Working in the dive industry is not easy, and I debated writing this post. But, the experience I had with Rainbow Reef is one that is full of agregious threats to human life. First, I had to beg this shop to fill my tanks and Didier was very dismissive and curt on the phone with me. He said it would be too late to fill them but the time I arrived in town and in the morning they are too busy taking care of other customers. Umm, I am a customer, too. I had to beg them and entice them with tips to fill my tanks before a dive on the Speigel Grove. Captain Bill and Jeff were okay. Captain David made it known he was our captain at the last minute on the way to the dog park and didn't seem too happy to be on the boat. He took us out to dive in 7ft seas and being a seasoned diver, I chose to sit out the dives as did a few other people. Captain David was more interested in where he left his phone than the fact that divers should have never been put in these conditions and at no time did his crew post a lookout as a few divers did pop up away from the boat. He said if they want to ride back, they will swim back to the boat. He had no care or regard for the safety of the divers on his vessel. Mind you, most of my experience is diving the Northeast, and no Captain would ever be this complacent. Do you want to go diving at a place that treats you like cattle, where you have to beg to fill your tanks, and have your life threatened by being thrown into dangerous conditions? If you answered yes, then Rainbow Reef is the nightmare dive destination for you! read more

After nearly ten years of living in South Florida, I never snorkeled in the Keys! I was invited on a scuba trip with friends and told that I could snorkel instead, so jumped aboard. We drove about an hour and a half to Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo. It was hoppin' on a Saturday but we had a reservation beforehand. For snorkeling with equipment, I paid $55. On the website, it says $45 including equipment, but for some reason I was charged $10 for the fins, snorkel and mask when I got there. We arrived at 7:30 am, left around 8:00 am and came back around noon after visiting two dive sites. When all is said and done, the trips are geared towards scuba divers. I was able to see a nurse shark, turtles, and plenty of fish just snorkeling along, but the boat isn't made to relax on and most of the crew is focused on the divers rather than snorkelers. Thankfully, they had plenty of water, but no snacks other than Oreos. Bring food if you think you need it! The day we went out, the boat was rocking like crazy, leading many to some serious sea sickness. I would take medicine the night before and morning of even if you aren't usually prone to it. The water can be rough! All in all, I can't believe it took me so long to take a trip like this. The whole experience was painless and everyone enjoyed seeing the beautiful sea life. I would for sure come back, but maybe wait until I'm scuba certified. read more

Let me start off by saying: if I could give six stars to Rainbow Reef, I would! I recently received my Open Water certification with Rainbow Reef. This was my second time with the dive shop. My instructor was Chris B. and he led a class of four students. Chris was a fantastic instructor. He was fully engaged and wanted us to not only learn, but also wanted each student to be completely comfortable underwater. You can tell he genuinely enjoys teaching the course, and helping people enjoy their time safely underwater. I went into my OW training with a mental block but succeeded because of Chris' teaching style. I highly recommend anyone looking for certifications to request Chris. The dive shop overall has a ton of friendly employees/crew. From the retail store to the boats--everyone is happy to do the work they do. As a newly certified OW diver traveling with a highly experienced diver (who has used RR for many certifications as well), we will only use Rainbow Reef while in Key Largo. They are a well-oiled machine who helps you get the most of our your diving experience safely -- no matter your level of diving. Can't wait to go back to RR for more diving and eventually my Advanced Open Water certification! read more

It was very easy to call and set up a reservation which was a plus. The diving instructors and most of the crew were great. My only complaint was the boat captain. He was rude with the way he talked to me. He was very unprofessional. I would not recommend diving with him. I would recommend diving with his staff but I will never step foot on that boat again as long as he is the captain. The boat captain was an older man with white hair. read more

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

Went out with Rainbow reef recently January 2020 and also back in November 2014. Ahjah was a great nitrox instructor and guide for the first day, and Hollis was a wonderful guide the second day! Whole crew is very awesome, high energy, knowledgeable, and charismatic. Dove the Spiegel Grove, Sand Island, Logan's Run, Snappers Ledge, and Pickle's Reef. Saw a few huge moray eels, goldeneye eel, Goliath grouper, nurse shark, huge sea turtle, scorpion fish, angel fish, parrot fish, sting ray, and trumpet fish! read more

