The best dive shop in Southern California! The staff was so…read morehelpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Great customer service!! This is my go - to dive shop. They have a great selection of dive gear and equipment from top brands- everything i needed was there!

Rude and condescending- when I complained to the owner, basically co signed his managers behavior.read more

Still a great boat, all these years later. They no longer help transport gear from your car to the…read moreboat, but that's a minor quibble. The Pac Star is, first and foremost, focused on safety. That's what matters most to me when I charter a boat. (I run the largest scuba group in California.) The captain and crew are pleasant and the food is good. (Their breakfast burritos rock!) For overnighters, the sleeping accommodations are good, though some of the bunks are a bit cramped if you're anything larger than a small man. They coax their fill system to get you to at least 3,000 psi, though its more comfortable filling LP steel tanks in multiples. Excellent pricing, especially if you book through their main charter customer, Power Scuba!

Love this boat. They know how to take care of every dive group they take. They treat PowerScuba…read moremembers really nice. Highly recommended.

Cooke's a solid local guy and has a good team. You don't want lowball clowns taking care of your…read moreboat. He is fair, reliable, and knows his stuff.

Awesome 5 star service if you are in need of a fast friendly diver!!! I highly highly recommend…read more Thank you Cooke diving service!!

My son wanted to get his SCUBA merit badge for the Boy Scouts so he could go diving at summer camp…read morein Emerald Bay on Catalina. After 9 hours of classroom and 9 hours of private pool lessons at Sports Chalet, it was time for the boat dive. Three boat dives to be precise. We got hooked up with the Magician to take us to Catalina for our first open water dives. We were grouped with 2 or 3 other classes on this boat. 28 divers and a crew of about 8. We pulled in at 5:30am and took off at 7am. The layout was like other fishing charters I have been on. The crew was terrific, all friendly, experienced and willing to help us newbies. All you could eat hot breakfast, unlimited drinks, fajita burrito lunch, cake and ice-cream. We got to Rippers Cove for our first two dives then, during lunch, we moved on to Lulu's Cove. My son and I dove with one of our instructors. We had a great experience, saw tons of critters in the kelp forest and made some new friends. We got back to the dock at about 4:30. An awesome way to spend a Sunday. One more beach dive in Laguna and we are certified open water divers. I highly recommend this outfit for your day boat diving.

The most unprofessional and reckless dive outfit I've ever come across, globally. I booked a 3 tank…read moredive to Catalina Island on the Magician. Anyhow, dive day comes round I arrive to find The Magician in bad shape, very dated and in need of some refurbishment and suffering from severe rust on the bow. There are also 22 people crammed onboard. When it was time to dive we were told aggressively that there was only 20 minutes to get in the water, yet due to the cramped conditions (and a lot of new divers) it's impossible to gear up. You have to wait for other divers to get ready which takes an absolute age. The crew then gets agitated when the reality is they've clearly overbooked the trip versus the time constraints. Critically, when they give the dive briefing the dive masters just point and say 'you can dive somewhere over there or around there or maybe there' and do not guide the dives or even get into the water. You are not anchored at the dive site either. You are expected to swim to a dive site they simply half heartedly gesture at and seem unsure about. To my absolute horror the majority of the divers on the boat had a single digit number of dives under their belt and were expected to dive without any guidance. Yes, they're certified but it's dangerous to have new divers out without an experienced guide, especially as this area witnesses strong currents, poor visibility, kelp that can entangle, boating and kayak traffic and low temperatures. As a solo diver I was buddied up with a much older gentleman who had only 8 certified dives. You then become responsible for a new diver's safety without knowing the area, depth and currents due to the fact no staff members enter the water. I've never seen such behaviour globally. It's absolutely shocking. I witnessed 5 divers get into severe difficulties and get swept away by the currents, even out of sight, who then spent the best part of an hour trying to battle their way to the boat, without any assistance whatsoever from the staff apart from being yelled at via a megaphone. My dive buddy suffered from fatigue early in the first dive and we had to abandon and I pulled him to the boat. We did not dive for the rest of the day because we did not feel safe. The skipper and the staff member who is of short stature with a gap in his teeth were informed about the other struggling divers (they were inside talking and had to be notified) and I heard the skipper say "shall we leave them there?" without any kind of humorous tone. The attitude of these two people was truly abhorrent with all manner of things said when they thought no one was in ear shot and some comments about guests I daren't repeat. The staff even later told someone (I overheard the conversation) that on a previous trip, almost all of their divers got swept out by a current in the same location and that a competitor's dive boat had to rescue three of their divers. They seemed almost proud of this and said 'you could see the current coming in to take them out'. I have serious concerns that there will be a very preventable and tragic fatality with this outfit due to their negligence and a total lack of supervision. They have no idea which divers are where or where they plan to surface and when someone eventually disappears, they will have no idea where to even start looking.

Captain Jerry demonstrates the pinnacle of customer service. He was courteous, attentive, welcoming…read moreand friendly. We instantly felt at home on his boat. He had prepared breakfast for us and after our first two dives provided a delicious dinner. His boat was considerably faster than others that left at the same time allowing him to provide us with the best diving location without any competition for the space. His years of experience in the area around long beach and Catalina was invaluable. We will absolutely be booking him in the future.

