Me and my husband tried introductory diving at Casino Point diving park with Ron and Chance. We do not have any prior diving experience, honestly i can barely swim, haha. But they took good care of us. My ears got uncomfortable when I went down, so Chance took me up to the surface like twice. When there are some pretty fish or crab, Chance also pointed them out so I can look at that way. I think me and my husband will keep on talking about this wonderful experience :) read more

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Another satisfied customer. I took my nephew for his 12th bday to Catalina n it was a last minute decision to scuba dive. It was an awesome experience. We enjoyed it thoroughly n my nephew hopes to take some diving courses n go back again. I forgot my bathing suit at the dive shop n the owners were great to mail it to me!!! Thank you Ron n divers for making my nephews bday special n making me the favorite aunty :). Thank u Connie for sending me back my fav suit!!! XoxoRox read more

Absolutely would come back. Ron's team is more than amazing. We told them we had to catch a 4:30 boat ride and our appointment was at 2pm and they were more than happy to accommodate us. Wonderful! Chris and Frank were my brother's and my instructor. I worked with chris and he was amazing. He made sure I was comfortable every step of the way. We saw a lot in the ocean ecosystem. Communication is important under water and chris does really well to keep in communication with you when you're down 30 feet, which is really important! I won't say much and spoil any reader's fun. Highly recommended! read more

We had such an interesting dive. Chris was an amazing and very professional guide! Ron and his staff know their stuff and eager to help. We highly recommend this dive shop! Can't wait to come again. read more

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Had an excellent dive with Ron as my guide. I read multiple reviews before deciding to go with Dive Catalina. Everyone was nice, fun to be with and helpful. There were 3 of us at our time slot, each with our own guide. They stay constantly with you, checking that you are ok and you can go at your own pace. We saw so much, it was amazing. The giant bass was my favorite, they are giant indeed! Beautiful garibaldi are a close second. I highly recommend Dive Catalina for snorkeling as well as diving, I did an amazing night snorkel with Shawn. read more

This experience was the best! Shawn was a great guide. It was the first time snorkeling for the kids and they are looking forward to the next time. We will definitely visit Dive Catalina again! read more

Great experience with my wife and I. Chance our tour guide Was extremely informative and helpful. I lost my goggles and he went back to find them thank you Dave Catalina good times read more

I went diving at Casino Point with Ron Moore and had an amazing time! He was friendly, experienced, knowledgable about the local marine life and made me feel comfortable in the water. We went down to about 60 feet and had really good visibility. I hadn't gone diving for many years, and was really happy that I had Ron as a guide. We saw a sea lion up-close! We also saw many different kinds of fish and even a lobster. It was like we were in an aquarium, except we were in the ocean. Definitely my best shore-dive ever! read more

Dive Catalina - Me & Ron after an awesome dive! - Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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The best experience of my life. I have been wanting to try scuba diving forever. However with my fear of closed spaces and the unknown I never did it. Well today I did. Ron was absolutely outstanding with me as was the entire staff. I love the "it's not a race, we go as far as you want" pace. After dropping down to 25' we were off. It was something I can't put into words. But 40' deep later, kelp forest, 200 lb sea bass, sting ray, all kinds of fish and more, I was hooked. Everyone truly needs to experience a whole new world. Thanks for a great experience and I am planning my certification next... read more

Dive Catalina - Ron with Dive Catalina is beyond the best experience with the most knowledgeable staff I've ever encountered - Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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We came on a beautiful summer afternoon with no reservation when all was sold out. Luckily, we were accommodated without hesitation here. Everyone was kind and extremely helpful from the moment we walked in until the moment we removed our wet suits and left. Ron Moore was our guide, and I could not ask for a more informative and helpful person. He was in tune with each of us on the tour and was incredibly attentive and responsive to the unique needs of each person in our group. He was patient, gentle, and kind-a perfect combination for those of us less accustomed to snorkeling which is a major challenge when you have a bit of fear of the ocean and sticking your face below the surface! But we did it with his guidance!!! read more

