If you are looking to be a certified diver, SPE Dive School is the ticket. It can be done as quickly as a month or as long as a year after your first class. SPE Dive School offers an intensive weekend course followed by an end of the month open water dive in Cayman. read more

I recently attended the two-day open water diving course at SPE dive school. This course is geared towards busy professionals who are looking to learn this exciting new skill in a short time frame. Mike Parker and his team of skilled instructors provided a top-notch learning experience for this novice diver. The extensive classroom instruction provided by Roland was informative, in-depth, and easy to digest. I feel as if the academic portion of the Open Water instruction was essential to fully comprehend the basics of SCUBA, and I found myself engaged throughout the whole weekend. The dive school is conveniently located near the Friendship Heights metro, and the facilities were warm and inviting, providing an in-house gear clinic for students, kitchen and restrooms for convenience, and a fully-stocked display room with a wide array of dive gear. The pool portion of the class was also impressive. Mike and his instructors were thorough, methodical, and patient in their teaching. Every single person felt comfortable and confident in their abilities by the end of the weekend, even with the 'unpleasant' parts of clearing masks and other essential tasks that are vital for successful diving. Mike provided a lot of tips and tricks to make diving accessible for the widest audience, and I'm confident in approaching my open water certification dives. Thanks for an excellent course and I highly recommend to anyone in the DMV looking to learn more about SCUBA diving! read more

I looked around quite a bit for a dive school and came upon SPE Dive School. I attended the free orientation with my daughter and I immediately felt comfortable entrusting my daughter in the hands of the school. Mike is very clear about everything and explains exactly what is going to happen, and then he and his team follow through. They worked with my daughters schedule and are very flexible. She now has all of her requirements for PADI met except the open water, which she is soon going to get-also through the support of the school. I highly recommend them. read more

SPE Dive School is phenomenal at preparing and equipping divers at all levels. Mike Parker and his team made the dive trip to Grand Cayman enjoyable and was well planned. Hotel accommodations were beyond expectations as were dive site arrangements. Considering the dynamic and uncharacteristic weather while in the Cayman, SPE went above and beyond to ensure divers were still able to train safely in order to complete dive certifications. The one confusing part of the trip was payment. Most dive related payments had to be cash/check only which made it difficult to plan the total trip cost. However, Mike was readily available to answer questions and assist with prepayments (highly recommend doing this). Overall, great experience! read more

This is the first time I've written a YELP review, but I'm doing so because I feel compelled to somehow warn others about what to expect in coming to SPE. Essentially it seems that I will only be reiterating what others have already said: Mike is a salesman first and an educator second. I paid $300 to get scuba certified. I arrived at the mandatory Friday night introduction session and listened to how his course is better than anyone else's. Since I already had my gear, Mike told me to arrive 2 hours late at 11am on Saturday, promising that he'd be done renting people gear by then. It turns out that 25% of the course time (9am-1:30pm Saturday) is a sales pitch. Then it turns out that there's a mandatory $107 that we each have to spend on a film and workbook. I wish he had played the film during those 4 and a half hours of class where I sat there and listened to him give us a sales pitch. That automatically jacks up the price of the course to $407. Then he told me that my fins were snorkel fins and were unsafe for scuba diving in the pool and that to participate I would need to pay him $100 to rent his fins with a mask and snorkel and weights (I already had brought these items). That's now $507. On top of that most people spent about $600 on gear. But even then you're still not certified! He then tries to sell a $1000+ 3 day trip to the Grand Caymans and notifies you that you can expect to pay $250 elsewhere to get your 4 open water dives to finally get your PADI certification. Without the gear, the final cost to get certified and rent gear is $657. That's more than twice as much as I was expecting to pay, and there's little mention of all of this when I first signed up online. He was not transparent at all in his advertising of what I could expect to spend. And many people will end up paying closer to $1200 if they choose to buy gear. Mike generally disappeared when there was instruction, leaving the education to his staff after he was there for the sales pitch. I must say though, the education was EXCELLENT! For a two day course in scuba diving, they have the training down to a science and really do a wonderful job teaching us. I just had the nagging feeling that I was being taken advantage of the entire time. On Sunday he tried to sell us more stuff, from wetsuits to diving insurance. And he said that he couldn't take credit cards on day 2 essentially because he didn't like paying federal income tax, and therefore preferred cash or personal checks. He is not the most honest man; he's a businessman. read more

