Be weary of their 'refresher' course. They are located in Tigard and used to use the Tigard High…read moreSchool pool. Now, you have to drive all the way out to St. Hellens. And, they do 'final paperwork at the pool', so if any of your paperwork is not correct, you will have done the drive for no reason and will not be allowed in the pool. Even if Gretchen tells you your "good to dive and all our paperwork is completed" online (with green checkmarks) you still may not dive. When I asked if I could 'redo the paperwork', I was told, "PADI does not allow redo of paperwork". I argued that clearly PADI ethics would allow mistakes to be fixed but the dive instructor was steadfast that they do not. What a complete joke. I asked for a refund and I was told they would not give one. I called and talked with Gretchen the next morning and she said I could not get a refund. After further discussion, she gave me a partial fund.

I recently had the pleasure of becoming a certified PADI Open Water diver through Under Water…read moreWorks. The instructors and divemasters were undeniably competent and incredibly patient. As someone who learned to swim as an adult, I felt like I was always in great hands. They knew exactly how to build my confidence in and above the water, and helped me to work through any mental/physical blocks. Thank you Gretchen, David, and Justin x2 for an amazing open water weekend and intro to scuba diving! For those who are already certified, they host monthly fun dives at different dive sites around the PNW. They provide dive site info, help pair up single divers, and even guide those who are beginners. Check out dates/locations on their website! My open water weekend dives occurred right before their fun dives, and it was encouraging to see other divers of all experience levels come together. It is truly a testament to UWW's love for PNW diving and the fostering of our local dive community. I can't wait to participate in them!

The crew at Acquatic Sports is top-notch! This business has been in their family for more than 3…read moregenerations, and it is clear how much they love diving and introducing new divers and season divers to incredible experiences and new skills. I decided (at age 54) that I wanted to become open-water certified as a SCUBA diver. After looking at a number of options online, I was referred to Acquatic Sports by a trusted friend. I was immediately impressed with the commitment to safety and ensuring that equipment works for each individual diver. The owner, Jeff, and his daughter, Shelby, as well as the other incredible staff are great resources, and are very knowledgeable about what they do and the latest diving equipment and diving opportunities. I especially appreciated the way my SCUBA instructors took time to explain concepts and allowed me unlimited pool time to practice outside of classes to solidify my skills. I would highly recommend this dive shop both for SCUBA education, as well as that instant feeling of camaraderie with everyone who works there. 10/10

This my local dive shop and I have been buying from them for years. Great staff, very friendly and…read moreknowledgeable. The product selection is good. The best part is the pool. They offer classes and if you're a scuba club member ypi can use the pool for practice.

This is my local LDS in my new neighborhood. I went to this scuba shop to see about getting my Open…read moreWater certification. Larry's instructors Toby, Brent & Will were top notch! Very professional yet bring all the fun! We dove in Hoodsport, Washington for two days, stayed at the Sunrise Resort where they have all the dive amenities you could need, nice accommodations and even a hot tub overlooking the sound in the Olympic Peninsula! We swam with sea lions, and saw all sorts of radical seaside and small shipwrecks! I highly recommend getting your certifications through this shop. They will make you feel very comfortable and show you the best time!

Fun and friendly place. The owner is very knowledgeable and takes the time to make sure you know…read moreall the features and options. I have been having him service our gear for a few years now and have found the service to be honest and dependable. It is not the closest dive shop to my home by a long shot, but I like the vibe and the prices. Never any pressure for unnecessary accessories or repairs.

Wonderful customer service. Professional and kind. Great products. Convenient location.read more

I took the Open Water certification course at Thunder Reef, and the instructors were excellent!…read more They did a great job of teaching the coursework and thoroughly reviewing the skills in the pool. I really appreciated that at the end of the course, they set up all of the certification dives for you, so that you can immediately get certified at the end of the course. Sometimes dive courses don't do that, and it leaves you having to figure out where you're going to dive to become officially certified. Thunder Reef lined up multiple options for dates to complete the dives, as well as affordable hotel options. All of the staff really go the extra mile, and I could not recommend Jen and the whole team enough. :) I left the course feeling confident and excited to explore the world of diving!

