H2O Below
4.5
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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26 within 3 miles
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36 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Philip D2 contributionsOutstanding ServiceWhat a great company to do business with. We coordinated multiple groups over the weekend of November 17-19 with people dropping out, adding in, back and forth; a very fluid challenge to keep up with. As the dive organizer, they were a top notch charter to deal with!!! Phil DVisited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 20, 2023
- Jeremy B2 contributionsTop notch dive charterAmy and Kodi were awesome divemasters who tended to all of our needs. Great briefings, good times and very entertaining. Easy to dive with and everyone felt safe with them. Boat captain analyzed our air mix as a courtesy which was nice. Very much a low key “family atmosphere” that was enjoyable. The boat had plenty of room and even provided snacks for those who forgot. Thank yall!Visited May 2024Traveled with friendsWritten May 5, 2024
- Jan M1 contributionGreat Boat, Captain and CrewMy first trip to the Oriskany with friends and my SCUBA instructor on April 20. It was a fabulous trip and also served at my check-out dives for Deep and Wreck for my AOW certification. This was my second trip on the H2O Below. I will be back!Visited April 2024Traveled with friendsWritten May 7, 2024
- Kbrkhuff47 contributionsGreat day!We had a mixed group of 3 tech and one rec diver. Our rec diver was last minute and they accommodated. I’ve been crew, I’m so sorry about that. Hahaha. Boat left on time, briefing was perfect before we left. Our DM gave a solid briefing and I like that he went over the travel system a few times. While I’m very comfortable, I could see the look on others faces. He did as well. The DM was sharp and attentive. He caught my rec diver tying himself in with the bungee before I did. He was very competent, looked comfortable in the water, solid diver, no ego. He is where he belongs at that moment. Well done, bro. Captain was calm, sharp, personable; Capt was what I like to see out of a Capt which is way more than I expect out of a Capt. Boat is a Newton 36. In and out of the boat is simple, camera table is nice and big and the lower rack is for deco bottles which is nice. It was an enjoyable day because they have the perfect mix of being “people” but also professionals. This boat has a lot to teach others; just my 2psi. I’d love to do 6 months on the boat and just learn from the crew.Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 9, 2024
- Stephen B2 contributionsImpressive operation!Easy to book and rent quality equipment. Our group had varying levels of dive experience. We found the captain and the guides super helpful and accommodating. We would definitely use this dive boat again.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 17, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Ken B
Honolulu, HI30 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
This boat is ... OK. The captain is a mottled, surly fellow who seems like he'd rather you weren't around, and the "support" they provide to divers is only barely worth the term. They might be there to help you on with stage bottles, and to recover your bailouts before you climb out of the water .... or they might not. Their tie-in and travel system is rudimentary at best, and for tech divers it's basically worthless. It's too bad; if they put some effort into it, they might actually be able to justify the extra fee they charge for tech divers. Maybe.
Written November 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DivingForAdventure
Marksville, LA2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
So this is a joke of a dive operation. They canceled our dives while we where standing at the dock. They must have had a mixup with booking and instead of admitting their fault they tried to blame it on our group leader stating he did not answer the phone the night before to confirm we were coming. This call came at 10pm the night before. We had already communicated with them hours before and they even asked how many tanks and if we wanted nitrox. This operation is not professional at all!! The nerve to blame the customer for their screw up. Also to boot it was going be me and my wife's 100th dive. Thanks for nothing H20 below.
Written September 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeremy B
2 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
Amy and Kodi were awesome divemasters who tended to all of our needs. Great briefings, good times and very entertaining. Easy to dive with and everyone felt safe with them. Boat captain analyzed our air mix as a courtesy which was nice. Very much a low key “family atmosphere” that was enjoyable. The boat had plenty of room and even provided snacks for those who forgot. Thank yall!
Written May 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan M
1 contribution
Apr 2024 • Friends
My first trip to the Oriskany with friends and my SCUBA instructor on April 20. It was a fabulous trip and also served at my check-out dives for Deep and Wreck for my AOW certification. This was my second trip on the H2O Below. I will be back!
