Independent dive shop rankings · 2026

Which dive shop should you actually book?

47 shops in 6 destinations, scored 0–100 on six published criteria. No shop can pay to move up.

See the rankings How we score Book a dive

Rankings by destination

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10 shops ranked

The method

Six criteria. Every score shown.

Most "best dive shops" lists are written from a desk. This one is a scoring model with the data on every entry, an update date on every page, and a CSV you can download. Missing data scores zero; we don't guess.

30
Verified reviews

Google rating × review count, shrunk toward the destination mean.
25
Safety & quality signals

Max students per instructor, years operating, agencies, nitrox.
15
Price transparency & value

Published price vs the destination median. Transparency, not cheapness.
10
Offering breadth

Agencies, languages, tech, liveaboard, freediving.
10
Sustainability

Green Fins or a documented conservation programme.
10
Editorial visit

We visited. Boats, gear room, classroom, in person.

Chosen a shop? Our booking desk Go Dive Trips confirms availability within 24 hours. The ranking never sells; the desk never ranks.

Guides

All 66 guides →

career

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Honest comparison of the three biggest dive agencies. Which is most recognized, cheapest, fastest — and why the choice matters less than divers think.

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