I could not be happier with my experiences with SPE Dive School. From start to finish, Mike Parker and his team are professionals, and they will work to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience. My husband signed me up for a weekend course as a Christmas present. I was apprehensive, as I've never been comfortable in the water. Yet Mike did everything to make me as comfortable as possible, even staying late after class to ensure that I was fully prepared to dive. This sort of personal attention and service separates SPE Dive School from other schools in the area. My husband and I were so pleased with Mike's instruction that we signed up for a Grand Cayman trip for our Advanced Certification this year. As we expected, the trip was wonderful, and we felt completely safe the entire trip. Plus, Mike's insider information was hugely useful, and he lead us to incredible dive sites throughout the trip. Relatedly, I am surprised to see the other negative reviews--yes, Mike sells his preferred gear at the start of the class. Yet outside gear is welcome, as long as it meets certain safety standards. As someone who purchased most of my gear (only the basics--mask, fins, snorkel, and weight belt) from Mike, I have been completely satisfied with its performance (and very glad that I made the initial investment rather than relying on rental gear or shopping online without proper fitting). Again, I recommend SPE Dive School to anyone who is looking for dive instruction in the DC area--Mike and his team are fantastic! read more

The SPE Dive School is definitely run by thoroughly experienced and knowledgeable divers. HOWEVER, be aware of the salesman syndrome! From time to time the class turns into one big sales pitch. The owner, Mike, makes you think you're getting these great deals. I took the 2 daylong weekend class, from 9 am to 9:30 pm. The first class began with a four-hour session on our gear. During which, Mike continues to emphasize that this 4 hour long session is not part of the actual class and he's providing it as a free service to his students. It is widely made known on their website and at the orientation class, if you go to it, that you should not buy any gear before attending this "fitting session". But the kick to this is that you need your gear that very same day to use in the pool, so you're left with no choice but to buy it directly from him, on the spot. Mike claims that his students get this huge discount since he buys straight from the manufacturer or at trade shows. We commonly heard, this retails for $$$$yada yada yada, but I'm selling it for $$yada yada yada, continually making it seem like we're getting this huge discount. He constantly reminds us that he doesn't sell equipment to anyone other than his students since he doesn't want the increased business through potential outside buyers. Given, SCUBA gear is not cheap, and it can be a life-long investment. But you can buy anything he sells for half the price online. From google searches it doesn't seem like there are too many dive shops around the DC area. Mike's fitting session was definitely helpful to find out what kind of gear is out there, but expect to spend at least $450 for the required goggles, snorkel, fins, fin booties, weight belt, and weights. He also only has three sizes of goggles to choose from, none of which fit me that well. In addition to the $295 class fee you're required to spend an extra $50+/- for the class book, and $42 for a dvd that apparently we're required to watch before becoming certified. Overall the class was well run and the instructors knowledgeable. Just look into buying the gear ahead of time if you want to save $200. read more

My son and I took the open water weekend course this fall. I read the reviews, negative and positive before attending. We both really enjoyed the course and bought a lot of our gear from Mike. I checked his prices against Amazon's and most of the items were priced less than the same equipment was listed on-line. It was convenient and the gear was high quality. I did not feel pressured to buy anything and my son and I were able to share some items. Roland, our instructor, did a great job of keeping our classroom time moving. While this may not be the cheapest way to get certified, the class was well run, was engaging and, in my opinion, a good value. There may be a cheaper way to get open certified, but we are sold on the Caymen trip. I have no real desire to go diving in a quarry and the Caymen trip looks like a lot of fun. It also looks very reasonably priced. The suggestions I would have to improve the experience would be: (1) Make the class get outfitted on a weekday. The Saturday class, involving the lectures and pool time, was a long day. This may shorten the days by a few hours. (2) Publish the rental rates. (3) Include the weights with the course fee - just tack on a few $$. No one likes paying extra fees. read more

Great experience. Very professional. Highly recommended. Mike really knows diving. I took the class in January 2016 and earned my PADI Open Water certification on a vacation in Mexico two weeks later. I didn't buy gear in the classroom. Most of my classmates did. Instead, I rented for about $100 for the two days and found it to be a good deal. read more

My boyfriend thought it would be a good idea for me to learn how to scuba dive. I took this course with him, (his 2nd time with this school because he failed to mail in his certification paperwork in a timely manner). I thoroughly enjoyed it, there is actually an instructor teaching you the coursework. They answer any & all questions, tell you great stories and give a more personal experience than putting you in front of a tv to watch a video. On the first day, Mike does sell equipment to the students. My boyfriend and I did buy equipment, and there were people who didn't. I disagree with the person that mentioned people feel pressured to buy stuff from him, that's not true at all. He also lets you know that the first couple of hours will be for buying equipment, so if you plan on not buying anything you can always show up afterwards. After the classroom training, you drive to the pool. It is at a school, I took the weekend course and there weren't any kids around. They split you into groups to train with Mike & his instructors. I had no experience with scuba diving. And a lot of things made me nervous, but Mike worked with me to make me feel comfortable and build up my confidence. And anything I struggled with during the pool training, he would ask me if I wanted to stay late and work some more on it to become more comfortable. My boyfriend and I took this course because we thought we were going to scuba dive while visiting friends in the UAE. We did attempt to scuba dive, but the weather was bad and the visibility underwater was nonexistent and it totally freaked me out. After one try there, I thought I would never scuba dive again. But, we decided to give the trip to the Cayman Islands a try. And I LOVED IT!! When I first got into the water, I let the instructors know that I was scared and nervous. They stuck by me underwater until I started to build up my confidence. I ended up doing all the dives for the advanced water certification, when I originally thought I wouldn't even complete my open water certification. I'm so glad that I gave scuba diving a second chance. Going to the Cayman Islands with the dive school was the best decision I've made. We swam through the USS Kittiwake, I actually was able to see a sea turtle swim by on one of the dives, and my boyfriend got to see a shark on another dive. I had such a blast, and I can't wait to go back. Mike Parker & his instructors really want to make sure that you have an enjoyable experience. Thanks so much Mike!! read more