Written May 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen B
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Easy to book and rent quality equipment. Our group had varying levels of dive experience. We found the captain and the guides super helpful and accommodating. We would definitely use this dive boat again.
Written August 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ScubaGirl2005
Alexandria, VA1 contribution
Sep 2011 • Solo
I spoke with Capt. Douglas 3 weeks in advance of my trip to Pensacola and told him when I was going to be in town and scheduled a dive. After speaking with him, I called 2 additional times to confirm my dive and never heard back from him. On the morning I was supposed to go out, I showed up 30 minutes in advance and he wasn't at the boat, so I knocked on the door and he wouldn't answer it. Then I called his number and he told me he wasn't going out because everyone canceled the night before. Of course, he never told me. The he said he would try to find another boat for me to go diving on. Needless to say, there was no available openings at that late time. So, I didn't get to dive, but thanks to Capt Douglas, I did get to pay for an additional day of hotels, rental cars, food, etc all for nothing.
Written September 30, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kathyc20152015
Gordon, TX95 contributions
Sep 2015 • Family
I scheduled a dive with H2O Below to the USS Oriskany for my husband and grandson, and I was going along for the ride. We were notified they would be going out to the site on a Friday, so we changed our plans accordingly in order to dive the Big O. We drove from Fort Worth, TX to Pensacola, Florida in order to make the dive. When we arrived at the dock, no one was on the boat; no one was getting ready to leave the marina. I called their phone number to be told that the dive had been canceled due to not enough people wanting to go. Not once were we sent an email; not once were we notified that the dive had been cancelled. No one was at the marina to personally meet us to talk with us. We were just left hanging! I was told they didn't have a phone number in which to reach us, but all my emails are forwarded to my cell phone, and not once did they make an attempt to notify us. I understand they need to have enough divers to pay for the trip, but this lack of courtesy is TOTALLY unacceptable!
Written October 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacob B
Oak Grove, MO53 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
I was advised to drive the forty minutes from gulf shores to dive here cause the water was clearer. It was great! We dove the windy and saw a GIANT grouper. He was so tame and let you get pics. Great dive. in August was 40 feet. The crew was friendly and helpfully. I would definitely recommend them.
Written August 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nyassa
nyassa98 contributions
Apr 2016 • Solo
First a little background I'm a working Divemaster in San DIego, Ca I work on boats as well as guide shore dives for a living so my perspective may vary from yours. Having traveled as a diver I've come to expect a level of service here and abroad.
I've had this trip planned for months and with the recent weather here in Pensacola I was worried about getting a dive in. Thursday afternoon Saturday was looking iffy, I let the Capt know I was free to dive sunday and monday as well. He told me things could change but Saturday on the Big O might not happen. I arrived Friday and confirmed with Captain Douglas there was no way the dive was going to happen and again mentioned I was avail sunday and monday. He said he had a few people for monday and that should happen. Sunday am I get a call from MBT Divers and they wanted to confirm my trip. Amy was so friendly and helpful. I was a little disappointed about the lack of steel tanks as they mainly had AL80's or Hp80's with the older sunk in 300 bar valves no big guess I'd be using an AL80. Having to rent tanks was also something new. Back home boats have tanks and also compressors. So it was an extra $18 on top of the $150 for a two tank dive, the most I've spent on just two tanks. So Monday rolls around, eager for a dive I've been looking forward for for months is finally here. I arrived early, because if your are on time you are late. I chatted with a few others there the harbor master and a few other boat captains. Chris was already there as well as Amy. Amy was going on her first Oriskany dive as was there to help out on the boat to prep her for the busier summer season. Chris had mentioned that he had studied Oceanography so he set a level of expectation by mentioning that. The Capt had mentioned he had done over a 1000 dives there, so that led me to think great maybe he might be able to find a certain fish. We headed out