This is a GREAT dive shop! The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. They have a good selection of equipment on hand in their shop and are more than happy to order any items you want that is not on hand. If you are wanting to take dive lessons this is an awesome spot. They have an indoor climate controlled pool right off of the show room. The instructor I had was very experienced and personable. If need a piece of dive gear, need your tanks filled, want to take lessons or just want to talk diving, this is the place. read more

Excellent customer service and great place to rent scuba equipment! The friendly employees first answered my questions over the phone when I had called to reserve rental scuba equipment. They don't allow reservations, but since they did not have any classes scheduled the weekend I inquired about, they assured they would have adequate supplies and they did! When we arrived to rent the equipment, the employees greeted us right away. They patiently answered our questions and helped us select the right items since it was our first time renting. They clearly explained the cost and tried to save us money rather than talking us into spending more. In addition to rental equipment they sell scuba gear, hold classes, and host events and trips. They have a heated pool on-site and offer private and semi-private classes. Their training agency is SSI (Scuba Schools International). Overall, we had a great experience here and would rent from here again! read more

Gypsy Divers Aquatic Center - Scuba Diving Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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My daughter and I had a trip planned that included scuba diving so we went to Gypsy Divers to get certified. I was never able to get open water certification because of the pressure on my ears but Mike Welch was incredibly patient and others in the shop had numerous suggestions for me to try. Ultimately I gave up after numerous attempts and got a full refund of the entire tuition even though I had completed the lessons, used their equipment to try and get the outdoor signoff completed, and taken a lot of their time. I would highly recommend the shop if you are wanting to try getting certified and you don't have to worry about losing the large sum of money if you don't make it. I feel like I'm also very comfortable with all of the skills needed but am just held back by my ears! thank you Mike and Gypsy. read more

I had to chuckle at the review that said "knowledgeable and helpful staff". I got kicked out of there. Like the door was open for me to leave. I asked a simple question "what's the difference in PADI, Naui and SSI"? They are an SSI shop. The knowledgeable staff didn't know. At all. So I asked is there anyone here who knows? The manager didn't either. But he did kick me out for daring to ask. If I'm going to spend 1000 dollars for "training" they'd damn sure better be able to articulate the difference of products. Maybe old Dave F (founder) could answer the question? Maybe not. He's definitely not a hands-on participant. read more

I can't speak highly enough about Gypsy! We were looking for a place where we could buy our gear and complete our Advanced Open Water certs at a discount and through a bit of good luck found our way to Gypsy. They were so accommodating from beginning to end -- fitting us in even though we had a tight schedule, expediting the shipping of our gear so it would be there on time and just being overall awesome people to dive with. They even exchanged a size on my boyfriend's BCD and mailed the new one to us in New Jersey (along with Gypsy t-shirts, stickers, koozies, keychains) at no cost. Fantasy Lake, where they do their certifications, is also an excellent, controlled place to learn advanced skills. Looking forward to diving with Gypsy again on one of their many dive trips. Big thanks to Christian, Peter, Billy and all the folks at Gypsy. You guys rock. read more

I'm not local, but did my certification here. Especially now, since I did a training course at another shop, I can really be confident in saying how kind and knowledgeable the entire staff were at Gypsy. They helped me decide on gear, were never pushy, let me take my time, and made sure I had the best experience and felt safe and had time to feel confident in my diving skills. I also had gear shipped to my house across the country no problem, they replaced my carry bag with another type since it was backordered for a while with quick refund on the price difference, and let me store equipment for a bit when I was traveling. Wish I lived locally to do all my training here! read more

I was seaching for a place to dive with my mom before we go to the Georgia Aquarium in a few weeks and Bonaire next month, and I stumbled upon Gypsy Divers. Not only do they have a gear shop, but they also have their own pool onsite!! I talked with Billy on the phone, who told me their open pool was from 10-5 on Saturday and $25 gets us in with unlimited air. Sign me up! We arrived at 10:30am and Dave (amazingly sweet guy) advised us that they won't have any open pool until after 12pm, but if we came back, he'd give us 2 for the price of 1. So we came back at 12:15pm, and Dave checked out our gear and showed us around. Their pool has 5-6 lanes and ranges from 3'-12' deep. Their locker rooms are extremely clean & the entire place is well kept. Dave filled 2 tanks for us and let us dive away! We ended up staying down for almost an hour, practicing buoyancy control and buddy breathing. Their gear shop doesn't have much, but they have everything else you need to get started diving... I'm really looking forward to checking out some of their shore dives & possibly vacations. If their team is as nice as Dave, I've found myself a great dive shop in Raleigh :) read more