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

My wife and I went here after reviews from websites. This was a nice place, seemed a little disorganized, they ask that we show up at 0700 yet they aren't even there and ready when you arrive. I own my own business and if I ask someone to show up at 0700 I'm arriving at 0630 to set up make sure everything is ready when the other party arrives. The staff was super friendly, that helped me to relax. My wife is Padi certified yet I am not. I took the DSD course to see if I'd even enjoy scuba diving. It was an amazing time under water, but with 1 instructor for 5 folks, it felt like I was expected to already be at some form of comfort level. I can understand that to a point, since they have a limited amount of time. But, I had to progress at my own pace to get comfortable and confident enough. But once in the ocean, and no way to really communicate underwater (first part was in a pool), things got a little frustrating. My wife which is certified requested more weight 3 times and didn't get any help. I kept saying to give me a minute so I could acclimate and the instructor kept insisting I deflate my BCD to make sure I could drop. Don't get me wrong, the instructors were great for the most part, but in a rush to use time wisely and attend to everyone, things got ignored and enjoyment was diminished for us. Recommending them, I won't take that away from them.... as I would use them again, but next time it would be one of the private instructor led dives for sure. We'd considered going the next day but we were so worn out after the all day adventure. We might go on the 3rd day. The area was beautiful were we went on Elbow Reef, City of Washington and Mikes Wreck. Saw the turtles and fish for sure. No sharks. Darn. We were on the Santana boat with 3 other groups of 3 and 4. Some were doing courses for Open Water Cert and another group for Advance Cert. it was a mix but still small enough groups to have plenty of room on the boat. The other divers were super friendly. I know RRDS can't control that, but folks that share a similar passion makes it nice to have comradery, they were encouraging as well to use newer divers. It really was a good time despite the minor set backs. read more

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I did my checkout dives for my Open Water certification here, and I definitely recommend coming here for your first dive. All the captains and divemasters have been working here for ages, and are very knowledgeable of the sea conditions and just about everything in the area. They're also relaxed and friendly, they seem to run their business more like one big family than a dive shop. I rented my BCD and regulator here, which were both in fine condition. BCD's were relatively new Aqualung ones, and the regulators were in good condition as well. They also seem to follow all the procedures I learned in class, except for the buddy check as you're setting up for the gear. Before leaving, the captain and first mate introduce themselves, and the divemasters give the briefing of the dive sites and roll call as well. At this point, you also set up the gear over the air tanks and put on your wet suits. They also go over fire and emergency procedures, pointing out where the fire extinguisher, life raft, and emergency transponders are on the boat. They also throw a couple jokes here and there for the VIP area ('seasick' location). Then they head out. Before they arrive at the dive site, the divemasters will sound a 10 minute bell to gear up. With the way the tanks are set up, it's difficult to do the pre-dive safety check with your buddy because you have to be seated with the tanks in the respective holders. Once they arrive at the dive site, they throw all the lines out and give one last briefing on conditions then guide the divers one by one off the end of the boat with a giant stride. However they do check as they guide you off the boat, in case one strap is lose or some other complication. They give you the typical 3000 PSI for the tanks, not sure about the nitrox tanks though. It was plenty enough to last the duration of the dive. On the first couple days we visited parts of Molasses reef, then on the final day we went to Spiegel Grove and Bentwood wreck. Since a tropical storm had just passed, the waves were roughly 4-6 ft on the first day, and the surge was strong too. Visibility was fine, and the current wasn't bad except at Spiegel Grove. We didn't get to see any turtles or rays during my visit, but we did get a glimpse at a couple nurse and reef sharks. Spiegel Grove was amazing. The first two days we didn't dive that deep, but going down the buoy to Spiegel was a sight to behold. There was a good amount of fauna there too, fish hiding in crevices and swimming around. The American flag was also fun to pose at. Bentwood barely looked like a ship at this point, but was home to a lot more fish than the reefs we visited the past two days. One of my friends on the trip even saw a pretty big shark too. I really appreciate all the time and effort they put in to make the trips enjoyable. Onboard they hand out water bottles and cookies regularly, and you can take as much as you want. The boat also has freshwater showers, a designated bin with freshwater to store your cameras, a mask washing station at the end of the boat, and a cooler for storing water and cold drinks. You also got amazing views on top of the ship and nice tanning spot at the bow. If you're lucky or decide to skip out of a dive, you can even jump or dive from the top of the ship for fun. read more

Great dive center with excellent customer service. Prices are competitive for the area. Their package deals are great. After your dive, head to their retail store and spin the wheel to win free stuff!! read more

We dove a shallow dive with Captain Alison and had an amazing time with guide Rayna. We loved it so much we booked a second morning dive for the follow day as soon as we hit the dock! The second day we went out again with Capt Alison and had Trina as our guide. It was an equally enjoyable time. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. The boats are clean and, even when full to capacity, there's no shortness of time in the water. We will definitely be using Rainbow Reef next time we come back to Key Largo! read more

