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

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

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

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

Great experience with one exception. We spent a lot of time figuring out the dives we wanted and they switched one of them without notice. I know they give the disclaimer, but still not cool to do this without at least an explanation of why. I had explicitly excluded the substitute site. Now other than that, we had a great experience. Easy sign up, easy check in, easy equipment rental, nice equipment, nice hotel/multi-dive packages (2 min walk from hotel to boat), great boat crew.... Really all positive. read more

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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

I'm a new diver and could not be happier with the staff. Today Morgan and Bianca were part of the crew, very professional and super helpful, Bianca was the guide for my group always made sure everyone was ok Two weeks ago was the first time I went diving with them on that day Ana one of the crew members was quick to dive in and assist me with getting back on the boat Thank u Ana! 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

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

I wanted to be certified in scuba, and these guys were amazing. My instructor, Caleb, was thorough and patient, and the boat crew (capt David, Paige, and the others) were super helpful, friendly, made my certification a wonderful experience. They really made sure to check your gear before entering the water. I felt so safe with them. I highly recommend them. I would love to come back and have them take to dive sites the next time I'm back. read more

Travelled to Key Largo for the Veteran's Day to dive, and selected Rainbow Reef on the recommendations of a lot of people. Found out the Rainbow Reef offers dive/hotel packages that are quite reasonable, with the hotel rates cheaper than the best rate I could find! That's saying something as I'm platinum with both Marriott & Holiday Inn! The packages are Holiday Inn & Courtyard Marriott on the same marina, within easy walking distance of the shops. Once I checked in to pay for the dives, I got a pretty sweet shock- turns out that Rainbow Reef offers complimentary dives AND nitrox for military and veterans during the Veteran's Day weekend! What a great program for the military, veterans, and retirees! Checking in for the dive there was a long line, but it moved pretty quick. RR had tablets were you could fill out your waiver electronically. Once we checked in we got colored wristbands with the name of the boat we were scheduled on. That came in handy to get you on the right boat! It was a beautiful holiday weekend to go diving in the Florida Keys! The next day and a half was a blur of dives, but two things stood out: the USS Spiegel Grove wreck and the Christ in the Abyss statue. The Spiegel Grove is awesome, the biggest ship I've seen to become an artificial reef. Lots of swim throughs to go through. Along the main deck someone placed an US flag. That was a must-stop for all the veterans on the dive! The Christ in the Abyss is a copy of the original in Italy. It sits in about 30 feet of water, making it accessible to snorkelers too. There's seaweed/soft coral fringing its edges, and no color correction is needed. There's also a quality of light at the monument that was quite unique and simply beautiful! Mahalo Rainbow Reef for treating us veterans! Definitely will recommend and repeat! read more

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A buddy of mine decided to head to Miami for his bachelor party so that we could incorporate a few days of diving along with the famed South Beach nightlife. After a sleepless redeye into MIA and having to deal with a crappy rental car company, we arrived down in Key Largo about 45 mins before the scheduled time to head out for our charter. I would recommend showing up atleast 30 mins prior to give you time to find parking and also to take care of your paperwork. Unlike a few people, it took us a bit of time to find parking as the lot was packed. The boat was packed with divers and snorkelers so getting setup took a bit longer than normal. It was a hot and humid day so I was anxiously waiting to get into the water. I forget the second dive spot but the first was Rainbow reef. Vis was decent...not the best but the water was nice and warm. Really didn't need my long sleeve rash guard but wore it just for protection. Our guide was friendly and glad we only had a total of 6. The sealife was decent but I had hoped for more sea life. The crew and captain were super friendly and offered plenty of cold bottled water along with snacks. A big plus for those that don't come prepared. If ever back in Miami, I'd definitely make the 1.5 hour drive to go diving with these guys. read more

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Had a great experience with this company! The crew was fun and professional and would suggest this company to my friends. If you want to dive some cool wrecks and reefs this is your company. I wish they offered some spearfishing trips. They don't allow spearfishing with them so you can leave the spear at home. read more

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Had a great experience w Rainbow Reef after a considerable hiccup w a competitor that made me pivot. I guess things happen for a reason.... My instructor (Tammy) was a diligent, patient sweetheart; & the folks onboard (Paige, Dustin, etc.) were helpful, friendly & considerate. Very competent, organized & customer-focused.....top notch! If I make it back down to the Keys, w no doubt, Ill dive w em again.... read more

Excellence in safety and fun. Great guides, great captain, Molasses reef was very cool. Nice boats, nice shops, great people working the shops! read more