I am so glad I chose SPE Dive School to get open water and advanced certification. I looked into other schools in the DC area and wasn't really thrilled with their programs. I did all in the class work, pool training and went to Grand Cayman. I am so glad I did this route and wouldn't change a thing. Getting all the class work and exams was a long weekend session but it was well worth it. I am not good at self study at all so getting done in class was the way to go. The pool training was sufficient training for open water as you need all those skills in the open water. Now that I am certified, going into the open water without sufficient training is not recommended. Mike and Roland are very patient teachers. Mike gave all the sufficient details needed for Grand Cayman. He really helped guide the trip. During the trip, I was very glad to use divers down to get open water and advanced certified. Stephen was the one who trained us when we went down there. He is very knowledgeable patient and really helped us all feel comfortable in the ocean. I am glad I went with other divers on the trip and did not get certified on a vacation, I could concentrate on diving with other people with the same goals. Grand Cayman is a bit expensive but so is any other Island, eating out was probably the most expensive thing. The whole trip went smoothly as well as the whole certification process. Just an ending statement, I dress modestly for religious reasons and it was never an obstacle to getting certified so no women can use that as excuse not to dive. SPE Dive School and Divers Down were very respectful and treated like all the other students. I would recommend SPE Dive School for anyone who wants to get certified whether you go to Cayman with them or not. read more

SPE Dive School - Diving in Grand Cayman - Scuba Diving Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

I recently finished a weekend long open water certification course with SPE Dive School. I had done a lot of research on PADI certifications prior to deciding and opted for this one- despite the distance (I am coming from Annapolis...takes about an hour every class). I wanted a lot of pool time and class room training and that's what I got. Pros: Roland was a fantastic instructor both in the classroom and in the pool. He taught us skills both on the test for the PADI certification and other useful tips and tricks he has picked up over the years. He made learning easy and fun! Yes, there was a lot of redundancy in the classroom portion in preparation for the tests but it really does prepare you and there's virtually no way you will fail. Cons: while the trip does sound cool, you will hear a lot about the Cayman dive trip. If you already have a dive trip planned this seems to be a little overkill. Overall, I would recommend this dive school to a friend. I think the staff was friendly and the facility was clean. I also learned the technical skills I need to and feel that I am well equipped for my open water dive. read more

I took Mike's class about 7 years ago. The class was very thorough and he is much more safe, serious, and knowledgeable than many of the dive masters I have met since that class. He is very professional, yet still keeps everything interesting, fun, and specific. I referred several others to the class and they have been happy, too. We have gone back for refreshers and to say hi. Definitely go on his Cayman trip. Make sure you have fun in the class and during the class, create a quick cheat sheet to reference in the future for all of your next dives. read more

Did the discovery Scuba session just to give it a try. The instructor provides a great level of detail and openness to questions. The experience was a lot of fun. Appreciated that they used a heated pool so the time could be very enjoyable. Am considering getting qualified now. Only reason I didn't give a five star is the class is a bit large which impedes the freedom of movement with everyone in the pool at the same time. read more