My fiancé and I went diving with Ron last week for my birthday and had a fantastic time. For a private dive, the prices were very reasonable and Ron and Chance were super helpful with getting to and from the dive site and also with the dive itself. They even washed my gear for me afterward. The Casino Park is a great place for beginner divers and with the wetsuits from the shop, the 61 degree water did not feel cold at all. Great experience! read more

Since we hadn't dived in more than a year, my boyfriend and I did a shore dive first. We were happily surprised by how warm the water was-72 degrees! We were also really surprised to see a green sea turtle as well as a very large bat ray. Our guide, Chance, was funny, competent, and kind. He showed us how to to time our entries and exits and swam back with each of us individually to the steps at the end of the dive. My BCD was self-inflating, but Chance held me down and saved my dive. I rented one of their BCDs for the boat dives the next day. Ron Moore gave us a lot of great information on diving conditions, site selection process, and what to look for underwater. We saw a large harbor seal, lobsters, and schools of fish. Unfortunately we didn't see the giant sea bass that the other divers saw. Both of our dives were nearly an hour long but Ron was totally cool about it. Another plus: free steel tanks and soft weights. We first came to Catalina five years ago to learn to dive but didn't have a good experience so didn't go back. We will definitely be back! We strongly recommend Dive Catalina! read more

We went both snorkeling and scuba diving with these guys. Al was an amazing snorkeling tour guide--he brought out the best sights in Lovers Cove. Our scuba lesson was perfect. My boyfriend and I each had our own instructor/guide. Both Ron and Chance were very knowledgeable about scuba and about the Catalina flora and fauna, which made for a great tour. They kept us laughing and smiling the entire time. We're so happy with these guys, we're going back at the end of the summer. Would definitely recommend. read more

The staff is so helpful and my instructor, Ron Moore (happy birthday Ron!) is wonderful, super understanding, informative and reassuring. I had the time of my life! Everything I needed for my first time scuba diving was provided. read more

Fantastic experience! Ron took my two friends and me out diving. We hadn't gone in over a year, and we let Ron know. He was extremely patient with us, friendly, and funny too. He and his employees at the shop (Chance and Mateo) were all hilarious and made us feel instantly relaxed. We had such a great time with them. Ron was such a great guide. He took us out two days in a row. He let us pick which sites in Casino Point we wanted to see, and he knows the area like the back of his hand. The experience was perfect. We saw beautiful garibaldi, kelp forests, and more! Ron and his shop keep their groups small (no more than four divers per guide), so this allowed us to have a very personalized experience. I would recommend diving with Ron without a doubt! I look forward to returning. read more

Wow! what can I say about Dive Catalina! I am so glad that I did my first dive with them. Ron, Connie and Chance were so nice and friendly to us. They took their time and made sure that we understood all the necessary steps. When we arrived at the shop, our gear and all required equipment were ready for us. During the dive, our instructors, Ron and Chance, were with us the whole time. They held our hand and never left our side. They constantly checked on us to ensure that we were fine. I felt really comfortable during the dive and were very sad when it was over. Connie was such a sweetheart! She made us feel so welcome and feel so at home. She was so understanding when we missed our morning boat. I called her right away and explained our situation. She immediately re-booked us to the next available appointment on the same day! Who else would do that? At first, I was worried that we would miss out on the dive, but I felt so relieved after talking to Connie. Thanks again Connie for making it such a great day for us! I highly recommend Dive Catalina to everyone. The shop is very easy to find and it is a wonderful place to SCUBA dive. I plan to come back here on my next visit to the island. Thanks again Dive Catalina! We had a blast! read more

We rented gear and took a guided tour from this place yesterday. Ron was fantastic to work with at the dive shop, and Frank was the best tour guide we could ask for. After our dive we kept talking about how awesome of an experience this was. Definitely would do it again. So worth it! read more

