Aaron was really spectacular. He fit my timeline for certification, adapted to my needs and was…read morethorough in his instruction. What really stands out is his emphasis on safety and being prepared for the unexpected. Scuba diving is a sport that comes with risk, and he wanted to ensure that I was ready for a variety of situations. Whether my mask filled with water, I got stuck in a low visibility area, or I needed to make a shore exit in tough surf. He had me go through live exercises of each scenario to prepare me. Hopefully those are skills I don't need to test, but on top of the beauty of diving, it's an extra comfort having that preparation

This review is for anyone looking for scuba diving training (first timer? general refresher after a…read morefew years? looking for Advanced certs?). My wife and I got Open Water Certified a few years ago, and it was a great experience. There were a couple pool sessions with gear plus a weekend down in Monterey with the dreamy kelp forests. I also did an Advanced Diver Course last year w Original Oaktown which had a NitrOx component. It consisted of more top notch diving in Monterey, including low vis navigation, night diving, and a deep dive to 100'. I can't recommend Aaron highly enough. He has been diving for decades in Northern California and knows everything. He cares so much about his students' proficiency, safety, and confidence in the water. He is training his students to be independent divers. He also has tons of helpful risk management and dive safe know-how that you will pick up.

My husband joins me in giving this store and Trish in particular an enthusiastic two thumbs up…read morereview. We shopped at their beautiful and well equipped store and had a ball. Trish was so helpful and knowledgeable. No sales pressure at all. They have high quality merchandis. We took a refresher course in Walnut Creek today and it was EXCELLENT! My husband had some issues with his gear and, just like she was in the store, Trish was very patient. He had his breakthrough and completed his dive! The instruction team was very organized and available for help. Thanks to the store, thank you, Trish. What a great experience!

Ryan and his staff were extremely helpful and professional! I needed to rent some gear for a dive…read moreclass recently. They thought of everything, plus the were very organized and accommodating. Their gear was clean. worked perfect, and the staff support was terrific. I highly recommend Pacific Ocean Sports for your dive needs and I'll be using them again in the future.

Just finished my open water dive course here and i honestly really enjoyed my experience. The shop…read moreowner took the time to hear what I wanted from my own diving experiences and made suitable recommendations. He clearly told me what to expect from my pool sessions and ocean dives. They even worked with my work schedule and kept the dive shop open long enough so I could pick up my rental gear past their normal business hours. My open water instructor, Alaric, made learning diving easy and fun. He answered my many questions and gave reasonable advise when it came to gear. Thanks again Deep Blue for welcoming a new diver into the fold!

Getting back into Diving after a long time out of the water. Deep blue is truly a full service…read moreshop, Steel, Rick and Dan are honest, kind, and so knowledgeable!!! Got me kitted up, classes and diving again!

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.

The instructors are great however management leaves much to be desired and was quite an…read moreuncomfortable experience. Spent over $500 in certification and personal gear at this shop and yet such lack in service, felt treated like a cash cow with disregard to providing a positive experience. They forgot to include my wetsuit in my bin so during my ocean dives in Monterey I had to rent my own wetsuit on the day of my dives. Discussed this situation upon return of equipment and instead almost got charged with $55 for not capping the dust cap back on the regulator. Funny how they DO NOT stress or mention at all upon renting gear - you have to read it in the fine print. Which I feel the owner does on purpose for customers to pay out the extra $55. We ended up "breaking even" despite the huge inconvenience their mistake has brought upon me on my important certification days. Super disappointed with this shop and management. Please bring your business elsewhere.

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

All I can say is WOW! Just got back from a week in Hawaii on the big isle diving with Mauri Munoz…read morefrom Calidivers. A small group of us dove with white tip sharks, eels of every size, 2 separate pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, fish with colors too numerous to imagine, lava tube swim throughs and my favorite, a night dive with Manta Rays that came right to us and played with us just like over exuberant puppy

No contact phone number, are kidding me right now?!? Smh…read more _____________________________________________

It's already 1 month later and I'm still coming down from the high that was my experience on the…read moreNarwhal Dive trip to Puerto Vallarta for Pride 2024. For context, I'm a non-binary novice diver in my mid-30s. Besides the 1/2 day refresher course I took with Niko a month before the trip in the Bamboo Reef pool, I hadn't SCUBA dived since I took a semester-long college certification course over 10 years ago. That said, Niko and the other trip participants made me feel super safe and affirmed, both under and outside of the water. There was a nice mix of solo down-time and structured group options that suited my fairly independent travel style. I'm really looking forward to when the queer and trans-centered diving trip to the cenotes of Mexico drops in the next couple of years!

I took a trip with this organization to Puerto Vallarta and had a superb time. I would highly…read morerecommend them as an LGBTQ-centered dive organization! Whether you are interested in getting certified or are already certified and just looking for a trip, you'll have a blast.

This negative review is the result of the poor customer service provided by Hollis. In the last…read moretwo years, I have spent several thousand dollars on Hollis equipment because my local dive shop carries their line very heavily. I think the manufacturing and design of Hollis equipment is outstanding. But beware if you need Hollis to provide any service. You will disappear into the back hole of "we have your money, now go away and shut up." Shame on you, Hollis! In the last two years, I have purchased a BTR500 drysuit, a 500SE DC7 regulator setup, a 150LX DC7 regulator setup, F1 fins, an M4 mask, and an HTS 2 Buoyancy Compensator. I am a walking/swimming advertisement for Hollis equipment. But when my dive shop ordered a $65 yoke-to-DIN conversion kit (THREE MONTHS AGO), my money disappeared into that black hole of poor customer service. The dive shop tells me, "That's Hollis, it takes them forever." When I ask them to follow up, they tell me, "We have, they don't answer." So I contacted them myself. No response. Not even a "we have forwarded your e-mail to the proper department" e-mail. JUST SILENCE. Hollis is building a reputation for poor customer service. I can only hope that this review will accomplish two things: People will stay away from Hollis until they improve, and Hollis will get the message. Hollis, get your act together and start placing an emphasis on customer service.

From the owner: Dependable and innovative technical diving equipment for your personal exploration needs.read more