Rented a large tank to use while cleaning my pool. Great & friendly service. Tank worked perfectly... reasonable price, etc.

Great guys helped me expedite getting all my gear ready for a dive vacation when I waited until almost the last min. Thank you both so much! read more

A very rewarding and unforgettable experience!!!! Not sure if diving was for me, I called around to the local scuba trainers to see about the certification process and figure out if I am crazy to even considering the idea for an upcoming trip. Chatting with the North County Scuba Center guys convinced me I was up for the challenge. They were so personable and professional, and I felt I would be in the safest hands and get the best training from them. Greg and Julius were fantastic and turned a fearful, middle-aged, clueless vacationer into a capable, certified diver. They worked with my tight timeframe and made sure I was fully equipped and secure. I was paired with three other students for the pool and ocean training, and we had a blast together learning the technical and physical components. I highly recommend their program! read more

North County Scuba Center - Scuba Diving Near Me - Encinitas, California

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At first I was excited to find a place to take lessons with my daughter. Then I found out that the owner lied to me about pricing and rules. when I canceled the classes, well in advice, he tried to charge me for service fees without going over them with me first. when I disputed them he forged my signature on a receipt and lied about my approval of the charges!!! what a scammer. I wouldn't trust these people with my training or my credit card information ever again. read more

Upsell everything. Bought a mask. It's easy to clean a new mask glass with toothpaste, but sells me $26 cleaner. Even worse, I purchase a fabric strap and he puts it on for me then charges me $13 for labor and doesn't tell me. read more

Nice people, very helpful. They didn't have the wet suit I wanted, but helped me find it elsewhere. I'll return, for sure read more

Came by at 10:30 as that's what the hours are (posted on the door and online), waited for 30 min, no one here. Huge waste of my time. If you're not going to show up on time, start your opening hours later so people don't waste their time driving and waiting around. read more

Great experience! Greg, the owner took the time to provide invaluable info regarding our gear and best options. He's extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and transparent. We look forward to going on a snorkeling adventure when our daughter is old enough :) Outstanding customer service! read more

Okay Boys and Girls, here's a science experiment that you DO NOT want to try at home- Did you know that if you accidentally reverse the energy polarity by putting ONE of eight power batteries in backwards in your brand new dive light (because you're tired after flying in at 12:30 AM but so you're stoked because your buddy text messaged you to go lobster diving later that evening so you want to get ready early) and then take it in the ocean it might IMPLODE in your hand when you try to turn it on!!! Whee, what a fun waste of $$$!!! Amazing, TRUE, and will someone please call Bill Nye to explain why this happened in greater detail?!?! So I needed a new dive light because I was supposed to go out for another dive the following night. I logged on to yelp and found the North County Scuba Center, not far from my house. This is a SOLID little dive store with a very good selection of equipment for scuba, spearfishing, and freediving. These are all sports that have some inherent amount of risk and every coach that has trained me for the ocean has said to choose quality over price when you are putting yourself at risk from drowning. The guy at NCSC was totally COOL and let me talk his head off about what happened. He then showed me his selection of lights and had me shine each one up on the ceiling in order to explain the differences in bulbs, brightness, and durability. He patiently answered all of my questions and did not rush me to make a buying decision. I opted for an excellent light that literally saved my butt as I was getting pounded in the surf later that night after getting hit by a stingray in my leg (I was reaching for a 2 lb lobster and the stupid ray was tagging behind me) and trying to make it back to shore. So YAY North County Scuba Center, your selection and service are GREAT!!! You are now my first stop when I need dive gear! With that in mind, can you please protect my buds and me from those pesky stingrays, or, better yet, send them all to Bill Nye??? read more

I have purchased several snorkel related items here like masks for my wife and daughter and I and a snorkel for our daughter and my favorite is my snorkel backpack which is large enough to fit my Mars Volo Race fins and everyone else's stuff plus towels and more. They have top notch stuff and they can fit your face into a mask that will work for you. I will have to get certified in scuba sometime soon. Always wanted to do that. read more

