The souvenir selection is good, but I was very annoyed to notice an "optional" fee added to my bill that was, in fact, not optional. My receipt included a "Staff Support Pool" charge of 3%. However, I was never informed about this fee, never asked whether I wanted to participate, and was never given the option to decline it. If a charge is truly optional, customers should actually be given the opportunity to opt out. I would like the 3% charge refunded. More importantly, this fee should be clearly disclosed and customers should be given an actual choice before it is added to their bill. read more

I found out about this place through Groupon and am very pleased! $24 for snorkel, fins, and wetsuit for the whole day!! Staff was very friendly, informative, and understanding. Also, the location is great - we could walk to the cove easily and then could hike to the shores. If you know how to swim + are curious at snorkeling, I would definitely recommend renting from here!! read more

Had a great time with La Jolla Snorkeling Outpost. Staff was friendly, gear was solid, and they made everything super easy. The snorkeling itself was amazing--clear water and lots of fish. Definitely worth it. read more

This family owned business went above and beyond for me and my family. And on top of that, we got our favorite souvenirs from La Jolla that we wear all the time. Thank you, Phil! read more

Reyna made us feel the most unwelcome. Apparently hates kids. Walked in there ready to spend hundreds of dollars end up getting hardly anything because of her attitude. read more

great spot right by the cove for quick beach gear and snorkel rentals--convenient and reliable

We came in at 11am and walked right into the shop to the snorkel rentals in the back. The guy helping us was great and got us our gear in a timely manner. We got the $35 snorkel package (snorkel, fins, wetsuit) with a $50 deposit which we were told was refundable. There was a bathroom to change in as well as a changing room. The worker was very helpful throughout the rental process! When we got back, we just put all our rinsed off gear into the sinks, changed, and left! The only thing I regret is not buying any clothes from them, there were so many cute sweaters! read more

I believed this gift shop has 2 locations close nearby. This main store has spacious area, plenty selections to choose from and a very friendly and accommodating Asian woman staff that assisted me. She told me that they have another store few steps from theirs, so I told her that I was just there with no name on it except just Gift Shop and bought some souvenirs for myself and family. I told her that I had a terrible experience as a customer purchasing some items because the Hispanic Mexican girl who works there has No customer service, very rude, not accommodating, doesn't offer assistance. She told me first, oh put your drinks in the table, well at least put a sign sign on the doer No food or drinks allowed and ask politely, when I asked for prices, oh it depends, when I asked if they have other selections, she said n that's it and when I tried to pay , she said no return no exchange, I need you to come over here don't pass the line of their counter, I asked the name of their store and receipt so I can make a review, no store name on their receipt! I definitely NOT recommend this gift shop store to any tourist or visitor buying some souvenirs if you don't want to experience what I experience from her. I believed there's another customer she told leave the drinks on the table. I suggest she should get retrained from the owner or not terminate for bad customer service! Oh I appreciate for responding my review Phil. It's nice to hear the owner replied my message. Yes, I spend $59.23, I'll be happy if you can refund back to my card on file on your POS, if you can do that, I'll definitely go back and shop more at your store and recommend to my friends and family. I was planning to buy more but then I got disappointed with the service earlier today. But I'm glad for your quick response. Thank you read more

Good selection, great location. Quality of products - the letters on my lifeguard shirt cracked after trying it on just twice, haven't even washed it yet - but I somewhat saved it by placing parchment paper over it and ironing it. Prices were decent though. Customer service okay, the cashier for my shirt scanned this item at $27.99 even though the tag said $19.99 (there were two tags for some reason) and the cashier honored the $19.99, which was good. Overall decent and expected service and would recommend this over other souvenir stores around the La Jolla area. read more

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I called and asked very clearly if they have any dive knives. Man on the phone said yes. So I drove out of my way, waited until they opened, went inside, and neither of the workers knew what I was talking about. It's a bad look to try to deceive customers... read more

Called La Jolla Outpost looking for a very specific souvenir item. After describing what I wanted, the owner (?) let me know they did not have what I wanted, but referred me to another local store that he thought did stock what I was looking for, and even went out of his way to text me a link to the other business. I had a short amount of time to find an item I wanted to gift an overseas friend in town for one day and I *very* much appreciated the referral to the other shop. The other store did, in fact, have exactly what I was looking for and it saved me a lot of time and a bunch of phone calls getting the info from La Jolla Outpost. Thank you again for your help, this is a 5-star class act business all the way! read more

Excellent selection, reasonable prices and great service. Highly recommend you stop by if you are nearby. We were able to grab some great items for several family members and for ourselves as well. We arrived shortly after they opened and were greeted professionally and served promptly. Great deal for what you pay and great quality clothing items. read more

Very nice place to buy souvenirs and presents. Great selection. Great prices. Customer service is amazing and they give deals if you buy several things. read more

My kids and I rented their snorkeling gear and the young man helping us was incredibly kind and patient with us! We got to snorkel with the sea lions and see pretty fish, a true highlight of our trip! It was priced so reasonable for the experience and we were so grateful for their kindness with us. Highly recommend!! read more

