Great dive shop, been coming here for years. Was good back in the day and still good. Only shop I use in the South Bay / Long Beach area. Service is done well and fair prices. read more

Very fast service and expert attention to detail. Lots of items on sale with servicing and warranty so you get very reliable value. The selection includes a lot of the top brands across free diving and scuba with multiple options within those brands. They service all of the equipment and are official dealers of those brands with capability of onsite hydro testing for tanks, compressor for filling, and pool for classes so they are pretty full service read more

Pacific Wilderness - The shop and compressor bank coming from the back entrance - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

Got my PADI certificate through this shop for work and come regularly for air refills on our tanks. Air always tastes fine personally (dont know what the last guy was on about), they dive on their own air so they should know. Also picked up spear fishing as a hobby afterwards since I had such a good experience. Staff here is super knowledgeable about anything you can think of, and they dive regularly in the area so they can offer expertise on spots as well as conditions. Never had a bad experience, and if I did I know I could come and talk to the staff to make it right. They're good people, and proud to call them my local shop. read more

Pending our summer vacation, we just got our family certified. We found Pacific Wilderness through Groupon, but went to investigate and booked directly with shop. We found the instructors(Helen, Matt & Josue) very thorough and genuinely interested in getting people to dive. Their in- store classroom was fine for our class if 10. The pool was small, but they rotated us in 2 groups. Be flexible in terms of timing. There are rules & extra fees regarding rescheduling, but they were clearly explained and they seemed pretty standard. Communication was great from instructors- we got emails confirming details and outlining expectations. My husband bought extra gear he needed there and he said pricing was better than Amazon. And if something doesn't work during pool dives you can change in shop. I had to change masks and it was no problem. Getting certified is a time commitment, but it's important to know what you are doing when you are underwater relying on your tank and Buddy. Loved the class! read more

Pacific Wilderness - Our first dive day in Redondo. My husband was getting recertified, so he was able to test camera for vacation. - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

Horrible shop should not be allowed to operate. Gave us contaminated air fills multiple times and lied about the cause claiming that air that reeked of rubber and paint was safe to breathe. DO NOT get your air from this shop, this negligence could have potentially led to multiple deaths. read more

Got certified last year but forgot to review. Amazing certification, we were able to do the tests and pool skills quickly and efficiently. And had two great morning dives in Laguna. Our dive masters were awesome and i felt very comfortable diving and learning from them. Would reccomend for anyone getting certified. Also now use my gear that i got from them during all my trips. read more

Hated it so much lol which wasn't their fault but Instructor Spencer yelled at me in front of class and killed it all together for me lol kinda a d bag. scuba life ain't for me but he just sucks lol and I thought it was kinda odd he encouraged people to just pee in the pool because of the amount of chlorine put in the pool and afterwards you just hang your equipment and wetsuit back up with the rest of them for the next to use. read more

https://youtu.be/ZkZ4Z-R-0c0?si=lvepcmKmFjYw4fqn Pacific Wilderness graduates making the nighttime Manta dive in Kona. Thank you Pacific Wilderness read more

This place is AWESOME. I've had nothing but amazing experiences at Pacific Wilderness. I was certified about 7 years ago with Joe Huynh (best scuba instructor EVER) and recently had my fiancé go through the open water course too (also with Joe!). I highly highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves the ocean and a great adventure! Second, the staff is super friendly. Jason especially is easy going, always has a positive attitude, and is helpful with anything you might need around the store. If I could give this place 10 stars, I would! Thanks! read more

Pacific Wilderness - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

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*edited 11/4/2021: *Long story short !Future customers: please review the 1 star or 2 stars commentsss if you are interested in taking a class with this shop. They did a good job in defending themselves, felt like a debate or in a court, but DID NOT attempt to solve the problem collaboratively or make the customers happy. That's why I put the initial comment : WORST COSTUMER SERVICE, which means, if you happen to have a conflict with this company, they are RIGHT but you are WRONG. Avoid and Be Aware. Thank you for reading* Did not follow CDC guideline of COVID safety procedures. Having more than 20 people in the same small room to fill paperwork without mask??!! Refused to issue a refund. Worst customer service ever read more

This is a topline review of the store, I love the ocean and I snorkel and dive. This store has got everything you could need as it relates to diving and general ocean activities, the pricing is fair market. On my most recent visit I needed some base coat wax for a new surf board, and they had it. I called and spoke with Jason who was very helpful on the phone and just as great in person. read more

