Cape Ann Divers

This place is outstanding in the annals of awful. Do you like being ignored and treated like you were invisible in a tiny shop while the owner chit chats meaninglessly with his employee and continually turns his back to you and refuses to make eye countact? Well if so friends, then you have found your own slice of heaven!
Truly does an amazing job of appearing to be in business to sell things while doing as much as possible to dissuade you from spending your money there. Out of 3 – 4 visits trying to give them my business, and even having the victory of waiting out the silent treatment on one occasion so long as to actually be able to make a small purchase (my family was about to send out a search party to find me) I am done with them.
I would LOVE to give a local business my hard earned cash, but the way they treat anyone who isn’t a flesh and blood family member is just appalling. I can only hope for their imminent bankruptcy and that they are replaced with kind and pleasant people.

I fully recommend Cape Anne Divers for scuba in this area. Cant Steve and his mate Dave are great. I been diving with them all year long, met many new friends and fellow divers during these trips, great P&J sandwiches and snacks.
Big boat, can hold up to 14 people but if you get about 10 it is perfect.
Try to get on one of his special trips to the Stillwagen for Patriot or Heroic wrecks, it is an all day trip but well worth it.
Dave and Mary are great owners and his staff are very nice.

What a great day diving. I was a little worries about diving up north in the cold water but the guys on the boat were so great all my reservation disappear. The crew could’t have been more helpful and accommodating to all of our needs. Including a great HOT shower between dives. Dave was the most friendly and knowledgeable first mate. We’ve dove all over the world and this was a first class operation. We’ll be back…

i’ve been back a handful of times since my last review and they’ve definitely changed for the better. much nicer and a reasonably enjoyable experience too. they’ve even helped out in a bind more than once.

There are so many negative reviews for a reason!!! Absolutely horrific dive shop operation. They should be out of business. My husband almost lost his life due to a faulty tank. He was testing out some neoprene suits in gloucester harbor last year when the air stopped flowing. He had to drop his weights and shot up. As you can imagine, anyone usually testing new equipment is a pro. My husband is not, but was going with a good friend who is a dive master. We started diving 4 years back but do so mostly on vacations because the water is cold here. There were about 10 extremely seasoned dive masters in this group, and they all took a look at the lines/​equipment after the failure and were HORRIFIED. They were completely blocked with gunk/​buildup. One guy said it was absolutely the worst condition equipment he’s seen in his 30 years. The others agreed.
To make matters worse, when my husband returned to the dive shop, he explained that he had to drop some of the weights to make it back up alive. Not only did they charge him for the tank, but they charged him RETAIL several hundred for badly used weights that could have been decades old. Mind you, the tank was still FULL of oxygen! They threatened to call the police if he didn’t pay, and still in a very shock and disconcerted state from nearly losing his life, he merely handed over his credit card. Two of the other experts were with him and they could not be reasoned with or persuaded.
AVOID THIS SHOP AT ALL COSTS! Apalling equipment conditions, ownership, and staff. They are not PADI approved for a reason. You are putting your life in the hands of an irresponsible and apathetic operation.

Should get zero stars. Major rip-​off especially if you are looking to learn how to dive. First he (Dave) only takes cash for lessons to rip off the government I guess, keep it all under the table. Then he will not let you do your open water with anyone else, you need to do it with him and pay through the nose in really cold water. He will give you some bull that he can’t certify that you actually did dive with someone else, but the form only states that he gave the book and pool lessons and has nothing to do with what someone else did. He is suppose to be a NAUI certified instructor, but I have never met anyone so unprofessional in my life. He will only send in a certification if you keep spending a ton of money with him. Go PADI, they are recognized worldwide

I was in town for a dive at Back Beach and had forgotten my mask and snorkel. I stopped in to rent one and they informed me that it is considered a personal item and not available for rent. The staff showed me a bunch of different options to buy and gave me a few defogging tips such as rubbing toothpaste into the mask (she even gave me some so that I could do it right there in the store). She also provided a map of some popular diving spots in the area. Overall very helpful and knowledgeable.