Wanted some new gear, bought some new gear. Nothing like going where they really know diving. The prices match anything online... nothing matches service. I had an issue with my equipment they handled promptly. read more

Horrible customer service. Purchased gear from this shop and went back to have hydro's done on a few of my tanks and after discussing pricing with the employee he became frustrated and told me he has other things to do and did not want to talk with me (btw shop was totally empty - and now I know why it's empty). Your business is only as good as the employees that represent it. Too bad the owner of the shop was not around. I like to support the local dive shops, but this one sucks big time. The employee is doing a huge disservice to the owner of this shop. The quickest way to business failure is to hire bad employees. read more

We came in to get snorkels and masks for an upcoming trip to Hawaii and the employee could not have been more helpful.

I generally don't review places, but something needs to be said about this place. I took a SCUBA certifcation course for $200 out the door. GREAT deal, as any other place would charge far more of that, and it included books, gear, and 6 dives total (2 pool dives, 4 ocean dives (2 a day)). The course runs Thurs night (2 hour class), Friday night (2 hour or so pool dive / training), and Saturday (2 ocean dives, 4 hours or so total time). Please note that those times are not the times you are underwater, the total times includes setting up, training, diving, breaking down equipment, etc. Total dive time varies, but each dive was about 20-30 minutes MAX (you do have air limitations, etc). Now, I personally have no problem with this place. I got in, did the dives, and got my certification with no problems and I had fun doing it. My friends who did the course had problems. The biggest problem was really the lack of professionalism. I consider myself to be a good swimmer and comfortable in most water situations, and I like to think I learn quickly and adapt to my surroundings. The problem my friends had is that if you get tripped up even a litle in their course YOU WILL FAIL AND THEY WILL CHARGE YOU UPWARDS OF $60 PER DIVE. My friend kind of freaked out at our first pool dive and was told she would not be allowed to do the ocean dive the next day. So effectively she paid $200 for the equipment, the books, and ONE pool dive. She was told if she wanted to finish the course she would have to pay $180 MORE ($60 a day), coming out to $380!!! Another friend made it through the pool dives and kind of got freaked out on the ocean dives, seeing as how we dived off of La Jolla Shores and the visibility was MAYBE 5 feet (no fault of their's). Anyways, he did pass either, and since he is a LARGE guy, he had to rent his own BC from another store and they didnt reimburse him, even though they TOLD him that they had a BC that would fit him. So he's not a happy camper either. Basically, of the 11 people in our class, only 4 people passed. I understand that SCUBA diving isnt for the faint of heart, and as I mentioned I had NO problems with them whatsoever. The problem I had was that they seemed to be running course by the seat of thier pants, with a general idea of what they are doing. All the instructors ARE certified and GREAT at diving, but they just didn't seem like they were prepared for people having problems with diving. And with a life or death activity like SCUBA diving, you'd think they would be a little more accomdating to people freaking out. All that being said, I plan on going back and taking a night diving class or an advanced class. They are cheap and fun people to dive with and have some entertaining experiences/stories, I just wouldn't bring someone who doesn't have great water skills and is already scared going in. read more

This is where I got certified to dive, and this is where I found a love for the ocean I never knew I had. My husband was certified here some years back when we were still dating. I told him I'd never do scuba diving as I was very intimidated by the ocean due to its incredible force and unpredictable nature. Well, time passed. He would occasionally tell me stories of his scuba experiences with his friends who had all moved away by now. I could sense he missed this part of his life and without a dive buddy, he couldn't enjoy it. We were planning a cruise in July, and as a surprise to him, I told him I'd try to get certified so we could go diving in the Caribbean. We decided to come back here because this is where he was certified. I'll begin by saying, I am not good with water. I am probably one of the most awkward swimmers out there, and was easily the most out of shape person in our group. Initially, I was terrified that I would hate every last bit of it. Our instructor, Dillan, was incredibly patient and easy going, which took a lot of pressure off me. I know I made many mistakes. All were corrected in manner that did not leave me feeling like I could not succeed. He was very professional, but at the same time treated us all as equals. Overall it was an absolutely amazing experience. I have a great fondness for the ocean despite being a baby giraffe when it comes to using fins. I can't wait to get out there and dive with my husband. I'm excited to get a better understanding of this new world I've just discovered. read more

