Gulf Shores Dive Shops

[Alex_Garland]

Hello,

I will be staying at a beach front apartment in Orange Beach, AL, the first week in August, driving down from D.C. with all my dive gear. Can anyone recommend a good dive shop within reasonable driving distance of that area? I'm interested in both reefs and wrecks. My sister will be there too and though she doesn't dive she loves snorkeling, so any suggestions for good shore locations for snorkeling would be appreciated.

Thanks,
AG

 

[GJC]

For snorkeling:

Portofino and Navarre artificial reefs. Just check surf conditions before leaving.

Fort Pickens. Get there just before high tide. Snorkel around the little jetty to see fish and a lot of hermit crabs. Watch for fishermen, lines and hooks in the water.


There are quite a few dive boats and dive shops around Pensacola. My only experience was with Bay Breeze Dive Center in Pensacola Beach. I was happy diving with them. They refer to several boat captains.

 

[Alex_Garland]

Thank you!

For snorkeling:

Portofino and Navarre artificial reefs. Just check surf conditions before leaving.

Fort Pickens. Get there just before high tide. Snorkel around the little jetty to see fish and a lot of hermit crabs. Watch for fishermen, lines and hooks in the water.


There are quite a few dive boats and dive shops around Pensacola. My only experience was with Bay Breeze Dive Center in Pensacola Beach. I was happy diving with them. They refer to several boat captains.

 

[WetRocks]

Had a very good experience with Down Under Dive Shop a couple of years ago. Very convenient to Orange Beach.

 

[Alex_Garland]

Good to know, thanks. I was looking over their website the other night and thought they looked like a good outfit.

Had a very good experience with Down Under Dive Shop a couple of years ago. Very convenient to Orange Beach.

 

[sportxlh]

I dove with Down Under last summer. It's a good operation and the boat is one of the comfortable big Newtons. See if they can take you to the LuLu: it's one of the biggest wrecks out of Gulf Shores and has resident Goliath Grouper. I climbed in the wheelhouse with a very calm GG on my trip..... very cool experience. One of the guys on my trip also got good footage of a bull shark down in the sand.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I visited -but did not dive with Dive Pros on highway 89 in Pensacola
I was very impressed with the operation.

One person that stood head and shoulders above the crowd was a NAUI instructor name "CJ" Very knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of diving

SDM

 

[TMHeimer]

For both diving and snorkeling, shore diving at Perdido Pass (right at FL border) is OK. You park either by the bridge (Orange Beach side) or in a parking lot by the restaurant (closer--and they may have fenced off the way from the bridge public lot). A little walk to the jetty and not the easiest climb over it with scuba gear on, but I do it at my age. Only thing of course is the nasty tidal current. So plan the dives, snorkeling an hour before high tide. You can go out along the jetty or go left and go along the wall (not much to see that way).

 

[Wayward Son]

High pressure Dive Shop in Robertsdale is a good shop. Charters, gear, banked nitrox.

24377 State Highway 59
Robertsdale AL

(251) 721-9111