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I wouldn't recommend Rainbow Reef to experienced divers. These guys are the Walmart of diving: cheap, prolific, and efficient. They run a tight ship, but this efficiency comes at the cost of fun. Our group did 4 dives with them. What stood out to us was the time pressure and lack of interest from the guides. As other reviews pointed out, these guys don't believe in surface intervals. Surface interval after the Spiegel dive, to 80 feet, was ~15 minutes. Luckily, we came up after only 13-15 minutes on the wreck, well short of NDL and with half a tank of air left. Short dive, short surface interval, back to the dock, ready to go again - efficient but not fun. The guides were not very personable, hanging out with each other not paying attention to the divers. The briefings were patronizing. Different boats do things differently and that's OK, but these guys treat their particular, non-standard way of doing things as the only way. We were more or less treated like clueless tourists as opposed to customers who share a passion for the natural world and scuba diving. Bottom line: the rush and overall vibe on the boat dampened the enjoyment from otherwise pretty good dives. We will choose a smaller operation next time, pay a bit more, but dive in a way that's more tailored to our experience and preferences. read more

Rainbow Reef is a huge operation. I booked dives for 2 people, and when I arrived, they only had me down for 1 person. Our dive boat was booked, but luckily, someone cancelled last minute, so we were still able to dive as scheduled. They had multiple boats leaving at the same time, so it was sort of a crap show. It felt like they were herding cows...and we were the cows. We had a packed small boat. I felt like everyone was on top of each other. We also did a night dive. Since only one boat went out, check in wasn't as crazy. Also, we had a big boat with not a lot of divers, so we weren't on top of each other. My night dive experience was a lot better compared to my day dives. Another thing....it seemed like a good amount of the employees were new to the area. It would have been nice to have staff familiar with the dives to provide some tips on what to expect on the dives. read more

My 11 year old son got open water certified this past weekend. His instructor Haley was absolutely phenomenal. I HIGHLY recommend her as an instructor for kids and for anyone that is a little nervous starting off. She has a way of putting you at ease and getting you really comfortable in the water and with the skills taught. We will be taking more classes again with her in the future! The boat dives were great to! Crew and Captain were professional and fun! read more

Had an awesome refresher course with Cameron today; he was perfect. Patient, easy to understand, full of tips and helpful info to make it all come together. We spent the morning in the pool going over all those important skills you tend to forget after time away from diving. I feel confident and excited to head out this afternoon after his instruction. Highly recommend this dive shop and especially Cameron! read more

We had a wonderful time. Chirstian is a great instructor. I made a video about our experience check it out. https://youtu.be/SZtxUa8e1xY read more

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

I would not recommend going with Rainbow Reef.. I did 2 dives with Rainbow reef. Both were on pretty much the same dive site instead of going to a different location for a second dive, the explanation was that current has picked up (but in reality it felt like they were in a rush to get back to the dock). - they were very strict about getting back on a boat in exactly 60 mins - No surface interval between dives (first was shallow, but can I at least get a moment to drink some water and have a snack?) - speaking of snacks..none were offered. - no camera rinse bin. - a couple crew members criticized me over using an air from tank to clean water off the 1st stage regulator cap. Sorry, that's the way I do it and that's the way many divers do it. - weird policy about removing fins EXCLUSIVELY while on the tow line. - tank prepared for me was empty which I noticed during pre-dive check and it had to be replaced read more

Wednesday was our family's worst vacation day ever because of Rainbow Reef. We were new to scuba and did the morning pool lesson with Jen (that part was great) and then the afternoon Discovery Dive. Captain Dan started the boat ride by explaining that he was a former rodeo rider. The crew gave instructions and pointed out 2 large vomit buckets in the center of the boat. I'm a lifelong boater but this was the roughest ride I have ever, ever gone on. My family spent the entire 3hr trip vomiting on the boat and holding on for dear life. The crew said the day before was worse! When my son said he was getting sick and asked for a bucket, crew told him to just lean over the side and the fish would swim up and eat it and "give us a show." Over the course of the afternoon, our son vomited 15-20x, my husband, 10 or so. I started last and only vomited 6-7x. Of the 7 guests onboard, 5 of 7 vomited. Meanwhile, the crew taunted us as we vomited by blasting a song with the chorus repeatedly singing, "We're freaking out". There were only 2 good spots to throw up over the side of the boat, so we used the buckets too when we all vomited at the same time. When the vomiting became too violent, it missed the bucket and went all over the floor of the boat and the crew washed it off between everybody's feet. When we arrived at the reef, the water was still very choppy, making it hard to walk across the boat. The crew encouraged us to scuba dive even though we were still vomiting, suggesting that if we need to, we can throw up into the respirators in our mouths while we're in the water. Then blow out and fish will come and eat it. Not sure about your family vacations but that's not on my bucket list. Maybe because we had paid over $500 for the trip, we jumped off the boat and tried to scuba. None of us lasted over 5 minutes because we continued vomiting. We were captive and vomiting in the boat for another 2 hours before returning to shore where the crew promised us the seasickness was "nothing a margarita at Sharkey's wouldn't fix." We were sick all night and the next day. Our phone message to the owner "DJ" went unreturned. Save your vacation! Don't scuba with Rainbow Reef! read more

