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Get your Open Water Scuba Diving Certification in 3 days. Your certification is good for your lifetime. Classes are still small so you will not have a scheduling problem. We also offer refreshers if you are already certified and have not dove in a while.

Give us a call and we will get you on our schedule!

We were looking through the latest edition of Sport Diver magazine and guess what we found in the Getaways Section…just a great little article about the Dive Locker.

It seems that  during this summer a writer from Sport Diver took an excursion on one of our boats and was so impressed, he/she wrote a great little article about us and the great diving off Panama City Beach.

When you get your copy of Sport Diver in the mail, take a look at pages 60-64, let us know what you think…or just keep reading…

Reprint-   Rigid schedules might work for German train conductors and helicopter pilots, but not for easygoing dive operators. PADI Five Star Dive Center Dive Locker’s charters leave on time from the Treasure Island Marina, but because they typically offer one trip per day, they’re allowed flexibility. So when you encounter a pod of bottlenose dolphins while heading to the dive site, grab your snorkel – you’ll soon be in the water with them.

Dolphins are just one of this area’s big-animal attractions. Year-round, manta rays, stingrays and loggerhead turtles are llikely sightings. Every July and August, whale sharks often drop by, says shop owner Tony Snow.

Also during summer, divers regularly spot leatherbacks – a little – seen in-water species – while aboard the boat.

“Turles breed here,” he says of the famous Pandle sugar-sand beaches. “Sightings are so common on our dives that nobody really mentions them much.”

Today, as we drop in at the BLACK BART – the day’s first dive – I’d welcome seeing turtles or mantas but can’t complain when sandbar sharks slowly circle as we kick our way around the wreck. Sunk in 1993, this largely intact, upright 175-foot-long oil field supply ship has been made safe for divers, making entry into the wheelhouse easy even for those with no penetration training. Light pools in from the former windows, illuminating the stairs as we head into the lower compartments before returning to the perimiter. Clouds of snapper and grouper scatter with each passing diver.

During the leisurely surfact interval, the crew offers a spread any soccer mom would be proud to bring to practice: Gatorade and Capri Sun, water and an assortment of snacks.

After everyone has had his or her fill, it’s time to dive again, this time at ACCOKEEK,  the 195-foot-long Navy tugboat. I’ve been chatting with a guest from Seaside and didn’t realize that everyone else had already begun gearing up.

“Nobody is yelling at you to hurry,” says Snow of the crew’s laid-back nature. “We’re very relaxed but safe. That’s why anyone who dives with us once will always come back.”

The Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail Passport is your gateway to 12 spectacular shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. Filled with fascinating marine life, each shipwreck has its own story to tell, from the world’s largest artificial reef, the aircract carrier USS Oriskany to the FAMI Tugboats.

You may start your journey along the trail at any of the 12 shipwrecks; upon completion of each dive be sure to have your Passport validated with a signature and a stamp from your participating dive shop.

Be sure and note the Passport’s QR Code; it provides direct access to the trail’s webpage through your smart phone or wireless device.

Visit: www.floridapanhandledivetrail.com for additional information.

The Ocean is my vision of the worlds first bonafide Minx.

She’s the original siren, proven capable of luring good men and women into uncertain voyages with her immense appeal, infinite depths, unpredictable temper and unmatched power.

The Sea’s effeminate qualities are limitless, and despite the extensive explorations we’ve bombarded her with, the Ocean still remains a coquettish mystery to us.

Continue Reading Article on PCBDaily.com

Dive Locker makes Scuba Diving Magazine as one of the best dive operations! According to Scuba Diving Magazine Dive Locker is listed in the 2011 Readers Choice Top 100.

A recent CNN.com article announced Panama City Beach as one of the FIVE VALUE destinations for winter travel, noting that “with highs in the 6Os even during winter, there’s always something to do in the area.”

Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay converge. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities such as deep sea fishing and the best scuba diving in the Panhandle.

The premier dive center on Florida’s beautiful, Emerald Coast. We provide everything required or desired to explore the diverse underwater environment available in the Panhandle area.