I didn't really spend much time in here. It looked like a tourist shop that has potential. We were not greeted upon entering or leaving and when I asked a couple of questions, it seemed I was inconveniencing the shopkeeper. Thanks, but I'll take my business somewhere where I'm appreciated. A little positive customer service goes a long way. read more

La Jolla Outpost - Souvenir Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

Great souvenir shops for a reasonable price. They didn't have many pins so I had to go to the sister store just a few steps down from here. But they had cute magnets, shot glasses, and regular souvenirs (keychains, mugs, etc) read more

La Jolla Outpost - A few of the many selections of magnets - Souvenir Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

Let me start by saying Phil (owner) is by far the best instructor/tour guide/photographer. He is super nice, professional and polite. He explained everything well, and answered all my questions. The waves were a little too high (to my comfort) to snorkel and see sea life underwater, the water was murky, but we tried. I appreciated his confidence in me blindly. We aborted the snorkel mission but still had a great time seeing the local spots, sea lions etc. He took some great pics and was creative and fun with taking pictures. I will definitely be returning. Part 2 of my review: his shop. It was immaculate well placed, inexpensive and a great nook to find local art/crafts. Other staff were friendly, personable and helpful. I enjoyed my day even without seeing underwater sea life. He made the best out of poor water conditions. Thank you again Phil for your time, patience and kindness. read more

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Truly sweet people. Went in for a purchase of water, which they sell for less than $2/bottle (a good deal if you have experience buying water at the beach). The woman who took my payment was so kind - it's clear that the business owners really care. Thanks for your kindness - I will be back for any body board or snorkel rentals! read more

Very easy location. We had booked an online tour, got there, and found out there was no tour. They immediately fixed the situation by hooking us up with gear, camera, westuits etc. and gave everything to us at a discount, along with a refund. We had a blast and it was easy to return. Even though there was a mistake with the tour, they quickly remedied the situation and made sure we were still happy and taken care of. Very friendly staff. read more

They are the best!!! especially at customer service. We have been here 3 weekends in a row and have rented the snorkeling sets and just fins for the little. Great deals on that!!! $15 for The sets for 4 hours! And $7 for just fins. Today a few of the fins broke , (our bad) but had new ones delivered to us in the beach within minutes!!! #prettyamazing read more

I did two different sea cave snorkeling tours with Rob and Adam. I communicated with Phil beforehand both times and he was always professional and accommodating. He runs his business with great integrity and attention to detail, ensuring everyone is taken care of. Had a great time on both tours even tho on one we faced some adverse unforeseen conditions due to ocean being a little choppy. All in all, I will always go back to La Jolla Outpost for my snorkeling needs, as they also rent out wetsuits and gear. Thank you to all the helpful staff and the great service, everyone! read more

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Did snorkeling tour and it was awesome! You can borrow wetsuit and fins and gopro is complimentary! If you are looking for free to roam around type of snorkeling tour into the caves I highly recommend. They have locker, br, and changjng room. read more

La Jolla Outpost - Souvenir Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cute little hole in the wall shop in La Jolla. I am a San Diego native and just now I am finding out about this spot. The workers are approachable and they greet you with open arms. I did not feel shy to ask a question. I asked about their snorkel rental gears and the prices are affordable. Especially since it is in a high foot traffic area in La Jolla. Whats even better is that they also have a snorkel cave tour that I found really cool. read more

great customer service! really glad i found this place. they have a great selection of la jolla trinkets :)

Went to rent some snorkeling gear and the gentleman was very nice, helpful and informative. Great customer service and great prices.

I'm giving you two stars because it is irresponsible to sell a Groupon without people knowing about the filthy conditions present in the once beautiful La Jolla Cove area. One reviewer talks about swallowing seawater and getting sick. The Roughwater swim has been cancelled for the last two years due to elevated bacteria levels. I went down to use my Groupon and immediately was nauseated by the intense smell of seal urine and whatever in the area of the Cove. I live in San Diego and it gets worse every year. It's so bad now I would not step foot in the water. Keep in mind I'm a roughwater swimmer. I am going to ask for a refund from Groupon. Why would I want to rent your snorkeling equipment I got a very nasty rude response from the owner of this place. I simply told him he might disclose the stench and filth now present at the Cove. I'm glad Groupon gave me a refund His response below Also I will also help spread your vigilante, by warning other Groupon companies to put a notice on their Groupon. For example the horse tour companies, I will make sure they write notices because their ranches smell like manure. Or maybe I'll write a letter to sky diving companies to warn their patrons about failing parachutes. How about a bad yelp review to a local bar about the dangers of alcoholism. read more

La Jolla Outpost - Don't let the cuteness fool You Stinky horrible smell at the Cove - Souvenir Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

I was looking for a souvenir shop and my friends and I were roaming the area and were delighted to see this gem. They had everything you would need to bring gifts homes. I got some shot glasses, a magnet, a cup, and other various things. They have tshirts, postcards, decal stickers, and so many other things. Prices are reasonable and not overly skyrocketed. The workers are friendly and don't watch you like a hawk while you browse and they have another store in walking distance. It's definitely a place to stop in when you need to buy some gifts. It's walking distance from la jolla cove so I'll be back here for sure. read more