I received my advanced open water/nitrox certifications here and I had an amazing experience. The dive sites they took us to were unique (especially the shipwrecks), and all of the dive guides/crew were eager to help and made sure we were all having a fun time. For my courses, Odis Glover and Mu were our instructors and they both did an amazing job. We were Odis' first students and he was extremely professional and did what he could to make sure we were comfortable both in and out of the water. Overall I highly recommend Rainbow Reef to anyone wanting scuba certifications! read more

Worst choice of diving here. Even though, you book here unfortunately, don't ever choose Dan as your instructor. He called himself 'professional', in fact he is a racist, it was our first time diving, he did not let us take enough training in the pool, he also let his other student who wants to become an instructor in the future to train us as experiment of their teaching diving, then he said That I cannot swim at all, I've been swimming for long time, I can swim in the pool for 10 rounds, He is discriminated to Asian people. Don't waste your pressure time at here, otherwise you will find out you paid all money for diving, and you will only dive in the hotel pool for 15 minutes They refused to refund all money to you, they will take your $100 deposits for 'diving' in the pool. What a way to do business. read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Wrong place to dive unless you don't worry your money - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Overall well run operation. It is LARGE. Going in I was very worried that the staff wouldn't be personable, that it was basically going to be a mill, or that we would end up in a wrong location. Check in process the morning of the dives was a little confusing, because there were ALOT of people, and I wish there would have been more communication about timing of boat return and next trip... there was only about a 35 minute turn around between morning boat and afternoon (I was hungry and cranky and didn't have time to grab lunch between) I did a 2 tank morning wreck dive, and Eddie was awesome as a guide! We ended up a group of 4 and he made everything feel seamless and like we had all been diving together for years. My mom and boyfriend did a Discover Scuba class with Gabe and I cannot say enough wonderful things about him. He gave so much extra time and attention to my mom and really took the time to explain things well to my boyfriend who wants to continue on with open water classes. read more

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

Stopped by during my last visit to key largo. Really appreciated the staff they were passionate about diving. I went in not sure if I needed a new bcd for my wife or not, rather than just sell me a bcd they talked with me about her complaints. Their integrity and customer focus was exceptional, I have no hesitation recommending them to anyone needing great advice with a good selection of gear. read more

Three years of excellence in diving with RRDC has been amazing. Passed my Advanced Open Water with my amazing Dive Master Abby, thank you! Today's trips were awesome with Captain Michelle , Dive Guide Jack, Rescue Specialist Chad and the incredible First Mate Diver Dina. This crew and the whole team were off the charts. They went above and beyond to make sure every diver had a great experience & were safe. After many trips with RRDC I highly recommend them !!! The only thing that bothered me was when we were leaving I noticed that there were very few people who showed their appreciation to this crew with gratuity! Despicable. read more

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Meh. We were going to dive two days but the experience from day 1 wasn't worth it. We are both experienced master divers with a couple hundred dives over six years. Our perspective is from mostly doing local shore dives or charters in California but we do occasionally dive around the world for tropical stuff. We've had a worse charter than this, but most are much, much better. The bad: The captain gave snarky comments instead of kind, helpful suggestions. The dives are super short. The guide was uninterested and just kept swimming away. It was like a drift dive instead of him having any enthusiasm and helping us see interesting things. We would have enjoyed our dive more if we had navigated ourselves. The experience was overall just being treated as a tourist/cattle instead of being respected as fellow divers. If we come back to the Keys, we'll try to get a scoop on where the locals go. Note, Brandon and another girl were very respectful and nice. read more

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice and I'm an idiot for deciding to give Rainbow reef another try. Came specifically to dive the Spiegle and the Duane. Used RR because none of the other shops I usually use where doing both. I knew it would be a hectic cattle call from the first time I dived with them but was willing to put up with it to get the 2 wreks in. I made a reservation, got a confirmation email and then got assigned to the wrong boat. They had me dive the Spiegle twice. If you're an ow student or dive once a year on vacation, you probably won't mind diving with RR. If you dive regularly, have specific sites you want to see, have a camera (no camera bucket) or don't enjoy getting kicked in the face by students, I would stay clear. read more