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Dive crew and captain = 5 stars Customer service to book dives = 0 stars Communication = 4 stars I am writing this review to help this company. I enjoy diving here it was the last thing I did before Covid ended and the first thing I did when Covid opened up. When I book my dives I had three people diving at various days and tried to get the schedule coordinated. I walked through it with the person on the phone and when I got the email most of it was wrong. I had to call back and get it fixed. That all worked out fine. I had to call and make a change and got Lou. Lou is rude and does not give a good first impression for such a great business. He acts as if calling him is a major inconvenience and when he asked me what my ship name was for the dive (who remembers that???), when I said I didn't know he replied "that is helpful". What a jerk. Especially since he found what he needed to find in about three seconds after making the stupid comment. I want this business to be successful but think the dive instructors crew and captains are what keeps it together and keeps people coming back. The people at the shop where you spin the wheel are a little prick-ish and Lou certainly fits that bill as well. So what they have is a great middle experience but a crappy beginning and a crappy ending. Still worth diving with them because I understand the situation but hope that most people are not taken aback by these support folks and their attitudes. The dives are unbelievable and the crew is great and I will dive here again because I know what I'm dealing with. I just wonder how much business this is costing them? read more

I'm so grateful we picked Rainbow reef for our snorkeling experience. We were on the Santana with mostly divers. The crew did an amazing job ensuring everyone's safety and also gave us some good laughs. Looking forward to getting into diving next. Great birthday for me! Thanks guys!9 read more

Rainbow reef is the BEST dive boat in key largo! They are so helpful and kind on the boat. They are patient with the adaptive divers and very knowledgeable about the reef and overall diving. I highly recommend diving with this team/boat! read more

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

The reviews are right! This dive center is the best around! We went on two dive trips with them and I couldn't have asked for a better crew! Our first dive was out to Christ of the Abyss and Benwood Wreck! ASK TO GO WITH A GUIDE! The dive guides know what they are doing. We had Jeff and AJ who were absolutely great! The captain and (i think her name was Jo) were also fabulous! I always felt safe and comfortable! The second morning was just as great! We went out to Molasses reef and did a guided dive again! Anna ( i hope that was her name) also was such a great dive guide. One thing to remember to do is to Check the swells before you head out and book your dive trips. Especially if you get sea sick like me. The The gear you rent is nice and well taken care of! Choose this dive shop if you wanna dive in Key Largo! read more

We very much enjoyed our dives with Rainbow Reef Dive Center. Weather conditions were not ideal, but the staff made sure we still got two dives in and kept everyone safe. We appreciated them not canceling the trip since it was the only day we could dive while in Key Largo. They were helpful and energetic and made the most of our trip despite the weather conditions. We will definitely dive with them in the future! read more

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

I've used these guys several times now on diving trips to Key Largo. They are simply top notch; efficient, friendly, fun and funny, organized, great boats and equipment. I'd recommend them to anyone. Got my advanced open water, nitrox, and a couple of specialty certifications with them also. Don't hesitate if you are looking for quality services no matter your diving skills level. read more

Great outfitter , very accommodating and helpful. Captain and crew is amazing no hassles or issues everything is no problem. They make it a memorable experience . Mika is amazing always looking out for a memorable trip. BTW. The Crew loves Publix Chocolate Chip Cookies! read more

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Rainbow Reef is a great operation. After completion of my Advanced Open Water I took my 10 yr to do a Jr Open Water Certification. Special thanks to Ahjah B for his knowledge, patience, and passion. But that is not all. The entire staff was attentive to safety and really strived to make our experience special. A perfect example is on the last day when my sons wetsuit would no longer fit. Several crew members stepped up and literally offered the shirt (albeit rashguard/wetsuit) off their back to keep him warm. Shout out to Maddie/Emma for the kind gestures. The skill and attentiveness is only matched by the passion. These guys love the ocean they are diving in and even animal in it. If in the area (or looking to book a dive trip) I would look no farther than RRDC. read more

We did two mornings of diving with Rainbow Reef, dives in all. This is a well run production. That is mostly a complement. The equipment (we rented BCD, regulators and wet suits) were good to average. The boats, crews and guides were competent, helpful and friendly. We very much enjoyed the dives. However if you don't want to feel rushed and want or need a little more personal attention smaller operation may suit you better. read more

Spent the last three days diving with this group in Key Largo. A good time was had by all. Very safety conscious with a good briefing from the captain and crew before departing. Then a good briefing from our guide who was very well-versed in the area, before hitting the "pool." All of the guides were young men and women who went out of their way to help anyone that wanted it. They of course know their way around the reef quite well. We dove on Molasses reef in several locations and on Spiegel Grove. Had a great time at each spot and saw lots of cool stuff. I look forward to returning some day. read more

