Spectacular Reefs & Wreck Dives

Southpoint Divers has been in business since 1991 and is consistently voted the best dive shop in Key West!

Southpoint Divers is located in the heart of Old Town, Key West on Front Street. Our shop, stocked with all your dive essentials and ScubaPro gear, is at 606 Front Street and our custom dive boat, The Phoenix, docks directly across the street at the Hyatt Resort and Marina.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the only living coral barrier reef in the United States. The Vandenberg wreck is the second largest artificial reef in the world.

Looking to advance your diving skills? Our PADI 5-Star dive center offers all courses up to and including DiveMaster.

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Blue Star Operator Coral Conservation

Key West Diving

Visit the beautiful reefs of Key West.

dive with us

The best dive shop in Key West.

Double-Wreck Dives

Our morning trip goes to the world’s second largest artificial reef, the Vandenberg. Sunk in 2009, this 520-ft long, 100-ft tall shipwreck sits on a sandy bottom at 140-ft deep. The approximate depth of the deck is about 100-ft. Diving this wreck is a truly unique experience!

Afternoon Double-Reef Dives

Just off the Florida Keys, a short boat ride away, is the world’s third largest living coral barrier reef. On our afternoon trip, we dive two reef sites with tons of tropical fish. This shallow reef system is perfect for the beginner diver or the avid adventurer.

Night Dives

Experience a shallow night dive on the reef with us! We descend with the sun and the moon is high when we surface. The Coral Reef comes alive at night as the Parrot Fish tuck into their protective cocoons, Brittle Stars and Lobster become active, Squid swim about and more! Summer conditions make Night Diving even more amazing!

Dive then Dream Package

Book with our preferred hotels in Key West and receive 20% OFF your stay and your dive!

Get Certified

Learn in a day or advance your diving skills.

Discover SCUBA Diving in One Day!

Never experienced SCUBA Diving but want to try it out?

Our one day course will get you blowing bubbles right away!

In the morning, you’ll have an instruction course to learn the basics of diving and how to use the gear. In the afternoon you’ll go out on our Afternoon Double-Reef trip to experience the world underwater with an instructor as your guide. The reef is shallow and our PADI certified instructors are patient so you’ll get to check this incredible dip under the ocean off your bucket list!

Dive Courses

Looking to advance your diving skills?

Our PADI 5-Star dive center offers all courses up to and including Dive Master.

Refresher courses are great for those who have not been diving in a while – perfect if you want to dive the Vandenberg and haven’t blown bubbles in the past year. There are several options for PADI Open Water Certification and you can even get started at home before your Key West trip. This three part course is easy, fun, and the beginning of an adventurous exploration of the world underwater!

all your dive essentials and ScubaPro gear

Visit our shop

Southpoint Divers has been in business since 1991 and is consistently voted the best dive shop in Key West!

Our knowledgeable staff will help you find the right gear for your dive.

our crew

Don Mckenzie

Owner

Certifications: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, USCG Master Captains License

I am from upstate New York and have been in Key West since 1994. I watched Jacque Cousteau reruns when I was growing up and fell in love with the ocean and wanted to get certified. I made my way to Key West,  got certified and started working at Southpoint Divers in the mid 1990s and decided to buy it the late 90s. During my time in Key West, I have become an avid diver and fisherman, so if you don’t see me at the dive shop I’m likely out on the water searching for that next fish story.

Zach Goodfellow

Captain / Instructor  

Certifications: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, Nitrox, CPR First Aid Instructor, USCG 100 Ton Masters Captain License, Scubapro Technician, Gas Blender, Deep Specialty Instructor 

I grew up in Grand Lake, CO and got into scuba diving because my best friend’s family was into it and said, “If you get certified, you can come on our vacations with us.” At Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO I received a degree in natural resource recreation and tourism with a minor in business. As part of my graduation requirements, I had to do an internship in the tourism or recreation industry. I emailed dive shops all over the country asking for an internship and the only shop that said “yes” was Southpoint Divers. I did my internship in 2010 and pretty much have been here ever since.

Drew Rutherford

Captain / Instructor / Engineer 

Certifications: USCG 100 Ton Captain License with towing endorsement, Open Water Scuba Instructor, CPR First Aid, Scubapro Technician, Nitrox, Gas Blender 

From Tampa, I moved to Key West in 2001 where I joined the Coast Guard as part of the Aids to Navigation Team. After the Coast Guard in 2006, I worked various jobs from private yacht captain, sailing on the east coast in the summers and spending the winters in the Caribbean, to boat hull construction and marine engineering improvements. I went to Florida Keys Community College studying Marine Engineering and Dive Business. I received my PADI Open Water Instructor certification in 2014 and started working for Southpoint Divers in 2015. The most rewarding part of being an instructor is helping people face and overcome their fears.

Tropical Mike

Captain / Master Scuba Instructor

Certifications: Master Scuba Instructor

A PADI Master Instructor, with 30+ years experience and Skipper of our Phoenix. As a native Floridian, from Fernandina Beach, I was raised on Amelia Island, the Northernmost city. I’m an avid surfer, diver, and sea turtle advocate. I relocated to Key West, the Southernmost city, to “escape” the bitter cold of the North and pursue my passion for diving and sea turtle conservation.

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Thomas McKinnon

Scuba Instructor

Certifications: Emergency First Responder (EFR), Primary/Secondary CPR and First AID, Shark Conversation, TWIC, OSHA 30

I grew up in Pennsylvania and have always been fascinated with the ocean. Ever since I can remember I’ve dreamt of being a scuba diver. I started my diving journey in 2013 and have been diving on and off until I moved to Virginia a few years back and started a career in underwater construction. I finally decided to move to Key West in late 2022 and have loved being here ever since. I enjoy fishing and skiing as well as eating good seafood! I’m truly grateful to be part of a wonderful team, and excited to be able to show people the wonders of the ocean.

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Aaron Burlison

Scuba Instructor

Certifications: Emergency First Responder (EFR), Primary/Secondary CPR and First AID, Shark Conversation, TWIC, OSHA 30

My father was a dive instructor in the 1970’s and had a salvage business on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. As a kid, I would ride around with him in the green murky mess like a backpack while he looked for lost wedding rings and other treasures. After serving in the Army, I was a dive instructor in Cozumel, Mexico for a year and now I live on a sailboat in Key West, instruct with Southpoint Divers and bartend at a local tiki bar! Free diving is also a passion of mine.

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Kimberly Platt

Conservation Coordinator, Scuba Instructor, & SCUBAPRO Technician

Certifications: MSDT PADI, Emergency First Responder (EFR), AAUS Scientific Diver

Specialties Taught: Wreck, Navigation, Deep, Nitrox, and Dive Against Debris, SCUBAPRO Technician

I have been working for Southpoint for over 3 years and can teach a number of specialties. My favorite dive site is the Vandenberg and getting to take divers to explore the wreck. As Conservation Coordinator, I am the lead instructor when we clean coral in nurseries, teaching our employees how to train patrons. I work with grant applications, waste management pick ups and documentation requirements for our cleanups. In my free time I have the pleasure of getting to volunteer and work as a scientific diver and taking photos on the reef.

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Palmer Dunn

Divemaster

Certifications: Divemaster, Emergency First Responder (EFR), Primary/ Secondary CPR and First Aid, AWARE Shark Conservation, Wreck, Drysuit, Dive Against Debris

I am from Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Key West in 2022 hoping to advance my knowledge of diving. I currently attend the College of the Florida Keys, taking classes for my degree and for diving. I began working at Southpoint shortly after I moved to Key West and the experience has only grown my love for diving.

What are you waiting for?

Experience Key West with the Best!