I am so happy I chose SPE for my dive school. I feel very blessed to have (for once!) picked a company with only reading reviews online and ended up with a stellar experience. I took an intensive weekend course back in November, and just went to Grand Cayman for my checkout dives and advanced certification last weekend. The class experience is comfortable, calm and NOT rushed - despite what other 'reviewers' are claiming. If you are ever uncomfortable or feel unsure of your skills with the equipment, the instructors and dive masters will take time and give you one-on-one instruction in the pool. In addition, you aren't simply taught the minimum and rushed through your skills - in the intensive weekend course, you spend a total of 8+ hours in the pool in small groups (5 to 6 people), and each person must pass each skill with relative ease before moving on - and each individual student is not pressured to master their skills quickly. Safety is taken very seriously at SPE and none of the instructors ever rushed us through a single skill. I waited a long 10 months between my course and my checkout dives with SPE in Grand Cayman, and the refresher course that they offer on-site was perfect. It brought me up to speed quickly but went through the essential skills, and made me feel comfortable with my gear again before going on the ocean dives. Additionally, the fact that this school offers checkouts in Cayman is a beautiful thing - I got to meet incredible people and dive in a beautiful part of the world, all at a discounted rate (since Mike takes around 10 groups to Cayman a year). To address grievances in previous posts: 1) OF COURSE they sell you things, because you NEED them! However, the previous reviewers that claimed they were put off by this obviously didn't even take the class - first, Mike repeatedly tells you that if you don't want to buy something, to not buy it; that if you want to walk away and do some research first, that that is acceptable. I never once felt pressured to buy anything. Second, they don't refer to snorkeling equipment as "toy." I've never heard that term used. They refer to short fins and the like as "snorkeling" equipment, which it is - you can't propel yourself with stubby little fins. Duh. Third, not only do they not try to sell you tanks, they actually tell you NOT to buy them if someone does offer them to you - because seriously, who would carry tanks on vacation? 2) Mike is not a "liar." That is rude and unkind. He is a professional and knows what equipment is the best equipment - and he will give you his honest opinion if the gear you have is not what he has found to be the best equipment. He does not lie to get you to buy things, he only tells you his professional opinion. All-in-all, I had a wonderful experience with SPE. Scuba is an expensive sport - if you aren't willing to put in an initial investment in your personal gear, this is not the sport for you. However, the way SPE sets it up, guides you through the courses, and the fact that they offer such a beautiful, streamlined and stress-free way to get your open-water and advanced dives taken care of in Grand Cayman at a discounted rate make this the clear choice for a dive school in DC (and trust me, I bought gear from another dive school and they couldn't even figure out how to sell me a wet suit - come on now!) :) read more

I felt compelled do a review of this course to help discuss some of the negatives and positive that exist about this dive school. First, my wife and I took the weekend course. I am a certified open water diver and my wife was not certified. I have not been diving in a few years, so I felt that a refresher would not hurt. For starters, this is a full open waster course (minus the open water dives) that is condensed into one weekend. Logistically this is challenging, but the instructors do a nice job of getting it all in. Overall, the instruction was good, but there was a tendency to rush as there is a lot to cover in a short period of time. I did feel that the class was professional, well organized, and worth the cost. As for the gear purchase stuff... The other posts here have some legitimate complaints. When you get to the orientation before the course, the instructor says that the first half of the fist day will be personnel gear fitting and purchasing. He also said that if you have your own gear, then you do not need to come to this part of the class, but that you must let them ensure the gear is of SCUBA quality. Several students had their own gear, which was perfectly fine. You can also rent gear for 99 dollars, so at no time are you "required" to buy gear. So here is how the gear purchasing works. Each student has a gear sheet. An instructor keeps the sheets and fills them in as gear is issued to the students. They have no fancy scanners or automated inventory control systems, so this is how they keep track of what you are purchasing. In a classroom setting, an instructor explains each item that you will need (Mask, Fins, Snorkel, Booties etc.), offers you several options of quality, and then goes around the room and you tell him which item you would like, or you can pass. The instructor marks the sheet and moves on. As this is going on, people are trying on gear, looking at products, and discussing what they need. The gear is of high quality and priced competitively for the most part. Some stuff was a little cheaper online, but cheaper than what I found at my local dive shop. I bought Mares Volo fins for under $150.00. You cannot find them online for that price. SCUBA is expensive, so be prepared to drop a few hundred on personal gear whether you buy it from the school or not. It does not matter where you take an open water dive course, most will require you to buy personal gear!!! Here is where my only complaint comes in. On the website, it says that "we highly recommend that you do not purchase any dive equipment before attending the orientation". We attended the orientation the night before the class where the instructor briefly mentioned the gear we would need, but did not go into depth. Because the orientation was the night before the class, we did not have the opportunity to buy gear anywhere else or to comparison shop; therefore, we were left with the choice to buy from the school or rent. Like other posts have stated, there should be a lot more transparency on the true costs. Be prepared to spend around 800 dollars for the course and gear and remember SCUBA is expensive and was listed as the 5th most expensive hobby in a recent article in investopedia. So, overall the class was good, the instructors were great, and the gear purchasing was OK. For a weekend course, I was happy, but if you have the time take the course in the evening over several weeks, you may find that some of the gear buying issues are not relevant as your pool sessions will not be during the first week. read more

Mike Parker and his team are awesome. I walked in with no experience and walked out pumped for some dives. I'll definitely be back for their more advanced courses. Cheers to a good time! read more