A good friend of mine who is both an advanced diver and rescue diver recommended this dive shop as one of the best in the Keys. When I entered everyone was pleasant, and it seemed like a top notch shop. Padi certified across the board. On first impression my Padi instructor, Jeff, seemed pleasant and was clearly experienced and knowledgeable. I was told when I made my reservation that I would be professionally fitted for a mask, as my friend who dives regularly explained that this could make or break the experience, and during my online Padi modules, comfort in diving gear was reiterated repeatedly in multiple sections. So I held off on buying my own mask, and opted for the professional fitting, which basically consisted of Jeff pointing to a wall of masks, discussing narrow versus wide faces, and stating "pick one." I picked one and in short it basically glued right to my face creating intense suction, and Jeff stated, "yeah that looks like a good fit." That was the extent of the professional Padi certified mask fitting. Not too mention the mask was $125, but I was more worried about comfort than cost, and relied on my dive master's experience in choosing the equipment I was purchasing. I ended up spending a total of $740 for equipment and a first dive course. We then proceed to the pool to begin our training. A little background on me, I'm a doctorally prepared Emergency and Family Nurse practitioner (20 years in Emergency Medicine) I only note my credentials because absent my medical background I likely would have ended up with more serious medical issues had I progressed with the training versus what I ended up suffering. As stated previously Jeff was clearly knowledgeable if lacking in the personality department, but I personally prefer the experienced and knowledgeable a-hole vs the incompetent nice guy any day. However, while proficient in most areas, he clearing has never dealt with a condition called mask squeeze. Throughout the training my mask was either leaking and coming off of my face with any type of movement or breath, or squeezing so tight that it felt as if my eyes were being pulled from my orbital sockets, and this was only at 12 feet. I mentioned my issues to Jeff via written tablet at depth and on the surface. His response was that I just needed to relax, and the mask fit just fine. By the end of the 3 hour morning session of training the peri orbital regions of my face were so swollen that I could barely see, I suffered from bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhages, with sclera chemosis, pain and throbbing with extra occular movement, and petechiae covering my face. I told Jeff that I thought something was seriously wrong with my eyes due to my improperly fitted mask, and his comment was (and I'm not paraphrasing) "oh that's not bad, I've seen worse, it's basically a big hicki, it'll be gone in an hour." "Be back after lunch to do your open water" At this point, I was pretty upset, because no one else was suffering from these symptoms. I was concerned that if I went to lower depths and at higher pressures, I could suffer more serious damage. I called my diver friend who also has a medical background, explained my symptoms, and he agreed with my impression that I was suffering from mask squeeze, and told me I needed to stop diving. Which he explained was something that every Padi certified master diver should know. He also said that he could not believe a Padi certified instructor would allow this to happen in a 12 foot pool, and that this should be reported. Needless to say, but I didn't dive the remainder of my trip. I returned to the dive shop to request a refund, and was told by the dive clerk at the desk that there were "no refunds." But after seeing my face and eyes agreed to refund me a little more than half. With 2 full days of rest coupled with oral corticosteroids, abx drops with corticosteroids, and constant cold compression the symptoms are resolving. Totally unacceptable from a Padi certified dive shop. Also, Padi should review with Jeff regarding mask squeeze s/s. read more

I could not say I recommend this place. I came all the way from Chicago and booked a full day tour on the Tropical Voyager. Try to avoid this boat. Its the only that is not flat bottomed, which makes it very difficult to gear up and get back on. The captain is also kind of rude and at one point started driving off with the ladder still down, causing two staff members to pull up the ladder frantically while making sarcastic comments. The crew is visibly exhausted. I did Benwood wreck and French reef. Both dives were boring, with me checking my oxygen repeatedly (I still have 2000 psi left???). The staff is not familiar to the sites and fail to lead you to points of interest. Lots of fun looking at dead reef. We were told we would get to do multiple swim throughs but the staff failed on locatating any of these. I kept signaling i was low on air and my guide was still surprised when i pulled on her fins and showed I was at 400 psi (she was staring at her compass) and I had to surface with no safety stop and swim back to the boat by myself. Also, 2 members of our group were missing almost the whole time and she failed to locate them. They also forced us to put on our fins and waddle across the entire boat, nearly falling over. I do not get the impression that safety or knowledge comes first, or even second at this company. The whole thing is rushed, exhausting and frankly boring. They did not give a good brief on the dive site, dive plan or what to look for on the dive. Very much feels like a money grab. I strongly advise to spend more money on a company that respects divers and part of the diving community, and not just look at us with dollar signs in their eyes. I did my morning dive and cancelled my afternoon dives. This was very sad for me because I wanted to badly to have a great dive experience on my 1 day available to dive this vacation. 2 stars for the boat crew, who are clearly forced to follow policy against their judgement and are overworked. Im not blaming you at all, just the management. Youre lovely people and should consider working elsewhere. read more

