📍 Venice, Florida · Teaching statewide

DIVE IN.
ADVENTURE IS WAITING.

Meet Kaitlyn — a PADI® & NAUI Open Water Scuba Instructor and licensed Master Captain who has certified nearly 200 divers, ages 10 to 80. Based in Venice, teaching right across Florida — she travels to your coast. First breath underwater or fiftieth dive, she’d love to dive with you.

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200+students taught
2instructor certs
5 yrsteaching
25 tonMaster Captain
Kaitlyn Fay in scuba gear, smiling, carrying fins near the water
KAITLYN FAY
PADI · NAUI · Captain
Open Water Instructor Master Captain Shark-Tooth Guide
Certified. Licensed. Stoked.

Credentials You Can Trust

Dual-certified to teach scuba through two of the world’s most respected agencies — and licensed to captain the boat that gets you there.

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

PADI — Professional Association of Diving Instructors

Certified to teach the Open Water Diver course — the world’s most recognized scuba certification — plus continuing education up to the professional level.

NAUI Scuba Instructor

NAUI — National Association of Underwater Instructors

Dual-certified through NAUI, one of the oldest and most respected diver training agencies in the world. Five years of active instruction across both agencies.

USCG Master Captain

25-Ton Master — U.S. Coast Guard Licensed

Licensed to captain vessels up to 25 tons. Years behind the helm of scuba charters, private trips, and boat club operations — safety first, fun always.

Kaitlyn walking the beach in full scuba gear with fins in hand Grew up in the water
Meet Kaitlyn

She Trained for This Her Whole Life

“I grew up swimming competitively, surfing, wakeboarding, lifeguarding.” Kaitlyn has been training for her career in the water since she was a kid — and it shows. She’s spent five years as a PADI and NAUI scuba instructor and four years as a licensed Master Captain, running scuba charters and managing boats up and down the Gulf coast.

Her students range from 10-year-olds taking their first breath underwater to 80-year-olds checking off a lifelong dream — nearly 200 of them so far, and counting. Patient, encouraging, and genuinely obsessed with the ocean, she makes sure every student feels safe, capable, and excited.

“When you’re underwater, you’re just at peace.” That’s the feeling she wants to hand you — whether it’s your first open-water certification or your fiftieth dive hunting megalodon teeth in the fossil beds off Venice.

“Kaitlyn is skilled, knowledgeable, and dedicated to keeping you safe while learning to SCUBA, and she makes it fun!”

— William Demeritt, business recommendation
Diving Is For Everyone

A Young Woman Instructor Who’s Got Your Back

Kaitlyn built a career in a field most people assume is “not for them” — and she wants you to know it is. She’s passionate about helping both women and men embrace their curiosity and become certified divers. No egos, no judgment, no gatekeeping. Just a patient instructor who wants you to fall in love with the underwater world.

Women welcome
Men welcome
Ages 10 to 80
Zero experience needed
Learn to dive

Courses & Charters

Individual instruction, small groups, and private charters — taught at your pace, with a captain who’s also your instructor.

Open Water Certification

Your first scuba certification — PADI or NAUI. Classroom knowledge, pool skills, and four open-water dives in the Gulf. Walk away a certified diver for life.

PADI / NAUINo experience needed

Private & Small-Group Lessons

Learn one-on-one or with your crew — couples, families, friend groups. Perfect for nervous first-timers who want extra attention and a relaxed pace.

1:1 or small groupBeginner friendly

Continuing Education

Advanced Open Water, specialty courses, Rescue, Master Diver, and the full Dive Master path. Kaitlyn teaches beginner through professional level.

AOW → Divemaster

Guided Shark-Tooth Dives

Venice is the megalodon tooth capital of the world. Dive the fossil beds with a captain and guide who’s become quite efficient at finding these treasures.

Guided chartersCertified divers

Refresher & Try Dives

Been out of the water a while? Rebuild your skills and confidence with a refresher before your next trip — or try scuba for the very first time in a pool.

RefresherDiscover scuba

Captain Services & Charters

Licensed 25-ton Master Captain available for private trips — diving charters, fishing, sunset cruises, or a day on the water exactly how you want it.

Private charterUSCG licensed
Student stories

What Divers Say

From first-time students to charter guests — real words from people she’s taught and captained for.

“I recently got my Open Water certification and Kaitlyn was my instructor. She is great and very passionate about both diving and shark’s teeth. I highly recommend her — she’ll make sure you swim away with tons of cool teeth.”

— a newly certified Open Water diver (r/scuba)

“Kaitlyn was the absolute best. She helped us both, made sure we set up correctly, and was so patient and kind. She handled everything like a pro.”

