Columbia Scuba is the BEST! They are very thorough with their beginner classes, so you feel at ease before you even step into the water with them. While in the water, the instructors are incredibly encouraging. attentive, kind, and patient. I'm so grateful for my Columbia Scuba family. Take this as your sign to take a class with them read more

Columbia Scuba instructors are the very best, hands down! They go above and beyond with everything they do! They make you feel so welcomed and make sure you are comfortable with all skills. Charlie, Donnie, Lawrence, and Kelly---thank you for all you do! I couldn't have gotten certified without you' read more

Can not say enough good things about Columbia Scuba! The staff is great. Recently, my dad and I completed our PADI Dry Suit Certification with Columbia Scuba. Our instructor, Jeremy, was extremely knowledgeable and patient while guiding us through the completion of our course and skills! He went above and beyond and I feel very comfortable with my new skill set. I would highly recommend Columbia Scuba! read more

My daughter and I decided fairly last minute to do the PADI Open Water Diving Certification just before summer vacation. From my initial email through our final certification activity on Sunday, I can't say enough about how wonderful the entire experience has been. Our interactions with Lawrence, Jim, and Charlie in the shop, and Charlie and Laurie as our instructors have all been truly wonderful. We received excellent advice on what to buy and when (definitely not upsell or oversell pushing). My daughter and I are both very happy with the purchases we have made and the information we received to help inform our decision. For this reason, after we have more experience knowing the gear we want, I thoroughly trust and would prefer to buy our gear through them. All of our instruction has been exemplary. Charlie was our lead instructor, always very good at explaining, illustrating, and making sure we were comfortable with the skills. Laurie was great help, always checking to make sure we understood and were ok with everything. On our open water dive, we had divemasters each day which helped us both feel more comfortable in the water, as there was always an experienced diver on hand, and also get more information and tips on gear and diving locations. We consider ourselves very lucky and fortunate to have started our diving experience with Columbia Scuba and look forward to continuing our training (and purchasing) with them. read more

I want to start by saying that I live in Texas and have not been to Columbia Scuba. However, I had the privilege of meeting owner Lawrence Ray while on a dive in Florida. It was such a great experience that it warrants praise. On the dive out of PCB, Lawrence was incredibly kind and took the time to get to know me, a newer diver on my first solo trip. He shared insight on equipment, different dive locations and experiences. He has such a passion for scuba and it showed. What was most telling was how he helped one of his companions; She came up from the first of two dives with equipment issues and he didn't hesitate to help her address the problem. He was so positive, encouraging and made you feel safe. If a business is a reflection of the person who owns and operates it, I can only believe that Columbia Scuba is a fantastic place for new and experienced divers alike. I honestly can't say enough positive things about Lawrence. What I can say is that if I ever find myself in Columbia, South Carolina, I will be hopping in to the shop to say hi. Moreover, I hope I'm lucky enough to cross paths with him again on another deep diving adventure. TL;DR? Lawrence is awesome! Cheers!! read more

Great team of professionals. If you are looking for opportunities to dive in the Columbia, Sumter, or Camden areas this is definitely the group you want. They are excellent trainers as well. Getting the open water certification through Columbia SCUBA was a fantastic experience. read more

I'm honestly surprised that there are so few reviews for this dive shop because they are above all else one of the most friendly, helpful, accommodating shops you can find. I wandered in knowing that I wanted to dive and left with everything I needed to grow. The shop staff is extremely knowledgable about various product lines and the why and why not of gear, and they share a passion for the diving world that gets you excited about your next adventure. They are also extremely accommodating, and have been able to work around my hectic schedule for courses. I would recommend them to anyone both new and experienced for your diving needs. read more

I cannot say enough good about this outfit! Brought college daughter for scuba checkout dives after she'd had her classroom instruction. Owner and instructors went out of their way to be helpful, instructive and even loaned personal equipment to help her. Patient, attentive and exactly what she needed to feel confident in her certification. Best price around and fantastic customer service! I highly recommend!! read more

Super friendly PADI 5-star shop. Great staff and top quality gear.

Great people working there, a wonderful place to learn!! Very helpful staff! I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to take up a new passion!!! read more