Loved diving with this group. Me an my buddy went on 6 dives over the weekend to get our Advanced Open water certification. Our instructor Phil was incredibly knowledgeable and I walked away with many new skills I plan to incorporate on future dives. Key Largo has some great spots to dive and the boats will get you to the best spot based on conditions for the day. The Spiegel wreck was the most exciting and Molasses Reef was beautiful. When you finish the dive you can use your wrist band for a chance to spin the wheel at the rainbow reef store for some great deals on gear. This experience was a blast and I look forward to my next visit down. Pictures are from our last dive which we planned as a fun dive after the training. Location: Molasses Reef read more

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I felt so strongly about this review to warn potential customers, I downloaded the Yelp App to post it: If you want to dive with the McDonalds's of Key Largo/Upper Keys dive operations, you will pick Rainbow Reef. That is how the local dive community refers to this operation. I was a former intern that got trapped into the advertised offer of working for free for six months with housing provided and Rainbow would sponsor to get me to my Dive Instructor. Six months of free labor traditionally turns out to be 9 months of 60 hour plus weeks of free labor, with no guarentee they will actually pay or get you through all the classes and dives required (100 minimum dives) to become an instructor. The reason they offer "free" guides is at the expensive of these interns who willing signed up for free labor (until they realize they can actually get paid and work at regular dive shops in the community and get free or highly discounted classes and still get their instructor rating but actually get paid doing it). The interns are awesome people that got wrapped up in the wrong dive shop and now need to see it through. Some love it at Rainbow Reef and continue to stay on as an employee but others realize the treatment and quality they are missing out on at other professionally run dive shops in the area, and the best dive instructors in the Keys go elsewhere for employment. Rainbow Reef is a revolving door of staff and interns (some of which should not be caring for divers safety) and the owner is laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of the interns that make up a majority of his workforce. The clients are also missing out on much better dive experiences and dive operations in the Keys because they get lured in by great reviews, free guides, and the like. Always expect crowed to the limit boats, rushed dives, being told to arrive at the dive shop at 7:45A.M., with the staff inside looking at 20 people locked out of the shop (while it is raining outside) and telling you to wait until they are ready to open the door (don't tell clients to come check in at 7:45 A.M. if you aren't ready for them at 7:45 A.M. and then make your clients feel stupid for getting there on time). If you want to experience real diving in the Keys please head to Horizon Divers or Quiescence in Key Largo (they go to all the same locations that Rainbow Reef does and a much better and relaxing dive experience), Florida Keys Dive Center in Tavernier and Keys Dives in Islamorada. All of the listed shops are well liked, treat their staff well, focus on safety, give back to their communtiy, and help with reef clean up efforts and other volunteer activities. read more

I been diving few times in the keys and this place by far is the number 1 spot for me from now on . Had a great experience from the moment I walked in to there shop to the diving. I will highly recommend to everyone that looking for a dive shop and guide in the number one spot in the keys to look no where else. 5 starts !!! Good job guys . read more

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

**First off** if you are going right to the dive, go to 100 Ocean Drive. This is the shop on the water where you will leave on the boat. The main location that google gives you is the main retail store (no water, no boats!). So if you want to look around in the shop first, you can go there (100800 Overseas Hwy). But if you want to go right to your dive, make sure to go to 100 Ocean Drive! We just picked a dive shop off Google and I'm so glad it was Rainbow Reef! My husband and I are rescue divers and we just moved to Miami and wanted to dive more tropical, cleaner water than what Miami offers. Just an hour south of Miami is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in Key Largo. The service at Rainbow Reef was exceptional! The staff were helpful and attentive and explained everything well. They have 5 boats going every morning and every afternoon, each which can accommodate 36 divers (plus crew), so there are a lot of options/variety based on what you want to see on your trip. We dove on the Tropical Adventure with Captain Bronwyn, Jesus, Cristina and Julia. They were fantastic! They were helpful when divers needed help with equipment and were never condescending. The tour was awesome too (we were in Jesus' group). They showed us signs for sea life while we were boating out to the dive spot, so that when we were on the tour and the guide saw a ray/lionfish/turtle etc etc you would know what he's signing and what to look for. Afterwards we went to the shop and spun the wheel (think The Price is Right!). Ethan at the gift shop was awesome and answered all our questions about dive computers. He was never pushy and was genuinely helpful and an awesome guy! The retail location is open until 8 which is great if you have the afternoon dive and want to look at stuff afterward. We will definitely be coming back to Rainbow Reef. Thanks for the great experience! read more