Got the groupon special for snorkeling gear rental (mask, fin, wetsuit) for $25 per person. Which is cheap compared to most places that do snorkeling rentals. Highly recommend getting a wetsuit if you are going in cold water, it keeps you warm and dry. Even though it was sunny in SD that day, the moment you reach La Jolla it gets cloudy... this happens very often. I speak from experience attending UCSD for all 4 years. La Jolla is always colder than the rest of SD. When we first arrived, we went to a store that had "La Jolla Outpost" window sticker. But was directed to the other store located 2 doors down. Which is confusing because the correct store says " Market Outpost". Once we were there it was pretty chaotic. Granted there was another group also getting fitted, we felt like the process wasn't smooth at all. We kept getting jumped around between 3 different staff members. They also don't have a ton of wetsuits, I was a small and they didn't have many available. The Asian guy was very nice and helpful though. Wish the process was more established and smooth. Overall, if you want to experience snorkeling without breaking the bank definitely come here to rent and swim at La Jolla Cove. The area is beautiful and you see many wildlife: sea lions, schools of fishes and kelp forest. If you think you may want to snorkel more than once, definitely buy your own set at Walmart or something. My last advice is if you aren't a strong swimmer or don't know how to swim at all you can still snorkel. Just ask for their thickest wetsuit which will help you float with no effort at all. It's like a lifejacket how it keeps you bouyant. I found this extremely helpful because swimming in the ocean and treading water is very tiring. I could easily float without doing anything which makes resting a breeze. Also, La Jolla cove doesn't allow lifejackets due to danger it poses for wildlife. read more

Left my credit card here, they went out of their way to help me get it back. Really appreciated their approach.

I was very excited to go back to this place. I told my family this was the most awesome shop in SoCal. Now I have no complaints about the owners, they are amazing people - which is why this post has 3 stars. The staff on the other hand was horrible, they tried to force us to buy something they broke and then chased us out of the store. I was prepped to buy almost $200 worth of things from them and due to an employee not wanting to get in trouble for breaking merchandise or paying for it herself, she blamed us. I really hope the fantastic management can will get more trustworthy employees, who don't threaten to call the police when the customer did nothing wrong, to work there - it was awesome when we came in years ago, but I do, indeed, feel that everyone needs to know the faults of the staff at this establishment. Beware of employees working in bad faith. read more

Edgar was absolutely amazing during our snorkeling tour. It was our favorite part of our trip. Edgar is very knowledgeable of the local marine life and is an extremely kind person. I highly recommend the snorkeling tour with Edgar! read more

Great prices! Such a variety of clothes. Found what I wanted and more! Definitely coming back.

this place was awesome! loved the environment l, everyone was very positive and the experience is amazing read more

seriously so friendly, great selection, fantastic customer service, and pretty good prices. the guy running the store was super helpful & helped us find & personalize exactly what we were looking for. the lady behind the register was also super nice. definitely recommend, and will definitely be back next time we're in town! read more

Easy to find and close to La Jolla cove Groupon worked and we appreciated the help over the holiday weekend read more

It took a while to get the snorkel rental process going, but besides that, no complaints about our experience. My girl lost her sunglasses and we called the shop after the fact. The shop owner (or an employee) accessed CCTV to help us track down whether she left them at the store and exactly where she left them. He located the sunglasses and offered to drop them off to us at Pacific Beach which is above and beyond. He ended up getting caught up at the shop and couldn't come, and we drove back to the shop to pick up the sunglasses, but it was very meaningful to us that he offered to come to us. We'll definitely come back to this shop next time we're in the area. read more

Sean and Griffin were great tour guides. They were very funny and made the experience enjoyable, especially as someone who never had done snorkeling before. They took great care of us and the other group that went. Definitely recommend. read more

Reyna it is amazing, she help me set all my snorkeling gear and her customer service is amazing. I decided to buy several items of clothing because how much I like the store. She was great, and I hope that more people can leave a review about her and this phenomenal store read more

The male worker there threatened to deport my mom and I . I was having a separate conversation with my mom and he was eavesdropping and yelling at me saying I am talking "Sh**" about his co worker. He claims he was the manager. He kept telling us to zip it and showed it with his hand and mouth gesture. He also said he would delete this review on yelp if I post it. Extremely horrible service, I am appalled. Never will come again. He yelled at us to get out and pointed fingers. He also said he will take the video of me in the store and post it on the internet. read more

The staff is super amazing. They were really busy this past weekend due to the holiday and the scorching heat but they did a fabulous job at managing. I signed up for the Cove and Cave Adventure with the "vacation add on" that includes wet suit, flippers, and go pro (you get to keep the memory card after!) on Saturday 9/5. The tour guide- I think his name was Adam- is friendly and an all around nice guy. I had a really great time and got to see a lot of colorful fish. I would highly recommend next time you're in SD. read more