Business Details
18 Years
experience
Premier Scuba Diving Charters in Panama City Beach
Panama City Diving was founded in 2008 with a vision to create a community-driven hub for divers seeking exceptional underwater experiences. Our journey began with a single dive boat operated by Captain Pat, a Panama City Beach native, who identified a gap in personalized service within the local diving industry. Over the years, we've expanded from a charter service to a full retail and training facility, driven by a commitment to safety, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Our team of experienced professionals continuously evaluates diving systems to ensure they meet rigorous safety standards while maintaining the excitement and adventure our clients expect.We pride ourselves on fostering a welcoming environment for all divers, whether you're a beginner or an experienced adventurer planning your next dive. Our ownership of the land where our shop operates reflects our long-term commitment to the diving community and our ability to grow sustainably while maintaining our core values.
Services
Dive Charters
Scuba Certification
Spearfishing Charters
Technical Diving
Dive Equipment Sales
Night Dives
Liveaboard Trips
Shipwreck Exploration
Details
- Year established: 2008
Highlights and features
- We offer daily dive charters on custom 36' Newton Dive Boats designed for optimal safety and accessibility.
- Our team includes owner-operated captains with decades of local diving expertise.
- We provide comprehensive scuba training from beginner to technical levels with SDI/ TDI certifications.
- We maintain a full retail shop with equipment sales, rentals, and maintenance services.
- We operate the world's largest artificial reef dive site on the SS United States shipwreck.
Associations and certifications
- SDI
- TDI
Services
Dive Charters
Our daily dive charters explore Panama City Beach's renowned shipwrecks and bridge spans using custom 36' Newton Dive Boats. Certified divers can choose from inshore (50-75') and offshore (70-110') options, with specialized trips to the SS United States artificial reef at 180' depth. All charters include expert divemaster support and safety equipment.
Scuba Certification
We offer SDI-certified scuba training programs for all experience levels, from beginner Openwater courses to advanced technical diving certifications. Our curriculum includes specialized courses in night diving, wreck penetration, and technical gas mixtures. Training combines classroom instruction with practical pool and open water sessions to ensure comprehensive skill development.
Spearfishing Charters
Guided spearfishing excursions target natural limestone reefs and artificial habitats in 90-120' depths. These all-day trips require advanced certification and provide opportunities for lionfish hunting, lobstering, and ethical seafood harvesting. Our instructors teach sustainable practices while helping divers improve their underwater hunting techniques in Gulf Coast ecosystems.
Technical Diving
TDI-certified technical diving programs extend beyond recreational limits, covering deep diving (beyond 130'), overhead environment navigation, and mixed-gas operations. Specialized training includes staged decompression procedures, redundant life-support systems, and complex dive planning for challenging environments like the 135' Deep Stim shipwreck.
Night Dives
Nocturnal diving adventures explore transformed underwater ecosystems under controlled lighting conditions. These excursions reveal bioluminescent marine life and altered behavioral patterns of reef inhabitants. While certification isn't required, we offer night diver specialty training to enhance safety and navigation skills in low-visibility environments.
People
Captain Pat
Founder
Native Panama City Beach captain with over 15 years of local diving expertise who established the company in 2008 to improve customer service standards in the diving industry.
Captain James
Co-Owner
Investor and co-owner who facilitated the shop's land acquisition, enabling long-term growth and expanded service offerings for the diving community.
Questions
What diving experience is required for offshore charters?
Offshore wrecks (70-110') require Advanced-Adventure certification or equivalent. Technical sites like the 135' Deep Stim need specialized training.
Can beginners try scuba diving?
Yes! Our Discover Scuba program offers introductory sessions with no experience required, allowing vacationers to dive under instructor supervision.
What equipment should I bring?
We offer full equipment rentals, but divers may bring personal gear. Our shop carries essential scuba gear and accessories for purchase or maintenance.
Are night dives available?
Yes, we offer guided night dives exploring bioluminescent marine life. Certification isn't required, but we recommend our Night Diver specialty course for enhanced safety.
How do I book a charter?
Contact us at (850) 588-8077 or through our website to check availability and reserve your dive charter. Advanced booking is recommended during peak seasons.
What's the SS United States dive like?
The 990' SS United States offers multi-level wreck exploration in 180' of water. This technical dive requires advanced certification and specialized training for safe exploration.
Videos
Reviews (7)
Ella Del Sarto
Dec 03, 2021
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I'm still a new diver but I'm glad with the advanced adventure SDI class they focused on interests. Super accommodating and if I'm back at PCB I hope to dive more around such professionals. Thanks for increasing the knowledge now I just got to get some more experience.
Kathryn Manno
Aug 26, 2021
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Highly recommend! Staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. Took us to some awesome wrecks! Will definitely be going here next time I'm in Panama City.
Chris Sohl
Aug 15, 2021
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I've been chartering with Panama City Diving since 2015 for a reason. Pat and his entire team are not only among the most professional, safe, and courteous crews I have ever dived with, they are just genuinely good, kind people. Do yourself a favor and get to know them! This is not to mention the incredible wildlife to be seen in PCB, particularly the Goliath Groupers almost every dive! You can't go wrong here.
Douglas Novak
Jul 27, 2021
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Absolutely recommend this shop for all SCUBA experiences. Thanks to Ben and Josh for their assistance. Myself and 3 sons scheduled a last minute Discover SCUBA class, but needed a medical waiver. Ben assisted with coordinating with Dr. Rachael Smith for the waivers and then rescheduled our class for the next morning. Ben was very attentive to all our questions and needs and was very patient with me as we entered the water. We will go back every time we are at PCB.
Marina Xu
Jul 20, 2021
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Our instructor Courtney and her co-workers are great. She gave my husband and my son a patient and detailed teach on Scuba basics in the classroom before they began diving. She is a great teacher. My husband and my son had a blast time. Thankfully with Courtneys guidance. Id like to recommend this class to anyone who is interested in Scuba, but has not to be certified.
Katie Butzen
Jun 28, 2021
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I have to say, Courtney, was the absolute best! Our group had a vast range of in-water experiences and she catered to everyone. Plus our group is not from the ocean area. Totally fun and inspired several group members to gain full certification. Can't wait to come back for the more experienced dives! Hopefully we can do those with Courtney too!
William Donald
Jun 14, 2021
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Our 2 dive afternoon trip was great. My dad had trouble with buoyancy and clearing his ears. Travis was great in helping us on our first dive. We were scheduled for a Wednesday dive but unfortunately a storm rolled in and had to cancel. Luckily they were great at letting us easily move to Thursday. Would recommend this shop for sure. We dove the Black Bart and Hathaway Bridge #14.