By far, the crew at Dive Catalina MADE our trip. Not only was Connie just the sweetest person to speak with over the phone, but once we got to Catalina she, and everyone else there, made us feel like we were part of the family. Ron and the entire group of scuba guides were so helpful in helping us get our gear together and they even stored our baggage for us since we had arrived straight from the ship. Frank, our guide, lead us through the kelp forest and let us hold a sea urchin, a slimy sea cucumber and he'd hit rocks together making all of the nearby fish swirl and swim around us. It was pretty amazing!! He also gave us a briefing on the history of all the neatby dive spots and the famous Casino building that is situated right next to the dive park. It had been a while since we had dove, but Frank knew exactly what to do to help make us feel comfortable. We originally wanted to dive the Sue Jack ship wreck but half way through the dive, Frank realized that we were having trouble equalizing and decided to take us through the kelp forest instead. This was a good decision as my ears were just not used to going so deep yet. Definitely something to work towards! And we'd go diving with Frank again any day. My boyfriend ended up getting a little sea sick once we returned from the dive and Connie ran over to the little shop and brought him a Sprite! Everyone at the shop checked up on him and just wanted to make sure he was doing all right, just a genuinely great group of people. The next day, before boarding the Cat Express back, we made sure to go say bye to our friends at Dive Catalina. We would not dive with anyone else and recommend that you do the same. Can't wait to go back!! Thank you everyone for an incredible trip, see you again soon! PS- it's easy to miss the shop because it's so easy to get to. Right when you get off of the ship at the port, continue walking towards the town for about 30 steps (literally) and on the left hand side (the 1st little buidling of shops) you will see a bike rental place with a bunch of bikes out front. Dive Catalina is RIGHT next door. Don't miss it ;) Peace, love & rolling waves, Brittany & Drew read more

Loved our time! I was SO nervous after a bad experience several years ago, but Frank was amazing & really patient.

I can't say enough good things about this place, we love it. I traveled with my two kids (8 11) for my birthday and we wanted a new and different experience, well They make it happen. Al was so helpful all the time from the beginning to the end, he helped my little one like no other he was so patient and kind, Sebastian is kinda afraid to water and Al make him feel so secure to the point he didn't want to leave. He even give us some extra time on the tour and no just that he give us the best dinner recommendations in town. Back in the shop let's talk about Oscar a happy brilliant funny guy, he click so good with my kids he even remember their names the next day when we came back for more haha yes more !!! As a single mother my kids are my priority and they totally make my day extra special treating them like kings. Prices are super affordable and tours are fun and full of surprises, you have to try it !! Al, Oscar and staff thank u all for the most amazing experience!! Love/ The Carmonas ! read more

Dive Catalina - Al and the boys ! - Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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I went last week with a friend for my birthday and this was hands down the best thing. I'm a scuba diver with padi and I can say I've never interacted with as many schools of fish scuba diving as I did while snorkeling ! They feed the fish and have these little jet things and since it was my actual birthday the two men in lime green shirts let me use the little jet and constantly feed the fishes. I was amazed and in awe the entire time. I would not only recommend it but I can't wait to do it again! The staff is amazing and helpful. read more

Guided diving doesn't get more professional. What the shop lacks in size they make up for with expert guides and leadership. I'm a divemaster with ~100 guided dives but I wanted some local experience in Catalina. More importantly, I wanted a good Intro Dive guide for my girlfriend. We couldn't have asked for better guides than Chris and Frank. Chris gave one of the most well-informed briefs I've ever heard and lead a well-executed dive. After watching Frank lead my girlfriend, I was 100% confident in his stewardship. I was trained by a 5-star shop and top level instructors. I feel fortunate we found Frank and Chris of Dive Catalina. Experience, knowledge, trust and no ego!When we come back, I won't dive with anyone else. Thank you guys. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to dive in over Labor Day at the last minute - you can imagine scheduling was a pain to coordinate. Connie and Steve could not have been more accomodating. My boyfriend hadn't been diving in a few years and our dive master was amazing. She did a quick refresher course based entirely on our skills, then off we went. We felt totally confident and knew we were in competent hands. The experience could not have been more positive. We didn't realize this was Ron Moore's shop and are really excited to go back to do some underwater photography and other courses. I wavered back and forth between 4 and 5 stars because the shop is tiny without much (if any) gear for sale and equipment was more than sufficient, but not super fancy. The tradeoff there, though, is that Connie lent me her own fins because she thought I'd love them! So if you want fancy, go to the Caymans. But if you want a great, safe, experience with an amazingly friendly and competent crew on Catalina, check this place out. read more

