Blue Planet Scuba in Washington

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comments 5

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  Bruce Butterworth

  :: 13 November 2017 14:36:46

  Best Dive Shop Ever. I just returned from my 4th trip with Blue Planet DC, a great dive shop. Jonas Furberg and his wife Heather Tallent and their staff run a great operation, and I once again recommend people visit the shop and use them for dive trips and other resources. The trip to Baja California in November of last year, to Turks and Caicos in January of January of this year, and this latest trip last week, to Cayman Brac, were all superb. In Cayman Brac, as in the other two, the trip planning, organization and the resort and dive operators were great and, including on this trip, the weather cooperated. As before, on this trip the group was well-led; Jonas is really good guy and a superb instructor (I completed my deep diver certification). I think we all learned a lot from him as an instructor (3 of us were taking courses) but also in general – lots of good tips and knowledge passed at meals and just hanging around. The other thing about Blue Planet is that when the weather doesn’t cooperate, they don’t stop trying. Last June I went with Blue Planet to North Carolina for wreck diving. As you all should know, the weather there is very unpredictable, so for a frustrating 3 days, we weren’t able to go out at all. Well, that’s a test of a good leader, and he passed, because Jonas quickly organized some fun things for us to do (go-cart racing, a group barbeque at the AirB&B house that was rented, a trip to the beach, group dinners, everything). Blue Planet made a frustrating time tolerable and sometimes enjoyable. So, as many stars as possible to Jonas, Heather, their employees, and Blue Planet

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  Derek Freres

  :: 28 October 2016 18:42:29

  Incredible dive center with knowledgeable, caring, and patient instructors. I was also on an amazing trip they organized to Bonaire and had a blast!

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  Andrew Haddock

  :: 06 September 2016 08:37:11

  Checking an item off my bucket list was easy with Blue Planet Scuba. Jonas, Heather, and the rest of the team at Blue Planet are pretty much perfect! Lots of new friends! I had a short time frame to complete my Open Water certification and I did not read the website correctly so I completely misunderstood the process. Rather than tell me they didn't have room to accommodate my needs, they said give us 30 minutes and we will call you back with a solution and they totally came through. My instructors for the confined water portion of the certification were Evert and Valerie with the help of several other Blue Planet staff. Evert and Valerie are AWESOME! I felt completely safe and confident the entire time. They explained things clearly and were the definition of patient. We worked through both days of this portion of the certification at a very appropriate pace, I never felt rushed. Evert stayed after the session on Sunday to help my dive buddy get more comfortable with a skill and from what I understand, came back a third night and helped again. Valerie worked with me on the free-flowing regulator skill (which was probably the one I was the most nervous about) and I got through it with ease! They are both exceptional instructors. For the open water portion of the certification I selected a weekend at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA. I decided to head up earlier on Friday to avoid traffic and arrive at the shop right at 11AM (when they open) to pick up all my gear, the team at the shop that morning had everything ready and helped me load it all into my car. When I arrive at the scuba park the next morning, Blue Planet had everything well organized and ready to go, a well-oiled machine for sure. There were Open Water, Advanced, Dry Suit, and Dive Master Candidates all being juggled over a three day weekend, overall maybe 22-25 people with varying skill levels and very different needs expertly coordinated. I lucked out and got Valerie and Evert for this portion of my certification as well, and they continued to blow me away with their expertise and patience, allowing everything the time they needed to ask questions and understand each of the plans for the dives we were to complete. A fantastic dinner was even part of the plan, coordinated by the Blue Planet team, at a local brewery which allowed all the students (from all levels) to interact and exchange stories and I feel, make some lasting friendships! I almost forgot to mention, Sarah and Walter, two Dive Master Candidates that were with us! Sarah was at both the confined and open water dives for me and was AWESOME! She was confident and knowledgeable and helped make sure I was successful! Walter joined the group at Dutch Springs and his great attitude helped make the process of planning and executing the open water dives an easy one. In the end, I am not a certified Open Water diver with plans to complete my Dry Suit and Advanced certifications in the next several months so I can check another bucket list item - Diving the continental divide in Iceland next year (a Blue Planet Dive Trip). I wouldn't have made it without Evert and Valerie and the rest of the Blue Planet Team! If you need a dive shop in the DMV, Blue Planet is the way to go!

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  Holly Gerberich

  :: 29 September 2015 09:45:39

  I love Blue Planet. Great owners and staff who are passionate about diving. The trips are fantastic - not too posh, not too rustic - a really good, affordable balance of the two extremes. The folks at Blue Planet are wonderful, down to earth, and also very safety focused. Highly recommend.

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  Mike Weber

  :: 15 July 2015 13:52:02

  Blue Planet is a great dive shop - super staff and management, good selection of high quality gear, and they do a great job with training and trips. We have taken classes, purchased gear, and are about to go on our third trip with them. They are very knowledgable about all aspects of diving and marine life, care strongly about providing great customer service and amazing experiences, and have a strong focus on the environment. I highly recommend taking your scuba business here if you live in the DC area... Two fins up!