Pacific Wilderness - Needed surf wax base coat, and sure enough they had it. - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

So I came in for a wet suit and the staff was super helpful and friendly. They weren't super pushy and very knowledgeable. I'm definitely coming back here again. The guy who rang me up, forgot his name but the dude has a beard, he was talkative and helped me out and showed me some equipment that I'd definitely will come back and check out. They also have great deals and they do certification here too. read more

Pacific Wilderness - Deals - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

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First things first. They work on commission. The will try to tell you your equipment is bad or not ok so they can sell you theirs. When I was there for a class, they told this couple they could dive even if they had medical issues so that they would buy about $1000.00 in gear. When dive day came, the couple had to scramble to get approval from their doctor (on a Saturday) so he could sign off on their dive. They weren't previously told this. The price for a dive class is ok. I paid about $400.00 from a Groupon. read more

Pacific Wilderness - The dive boots they said were not serviceable. They work just great!!! :) - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

I've been certified to dive for over 40 years but my goddaughters aren't. We are all headed on a trip soon and I wanted to get a dive in and they asked about doing it also. I never thought about it, but I would like them to enjoy the experience of being underwater too. I went on Groupon and came across Pacific Wilderness. The Groupon sounded great so I went ahead and got it for all three of them. From the get go, Pacific Wilderness was very accommodating. My goddaughters are full time college students and working so it was going to be difficult to fit the courses into their schedules. Not to mention all the rain we had earlier this year which didn't help when it came time to do the open water dives. Regardless, Pacific Wilderness was flexible and worked with their schedules even though they had to change their classes quite a few times. Although I wasn't there myself, every day I was getting phone calls from my goddaughters telling me how much fun they were having and how excited they were to keep diving. After they had finished their certification, I could finally talk to them about diving and they understood when I mentioned visibility, atmospheres and more. They never had anything but great things to say about the staff and Master Diver's at Pacific Wilderness and how professional they were. I'm extremely happy they were able to get certified before our upcoming trip and based upon everything all three of them told me, I'm glad I picked Pacific Wilderness. And with the Groupon, there is no better deal! read more

Really enjoyed the people at this dive shop when getting my scuba certification and would recommend their teachers to anyone. To give a balanced review, there were a few things worth calling out, the pool could have used a little care during our indoor pool dive, as there were some small things floating in it both days we were there. Also all equipment was useable, but some wetsuits were really worn down. I do think they need to invest in a little better upkeep, but overall, they are a great group. Both of my instructors were helpful, knowledgeable and personal and invited us to join their dive club on Sundays. If you're not physically fit, I would be sure to take the Catalina course, not shore dive. You can thank me later;) read more

Great great store. I've been to many dive shops. Helen and Tim were super helpful. Everything was priced extremely fair! Very excited I found this. Thanks Bruce for the recommendation! Can't wait to come back and can't wait to continue my adventures!! read more

Pacific Wilderness - Helen! And Tim. Thanks guys! - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

DJ assisted my wife & myself with snorkeling gear. He was knowledgeable and had a lot of patience with all of our questions. read more

The main reason for my 1 star review is because of the interactions I had as a customer with one of the employees, Jason. I came into this dive shop the other day with my friend who had signed up via Groupon for an open water certification class. I myself am open water certified and wanted to help my friends pick out any equipment they may need as I am decently familiar with basic equipment. I am extremely disappointed to say that the manner in which Jason handled my friend as a new dive student as well as myself was appalling and disrespectful. He spoke to all of us in a very condescending and inappropriate manner. While he and my friend were speaking and looking at equipment, I stepped away to browse at some equipment myself. I heard my friend call my name to ask my opinion on the types of masks Jason was trying to sell him, Jason then started mocking my friend saying, in exact words, "oh look he's calling for daddy, daddy." When we were at the register to check out, my friend had asked about confirmation for his certification class, as he had signed up over the phone 2 weeks prior and had never received a confirmation email. Jason's reply to the inquiry about asking if they should expect an email was: "Well, we treat you like big boys and big girls and expect you to just remember what time we tell you to show up." He also went through the orientation material and books extremely quickly and without any time for questions as if our time was far beneath his worth. All in all, I am extremely disgusted and disappointed with the customer service we received from Jason. I would highly encourage anybody looking to learn diving to choose a different location with friendlier staff who are willing to show respect and courtesy to their paying customers. I will be also reaching out to the owner to describe this experience firsthand, as this type of behavior is inappropriate and should be addressed professionally. read more