I had my first dive in Bora-Bora. It was not enjoyable. I felt rushed through the training, and although my husband is an experienced rescue diver, I just couldn't relax & feel safe. I am a thrill seeker, as a skydiver and Chicago Police Officer, I decided I needed to give diving another chance. My experience at Rainbow Reef was life changing. MADDY! Thank you SO VERY MUCH for showing me how amazing, beautiful and FUN diving can be! Your patience at thoroughly explaining steps, demonstrating steps, then watching me execute the steps was immensely beneficial to my new lifelong passion. I did not feel like I was taking a class with an instructor. I merely felt like I was prepping for a fun swim. I cannot thank you enough! On a side note, the store adopted a stray cat. I'm very much allergic to cat dander. After standing in the store for about 15 minutes my asthma flared up. I began to wheeze, which was not a good start to my experience with Rainbow Reef. Simply stating this for anyone with the same allergy, be prepared. Also for the store owner; take this in consideration for your clients well being, take it with a grain of salt. Back to Maddy, thanks again, and I will be looking for you to dive with whenever I'm back in Key Largo. Chicago Tourist, A.L. read more

I went scuba diving with my family for the first time here at rainbow reef and it was easily one of the coolest things I have ever done. The service was amazing along with the diving instructors. I had no issues at all, definitely recommend! read more

Please guys are amazing and I would definitely recommend driving with them! Hailey was my guide and she did a fantastic job! Everyone was very friendly and helpful, I hope I can get my AOW here. read more

Do NOT use these incompetent jerks for diving certifications. I completed my advanced open water with this shop a year ago. They have not submitted my completion to PADI so in the eyes of PADI, I am not an advance openwater diver. Over the last two months I have called over 10 times. Each time they said that they would have a manager call back. NOBODY has called back. These guys are horrible!!!!!!!! Update... I got a call from Rainbow Reef's manager. In his defense, they finally submitted the required documentation to PADI. It only took a year and 3 months, 2 months of which I called over and over again and was told each time that a manager would call me back (which never happened). The Rainbow Reef manager then expressed his concern about my review and asked me to change it. I explained to him what happened which led me to submit this review. His excuse was that Rainbow Reef is the largest PADI dive operation in North America. His attitude was one of exasperation, not at his staff for allowing this to happen, but at me for writing the review in the first place. This is all you need to know about Rainbow Reef! My response: If your staff was competent or showed any level of customer support/empathy when I repeatedly pleaded with them to assist me, I would have never written this review. BUT, after more than 10 attempts and Rainbow Reef's position that my issue was not their problem, the review is going to stay. Happy diving. read more

About $ 245 dollars will get you two dives for two people with equipment which makes it a little higher than other diving operations on the Keys. It is a big operation running 4-5 boats that I noticed with morning, afternoon and night dives. They offer a wide variety of dives based on your level. Would I dive with this company again? Probably, but I did miss the cookies they promised! read more

After 2 other dives by another dive shop cancelled because of weather, Rainbow Reef (I assume because of their bigger boats) were still going out. What a blessing in disguise! Despite being an hour and a half away from our rental, we were happy to return to (3 times for me and 4 times for my buddy) to them for our dives. The staff is safe with detailed briefings, attentive, and makes everyone feel comfortable despite varying abilities. Equipment is taking care of for you if you want. The guides are attentive, make sure they don't lose you and always double check your air (even tho you know you should!) It was awesome to be on a boat navigated and lead by all women (Captain Alison, First Mate Kailean--sorry something like that!-and another woman captain in training). One new thing I learned. DO NOT BRING BANANAS ON A BOAT! Be sure to ask CAPT ALISON to explain to you why. She must have this explanation published. Shout out to my patient guide Eddy for helping guide me thru bouyancy and encouraging me during my first enclosed dive, Captain Alison, Kailean (sorry!), Jeff, Capt Jo...and Im forgetting others. But all the staff were great! I would gladly return. Thanks guys! read more

Great group of people. Well organized, friendly, professional and fun. They know how to teach, how to lead and how to get everyone back safely. (Plus, the dives are fantastic.) We've enjoyed three years of training and trips with them. Highly recommended. read more

First time diving in the ocean, and the experience was great! Went on an afternoon dive, check-in was at 12:45pm but traffic caused us to be late. Called ahead to see if I could still go and they said yes! They were very helpful with setting things up and making sure everything went smoothly. 10/10 recommend for any new divers! read more