Excellent Instructor, one-on-one style course that carries on objective, to get you diving. Very…read moreknowledgeable and diligent in teaching important parts of scuba, and safety. I had a great time, and learned a ton, and definitely will continue to SCUBA. Also he is not affiliated with any Scuba shop, so he doesn't pressure anyone into spending money on equipment you may not use.

I found out about JCA Elite Scuba through Yelp, and I am glad I did! His prices are absolutely the…read moremost competitive. He was extremely helpful in choosing equipment for purchase depending on the type of diving you plan to do as well as how often you plan to dive. I had a tight schedule, and Carlos found a way to squeeze me in private lessons last minute so that I was certified in time for my trip to Belize. He was very knowledgable and patient - and above all emphasis on safety. Carlos Is a Master Instructor and an elite scuba diving educator who, through dedication and hard work, exemplifies what it means to be a scuba diving professional through his teaching efforts and professional conduct. That's why I am giving him my highest rating, Nine thumbs up!

Went into get some expert advice on snorkeling gear and had the pleasure of meeting Shawn the…read moreowner. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. I'm looking forward to shopping for more gear at HydroSports!!

If you have ever thought about learning to SCUBA dive or wanted to try it then HydroSports is the…read moreplace to do it. I purchased a Groupon for Discover SCUBA in February for me and two friends. I assumed we would get a quick overview and then try to do it. Instead we got true instruction and a great first experience. Both of my friends and myself felt comfortable and safe the entire time. One of my friends struggled with going underwater, but our instructor took time and really worked with him. Since completing this I have gone on to complete multiple levels of dive training with various staff members at HydroSports. Each and every one of them has shown a level of competence and understand that blows me away with each class. Mark, the shop owner, has shown that he will take the time to make sure my needs are met and questions are answered. Overall, if you want to try SCUBA or gain a certification and can find some time to contact the staff at HydroSports (from my experiences there) you won't be disappointed.

Best experience to get dive certified. They were friendly, knowledgeable and cared about my…read morelearning. I had a trip coming up quickly and they were able to work around my schedule and now I am fully open water certified! Dea was a great instructor and everyone in the shop was so helpful.

Salem SCUBA is 5 star in every way. Not only, are the legitimately a 5 star PADI certified shop…read more(meaning they are the absolute experts in training both novice and growing divers) but the owners, staff and instructors are exceptional. I needed to obtain a certification in a tight timeline before a big trip and they worked with my crazy schedule to be sure I had more dives than the minimum and to be sure each was a qualified dive, no corners cut. In addition they helped me select my gear and outfit me for the type of diver I want to be. Rather than just sell me the most expensive, I got an in depth education on all of my options and the pros and cons of each. This is expensive gear and I was worried I'd be sold the expensive stuff without much guidance because I'm new, not the case. In fact, they worked with my budget and gave me a discount on a custom package to fit my needs. It was one of their guys who gave me the tag Line of "almost everything is negotiable in SCUBA". Just an amazing and inviting group all around, you'll feel like family!

I went in to by snorkeling gear and was blown away by the informative and thorough explanation of…read morehow to select a mask, snorkel and fins. I've never owned snorkeling gear (just rented) and was highly impressed by the selection and service. Top notch and glad I didn't buy at a general sporting goods store or Amazon. Highly recommend buying at this store.

The owner Laurie Hannula has a lifetime of diving expertise, and their safety record is…read moreunparalleled, with no training fatalities. This is because they have the highest standards, they have amazing dive masters teaching. John Cook, Eric, and of course Laurie. They are patient, thorough, and fun to be taught by. Laurie will not up-sale gear, in fact they are one of the only shops that include scuba gear during the lessons, this is particularly useful if you are not certain if this sport is for you. Highly recommend this team!