The Rainbow Reef Dive Center was such a great experience! My fiance and I are Open Water Divers and we wanted to dive the Florida Keys on May 2024. We booked the morning and afternoon dive (total of 4 dives/sites) and we enjoyed the experience. The boat and dive guides were very friendly. We checked in then we got our rental gears. Before we left the dock, the dive guides were able to help us set up our gear (we are beginner divers and, sometimes, you just need to double check if your gear is correctly set up). We went to the Eagle Raw Alley, JJ's Cave, Minnow's Cave, and Christ of the Abyss. We saw a lot of creatures like lobster, hammer head shark, nurse shark, different fishes, stingray, crab, Christ of the Abyss, parrot fish, and tube sponge. Highly recommend this location for your next dive! read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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Horrible customer service! My husband and I walked I into the shop 3 times and ended up walking out 3 times disappointed with the customer service. The staff, behind the counter, was extermely unhelpful and we both got the feeling they just wanted us to leave the shop so they don't have to deal with another tourist. We are both experienced divers, just asking to book a dive, but ultimately we decided we would rather give our money to another dive shop in the area that made us feel welcome. I strongly suggest looking for a different dive shop. read more

Great boat captain and crew- the crew was very helpful getting a family of new divers used to a dive trip. Great even if you don't dive- others in our party snorkels and had a great time as well. read more

Had a good time diving, BUT, Someone from the staff likely stole my RashGaurd. I had left it on the boat, and when I came to dive the next day they verified they took it off the boat and into the office but that it was currently gone. I asked for 3 days straight since I was diving with them for a few days and it never Turned up. It was a custom piece I had sewn and it had some sentimental value to me, which is why I wanted to tell the staff, when it turns up as I know it will (likely someone wearing it), please email huntertorders@gmail.com, I'd like it back. It's longsleeve Red, with the word Gaurd across the front crossed out in Black Stitch. read more

3 Instructors with students and our group had the worst experience. Following were the issues: 1) in small craft advisory conditions, the boat captain went so fast that seated individuals were flying about in the cabin 2) there was a group of students going down before us, this group was hesitant to descend and had difficulty (not RR problem), however, RR should have delayed others from going in until this group was done. Especially considering the conditions -- as a result, our group spent significant time getting slammed against the boat in rough conditions, waiting for the other group to descend 3) On the second dive, our group had a few individuals vomiting; however, the staff did nothing to ask if they could bring water or assist. We had another group dive on another boat the same day. With one instructor and two students on that boat, roughly 30%+ of the boat was vomiting. Again, a small craft advisory was in place, but the crew responded, "Oh, we have gone out in much harsher conditions". At no time did the second boat crew offer to assist others. We ended up not attending our second trip after diving with another shop that a) was attentive, b) adjusted the trip location based on conditions c) drove the boat in a professional manner. Finally, when trying to convey our sentiments, their response was both to not listen after the first issue and then state "we got it". At no time did we ask for a refund etc. That was not our goal, but to rather inform them of our view of safety concerns. As a group of instructors whom have decades of combined experience and have traveled the world diving, we would NOT RECOMMEND Rainbow Reef. read more

Great diving for the price. Good value. Boats are large with lots of space for gear stowage. They allowed us to bring our own small cooler for snacks and drinks. Mix of divers and snorkelers on the shallow reef dives, but divers are led by competent guides. Key Largo Reefs are in great shape. Reef shark, Eagle Ray, reef fish, coral is healthy compared to other sites in FL. Diver Dina (The Diva) was our guide. Make sure you blow out your reg dust cap with the leftover tank pressure, she loves that noise. read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Christ Statue, Key Largo - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

The crew is awesome especially the guides and most importantly capt. red beard! Would go on captain red beards boat any day or night. The bad is when you sign up you get to pick your dive sights but they change them without any notice or information. I like advanced dives and they kept taking us to molasses reef over and over. If given the opportunity I would Have switched operators but they kept the dive site switches from the customers. 5 stars for the crew 3 for the inside staff avg 4 read more

