Bay Breeze Dive Center

We had such a great experience at this locally owned shop trying on and purchasing the right gear for a beginner diver. Christina was very patient and helpful. It was so nice to not feel pressured or rushed into any purchases. She took time with us to make sure we got just the right fit.

Very friendly, knowledgeable and home town people. Once added to their email list, they'll send you general and sales information.

Rented wet suits from here for a surfing lesson, clean, reasonably priced and super kind staff. Totally recommend!!!

Outstanding staff, very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Got certified a few months ago with them and they were excellent with instruction and very safety oriented

Look no further than Bay Breeze Dive Center (BBDC), the one-stop shop for all your scuba needs. The small shop is located in Gulf Breeze between Thai 54 and the Quality Inn right off the 3 mile bridge, and the knowledgeable, friendly staff will make scuba training, along with gear purchase, a fun and enjoyable experience.

I purchased BBDC's summer rate scuba classes to obtain NAUI recreational diver certification, which was $170-ish per person with an additional requirement of purchasing $200 worth of product in their shop. Most dive charters don't supply fins, snorkel/mask, and booties and require people to have these products before renting scuba gear. So while the $300 per person class price tag at other operations initially seems like a better value, in the long run it's not. BBCD has a wide selection of quality and budget gear to select from.

The first day of training was in the pool at the Club in Gulf Breeze. Our class size was eight plus two instructors (Bruce, and Carlos the owner). I cannot say enough about these instructors. I never had swimming lessons so was very inexperienced, and very nervous. Of course, breathing underwater is unlike normal respiration and I ended up having several panic attacks in the pool. Carlos and Bruce spent extra time with me and let me go at my own pace. I was never pushed or forced into doing something with which I was uncomfortable. Because of my slow pace, our class was in the pool from 11-5PM. While that seems long, it's important to takeaway that neither of them lost their patience with me and they never gave up on me.

BBDC allowed us to complete our training dives several weeks apart. Day 2 dive was on 8/20/16 (Saturday) at Fort Pickens. The visibility was 5ft at best, but Bruce held my hand, navigating me on our 26 minute dive to a depth of 28 feet. It was very cool seeing all the tiny fish lurking underwater. Bruce found a puffer fish and gave him to me to hold in my hand. These are little things that instructors don't have to do, but Bruce did to make the experience more memorable and exciting.

Day 3, 8/28/16 (Sunday), was cloudy, and while the visibility was better, the current was strong. Throughout two, 20+minute dives, Bruce made myself and 5 other people feel safe in the strong current. We found a flounder, which Bruce masterfully caught, and several live sand dollars (which are purple, not white when alive). At the end of the day, my husband and I became scuba certified and we are looking forward to pursing some of BBDC's more advanced classes and charter dives in the future.

I highly recommend this place, whether it is buying gear of any kind, to getting FREE advice on where to dive, to having tanks re-filled, gear serviced (if bought from them), even to free kittens. Yes, sometimes they have kittens at their facility to give away to a good home for free.
The owner Carlos reminded us on several occasions that he will attempt to match or beat any online price, so test out his offer before buying from an online supplier. They want your business and supporting local mom and pop businesses is better for the local economy than purchasing online. Besides, if you purchase items from them and something is wrong or it needs maintenance, you can bring it In for them to help.

Thanks to Bruce, Carlos, and the BBDC team for making scuba certification such a positive experience!

Staff was really helpful for when I was looking for something at my trip to Pensacola Beach

Had a great time diving with Carlos at Bay Breeze. Very knowledgeable and professional. Whatever your diving experience level is they can accommodate you. When you call Christina makes the booking and rental quick and easy. Definitely book my next dive with them again!

Friendly but not pushy. Helpful and knowledgeable. i wanted to buy booties and both the guys in there offered their experience and opinions. Came away with exactly what i needed. Plus, their open and honest viewpoints on the "state of the union" is refreshing

Clean
Friendly.
Close to the best hotels an shore.
Cheap prices for Pensacola shirts an shorts.
Need a board or a surf board
Or swim shorts place to go!

The best part of this shop is the location. The staff is friendly but I went in to buy a cheap replacement snorkel and had to politely listen while I was told why I should get a 50.00 snorkel. They are persistent with the sales even when you say no. They have two new staff members that seem eager to learn but Bob was stressed out and not speaking kindly to either of them. It was awkward to stand there and watch. They provided lots of good advice about the area including food to eat and helped prioritize dive sites but I'm going to MBT or the dive shop on palafox from here on out.

I also overheard that if you get dive certified there you must buy your gear from them (mask fins snorkel, etc). If you already have that gear you MUST purchase at least 200.00 of gear from them in addition to your instruction. I don't know any other shops that do this and I think it's a rip off. Just go to MBT.