A very unpleasant, unprofessional experience, in my opinion, with staff member and owner and will not recommend or return. THere are MANY great scuba shops in San Diego so many choices. Their claim to "being the only shop in San Diego with access to a pool" is not correct. Sports Challet or Dive California on Sports Arena has their own pool, great instructors, and convenient times. I could write a HUGE review on the ridiculousness of my experience but not worth any of my time or energy. In my opinion, you can do MUCH better elsewhere.... Caveat Emptor and good luck if you sign up here....... Enough said. read more

Very knowledgeable staff. Super friendly. Greg is a very helpful ...loves his work and it shows to his clients. I will continue to come here for all of my diving needs. Helped me learn what I needed to know about diving and made me feel comfortable learning! Thanks Greg! read more

I shop at NCSC quite frequently. They sell top of the line equipment. The folks that work there are really informative and helpful. Great place - give it a try. FYI - I was in the store when Tom G. was there with the knife complaint. My review of him was he was being a rude customer and nothing they could do would please him. read more

I had no idea of where to start when I began looking into getting my daughter educated, and geared up for scuba certification. I was pleasantly surprised after I called and spoke with Advanced Open Water Instructor Dillan Whaley here. Dillan was more than happy to "Jump out from behind the counter " and get hands on showing us how to choose and even set up gear. His love for the sport and enthusiasm is evident, and contagious! We left feeling pumped , confident, and more educated. As a consumer investing my time and hard earned money, I know when I'm just a dollar sign, and I can feel it when someone is there to make me a well rounded member of their community and a satisfied customer. THIS IS THE SPOT GUYS! Wish I had another star to add to my review! Thanks Dillan!! See you out there!! read more

Great dive shop. Good selection of gear and a knowledgable staff. I needed to replace a broken regulator and they were able to provide a good replacement that met my needs and budget. read more

I went looking for a simple mask, a simple snorkel, and a simple pair of fins for local snorkeling and for my upcoming trip to Hawaii. I couldn't find any of these three at a reasonable price. Average-looking masks were upwards of $60 each, with no mid-range option at all. They didn't even have one non-flex snorkel in the whole shop. I can't fault them for their lack of snorkeling equipment, since they're known for being a SCUBA shop. I can fault them for the following, though... my reasons for knocking three stars off of their rating: - Minus one star for charging too much freaking money for a watertight box that can hold my money and credit cards and go snorkeling with me, so that the Hawaiian locals don't jack my stuff while I'm in the water. My friend and I paid $20 each for these, not knowing whether we'd find anything else. A day later at REI, I ran across 25 better solutions at an average of $7 each. - Minus one star for no return policy. Now I can't bring my $20 box back because YOU DON'T ALLOW RETURNS OR EXCHANGES! Way to instill my confidence in your store and its products! - Minus one star for talking shit to me when I scratched out my credit card number on the receipt. Here's a little tip for businesses: YOU SHOULDN'T PRINT PEOPLE'S FULL CREDIT CARD NUMBERS ON THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP. I'm super particular about this, and I ALWAYS scribble out the number. After all, having the number in a computer is one thing, but I have no idea what's going to happen to that receipt after I'm gone. Next thing you know, I'll find out some dude went on a spree through Europe on my American Express card and it'll take me the next three years to get it sorted out! Most of the time businesses are understanding when I do this and sometimes they're even like "Oh... good point... thanks! We'll look into getting this fixed." Not this guy. No, he had to make a smart-ass remark. "You know, we have your credit card number anyway. It's not like scratching it out does anything," is what he said while looking at me like I was a total moron. So I looked back at him without saying anything at all except that which my look definitely communicated... "as if it were any of your business..." I would go back to this store if they'd let me return my $20 watertight box, but they won't, so I'm not going back. That shit better not leak. read more