2025 UPDATE: VERY POOR MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE My husband and I went to Rainbow reef when we first met and traveled to Key Largo for the dive trips and certifications. Our experience the first few years was good. We introduced friends and family bringing more customers there for certifications and to enjoy Key largo reefs. We called this past year to set up a dive trips. 6 calls and contact forms were filled out. No response to the phone calls. No response to the forms. We booked our trip with another company who treated us very well and offer the same certifications. On our way home from Key largo, we decided to drop into the Rainbow reef dive center to find it was still running and open for business. We wouldn't have known. We arrived and two young men in the store were there. We explained the situation about the phone calls and forms. The 2 men said oh, we get thousands of calls and only a few hundred will be contacted. He looked at us - didn't ask our name or how they could make it up to us. He acted as if they have enough people signing up, we aren't needed and too bad so sad. Not a care in the world that we tried to book and couldn't. All future referrals will go to our new dive center and unfortunately Rainbow reef will get bad reviews and we will deter our friends and family and co- workers from going here. It was good in 2021. - it saddens me to say, customer service is no longer good and no longer a thing. They do not care about the quality of service or the customers, only number they have. read more

Great diving experience with Rainbow Reef! The boat crew including captain and dive master are all friendly and personable. You're guaranteed to have some great dives with Rainbow Reef! read more

I have been diving with Rainbow Reef for almost 25 years now. I would have left them great reviews in the past, but not now. This year, I had the worst customer service experience of my entire diving experience. Every other year that I dove with them, over the last 25 years, has been a 4 to 5-star experience. They are understaffed. That I understand. But the owner and managers need to approve refunds, OR just do not charge a person's credit card until they actually dive. Front-loading the bill is not good if you are not going to honor the refund of cancelled dives. The boat captains were nice, and the dive masters were helpful. I wish I could remember all of their names to give them a shout-out. The only one I know is Daniel, with whom I have dove and ridden for a few years. I am happy to upgrade this review a little if they actually call me back today. It has been weeks, and they still have my money. Their motto has been, "If you don't get on the boat, you don't get charged." I am not sure if they are changing that, but if they do, they definitely need to qualify the conditions of the charter/experience cost. read more

This was my 3rd time diving with Rainbow Reef. This time I departed at the location where Sharkey's is. We did an afternoon dive. Check in was very easy. Bathrooms were available. They were not very good about giving instructions after you check in. Everyone was confused. It is a bunch of kids running things basically. They all seemed a bit annoyed. However our dive guide Daniel was very nice and an excellent guide! He found lots of critters for us and moved slow enough for me to take good photos. Another positive, they have reef safe sunscreen available for use on the boat. read more

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Rainbow Reef Dive Center did a fantastic job with our 10 year old daughter's Jr Open Water dive training last week!!!! Pete & Grace were absolutely amazing at training our little girl while keeping her safe and making it fun all at the same time. The crew of the Tropical Serenity - Capt Rae, Elliott (saved the day helping me with a quick gear repair), Payton & Hailey were so awesome with our kids and making our dive perfect. read more

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Great staff great dive locations. The prices for a guided tour are competitive with unguided tours. Went with two different companies while on a trip to the Keys. Rainbow Reef Dive was the better of the two. Better pre dive brief and boarding. Gear for rent and 2 tanks are provided. Will dive with them again. read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Dive site - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

My daughter and I travelled to Key Largo to dive, and booked six dives with Rainbow Reef (we initially booked four, but had such a great time we booked another two while we were here). Our dive guides, Leo, Steve, and Grace were awesome--informative and encouraging and relaxed. They took special effort to make me feel comfortable, as our first dive was only my second time scuba diving in the ocean. The captains and first mates were also fantastic. On one morning dive, the first mate of our boat, the Tropical Paradise (Sydney, maybe?) had to jump in a rescue a diver who had been stranded by another diving company! The consistent head counts and attention to detail and currents assured us that something like that would not happen with Rainbow Reef. Thank you to Rainbow Reef! read more

Terrible dive experience. Extremely crowded boats. Miserable dive master who liked to lecture people by yelling at them. Took us to a totally crappy reef that was ugly. Worst dive experience ever read more

First class dive center, very professional, knowledgeable & skilled, excellent customer service, outstanding operations (captains, dive guides, deck hands, big nice boats), very organized, wonderful experience all around, will be back. I highly recommend them, reasonably priced & you won't find better. Dive with the best! read more

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This place sucks. Not only is all the corral dead at the bottom so it's all grey but the instructors told me to leave my stuff on the boat (I had to go to the ER with my brother because somethin happened to him) and they told me they'd make sure I get my stuff back. Instead they let some folks steal my wetsuit that was over $500. I don't recommend this place. Also the instructor was telling us how 2 of his clients died underwater. Do better shitty ass rainbow reef. When I reached out about my stolen items they just ignored me. Fuck you guys and this place fr. 0 Stars. read more

Great prices on training. And fun place to dive. These guys train more dive than any other place in the Americas.