Rainbow Reef Dive Center - Diving on Tropical Adventure! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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I can't say enough great things about Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo! They have a shop on Overseas Hwy/US-1 but their marina where you board the charter is located next to Courtyard Marriott, where there's ample parking and restrooms in the hotel. Their website is extremely helpful and updated hourly. You can call to reserve spots on a charter but they don't require a deposit for it... which is a huge plus and unlike many others. We had about 14-16 people on each boat but only 6 people were with each guide (and the other 3-4 were taking a class with an instructor). The boats have a lot of room- even a ladder so you can enjoy the sun from the top deck! On the first day, we took the Tropical Adventure charter to the Christ of the Abyss statue/Dry Rocks reef as well as the Hannah M Bell wreck (they changed to this during our surface interval because the visibility was much better). Captain Jordan and first mate Stephan were super helpful and explained everything wonderfully, and our dive masters Jenny & Mike were great. The dives were good but the crew made it even better! The next morning the same crew (except Emma as the first mate) took us to the advanced dive on the USS Spiegel Grove and our second dive was on Molasses reef instead of the French reef as planned- again because the vis was better. Great dives again, but also because the crew was top notch. I highly recommend checking out Rainbow Reef for all of your dive needs in the Keys :) read more

I spent a week getting PADI certifications with Dan Weeks at Rainbow Reef. It was an amazing experience and I will be going back for further certifications as soon as I can. The whole crew of Rainbow Reef was great. The boats are comfortable and very well equipped. My friend was getting his Tec40 certification and I was getting my Wreck Diver, plus we both obtained the Tec Sidemount certification. Dan was a great instructor, he's more than qualified to provide the class and he makes it fun and safe. We started the week getting used to all the new equipment using the pool they own next to the shop. The pool is very comfortable and it was extremely useful to be able to spend as much time as we needed to be comfortable with all the new gear. We rented most of the equipment, since sidemount gear is not that common and we were not sure we will continue with it after the class. The equipment was excellent and thanks to Dan, I think we have two new sidemount divers! The rest of the week was full of dives for the practical classes and tests. Dan achieved a very good balance between going in detail over every step and every safety measure, but at the time of jumping on the water he let us figure it out on our own. He was present at all times, but he gave us enough freedom to figure everything out and enjoy the dives at the same time. He was constantly simulating situations to test our skills and safely and efficiently complete all the prerequisites for the certification. The whole experience was extremely pleasant. The marina has a very nice setup with plenty of room to rinse and clean our gear after the dives. There's also plenty of parking, hotels and restaurants at walking distance from the marina and shop. I even forgot a flashlight I purchase from them in the rinse tubs. I called them the next day and they had it in the lost-and-found and they will send it to me at my house. That's service!!! these guys rock!!! read more

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Let's talk about Rainbow Reef. First, I have run a dive shop for ten years. I coordinate our travel. I have brought groups to the Keys for dive trips. I have never had such a miserable experience. Rainbow Reef has become a terribly large company. They operate on different sides of a channel in Key Largo - quite far walking distance from each other. Anyway, after a long quarantine, a couple of my staff and I decide to take a last minute trip to the Keys. I handle transportation, they manage diving and accommodations. They chose RR. After booking, the confirmation email had no details about time, quite vague about location. So we got up, packed up our stuff, and walked around the channel to the shop. They don't offer a shuttle - they have a bunch of boats, no resort pickup ‍ We get there at the guesstimated time to learn our boat was back on the other side, where we began. I wasn't going to make the walk again, dragging all this gear over uneven terrain, stairs, grass, etc. A kind captain w the company started talking to me trying to solve the problem. She ultimately brought over the GM to help. I explained to Billy my various disappointments. At this hour, at this point, I wasn't in a great mood. Billy bounced between helpful and combative. Ultimately, he offered to drive me over to the other side in their golf cart. Upon arriving, I went to sign in. A guy walks by, sees me and crassly says to put on a mask. I frown. This type of interaction isn't helping. I dig out my mask. The crude women behind the desk take my NAUI and PADI instructor cards and I was pointedly told to go complete my waivers at a kiosk behind me. Fine. Whatever. Clearly southern hospitality has not infiltrated RR. Upon returning, I'm asked for my Nitrox card. I haven't had my entry level cards for decades. I am beyond instructor - I am qualified to issue those certifications. To do so, I have to be beyond nitrox certified. I point out to these 'ladies' the fact I gave them instructor cards and don't carry a nitrox card and one of them said she MUST see it by law. Law? (Retired lawyer - hate when people use the 'law' as negative customer service. It only adds to the negative reputation the legal community has.) What law, I ask. I think she quickly picks up that I might be a lawyer. She starts backpedaling - PADI requires you show it. No, they don't. She means to say that her insurance company requires that they confirm in some reasonable fashion that the customer has the proper Nitrox training. My NAUI instructor card does that and then some. She could have also looked up my PADI and NAUI credentials on that same computer that she was busy playing with... Another guy steps up and starts aggressively telling me to shut up. When I mention the phrase - practicing law without a license - he gets more aggressive. (Yes, I'm a jerk by this point. A very unhappy customer. And so far, RR has done the minimum to diffuse a terrible customer experience. Their job. I came here because I wanted to spend money and have fun - I don't travel hundreds of miles to pick a fight.) And now the lawyerly lady yells I'm not diving, get out, blah, blah, blah. Well, yells at my back. At this point, I'm done. These people are terrible. Especially in this Covid restricted day, this is an unimaginably horrible way to approach customer service and customer problems. Screw it - I have dove the Keys enough, don't need this. I go sit downstairs to text my companions about my status. Another guy walks up, with an attitude (makes sense - he has heard some story from his people - but why pour gasoline on a fire? Let it go. Oh well...) and says he is the manager on this side of the channel. He asks a pointedly wrong and rhetorical question. Nope, not in my mood. I have not raised my voice this day. I rarely do. Yelling does nothing but stir fear. But I do dissect what little he has said with truth, law and facts. Yes, I'm still being a jerk. I'm pissed, I was the customer, my day and fun has been ruined. I'm not going to lie and say that I was the nicest guy and they were all jerks. But I was polite, articulate and made no sweeping generalizations. I'm trained in oral argument. This is my arena. In less than sixty seconds, this jerk wants to aggressively argue with me. I step back. I ask why did he even walk up? He says he wanted to see how he could help. Lol. So apparently, management at RR thinks the best approach to handling an upset customer is to come argue. Because that will cause them to wilter and turn submissive. Where did these people learn about customer service? RR was once a great shop. That's why it grew like a weed. But it's too big, ownership too removed, customer service a lost art. The dive guys and captains are probably great. But the office, the management, the way the business is run lacks the type of customer service you seek in the scuba industry. read more