This place is terribly unorganized. They might know the waters but they do not know how to run a company!! My husband and I called ahead to have some scuba gear ready for us when we arrived, to make the process quicker. She took our stats (weight, height) saying thirty minutes should do. But when we got there they had nothing ready. She proceeded to take two lengthy phone calls while I was waiting, and attempted to take three other customers as well in between helping me. Of the three customers the company had lost or mis-scheduled TWO of the customers appointments. There were three people who were working, besides the lady in charge, none of them could help get our gear ready because they only dealt with snorkeling, not scuba. After an hour of being cramped inside their small shop with a bunch of irritated people I told my husband I was about to have a panic attack if we stayed a second longer so we left. It was a complete waste of time. The Underwater Dive park is tiny, and filled with inexperienced divers so it worked out in the end. We snorkeled the area and felt like that was perfect. If we return to Catalina to dive a different area we will dive with a different company. It is wrong to spend money on a company like that. Oh, and just so you know I recognized one reviewer on yelp is one of the snorkel employees at Dive Catalina. read more

Thank you for making me and my wife's first time snorkeling one to remember! We didn't do a lot of research before arriving to Catalina and decided to find a local shop that can answer a lot of our questions. We walked into Dive Catalina and Ron was easy going and very helpful making us feel very comfortable. My wife isn't a very confident swimmer and was apprehensive until she met Ron. This was the last week of January so it was slow; however, the weather was amazing. He recommended we get a locker (a 5 minute walk from the shop) for our belongings and meet him back at the shop to meet our guide, Chance. Chance made us feel comfortable as well and had the patience to deal with newbies asking questions like "how do we put our mouth around the snorkel" and "what happens if we swallow sea water" lol. He was very comical; as well as, knowledgeable about snorkeling and Lovers Cove in particular. I don't write reviews for most experiences but felt like Dive Catalina deserved a great one from me. They've been there forever, know their stuff, have very reasonable rates for rental equipment and guided tours, and are a small local shop. Who wouldn't want to support that? Thanks Ron and Chance, it was a day we'll never forget! read more

I went to Dive Catalina for an Introductory Dive yesterday, and I just had to write a review after the wonderful experience I had with them! I looked around different places in So. Cal. for a place that could take me diving since I'm not certified, so I could get a feel for how comfortable I would be underwater before getting an open water certification (and I also wanted to do something extra fun on my birthday!). Dive Catalina had a great price and they were super easy to make reservations with. I was kind of nervous about diving for the first time and I'm not always comfortable around people I don't know, but my instructor/guide Chance, did a wonderful job making be feel comfortable and safe. I received a great instruction period on what I needed to do to be safe diving, the basics of the gear, and had plenty of chances to ask all the questions I wanted before we entered the water. While in the water Chance always made sure that I was safe and comfortable during the entire dive, which made the whole experience very relaxing and fun. He watched out for me so well that he kept me from almost having an eel have the chance to chomp on my hand when I didn't realize that it was even there...I guess I was too easily distracted by the colorful fish that were nearby (oops lol)! During the 40 minute dive experience I was able to swim with so many beautiful fish, see birds diving down into the water for breakfast, swim though the kelp forest, and explore the dive park...it was nothing short of amazing! My entire experience with Dive Catalina was wonderful, and I would recommend anyone looking for a safe and fun diving experience to dive with them. I had such a great time that I want to get my open water certification so I can start going on dive trips! Thank you Dive Catalina and Chance for an amazing dive experience! read more

