This was my first time scuba diving and I went with my guide Dave. He was very detailed and experienced, he taught me the basics of diving, how to breathe, equalize, how to swim properly, what happens when the snorkel mask may fall off. He was super careful and made sure I was sure enough to go into the water. Once we got into the water, it was such a treat! We saw a sea lion not even two feet away saying hello to us, saw beautiful fish and it was the highlight of my trip. I can't thank Dave for this experience and so grateful for the opportunity. Not to be missed. read more

I booked a guided dive online for mid November, and had a great dive with the divemaster, Masa. I met Masa at the truck they have on site with all the gear and was impressed at most of the gear being almost new, in particular the wetsuit was in great shape and kept me warm. He was personable and talked to me about all the gear and safety protocols, especially how to navigate the entry/exit. He had excellent local knowledge and during the dive briefing talked about the park and what kind of things I could expect to see and answered all my questions. The dive itself was amazing -- the water was full of life. In November the water was 63F top to bottom (max depth 87'). Masa had a good knowledge of the underwater features and showed me a ton of things. The dive was ~45 minutes, limited by my air supply. A few things to keep in mind: * If you take a guided dive and you're the only one with the DM, there's an additional $30 charge. * They provide all the gear except for gloves. I brought 3mm gloves which were just fine. I also brought my own mask and a dive light which I recommend too. I wish I brought my own BC because I'm more familiar with it. * The website says expect about 2 hours which seems reasonable. We started a bit late because the previous group ran late. Just leave room in your schedule if you have a ferry to catch that day (plus a post-dive ice cream tastes great!) I'd happily dive again in Catalina and wouldn't hesitate to use Diving Catalina. read more

We participated in the Antelope Canyon tour with the Tours for fun. I am here and would like to give special praise to our tour guide Emma. She is a very professional tour guide. Every scenic spot she explained to us was very good. She was in place, and when we had some minor problems during the trip, she was able to handle them very, very well. This trip allowed us to spend the four days very happily, and I also have to praise tour guide Emma for her professionalism in her work. When I left, I asked her if she had done any other tour line because we really want to join her group again. With such a good tour guide, everyone can participate with confidence. I believe that Tours for fun business is booming. read more

If you're looking for a guided dive while visiting Catalina, I have to recommend Ruth!! She was so helpful and so much fun, it made the already incredible day even better. As a newer diver there are a few things I'm still not super confident in skill-wise and she gave such helpful pointers and assistance while diving, I already feel way more confident than I did before diving with her. Thank you Ruth! My buddy and I will absolutely be back! read more

I did a guided group dive with Ruth on Sunday, August 27. She was fantastic! She was friendly, patient and helped me learn more about scuba diving. Taught me some very useful things that will definitely be helpful in the future, such as buoyancy control, calculating the weight amounts, and gear assembly tips. She was very helpful during the dive as well and helped me get through the kelp. She also showed us some neat underwater creatures as well and helped me with the dive camera. All the Diving Catalina instructors and dive masters are so amazing! I was happy to also see David (I did a refresher course with him two years ago) and he was so wonderful and remembered me. I really enjoyed talking to him and Ruth about all the amazing dive adventures. By the way, David was also a fantastic dive instructor and was awesome with my refresher class two years ago! I can't wait to come back to Catalina and dive with Diving Catalina again! Wonderful and lovely dive professionals! read more

Me and my mom had a blast snorkeling with Dave, his sense of humour and way of being very thorough in all instructions and safety measurement is great. He's delightful, highly recommended! read more

We had such a great experience diving in Catalina! Dave was amazing & I felt very comfortable with how knowledgeable he was.

