California Diving Academy offers an amazing diving program with professional coaching and a clear,…read morewell-run structure. My daughter started at age 9, and under Coach Eric's guidance, she has quickly improved in both diving and life skills like confidence, focus, and teamwork. CDA stands out because it combines high-level training with strong character development. Younger kids learn from older teammates in a positive, respectful environment. The whole community is supportive, and the kids truly thrive. Coach Eric is very experienced and always gives clear, personalized feedback. He's great at explaining things to both kids and parents. Whether it's in the water or Dryland, he's always focused and encouraging. The facility is fully equipped, and the flexible schedule is a big plus for families. If your child wants to compete at a high level, or just enjoy diving in a caring place, CDA is the best in the Bay Area. Highly recommend!

My 16 year old daughter started diving at California Diving Academy this past summer and it has…read morebeen an outstanding experience. She was an avid gymnast for the past ten years. On vacation last summer, her aunt (a former D1 diver) showed her some dives and suggested she just "try" diving. They looked online, found Cal Diving Academy, and sent an e-mail. Coach Eric called my daughter that afternoon to tell her about the program and suggested she come in the following week just to try it out. My daughter did not intend to switch sports then and there, but she loved diving and everything about Cal Diving Academy. From day one, the coaches and the other divers have been welcoming, friendly, and inclusive. The coaching has been incredible. Her diving is beautiful and she has learned so much. More importantly, the coaches show incredible kindness, compassion, and are very attentive to the whole athlete. Guiding them gently through fears and getting to know them as people. I am so grateful that my daughter found coach Eric and Cal Diving Academy. She is a happier person having found this new home away from home.

PSD is an outstanding dive shop. Staff are super friendly and they supply you with a container that…read moreneatly packed all of their rental gears. It made it super convenient for me. I signed up for a refresh course and the pool is conveniently located with its own parking lot. I arrived and was promptly greeted by PSD staff and checked in. Jeremiah and Casey were our dive instructors. Both were patient and explained everything in great details. I had a fantastic time. Would highly recommend PSD to everyone.

I've been coming to PSD for a while now, and it's easily the most welcoming shop in Sunnyvale. The…read morestaff actually knows their stuff. Whether you're looking for high-end gear or just need a quick tank fill for a Monterey shore dive.

Idonya still continues to provide outstanding opportunities for anyone looking to get certified in…read morethe Bay Area. My daughter did her rescue diver certification with Idonya and now feels ready to help others should the need ever arrive (although hopefully it does not!)

I had a great time getting certified with Idonya. She is knowledgable, patient, and we always had a…read moregood time at my pool lessons and even more once we got out to the ocean. There was plenty of flexibility on times to work with my schedule. I felt totally ready to go on my first dive in Thailand. Thanks, Idonya!

My friends and I just finished our scuba certification course with Scott and Lynn in Brentwood (for…read morepool dives) and Monterey (ocean dives). I'd give them 6 stars if I could! They're true professionals, very passionate about diving, and focused on safety. They made sure that we felt comfortable in the water, took time to explain everything with patience and care, and never cut any corners. They also accommodated our busy schedules. I would follow their recommendation and spread out the lessons. Scuba is an intense workout, and consolidating everything into two weekends was more taxing than we thought. Scott, Lynn - hope to dive with you again soon!

Wanna learn to dive? In Monterey? Which will make you SUCH a badass in other divers' eyes?…read more Learn with Scott and Lynn! You get classroom sessions, pool sessions, and open water check-out dives. He'll cut you a sweet deal on equipment, too. 100% win, even if you are a sucky diver like I am.