SPE diving provides an absolutely incredible experience. From the very beginning, my husband and I were impressed with the openness with which Mike articulated the various options and costs for learning to dive, as well as the responsiveness to every inquiry we had. The instructors were phenomenal - they were funny, incredibly helpful, and ensured everyone understood all the principles necessary for the dive. We really appreciated that SPE never pressured anyone to purchase any item at all - they presented options, explained the pros and cons of various pieces of equipment, and left it to each individual to decide how to proceed. The pool sessions were excellently run, and we left with so much more experience and knowledge that we ever expected upon entering. I joined SPE not really loving swimming or spending much time in the water at all, and left extraordinarily excited to explore the ocean floors. We highly/highly recommend SPE diving to any individual looking to learn to dive and explore this new part of the world. read more

Like some other folks on here, this is one of my first reviews, but I feel compelled to make sure I sing the praises of SPE Dive School, Mike Parker and his team. Before you read any further, let me say this: SCUBA is a serious, life-changing sport. When you decide to get into this, you have to be serious about what you are learning, be willing to make a financial and spiritual commitment to the sport and realize that the education you are receiving can and will save your life. Ok, that is out of the way. Mike and his team have created a comprehensive program that teaches you oodles of information (by instructors, not a DVD or a powerpoint) over the course of a long weekend. Let me stress that again: PADI, who governs most true-blue diving outfits, has very stringent educational requirements. SPE Dive school embraces these requirements and makes sure you master them so that you can confidently dive anywhere in the world. And have fun. And be safe. The education I received opened my eyes to a world that I cannot believe. I won't waste valuable review space on it, but I will say, SCUBA opens your mind in ways that are inexplainable. There is a sales portion to the class. A lot of reviews on here seem to slam Mike for this. It is my honest opinion that they're written by competitors that don't like the honest guy in town -- but more on that later. Lemme tell you -- the gear he sells you isn't only necessary for a proper education, but it will save you cash in the long run. Further, you need this gear to do this sport right. You wouldn't show up on a football field without a helmet and expect to play serious ball, would you? Or try to play first base without a glove? The items that he tries to sell you are necessary, personal gear that is outfitted to your tastes, sizes and sensibilities so that you can partake in a sport. These necessary items (fins, booties, weight belt, goggles, etc.) ARE NECESSARY. If you show up at a dive shop and try to rent these, you're going to end up with shoddy gear that is expensive, probably doesn't fit right, doesn't suit your tastes and, through all of this, can ultimately lead to less fun in the water or, in extreme cases, endanger your life. The education is top notch. Again, you have a real instructor teaching you how to breathe under water. You're not sitting at home with a DVD trying to figure out at what point your blood level has become toxic, when a little air is "too little air" or how to ask for help underwater where, oh yeah, you can't talk. Solid classwork instruction that is educational and fun coupled with hands-on pool and real world instruction. I cannot stress this enough. There is a lot of competition for this niche market in the lucrative, somewhat adventurous, DC Market. And a lot of what you read on the internet, specifically about high-competitive markets such as this, can be skewed by intelligent, unscrupulous businessmen. The biggest scuba market in DC is for gear. Having visited other shops in the DC area (Google will tell you who they are), I can say that SPE Dive School has the best prices, best instruction and most attentive staff (seriously, his prices beat bargain stuff online). Love reviews or hate them. Go. Meet Mike. Meet his team. Decide for yourself. Then stay and learn with SPE Dive School. Mike is an honest, hard-working gent who I trust with my life. I am happy to say that my fiancee and I did the Cayman trip that he and his team offer and are already looking forward to our next outing with the SPE Dive School team. read more

Such a great thing to do with my teenage son and husband. Had so much fun!!! ~ Cindy Crane

They did a great job with our instruction, both in and out of the pool. It is a lot of information to consume in 2 days, but they did a good job with presenting the material. I understand also that for many busy professionals (including myself) this 2 day format is best, and they worked well with balancing answering questions, helping those who needed more help, and keeping the class overall on track. All of the information they provided in class, from what gear to get and why to a number of real-life stories to better explain the 'why' of certain dive procedures was very helpful. A lot of people are mentioning the equipment. Sure I could have searched online, but the whole idea to me of going to a class was getting the knowledge of the instructor who has so much more experience, and would know what upgrades are good and what are completely useless. For instance, there are BCDs out there (inflatable vests) that only inflate on your back. They are meant for cave diving only, but if you bought these for everyday diving in open water, they'd put you on your front instead of your back when you're trying to tread water. Obviously you want your mouth facing up so you can easily breathe the air. This and a number of other tips were super useful. Also, if you want to completely skip the equipment purchase section and get your stuff elsewhere or rent it, you can come in after lunch instead on the first day. We had a couple that did that during our course, and Mike was more than accommodating. Mike had emphasized in the orientation how important it was to really feel comfortable in the water. I didn't realize how important that was until I started trying to breathe underwater. It did feel uncomfortable at first (it does for everyone), but even in the first few hours of the first day in the pool, I started to feel more comfortable and I could really see how much fun it would be to swim underwater. By day 2 I was really having a great time, and I've walked away with knowledge that will help me not just in the pool, but the understand things like pressurization and why your ears pop in a plane, which was really useful to understand better. I'm excited to go on my first open water dive! read more