Best place to rent hands down! I got there, they knew exactly who i was, what i had reserved, the even laid it out nicely and had everything ready to go. they go the extra mile and double check all your gear and make sure you have enough weight. great friendly people and the service is incredible!! shout out to Masa! read more

May 3rd was my first time scuba diving. Honestly if I didn't hyperventilate, or panicked ..whatever I experienced.... I'm super positive it would've been awesome. I did have a great Time despite not submerging with my gf and the instructor. Despite my experience ..the best part was ensuring my gf has a smile since this adventure was her birthday gift. So from noon to 2pm we hung out with the instructor..he was incredibly cool and had a great sense of humor. He advised to go snorkeling first, get the idea/concept then come back whenever I'm ready...so yes I'll book again, worth every penny and every second I put in that day. Thank you!!! read more

Diving Catalina - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

We had so much fun doing the introduction course with Dave!!! I'm going, to be honest here, I was pretty anxious about it at first but Dave was very detailed in explaining everything and very patient in answering my silly questions and concerns haha. Also knowing that he's had over 30 years of experience reassured me that I was in good hands. I hope to get certified very soon!! Definitely worth every penny read more

tldr: Beware: There wont be any rescheduling/rebooking despite what they touted on their website and ticket. Onwer who spoke to me was rude and unprofessional, demonstrating that he values his own financial benefit over his clients. So I recently booked a midday snorkeling tour for my partner and I through Groupon ($37 + $7 extra fee from Diving Catalina's full site/ each person).I was very excited for my trip and diving experience . Due to COVID, the Catalina Express isnt operating at full capacity and tickets for the ferry sold out early, something out of our control. Upon finding out and realizing that means we would miss our tour at 12:30 pm I called Catalina Diving promptly (8 am) and let them know about our situation asking them if they would kindly reschedule us for a different day if possible and I wouldnt mind paying a bit extra. Not ONCE did I mention cancelation or refund. At first, they said that they would not be able to reschedule us for tomorrow (Thursday) or Friday unless I purchase 2 new full prices tickets ($59/ each person). I told them I needed a moment to think and decide. Upon reading the fine prints, which said that "Within 7 days on the original booking date, a re-booking fee of 25% of the full internet tour rate will be applied." I then asked the owner again that if it possible to honor the fine prints, I would be more than happy to pay the 25% fee each ticket I already bought, also there was nowhere which said rebooking within 1-2 days were not possible. The owner then became upset at me telling me that he "hated repeating himself" and "there was no way he would just take us on the boat by ourselves, causing his business to lose money" while solely placing the blame on me by saying that I was being dishonest. Ironically, he did not consider that I called him solely with the intention to be honest. After berating me, he did offer us a tour for Friday , however he already knew that I was only on the island for Wed/Thurs. Beside not having the integrity to honor what was put on their tickets, I think that the owner should not be talking to their clients that way. He was thinking of his company's financial benefit while disregarding the customer's. During our conversation, he kept backtracking on what he said, and changing things as he goes along. He should never have offer us a tour for Thursday then backtrack by saying it isnt possible/they dont have a tour on that day later. At the end of the day, I understand time is difficult and I truly want to support small businesses. I wouldn't have mind spending more money if they were up front that they could not honor the fine prints, it would cost them too much to operate a boat for just two people and it would help if I pay full price. My family runs a small business as well, and I completely empathize. However, placing the blame solely on your customers isn't an honest and resepctful way to run a business. I hope that everyone did thorough research before booking with this company. Edit: Dave, I only told you that I would post a truthful review of my experience, also you did not offer to waive any fee nor did you address your attitude (which was the main issue) while speaking to us. Hope you have a great day. read more

Diving Catalina - This is their booking fine print: Rebooking within 7 days are allowed with an additional 25% charge. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

Completed my advanced OW with them and my brother completed his OW & AOW. These guys are amazing so down to earth and go the extra mile to make sure you are comfy and confident, Rane & Lisa were incredible to us and made the experience so easy and comfortable, Super knowledgeable and kind. Even brought my buddies back here to certify as new OW divers. Highly Recommend them! read more

Rain was our guide. He was awesome. He was very patient with us and made us feel super comfortable. He was very knowledgeable about what he was doing and was super friendly. Will definitely come back/recommend to others. read more

Diving Catalina - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

See all

Two weeks ago, I started my Open Water Diving Certification through Diving Catalina and Lisa was my instructor. It was much harder than I anticipated, and I was very overwhelmed and frustrated with myself, but Lisa was very patient and helped me get through it. I wasn't easy but she stuck by me and never gave up on me. Even though it took me longer than the average person, Lisa never gave up and she was very helpful by trying to give me various techniques to be able to perform the skills. By the time I was finished, I had gained a lot of confidence in myself and in my skills. Lisa took me from thinking that I wouldn't go any further once I finished, to an attitude that I will go further and get my next certification. I will definitely visit Diving Catalina again! read more