I did my open water, refresher, and advanced scuba courses with Harbor Dive and it was fantastic…read more SHOP The staff at the shop are very knowledgeable and can literally answer any question you have. They also have high end equipment for sale and rent. I ended up buying my Suunto D5 dive watch here that I can't stop wearing! I bought all my personal gear here and very happy with it. I have always rented the rest of the gear and they have worked great for me. You can tell that their equipment is well taken care of hence why I keep getting my gear from here. COURSES Michael was the instructor for all my courses and always went above and beyond to make sure you were confident and SAFE in the water. He answers any questions you have and you can tell he has a lot of knowledge and experience about diving that he shares. It was also nice to know that you were diving with a PRO/S. ADVANCED OPEN WATER The courses were always well organized from start to finish. You knew what you were doing for each hour of the day give and take some delays. This information was provided to you prior to the course as PDF. I did my advanced course at San Carlos Beach, Monterey. The day starts at 7 AM and by the time you get there, Michael and staff have already began setting up a big green tent that you cannot miss from the water. They even brought coolers full of food, snacks, and drinks! There are also scuba shops and restaurants within walking distance that you can get to. By 8 AM you are expected to be suited up and have already come up with a dive plan, which the instructor goes over with the group. This dive plan happened every time before every dive ensuring that everyone was in sync. When everyone is in the water, you gather at one spot on the surface and then we all descend together keeping the group together. This was the same when we were in the water, we were a school of divers following the instructors until we ascended. Of course during the navigation dive we were expected to navigate a square leading us back to our starting point with our dive buddy. This was a great learning experience. There was also an extra instructor that hovered around us which was nice. 2 instructors for 6 people. The five dives that we did were the performance buoyancy, deep dive, multi level, navigation, and fish identification dive. Overall it's always enjoyable diving with Michael and Harbor Dive staff and look forward to doing more dives with them. I would highly recommend to anyone!

I received my Open Water certification in 2012 with Harbor Dive in Monterey. In January, I decided…read moreto do a Refresher after a period not diving. My experience was even better the second time around! The assistance from Michael and Nina was great. They were knowledgeable and courteous. At the pool, the instructor was polite and proficient and helped me to get reacquainted with the gear and the basic skills that are necessary to know in order to dive safely. I enjoyed being in the water again so much, that after the class I went back to the shop and ask about fun dives and other possible classes. I spoke with Michael, and his passion for diving reminded me just how much I have missed it! I decided to sign up for the Advanced Open Water class for the following weekend before I left. In Monterey, conditions can be challenging but for me that is part of the fun. Michael was the Instructor for my Advanced class. It had been several years since I dove Monterey, so I was a little nervous. He was helpful, totally professional and patient. Monterey is not warm water diving like Mexico or the Bahamas, or even Hawaii. Safety is his Number 1 priority, so it is absolutely necessary to listen and follow all instructions and to ask for help if you need it. And... IT WAS AMAZING!!! Up next, Dry Suit certification!

Had a great experience in the Open Water Dive certification class. I appreciate the clear…read morecommunication, the relaxed pace, and the confidence from the instructors. I look forward to continuing my diving education with DNT.

I went there to buy a mask that would work with my prescription…read more The gal working went above and beyond my expectations. She read the blog post that listed masks for a farsighted prescription. She had me try on several masks. I found the perfect mask to fit my face. I used See the Sea for the prescription lens. The prescription worked well.

Had a amazing time from start to finish felt comfortable the whole time also.Derek was very helpful…read morewith getting me started and Chris is an awesome instructor and I will for sure be coming back.

Recommend for swim lessons. My son (10) and daughter (6) took lessons here. It was easy to sign up…read moreand start the classes. The instructor was as patient and helped my kids get over their fear of water. I'm very impressed! We will be signing up again. We had instructor Owen and he always made it fun for my littles

Tristan was so helpful. I was looking for fins and booties and a hood for a snorkeling trip. He…read morewas so patient and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this place.

Just received a prescription mask that was made and shipped to SF in under 72 hours!…read more and I could not be happier Dexter is amazing and walked me though the whole process after calling and seeing if there was a chance to get a new mask before my trip next week It's rare you get good customer service these days and it's even more rare for "great" I can definitely recommend this place! Thanks again Dexter