May 18, 2022 by Abby Baker

Most of Ed Deagle’s photos are unrecognizable – because he’s usually suited up in scuba gear. 

Deagle’s bringing his enthusiasm for diving and the water to Gulfport with his dive shop, Black Jack Tech Diving. The shop will open at 5708 Gulfport Blvd. S.; Deagle told The Gabber it will be a full-service shop, offering repairs, training, and dive trips throughout Florida.

He hopes the opening date will land on July 4.

Deagle moved to Florida from North Carolina in 2017 to work at MacDill Air Force Base and finish his military career. Upon retiring this January, he moved to Gulfport with dreams of opening a full-service shop.

“I fell in love with Gulfport,” Deagle said. “Bought a building on Gulfport Boulevard, and that was it. This is what I hope to be doing for a long time.”

Deagle will do much of the training and teaching, but he says many employees involved with the shop are former military.

“It’s not a requirement, just common background,” Deagle told The Gabber.

The military-style crew will bring divers on trips to the underwater cave system in Central Florida, the reefs and wrecks near Key West, and other watery dive zones in the Sunshine State. He’ll teach out of local pools – a common practice (few local dive shops in South Pinellas have their own pool.)

“Once I got in the water with the tanks and I could sit in the bottom of the pool, that was it for me,” Deagle said.

The shop isn’t up and running just yet, but interested divers can find more information at diveblackjack.com.

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