Zellem as my dive instructor. Tomorrow is my final class, this instructor was the best I could have ever ask for, he is very by the book and truly cares about my leaning and respecting the water. The staff have been the best, very knowledgeable and eager to help in any way possible, I'm sure there are many diving schools that treat new divers with great respect, but this place is my new diving home. Thanks Ed, you are spot on and I would love to keep diving with you. read more

Everything this team did was focused on one thing, helping me enjoy, explore, learn, and grow in scuba diving. I did a great deal of research on who to dive with when I came down to the Tampa area and they were the best on paper so I decided to give them a try. Larry, Ilsia, Dan, and Dave exceeded my expectations with their instruction, facilities, knowledge, and customer-focus. They have a big pool on site, all the equipment you need, tons of local knowledge and experience, and they are committed to making every experience the best it can be. I am already looking forward to diving with them again! read more

Dan C. was aces for my refresher pool session. Witty, engaging, absolutely lovely instructor with a great talent for making you feel comfortable. I highly recommend him and the Calypso team for ease of scheduling instruction. The shop is also well-organized, with a clean, warm pool and nice gear in the training facility. read more

Very friendly and professional staff. They went out of their way to help me with some gear when I was in a bind. I would recommend them to any serious diver! read more

This is a great local dive shop that we've been going to since we moved to Tampa a few years ago. My wife and I got our open water and advanced open water certifications through them and it was a very pleasant experience. This was prior to them having their own pool too, so I'm sure now it's even easier. The staff has always been very friendly and are the main reason we keep going back. They have been a blast to take trips with and are always willing to go out of their way to help you out and make sure you are happy before you leave. I only have two complaints about the store that keep it from being a 5. First is that they are only licensed to sell Aqualung products. While they are great products, it does limit the variety, and Aqualung products are a bit pricier. My second complaint is that up until recently they didn't take many trips. Mostly they just do an annual liveaboard and maybe a trip to the Keys or Epcot. This year they seem to be stepping it up with a few more local trips, so hopefully the trend continues. read more

Great local dive shop. We needed to schedule a refresher course at the last minute in preparation for a trip. The shop was very accommodating and even offered my fiance extra pool and instructor time since he was having difficulty clearing his mask on the day of the course. The shop has a nice and deep indoor pool on the premises. The instructor we had, Rob Brand, was relaxed and attentive. We felt confident after our refresher and went on to have great dives during our weekend trip. I will not hesitate to return here for future scuba services and gear. read more

This is a great place to shop, great hours , informative staff willing to go above and beyond. As for hours, pretty simple to see they were easy to find and i love it when other reviews state they showed up 10 minutes before closing and being "yelled at?" I doubt that with this staff, very patient and informative, helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Their service department is fantastic to deal with any issues! One "bad and inconsiderate reviewer" shouldn't make the shop. I have been going there for over 10years for both training, servicing of my gear and new dive gear and i never even came close to what this reviewer stated! stop by and see for yourself and check the hours on google, their website and even facebook pretty clear! The reviewer probably goes to restaurants right at closing and orders a full meal with a 5% tip! so go there and see for yourself before you judge this place by one reviewer! read more

My kids (ages 17 and 15) took the Advanced Open Water Dive class with Rob. Their experience was fantastic, Rob gave them a great refresher and instilled confidence in them! They really loved their dives at Rainbow River and especially in Holmes Beach where they said they saw more Goliath Groupers than they could count! read more

David provided fantastic service. Listened to my problem and exceeded expectations by disassembling and verifying the octo explaining what he was doing and why. Left confident and informed. Thanks David! read more