I was diving at the dive park this weekend when I overheard and then experienced being yelled at by someone from this company for using a float. Yelling "THIS IS MY FLOAT IF YOU WANNA USE ONE BRING YOUR OWN!" Which I personally arrived at the dive park before 8am where the float was already there and this company was not. If you are going to leave a float in a public dive park maybe you shouldn't yell at people for using it or better yet focus on your students who you yelled "F*** YOU" in front of to someone and threatened that "They would NEVER get another Sale on the island if they saw to it." Personally if you don't want people using a float remove it every time you get out of the water. Also don't leave it overnight. I've always thought divers were nice to each other and respectful but whoever this instructor was teaching a Discover Scuba course was extremely unprofessional and straight up nasty. read more

We are not happy at all with this dive company. They are rude. The person who answered my wife's call today about rescheduling her dive was very condescending. They wanted to charge a 50% penalty. What??!!I This is ridiculous and so not cool. There's no customer service here. To top it off the dive master clearly had a real attitude as well. He was unaccommodating and was in a real rush to get the dive over with. Not something you want with safety being of utmost importance with scuba diving. What is with this company?? In the future, we will definitely use any other of dive companies here on Catalina! read more

Did the introductory dive with Lisa and Dave and it was amazing! We struggled a bit at the start but the instructors were super patient and sweet. Highly recommend this, especially if you are a beginner. 5/5 read more

I had the best experience ever, in part thanks to my instructor Dave. He was so patient with me. He took the time to explain all the information to me. He was patient with me in the water and made sure I was comfortable with all my dive gear on and was completely comfortable and safe. I would definitely do it again. I highly recommend a dive with Dave at Catalina Island. read more

We just had the most amazing experience ! All the instructors were super nice and answered every question we had! We felt safe all the time! You MUST visit them if you want to go scuba diving in Catalina. Thank you so much diving catalina :) read more

Diving Catalina - Best instructor! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

If I can give this a zero stars I would my experience here has been absolutely horrific. I honestly cannot believe I was treated this way. Me and my family went in today to knock some stuff out our bucket list, we filled out the paperwork and in the application it asks if you'd like a translator. we marked yes just in case but we are all able to communicate and read English fine. We all passed the quiz with perfect scores in English But because of my mother's English accent we were turned away. Dave pulled my mother out by herself started asking her questions. My mother responded to his questions. after 2 min of conversation, he laughs at her and goes well that's not good enough. Even though she answered all his questions correctly. Even demonstrated the signals for under water and he laughed and said she would not be able to dive. You would think that naturally we would get a refund But no Dave decided he was not going to refund me my money after refusing me service. And tells me they cannot provide service to people who speak a different language. When I responded with that is a racist comment. He decides to say to me a few times well call me racist. Absolutely horrific experience. Do not go here! I can't believe he really has the audacity to treat people this way. read more

After a failed attempt at completing my open water dive certification in the North Coast my husband convinced me to give it another shot down in Catalina. To say I had a lot of anxiety about completing the skills would be an understatement. Thankfully I had Dave as my dive instructor who made me feel safe and supported every step of the way. Not only was Dave exceptionally patient, he also gave lots of constructive feedback. Helping me complete my certification was the primary objective, but he went above and beyond in working on technique to make me a better diver that would ultimately contribute to more enjoyable & safe dives. My husband, who is already certified, tagged along and had a great time. Dave helped us spot some really cool wildlife, including GIANT sea bass, which made the experience really memorable. Thanks Dave for an awesome experience and helping me complete my certification! read more

In response to Madison M. I was one of the "friend's" she mentioned in her review. Her comment about Dave being rude is completely wrong. I never said that he was rude to me. What I actually said was that we had a great time and he was very nice! Dave handled the whole situation very responsibly and although he was being somewhat judgmental of my friend who I know had not had a drink since the morning, I don't blame him. It is his business and his discretion as it is a huge liability issue. It was not my place to fight him on that. Not only was Dave very professional but he still made mine and my partner's diving experience amazing despite how he felt. Overall, I had a great time and am so thankful that I finally got to experience diving! read more

