Sea Kat Divers

Nice people, parking but Regina Sugar Barge illusive with 0 – 5 ft. viz Not for snorkeling
We attempted to snorkel the sugar barge wreck at 7^th st in a :33 low tide. There are MANY «marked» buoys– it’s confusing– and it’s at least 75 feet out. But who would know? Viz was 0 – 5 ft although the dredgers down the beach were not in operation. But the wind was sandblasting off-​shore at about 30 mph which made the swim back to shore– even with full fins– tough. Snorkeling here demands pristine conditions and requires experience, proper equipment and strong legs… maybe 4 or 6 of um…
Better luck next time!

Jim at Sea Kat was great to organize a trip with. I called one day in advance and he was able to accommodate me no problem. Jim was very friendly and answered all my questions before the dive. When we were on the boat he made us feel quite at home. We dived a tugboat-​turned-​reef that had a great variety of fish to see, including a huge grouper and three barracudas. We had plans to dice a sunken section of bridge but the weather didn’t cooperate, but Jim made sure that we only paid for the one dive we actually got to do. He was even willing to give store credit for future dives. Great experience and would definitely go back.

Captain Jim was my instructor; I am a recently certified scuba diver. He was such an amazing teacher… he goes WAY beyond the «textbook» stuff and really takes his time to make sure you’re safe and having a great time. On our dives, he didn’t just take care of me, the student, he made sure everyone on the boat/​shore dive was comfortable, safe, happy… He is knowledgeable about the area, the wildlife, is a very skilled boat operator, & has a great personality. When you are at the shop, even if it’s your first time, you feel like a regular: like family! He gave me incredible deals on gear, and like the previous reviewer said, all of the rental gear appears to be brand new. I’m not sure if it is, because Jim takes great care of his gear (he taught me all that, too!). Jim’s not out for the money, either, like some of the tourist traps around here. He doesn’t take your money until the dive is over and successful, just in case the conditions change and it isn’t safe to dive. He also doesn’t take gigantic groups out on the boat… it is very personal and fun; each person gets individual attention instead of being dumped in the water as a big herd of people. After this experience, it will be impossible to dive with bigger, commercialized groups if I travel anywhere! This is as good as it gets!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND CAPTAIN JIM!
Captain Jim took me and some dive group members out for our first spear fishing adventure. Today was the most fun I’ve had diving in years.
I called him on Friday to request some gear and he had it onboard waiting for me when I arrived. It was in fantastic condition and could not have been more than a month old. Brand new gear is not something that I have ever experienced from a rental.
Captain Jim is knowledgeable about the area and the FWC regulations. Being a rookie, I was exceptionally nervous that I would spear the wrong fish and end up getting fined. We spoke at length about the different fish and regulations on the way out to our dive location. He was also quite patient with my (stupid) questions that he has been asked a million times before. This was not just a «day at the office» for Captain Jim. He was excited about helping us fish and is genuinely passionate about diving.
In between dives, Captain Jim was relaxed and conversational. When we first surfaced, he said he wasn’t in hurry and meant it. We had as long or as short a turnaround time in between dives. We also had the option of keeping the same dive site or moving to a different one. We stayed where we were because of the amount of fish we saw. (I had a successful first trip out!)
Lastly, we asked Captain Jim for a lunch recommendation before we left the island. We had the absolute best fish tacos I have ever had in my life. (I’m not telling where, you’ll have to ask Captain Jim when you dive with him!)
The dive group & I are already planning our next trip with Captain Jim!