Nautilus Aquatics

Took a group of 19 teenagers from the Naval Sea Cadet Corps to Nautilus Aquatics for an intro scuba diving class. I was extremely pleased and completely IMPRESSED by the instructors: Chris, Andrew, and Bernadette. They were helpful, patient, informative and made the class FUN!!! They kept the energy high and the teenagers busy the whole time. Thanks to Melissa and Jason for creating an excellent and friendly atmosphere that makes you want to come back. If you’ve never tried scuba diving but have always wanted to make sure you check this place out.

Went for the discover scuba class. Highly recommend. Friendly and helpful staff. Very informative. Hope to go back for certification soon.

Can’t say enough about how professional and accommodating everyone is. Just got back from receiving my Open Water certification after a weekend camping in PA with a fairly large group. I had a panic attack and the instructor assigned me a master diver (Chris Kelly) who, at times, literally held my hand 26 feet under to make sure I made it through the course.

Great group of people here (can only speak for the Sterling location, but Im sure the Chantilly store is just as good). My wife and I are in the process of getting certified and we went to Nautilus yesterday to get fitted for our rental equipment and buy a few upgraded pieces such as fins and boots. The staff was great and really know their stuff. Price wise, they are right on par with anyone else (plus you get a 10% discount when you are taking the class, which is a nice chuck of change), even big name online scuba shops… plus you dont pay shipping. Support local business and come check this place out!

I love the fact that this is a mom and pop shop — The retail is good and prices reasonable. I had an issue and the new owners saw my post and went out of their way to correct. You guys rock. Thanks for making it right and we are back to being a customer

My children and I just finished our PADI e learning online and pool work through Sterling Silver scuba. Staff there was so friendly. Owners Jason and Melissa gave great advice. Our instructor, Tom was patient with my nervous daughter. Highly recommend this for dive certification/​equipment purchases!

I dove my open water certification for more than 10 years and thought that I knew a lot about diving since I had more than 70 dives under my belt… boy was I wrong. I had no idea that I would have so much fun from the moment I accepted the Master Scuba Diver challenge (to receive the highest rating for recreational divers) back in early 2013. I have since doubled the # of dives in less than 2 years than I had completed during my first 10+ years of the sport!
The staff, especially Drew have been extremely patient with me as I continue to build confidence from achieving each milestone along the way. Advanced Open Water was fun, but Rescue was even better! Working through all of those specialties were a lot of fun… thank you Drew!
The rest of the friendly staff at Sterling Silver Scuba seem to know the answers to my 100’s of questions along the way. The camping n diving weekends are a great way to unplug from a busy 8 – 8 schedule. You just can’t beat 4 – 6 dives in a weekend while having awesome food, wonderful accommodations and of course all the stories and laughter that one could handle. Melissa has gotten the logistics down to a science. She and her staff works hard to provide everything that you need to be and stay successful in the sport so that you can enjoy yourself learning new skills in the water. Oh, and thank to Jason, I have watched movies while enjoying smores next to the campfire can’t go unmentioned either…
Bottom line: Great Staff– knowledgeable on all safety requirements, competitively priced trips, sell top of the line gear… what more could you ask for in a friendly family-​oriented local dive shop?

I signed my 12 year daughter up for the open water course several weeks ago, to do the on-​line sessions and pool training at Sterling Silver Scuba. Will do the open water check out in the Philippines later in the summer. I cannot speak highly enough about the quality of instruction received during the 2 day session. Took place at the Claude Moore pool on a Sat/​Sun. There were 5 students in the class and 3 staff members both days. Doug, (lead instructor), Frank (assistant instructor) & Rich, (dive master) lead a through, comprehensive, safe, fun filled pool training session. I had originally planned to just do everything (classroom/​pool) in the Philippines, but I am very happy with level of instruction & training she received here at Sterling Silver Scuba! Top notch in all aspects. I have driven by the dive shop many times, and we just stopped by without much intention or planning… just to check it out. If anyone is considering a place to get certified or do the preliminary course work, I believe you’ll be hard pressed to find a better group of staff to facilitate a youngsters enthusiasm for scuba. I am looking forward to diving with my daughter and feel like she has a more solid foundation and the confidence to truly enjoy the sport. Thanks again to Doug, Frank & Rich.

I can’t say enough just how wonderful the Sterling Silver Scuba shop is. I started going to the shop about a year ago as I was preparing to go on a vacation and was planning on earning my Open Water certification over seas. The staff took the time to advise me on what I needed to know, helped me pick the right equipment that I would need and explained what the PADI course would be like.
As soon as I returned from my vacation with my C-​card, I signed up to take the Advanced Open Water course through Sterling. Once again, they exceeded my expectations in the insight and support that they provided.
I have since enjoyed 2 wonderful Camp & Dive weekend trips that Sterling put together (they think of everything). On these trips, they encourage families to participate. People go for certifications, fun dives, or even to come support family or friends as they dive. Sterling prepared all of our meals, had a nice camp fire to relax beside after a day of diving, and had water and other beverages at the ready to keep all of us hydrated. To top all that off, smores and a movie to end the day. This last trip I went on May 23 – 25 2014, there were around 50 of us (half were children). They even were working with a local Boy Scout troop for their certifications.
Not only do I trust Sterling with my training and well, my life, but purchased all of my equipment from them as well. I was looking for a one-​stop dive shop and I found it!
I would say after a year of working with Sterling Silver SCUBA, they are by far the most professional, fun-​loving, family-​oriented dive shop I have been to. The owners Jason and Melissa have created a supportive environment where someone like me who knew nothing about diving could safely learn and explore this new passion of mine.