Such a giant selections for diving gears, the services are excellent and friendly, the prices also very descent and affordable! I highly recommend this place to anyone want to rent any diving gears for fun! They are very honest and knowledgeable. Thank you for helping today. read more

We are a family of water adventurers and being so, our 16 year old could not wait to get her scuba certification! In the past we utilized a different shop for our certifications but there was no available times that worked with our hectic schedules. Jeremy was most accommodating and we were able to get our daughter into a two weekends Scuba course. The classes were extremely thorough, and safe. There is classroom work, indoor pool sessions, shore dives and a boat dive off of Catalina. I felt that safety was most important to their training and that puts any mother's mind at ease. I would highly recommend Pacific Wilderness for Scuba Certification. A complete 5 star experience! read more

Pacific Wilderness - Decent sized dive shop - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

I just finished my open water diver certificate here with Christian. He is a great instructor: patient, clear, organized. It was great to go through the academic portions while hearing about his real life experiences, which kept it very interesting and fun. His skills as a diver are great, which made it easy to follow instructions in the pool and open water dives. I am really looking forward to taking further courses with him. The dive masters, Manami and Jeff, on our beach and boat dives, were also outstanding. Really helpful and friendly, which made me feel safe and very much at ease despite some nervousness. Also, the instructor for another class, Matt, who was at the beach with us, was also super friendly, welcoming, and assuring. The entire crew, including the people working in the shop, really embodies the positive social aspects of diving. The entire experience was really fun and rewarding. I don't think it could have been better. If you're at all curious about diving, this is the place to check it out. read more

I have the same story as many others. "I've always wanted to Dive!" And never did it.... So glad I did! A friend has been trying to get me to go to Pacific Wilderness in San Pedro for over a year now. I finally made the decision to do it. I didn't realize the comment I signed up for! I live in Bakersfield! Ha! Regardless, I was all in! I used a Groupon and the class was a lot cheaper. Class was in detail, show up ready to pay attention! Christian was my instructor. He has taught all over the world and his teaching is detailed and involved. We were in the pool the first day and the second day one of my class mates were having a tough time under water completing a task. What I thought was the coolest detail that Christian demonstrated was the time he took to stay with the classmate that was clearly struggling, the patients he took to teach, as I watched a person go from panicking to achieving the task confidently completely a tough tasks. Other instructors and students MAY normally be impatient where he was more than patient. As a class our second weekend we went to Catalina boat diving! Incredible! The boat and crew were excellent and served a great home cooked breakfast and after every dive filled the tanks and served chili and a to die for brisket lunch! If you decide to be all in! And Dive with PADI in San Pedro ask for Christian! And you will be in good h read more

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I've had an absolutely amazing experience in the Open Water scuba certification course led by Khrystyna as my instructor. I was a bit nervous not knowing what it would be like, and Khyrstyna reached out to me via text weeks in advance of the class to make sure I had her contact info and to make herself available for any questions. It was great because she encouraged me to practice things like mask-clearing that I was having trouble with at my local pool. I also received a very detailed email days before the class with a clear checklist - and Khyrstyna offered feedback on the best gear that would work for me which I really needed help with. She is extremely organized, supportive, fun, and friendly! She is super knowledgeable and I could not have asked for a better instructor. I feel incredibly lucky to have her as my teacher and that our class was basically a private session so my buddy and I had a lot of one on one attention. I immediately felt comfortable with Khyrstyna and her team of instructors (Stephanie and Drew you guys are awesome too!), and my scuba buddy and I had a ton of fun learning the skills in the pool. I felt very calm, relaxed, and if I didn't get something on the first try, Khyrstyna was able to give me coaching in a way that I could learn and grasp it quickly on the 2nd try. This weekend I have my beach and ocean dives and can't wait to continue the start of an incredible experience. The folks at the shop were also really great in helping me find the right equipment and also swapping out anything I purchased that didn't work out (my mask, shoes, etc)...A very helpful and friendly team of people! read more