Love this place. I have a confession to make...I'm an older male(32 at the time of this writing) and I don't know how to swim. Knowing that I needed to get swim lessons I decided to try Gypsy's adult classes and I have been thrilled with them. The classes are small (3-5 people) and coach Lisa has been great. She helps you ever step of the way and makes sure that you get the attention that you deserve. read more

Great network and way to meet fellow divers. They also have a number of group trips each year (10-12 usually). I've met friends to last a lifetime via Gypsy. Probably have been on 4-5 of their trips. Always well-organized and a diverse group. Gypsy has an indoor heated pool; perfect for a swim or winter certification course! Additionally, they have on-site tech support for your gear. And if you are going on vacation and dive, check with me for referrals for the island. Come on; you always wanted to be a Gypsy! read more

My review is regarding swim lessons for kids. I'm sure the diving school is fantastic and their posters make me want to go somewhere tropical. We are very pleased with Gypsy Divers. I got swim lessons via a groupon deal, but we will continue to take further lessons. My 4 year old has been in swimming lessons for over a year. Retaking the beginning lessons over and over again. We've taken lessons and Granite Falls and the City of Raleigh. Previously my daughter would not put her head under water at all. She would participate in other ways such as blowing bubbles, but she wouldn't get her eyes wet. Today at lessons she swam, with her head in the water without a float. She is made comfortable in the water and the instruction is great. Gypsy Divers limits their lesson size to 4 children. I think this is great, because it prevents the kids from being bored and they receive a lot of time in the water. Parents are not allowed on the deck. I like this policy as it allows your child to focus on the lessons. There is a waiting room with free wi-fi. The pool water is warm. They have a step that the kids can stand on in the water in the pool. There is a coordinator that stays on the pool deck and an extra instructor too that will help out. If your child is reluctant to get in the water and learn how to swim, I highly recommend Gypsy Divers. read more

This is a pretty sweet spot. It's located a little off the beaten path, but is a perfect place to practice scuba diving or in my case learn to snorkel. There is a shop and friendly staff to get hooked up with all the necessities. You have the option to rent or buy. There is a locker room with plenty of lockers and showers to help get the chlorine off. The pool is spacious and warm so no shock there. read more

My husband and I got our scuba certification in 2012 through Gypsy. Dennis Burns (DB) was a great teacher, patient and knowledgeable. This year, we went back for a refresher and nitrox certification with two different instructors, both of whom were excellent. Once you've worked with Gypsy, you're welcome back to practice in their pool as long as you call ahead to arrange a time. Gypsy has a friendly, neighborhood vibe. Good classroom space, one on one attention, and a great selection of scuba gear. There's always a group of happy kids learning to swim in the pool, and everyone is greeted with a smile. Great facilities, plenty of lockers. Thinking about scuba? I recommend giving Gypsy a try. They clearly love the sport, and they have regular trips for great prices for local and location diving. Prices are reasonable, and they won't try to sell you if you don't need something. If a piece of equipment breaks, they'll take care of you. Located just off I-440 and New Bern. Highly recommend! You guys are the best! read more

My son has been taking lessons here for a year. He seems to like it. The instructors have a good rapport with the children. In the men's locker room, there has been the same little pile of sand or gravel or something in the same place for that same year. I have a hard time believing that they're even attempting to clean the locker room. read more

Just got re-certified almost three decades after my first SCUBA certification. This time I got a one-on-one class that accommodated my schedule. (I took classes weekday mornings). Fantastic teacher and first class outfit all around. I highly recommend paying a few bucks more for your own teacher--faster and much more personalized service and attention. They also have good prices on gear and (from what I hear) an excellent service shop. I feel well-prepared for my first dive in 29 years. read more

Wonderful! I'm very happy with their gear servicing! Some very nice people did great work on some BCDs for me. They have very fair pricing, and they were honest about what parts I didn't need. read more

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! read more

I signed my 8 year old daughter up for swim lessons in January. We're already into February and we couldn't be happier! The staff is very welcoming, her swim coach is great and very patient. So far, so good! read more

Just a pet peeve- if you are closed for the whole weekend update your website to indicate the change in schedule.

My boyfriend and I got the Living Social deal for the Try Scuba class to check it out and see if maybe it's something we'd like to get into. Randy was our instructor and he was great. We learned so many different things and got to just play around at the end of the class swimming in the deep end of the pool. We had so much fun and are so interested in it now. This is a great place and they're all so friendly. read more

Have really enjoyed the quality of instruction and service at Gypsy Divers. Its not always easy to go into sport that is so equipment intensive, but they made it easy. Plus, the pool makes for a nice training ground. read more