I attended Mike's class last year and it was a great intro to SCUBA! I was on a tight schedule to get certified before an upcoming trip and Mike was great about fitting me into a class the very next weekend. The instructors are really great. They make sure that everyone in the class is comfortable in the water and take the time to help you with the skills and answer any questions or concerns. I did my open water dives with another dive shop and they commented on my high level of dive knowledge and said they were impressed with my skills and said it was obvious I had a great teacher for the classroom and pool portion of the certification. I had such a great experince at SPE Dive school that I sent over a friend looking to get certifided before a trip and she had the same great experience that I did! read more

Mike Parker and his staff run a first class organization and I would like to highly recommend the SPE dive school. This is my second experience with a PADI dive school and SPE far exceeded my expectations. I felt this was a very learning conducive atmosphere where the instructors are all very passionate about what they do. The education is thorough and hands on as opposed to sticking the students in front of a video and hoping they get the gist. Everyone was so knowledgeable, professional, and friendly and made both myself and my fiancée feel safe and at home. The set up is extremely organized and the weekend intense open water class felt like it flew by we were having so much fun. I couldn't be happier with my experience and can't wait to attend the open water certification trip! I recommend this school to Everyone!!! read more

Mike & Scooter Provided me with a great open water education. I not only left with the knowledge of how to scuba, but a knowledge of all the equipment involved. I was able to do my 4 open water dives in Playa Del Carmin, Mexico with out a hitch. They really came through for me at the last minute by sending my referral paper work via email. And for that I am grateful. Thank You SPE Dive School!!!!!!!!!!! Scuba is AWESOME!!!!! read more

I had a choice to do my Open Water check out with my SCUBA club at a quarry in Virginia or sign up with SPE and do my Open Water (and Advanced) check out with SPE in Grand Cayman. Mike and his staff did a good job in the class room, pool and coordinating everything in the Cayman's. read more

I did a lot of research for choosing a place to get certified. Super happy we went with SPE Dive School for several reasons. Mike runs a really tight ship from the start in the classroom to the finishing certification dives in the Caymans (which is optional, but so worth it!) The classroom portion was very thorough. In the beginning I was a bit concerned about the amount of time it took, but the time gets shared between classroom and pool time which definitely breaks it all up. The instructor in the class and the pool was always happy to answer any questions, no matter how silly they might have been! Nothing was left unanswered after finishing up the course, which I definitely appreciated when it came time to get into the ocean to become a certified diver. One of the things I really appreciated was having my husband join me in the caymans for my certification. He has been certified for years and wanted me to do this for a very long time. While I was out passing my open water certification exercises, he was in another boat hired by SPE Dive School to dive with other certified divers that were on our trip. By the end of the 1 1/2 days of doing my certification exercises, I was able to join my husband on our first dive together! Thanks SPE for what will be a lifetime of great underwater experiences! For anyone searching to get certified, I would highly recommend SPE Dive School! read more

Last year, before my son left for college, I wanted to have some quality father / son bonding time. My son wanted to get his SCUBA certification, so we signed up for classes with Mike Parker and his team at SPE Dive School. The classes were very thorough and informative, and the instructors were great. We considered the on line course, but I want I wanted to make sure we had a full understanding of diving, and were not just grabbing a cert. Mike and the guys were great, and we learned a lot during the class. The pool work was indoor in a heated pool, which was great. I was a little nervous at first, but the instructors were patient and helpful, and everything went very well. We enjoyed the class so much we signed up for the Cayman trip, and got certified at the best dive sites in the Caribbean. The Cayman trip was affordable, and his dive team on the island were fantastic. We made a large group of friends we're still socializing with a year after the trip. All in all it was a great experience. read more

I live in Dallas, Texas and I was open water certified in a local lake , which is the normal process here. My dive-buddy brother-in-law went to the SPE Dive School and planned his open water certification with Mike Parker in the Cayman Islands - so I tagged along and received my Advanced Open Water Certification while I was in the Caymans. I have returned with Mike to the Cayman Islands two additional times - once for recreation diving and once to complete my Rescue Diver certification. I went to Mike's school in the D. C. area to take the Rescue Diver course, which was very well presented and very thorough. Mike makes the trips to the Caymans seamless by setting everything up and ensuring that rooms, transportation, and dives are all arranged - what an incredibly easy way to take a dive trip. The water in the Caymans is warm and clear - the dives are led by experienced instructors and the experience is a good as can be. I bought and continue to buy my equipment through my local dive shop - I have bought nothing from Mike; but, having set up dive trips to Hawaii and St. Thomas in the past year, I understand and appreciate Mike's organization and effectiveness. Mike runs a first class operation. I have appreciated his professionalism and through his school, I have become a better diver. I will continue to work with him and dive with him in the future as I increase my diving experience. read more

