In August 2014, I chose Pro Scuba Dive Center to earn my NAUI Scuba Diver certification. Having heard horror stories about the quality and "dumbed-down curriculum" of PADI instruction, I was relieved to find the superior NAUI instruction right here in the Santa Cruz area. My partner is an old-time NAUI instructor and he said, "You never find instruction this great nowadays!" We both agree that this dive shop deserves a 12 on a 1-10 scale. Here is why: personal attention, safety, superb dive shop ethics, and terrific customer service. As a former non-swimmer and total beginner, I felt safe and comfortable with Cheryl and Dave and their capable instruction. They're both not just first-rate, experienced divers, but also wonderful people. They kept things enjoyable and interesting while constantly supervising for safety. The classroom sessions are pleasant and well-lit, and the environment is conducive to learning. Their equipment is in great condition, and they take time to make sure you are outfitted properly. They provided excellent, patient support and guidance in a combination of fun, safety and adventure, and personal attention. Before going to the ocean, we did five 2hr-plus pool sessions at a gorgeous facility nearby, where I practiced exercises and skills until I was totally comfortable with them. The ocean sessions were a delightful challenge to complete, and I saw many cool creatures and plants during these five dives. An inquisitive and playful harbor seal swam over and spent 20 minutes of the dive watching us! Thrilling. I completed each lesson with a growing sense of real accomplishment and confidence, and now look forward to learning about and experiencing more of the underwater world. I would not hesitate to recommend Pro Scuba Dive Center, and will use them for future lessons, dive trips, and equipment rentals/purchases. Five stars for sure! read more

I finally took the plunge to get my Open Water NAUI certification. Pro Scuba Dive Center had been recommended to us by other divers at UC Santa Cruz. Cheryl took a lot of time to help us get the right gear and didn't try to oversell us. David was extremely patient and thorough as a teacher. Plus he was fun and had a sense of humor, which was a plus. You could ask him at any time to repeat instructions, and he would repeat them with the same thoroughness as the first time he said them (and the second and third and fourth time, as needed). He never lost his patience or made you feel like you were in the wrong for asking. When I said I needed more time and asked to take something slowly, he gave me the space to take it more slowly. On the ocean dives, I ended up having some trouble controlling my buoyancy. A less reputable place might have looked the other way and just passed me anyway--with the result that I could have ended up in a dangerous situation. In the moment, I was kind of discouraged, but David followed up right away to set a new training date and was confident I would learn the skills. And I did! I really benefited from the extra time and one-on-one instruction. As a result, I feel confident in my abilities as a new diver. If you want thorough training that will make you a safe, responsible diver, I highly recommend Pro Scuba Dive Center. Plus, corgis. You'll see what I mean when you get there. read more

i was a divemaster with a scuba shop in the panhandle of texas, the shop closed due to an accident to the owner. soon the groups that we traveled with faded and we had no groups to dive with. in september of 2013 we happened to meet dave and cheryl in cozumel at the dive resort where they were in their last day of hosting a group trip. we stopped them as they were leaving the restaurant and they were nice enough to spend an hour talking diving to these two texans. they invited us to become scuba squad members and join its facebook page! this meeting has changed our lives, as we now have been on 5 group dives with them. i will tell you that they are totally into safety and teaching everyone how to safely become a great diver. they have the knowledge and experience to make sure you will have a wonderful dive experience. we also send all of our equipment to california to be serviced by their shop, somewhat expensive to ship, but we know we can trust them to keep our equipment in tip top condition. if you think you want to learn to scuba dive but are a bit afraid of some aspect of learning, dave and cheryl will comfortably get you over any fear you might have. it would extremely be difficult to find any dive shop that is better than pro scuba dive center....... read more

Pro Scuba Dive Center is a great facility. Everything in the store is well thought out, and their commitment to high quality is evident as soon as you enter the shop. All of the rental gear and service equipment is high end. All tanks are steel high pressure, and available with a pro-valve for a DIN or yoke first stage. The staff are very knowledgeable, thorough, friendly, experienced and highly qualified. NAUI Classes are regularly offered for a variety of basic and advanced certifications. The instructors are very accommodating and thorough, and offer a great experience in the classroom through the pool and ocean. I highly recommend them for instruction for an introduction, a refresher or advancing your skills. This store is also associated with the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) and has both an HSA certified instructor and HSA certified Divemaster. There is a a free active dive club (Scuba Squad) available through the store that has regular well attended meetings and club dives. The community is very active and it is easy to find a dive buddy who can dive with you at your skill level and availability. Call or ask at the store for more information. read more