Thanks to the team at Rainbow Reef Dive Center especially Bianca my dive master for helping me conquer this wreck! Finally beat my "white whale" and had a great dive on the Spiegel Grove! That's me giving it the finger. So glad to have accomplished this! I have been a certified diver since 1999 and advanced certified since 2001. I had wanted to dive all the wrecks of the Florida Keys- the wreck trek- and already had several of them in my log book. Seven years ago I had a bad experience with a now out of business dive operator which caused me to reevaluate my interest in diving and I didn't dive at all for three years. When I decided to dive again it was with some rules I put in place for myself for safety one of which was on more challenging dives I decided to pay to have a private dive master for an extra level of comfort. Rainbow Reef was highly recommended by a friend who is the most meticulous planner and never leaves a single detail overlooked. If they were good for him I was confident they would be good for me. So I took a refresher course (thanks Elena!) and did a half dozen dives this week to practice my skills and confirm I was comfortable. I booked a private guide, Bianca, who was terrific. She was patient, affirming, and helped me to be confident. And Captain Dennis and Jessica and Jeff did everything they could to make this a safe and fun trip. Very grateful to have the opportunity to see this beautiful ship, fully encrusted with coral and sitting in clear, gorgeously blue water. To celebrate- I'm diving it again Friday and two other wrecks Saturday! A big shout out to all the staff at Rainbow Reef- the captains were all safety focused, the crew helpful, and a huge HIGH FIVE to the first boat I was on that had an ALL FEMALE CREW- Captain Abby, first mate Jennifer, dive masters Jessica and Elena! Girl power! You are awesome!! read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Me on the Spiegel Grove. Waited seven years to complete this dive! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

We have been to Rainbow Reef several times now, and will continue to go back. Every time we are there, we are greeted by friendly and helpful staff every step of the way. Easy to book with, awesome customer service, skilled captains/crew and some of the best dive sites in the country, what more do you need? We had a couple of the same guides from a previous trip, and they impressed again. Caleb and "Diver Dina" were awesome to be on the boat and in the water with. We have done it all with them. The deep wrecks have barracuda, sharks, rays, grouper and a ton other fish. The Spiegel is by far our favorite wreck. The shallow reef dives are amazing as well and loaded with life. Our favorites so far are The Aquarium, Pickles Reef and Snappers ledge.... But they are all beautiful. We have done 2 night dives with them and both times we saw countless sea turtles. 5 stars for sure read more

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Rainbow Reef was recommended to my Fiancé and I from several people for us to complete our open water certification before we venture to the Great Barrier Reef on our honeymoon. We had the pleasure of getting educated by both Todd and Rebecca. Rebecca was "Shadowing" Todd, but wound up guiding us through a lot of the process as Todd worked with the other couple that was getting certified with us. This was very nice because we had a 2-1 student to instructor ratio rather than 4-1 which is more typical. Unfortunately, we some pretty horrible conditions for first time divers. Our day out at sea had both of us feeling extremely nauseas. We were able to power through it though thanks to Todd and Rebecca being very patient with us. Safety was their number one concern for us. We were lucky enough to be brought out to a ship wreck for our dives. We saw massive schools of fish unlike anything we had ever seen before while snorkeling. We also got to be within just a few feet of several sea turtles. They were breathtaking. Todd and Rebecca also gave us a ton of great recommendations in Key Largo for lunch and dinner. We cannot recommend Rainbow Reef and specifically Todd and Rebecca enough. read more

I completed my IDC and IE and couple years ago here and the Professional education program here is 1st class!! Me and my wife recently completed a week long trip with the folks at Rainbow Reef and to say they were all amazing is an understatement ! From the CPT's , Mates, guides and certainly not to forget the staff at the reservations and check in counter were all amazing!! All great dives from Deep, Drift ,Wreck, Reef they all were incredible ! These people will bend over backwards to accommodate your diving needs and not to mention the best dive prices in the keys. If youre ever in the Keys don't miss out on an opportunity to come dive with the Rainbow Reef crew. read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Angela at the Christ of Abyss statue - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Hands-down the best dive operation in the Keys. Exceptionally knowledgeable staff and well-maintained equipment make for fun diving adventures on the reefs. Most of us are becoming more environmentally aware and conscious of the damage that is being done to our oceans. We want to be able to pass down to future generations the wonder and beauty that diving has to offer. Rainbow Reef is no exception. For this reason, they sponsor DAD (Dive Against Debris) to help remove debris from the ocean and replace coral on the reefs through the Ocean Conservation Foundation. They are a Blue Star Operator. For me, it is critically important to support organizations that care so deeply about our environment. Rainbow Reef is just such an organization and has definitely earned my repeat business. A big thank you to the Captains and crew members who have kept us safe and given us fun memories that will last a lifetime. read more