I am a diver from California and recently had the opportunity to dive in the Rockport/​Gloucester area. I dove Back Beach and went to Cape Ann to have my cylinders filled. The staff was helpful and filled the tanks immediately. While I waited the gentlemen behind the counter, Dave, I think, gave me advice on a beach in Gloucester, Pebble Beach. His directions were spot on to find the site and his description of the underwater structure was helpful in exploring the site. The price and selection of gear was comparable to the store in Fitchburg I have dealt with. I will use this store again if in the area.

You will never be greeted by a smile at this place. Dealing with them beyond an in-​and-​out purchase will leave a sour taste in your mouth and ruin your day. I have honestly never experienced such unhelpful and rude service. Went to purchase diving booties as a Christmas gift, I hesitated when the merchant said merchandise was not returnable. He then offered to make an exception as it was a Christmas gift. I returned after Christmas only to find a sign saying they were closed until late February; not mentioned in the original conversation. I assumed it was an oversight on his part, returned to my home in DC planning to bring the booties back when I came back in the summer.
I went to return the booties, happy to take store credit as by now the original receipt had been lost. Well, this unleashed an a surprisingly over-​reactive piece of negative behavior. I was told that the store never gives anything back, period. I reminded them of the pre-​Christmas conversation, reluctantly management said if I called my credit card company and got a copy of my statement from December they might give me store credit. To keep things in perspective, the booties were $ 54.00 and there was no dispute that they were 1. new and 2. from this store. I suggested this was asking rather a lot, also the credit card I had used had been compromised in March and getting the old statement would therefore require quite an effort. I have bought numerous things at the store and was undoubtably in the computer system, surely they don’t think I came by them dishonestly? Incredulous I said you certainly don’t think I stole them? Well, apparently they did! The owner glared at me and said you’d be surprised at what people do… Indeed I am! Wow, I honestly have never had a merchant go back on his word, and insinuate that I’m a thief. I said I would not be returning to the shop. The response was please don’t, followed by the salesperson coming from behind the counter aggressively standing inches from my face and backing me out the door; «get out of this store, get out of this store!» I’m still shaking.
Oh yes, gave away the booties.

Went in here with the kids the other day. A woman (I think the owner) with short gray hair came up and tried to upgrade our selection of a boogie board. She said, if we wanted to use it we should get the $ 59.99 board. Silly us listened to this «expert» and bought the recommended board after passing up what we thought were the cheap ones at Shaws next door. The woman did warn us, awkwardly so, to never leave the boogie board in a hot car or put it in an «easy bake oven» because it will be damaged.
We appreciated the tip and went to the beach with the kids. AFTER 1 HOUR THE BOOGIE BOARD SWELLED UP. It was not in a hot car or an easy bake oven so I was obviously upset.
After a few hours at the beach we packed up to go home. We stopped back at Cape Ann Divers to get a refund or at least an exchange for a non-​defective boogie board that is worth $ 59.99.
The woman acted like she never even sold us the boogie board, she told us that it’s not her fault that the boogie board swelled up in the sun. She said the sun’s hot and that it should have been in shade (AT THE BEACH?!)
She told me that she was going to call the police because I wanted to return the defective item that she sold to me and my wife.
I know a lot of people don’t probably look at reviews on this place, but if you do, beware! Horrible experience. Horrible treatment. Horrible policies. Horrible threats.
Buy beach stuff from Shaws because it’s cheaper, and they will always refund defective items, even peaches.

Got certification from another dive shop but I was not happy with them so I tried this place. It was late season and I rented equipment and paid for dive master to sharpen skills. Water was really rough and we had other problems so we never got in. Shop owner was diving with another group and dive master was really upset that it didn’t go as planned. The water was so rough that some equipment (mask & snorkel) was actually lost as well. I got a call later that day from the shop owner saying that they went back at low tide and found the equipment and would hold it at the shop. The shop owner also offered another dive opportunity at no charge for the dive master or equipment, which I took him up on. May not dive until it gets warmer, but this dive shop has a new customer.