Pro Scuba Dive Center is great! The owners, Dave and Cheryl, are very experienced divers and it shows in every aspect of their business: great quality equipment for sale at reasonable prices, thoughtful staff to help with proper fitting and making sure you get exactly what you want, top notch and well maintained rentals, knowledgeable instructors teaching a wide variety of classes for all skill levels, as well as excellent service for all your personal gear. They clearly love what they do and their passion comes through to every customer. The instructor for my NAUI basic open water class, Dan Kelly, was thorough but had an easy way about his teaching style that made understanding the material fun and left me wanting to learn more and more. Another of their instructors, Alison Norton, was also there to help with any additional questions and made the experience even safer and more enjoyable. All in all, I don't think I could recommend this dive shop any higher. Thanks guys. Your love of the sport came through and I can't wait to get diving again! read more

Prior to taking a dive certification class I searched and reviewed many dive shops. I initially chose Pro Scuba based on the positive reviews from yelp. After my first visit I new I was going to enjoy taking my lessons at Pro Scuba. Dave, Cheryl, Dan, the entire staff are great people. Very friendly, informative, and honest. I wasn't pressured to commitments in any way, and the warm welcome I received on my first visit was sincere and friendly. The folks at Pro Scuba are very passionate about diving... and being safe too. Safety is their first priority! Their level of knowledge and there above average level of training sets an unprecedented standard for providing training to the newbie and the seasoned diver alike. I highly recommend this dive shop for all divers, and if your priorities are safety and quality of equipment, then you have found the right fit here at Pro Scuba! If you're just starting or are interested in diving then you can stop looking because this is the place you've been looking for! read more

The Shop: Is amazing, the staff is always welcoming and very helpful on educating you on the product they sell and what may be best suited for you. They offer amazing travel deals and even have a dive club that meets every month to further your education on the dive world. Training: I got my basic cert. 2 years ago in Pennsylvania, it was a one on one class, "Cheap in, Expensive out" (nothing but hidden fees), and just when I thought I knew everything I decided to take my advanced course. I signed up, no hidden fees (what you see is what you pay), and Not only did i NOT know everything i needed to coming into the class but Dave and Cheryl were so kind as to teach me, no questions asked. I felt i had let the other divers down in the class not being as prepared as they were but I was reassured i would catch on quickly and I wasn't a burden. After the weekend of instruction and diving i felt i had caught up with the class and i was finally were i should be. read more

I am one of the owners of Pro Scuba. I have reached out to apologize to mike for his feeling He was ignored for 5 minutes after he and his wife were given great Service and a personal tour. However another customer came into the store and I was All alone Due to my husband having major surgery the day before. A known customer came in to drop off repair gear that they had an appointment for. I showed mike and his with to the section they wanted to look at and quickly checked in the customer who had an appointment. It is unfortunate that 5 minutes was unacceptable to mike and his wife and that they felt ignored. For this I apologize and hope they will give us another chance. I do think we are doing an amazing job because he felt that the customer who I helped Was a special local that we drop every one else to service. They were not locals, they were only prior customers who had an appointment. This is how we treat every customer. read more

This review is long overdue! I began my diving career with instruction from Dave and Cheryl and the expertise, care, and professionalism I experienced during those initial classes was absolutely phenomenal! Over the years I have occasionally stopped by PSDC for this or that and every time have been truly grateful for the attentive assistance, generosity of time, and sincere care that I've experienced from what feels like old friends. Dave and Cheryl welcome all who enter their shop doors as family, extending themselves far beyond what most businesses of any type do, and I can only say that this dive shop is a rare gem and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who wants to take the plunge into the underwater world or simply find quality gear and service to stay in the water! Thank you Dave and Cheryl!!! read more

Pro Scuba is the best dive shop I've been to! The owners, Dave and Cheryl are VERY knowledgeable and have a love of the ocean that they share with their customers. They also have always had the customers' best interests at heart; I've never felt like they were trying to sell me something I didn't want or need. I just finished taking a basic scuba class with ProScuba; it was an excellent experience. It was very comprehensive with an emphasis placed on dive safety. After talking to other friends that have taken dive classes from other shops, I feel like I got a more complete diving experience. Dan was my instructor and he went above and beyond my expectations to ensure that all of his students fully understood the material. If you have any diving needs, go here! It will make your day! read more

