Great staff. Extremely knowledgeable. They seem to service a wide variety of brands of equipment…read more Not the quickest place out there, but since your life depends on it, would you rather be quick or have it done right? They said if I needed it, while in the shop, they would arrange a loaner. Cannot beat that for value!

We couldn't be more pleased with the friendly very helpful advise we received at Dive Connections…read morein Charlottesville. Owner Chip and his staff went out of their way helping us assemble all the dive gear we needed for our family diving experience. We were Able to rent everything we needed to compete in a unique experience including some hard to find gear. Throughout the process they were very accommodating and knowledgeable . I would strongly recommend Dive Connections to anyone interested in learning to scuba or who is interested in purchasing high quality equipment at very reasonable prices. Thanks again to Chip for all his patience and help

This dive instruction business is female owned. Classroom instruction done in Culpeper and pool…read moreinstruction done in Manassas currently. The open water dives are done in the quarry near Fredericksburg. Ronda is very patient with the students and ensures safety and having fun is always present.

I received my Rescue Diver certification through Fins Up Scuba. The instructor was very…read moreknowledgeable and thorough in her instruction. She was very personable and patient with all of the students in the classroom and during the open water exercises. Very well recommended!

Don't look anywhere else to take scuba classes or buy gear from other than BLUE PLANET! My…read moreexperience with this school and shop has been off the charts! The staff is fantastic - competent, respectful, patient, adaptive to your learning needs, very experienced and a lot of fun! Any rental gear that you will be using is up-to-date and quite effective for your learning requirements. PADI Lead Instructor Sarah Pratt and PADI Instructor Mike Hassoun were sensational to learn from! You don't have to worry about what kind of training you're going to get with these two instructors! They are top-notch and they do an outstanding job of teaching and working with every student individually and corporately! They care about each person and where they are at and what their weaknesses and strengths are! They both made my time of learning so much fun and very safe in the water! Their leadership and experience as divers and instructors is apparent in their teaching skills and how well organized they are during the training! I had a fantastic class weekend experience because of Sarah and Mike! Owners Jonas and Heather are the kindest and sweetest you will ever meet! You feel like your part of the Blue Planet family from the get-go! Shop Manager and Master Instructor Jeff Peterson along with Instructor and Sales Associate Anthony White are two more amazing employees that I encountered and received plenty of support from during the paperwork process, registration and gear rental orientation process! They are extremely helpful and competent in every way! They are very knowledgeable on the latest gear out there and will hook you up with what you need and what you can afford! Choose BLUE PLANET and you'll be extremely happy with what you get out of your scuba diving educational experience and gear! I certainly have!

I completed my dry suit certification with Everett and Valerie at Lake Phoenix. They are skillful…read moreteachers, experienced divers, and great to spend the day with. I left confident in my new skills and appreciate their excellent training.

Im a novice diver who certified over 10yrs ago. I couldn't afford to dive until recently due to…read moregrad school/cost/time. I decided to get back into it this summer. This past weekend took an advance open water course at Lake Phoenix with Mike and John. I couldn't have asked for more knowledgable or experienced divemasters. We had a very small class (me) due to cancellations, but they were both positive while I re-acclimated to the water after a long hiatus. At the end of the course when we finished with some air left, John took me back out on a fun dive which I really appreciated. After I mentioned I didn't know any other divers locally, they invited me over to meet members of the Richmond dive club. Lake Phoenix (Rawlings) still makes a great place for training. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend to shake the cobwebs out and pick up a few new skills. Thanks Guys!

Amazing group of guys. Extremely knowledgeable and incredibly helpful. Nate, Tyler, and William are…read morereally great. I'm so happy I get to learn from them. Jim the owner is outstanding! I can't wait to learn all I can from him.

I just completed my PADI Confined Water Training with Acquatic Adventures last weekend and I can't…read moresay enough positive things about my experience. I had three instructors - Liam, Roberto, and Stephanie - all of whom were very evidently knowledgeable about all things scuba diving. They were extremely thorough in reviewing materials, answering any questions my class members and I threw their way, and providing a multitude examples from personal experience (which was my favorite part). They were so friendly and personable and their passion for the sport was loud and clear as well as their keenness to ensure each of us had a positive/fun experience over the course of the two days. Honestly, I didn't expect to be as sad as I was that it was over on Day 2 - I wish we could've extended our time together just because they are very easy people to be around who also have a plethora of knowledge with them - and that's coming from someone who is typically a non-outgoing hermit. Several of my friends have already completed the same training but at other facilities and let me tell you...not only did they say their experience wasn't as pleasant (from a friendly and personable standpoint), but also the depth of information shared from Liam, Roberto, and Stephanie far outweighed what I heard was delivered to others. (I guess I'll be the leading buddy on our dive trips...) Experience aside, I will say as a career researcher, I obviously did my homework on the best value for the training in NOVA and Acquatic Adventures definitely beat others out of the water in that regard too. It's hard to imagine a place who offers the best price with the best quality of training delivery exists but I'm here to say it does. Thank you Roberto, Liam, and Stephanie for a wonderful experience. I can't emphasize enough how much I appreciate your time, energy, and expertise!

I stopped by for some advice on dive computer and other equipment I am in the market for. Mel and…read moreSy (?) were helpful, they clearly have a ton of knowledge. The store carries a lot of quality equipment and they offer classes as well as amazing dive trips. I only had a short amount of time to pick their brains but I will definitely be back!