We dove with Diving Catalina this past weekend. It was pretty cold on Saturday, but we had the best time! With the wet suit it was no big deal. My best friend and I dove with Dave and since my friend couldn't finish her diving certification prior to our dive, we were able to switch to the beginning diver session. Dave was very knowledgeable and you could tell he was passionate about what he does. We felt safe diving with him and he knew the spots where we could find different animals. He made sure that we had a good time and that we could see what he was showing us. I also had an issue where my own fin's strap snapped and I was already on the stairs going down. Not even 2 minutes later, someone had taken my fins up and brought me ones that would fit me for my dive. Everyone we encountered with Diving Catalina were friendly and I would definitely dive with them again. I cannot remember the name of the other two gentlemen who helped us, but they were fantastic as well! The visibility was at least 30-40 feet, more than I was expecting! Overall, a wonderful experience and I highly recommend this diving company! read more

We rented equipment for diving for two days. The company made it easy to book online and they give a second day at a discounted rate. The reason for the 5 star review though is for Lisa. We only rented equipment (not a tour guide), but she realized that we were relatively new to diving, and spent a lot of time with us giving pointers and overall advice. She is such a cheerful and warm person that you even forget about the temperature of the water (not really, but she's great). Thank you for being so wonderful! read more

I had a blast diving with Dave! I did a discovery dive as I am not a certified diver yet, Dave is a true master of his craft and made the process of understanding the equipment and procedures simple and easy. In the water he knows the dive park like the back of his hand and checked in frequently to make sure the dive was safe and enjoyable. Under his guidance I felt comfortable and relaxed and could enjoy everything else around me. I highly recommend Diving Catalina and Dave if you can book him to explore the waters of Catalina. read more

Stumbling upon a traditional snorkeling tour deal on Groupon, I thought it'd be a good activity for the boyfriend and I to do on our anniversary weekend getaway. For $35 (regularly $90), two could tour Casino Point Underwater Dive Park. Booking our reservations was a simple process, but finding Catalina Snorkel & Scuba at Casino Point was a bit of a hassle. When we got to the designated area on the map provided, we were so confused because there were so many scuba divers (50+) with a different company. It took us about 10 minutes for us to finally find Catalina Snorkel & Scuba among the scuba divers, only because I saw some people getting out of wet suits next to a truck with snorkeling gear and Bladefish propellers. A Catalina Snorkel & Scuba sign would've been very helpful. Our tour guide, Jeff, spent some time preparing everything and had us sign some waivers. All necessary gear and equipment were provided: snorkel, mask, fins, and a full wetsuit. Putting on the wetsuits was a mission itself... It took so much energy out of me, George W. had to help me put it on. After a brief introductory lecture, we were ready and off we went! The 40 minute snorkeling tour is supposed to be guided, but the family on the tour with us decided to go their separate way. However, I stuck with Jeff 'cause I'm terrified of being in open water. Jeff was kind enough to give me his lifeguard floating device so I could grab onto that and have a better sense of control in the water, as the wet suits float and it's very hard to control your arms and legs. No one else had a problem, but being the most non-athletic person, I did. There were tons of fish to see -- including Garibaldis! -- especially when Jeff threw fish food into the water. The Kelp Forest didn't interest me at all and was super annoying 'cause I kept getting entangled in them. I'm not sure how long we were in the water for, but after awhile, George W. got too cold and we swam back to land. Getting out of the wetsuits was no easy task, and another mission as well. However, they were necessary to wear as the water was pretty cold. It was my first time snorkeling but I really enjoyed the experience. Jeff was a huge help in making that possible and he was an awesome tour guide in general; super friendly, welcoming and understanding. I definitely recommend Catalina Snorkel & Scuba for first timers! read more

Diving Catalina - The Casino where you will meet your tour guide. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