it is an amazing place with amazing people. honestly i would have love to give all 5 stars for the instructors that dived with us. PROS -its one on one diving. so if its your first time. this is really helpful. -they are serious. they make sure you read all the instructions and make sure you understood all the safety rules. -amazing divers. they are all nice and chill. would love to dive again with these people. CONS - there is a lady at front . she was keeping everything slow. and some how she has something that makes ppl not want to go there because she is just too annoying. we went as a group and every single person was very not happy with this woman and almost decided not to go scuba diving. -it is slow. they are very relaxed. we were booked for 2 pm but by the time we were dressed for scuba it was already 4. and from there they started to teach us about safety rules. so.. ya.. it took all day. -my mouth piece broke. I am not sure if the word mouth piece is a correct word. but the plastic that goes into your mouth and holding it in broke. thank god that it broke before I went into the water. they didnt seem to freak out or something just gave me the other mouth piece (the tank comes with two mouth piece to begin with just in case) so the two stars i took away was because of 1. that woman 2. the broken parts. If i were the owner i would not let her stand out side and take care of customers. read more

My boyfriend has been interested in trying out scuba diving for a while now, but I've always been apprehensive (mostly because it seems scary!). But his birthday rolled around this year, and so I took him out to Catalina Island to give it a try. I didn't know this was possible, but you can do a not-too-deep (about 20-25 feet) 30 minute ocean dive with a certified instructor (Ron) without being certified yourself! I thought this would be a great chance to try out scuba diving without committing too much time or money, so I jumped at this chance to give scuba diving a try, and away we went. We got to the dive shop (about 3 minutes walk to the right of the boat landing), and everyone was on top of getting us ready, from fitting the equipment to having us read some safety guidelines about scuba diving. I was pretty nervous about the whole thing, but our guide, Ron, was super knowledgeable and helpful, and I felt safe with him the entire time. He was holding us at first to get used to the water, but then as we became more comfortable, he let us swim on our own, but he was constantly checking on us. His wife/partner Connie was is extremely friendly and made us feel like family, taking pictures and chatting with us the whole time. I would highly recommend them if you want to try scuba diving out - the price and quality of service can't be beat! Note - this is NOT the same as Snorkeling Catalina, even though they share the same shop. read more

I was planning my scuba dive with Connie for my bday this last Thursday. The folks at Dive Catalina all made us feel like family. We had Rob and Chance for our scuba dives. Me and my wife took the introductory dives as it was out first time diving. It was an out of the world experience for me and my wife. I would highly recommend this place and would be coming back again soon!! :) read more

I love this place!!!! I can't wait to come back and do scuba diving here again! The service here is so awesome, their all so friendly. Hands down the best place to try scuba diving on the island!!! Also the best prices around! =) read more

Exceeded our Expectations!!! Will be back and will definitely be using Ron again. We stayed on Catalina Island for a week, and did about 2 of the outdoor tours/activities a day while my husband and I were there. All the activities were great, but I have to say diving with Ron and his assisting instructor Chance was by far our BEST Experience of the week! We can't stop talking about it. If you're a new diver, I'd definitely recommend scheduling the first dive of the day. We were able to arrive early and had a very thorough training of how to use our equipment. They were very attentive to any of our needs and stayed right with us the entire time were there. The experience was Full Service! All we had to worry about was looking around at the beautiful plants and marine life (and breathing of course!) It was like swimming through an underwater forest. They kept watch on our tanks and made sure we were comfortable, also controlling our buoyancy and guiding us the through the landscape and pointing out interesting things we might now have seen just by ourselves. As business owners, service is Very Important to us. I saw in lots of reviews, people had problems with Connie. We never worked with her, only Ron and Chance who were incredible!! They were easy to communicate with, very organized, friendly and a great team. Honestly could not have been more impressed. I'm not ashamed to say that my husband and I (while pretty laid back) are hard to impress and they certainly did. Sounds like they might just need to work with Connie or find someone else who is as friendly and organized as they are. If you've ever been too nervous to try diving, don't be!! Ron is definitely the guy to put your mind at ease and teach you everything you need to know. My husband and I are now addicted and will be using them again in the near future! We also plan to get certified with Ron too! read more