to see and Amy was so friendly and easy to chat to, Chris not so much. Chris tried to joke about his whale shark keychain and that at least we'd see a whaleshark if nothing else. So that then prompted me and the other divers to ask about when he had swam with whale sharks. Turns out those of us had actually had closer encounters than him. Then came the dive brief.... so when you read that this is the largest artificial reef in the world you I don't know might want to explore more of it. Per the boats policy of not exceeding "recreational limits" I figured I'd hover above the flight deck and really take this ship in for it's fully glory.Being that I can out breathe most divers I know I knew based on deeper dive profiles I have done it would not be a problem. I was told by Chris that this is what we would be doing and I was expected to follow him... this did not make me very happy. I've traveled across the country to take in this wreck in it's full glory and now I get to be babysat by this kid. That left a very sour taste in my mouth. You guys have the luxury of great visibility, so I don't know why I couldn't have followed my own plan and checked in with the kid from time to time. Since Amy was also diving I asked when the group runs out of air can I finish my dive. He told me I'd run out of air before bottom time.. ya I'm not bad on air.. So that was not going to happen. I figured I'd hit a minute or two of deco and since their line rigging was set to have easy burn time. That's when I was told deco was prohibited and that if I had even a minute of deco I would be prohibited from doing dive two. So that meant I'd be coming up with most of my tank, oh joy. So on the boat it was the Capt that helped us with gear and in and out of the water. Swells weren't too bad, I am a California diver so I've been in worse. I told them i would need to do a buoyancy check since I don't usually dive a AL80. Chris didn't seem too thrilled I was dumping my bcd. I popped back up and waited for the other two divers to join us on the line. The rigging system is well laid out, makes it easy to get back and forth from the boat. We got down and there was a mild current easily fixed by starting in the opposite direction. Having a camera set up with me I was focused on getting as many pictures as I could. There were a lot of large fish and small schools of smaller fish. It wasn't long before chris asked my air, he didn't seem to believe what I had. the dive continued and again he didn't want to believe what I had on air. My wrist computer is an Aeris and gives me a generous dive profile. Having t have to stay above 130ft I had a 38 minute dive since the majority of our dive was at 70 feet, this did include the trip back up the line.. So back home I prefer to take me time coming back up a line. I prefer to take a few minutes a 60, 50, 40, 30 then three my safety stop. As much as I dive it's how I dive. I'm taking my time up the line and I could hear chris breathing behind me. I was not given the time I like to off gas. I sat at 20ft bouncing on the line since the current made free floating not very fun. Up on the surface I'm use to having the dm help with my find, not here. Here you have to take off your fins while holding on to the line. Back on the boat the Capt helped me to my spot. He asked where chris was and he was behind me but even on nitrox he got some deco. Chris didn't seem to happy with me about that so his mood well got worse. I had asked about the fish we saw and asked if he could verify the species, he couldn't and crassly answered they are just fish. The younger girl diving with us asked me why I wanted to know what I saw. I had explained that's how I document my photos and that there are sites that track things. She seemed more intrigued than he did. We started our surface interval which for me was less than an hour. That meant I was going to have a very very short dive, oh well. So earlier he had mentioned there was an resident eel on the wreck. I asked if he could point it out. He didn't seem to want to.We did a few swim thrus on dive 2 and pretty much saw the same area as dive 1. Not very exciting at all. As a DM I was taught to make sure I met the needs of my divers and fill those needs and requests. Chris is young but he seems to be burnt out, which is really sad. Amy is green but full of enthusiasm. I get we all have bad days but at least act like you enjoy your job. Had it not been for Amy and the Capt I would have given lower stars. Maybe I've just come to expect a higher level of service, but is that really such a bad thing. Even in another country where I don't speak the language the DM has always been helpful and friendly. It's dives like these that make me offer better service to my dive clients. I always want to make sure they leave with a smile and are fully satisfied.