The reviews consistently point out the top-notch instruction quality. I won't waste a lot of words echoing that here beyond saying it is true. Mike leads some groups; sometimes it's another instructor. My wife and I enjoyed both our classroom and pool instructors. They were all thorough and patient, and we left the sessions feeling confident for our certification tests. They put your fears to rest by providing excellent instruction and will put in the extra time if you need it. The complaints seem to focus on the Cayman trip (optional) and the amount of time spent covering equipment in the classroom. The Cayman trip is great-my wife and I have gone several times as students and as certified divers. The Divers Down staff in Cayman are screened by Mike, and we've gotten to know several of them on repeat dive trips. The whole program is well run. That said, if you don't want to get certified in Cayman, the quarry or another location is always an option. It is not a requirement. The classroom session does spend a fair amount of time reviewing equipment and could likely be shortened. You do gain a good understanding of what is available for purchase (there or elsewhere) or for rent while on a trip. However, it's not a hard sell, and if you choose not to purchase there, it's no problem. If you do, the prices are competitive and Mike will exchange any unused equipment if it's not to your liking. (I had to exchange a 3mm wet suit several months after purchasing it. I hadn't used it, but it took that long for me to try it on and get back to him. It was swapped out no questions asked.) Overall, Mike's is a thorough course that covers a lot of ground in a relatively short amount of time. He organizes an optional, extremely well-run certification trip to Cayman that allows you to get open water or advanced certification in one weekend with terrific instructors. If you have questions, attend the free orientation course. Any concerns on requirements and costs are addressed there. read more

I just completed my classroom & pool course with Mike P. It was phenomenal! I highly recommend it. He's a consummate professional and extremely wise. The details and tidbits he taught have given me a ton confidence and I can't to get into the ocean this weekend. I've seen all of the post regarding "sales pitches" and the like. Well...I'm no sucker and I expect to be sold. One always has the right to say no. I bought a lot and compared the pricing on the web. I don't feel cheated at all, but then again I can afford it. Lastly, I plan on going with Mike to Cayman later this year just to dive somewhere different, my be complete my advanced if I don't do that next week. The price is a steal based on what is offered. YOLO folks! If you're going to learn something, learn from the best. 42 years in business....he must be doing something right! read more

I was beyond pleased with my experience with SPE Dive School. I took the 2-day weekend course and then did the trip to Grand Cayman to get both my beginner and advanced certification. I was interested in getting scuba certified because I am studying to be a marine biologist. As someone who is very interested in continuing diving throughout my life I thoroughly enjoyed the time taken during the class to explain all of the pieces of equipment needed and the important features in each to look for. Mike and his staff are very personable and extremely willing to help and answer any and all questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question there. The instructors will take the time to go back over anything that someone in the class did not understand. The pool training is done at a private pool and once again the instructors are patient and willing to spend extra time with you until you feel comfortable in the water. The trip to Grand Cayman was amazing and I would recommend it to all of my friends. Mike coordinates and plans all diving aspects of the trip, which takes a great amount of stress off. Before the trip you even get a full itinerary of all of the dives that you will be participating in, which allows you to fully prepare yourself for the trip. Grand Cayman is an unbelievable place and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to get to become certified there. Water visibility was at least 100 feet and water temps were near 85. Mike and his staff made achieving my dream of becoming a certified scuba diver a reality and for that I am beyond thankful. I would recommend SPE Dive School to anyone because of their dedication to the success of their students and the amount of experience that their staff has. read more

Diving is one of those unique, thrilling and special activities that the journey should be as important as the destination. IMO one should not just get the certification to have it, but gain as much knowledge and appreciation along the way. Mike Parker and the SPE Dive School are your one stop Sherpas of SCUBA to insure every step of the way is a great experience. The intensive weekend training is fabulous and the open water certification in Grand Cayman is a perfect culmination to the journey. Commit to the full experience and you won't regret the decision. read more

SPE Dive School - The view from the Holiday Inn Resort, Grand Cayman. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

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If you want to learn to diver this is the place the instructors are great and if you get a chance go to the cayman with them its a blast, thanks mike and the team at SPE and divers down, i am hooked can't wait to see you all when i tack my next class read more

Overall negative experience - I did not give this especially poorly run dive "school" one star because I do think i got reasonably good instruction, but getting through it was horrible. Negative 1: The first day started with a three hour high pressure sales session with everyone trapped in a room. One by one he goes through a long list of dive gear telling everyone why the gear he is hawking is needed and you need to buy this now. Helpers walked around and passed out gear - assuming it was to be purchased. I am a long time snorkeler, so I have a bunch of gear, and the gear was not the best quality, so when I declined I got interrogated as to why I wasn't buying. Negative 2: There was no apparent lessen plan, although the instructor had clearly done this course many times, it was scattered and occasionally hard to follow, he alternatively swore by the PADI material and dismissed it as silly. Negative 3: Not a single class session started or ended on time, one session ended two hours late. Negative 4: the confined water sessions were in this ridiculously small pool which was overcrowded and difficult to maneuver, I was kicked twice, once in the head and my partner was rammed by someone doing a swim test while we were in the pool. I chose this course because it appeared to be a value, but you get what you pay for and SPE Dive School is a clown college. read more