Trigger WARNING!!!! Known TRUMP SUPPORTERS on site!!! Enter at your own risk!!! Wow! I didn't expect you to admit that you sold cheap below standard equipment. Thanks for that! However it wasn't only the substandard equipment because I had a couple equipment issues it was also that last century aftermarket ad strap (with the ad peeling off by the ocean trip) that was the real problem! The OEM was ok. Also during the sales process, you normally walk away from customers (mid conversation) to assist others......with out any acknowledgement?!? Contributing to a business that obviously does not want my business is not a normal practice of mine! So there is no need to wonder about my equipment selection! And yeah! I received older antiquated equipment then anyone else in the group because of course I was the only one with a weight belt?!!?! Even though I was in your store well before closing on pick up day!!! So it's no wonder why I was the only one having, a one-on-one, with weights falling off in the middle of the sandy murky ocean......(FYI my one-on-one with the instructor was, the instructor trying to search for weights on the ocean floor!) By the way your response only validates my point!!!! Mr Napoleon!!! Trump supporter!!!! So again I say ........any other location will probably provide you (and most minorities) with a better experience!!!! read more

I went to Pacific Wilderness just to get a wetsuit as they had a good selection and were cheaper than ever the online prices. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful, and even answered my stupid questions and didn't hurry me. I know I will be back to buy some more equipment. read more

Came in for open water certification. There are a few pieces of equipment that are needed before the class (fins, booties, mask, gloves, and snorkel) JD was my salesperson. Super friendly and knowledgeable about the equipment. Made absolutely sure that everything fit properly and were what we were comfortable with. Price was at least as good as anywhere including Amazon. The PADI course was challenging but I'm sooo very happy and proud I did it. Thank you to the entire staff. read more

Had the best time and such a great experience with my Instructor Khrystyna and Dive Master Tim. Had the opportunity to dive three out of four dives in Catalina which was BEYOND beautiful! I was very skeptical in the beginning of our first pool day and wasn't sure how I felt about scuba diving. My instructor helped coach us through the day and showed us how great of a time it could be. So happy I stuck it out and now I can't wait to go on my next dive! Everyone at the dive shop was extremely nice and helpful! Thank you Pacific Wilderness for such a great experience! Khrystyna and Tim you guys are AWESOME! read more

Pacific Wilderness - Sporting Goods Near Me - San Pedro, California

I just completed my PADI Open Water cert offered over 2 weekends by Pacific Wilderness; I opted for the Beach/Boat Dive since I wanted to learn both skills. There's SO much to get into so I'll do my best to condense it all: THE SHOP - Literally, the best prices around. For the course you're required to purchase a mask, snorkel, gloves, booties, & fins. I'd been doing research on brands, equipment, price ranges, etc. and honestly, nothing I found compared to what PW was offering. Not websites, nor Amazon. They carry all major brands and if they don't have it, they can order it for you; I wanted to buy Aqualung's new galaxy 7mm wetsuit, but they didn't have it in my size. So Jason put an order in for me and will let me know when it's in. THE STAFF - Everyone -the shop staff, the instructors, the regulars- EVERYONE is so nice, knowledgeable, & experienced. I can't believe there are negative reviews on customer service. Everyone was more than willing to help me out and give me advice on what I should buy. As a new diver I was completely ignorant to what's what, and they didn't pull me in a bunch of different directions trying to make a big sale. They showed me what was available, I did some comparative shopping, and from there I ended-up with equipment that was suitable for me. Scott was my dive instructor, and he was terrific; equal parts friendly, easy-going, and a "buddy" as well as ensuring we learned and retained all necessary life-saving skills. Any of the negative reviews regarding the repetitive class work, having to reschedule, Groupon/Living Social...those are more a reflection on the reviewer than the establishment. If you're a responsible adult with a good work ethic, then you'll be just fine at PW. THE POOL - The in-pool session was very direct, straightforward, and the facilities were adequate to accommodate my class of 8 students. Scott ensured that we were all comfortable with each skill, and for anyone who was having trouble mastering one he would take the extra time to ensure that they were able to accomplish it. THE CLASS - The material is repetitive for a reason; PADI makes you watch a video, read a textbook, and do quizzes/exams on the material. It's redundant for a reason; IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE. So don't skimp-out on studying, otherwise life might prove to be difficult at 60ft below the surface. THE DIVES - My FAVORITE part was actually getting into the open ocean. First dive was in Redondo, which was a safe, controlled environment where we students were able to apply our recently-learned skill set, and the second was in Catalina. I don't want to give anything away...but one benefit for springing for the Beach/Boat combo is you get to go to Catalina and dive in some kelp forests there. WORTH IT... And the boat that we were on, the Asante, was very clean, organized, and well-staffed by equally nice & knowledgeable people. All in all...I will be joining their dive club, will continue to shop there, and will go onto take my Advanced and likely even Rescue cert there. I feel like I've made new friends and strongly urge everyone else to just visit the shop and see for yourself what they have to offer. Special thanks to Scott, Jason, David, John, Keith, Shanoah (sp?), Grant, & all other employees there! read more

