Octopus Indoor Scuba Review

Blue Octopus Scuba opened in the same location as the former Splash Dive Center. The new owners are very friendly and committed to providing a premiere dive shop in Alexandria. The staff is extremely helpful and the inventory has expanded to include everything from snorkelers to recreational divers to technical divers. Their PADI courses are now available and more and more dive trips are being added to the trip board.

I originally went through Nautilus for my confined since, at first glance, seemed cheaper. Big mistake. My first experience was horrible. Nautilus had us outside for hours in the middle of a horrible heat wave then in the pool with little to no breaks. I went from overheated to freezing after an entire day of training. I made it through day one while most of my peers dropped out early due to heat exhaustion. I couldn't finish because of the same the following day. (Apparently, restaurants weren't even seating people outside on that day). I ended my experience with Nautilus and went to Blue Octopus. I went from thinking I didn't want to continue with scuba to absolutely loving it! Blue Octopus was more organized, they took more breaks so you didn't feel overwhelmed, they allowed your body to rest and drink plenty of water, and they took care of all the tasks that you might need a little more help with. They were patient, fun, and knew what they were doing. I originally HATED taking my mask off but they showed me amazing tips for me to finally master it. Needless to say, I stuck with it, I am officially certified with open water, and can't wait for my next dive all thanks to Blue Octopus (John, Mike, and Jennifer) They took me under their wing and healed me from the first poor experience. If you think their price is high, just call and ask. They can save you a lot of heartache. Don't just book because something looks less in price. There's a reason and I believe they might include the online training. Thank you so much, John, Mike, and Jennifer! You all ROCK!

I came in knowing nothing about diving or the equipment and Chris at the front desk got me set up with a mask and snorkel that fit my needs and didn't break the bank.
Also I took the e-learning course and am in the process of completing open water diver certification and all of the staff involved have been so knowledgeable and accommodating.

I recently attended a NITROX class at Blue Octopus scuba. The instructor was excellent and took the time to make sure the students really understood the material. It's been a while since I completed the Open Water cert making me somewhat rusty on some basics but the instructor brought me up to speed quickly and patiently.

Blue Octopus Scuba as a whole has been very easy to work with and incredibly flexible with regard to updating my skills, and providing training and diving opportunities. Well done!

Love this shop, the people, the instructors, the owner - all fabulous people. I would never use another shop even though I live in Maryland.

Just finished my closed water class, class instructors, equipment and procedure. The amount of knowledge is crazy. Use them if you can...

You can tell that everyone at the shop really love what they do. They will take their time to make sure you get exactly what you need for your next dive.

What sets this shop apart from others is sincerity. Not to argue others are not sincere, but Blue Octopus Scuba could definitely set the standard. I live in DC and called several places some closer to my home or work. With a big trip coming up in January with an AOW diver, I wanted to get both open-water and advanced open water dives under my belt in December. Mike Wright listened to my goals and concerns and provided a solution (let s do dry suit) other shops said: its winter. Price was very competitive to other shops and Mike stressed an important factor: there are not added costs, only what I quoted. And he was right.

I worked with several folks from the shop Ron, Brian, Tim and several others. Everyone had the same attitude to help me become a diver. Suffice it to say this shop is focused on creating divers. And they do this with patience and went the extra mile to make my seemingly-unique situation work. In the end, I walked away with OW, AOW and Nitrox certs. I couldn t be happier.

I have been wanting to try out scuba diving for years and my friend talked me into going on and pulling the trigger. We did all of our confined and open water dives in a 3-day weekend down at Lake Phoenix. I was so impressed with the whole experience from talking to Chris on the phone and getting things scheduled, the online PADI diver course, the instructors we learned from, and also the dive site. I was concerned about diving in a lake however it was very interesting because there were many underwater attractions that have been placed in the old quarry. Also, visibility was better than I had expected it to be. I cannot say enough great adulations about the instructors, especially our main divemaster, Don. I had a lot of anxiety going into this and had several moments where I wasn't sure if I was going to get through the tasks at hand, especially clearing my mask underwater. I truly appreciate and am impressed by the time and patience that Don, Janet, and Mike had with me as they built a safe environment for us all to learn and for me to overcome my fears and complete the course feeling so much more confident than I had at the beginning. By the end of the weekend, I was clearing my mask on my own and had learned to find my Zen under the water. I am truly looking forward to further adventures and additional dive classes with Blue Octopus Scuba.

Excellent dive shop with a wealth of knowledge and experience. This is my go to dive shop.

With so many products on the market I wanted to find someone who would be honest about what I was interested in and not just a sale. Blue Octopus Staff was exactly that! They have amazing staff ready to help as soon as you walk through the door. If you are in the market to buy or just want a friendly face to talk about your last dive with, this is your kinda place!

It was a brief visit but they had everything I needed and took care of me.

We did the Discover Scuba class and loved it! The staff were passionate and generous with their knowledge. We had a great time.

Got my open water referral course done here. Would definitely recommend. Eugene and Brian were great!

Great shop. Staff are excellent and very helpful. Sound instructors that offer unvarnished advice. Very pleased with my experiences here.

We did Discover Scuba and then proceeded to get our open water certification through Blue Octopus. I couldn't say enough good things about our experience - all the staff we interacted with are very strong and thorough teachers, encouraging and fun! Class was efficient and we always felt safe. Communication was always very clear and class ran smoothly. The rental gear for the class is top notch!

We have returned to the shop to buy gear a couple of times and they have a wide selection. They were able to offer me multiple options for 5 mm wetsuits in my size in store, which was very much appreciated when I needed it on short notice.

If you're thinking of choosing a scuba diving shop, this is the one. Blue Octopus is legit. They're staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I just finished the PADI Open Water training over a weekend at Lake Phoenix and their instructor, Eugene, was sensational. I highly recommend this place.

Great Dive Shop! My fills are always 310 bar and as sheduled; unlike most other shops.

I just got certified for open water diving here. Eugene Clingan did a phenomenal job allaying my worries in the closed and open water dives. His knowledge, humor and outgoing personality made a world of difference in teaching me how to SCUBA!