These guys are the absolute best in SD to get your scuba certification. They are so professional yet so fun and easy to talk to. Scuba diving can actually be very Scary with all the risks involved but they train in a way that you never have an uncomfortable moment. I would highly recommend going here to get certification. When you scuba over seas it can be frightening because the instructors do not take the time to address any questions or concerns you have. It's usually just "let's go" and you kind of just follow them and hope something doesn't go wrong I know this from experience. North county scuba gives you the confidence to feel comfortable in your own which is VERY important in unfamiliar open water. Highly recommend! Such fun guys I hope to dive with them soon! read more

I rented a tank from Sports Chalet for a group shore dive at La Jolla Shores. Right before the dive, I realized my tank O-ring was bad. Travis was guiding another diver but graciously offered me one of his O-rings for free. Thanks for assistance, you saved my dive! read more

These guys helped me get certified before a trip to Tahiti and always welcomed me back into their group when I needed a "refresher" dive or was just looking for someone to dive with. Some of the stuff is expensive -but they have a good selection and provide great service for items once you buy from them. There is never any hard pressure to sell - and they were very generous about letting me use their gear during the certification process. I wish I had more time to get back into diving - There is really a great group of people at NCSC!!!! read more

Friends came down from Orange County to dive for lobster last year. They rented tanks in OC because it looked like this shop in Encinitas was going to be out. After our first dive we took the tanks to this shop for a fill. They refused to fill them because they were rented somewhere else and they did not know the shop. First bad experience. I had two tanks hydrstatically tested this past summer. Just drove them in myself. They tested fine and were sent back with a vis sticker that this shop did not know. They told me they could not fill them because the sticker did not have a shop name on it. The hydro was stamped and the agreed OK but still would not fill the tanks until they did a $34.50 vis check on each of them. Bad experience number two. Greg is basically an ass with no ability to manage a place like this that has customer interface. The people he hires have his same attitude. Wish he would go elsewhere. I live five minutes from his shop and drive to Balboa to get fills at OceanEnterprise. Steve Kennedy. read more

We were headed out on a family Scuba vacation and needed to get two teen boys through the academic /test/pool work before going to the restore for the remainder of the Open Water dive certification. The instructor , Dylan and the shop owner worked with us to make it happen. The instructor was engaging with the teen boys where the boys completed the on line work with little complaint and were proud of their test scores. I would definitely use them again. read more

I'm sure I won't come off diplomatic as I write this review. Just to be fair to this business and my readers, I'll admit I dread taking the time to write reviews, I have zero attention span to reread and correct my tone and/or grammar which ends up sounding less than diplomatic. With that said, please excuse any ignorance knowing I am a very dissatisfied customer. The reason I've posted this is simply due to the kook-like attitude and horrible service I received Saturday around 12:00 pm. Head over this this small shop since its local and convenient, I figured why not promote local businesses right!?!? I realize what they offer, the size of this shop and the location, my expectations were set realistically. I simply needed a new mask and snorkel on two separate setups. The initial greeting was kind and pleasant, that is about all I can say that is positive. I didn't feel it was necessary to dive into my 20 years of professional scuba experience however the sales associate did only to defend themselves. When I started asking lightly technical product related questions around their recommendations, the explanation was basically that "I'm an instructor so".. The responses to my questions around a particular mask was less than adequate. I was inquiring about why one mask was better for free-diving vs. scuba and their volume, that's where it all seem to come back to this person being a instructor. I presented them with an open-water level questions about this one mask, around why you would want less volume, this person flailed to remotely know what they were talking about, again mentioning that they have instructed. I can go on and on about the lack of knowledge this employee had or the fact that they showed zero traits of being a warm, leader that we would expect from someone who supposedly instructs new divers to their certifications and is inevitably responsible for their well-being while in the water. I spent about $150 on product that I ended up having to research on my phone prior to the buy due to this employee's lack of understanding. I bought 2 comfort mask straps and asked to have them attach to the new mask as well the mask that I bought a new snorkel for. Their reply "can't you do this yourself?". After I finally got them to do it, this person put them on backwards... eye for detail or just lack of enthusiasm? Of course I can do this myself, I can also order this product online a lot cheaper however I chose to give you the business, support local business and get a little bit of customer satisfaction by a small request. I've worked in dive shops both in San Diego and Hawaii, I have always been encouraged to help customers out with new product purchases. This employee blew it, acted like a kook and doesn't take the time to get to know their product lines. epic fail. read more

