Underwater Adventure at Pura Vida Divers, Riviera Beach

Thank you pura vida for an excellent experience.my daughter and I completed our certification and we are both proud to have done it with you all

My brother and I dove with Pura Vida Divers last week, and unfortunately it was one of the worst dive experiences I’ve had — and I’ve dove many times all over the world— Albeit in shallower seas and reefs. Before booking, we were very clear that we were relatively new divers and had never done a drift dive. We specifically expressed that we wanted to feel safe and properly supported. We were assured it would be fine, but once we were in the water, the support simply wasn’t there. There was very little help with weights at the start. I quickly realized I was underweighted and had to go back and get more, which immediately separated me from the group. From there, things only got worse. I ended up alone on the reef during a drift — something that should never happen — and ultimately had to surface solo and wait for the boat by myself. To make matters worse, my surface marker/flag device wouldn’t inflate properly, and I had to be picked up alone. At no point did I feel like anyone from the team was proactively ensuring I was safe or accounted for. Afterward, the only response I received was essentially, “Sorry you had a bad experience.” That was the extent of the support. The diving itself may be beautiful, but the staff’s lack of attentiveness and concern for client safety and experience was deeply disappointing. When newer divers communicate nervousness and inexperience with drift diving, that should be taken seriously — not brushed aside. This wasn’t about conditions or bad luck. It was about a lack of care and leadership. I would not recommend this operation to newer divers, and I left feeling unsettled rather than excited about the dive.

My 13 year old and I recently dove Blue Heron Bridge with Pura Vida and I highly recommend. Communication was clear and easy. Prices were reasonable. And, most importantly, our guide, Mark, was absolutely stellar. Since I started diving with my kid, I prioritize safety more than ever with dives and have little patience for shops that play fast and loose with best practices, are unprofessional, or don't feel up to the task. Pura Vida is definitely one of the good ones! I can say with confidence that Mark is an absolute expert. He's been diving for decades (started as a diver in the Marines!), and I appreciated his friendly, but very disciplined, approach. Not only did this make for a great dive, but it also provided my young diver son with a great role model. The gear was in great shape, everyone at the shop was super friendly and welcoming, and Blue Heron was a lovely, easy, relaxing dive. It was even my son's first taste of a night dive, since we started just before sunset. I would definitely recommend this shop and site, especially for fellow parents diving with teens, and will be back the next time we're in South Florida.

Had a fantastic experience diving with Pura Vida Divers! The whole crew was professional, friendly, and made everything easy and fun from start to finish. Special shoutout to Ethan, who was an awesome guide on our night dive. He even took care of the not-so-fun task of untangling my very messy DSMB line without hesitation. Would absolutely dive with them again!

Pura Vida has it all. Whether you are diving from one of their well-appointed boats or visiting the shop for gear, classes, advice, assistance...you will be treated like you are their favorite customer. If they do not have what you need in stock they will order it for you in a jiffy. I am always happy to be on a Pura Vida boat, know I'm in great hands, and that the dives will be fantastic. They do all the heavy lifting, and they know the dive sites extremely well. Whether you're local or out-of-towners, Pura Vida is a fantastic choice for one-stop-shopping and diving in the West Palm area. And they have great instructors, too, if you are looking to obtain your PADI dive certifications for every level. Contact their friendly reservations staff, book your trip, and DIVE DIVE DIVE