Nestled against a sluggish curve in the Occoquan River is a dive center that is anything but sleepy. Patriot Scuba is a rare spot of high adventure in a town known for its boutique shops and laid-back vibe. Spend one day at Patriot Scuba, and you’ll feel the thrill of a dive shop that always has something going on.
A Running Start
Jeff and Merial Currer founded Patriot Scuba during the Summer Craft Fair of 2009 in a tiny basement space on Mill Street. Their dedication to customer service and creating confident, competent divers catapulted them into rapid expansion, forcing Patriot Scuba to relocate to a larger location in Occoquan within a year.
Patriot Scuba continued its exponential growth over its 13 years in business. Soon they became one of the top-rated dive centers in all of Virginia, attracting students from as far afield as Okinawa, Japan.
Live Free and Dive
Patriot Scuba is a scuba diving shop with a simple but powerful motto: Live Free and Dive. They encapsulate that ethos in everything they do, starting with their courses. They offer a complete range of PADI recreational and professional-level courses. This breadth of coursework allows students to earn everything from their first certification through their instructor credentials.
As a full-service dive center, they offer more than training. Patriot Scuba stocks gear lines from most major diving equipment manufacturers, allowing you to find everything you need, from wet suits to underwater cameras. For students and casual divers, they also provide a full line of high-quality rental equipment. And, if you already have your gear, their service department can maintain and repair all dive gear brands.
Of course, scuba isn’t really about the training and equipment. It’s about diving. And Patriot Scuba does not disappoint. They dive in a local quarry every week. And they run regular trips to popular diving destinations up and down the East Coast, like North Carolina and the Florida Keys.
But the genuinely mouth-watering trips are their international options. Patriot Scuba has a reputation for running spectacular dive trips to the kinds of places most people only dream about. Past trips include the Maldives, Curacao, Dominica, and a combination safari/dive trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. These trips put the “free” in “Live Free and Dive!”
Saving The World One Dive at a Time
Scuba diving is by no means unique in Northern Virginia. But Patriot Scuba stands apart from other dive centers due to its devotion to giving back. In 2013, the Currers established a non-profit organization, Patriots for Disabled Divers, to bring the therapeutic benefits of scuba diving to disabled veterans. This non-profit is still thriving today. And, in the intervening decade, they have offered scuba diving training at no cost to hundreds of injured veterans.
But Patriot Scuba didn’t stop there. They soon turned their eye to conservation. This environmental movement started as a few dives to collect trash from the bottom of the Occoquan River. Next, they established their Bags To Benches program, which collects plastic and recycles it into benches. Patriot Scuba has collected over 12,000 lbs of plastic, which have become 24 park benches, each donated to various organizations, including the town of Occoquan.
Meet Patriot Scuba
Patriot Scuba is a must-visit if you are looking for a little adventure in your life. Their passion for Occoquan is only rivaled by their love for adventure. And they are always looking to welcome more divers into the fold. So if you’re a diver or have ever thought about trying scuba, check out Patriot Scuba today!
Learn more at patriotscuba.com.