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Me and my family have been coming here for years, it never disappoints. Masters and instructors know what they are doing and are very knowledgeable and passionate, the crew members and other employees are all kind and outgoing. Tammy was a fantastic dive master and guide, she needs a promotion. Go to rainbow reef if you are diving in Florida. We now choose Key Largo over any island in the keys for vacation just because of this location and its hospitality. read more

We dove on 5/16/2023 Fantastic operation with very knowledgeable guides. They helped us with every need as we are older divers. Ask for Diver Dina. She's awesome! Cam was a Rockstar as well. Elaina was super sweet. We will be back! Kevin & Wendy Panizza read more

I don't dive regularly due to not living closer to ocean but every 1-2 years i do i obviously need a refresher or help with my equipment. I got on the boat and the Captain immediately came at me to "put your gear together so we can go" i told him i didn't know how and needed help and in front of the ENTIRE BOAT he screamed at me "YOU SHOULDN'T BE ON THIS BOAT IF YOU CANT PUT UR GEAR TOGETHER! ARE YOU EVEN CERTIFIED? YOU SHOULDNT BE IN THE WATER" I was completely humiliated and shocked Usually when i dive the gear is prepped or someone comes around to help you. I have never been treated this way for being out of practice with diving. Also the captain couldnt even get us over the dive spot and when we descended the master didnt know where he was and we didnt get to the conch wall I would never recommend this place. Thank you only to Tammy who came over to help me with my gear after my public humiliation. read more

Diver Dina is fabulous...... thank Dina for being so thorough and easing my anxiety. Laurie and Dee Ann read more

Enjoyed four dives this past week with Rainbow Reef and we will certainly be back. Booking is super easy, their website has all the details on boats/dive locations. Boats are nice Newton dive boats so plenty of room. Staff is professional and there to help as needed. Guides are available and complementary (unlike most shops in the area) but you are also free to dive on your own. Also, be sure to stop by their retail shop after a day of diving and spin their wheel. We won a free dive (that we used the next day) and some discounts on equipment that we planned to buy anyway. To some of the comments about young staff... we certainly had some college age folks (who are training to become instructors on the boat while serving as your guide) they were professional, friendly and helpful. For us, I would like to thank Joe, Paige & Payton for keeping my family safe and well taken care of. read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Dad did a refresher and we dove 3 days with them. Crew is helpful and shop has great safety procedures in place. The shop has 3 boats and some can carry as many as 30 passengers if I'm not mistaken. During the SI, they always make sure everyone is back on the boat with a name check. The shallow dives are no more than 40 feet which was great for beginners. All the dives are accompanied by a DM. Shout out to Bianca and Elliott! read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Christ of the abyss statue - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Pros and cons. Pros: a lot of dives available each and everyday. Cancellation policy is awesome. Very helpful and friendly when booking. Cons: the dive boats are crowded. They shove a lot of people on a one boat. You lose the connection you would normally get and make with the dive shop. It's very commercialized and not personable. read more

My husband and I did our open water certification and had the best experience. I grew up snorkeling and always thought I would feel anxious with scuba diving. At 41 years old I decided to give it a try and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. Todd was our instructor and he did a wonderful job explaining everything so that we felt totally safe and therefore had a ton of fun! I would highly recommend him as an instructor. He is totally dedicated to helping his students succeed and is hilarious! The weather wasn't conducive to a boat dive our first day so he took us to Jules' undersea lodge and we were able to get a lot of the skills knocked out that day. The next day we started the day in the pool and then took the boat trip that afternoon. The flow of the class worked out really well even with the weather changes. Definitely recommend!! read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Jules' undersea lodge on day one - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

My son and I just completed our Rescue Diver and Master SCUBA Diver with Mu at Rainbow Reef Dive Center. What an incredible experience! Mu reached out to us a few days prior to explain the process, so we knew what to expect when we arrived. He was a great instructor, and kept us well informed throughout the course. When the weather didn't cooperate for our 2nd day due to rough seas, we already knew Mu had an alternative plan, as he had talked about it 2 days prior. We had a GREAT experience! Thank you Rainbow Reef Dive Center! Thank you Mu!!! read more

