Aaron's Dive Shop

What Aaron's Dive Shop does

Aaron's Dive Shop is a privately held, owner-operated scuba diving retailer and PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center (IDC) headquartered in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii. Founded in 1971 by Jack Aaron and acquired by current owner Warren in 2014, the company operates a fully stocked retail dive shop at 307 Hahani St. and conducts boat charters out of Maunalua Bay Beach Park across 12+ documented dive sites, plus additional wreck and reef sites around Oahu. Its service portfolio spans three core pillars: (1) guided scuba tours (Deep/Shallow Two-Tank at $155.99, Shallow/Shallow Two-Tank at $155.99–$227.99, and Saturday Night Dives at $165.99), (2) PADI certification courses from Bubblemaker kids' programs through Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and specialty courses ($598–$999), with professional-level training (Divemaster, OWSI, MSDT, IDC Staff Trainer) delivered via a partnership with Pacific Diving Academy, and (3) supporting gear rentals (full set $65/day), in-house gear servicing (VIP, hydrostatic, O2 cleaning, regulator/BCD service across 14+ brands), and an annual Dive Club membership ($179–$199/year).

The business is a direct-to-consumer operator with no B2B or channel sales. Booking is handled through the FareHarbor SaaS platform embedded into its WordPress website, supplemented by phone reservations and a complimentary Waikiki hotel shuttle that physically transports tourists to the boat launch. Customer segments include Oahu tourists (primary), local residents (recurring Dive Club members), children and families (Bubblemaker/Seal Team programs), and beginner divers seeking first-time certification. Revenue mechanics are predominantly transactional (per-dive and per-course fees) with a small subscription component via Dive Club memberships; military, family, and group pricing tiers exist but no enterprise contracts or institutional volume buyers are referenced. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent entity, no mobile app, no proprietary technology beyond the WordPress/FareHarbor stack, and no published APIs or developer integrations. It is HMAR-certified as a Marine Steward and has partnerships with PADI, FareHarbor, Pacific Diving Academy, HMAR, Make-A-Wish Hawaii, and Breast Cancer Hawaii.

Name

Aaron's Dive Shop

Legal name

Aaron's Dive Shop

Website

https://aaronsdiveshop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aaron's Dive Shop is a 54-year-old PADI 5-Star IDC dive center in Kailua, Oahu offering guided boat dives, scuba certification courses, gear rentals and servicing, and a dive club membership to tourists and local residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kailua

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Scuba Tours: Two-tank boat dives (Deep/Shallow and Shallow/Shallow), Night Dives, and specialty charters. Prices range from $155.99-$227.99 per person. Includes equipment, tanks, weights, and boat transportation to dive sites in Maunalua Bay.
2. PADI Certification Courses: Open Water (group and private), Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and specialty courses. Course prices range from $598-$999. Includes elearning, pool sessions, boat dives, gear, and PADI certification.
3. Gear Rentals: Full scuba set rental for $65/day or individual items (tanks, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask/snorkel/fins, weights). 24-hour rental period with flat $40 rate for full gear.
4. Gear Services: Tank VIP inspections ($25), hydrostatic testing ($55), combined VIP+Hydro ($72), and O2 cleaning ($50). Regulator and BCD servicing for multiple brands including ScubaPro, Aqualung, Apexs, TUSA, Hollis, Atomic, Oceanic, Mares, Zeagle, Sherwood, XS Scuba, Cressi, DiveRite.
5. Dive Club Membership: Annual memberships at $199 (standard), $179 (family of current member), $179 (military). Benefits include daily charter discounts, free air fills, 50% off rentals, 20% off gear servicing, 10% off store merchandise and courses, 15% off gear packages, free nitrox upgrades, monthly club charters, and annual off-island trip.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Aaron's Dive Shop operates guided two-tank boat scuba tours, Night Dives, and specialty charters from Maunalua Bay in Oahu, alongside PADI certification courses ranging from Open Water through professional levels (delivered through Pacific Diving Academy). The shop also rents individual and full-set scuba gear, performs regulator/BCD servicing and hydrostatic/VIP inspections for 14+ dive brands, and runs an annual Dive Club membership program with discounts, free air fills, and community events.

Product overview

Aaron's Dive Shop offers a comprehensive suite of scuba diving services centered around guided boat tours and PADI certification courses. The core offerings include three primary scuba tour products (Deep/Shallow Two Tank Dive, Shallow/Shallow Two Tank Dive, and Night Dive) and a full range of PADI courses from beginner (Open Water) through professional levels (Divemaster, IDC). The company also operates complementary business lines in gear rentals (individual items and full sets) and equipment services (VIP inspections, hydrostatic testing, O2 cleaning, regulator/BCD servicing). A Dive Club membership program provides recurring value through discounts and perks. All offerings are unified under the PADI training framework and operate from Maunalua Bay boat launches, with the company serving as an HMAR Marine Steward for ocean conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deep/Shallow Two Tank Boat Dive

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pacific Diving AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional-level scuba training partner providing Divemaster, Open Water Scuba Instructor, Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Assistant Instructor, IDC Staff Trainer, and other professional courses. Veterans Education Benefits accepted for professional training.
• Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as HMAR Marine Steward. Partners with conservation organizations and eco-minded businesses. Kids earn HMAR Steward certification through Seal Team program.
• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline booking and reservation management platform embedded in website. Handles real-time availability, calendar management, and customer bookings for tours and courses.
• Make-A-Wish HawaiiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonates dive services for Make-A-Wish experiences. Community giving program supporting children with life-threatening conditions.
• Breast Cancer HawaiiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual fundraiser partner. Supports breast cancer awareness and research through community fundraising events.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor5-Star IDC Dive Center. Authorized to deliver all PADI recreational and professional level courses. Uses PADI curriculum, materials, elearning platform, and certification system.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hawaiian Diving Adventures: Direct Oahu competitor offering scuba tours, PADI courses, and charter dives from Honolulu. Comparable target customer (Waikiki tourists), PADI-affiliated training, and similar boat-based tour model make it the closest direct peer.
• Sea Hawaii Diving: Oahu-based scuba operator running boat charters and PADI courses from Waikiki-area marinas. Targets the same tourist segment with comparable two-tank dive offerings and certification programs.
• Island Divers Hawaii: Oahu dive shop offering boat dives, PADI certifications, and shore dives targeting both tourists and local residents. Comparable scale, certification depth, and customer mix in the same Honolulu market.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantis Adventures Hawaii: Larger Hawaii-based marine tourism operator offering submarine tours, snorkeling excursions, and dolphin experiences from multiple islands. Competes for the same Waikiki tourist leisure dollar with broader product portfolio and multi-island presence.

Regional players

• Big Island Divers: Established PADI 5-Star dive center on the Big Island offering boat dives, night manta ray snorkel/dive experiences, and certification courses. Comparable business model but operates on a different island, so does not directly compete in Oahu waters.
• Lahaina Divers: Maui-based PADI dive operator offering boat charters, courses, and rentals targeting Maui tourists. Similar service mix and customer segment to Aaron's, but geographically separate on a neighboring island.

Emerging players

• Reef Pirates Diving: Smaller Hawaii dive operator focused on reef conservation tours and small-group dive experiences. Competes on experiential differentiation and sustainability positioning rather than scale, overlapping with Aaron's customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd-_CInI-1kCBTs4A71AMfw
• Facebookfacebook.com/AaronsDiveShop
• Instagraminstagram.com/aaronsdiveshop
• Xx.com/dive_aaron

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aaron's Dive Shop