I did my enriched air - Nitrox certification through this store. Firstly I want to make it clear that I found the owner Greg knowledgeable and friendly, however, the ass clown they have working behind the counter much of the time - an older larger gentleman I think named Scott is extremely rude and unprofessional. He was responsible for collecting and grading my examination paper after he graded it he brought it out to me and I think I had a total of three questions right. Now I may not be Einstein but I was pretty sure I didn't only get three question right he provided me with the answer sheet he had used to mark the exam with and as I checked it against the exam questions I quickly realized that the answer sheet was for another test version. I brought this to his attention by showing him several examples questions whose answers did not match the answer sheet. For example the first question basically asked you to select the correct definition of nitrox which was very simple and anyone with any knowledge of the material would immediately realize that the answer sheet did not match the exam questions. However, this clown refused to accept that he was wrong he kept telling me "well thats what the answer sheet says". I insisted that he was wrong and kept at him until he agreed to get someone else, he then begrudgingly took it to the store owner Greg who was tending to clients in the front of the store. He made a scene saying this words to the effect of "I can't take this anymore this fucking guy is over my shoulder about marking his test, I need a break to go cool down" he then stormed out of the store. This was in front of three or four customers who I am sure heard the whole thing. I looked at the owner Greg and he said "sorry about that." Fortunately Greg looked at the exam and the answer sheet and immediately realized that it was the answer sheet for another exam. He went to the back pulled the correct one out of the filing cabinet and corrected my exam for me. All in all I got what I needed and Greg was fine but the behavior of the store manager was unacceptable this knuckle dragging baboon needs to seek employment elsewhere - preferably in a field where he has some basic knowledge and won't explode on clients. Unfortunately this idiot left a bad taste in my mouth and as San Diego is full of dive stores I haven't been back there in 2 years and probably won't be back. Greg do your business a favor and get someone to run the store who won't be abusive to customers. By the way this guy carried on I'm sure I'm not the only customer who's had an experience like this. read more

I called all around San Diego, looking for a high quality store, in which I could dive out of, get service, and sales. I spoke with the manager Scott. He was a wealth of knowledge. He wasn't rude like the other stores I spoke with, and because of my diving experiance he suggested that I speak with the owner of the shop. He acually called the owner when I was there, and the owner, could you believe it, allowed me to chat with him on his day off. Now thats customer service!! I mad a apointment with Greg who owns the shop. I was impressed not only with his knowledge of equipment, but with his education in the diving biz. I ended up buying all new gear, and Greg & Scott went out of there way to take me diving. Not like once but 15x's. What store is going to do that without a fee. I recommend this store to anyone who wants to learn to dive, advance there education, and or just buy something. These guys will take anything back, no problem. I was standing in the store, and was watching them do a return, and in my opinion, that customer was a jerk, but they were really professional about how they handled the return even if it was only a knife that was 4 moths old and had a ton of rust. Thank you boys, and look forward to many years of shopping at your store!! read more

I special ordered a mask with prescription lenses from Greg and staff. When I picked up the mask I could tell it wasn't right. Very poor workmanship. Greg's employee suggested I try it out to make sure. I did and still was not right. I took the mask back and met with Greg. He agreed and ordered me a new mask and had the folks who puts the prescription lenses do it over. Greg was very easy to work with, did what was right, and delivered. New mask is great. Greg made sure of it. I liked the way they took care of a problem, and handled it professionally. I will be back for any future scuba needs. I enjoyed doing business with NCSC. read more