I made a reservation with these guys to do a two tank dive this afternoon. I can't speak to the divers professionalism, but their telephone staff are rude to start with. They tell you anything the boats the reefs, the staff or any of that. Nope they just launch into taking your info. Good luck with these guys. Ida in particular was either having a bad day or seriously in need of a personality transplant. Then they cancelled the dive boat, and tried to tell me they left a message to let me know. I suppose 3 seconds of dead air and a hangup qualifies in their book as leaving a message. In my next dive article I'll remember to mention these guys. I recommend Amoray divers in Key Largo. These guys not so much. Dive S.A.F.E! read more

We've done probably 20-25 snorkel tours in Key Largo as it's only 1.5 hours from home, and the majority were with Keys Diver, which is sadly defunct after the pandemic. We've done two tours with Rainbow Reef, and are completely finished with this outfit. The first time we went out to some "reef" we had never heard of before, which was about 5 minutes outside the breakwater. It was just a pile of rocks that they knew they'd save gas money on. We were very vocal to our organizer, and they knew they were wrong so we got a freebie for the next tour. The second time we went to two stops further out, but again the first stop was one I'd never heard of, and was, in fact another group of bare rocks. I wish I had taken pictures. I told the Capt. that this was bogus and he said he'd never had complaints before. I call BS. The second place was OK, but as always, they always seem to be getting people out of the water early to get back early. Sadly, Keys Diver isn't around anymore so I don't know who to suggest, but this outfit is VERY substandard, and just a waste of money. read more

Great dive shop in Largo! Did 8 dives over 2 days for Memorial Day weekend. Super friendly staff, boats are in good shape, and decent prices on dives. My only caution is to make sure which location you're leaving out of, they're across from a canal but it's like 10 mins to get from one to the other! read more

This is the first time that I dove with Rainbow Reef and it won't be the last. My buddy and I booked a two day trip with this operation and had a really good experience. I made reservations over the phone about three weeks in advance. it Was an easy process. When We got to the dive center the day prior, the process of filling out forms and confirming was again seamless. Both days of diving were really good. Great crew, boats were in good condition and easy getting on and off the boat. I would highly recommend this operation. read more

Got my Advanced Open Water with Payton Powell. Awesome instructor!!! Her relaxed vibe at depth always put me at ease instantly. Just trying to mimic her I know I became a better diver with every dive. She was always attentive checking on us as we swam and pointing out sea life. She was responsive anytime I signaled and quick to help with anything. I really enjoyed my time with Payton and I would recommend anyone train with her and/or get her as your guide if you are diving in Key Largo. read more

This place was great. The boat and crew were fenomenal our diving guide was Taylor which I ask him if he could film my girlfriend and I when I proposed to her while diving. Everything came up perfectly and I couldn't ask for a better guide and crew. read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Engagement while scuba diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Drove from S.FLA to Key West, booked in advance w/Rainbow Reef, based on the recommendations AND with just a few days in each area, we wanted to make sure we had the best opportunity to see Christ of the Abyss. I confirmed when calling to book, asked that they call and let us know if there were any changes, for any reason. See where this is going? Schedule changed, no notice. No reason. We dove Mike's Wreck and City of Washington, both were unremarkable. Visibility was fair... There were a ton of jelly fish in the water at Mike's Wreck.. Little to no information on the locations, history or ecosystem. Lots of corny jokes, though. Due to COVID the boat head hasn't been pumped out and is non-functional. With so many options, I can't find any to recommend w/Rainbow Reef. Reasonably competent but nothing special. read more

I scheduled three dive days with Rainbow Reef Dive, and they did not disappoint! Each day was a different captain, different crew/guides and different locations, but each captain and crew were consistent and provided exceptional service . Safety and service were a top priority. The captains were extremely knowledgeable and very professional! The first day Payton was our guide and she rocked! Her professionalism and knowledge of the dive site was exceptional! Peyton provided excellent service and. Made the tip so fun! Day 2 Sam our as we called him "sweaty" Sam was our guide and we also loved him! He had a fantastic sense of humor in addition to his experience and knowledge of the area, he provided excellent t service.Day 3 Matthew was our guide. Again another amazing crew member and guide. He's super chill but at the same time was extremely professional and attentive to his group both on the boat and underwater! Rainbow Reef is a class act dive center and I can't recommend them enough! I will be diving with them again. read more