Sail Fish Scuba — Local services in Key Largo

I can't say enough good things about Sail Fish SCUBA!!! From the moment you enter the office, you are greeted by Jen (the owner) who is the heart of the operation and who is an extremely kind, beaming, face who answered all our questions while being efficient with our time. This shop has that small town "mom-and-pop shop" feel, physically a small storefront, but with a very friendly, attentive and customer focused team.

UNLIKE some of the other Florida Key snorkel tour operators, they operate in much much smaller staffing ratios and are staffed by all veteran Dive Masters and Certified Dive Instructor staff. We had explained that one of our children had a very bad experience on a recent prior mass snorkeling trip and panicked in the water due to a poorly fitting snorkel. It caused both she and my wife to have a terrible time and the need to return to the boat.

Jen was very understanding and explained that Sail Fish is happy to offer 1-on-1 snorkel guides for such a situation. She paired our daughter up with one of their staff, Mike, who is a veteran Certified Dive Instructor and also Retired State Trooper. This was a huge relief knowing she was perfectly safe and with a veteran dive professional the entire time.

Our crew, consisting of Dive Instructor Mike, Dive Masters Rick and Tom, and Captain Bill were all consummate professionals. There were only 8 in our party. The emphasis on safety and professionalism was evident in all aspects of their interactions. They even went over where the AED and Oxygen is located on their boat, which I never heard of mentioned on any prior mandatory Coast Guard safety briefing before. I thought these items to be optional, but was very relieved to know were on board with us. They also have a mobile Satellite phone on board that I saw them double checking the function of before getting underway. Amazing readiness and attention to detail that I found very reassuring as a doctor and former EMS professional myself!!

Capt Bill took us out to two different reefs: Molasses Reef and Sand Island. There was only one other boat anchored at Molasses Reef and so the water was very open and completely uncrowded, quite the opposite of our previous experience!!

Dive Master Rick and Tom made sure that everyone got in and out of the water safely and basically functioned as a team to make sure that while we had seemingly endless freedom to explore the nearby waters, we were also very safe with eyes on us at all times, being carefully monitored in case any help was needed. Rick swam circles around us and often probably a good 20 feet underwater, holding his breath and took numerous pictures of each of us and of the marine life- see pics below.

Tom, Rick, Mike and Bill made us feel very comfortable and welcomed, almost like hanging out with family who are absolute masters of the marine underwater tourism experience. Never once did we feel pressured to give a tip and we never felt rushed at any time (we felt very rushed with the other snorkel tour operator, having to get out there swim around and quickly get back to the packed boat for a roll call).

The price was a bit higher of course, but like many things, you get what you pay for and this staff is all about the quality of the experience, which made it all worth it for us. As a tour customer, you do get a 15% lifetime discount on everything in their dive shop and the prices are already on par or slightly cheaper than a nearby "big box" dive store, even without the discount.

Finally, before leaving the Keys, we stopped back to inquire about some dive equipment for our son. I was expecting just to get the name of the company that sells it, but Jen went the extra mile to contact the company, get it ordered to their shop and setup a payment link so she could quickly mail it out directly to us. What impeccable service!!! She went the extra mile when she didn't need to and that means alot in my book! Thanks Jen!!!!!

I would absolutely go out on the water with...

Many positives. This is an ideal environment for education and safety for beginners such as a certification trainings, seniors, groups, and instructor dive logging. They do free pictures tho i couldnt find them via their instructions. They insisted on all tank n reg setup and were very helpful. However if you are an advanced diver looking to explore and maximize experience, it might be micromanaged to the point of discomfort, given 4 staff for 6 divers lol. It is somewhat more expensive than competition.

Sales staff and phone response was patient and informative. Excellent sales. 5 star. Sold us on the 70 to 100 foot visibility but since it turned out to be 35 it was a little deflating. I don't think there was ill intent.

Our group leader was a master diver in training. He had excellent fin control and skills. He complained of being tired and our dives didn't move far and was at an uncomfortably slow pace. Because we were forced to stay as a group and were paired behind weak swimmers, it made us impatient to hover endlessly dodging them in the cross current rather than enjoying the reef. My wife returned with 2400 lbs of air left because we simply didn't go anywhere. There were also a lot of hairpin turns when this leader didn't give any horizontal space for us to crack the whip in single file instead of just navigating over to the next finger. This forced the weaker couple into and above the reef as it repeatedly got kicked when they struggled to turn around. It put me on the reef shelf a few times trying to avoid their fins so id wait patiently and try to explore and film coral recovery. He banged his tank to get me back between the fingers and probably thought i had done something wrong. Again he is a great diver but group leading is a different skillset and his slow pace forced us up the shelf.

The captain (who did great maintenance) and crew were helpful and safe and worked hard, and i know its not easy, but every boat has its own feel and that one was overly controlling. There were some awkward arguments between staff before the boat left and awkward conversations that seemed unnecessary. Order of operations and military style was different than most boats but we shifted gears and bit our cheeks.

Staff had disengaged from the passengers when a 75 yr old staff member took control and spoke and did a great job stabilizing the feel of the boat. He engaged customers, provided true leadership, and was the glue that kept that from being a negative experience, more like a conventional excursion. He looked more like a 50 yr old and was carrying tanks and in great shape. He was not preoccupied and genuinely wanted to be there. He gets a 5 star and prevented the overall from being a 2.

If you are also an advanced diver I'd suggest talking to the sales staff about being independent in the water prior to leaving. Staff was concerned about the current but it was only slight by ocean...

Extremely Disappointed

I chose Sail Fish Scuba in Key Largo to complete my Open Water Certification based on its advertised “transparent prices” and positive reviews—only to later learn it was sold in December 2024 to new owners, Tarek Salem and his wife, Michaela. Unfortunately, my experience was highly disappointing, as my decision was based on outdated reviews that do not reflect the current service.

Tarek is not a good or responsible dive instructor. He was unresponsive, frequently canceled or rescheduled last-minute, and provided minimal instruction. Despite knowing I was visiting for a limited time and driving over two hours each way, I was given only about an hour in a pool-like setting, which is not enough for a beginner to practice all skills. I was not properly weighted, making it impossible to descend while wearing a 7mm wetsuit—something a professional instructor should check. Instead of ensuring my success, I was charged $125 for this rushed session, which felt designed to push me into a private lesson costing over $700—far more than the originally quoted price.

Additionally, false allegations have been made about my experience. On February 1st, Tarek suggested two boat dives for practice, but I was given only 10 pounds of weight, which prevented me from descending. Claims that I had a panic attack are false—Tarek told me to snorkel and then left me alone in open water while he and Michaela continued diving. If my safety was truly a concern, I would not have been abandoned. I later got seasick on the boat, preventing me from doing the second dive, but neither Tarek nor Michaela checked on my well-being.

On February 24th, I confirmed I wanted to continue training, and Tarek quoted me $350 for a full pool day and two open-water dives. However, he canceled last-minute and rescheduled for February 27th, only to change the plan again upon my arrival. Instead of the promised two boat dives, I was told a short lagoon session would count as an open-water dive, and completing the full course would now cost over $700. This bait-and-switch pricing, lack of communication, and disregard for proper training and safety were extremely frustrating.

The teaching was vague, the service unprofessional, and the pricing misleading. The shop’s five-star reviews reflect the previous owners and should be removed, as they do not represent the current business. Nowhere on the website does it mention the change in ownership, and my experience makes it clear that customer safety and proper instruction are not priorities for the new management. I would not recommend this...