Researched a few dive shops to check out for our stay down in Key Largo. There are a handful of shops that would be glad to have your business but Rainbow Reef Dive Center was very helpful with everything from booking to diving to trying on gear and getting the best experience overall to dive in the Keys. ONE thing....(not their fault)...we started our dive almost an hour late...we were waiting on a party of divers/snorkelers that were running really late. I can't fault them for waiting and making sure the people that booked their dive were able to be there to participate. If you book with them...for the sake of everyone else on the boat..please show up when you are supposed to though! It had been over a year since my last dive but the crew on the boat made me feel so comfortable and I wasn't nervous in the least to get back in the water. Captain Dan and his crew made sure to keep the mood happy by cracking jokes as well as keeping its business professional. Safety was always at the top of their priority as they observed all divers and their skill levels. During the dive that day we were able to see a HUGE Loggerhead turtle swim away from us and a nurse shark. The reefs here are beautiful and have incredible visibility underwater. If you are a certified diver...don't miss your opportunity to dive with Rainbow Reef in the Keys...if not a diver...get your snorkel on as you can still see plenty with a mask, snorkel and fins. Thanks Captain Dan and Diver Chris for an awesome experience! Cant wait to come back here and dive again! read more

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I started writing this a long time ago and just found in my drafts- however I stand by this being the most friendly dive crew I've worked with. Much like the others, I was very happy with the dive experience rainbow reef provided. The boats were roomy, even with 24 people on the dive, plus crew. To make the experience comfortable though, the crew included the captain, a first mate, and then 4!! Dive guides!! They broke us into groups of 6-7 and each took a set. The reef felt crowded with just our group around, so I'm happy they did it this way. Out guide Megan was doing check ins with us and our tanks. She knew the reef well, and navigated it to ensure we saw some cool things. Eels, a lion fish, the " donut hole" which we all went through. After the first dive the crew even swapped everyones tanks out!! read more

Well organized, easy to check-in and rent gear, and especially good prices on dives when you do a week's worth! Special shout-outs to these guides: Indie who kept a close eye when the motion of the ocean was plaguing me; He got me geared up and in the water before I needed the VIP section! Faith pointed out lots of little things on the dive! Bianca was friendly, kind, and remembered us from a couple days prior! Every mate was helpful, offered assistance with switching over gear, and made sure we were safe getting in and out of the boat. Spin the wheel at the main store and you can win free dives or merch discounts. read more

I came to Key Largo to dive and chose Rainbow Reef as a dive operator. I hoped to dive at famous Molasses reef but due to weather conditions (very strong winds) it was impossible, so we got to dive at nearby reefs (Spanish Anchor and Porter Ledge) and in Jewels lagoon. I still had a lot of fun thanks to well run operations and excellent dive masters and instructors. We saw a lot of colorful tropical fish, lobster, nurse sharks, huge groupers, and barracudas. Special thanks to the captain, she remained totally calm despite stormy seas and difficult conditions. RR staff on board we're very helpful, they helped us a lot as the boat was rocking. I highly recommend RR, if I come back to Key Largo I will dive with them again. read more