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We were hoping for an owner (Jeff) who would be more understanding in light of the daily-developing situation with the coronavirus outbreak. We were looking forward to getting certified with Pacific Wilderness, with our Groupon purchase of 4-day Semi-Private PADI Open Water Certification course for 2 people. We had also spent just under $750 in his shop on the 5pc snorkel gear for 2 people, and picked up our class material. At this point, we had spent over $1100. While we appreciate that they are abiding by WHO and CDC guidelines, and practicing strict hygiene practices, the truth of the matter is we are all STILL learning about this COVID-19. Upon listening to our concerns for our safeties, the owner asked how old we are, and then share that he has lived through HIV and SARS, and seemed rather cavalier with our safety concerns, saying something like - "I feel safe going into my pool, but if you don't feel safe, that's your choice and your decision, so I will have to charge you a transfer fee" We appreciate that Jeff still has to pay his instructors, so we understand that explanation of why a transfer fee is necessary. I realize that we ended up with a very generous offer of reduced transfer fee and the ability to sign up again at anytime, but the process of getting there and his defensive delivery left a sour taste in our mouths. Having read other less than glowing reviews and Jeff's responses to them, he seems to pride himself and his business on customer service. I wouldn't call that phone call today as good customer service. His staff John on the other hand was terrific, we felt that our concerns were heard and respected, that is absolutely great customer service. I should note that we have also done our best in being transparent with our concerns and decisions as soon as we made them, which was on Sun 3/8 (our class was scheduled for Sat 3/14). We did so in good faith, recusing ourselves, so that the shop may work towards filling that class if possible. The $750 worth of equipment purchased on 3/1 cannot be returned for a full refund after 5 days, only a store credit within 30 days. So at this point, rather than feeling excited, we just feel stuck with it, and will pay the reduced transfer fee to get certified at a later date. Probably won't be recommending this business to friends considering scuba certification. There are plenty of options out there. read more

Instructors are informative. The PADI class is amazing only day 2 of 4.... But good information has been given!

Originally Came here and got PADI certified to dive a few years back. But recently came back to get updated dive gear and this place is still Such a great establishment. They have everything you need when it comes to diving and often have great deals and always great quality products. Workers are helpful and knowledgeable. Open water PADI certification I called to check availability on classes and even though the classes fill up fast they have lots of experienced instructors so they can try to accommodate you if what's available doesn't fit your schedule. Open water class consists of three parts, first two parts takes place this first weekend normally a Saturday and Sunday. Part one is Lecture which takes place in a Class and runs approximately 6-8 Hours. You would normally come to pick up your packet prior and do some pre reading prior to coming to class. Second part is where you get into their indoor heated pool for Confined Water dives. This also runs about 6-8 hours where you the basic stuff that you learned in class is actually applied and then tested by the instructors before you're able to move on. The third part is the actual Open Water dives which takes place a redondo beach In the open ocean. This consist of 4 Dives over a Two Day Period of the following week, normally the following Saturday and Sunday. Instructors are patient, they're knowledgeable, and they have years and years of experience. I had the pleasure of having Sean as my instructor. Sean was great. He was so patient when I didn't get something right away. He made learning fun and had little tips that helped you remember important material. The thing that made Sean stand out in my book was how thorough he was. Safely was his number one priority and he was always checking to make sure everyone was safe and having fun. This place is highly recommended if you need scuba, snorkel gear as well as if you want to get certified. You won't be disappointed. read more

I got certified for open water with Khrystyna! She's the BEST! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have made it! I was so nervous and scared! She talked to me, kept me calm, didn't rush me, and taught me breathing techniques to help me relax. I highly recommend her class! Just be sure you're a good listener and pay attention while she demonstrates the skills. Khrystyna has an amazing team, Danya and Blake! All professional and a lot of fun!!! read more