I've had this trip planned for months and with the recent weather here in Pensacola I was worried about getting a dive in. Thursday afternoon Saturday was looking iffy, I let the Capt know I was free to dive sunday and monday as well. He told me things could change but Saturday on the Big O might not happen. I arrived Friday and confirmed with Captain Douglas there was no way the dive was going to happen and again mentioned I was avail sunday and monday. He said he had a few people for monday and that should happen. Sunday am I get a call from MBT Divers and they wanted to confirm my trip. Amy was so friendly and helpful. I was a little disappointed about the lack of steel tanks as they mainly had AL80's or Hp80's with the older sunk in 300 bar valves no big guess I'd be using an AL80. Having to rent tanks was also something new. Back home boats have tanks and also compressors. So it was an extra $18 on top of the $150 for a two tank dive, the most I've spent on just two tanks. So Monday rolls around, eager for a dive I've been looking forward for for months is finally here. I arrived early, because if your are on time you are late. I chatted with a few others there the harbor master and a few other boat captains. Chris was already there as well as Amy. Amy was going on her first Oriskany dive as was there to help out on the boat to prep her for the busier summer season. Chris had mentioned that he had studied Oceanography so he set a level of expectation by mentioning that. The Capt had mentioned he had done over a 1000 dives there, so that led me to think great maybe he might be able to find a certain fish. We headed out to see and Amy was so friendly and easy to chat to, Chris not so much. Chris tried to joke about his whale shark keychain and that at least we'd see a whaleshark if nothing else. So that then prompted me and the other divers to ask about when he had swam with whale sharks. Turns out those of us had actually had closer encounters than him. Then came the dive brief.... so when you read that this is the largest artificial reef in the world you I don't know might want to explore more of it. Per the boats policy of not exceeding "recreational limits" I figured I'd hover above the flight deck and really take this ship in for it's fully glory.Being that I can out breathe most divers I know I knew based on deeper dive profiles I have done it would not be a problem. I was told by Chris that this is what we would be doing and I was expected to follow him... this did not make me very happy. I've traveled across the country to take in this wreck in it's full glory and now I get to be babysat by this kid. That left a very sour taste in my mouth. You guys have the luxury of great visibility, so I don't know why I couldn't have followed my own plan and checked in with the kid from time to time. Since Amy was also diving I asked when the group runs out of air can I finish my dive. He told me I'd run out of air before bottom time.. ya I'm not bad on air.. So that was not going to happen. I figured I'd hit a minute or two of deco and since their line rigging was set to have easy burn time. That's when I was told deco was prohibited and that if I had even a minute of deco I would be prohibited from doing dive two. So that meant I'd be coming up with most of my tank, oh joy. So on the boat it was the Capt that helped us with gear and in and out of the water. Swells weren't too bad, I am a California diver so I've been in worse. I told them i would need to do a buoyancy check since I don't usually dive a AL80. Chris didn't seem too thrilled I was dumping my bcd. I popped back up and waited for the other two divers to join us on the line. The rigging system is well laid out, makes it easy to get back and forth from the boat. We got down and there was a mild current easily fixed by starting in the opposite direction. Having a camera set up with me I was focused on getting as many pictures as I could. There were a lot of large fish and small schools of smaller fish. It wasn't long before chris asked my air, he didn't seem to believe what I had. the dive continued and again he didn't want to believe what I had on air. My wrist computer is an Aeris and gives me a generous dive profile. Having t have to stay above 130ft I had a 38 minute dive since the majority of our dive was at 70 feet, this did include the trip back up the line.. So back home I prefer to take me time coming back up a line. I prefer to take a few minutes a 60, 50, 40, 30 then three my safety stop. As much as I dive it's how I dive. I'm taking my time up the line and I could hear chris breathing behind me. I was not given the time I like to off gas. I sat at 20ft bouncing on the line since the current made free floating not very fun. Up on the surface I'm use to having the dm help with my find, not here. Here you have to take off your fins while holding on to the line. Back on the boat the Capt helped me to my spot. He asked where chris was and he was behind me but even on nitrox he got some deco. Chris didn't seem to happy with me about that so his mood well got worse. I had asked about the fish we saw and asked if he could verify the species, he couldn't and crassly answered they are just fish. The younger girl diving with us asked me why I wanted to know what I saw. I had explained that's how I document my photos and that there are sites that track things. She seemed more intrigued than he did. We started our surface interval which for me was less than an hour. That meant I was going to have a very very short dive, oh well. So earlier he had mentioned there was an resident eel on the wreck. I asked if he could point it out. He didn't seem to want to.We did a few swim thrus on dive 2 and pretty much saw the same area as dive 1. Not very exciting at all. As a DM I was taught to make sure I met the needs of my divers and fill those needs and requests. Chris is young but he seems to be burnt out, which is really sad. Amy is green but full of enthusiasm. I get we all have bad days but at least act like you enjoy your job. Had it not been for Amy and the Capt I would have given lower stars. Maybe I've just come to expect a higher level of service, but is that really such a bad thing. Even in another country where I don't speak the language the DM has always been helpful and friendly. It's dives like these that make me offer better service to my dive clients. I always want to make sure they leave with a smile and are fully satisfied.