Convenient and prices weren't jacked up even with the great location across from Lovers Cove. They even have lockers for rent which is even more awesome. Remember to have your ID with you to rent. One advice for you all: DON'T, and I can't stress enough, DON'T, buy fish food from them to feed the fishes at Lovers Cove. The fishes and birds are super aggressive and will come at you to get the fish food. I am a very experienced swimmer and I found myself extremely nervous and in shock after being literally attacked and could barely swim after. I saw a grown man scream from being attacked as well because he had fish food. read more

Dave was such a friendly and helpful guide! I did the refresher dive after being out of the water for two years. Before our dive he walked us through what we would be doing and provided helpful tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable dive. He's a great teacher... I'm pretty sure I learned more in that short recap than I did from my cert! I finally mastered my buoyancy and felt full comfort in the water thanks to Dave. He said he has done thousands of dives over the course of his career and it shows. Would highly recommend! read more

Amazing time snorkeling at casino point dive park ! Dave is amazing! And you can tell he has fun at his job ... The hubby and I enjoyed our time and saw lots of marine life read more

See all

Thanks guys for such an awesome experience! Lovers Cove is one of my favorite areas & such a fun spot to snorkel or scuba! I am one of those people who are scared to go too far out because I fear of whats beneath the ocean but the guys help me face my fear. It was a rush but totally worth seeing. read more

Diving Catalina - Fish out of the water! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

Worst 1st scuba diving experience. My boyfriend and I first attempted to scuba dive with this company in summer 2017. Due to alcohol consumption (1 beer) prior to the dive. Understandably, we could not go on the dive for safety precautions. The employee gave us a signed receipt that said we paid in full. He told us we could return ANY time to claim our purchase for 2 intro dives. In 2018, we attempted to redeem our purchase. Dave, the owner, did not honor the already paid receipt and wanted to charge an additional fee. Instead, told us we had to pay the additional fees. At that point we requested a refund and Dave was certain they don't do any refunds. In order for the dive not to go to waste I contacted Dave to schedule a dive for 6/10/18. Due to scheduling issues, the dive did not go as planned AGAIN. We scheduled another dive on 7/4/18. Finally after so much hassle, we were suited for the dive. Only to find the instructor, Chris, was rude too. This session only consisted of Me, my boyfriend and Chris. After being consulted outside of the water, we made it in. Admittedly, I couldn't control my breathing. I asked Chris to give me 5 minutes so I could catch my breath and he responded with, "I'm on strict time schedule, there's other people waiting." He was very impatient with me knowingly it was my first time every scuba diving. He made me feel so guilty for making him wait so I stepped out and did not complete the dive. Sadly, this company has tarnished my view of the wonderful opportunity to scuba dive. read more

Owner was extremely rude and condescending to my gf when we tried to rebook a tour. Regardless if he was right or wrong, he should not be talking down to his customers. I almost grabbed the phone from her and tell him to F off. A quick search down yelp would show that other people have negative experience with this guy and his company. From telling people they can't swim close to his tour even though it is a public beach, to telling people they are too overweight to be taken out to dive although he took their money. My only regret was I should have done more research before booking with them. Please read the reviews and deliberate carefully before booking. They will not rebook you unless you pay full price, and if they cancel a tour you will have to contact groupon to get your money back. read more

The instruction that I received from Chris, last weekend, was excellent. His open-water instruction covered all the required topics for certification, in addition to a ton of good advice about all things SCUBA. His no-nonsense style of communication was perfect for emphasizing critical safety considerations, as well as 'diving etiquette'. All rental equipment worked flawlessly so I managed to stay safe and comfortable in the 55-deg water. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Diving Catalina (and especially Chris) for any Catalina diving experience. read more

Absolutely life changing experience. We had Larry who was a hilarious and super caring scuba instructor for intro to scuba. I would not have gotten through this without Larry keeping me calm. They do a great job or getting you up to speed on what you need to know and remember, without overwhelming you. We got to see lots of amazing fish and kelp and felt extremely taken care of through the entire dive. It was like Larry was a dolphin guiding us through the magic of the kelp forest. read more

