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American Pro Diving Center
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
12 reviews for American Pro Diving Center
12 reviews in English
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Review from James K.
10/22/2011
Amazing experience! Instructor Chris M. made our day and was very courteous. Especially as my wife had trouble equalizing. Ski was pleasant and informative on the phone. Jenny was ok, if a little curt when we didn't have all of our chapters filled out in the book (Chris did a quick review for us.)
We took the PADI Open Water Diver course and it was well worth the money. Watched the PADI video at home, read the books and did the quizzes. 3/4 of the first day in the pool learning skills and then our first dive in Hunter Springs to finish it off. The second day was all in Rainbow River and we were finished by 1pm. Great way to get certified at a very professional outfit. And we saw a Manatee! ...from shore (you can't scuba with them anyway, only snorkel.) -
Review from Becky D.
The Woodlands, TX
3/14/2012
I wanted to share the quality of service that we received from a local dive shop while in Crystal River, Florida. There are many dive shops to choose from in that area. We should have read reviews first, but we noticed American Pro Diving Center while driving around so we chose them to do business with. We needed a few things to make our dive vacation go smoothly, and we decided to buy some things instead of renting. Of course being on vacation, we also bought plenty of souvenirs.
At American Pro Diving Center, It took a longer than usual for them to help us but we understood as the shop was busy with customers. They were booking dive classes and helping others, so our group of 9 people waited patiently to ask questions about certain wet suits, booties, masks and a dive vest for myself. When it was our turn, we did not receive good customer service. The sales reps were quick and seemed pre-occupied with other things. Maybe I am just used to Texas hospitality.
Between everyone in our group, we spent over $650 at American Pro Diving Center. I personally bought a shorty wet suit and a hooded vest which totaled $175. I did not wear the hooded vest, it was still brand new with tags and in the same bag it came in. We went back the next day and asked for a refund since it was not used, and it did not fit properly. The lady that "helped" us was not friendly at all. She said the vest could not be returned for a refund, but that they could give a store credit. We explained that we were on vacation and did not live nearby, therefore we would not be able to use the store credit anytime soon.
Greg spoke to the manager on the phone, but the manager said the same thing and was not willing to do anything else. He was very unhelpful and preferred to keep our money, rather than provide great customer service and earn a good review from us.
Overall, I would not recommend this dive shop. It was convenient for us at the time but the prices were high and the customer service was below average. Instead, I would recommend Birds Underwater, which is about a mile away (http://www.birdsunderw...). -
Review from Sharon R.
Orlando, FL
7/2/2011
We went on a manatee adventure with a groupon here and it was a blast! The staff is friendly, our guide (Mike I think) was awesome.
You can see manatees in Crystal River anytime of the year, but you have to be right on top of them during much of the year because they live in the river and the visibility is poor. It's still amazing because you're looking in the water trying to see something when this huge beast comes up from the bottom. And the guides seem to find them, which is an art form in itself.
In the winter (Jan-March), there is a better chance of seeing them in the clear springs. I'm going back at that time to take some underwater video of them.
The whole experience was just great. Pretty magnificent animals and enormous! -
Review from Nicole W.
6/23/2011 1 photo
We chose this dive shop over the others thanks to Groupon. I am so so happy we ended up with these guys for our manatee snorkel.
The dive shop is on the main drag of town and they have a large, very professional building. When we arrived, were fitted with wetsuits, fins, and snorkels and shown a short video on how to behave around manatees. We then made our way to the dock.
We went on July 9th, which isn't the best time of year to try to see manatees. Our tourguide/captain/videographer, Eric, was amazing and didn't turn this into a problem. He patiently searched the water for signs of them. We first came to a mom and baby - Eric jumped in first and tried to see if the manatees wanted to hang out or if they wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, the baby didn't want to play with us that day. Eric hopped back in the boat and eventually found another manatee that was very calm and willing to put up with tourists.
Having lived in the desert for 6 years now, I quickly realized that I am not as strong of a swimmer as I used to be. Throw in the fact that I have never used fins before and the water was too murky to see the bottom - I became a mess in the water. I did my best to get out to Eric and the manatee but after some poor swimming I asked if I could use a life vest. I know I'm ridiculous but I wanted to touch a manatee so bad, even if that meant looking like a fool.
Handling myself much better with the life vest, I quickly got out to the manatee. He was about 10 feet long and was just munching away on sea grass while we touched his back. We swam with him for about a half hour and it was amazing.
Eric did a great job filming as well, so we bought the DVD. It's a little pricey at $40, but it's a great keepsake.
These things didn't bother us, but may for some people so i feel it's worth mentioning: Our wetsuits that they gave us were damp and cold - not a pleasant way to start off the morning. You have to drive from the dive shop to the dock yourself and there was a $5 parking charge. They do not provide towels and we didn't think to bring one. Make sure you bring towels and something to store your wet gear in for the drive back to the dive shop. Also, don't be afraid to ask for a life vest if it will make you feel more comfortable.
Everyone at the shop was very friendly and professional. I bet their dives are great as well. Eric was patient with us and did a great job making sure everyone had a chance to swim with the manatee - I really cannot say enough nice things about him! I definitely recommend American Pro Dive Center if you are heading to Crystal River to see the manatees. -
Review from Margaret R.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2010
The staff was friendly. We only went there to rent 2 wetsuits for ~$14/each.
This seems like a good place to take scuba classes. They have their own practice pool. -
Review from Elizabeth W.
