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November 2023 by Lareina Grispino
I just wanted to hop on here and give a shout out to Conch Republic Divers and Ashley Hudson. My boyfriend and I went down to Key Largo last week and the weather wasn’t its best and had some rough conditions. When all other dive shops were cancelling the day before, conch was still going out or at least attempting to. They are such a wonderful crew with beautiful clean boats. They let divers dive & enjoy themselves without being overbearing. They are friendly and helpful & a complete joy to dive with. Not only did they provide us with a wonderful vacation they made it one we will never forget. Ashley, her husband & her friend Sara helped my boyfriend become by fiancé! They took us out on their smaller boat & helped him put together a proposal of a lifetime! I couldn’t thank them enough for their kindness & hospitality & the wonderful memories. The dive community is small but so amazing because you get to spend a week at a time with strangers who become such big parts of your life! Sal & I are forever thankful and grateful for you guys! Hope to see you next year!
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November 2023 by Rosanne Teniente
This is an amazing shop. I just did my rescue diver and some other PADI specialty certs with Conch Republic Divers, and I’m so glad I went with them. Their instructors, staff, and boat crews are awesome, knowledgeable and super patient, and I felt like I was treated like family. The owners, Dave and Ashley are so sweet. I learned so much and feel a lot more comfortable in the water. I’ll be diving with them any time I’m in the Keys.
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November 2023 by Mitch B
I have family in south FL who I visit twice a year, while visiting I spend a few days in the keys diving. In May 2023 I decided to try a different diving outfit as I wasn’t happy with the normal one, I’ve use. I found Conch Republic Divers and decided to give them a try. Conch Republic is the friendliest and most accommodating outfit I ever dove with. On my first trip in May I felt like I have been diving with them for years. So, I dove with them again at the end of September 2023 and it was even better. When traveling by myself I prefer private guilds and other outfits weren’t able to provide them but Conch Republic said no problem. I dove with Gage, Jake and Marly and had some of the best diving ever. I prefer deep diving and a larger tank to maximize bottom time, Conch Republic has 100 cubic ft steel tanks which they customize the air mix to maximize bottom time. I look forward to diving with them again in 2024. Thank you, Conch Republic, for some of the best dives I have had.
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October 2023 by Stuart Foster
I had the pleasure of diving with CRD both before and during the ‘Wrecks of Key Largo’ event. I have dived with several different dive operations around the world including a Red Sea Liveaboard, Maldives, Malta, Mexico. I can honestly say for friendliness, safety, boats, guides and dive sites, CRD beats them all. Thank you Ashley and your team for a memorable experience
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October 2023 by Eric Weber
Thank you to the whole crew for an incredible 2 days of diving!! Carlos was my instructor and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience getting my Open Water Diver certification. My dad and I had a memorable trip and we’ll definitely be back soon.
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August 2023 by Amber
I cannot speak highly enough of this dive shop, the owners (Ashley and Dave), and their staff--I stumbled upon a gem! I just finished my second dive trip with them (March & July 2023-32 dives!) and it I so clear to me that they are the best shop around. You are known, taken care of, and will have an awesome time on their boats and with their crew. I love the area they cover and Conch Republic Divers so much I am planning to book another trip with them in October of this year!But the thing that stands out the most after all the amazing dive sites and memories are the people. The owners, the guides, the crew, and captain(s). I was guided by Jake this week (13 dives) and we had such a blast. He is very knowledgeable about the marine life, biology, and had great recommendations for great places to visit and eat around the area. He also got me into lobster hunting with the mini-season and man does that guy know how to find lobster! I will definitely ask for him to guide me on my next trip.Their rental gear is top notch and reliable, I rented my BCD, regulator, and nitrox/air tanks from them. Any problematic o-ring or low fill is immediately addressed. Their two ships, the Republic Divers and Mermaid diver are really nice, too.Conch Republic Divers is under new ownership as of last fall, so any older negative comments you read prior to that aren't associated with the new owners.
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August 2023 by Duane Janney
Hands down the best dive shop around. The boat is awesome. The crew and staff are super helpful. The locations are incredible! These guys will put you right in the prime locations! I’ll be back soon!!!
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August 2023 by Stilltravelinn
I don’t typically write reviews in general partially because I feel like some effort should be put in when it comes to composing a post that could potentially have an impact on a business.
I sort of stumbled upon Conch Republic Divers (CRD) when I inquired at a local gear shop regarding getting spearfishing lessons (yes, for SCUBA- I don’t think it’s realistic to attempt free diving twice a year as I live in the Northeast) and the clerk recommended Kyle at CRD. I immediately called CRD and spoke with Christian, whom I believe is one of the owners and he informed me regretfully that Kyle was already booked for the day I had in mind. I asked if they had any other dive trips available and he was able to get me out on an afternoon trip. I proceeded to spend the next three days with CRD (unplanned) and got 12 dives in, to include the wrecks of the USS Spiegel Grove, SS Benwood, and Eagle as well as multiple reefs.