If you need any scuba diving lessons from beginner to advanced, Pacific Wilderness is an outstanding choice. Below is more details about our fantastic experience. Instruction: My husband and I just completed our Advanced Open Water certification with Pacific Wilderness. Our instructor was Khrystyna, and she was awesome! She wears awesome high-visibility neon pink diving equipment, so she is easy to spot underwater. Her scuba tank also has energizer bunny stickers on it, so there really is no loosing her. Even though she is super goofy, she's also a no-nonsense but patient instructor and takes safety very seriously. She will teach you to be a better and safer diver, which is critical to your future as a scuba diver. Her instruction made us feel more comfortable and confident in the water! In addition, Khrystyna took the time to introduce us to two diving locations. We dove in Veteran's Park in Redondo Beach the first day, then in Crescent Beach in Laguna the second day. This was fantastic because now we were introduced to not one, but TWO local dive spots. The Shop: Besides the classes, the shop is marvelous! They have tons of gear, and are patient while you try it on. Finally, I would like to thank Grant for signing us up for the class! He was super helpful on the phone when we bombarded him with questions. He also is really fun to talk to, and his eyes light up when talking about marine life. If you are interested in learning more about fish, ask him about internet and print resources. He will probably tell you more about fishes than you ever wanted to know! (in a good way) read more

Came to this dive shop to do my open water course after being recommended by my dive group. Staffs were very friendly and knowledgeable and always eager to help whether its dive gears or question about a dive spot. Want to give a speical shout out for their guidance: Instructor: Khrystyna DiveMasters: Jason S, Steve, and Tim From pool dive to our shore dive these divers were awesome and really helped us get through the open water course. I learned a lot from them and definitely helped me pass my course with flying colors. If anyone is interested in getting their PADI open water course definitely recommend this shop and staffs. read more

Amazing Dive Masters! Definitely recommend Khrystyna, with her Dive master team Danya, Tim, Ryan and Steve. I didn't do much research on instructors when signing up Wilderness Pacific, while I felt so lucky I was randomly assigned to the very right instructor. Our class is really small, so each one of us were taken great care of by them. We went to Laguna Beach which is my favorite beach instead of Redondo(undersea view might less idea compared with Laguna), we had two fun diving on the last day, we work as a team with lots of joy and new inspiration... Over two days in the ocean, we were all well observed and secured by dive masters (I was worrying about safety issue which seems extra). And I'd say I couldn't accomplish it without Khrystyna, Tim, Ryan's help. Wordless to say, you'll know how great they are in personality and in teaching...   Timeline: I signed up at Pacific Wilderness in March and scheduled for two weekends training in April. You are recommended to call them to secure a spot for you weeks earlier. Indoor class take one day, indoor swimming pool training also took one day. The following weekends are outside one day ocean training and the second day fun diving.   Ending words: please do think carefully if you are really into this. At the time you sign up, you should know every day's training takes your effort, physically and mentally. If you really want it, fearless turns your pro to get over everything. read more

Replying to owners long desperate message, as his "investigation" into what day I came in. I am not the person who u say I was in the camera. Yes ur employees were rude and uninformed. Again, just from that long reply further proves my point of how this place is discriminatory and biased. I'm truly impressed on the efforts of ur response. Had that same energy been match throughout my years of trying to come here and buy gear only to be reminded why I don't, definitely would have had a life long customer. But the tone of the this response is laughable at best. I really can't get over how long that response was. It comes off so desperate. The only wilderness this place is capable of, is the homelessness that camps outside the establishment every so often. Don't waste ur time going here people. A lot of stuff is out of date, over priced and the gear is from last century. Big 5 has better options. read more