I can't say enough just how wonderful the Sterling Silver Scuba shop is. I started going to the…read moreshop about a year ago as I was preparing to go on a vacation and was planning on earning my Open Water certification over seas. The staff took the time to advise me on what I needed to know, helped me pick the right equipment that I would need and explained what the PADI course would be like. As soon as I returned from my vacation with my C-card, I signed up to take the Advanced Open Water course through Sterling. Once again, they exceeded my expectations in the insight and support that they provided. I have since enjoyed 2 wonderful Camp & Dive weekend trips that Sterling put together (they think of everything). On these trips, they encourage families to participate. People go for certifications, fun dives, or even to come support family or friends as they dive. Sterling prepared all of our meals, had a nice camp fire to relax beside after a day of diving, and had water and other beverages at the ready to keep all of us hydrated. To top all that off, smores and a movie to end the day. This last trip I went on May 23-25 2014, there were around 50 of us (half were children). They even were working with a local Boy Scout troop for their certifications. Not only do I trust Sterling with my training and well, my life, but purchased all of my equipment from them as well. I was looking for a one-stop dive shop and I found it! I would say after a year of working with Sterling Silver SCUBA, they are by far the most professional, fun-loving, family-oriented dive shop I have been to. The owners Jason and Melissa have created a supportive environment where someone like me who knew nothing about diving could safely learn and explore this new passion of mine.

I stopped by this past weekend to look at some fins. Grace is very, very knowledgeable and she was…read moreable to answer all my questions and more. She pointed out the trade-offs between various types of fins and fin straps. I was surprised there was so much to consider when buying fins. She also pointed out some other things about scuba (not about fins) that were very helpful. I also had some questions about regulators. My concern was that the hose I used at the OBX felt too short and was almost about to come out of my mouth so I had to hold the regulator in my mouth or bite down hard on the mouthpiece. She answered questions about that as well as concerns I had about water leaking into the mask. She pointed out many things to consider. In short, Grace is very knowledgeable. She definitely knows what she is doing. I hope Diventures is paying her well because she deserves it.

Really happy and super impressed with the personal service and recommendations provided on dive…read morelights! Hope to dive with them soon!!

Officially PADI Scuba certified! I'm so happy--this was a significant accomplishment for me. I…read moredidn't think I could get through it and wanted to quit many times, especially while swimming in the cold 62°F water at Laguna Beach. Thanks to my amazing instructor Spencer, I pushed through, and now I'm very proud of myself! He really took his time with me, was extremely patient and walked me through every skill step-by-step. By the time I hit the open water, I felt like a pro. Spencer is so knowledgeable and an excellent instructor. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to get their certifications.

I absolutely LOVED getting my scuba certification through Chesapeake Underwater Sports! Mike and…read morehis team are all fantastic instructors who really care about their students and take the time you need to make sure you have a strong understanding of all the skills required for your certification. They are accommodating of schedules and do their best to make your experience great (and comfortable - breathing under water takes some adjusting!) I also bought new scuba gear at the shop and Mike took the time to make sure everything fit my needs and their prices were great! I recommend going to Chesapeake Underwater Sports for all of your scuba needs, and I'm looking forward to using all my gear on one of the scuba trips that CUSA and Mike plan in the near future!

Mike is an incredible business man. We are long time Annapolitans and went in to Chesapeake…read moreUnderwater Sports out of curiosity . Mike invited us in and asked if we had any questions. I told him that I'm a bit of a nervous diver and as soon as Mike heard this he immediately offered to send me some information and helpful tips to over come my fear. He had plenty of gear and even a few merch items.

Found SPE Dive School thru Groupon & the 3-hr DISCOVER SCUBA. I had so much fun & a great…read moreexperience overall after learning to trust the gear. We attended the class portion at their Chevy Chase location then given a hour to drive to Dulles for the pool portion due to COVID restrictions. I was a bit peeved when informed I had to drive to Dulles. Was told pre-COVID their pool was 7 min from the Chevy Chase location. I wish SPE better informed us when before we purchased. All that faded when I put the gear on. Fast forward the learning curve of getting over claustrophobia & trusting the gear. They had extra instructors on hand during the pool portion. I'm glad I tried the DISCOVER SCUBA & open to pursuing licensing. FYI - this is an intro crash course in shallow water. Do not expect a whole lot of details & to be certified after the DISCOVER course. Keep in kind my review is based on the intro course!

What a great experience. Mike Parker went out of his way to accommodate the last-minute…read morearrangements and helped me fulfill belated plans to go diving with my son. Ten years late, but oh so enjoyable. We couldn't make a scheduled trip, so Mike arranged for open water certification with Dan Fosters dive shop. Can't say enough good things from shuttle service to the dive shop, excellent offshore diving, and hospitality of all involved. Can't wait to go back.

After not diving for over 20 years, I enrolled in a refresher class. Christine was the instructor,…read moreand unfortunately I would not recommend taking a refresher course with her. Throughout the class, she was short and curt, and became easily frustrated with both myself and the other student. At one point, the other student mentioned she was afraid to tell Christine that she had not turned on her regulator (which I also had not), because Christine had not instructed us to do so and had already created an intimidating environment. Several of the procedures Christine reviewed were not part of my original certification training, which made the experience even more stressful rather than educational. At one point, she told us that if she could, she would revoke our certifications--though she acknowledged she did not have the authority to do so. When it came time for the buoyancy check, Christine became extremely frustrated with us. This skill was not required when I originally certified, so it was entirely new to me. By the time we descended, I was so panicked that I no longer felt safe continuing the class. I exited the water and left because I did not feel comfortable or supported as a student. As a result, I lost the full amount I paid for the course. Overall, the experience was discouraging and left me feeling unsafe and disheartened. I would not recommend taking a refresher class with Christine.

From the owner: Scuba Diving Shopread more