Less than a week after a devastating fire destroyed one of New England’s most established dive centres, East Coast Divers has announced plans to rebuild, marking the next chapter in a story that has resonated throughout the diving community.
The announcement follows the three-alarm fire that tore through the Brookline, Massachusetts facility on May 28, destroying the company’s retail store, classrooms, service department, rental inventory and decades of accumulated equipment. The blaze also triggered multiple cylinder explosions as compressed gas tanks became involved in the fire. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
As previously reported by The Scuba News, investigators believe the fire originated at the rear of the building before spreading through the dive centre. Around 60 firefighters responded to the incident, while East Coast Divers staff went door-to-door evacuating residents from apartments located above the shop.
Now, despite the loss of its physical premises, the company says it has no intention of disappearing.
“The building is gone, but the people are still here, and we’re moving forward,” East Coast Divers said in announcing its recovery plans. Founded in 1974, the dive centre has spent more than five decades training divers across the Boston area and has become one of the region’s best-known diving businesses.
The financial impact of the fire is substantial. Co-owner Nick Fazah estimates that more than $400,000 worth of equipment was lost, with the incident occurring just as the business was entering its busiest season of the year. The timing could hardly have been worse for a company that relies heavily on spring and summer diving activity.
Yet the response from the wider diving community has been equally remarkable.
According to East Coast Divers, dive shops, instructors, university dive programmes and industry partners from across New England have stepped forward offering warehouse space, classroom facilities, equipment, labour, boats, pool access and logistical support. The assistance has enabled the company to continue operating despite losing its headquarters.
“We’re still teaching classes, servicing equipment, running trips and supporting our dive community while we rebuild,” Fazah said. “East Coast Divers has never just been a building. It’s a community.”
That community support has also extended to fundraising efforts. A GoFundMe campaign launched by members of the local diving community quickly gained momentum and has already attracted hundreds of donations. At the time of writing, the campaign had raised more than $80,000 towards rebuilding the business.
The recovery effort highlights something familiar to many divers. While dive centres are often measured by their storefronts, classrooms and equipment inventories, their real value lies in the communities they create. For thousands of divers across Massachusetts and New England, East Coast Divers served as a gateway into the underwater world for more than 50 years.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Brookline fire investigators and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office.
For now, East Coast Divers faces the long process of rebuilding a facility. However, if the industry’s response over the past week is any indication, the community that made the dive centre successful in the first place remains very much intact.
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