I just got back from my second weekend diving with Blue Octopus and highly recommend them to anyone considering scuba diving. When picking out gear, the staff made recommendations based on my personal considerations (being a tall woman, sometimes things fit a bit funny). I found fins, a mask, a wetsuit, boots, and a snorkel that met both my needs and my budget. Everyone is friendly and has a wealth of knowledge about equipment and diving techniques. The staff answered all my questions (even the slightly silly ones), and I never felt rushed or like I was being upsold.Online sign-up for the class was a breeze, and all the instructions were easy to follow. The instructor was available to me a couple of weeks before make sure I got the correct paperwork filled out and didnt have any questions about the e-learning. My 3-day open water course instructor is a consummate professional, and I felt safe and thoroughly educated while still understanding my limits after the class. If you are looking to learn how to dive, travel, or expand your skills, definitely check out Blue Octopus!

Everyone there was wonderful to work with and very knowledgeable. Definitely the place to go for your diving needs and wants.

My 73-year-old husband talked me into going to the Blue Octopus to purchase hooded scuba ice vests and fins, because he wanted to support a local small business. The manager and her colleague told us that they didn’t have hooded ice vests, but that they wore Bare Exowear jackets with separate hoods, which they highly recommended. They didn’t have my size, but swore that I should wear a size smaller that they did have.After that they showed us fins, beginning with the most expensive, which they said they used. I said I just wanted the full-foot kind that didn’t need separate booties. Instead they showed me the next most expensive fins and said I would be much happier with them and booties. When I asked for the price of the fins they had shown me, neither one answered. I asked to try on the full-foot fins and then, again, how much each cost. The full-foot fins were half the price of the second most expensive fins, which would have also required booties.Even though I felt very uncomfortable about their upselling, my husband bought the jackets, hoods, booties for himself and the full-foot fins for me. In mid-May we left for our three-week vacation. The incredibly tight jacket was still too bulky to fit under my wet suit and the water wasn’t cold enough for my husband to need his jacket, so we wanted to return them. We hadn’t even taken off the tags. That was when I was told of the Blue Octopus’ draconian return policy: “All product sales are final and not eligible for refunds.” When I protested the manager and her colleague left the room. When they came back, the manager was holding a “Refund Policy” in a plexiglass frame (see photo). She said that they always told customers the policy at the time of purchase. I know that isn’t true, because I would never have let my husband pay almost $175 for a jacket that didn’t fit and that I was pretty sure I wouldn’t wear.The other unfair Blue Octopus policy that potential customers should beware of is “Educational courses are refundable with a doctor signed letter stating student(s) are not cleared to participate.” Yet the very next sentence says “Educational course may be rescheduled within one year of purchase.”All in all, this business does not earn my respect and I recommend that divers and potential divers look elsewhere for their scuba needs.

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 didnt 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.

Great service and very professional. If you Dive, I would highly recommend.

We did Discover Scuba and then proceeded to get our open water certification through Blue Octopus. I couldnt 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.

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!

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 couldnt finish because of the same the following day. (Apparently, restaurants werent even seating people outside on that day). I ended my experience with Nautilus and went to Blue Octopus. I went from thinking I didnt want to continue with scuba to absolutely loving it! Blue Octopus was more organized, they took more breaks so you didnt 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 cant 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. Dont just book because something looks less in price. Theres a reason and I believe they might include the online training. Thank you so much, John, Mike, and Jennifer! You all ROCK!

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

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

If youre thinking of choosing a scuba diving shop, this is the one. Blue Octopus is legit. Theyre 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 shop. Staff are excellent and very helpful. Sound instructors that offer unvarnished advice. Very pleased with my experiences here.

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. Its 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!

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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

Great shop with fantastic instructors and staff!

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

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.

Great service. Worth finding them

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 wasnt 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.

Good local dive shop

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

No interest in customer service.....

I like

PADI or SSI?