Chicago, IL
5/21/2010
My husband and I did the Homosassa River snorkel trip back in February. We had a guide named Mike (forgot his last name, and there's more than one Mike; oops.); Mike was great. He was funny. Most of our awesome experience was luck, but I'm going to give Mike credit.
We lucked into a private trip because the other family that signed up to go on the same tour as us, never showed up. So we were on the boat alone, which was pretty nice. Mike had hot chocolate for us, so we could help ourselves since we didn't have to share. Then we got to the manatee spot, and there was one other tour boat there already with only one snorkeler in the water, and they were at the end of their tour. So we ended up alone with the manatees.
The really good luck was that there was one super friendly manatee swimming around. We made a friend fast! She was fascinated by our wet suits, the video camera, my hair, Mike's hair... She got a little grabby. At one point she tried to push me into the manatee sanctuary, which is a big no no. So I had to gently direct us elsewhere. It was unbelievable to have an endangered animal that most people never see and don't know much about, trying to chew on my hair. Crazy!
Now that was the lucky stuff. Here's why I chose American Pro, and why I'd go back. Their boats aren't completely open, they have plastic walls, so it blocks out some of the cold air when you are getting where you need to be. They video tape the experience for you, and you have the option to buy it after they show it to you at the end of the trip. My husband and I don't typically purchase those types of things, but we were alone on the trip, so the video was all us, and we'd had the most ridiculously cool experience. Then there was the aforementioned hot chocolate. Small, but very nice touch. Had a great experience! -
Review from John L.
Berkeley, CA
1/28/2011
At American Pro Diving Center I purchased a manatee swim, a dive, and a gift certificate. The swim was lovely (it wasn't until later I learned how often their boats injure manatees); the dive was fun but entirely unsafe: a cave dive with no safety checks.
When I called to redeem the gift certificate...4 or 5 phonecalls and weeks later, the owner finally responded to say no, adding that I was stupid and, being from San Francisco, obviously "a cock-sucker".
I suspect that the good reviews of this business are because it's genuinely wonderful to swim with manatees..and I strongly advice you to find someone else to organize the trip. -
Review from Emily A.
Dunnellon, FL
7/21/2011
Since I was a very young girl I loved visiting Snooty the Manatee at the South Florida Museum... every time I would see him ... I wanted to jump in and swim with him. I now live in Crystal River and I have had the opportunity to go out with several of the businesses that offer Manatee tours and diving. By far the facilities and experiences with American Pro have been the best. The facilities are very clean, the fleet of boats, and staff... are all top notch.
I also wanted to learn to scuba dive... so over the past 2 1/2 years I have taken many Scuba classes, guided dive tours, and extra dive training. They offer the most guided tour locations. Their diving gear selection is the best in the area. Currently I am taking my Divemaster class with American Pro. If you want to snorkel with the Manatees or learn to scuba... American Pro is the PLACE! -
Review from Louise O.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2009
We did the Homosassa River snorkel trip on New Years. Our guide was Sean who was very nice, however he did seem a little put off to be working on New Years. The manatee experience was amazing. They are adorable and friendly...well as adorable as a two ton couch potato the sea gets. One of the manatees even wrapped it's little chubby arms around my brother's leg!
American Pro Diving was one of the more expensive dive/snorkel shops, but Chris, the guy that answered the phone when I called, was friendly and answered all of my questions. Compared to the Crystal Dive Shop, the person that worked there was rude and impatient. -
Review from Jeff F.
Joliet, IL
11/4/2008 1 photo
We decided to try the manatee swim and a couple of dives our 2nd day of our vacation. Even though we had been out till 1am the night before at Halloween horror nights this was well worth the lack of sleep. The dive staff was extremely friendly and very helpful. Any time you are in Florida this is a must. I can't begin to describe how incredible it is when a baby manatee swims up to you to let you pet him. I also recommend the crystal river dive. My cousin and I had our 1 tank of air last for over an hour. Amazing visibility!!
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Review from Gary S.
San Carlos, CA
10/12/2008
I have done many dives all over the world and although my dive here was an easy one Sean made the trip great. He showed great respect for the manatees we were seeking out. The encounter was priceless. The cavern dive was my first and being a bit claustrophobic Sean took his time and let us all take our time getting in the cavern and explore.....Thanks again for a great time
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Review from Zoe G.
Murfreesboro, TN
7/12/2011
I went with a Groupon on vacation, and I have to say I was pretty nervous; I had never snorkeled before.
When we arrived, we were given the whole deal: fins, wetsuits, snorkels, and we watched a video on proper behavior. We then loaded up and met at Pete's Pier.
There, we got on a boat with our tour guide, Quinn. By this time, I was freaking out.
We soon spotted a mother manatee with her baby! BABY MANATEE! SCORE! I wasn't nervous until we actually got in the water. Being the crappy swimmer I am, I kept a life-jacket under my arm the whole time. (Oh, I feel like I should mention that one thing I was nervous about was being blind--but my glasses fit into the mask, it was perfect.)
We swam until the baby noticed us and came over to play! It was really cool. He was curious and happy; his mom just ate the whole time, which was kind of funny. Anyway, we followed the baby around(he was about one month old), and he continued to nibble on fins and one girl's wetsuit, which was adorable.
Eventually, we loaded onto the boat and left. Back at the shop we watched the really lovely, well-taped video of our swim. It was great.
I really suggest bringing an underwater camera. I got lots of pictures of the manatees, and a few of me petting them, which are totally fantastic keepsakes.
In summary, the center was fantastic, our tour guide was fantastic, and the manatees were fantastic. I guess you could say the entire experience was pretty freaking fantastic. :)