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I booked a charter with rainbow reef and they bailed on the dive trip due to weather conditions. Being a mariner myself, I can appreciate a sound decision in cancelling a potentially hazardous trip. The seas were calling 2-3 occ 4 which is nothing out of the capabilities of a dive boat. Thankfully, there will still plenty of other boats going out that day that I was able to hop on to. Their receptionist or whoever works the desk too needs to learn communication as well. Take your business with Sea Dwellers or any other business in the area who isn't just trying to take people onto their boat. That being said, prepare to get "sardined" into their dive boat if you do choose to dive with them. read more

Finished my PADI open water dives here and had a blast. The staff here is friendly and well informed about the dives and location. Had a blast the 2 days I spent with this outfit, under and above water. My instructor was thorough and had some fun things to do as well. The kiosk queen, Suzette (not a name dropper, but this one is worth mentioning), was great with everyone I saw come in contact with her. I actually ran into her the 2nd day when she boarded the same dive boat. Overall great experience with this young, but knowledgeable staff. I frequent Key Largo often and they are sure to get my business. read more

I love Diving with Rainbow Reef! Everyone is extremely helpful and nice! From phone calls to taking care of you during courses to actual dives! I have dived multiple time with them and just recently certified for advanced. My instructor was Rayna Onan and we had SO much fun. She made the advanced course just another fun dive while making sure that I got all my new skills in check. The crew and captain were very accommodating, and we managed to squeeze in one last dive (2nd dive in the afternoon) despite some adverse whether, while keeping everyone safe! 5 stars for them! I'll definitely be back for more! read more

My boyfriend and I chose Rainbow Reef to facilitate our PADI open water diver cert, and it was an excellent choice. Every employee we encountered from the retail shop to the instructors and boat staff were personable, professional and very helpful. In particular our instructor Jardin was very knowledgeable and patient. My boyfriend took to it quickly, while I required a bit more persistance and patience. Jardin always made sure we grasped a skill before continuing on, always doing so in an encouraging manner. He truly made our experience amazing. Even with the course condensed into only two days, we came out of it much more confident and certified divers. We won't ever consider going to other dive shop when we return to the Key Largo area. The boats were nice, all equipment was newer and well cared for. Many different dives and certs to choose from. Already planning our return visit! There are tons of dive shops in the area, but you won't find any better. read more

5 stars for service!!! I have dove off rainbow reefs boat before, but with instructors from another dive company. Yesterday, my friend and I decided to book a 2 tank dive in the afternoon with Rainbow Reef. What a great decision that was! We were able to find the building easily, check in and rent gear with ease. The crew on our boat yesterday (the serenity) were so kind!! I love that they include a dive guide in the dive price. Our dive guide Dina was awesome!! Our group was small with only 4 participants. Dina was very attentive and friendly. I am a pretty novice diver, so i felt very comfortable having Dina check our gear and lead our dives. The dives themselves were neat. Not too many macro animals like sharks and turtles, but tons of grunts and gorgonians! Overall, I had a great experience with Rainbow Reef, and will definitely be diving them in the near future! read more

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Absolutely amazing! As long as Rainbow Reef is in service I will be coming to them for my Key Largo diving needs. My husband and I had decided to take a long weekend and get our AOW and had originally booked another now defunct operator. I called Rainbow Reef after seeing them on PADIs site and they were able to accommodate my husband and I on our original scheduled date. They mailed us our books and we were able to do everything at home before showing up which I really liked. The day before our dives our instructor Hannah called us to give us all the details of schedules and see if there were any specific dives we wanted to do, I was also really excited to find out that we grew up in the same area, such a small world! Hannah was absolutely amazing, seriously she was so awesome!!! Hannah was always very calm which is a positive in diving, she always clearly explained everything, was always very thorough, and she was fun! Our whole weekend of certification more than exceeded our expectations. Everyone we came across with Rainbow Reef was great! The captains on the boats were good at explaining the areas and all of our entries and exits, the first mates were always on top of things, and the other groups (since we were a class) had knowledgeable and fun leaders. I just cannot say enough good things about this operation! Hannah and the team at Rainbow Reef have inspired us to keep going with our dive education and we will certainly be using them when we do so! read more

This is everything you could want from a large and well-run operation. I really appreciate that you have several dive spots (boats) to choose from and, most important as a single diver, that there is always a dive guide available to you above and beyond the dive buddy random draw. The crew is always enthusiastic and happy to help. Discounts for multiple dives is a very nice perk. The only things stopping me from giving them 5 stars is that they (1) split the boat among dive guides by seating rather than skill level or air consumption or Nitrox or (Spiegel) who wants limited wreck penetration and (2) most of the dive guides love to point out all of the beautiful critters I might have missed but a couple are just swimming buoys that get their group back to the boat in plenty of time for everyone. If that's my only issue, you betcha I'm a regular here! That I can walk to the boat from the Marriott is a huge plus too. read more

The actual dives were fine but I have yet to get my certification after three months of back and forth. My instructor was unhelpful and then ghosted me. Would not recommend. read more