Written April 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Larry P
5 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
Didn’t actually get to dive with them, but my experience is worth considering. Be aware that H2OBelow is strictly a dive boat operated by Capt. Douglas; there is no dive shop or physical office location other than the slip. However, they are closely associated with MBT Divers, which is where you will rent any gear you need (and likely find Capt. Douglas). I called Capt Douglas upon arrival in Pensacola and requested we meet to discuss the upcoming dives. I may be old-fashioned, but I like to personally meet who I will be diving with before we go out. He seemed taken aback, but agreed to a meeting at MBT Divers. At the dive store he seemed pre-occupied, constantly running around the store and didn’t really seem focused on discussing the dives, dive preparations or procedures, etc. Some background: I contacted Capt. Douglas in January 2019 via email and telephone, a full 6 months before our planned arrival from southern California, with a request to dive the 5 wrecks of the Florida Panhandle wreck trail located off Pensacola. Four days of diving were scheduled, with a promise that marketing would be undertaken to get divers on the boat. However, upon arrival, I learned that two days were canceled because not enough divers had signed up. Not sure how much marketing was done to try to fill the boat, but the boat only goes out when 5 or more divers have signed up. I understand that dive boats need a certain amount of revenue to operate, but it was still frustrating to travel all that way and not dive. Finally, on the third day there were enough divers for the boat to go out; however, a storm had moved into the area. We made it to the dock in a light rain a full half hour before the 8AM departure time and waited. And waited. With no activity at the boat, I finally called Capt. Douglas only to be told dives that day and for the rest of the week had been cancelled. I understand that bad weather can scrub dives, so that part doesn’t bother me. It happens. What bothers me is that Capt. Douglas didn’t bother to make a courtesy call, either the night before or the morning of, letting me know the dives were cancelled. A more disconcerting experience concerned our limited discussions to dive the Oriskany (subsequently cancelled due to weather). H2OBelow stipulated a maximum depth of 130 feet, and provided a pre-mixed blend of 28% nitrox. I am an experienced diver, used to planning and executing my own dive profiles. This sort of micro-dive management is neither wanted or needed. I don’t need a DM looking over my shoulder from entry to exit. However, this is what you get with H2OBelow whether you want it or not. Overall, my experience with H2OBelow was disappointing. So, I have a couple of recommendations for those planning to dive in the Pensacola area: Recommendation #1: If you want to ensure that the boat will leave the dock, bring at least 4 other divers with you. Otherwise, the boat won’t go out. Recommendation #2: If you are an experienced diver and comfortable in your ability, choose a different dive boat. If you want someone to hold your hand and second guess your decisions the entire dive, H2OBelow may be a good fit for you.
Written June 26, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Larry,
We apologize the Captain wasn't able to give you undivided attention in the middle of summer. June is the height of our busy season and we get very limited time in the shop to prepare for trips and care for gear.
Depth limitations are based on each diver's certification level. If you showed a recreational certification, then yes our team would limit you to 130ft, which is the industry standard for all recreational divers. We work with technical divers all of the time and are happy to accommodate any dive plan within each divers certification level.
As for the tank mixtures we recommend 28% on your first dive and 30-32% on the second. This is to maximize bottom time on each dive and follow the industry recommendation of completing your deepest dive first. These mixtures are simply a recommendation based on our many years and thousands of dive completed on the wreck. You and every other diver have the option to rent or bring whatever type of tank and mixture you prefer, again, so long as you have the certification to back it.
Written October 13, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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