Down Under Dive Shop is the full-service scuba operation on Gulf Shores Parkway (Highway 59) in Gulf Shores, a PADI Five Star Dive Center and the place people on this stretch of the Alabama coast go when they want to get certified, get wet, or get a regulator serviced. From Orange Beach it is a straightforward drive up the beach road and north on 59; from Perdido Key, budget the extra time. Alabama’s offshore diving is mostly artificial reef and wreck diving, and the shop runs its own charter boat, the Down Under, to those offshore Gulf sites.
What you get
Training runs the whole PADI ladder: beginner open-water certification, advanced, and specialty courses. If you are already certified, the charter boat is the draw, and if you are not, the shop pairs PADI Divemasters and Instructors with guided snorkeling and beach diving trips for people who want to see something without the full course. The retail side carries multiple brands and is an authorized Scubapro Platinum Dealer, with dive-quality snorkeling and freediving gear as well — a step up from the drugstore mask. Rentals and technical repair are handled in-house, and they stock RangerRoad gear.
Good to know
Gulf visibility and sea state swing a lot with the weather, so offshore charter days are subject to conditions; check with the shop before you drive up counting on a boat. Surface-level toys — e-bikes, paddleboards, kayaks — are rented through a sister company rather than the dive counter. Check their site for current course schedules and charter rates. For the non-diving hours, see Gulf Shores and more on the water.