— charter guest (TripAdvisor)

“My daughter dove with Kaitlyn and had an amazing time. She helped get her trained on what to look for and made the whole trip a blast.”

— dad of a first-time shark-tooth diver (r/scuba)

“Kaitlyn and her cute puppers were amazing when we walked in asking for snorkel gear — and then found out they do shark-teeth diving charters! Prices are super reasonable too.”

— walk-in visitor (Yelp)

Reviews quoted from public posts on r/scuba, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Attribution anonymized out of respect for the authors.

When is she available?

Kaitlyn’s Availability Calendar

Updated by Kaitlyn herself. Green days are open for instruction and charters — check back often, or just ask.

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Available all day Mornings Afternoons
Florida-wide

She travels — scuba instruction anywhere in Florida

Kaitlyn is based in Venice and teaches up and down the state: Tampa Bay south through Fort Myers, Naples and the Keys on the Gulf side, and Jacksonville south down the Atlantic coast. Give her enough lead time to plan a course properly and she comes to your water, arranges the local pool and boat access, and teaches you there.

Tampa BayGulf Coast · Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater & Tarpon SpringsScuba instruction →SarasotaGulf Coast · Sarasota, Bradenton, Longboat Key & Anna MariaScuba instruction →Fort MyersGulf Coast · Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel & Pine IslandScuba instruction →NaplesGulf Coast · Naples, Marco Island & the Ten Thousand IslandsScuba instruction →Florida KeysKeys · Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine & Key WestScuba instruction →JacksonvilleAtlantic Coast · Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine & Amelia IslandScuba instruction →Daytona & Space CoastAtlantic Coast · Daytona Beach, New Smyrna, Cocoa Beach & MelbourneScuba instruction →Palm Beach & Treasure CoastAtlantic Coast · West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Stuart & Fort PierceScuba instruction →Fort Lauderdale & Boca RatonAtlantic Coast · Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach & Boca RatonScuba instruction →MiamiAtlantic Coast · Miami, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne & HomesteadScuba instruction →

How travel instruction works →

Learn before you book

Florida scuba guides, written by an instructor

Straight answers on the things that actually decide whether you get certified: what the course involves, when a refresher is worth the money, what your first dive really feels like, and which Florida coast to dive in which month.

How to Get Scuba Certified in FloridaCertification, step by stepRead the guide →Scuba Refresher CoursesWhen you need a refresherRead the guide →Your First Scuba DiveWhat a first dive feels likeRead the guide →Best Time of Year to Dive FloridaFlorida dive seasonsRead the guide →Private vs Group LessonsPrivate or group?Read the guide →

All dive guides →

Scuba questions, answered

Do I need any experience to learn to scuba dive?

None at all. Every open water course starts from zero — you learn the gear, the skills, and how to breathe underwater in shallow water before you ever go deeper. Kaitlyn has taught first-time divers from 10 years old to 80, including plenty of people who were nervous about that first breath.

How old do you have to be to get scuba certified?

Junior scuba certifications start at age 10, and full Open Water certification is available to divers 15 and up. Kaitlyn has certified students across that entire range — kids, parents, and grandparents in the same weekend.

What does scuba certification cost in Venice, Florida?

It varies with the course, group size, and how much gear you need to rent, so Kaitlyn quotes each diver directly instead of posting one price that fits nobody. Send a request through the form and she will reply with current rates and exactly what is included.

Can I get certified if I am nervous in the water?

Yes — nervous divers are Kaitlyn’s specialty. She teaches one-on-one and in small groups, goes at your pace, and never rushes a new diver. Private lessons are the most popular option for anyone who wants extra time before their first open water dive.

Do you teach private lessons or small groups?

Both. Kaitlyn teaches private one-on-one lessons, small groups, families, and couples — and she is a popular choice for women who would rather learn with a female instructor. Group sizes stay small so everyone gets real attention.

How long does it take to get certified?

Most divers finish Open Water certification across a few days of training — commonly one or two weekends, depending on weather and how fast you want to move. Your e-learning is self-paced and can be done before you arrive in Venice.

Do you teach anywhere in Florida, or only in Venice?

Anywhere in Florida. Kaitlyn is based in Venice and teaches statewide — Tampa Bay, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples and the Keys on the Gulf side, and Jacksonville, Daytona, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the Atlantic. She travels to you and arranges the local pool and boat access; the only thing that stays in Venice is the shark-tooth fossil diving, because that is where the fossil beds are.

Book your dive

Request Contact

Tell Kaitlyn what you’re interested in and the best way to reach you. She’ll get back to you within a day or two.