WHOA!!! What an awesome snorkeling experience!!! All Californians should visit and try this out on your next adventure, for me I loved diving between the kelp trees, like they are huge, and the thousands of fish!!! Wow, our tour guide brought the fish too us by feeding them and actually caught them in his hand...my date totally freaked out, thanks to the guide he helped calm her down and I got to explore....this was my birthday present, I was happy to have someone help me have fun by helping her relax and enjoy the experience...super dope, going again! Thanks for the awesome experience! read more

Had a great experience snorkeling all up and down the coastal line. The guide gave us so many unique facts about the fishies swimming under us, and everything that was in the sea. It was absolutely GORGEOUS! Would definitely recommend snorkeling here if you ever come to the island. Was totally worth it. read more

Saturday 8/8 my husband and I did the snorkel tour and had a great time!! Diver Dave (owner), and Lisa, our tour guide got us all suited up with the gear and Lisa gave us a very informative overview of what we would be doing and seeing on the tour., how to stay safe, etc. We loved it. It's definitely a busy spot when you're on land and see all the divers and snorkelers gearing up, but don't be put off by that because in the water it's wide open with lots of room (I.e. no bumping into people). Only thing bumping into you is the fish (well not really) there's tons of fish to see especially when Lisa fed them. I wasn't so sure about being that up close and personal with the fish, but it's cool! The Girabaldi fish (bright orange) are beautiful!! She let us have our own personal experience, if we wanted to be above water listening to her talk about what we were seeing, we could, and she's full of info, It's clear she loves what she does. I did a bit of both, I spent most of my time head down, just checking everything out. Couple things I would highly suggest....Know how to swim! But also be comfortable in the water. We had wetsuits on, which help keep you afloat, while your snorkeling, but they aren't supposed to be used like safety gear, you gotta be able to swim. We felt totally safe out there. Next time we'll do the discovery dive or snorkel again depending on how much time we want to spend. We would definitely be back. Oh ya, all the masks and snorkels are sanitized before and after each person. read more

Just got back from a long, fabulous weekend in Catalina. Decided to stay an extra day to get a dive in as it had been years since I checked out the kelp forests. We called around and went with DivingCatalina.com because of the great customer service and excellent pricing. We had a new diver in our group and Diver Dave made sure she knew all the safety basics to enjoy her first underwater experience. He was very patient and funny. You can tell he truly loves his job. Rain was in charge of getting our gear and he quickly assessed our wetsuit and fin sizes along with the weights we needed descend. He even switched out a mouthpiece for one of us to accommodate her request. After checking our equipment, we were all under water together exploring in beautiful conditions and 75 foot visibility which is fantastic for Catalina. The water was much warmer than usual which felt great, but sadly that comfort comes at a cost as kelp prefers the cold so the forest was a bit sparse. There was still plenty to swim through and we saw a variety of colorful fish. Diver Dave even made the extra effort to make sure our newbie got to see a lobster. If you are looking for the best dive experience on Catalina, you should definitely give Diver Dave a call. read more

FIRST time snorkeling with the boyfriend and my experience was FANTASTIC. I freaked out and kicked a fish on accident because I'm scared of being caught up in sea kelp, but it was worthhh itttt. If you're new at this, get there early because it takes forever getting into those wet suits. They want to make sure everyone is good to go before going in the waters so don't be the one holding people back! The tour itself lasts about 45 minutes or so, which is more time than I needed. It gets tiring freaking out every couple of minutes, thinking you're going get strangled by kelp. Instructors are really helpful and informative throughout the entire tour. They sometimes bring up some sea creatures from the ocean floor for the rest of us to check out. You can either stay with the group or stray off on your own if you're adventurous enough. I had to take a couple of detours from the group-route to stay away from the kelp, so that was nice. read more

Diving Catalina - FEESH~ - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

It was a cool overall experience and the crew was very friendly. Pros: They give you a floaty in addition to a high buoyant wetsuit if you are not comfortable swimming and need an extra support. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and attentive. Cons: Wish the tour took us for a longer distance around the coast as opposed to staying in one small designated area. Wish the tour included feeding of the fish. I was at another tour years ago where at some point the tour guide "called" fish for feeding and it was so cool to see all fish rushing underneath us. If you bought Groupon they won't do the tour if the group is less than 10 people, which I found out after buying the Groupon. However, they might offer a special online price. read more