First time scuba diving was through these guys. The instructor was very nice and knew what he was doing. I felt safe the entire time. I recommend. read more

This place was extremely unorganized. They were there to take my money but not there to set me up with functional gear. I rented scuba gear and it was by far the worst gear I have ever used. The wetsuit was ripped in many places and should be thrown away. The regulator leaked. The BCD was missing the integrated weight bags and all of the pockets/zippers were ripped. It is dangerous to give customers faulty, worn out gear. Your business relies on divers surviving and becoming returning customers. I have been SCUBA diving for several years and have rented gear in many different locations. This was the first time I rented on Catalina....and the last time at Dive Catalina. read more

Friendly, helpful shop! Ron and Chance were very helpful, patient, and available throughout our 2 days of diving Casino Point. They made our experience just what we were hoping for! read more

Ron Moore was awesome! He really took care of us and made sure we had a great time. He was honest about conditions (we had a little weather and decided to cancel our first dive day in the park because of the surge), but the next day, we went out on the Catalina Grace dive boat to Long Point and Hen Rock - we had two awesome dives and Ron was a great guide! We had sandwiches, drinks and snacks on the boat. Ron really worked hard to make sure we were having a great time - he really took great care of us! read more

My brother and I dove with Ron at Dive Catalina on the recommendation of Chad Stone (Stone Divers). We could not have been happier. Both Ron and Connie were very accomodating. We left feeling like we had new best friends. Ron and Connie are the best! Final word... read more

A group from my dive club Alacosta.org booked the boat for two days in late September, 2014. Boat diving aboard the Catalina Grace operated by Ron Moore of Dive Catalina was a good experience. The Grace is a small boat with limited deck space, but the crew was careful and handled camera equipment well. The tank rack was located along the center of the boat and the tanks set back so you can set up gear and still have plenty of room to sit comfortably in front of your rig. Ron Moore was an excellent operator who was knowledgeable about the dive sites we visited and cared about diving and the underwater environment. He kept his promise to take us to Ships Rock on our last day of diving. He anchored the Catalina Grace sheltered from the currents and then went that extra mile and swam out to set a stern line onto Ships Rock. This made it easy for us to end our dive in the protected shallows and find the boat. Visibility was 60 or so feet and it was difficult to miss the stern line. We insisted on diving the caves east of Blue Cavern Point, one of my favorite dives, but Ron talked us into diving the nearby Blue Cavern Onshore State Marine Preserve. Ron said that he could not drop anchor in this protected area, but the conditions were so remarkably calm that he could motor close to shore and drop us live into the water and pick us up after the dive without having to anchor. This turned out to be an excellent dive that none of the Catalina veterans had done before. Though the thermocline here was at 25 feet some of us ventured below and found a wealth of large caverns starting at 30 feet bristling with colorful Gorgonians. Schools of juvenile fish were augmented with large adults here. I saw many 20" or longer Kelp Bass here where the juveniles prevail elsewhere. I would dive with them again! read more

My boyfriend and I had our first scuba experience with Ron and Chance, really nice guys. I was super nervous and didnt think I would be able to actually do it. Chance was so calming and took good care of me underwater. I had a moment of panic and he could tell.....he totally calmed me down...we asended just a few inches and he brought me down a bit more and I suddenly was very at ease. I would most definately recommend these guys for the first timers. Friendly, entertaining and really cool peeps. read more

My wife had her first scuba diving experience and can not wait to do it again. They use a one to one instructor to student ratio for introductory dives that sets them apart from the other companies on the island. Her instructor Frank was very patient with her throughout and his experience really showed. Thank you Dive Catalina! read more

The Dive Warriors is a group of disabled military veterans who recently came to Catalina Island for a long over due dive. We used Dive Catalina for all of our diving needs. Easy and efficient gear rentals. Equipment is in excellent condition. Super friendly and helpful. Their level of excellence surpasses all others on the island. read more