CRD is by far the best diving center experience I’ve had since I’ve started.
CRD’s check in office/shop is co-located with the boats and has a changing room and showers, and a covered outdoor area to work on your gear which they will happily store for you on secure racks overnight for your convenience.
CRD’s boat is perfect: clean, organized, spacious, fast, and padded for dudes like me without sea legs.
CRD’s crew (Mark, Jake, Gage, Matt, Bailey, Kyle, Christian and Ashley) are the friendliest, most patient, knowledgeable, and proficient group I’ve encountered in the dive world, and I was truly a bit sad to say goodbye to them- diving with them feels very personal and you can tell they all genuinely care about each client’s safety and providing diving experience.
I feel like and hope I made a new group of friends and plan to return with some of my buddies from the military as soon and often as I possibly can. On that note, they are also the only dive center/shop in the Keys that offer a discount for the active military and military veterans.
For the non-geographically inclined, don’t let the Tavernier address deter you- it’s about a 10-minute drive from anywhere in Key Largo.
I have no plans to dive with any other dive outfit in the region and can’t wait to hopefully make it back in October to learn to spearfish, get some more dives in, and reconnect with the crew.
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August 2023 by Keith Landers
Great dive shop and great staff. Highly recommend them. you should consider diving with these people. Very focused on making sure you have a great time. That is safe and super eco-friendly we will definitely be back.
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August 2023 by Keith L
Great dive shop and great staff. Highly recommend them.
Probably one of the nicest large dive boats I’ve ever been on. Amazing quiet clean diesel engines with no fumes and large open spaces with amazing rubberized floors very comfortable.
Staff was attentive, supportive, and fun to hang out with
You should consider diving with these people. Very focused on making sure you have a great time.
That is safe and super eco-friendly we will definitely be back.
While we were on the boat, they had five volunteers that were doing work on the Reefs very focused on protecting and taking care of the reefs
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July 2023 by Tony R
What to say… the shop staff was amazing. Friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. Our charter didn’t disappoint, crew was amazing and put us on the lobster every time out. An awesome experience all around
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July 2023 by Merideth Tullous
TOP NOTCH!I truly cannot say enough about this company. No matter what level of diver you are, book with Conch. Their positivity, knowledge of the area, safety, and offerings are above and beyond. Whether you are a new diver or experienced diver, they will be a perfect fit. You can tell they all have a passion for what they do each day, and that they are truly kind people. Thank you CRD for making our dives truly amazing- I'm still grinning ear to ear. And.. a shout out to their guides & captains- great folks! We will be returning to the area just to get to dive with this company again.
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July 2023 by Amber Barron
I cannot speak highly enough of this dive shop, the owners (Ashley and Dave), and their staff--I stumbled upon a gem! I just finished my second dive trip with them (March & July 2023-32 dives!) and it I so clear to me that they are the best shop around. You are known, taken care of, and will have an awesome time on their boats and with their crew. I love the area they cover and Conch Republic Divers so much I am planning to book another trip with them in October of this year!But the thing that stands out the most after all the amazing dive sites and memories are the people. The owners, the guides, the crew, and captain(s). I was guided by Jake this week (13 dives) and we had such a blast. He is very knowledgeable about the marine life, biology, and had great recommendations for great places to visit and eat around the area. He also got me into lobster hunting with the mini-season and man does that guy know how to find lobster! I will definitely ask for him to guide me on my next trip.Their rental gear is top notch and reliable, I rented my BCD, regulator, and nitrox/air tanks from them. Any problematic o-ring or low fill is immediately addressed. Their two ships, the Republic Divers and Mermaid diver are really nice, too.Conch Republic Divers is under new ownership as of last fall, so any older negative comments you read prior to that aren't associated with the new owners.
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July 2023 by K Ski
Can’t recommend this shop enough. Just spent the week diving with them two tanks a day. The Cpt/mates on the boat were always knowledgeable and helpful in addition to being safe! They gave us a great run down of each dive site we went to that set us up for success. Saw some amazing sites underwater everywhere we went. Trust them to pick a great site for you to enjoy on your dive. Will definitely be back again next time I visit the area!!!!
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July 2023 by R Cyr
A big thank you to Conch Republic Divers, Captains Jasen and Mark, and crew Marly for three days of great great diving. The heavy metal tour was awesome, accompanied by…heavy metal music of course. The reefs were really healthy. I did not see as many lion fish as on our last trip. It was also cool to witness iCARE volunteers carrying out reef restoration.The refurbished Newton 46 is so nice! Everyone was so professional and organized from nitrox analysis to boat safety features to dive site briefings. And you are all genuinely nice people. I really enjoyed time we spent with you guys. And thank you to Ashley and the front desk for setting up our dive trips so efficiently. As Arnold said, “we’ll be back!”