Since you said "thank you" for the review, I'll "apologize" for the fact that you took my review as being negative.... it wasn't intended to be. However, it is funny that this is the response you're posting when 3 stars isn't even a bad rating.. 3 stars is "a-ok" and, like I said, I wasn't trying to dissuade anybody from taking classes here because I thought that most experiences are probably better. To start, I'm clearly not trying to hide my identity otherwise i wouldn't have included the detail that supposedly tipped you off. So, to address your comment about the favor you guys did for me by "waiving" the resched fee, u wouldn't have had anything to waive if i was told that I could not do the two weekends I had requested. And, no, Eduardo did not send me anything two weeks in advance of the class. I only received it on Apr 28th at 7:55 PM (slightly more than four days, not two weeks) when Lisa texted to ask if I had received the email which she then forwarded to me which I then confirmed that I received it. And, in regard to me texting during class, the class went over the bookwork we had completed in advance and then we took quizzes.. All of which I passed. Yes, I may have forgotten my packet at home but I did do all of my homework but i didn't print. I did, however, have it PDFd and asked if I could submit via email at that time but was told to just rip it out of my book and bring it in te next day, so I did. I also purchased another form that day so it could be submitted the first day so not sure why that's being brought up. I also didn't "fail to say" that I left at 3:30 because I didn't. As stated, I left around 5:30 which was definitely the case because the shop was closing up (5 PM closing time on Sunday's) and they were working on refilling the air tanks while I was there. Not sure what to say about this...16 spots seems like a few spots to me so that's all relative, I suppose. Lastly, what's wrong w "grouping with 7 other students to get the 'Coupon Discount'??" Are we lesser valued customers because of it? read more

Just finished my open water certification class with khrystyna and couldn't have asked for better. She was very thorough and helpful, but also patient when some of us were nervous or taking longer to figure out a concept or skill. She had us laughing along the way too which is definitely a plus. You can tell she's super passionate about what she does and her enthusiasm is contagious. Bonus: we got to dive with a seal pup today! Dive masters Tim, Jason, and Steve were also fantastic. Eager to teach and help, very patient, really nice guys. A great experience all in all!! read more

As an annual scuba diver with a couple of kids who dive, this is a family activity for us. I've known about Pacific Wilderness for a long time but since it's an hour to an hour and a half away I just never went. But this time we had some money and time, and we needed to invest in some gear rather than renting. And beyond valuing just great customer service, I want people who will treat me with dignity, not pre-judge me, will offer me options, and not tell me what I want or look at me funny if I pick the cheaper option. Especially when you're investing in something like scuba gear I want to be comfortable with my purchase. High standards but hey, I'm spending money - you can treat me well. All that laid out, this place was awesome! Attentive, patiently answered all our questions, able to handle our 3 kids with graciousness, offered options, never judged, educated us, gave us some discounts and free stuff, and spent 4 hours with us! We dropped a pretty penny ... but they earned it! I never felt pressured, they worked some unique combinations, and never judged our ability or our questions. We worked mostly with Jon who put it all together, but Bob helped as well. Easy to talk to. Offered my wife and kids places to sit while they put our packages together. Made it relaxing. Walked out with 4 dive packages, advice on where to dive, and thorough instructions. Can't ask for much more. We will definitely come back and maybe even join their club and take some classes! A great dive store that is knowledgeable, chill, and with a wide range of affordable supplies and packages for divers. read more

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Just got my PADI Open Water certification via a LivingSocial deal and have to say thanks again to my awesome instructor Josh, our divemasters Jeff and Scott, as well as Sean, John and everyone else who worked at the shop. Although I think I was the most "casual" of the students in my class in the sense that everyone else either wanted to be a divemaster or was going to some far off place for a diving trip, I got a solid training because of Josh, Jeff and Scott's expertise, guidance and positive energy. For those who might be coming into scuba diving brand new, like I was, here are some things that might be helpful: - It involves a lot of prep and learning. For the class I took, you have to watch two full-length DVDs, read a 250-ish page book and do all the exercises, and fill out a bunch of paperwork before you even step foot in the "classroom." Then there's confined water training in their pool and finally your open water dives at a separate location. - Beyond the cost of the class, you actually will need to buy some gear - in our case, mask, snorkel, gloves, boots and fins. You don't have to buy it at PacWild but if you do, the benefit is they'll switch out your mask if it doesn't fit, etc. which is what happened to me (cause of my apparently awkwardly-shaped face). - There is a lot of driving, and you'll do some of it really early. I live in South Pasadena, PacWild is in San Pedro, and our dive spot was in Laguna Beach. - You will be tired, and not just from swimming. The gear weighs something like 70 lbs all together and you'll have to carry it around quite a bit. Be careful and take your time. - Don't get frustrated too easily. Not everyone gets it right away, but everyone in our class passed by the end. You learn at your own pace sometimes and everyone has different challenges to overcome. I was really impressed at how much of a community scuba was, and how cool the divers all were to each other. One of my divemasters told me, "you've just entered a world that most people never even see." And that wouldn't have been possible without Josh and the guys at Pacific Wilderness. read more