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Thank you for visiting my website. Please be advised that due to family and other personal reasons I have suspended my scuba and underwater photography instruction and diving operations in Key Largo and for an undeterminable amount of time into the future. I have kept my website up and running and things in place as much as possible for the time in the future when I return home to Key Largo. Please contact me if you feel I may be of any service or help to you in either your diving or UW photography. I am currently on the high plains and in the state of South Dakota and trying to 'keep a fin wet' and engaged in UW photography. Again, thank you for visiting my site.

Welcome to Key Largo and the Florida Keys! I'm a PADI Master Instructor and Underwater Photography professional specializing in providing SCUBA instruction and instruction in Underwater Photography. My Scuba and Underwater Photography courses are held in small, oftentimes private, class settings. I work with my students and clients to help them reach their goals. I endeavor to give my Scuba and Underwater Photography students, at any level, the best quality instruction. To provide them with value, while having a lot of Fun!  The Florida Keys and especially Key Largo, is a great place to scuba dive, learn to scuba dive and engage in underwater photography.

My Menu Links to your left will guide you to and through the scuba courses I offer. The menu links will lead you to a brief description and information about my scuba courses and pricing. Browsing will lead you to other diving and related services available, as well as my course in underwater photography and related services.

Out of courtesy to my students, I keep my cell phone turned off when working with my students of scuba or photography. The best way to contact me is via the e-mail. There are email links near the bottom of each of this website's pages. If you send me an e-mail and do not receive a reply from me by 8 am EST the following day; please call me and leave a message!

ABOUT ME: I was born in California a long, long time ago and was raised in South Dakota where I learned to dive (Brrr). I was a Divemaster and Scuba Instructor there (the 7th and last in the state’s history) and later a full time Scuba Instructor in the Hawaiian Islands (Maui). I left Maui and moved to Key Largo in October of 1994. I also have work, dive and photo experience in the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Bonaire, Belize and Roatan.

I am an SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Diver, with over 5000 dives. I do almost as many scuba dives in a year than there are days in the year. When I go on vacation, I go diving. On my days off, I go diving. Scuba diving and underwater photography. It’s what I do. If you want to learn how to scuba dive, continue your dive education, improve your scuba, or, learn or improve your underwater photography in the Florida Keys, contact me.

Be warned I have a bad sense of humor, but at least I have one. Thanks for visiting my site. Enjoy.

ABOUT OTHERS: A special thanks goes to Bill Dunbar, my webmaster, who, along with Loriele, longtime tech-savvie friend, persevered with me for weeks to construct this site.

Another special thanks goes to my Parents Norma and Aubrey who don't even swim and worry constantly about me! And another to my wife (now ex) of 17 years who gave me the opportunity to go ahead and become a professional scuba diver and underwater photographer.

A sentimental thank you to my scuba diving mentors: Mike, Tom, Al, Roger, Kristene, Laura, Celeste, Joe and Mattie - You are only as good as your mentors.

And a loving thank you to my students of SCUBA and Underwater Photography, you know who you are and the real reason I find such joy in my work! You are my wealth!

ABOUT YOU: Thank you too for visiting my site and contemplating the fun and adventure of scuba diving.  The diving community is small and full of wonderful people.  People who still have a sense of adventure and spirit and are fun loving.

To you non-divers visiting: Welcome to Mother Ocean's domain! Scuba Diving is fun.  It isn't that hard to do and you can do it all your life.  How hard can it be to visit the sea and view the wonderful colored corals and decorative reef fish and creatures.

I hope you have a good dive at this "site'! It has words, underwater photography and topside photography, animation, music and lots of stuff!! Have fun here. And visit often as I make changes frequently (just ask my webmaster!).

Good diving to you one and all, Larry

All Photos
Copyright © 2012 Larry Gates Photos

In tribute to Our Country' s Armed Forces and their Families' Sacrifices.

Cell Phone: (305) 522-1832
E-mail : Larry Gates

Cool people like you have been here!