Just back from a dive weekend with Sterling Silver SCUBA. These guys know how to run a program. The classes are well organized and run very smoothly.
This is an awesome place for a family to take classes together or for individuals looking to explore SCUBA. It doesn’t matter if you are advanced or beginner, they run to your level and give ample opportunity to improve your skills. Patient, friendly staff who are able and willing to accommodate any level and pace of learning.
The retail staff actually listen to your needs and do not try to over sell products. They will talk to you about your gear needs and recommend based on their ample dive experience. The best part is, if they do not have what you need, their staff can find and get it.
As an added bonus make sure to check out the dive trips. When you compare prices the trips these guys organize are a real bargain. The experiences they offer will keep you coming back and looking forward to even more.

Scuba diving is one of my main bucketlist items and as a professional photographer I look forward to, one day soon, having enough experience to bring my cameras underwater. I highly recommend Sterling Sliver Scuba. Instruction is amazing and instructors are very patient, helpful, professional, and understanding. Thank you Jason and Ryan! Ryan thank you especially for letting me work through a part I found difficult and putting up with me wanting to keep trying it over and over and over and over. :) I can’t wait to continue onward with Sterling Silver Scuba!

I can’t say enough about the great experience I had earning my PADI Open Water Diver certification here. Everyone in the staff was extremely helpful.
I look forward to taking some more certification courses here in the future. For now, I am able to cross one thing off of my bucket list and enjoy vacations involving as much diving as possible. They also have a good amount of diving supplies and were helfpul in fitting me for a mask and fins.
Hopefully I can go on one of the many trips they schedule throughout the year!

Love Sterling Silver Scuba! My husband and I got certified here and have been on their lake weekends a couple times. My husband loves the diving, and I love the camping – they’ve got good food and lots of snacks and nice people — and diving is fun, too.
The divemasters are always very supportive and friendly. I am only 5’0″ tall, and not very strong, so my husband always asks if I can use the smaller sized air tank when we register, and they’ve been very good about accommodating me. They’ve also always been able to provide me with gear that fits.
We haven’t been able to go so far this year, but we will be back!

Best dive shop in Northern Virginia! Family friendly, excellent instruction and very best retail staff. Did, I mention the trips? They are out of this world!!!

The Sterling Silver Scuba team is excellent! They accommodated for my wife (she’s only 5′ tall) by giving her a smaller tank during all of our dives & when she had a bit of an anxiety attack before descending for the first time, they (Jason — one of the owners) helped talk her down & make her feel comfortable enough to keep going. During our open water certification, I had trouble removing & replacing my mask because the water was so cold (I couldn’t tell if I had cleared all the water or not from my mask). The instructor (Donna) worked with me by holding my arm loosely & squeezing it to tell me when I completely cleared my mask. I honestly couldn’t be more pleased with these guys. The entire crew is fantastic!

Friendly and a great place to learn. Their trips are first rate. The training from Sterling is all very professional and fun. Safety is emphasized while still having a lot of fun. plus, they are family friendly, so kids are safe and welcome. This is not just a business for this crew, this is a passion to dive, teach, and enjoy the water.
If you want to learn to dive, or extend your training, or go deep into technical diving, this is the place to go.

Great staff great prices and super cute dogs sometimes hanging out in the shop :) my boyfriend and I just went on a camping/​scuba trip in va and SSS has got it goin’ on! All the food, snacks, drinks, a movie at night, and transportation arrangements upon request. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but generally good people = happy Kara. Yay!

Excellent, friendly, knowledgable staff. Made me feel at home from the moment I walked in the door. This is the place to go if you are a beginner or an experienced diver looking for a really fun shop to dive with.

Since I’m planning to travel to Phuket in a few weeks, I decided to undertake the wonderful world of scuba diving so that I can dive there. So I contacted the local dive shop, Sterling Silver Scuba (called SSS hereon out because I am a lazy typist), and decided to take their «Open Water Diver Bootcamp,» for the instruction portion of the PADI certification. Over the course of a Fri, Sat, and Sun, it was knocked out. I thought it was a lot of fun and will surely pay off down the road. The best part about SCUBA is that once you get certified, you are certified for life. We had a lot of reading to do prior to the class, but the class wasn’t too difficult. The pool sessions were a lot of fun. SSS provided most of the scuba equipment needed for the course (i.e., the tanks, wetsuit, BCD, etc). You have to purchases your own mask, fins, booties, and snorkel. I didn’t drown, get the bends, or die, so I recommend this place for your dive training needs.

Hands down… the best place to get scuba certified. My wife and I started out our scuba hobby with zero knowledge. We got our certification there, and that was what impressed us first. My wife is terrified of being in water that is more than 4 feet deep. However Jason and John were extremely patient and well-​prepared to talk her through things. Overall, you can tell these guys really care about their students. She passed and we’ll be diving in the Grand Caymans this weekend.
After completing the course, they were very helpful in selecting a regulator, computer, and odds and ends for us. They never once pushed us to buy anything. Melissa, the girl that helped us, took her time out to go over the differences between each model. Prices were very reasonable, and the customer service that came with the purchase was exceptional.
If you are in the Northern VA area, they are definitely worth checking out. If you are considering getting certified, you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t know how to buy, talk to Melissa. They are all super friendly. Vincent and Farrah