For some reason my review was filtered. so I decided to re-post since we just came back from our second dive trip to Grand Cayman in the last 3 months and had a fabulous time: We highly recommend Mike Parker and his Scubaedu dive school. The school is very well set up, comfortable and beautiful. The staff are friendly , knowledgeable and courteous. The owner, Mike Parker, is very hands-on with the business and knows how to run a great scuba school. He is involved in the training classes as well as the certification dive trips to the Cayman Islands. He is honest, friendly and very straight forward. I took an "Advanced" dive training course with the school in 1999 and also went on their monthly Cayman Island trip. I got my "Rescue" certifications with the school in the August of 2011 and again had a great time on the certification trip to the Caymans. I my husband got certified last August. He is very happy with Scubaedu and really enjoyed the certification experience and the trip that follows. Today my husband bought his first scuba equipment package through Scubaedu. We were given great service with personal attention. They were very honest and their prices were way below retail. We are going back to the Cayman Islands in three weeks and Mike has offered to help us any way he can even though due to scheduling conflicts we are not able to travel with his group this time. We highly recommend Scubaedu.. you will have a great scuba education experience and a great time! read more

I can't say enough good things about Mike and SPE. I had been wanting to take a PADI course for years but anytime I looked into it, was turned off by dive shops that seemed heavy on attitude and light on instruction. After randomly meeting Mike on an airplane, I decided he was the kind of guy I'd like to learn from. Decades of experience, a focus on safety, and a contagious love of diving made it an easy decision to sign up. I'm glad I did, as SPE starts the teaching process at square one to get everyone comfortable with the equipment, dive tables, and safety aspects of SCUBA diving. Since SPE is an actual dive school and not just a shop that teaches on the side, you really learn the fundamentals of diving, rather than watching a DVD and going on your way. The best part is the connections Mike has made in Grand Cayman and other islands, making the certification trips a true dive vacation where your only task is to enjoy the ride. I've been to Grand Cayman four times in the last two years with SPE and each trip has been an amazing experience. On each one I've been diving with great people at great sites, and I can't wait to do more. Mike has created a great network both in the islands and in DC, and I've kept in touch with a number of other SPE divers to continue looking for the next great dive vacation. Five stars isn't enough.. read more

Let me first start out by saying that I opened a yelp account today, specifically to share my thoughts about SPE Dive School. I really wish I had good things to say but unfortunately I don't. I am amazed that there are even a few positive reviews on here because in my opinion, Founder/Owner/Master Dive Instructor Mike Parker was rude, inconsiderate and cold. He failed at marketing his company in a positive light to a potential customer and his sharp-tongued approach from the get-go left nothing to be desired. One conversation with Mike Parker was reason enough not to step into the water. For those of you who are visiting this yelp page and debating about taking a class at SPE, my advice to you is simple - swim in the other direction. read more

I've gotten various certifications from Mike (open water, advanced, nitrox) and been on two trips to Grand Cayman. I recently got back from my second trip. I always enjoy the diving, the service is very good and reasonable. Mike runs a very smooth operation, and he is very knowledgeable about both diving and Grand Cayman. I would highly recommend his certification program and trips. My previous review (also five stars) I've taken open water cert and advanced cert with Mike at SPE. Enjoyed the class very much. I also went on the Cayman Islands Cert trip and HIGHLY recommend it to any diver, either novice or experienced. Mike has done an excellent job of setting up a network of people that cater exclusively to the trip participants. Just as enjoyable is the fact that Mike knows the island and locals like the back of his hand. Our group had a wonderful time accompanying Mike to many of the local places that tourists would never find, for example, a hidden jerk chicken stand. This is the kind of trip where you can let go and just go with the flow, because it will take you to very fun and interesting places. You don't have to work, just enjoy (which I always appreciate in a vacation). Finally, I have bought a significant amount of gear from Mike (regs, tank, BCD, etc.) and I find that he is knowledgeable and honest about recommending appropriate gear tailored to an individual's needs and desires. read more

Couldn't recommend higher for those wanting to get certified. They are great teachers and have a ton of patience - perfect for all skill levels. read more

This was a great class! Mike Parker is truly a find! He is obviously passionate about diving and wants to pass on all the information he has gotten over his 40+ years of diving to his students. What more could you ask for!! Thank goodness we believed the great reviews and took his course! read more