I won't go anywhere else but Pro Scuba for service!! I've been through many different dive shops, and the owners of this one are outstanding people personally and professionally. You'll receive very knowledgeable guidance from reliable instructors. No one works on commission and they won't hassle or pressure you. The shop is stocked with the highest quality gear, new rental equipment, and a top-of-the-line compressor. Dave and Cheryl have nearly 40 years experience and definitely made my dives with them safe and enjoyable. You don't just feel like a customer at their shop - you feel like family. You won't regret making this place your dive home!! read more

Dave and Cheryl run a great shop, and are wonderful to train with. My Fiancé and I decided to get our initial training through PSDC and could not have been happier with the quality and rigor of the class. I have to admit that the NAUI training was a little challenging at moments, but at the same time the instructors took great care of everyone and made sure people were comfortable in each situation. Since certifying in March, we've also gone back for a Nitrox class, and will be joining the club dive later this month. These folks are as warm and welcoming as they come, and they've build a great community of conscientious, competent, and friendly divers. read more

Pro Scuba Dive Center is a very welcoming shop. It made me feel comfortable from the start thanks to Dave and Cheryl. They are both very knowledgeable, experienced divers with plenty of honest opinions to offer their customers and students. I have completed the NAUI Scuba Diver course at this shop and it was a great experience. I plan to continue furthering my diving skills at this shop and it is definitely QUALITY material that you will be receiving for your money. Dan and Clare were great instructors who were always there to help, with the excellent help of our TA Chris. I approve! read more

Highly recommend I just completed: open water, O2, CPR, and first aid classes under Dave and Cheryl's instruction. I find the classes extremely informative and challenging, but fun as well. Compared to other dive shops, they are really good at communication- letting you know what dates classes will be and asking when they will work best for you. The staff at Pro Scuba really know their stuff and can give you good advice on whatever kind of dive you are planning. If you are feeling like window shopping for some new gear, they have some amazing products at reasonable prices. read more

Dave and Cheryl are fabulous! They know what they are talking about, are extremely friendly, and very helpful. I have taken open water, advanced open water, and rescue classes here and the trainers were fantastic. They provided me with an excellent scuba education and prepared me for the ocean. I am now a scientific diver and thank Pro Scuba for all they have taught me because some of my colleagues came come into the field with a much smaller understanding of techniques, gear, and scuba skills. This is the only shop I will go to in the Santa Cruz area. read more

Pro Scuba Dive Center is awesome! The instructors, Dan and Jeff, were very knowledgeable and their love for diving was apparent. The gear we used for the entire class was top quality, and Dave made sure that the gear fit properly and was comfortable. I've gone into the shop on numerous occasions to ask questions. Dave and Cheryl are both very willing to answer questions and share their love of the sport. I would highly recommend Pro Scuba Dive Center to anyone wanting to get certified, rent gear, or further their Scuba dive training! read more

I am so happy to have a top-notch dive shop right here in Santa Cruz County. Dave and Cheryl are friendly, knowledgeable, and generous people, and their shop is well-stocked and immaculate. Recently, they were able to do the annual service on my gear in just a few days. Dave helped me greatly in getting used to my new drysuit, working through all kinds of gear issues with me until I had a set up that works well for me. He's an organized, methodical, calm teacher who is hugely enthusiastic about diving. I highly recommend this shop! read more

I've been to many dive shops in the Santa Cruz area and this one takes the cake! I won't go to any other dive shop because Dave and Cheryl are so knowledgeable, wholesome, and considerate. They go above and beyond for their divers! They've clearly been in the industry for a long time and review a lot of equipment, which enables them to recommend exactly what you need. Their classes are also very well taught- they don't just churn students out, they really care about teaching you everything you're paying for! read more

We learned to Scuba Dive with Dave and Cheryl in June 2019. We couldn't fit into their regular monthly schedule due to our usual work schedules. We paid extra for semi private instruction. I couldn't have wished for anything better. Individual instruction, easy dealing with individual issues Flexible schedule. Above all, the instruction was very thorough and tailored to the individual. I would not hesitate to recommend ProScuba Dive shop in Scott's Valley. 4 thumbs up from two of us. So I guess 4 out of 4 read more