Venice Dive Center and Charter

"An explanation for those worried about the “guide” jumping off the boat before others. THIS IS NOT A GUIDED DIVE TRIP. They were very clear that if you wanted to go with a dive master dedicated to you it would cost extra. They have dive masters available to guide you and I recommend it if you are new at scuba. The fossil expert Ben explains how to find the teeth and is super helpful. It’s totally up to YOU to find teeth. It’s up to YOU to make the most out of your air tanks. Watch some videos before hand to see what they look like underwater so you don’t leave empty handed."

"Very disappointed with this Charter. Initial trip was cancelled on a Sunday due to weather. Rescheduled for Thursday. Sunday we contacted them and specifically discussed the probability of going out and we were told they were definitely going out Thursday and everything would be good to go. We informed them we would be flying in from out of town for this dive. That did not change their confidence in conditions. Arrived on Wednesday and was informed Wednesday evening the trip for the Thursday was cancelled due to zero visibility. Spoke with other local dive charters and they all said they would have never given the ok for a Thursday dive and it should have been communicated that it would be 50/50 at best. We are disappointed that this charter was more concerned with filling their boat than doing right by the customer and giving an honest assessment knowing they would be traveling 900+ miles for this dive. I expected more from them."

"A few years ago I was visiting friends in Sarasota and figured I'd study up on surrounding areas. I quickly learned that Venice was the *shark tooth capitol of the world! I made a sifter and went to work! I realized that diving was going to be the only way to scratch the itch of wanting to find big teeth. I got myself certified for the purpose of diving for the bigguns! I scheduled 3 consecutive days with Venice Dive Center over Thanksgiving. I spoke with sweet Rachel on the phone a few weeks ahead, and she assured me all was going to be AOK. Rachel paired me with David Ponziano, and he dove with me every day. Naturally I was a little apprehensive, but soon Ben Shultz and even the Captain of our boat were joking and laughing. This team knows it's stuff, and the Captain put us on the teeth! David took some great pictures of the action, and was so kind to everyone. David made this trip 100% the best first experience for me. DO not hesitate!! Book your trip with this group- you won't regret it!! I rented my BC, Reg and weights from the shop, and it was all top notch!"

"The only place to use in the area for charters. Great and friendly. Dive center is awesome. All your needs for buying and renting."

"I can’t say Thank you enough to Caitlin, Holly, and the crew at Venice Dive Center! Caitlin was a lifesaver when Murphy came along on the megalodon shark tooth dive and my Octo leaked and I forgot my GoPro batteries. Caitlin was amazing with an extra regulator and GoPro battery. Holly was professional and very helpful throughout the dive. Thanks to Venice Dive Center my son fell in love with diving after a rough certification and also found amazing teeth and fossils!"