I had such a great one on this charter as always Captain TJ and his beautiful crew taught us how to…read moresnorkel and how to catch fish (so much fun!) we got to just relax and have a few drinks with each other while enjoying the ride and the crew the were the absolute best! Anyone who joins this crew for a charter is guaranteed to have an amazing time! Thank you so much for such an amazing awesome, and entertaining experience! I can't wait to see yall again! Perfect way to relax on a day off!

Capt. TJ and Jacob were most astute and accommodating. We took my Dad out for a half-day fishing…read more From their ease I could tell they had dragged 94-year-olds onboard more than a couple of times! My Dad caught the first fish, as is his tradition, but I ended up catching more than he did. A first! Pretty sure TJ arranged this somehow to goad my Dad into returning sooner rather than later as I had told him we're trying to lure my Dad into moving out here from Arkansas. All in all, it was a fantastic success and I can't recommend the Kamryn Dawson more highly. Thanks again, Capt. TJ and Jacob. We will see you again real soon!!!

This was such a fun cruise we did this last week.. Were on Ovation of the seas Mexico Cruise. We…read moredeparted Los Angles on Sunday. Our room Steward was Sebastian he's friendly abs kind. He's very attractive. He got us what we needed when we needed it. Our waiter and waitress were Michael and Maira they knew our names on the 2nd day. Everyone knows what I'm drinking. Which is crazy. There's so much people and you remember my mane and what I'm drinking. Well be back on Royaln if I get a good deal. I'm going somewhere weeks besides Mexico.

Recently took a weekend cruise aboard Serenade of the Seas via Royal Caribbean and for the most…read morepart it was a decent experience. This review is directly related to that boat and the weekend San Diego to Ensanada cruise. From start to finish...boarding was fairly easy, as we went through and processed the through the port. We had a designated boarding time, and showed up around that time, and officially boarded within the hour. Once onboard, the staterooms were officially opened at 1:30 PM. We grabbed our first cocktail and made our way to our staterooms, which were balcony rooms on the 9th deck. Perfect sized rooms and a nice balcony with privacy partitions. This ship had a fair amount of outlets, but our favorites were the Safari Lounge and the British Pub. The Safari Lounge was where we found ourselves each evening, hanging at the back of the ship either bellied up to the bar or relaxing in the plush seating. We ate at Chops, which is their specialty steakhouse. We didn't have the specialty dining package, so the dinner was $59 pp, which wasn't bad as it was a 4 course meal including appetizer, steak or main, side and dessert. The food was decent, nothing phenomenal, but it was all served hot and as ordered, and still for the price point, it was decent. The buffet on board was what you'd expect from a cruise line buffet. Decent options, none really good, but they hit the spot and served its purpose when we needed an easy and quick meal. The bar/drink package is always worth it and if you are on board for a good time, you will definitely get your moneys worth, we know we did! Not all the bars had the same menu, which was a tad annoying, but all of them served up some variety of tasty drinks. And good thing about the package is you could choose top shelf and not well liquor, which was wildly important. Again, drink package is worth it! The boat was in decent condition, but could use some TLC throughout including windows, mirrors, some furnishing and in the gym. We were a bit confused on the theme of the vessel, as there wasn't one common vibe throughout the ship. The adults only solarium pool, which we appreciated, was a mix of themes. This honestly carried itself throughout the boat. Didn't detract from the experience, just confused us a tad...mainly after a few drinks. Service was always great, friendly, efficient and helpful. No matter who we interacted with, it was a good experience from a service perspective. Debarkation was the roughest spot and was absolutely chaos. They did customs and all the decoration process on the ship, so there were thousands of folks in the atriums, hallways, stairwells, etc...waiting. No signs, no directionals...was legit stressful for everyone. Took us around 90 minutes to get through the process and finally off the boat. Only other irritating thing was the internet pricing. Which was $50+ for one device over the two nights. Normally not a big deal, but to do certain things on the RC app, it required you to be connected to their WiFi. So, at least one person in your party had to have the package. Not the end of the world, but again, annoying. The port day was fairly short, a window of 830a-330p, but it was Ensanada, so not a whole lot of things that could take up 7 hours of your day. We shuttled from the port to a downtown station, where the shuttle service gave us tickets and charged $4/pp round trip. Not a bad deal, as walking from the port to where we were headed would have been about 30+ minutes...and again, it was 100 degrees, so we were happy to pay the $4. Overall, we enjoyed the cruise. San Diego to Ensanada over 48 hours. Serenade of the Seas is not our favorite boat by far, but for this short weekend cruise, it checked all the boxes.

The Los Angeles Maritime Institute runs an amazing youth program for middle school students. The…read morefull program has the students go on day sails during the school year. And during the summer, the students go on a several day voyage around Catalina Island. I've volunteered with this organization for several years. And now that I'm on the other coast, I'm still able to help out by helping with online projects. Anyone who knows how to sail or would like to learn how and wants to work with kids should consider volunteering at LAMI.

This is a great place to volunteer, I've met such amazing and kind people and they all love what…read morethey're doing. The environment is very ambitious which makes me feel like doing more for them.

This review is specifically for the Pride fishing vessel and crew. Wow! I recently went on their 2…read moreday trip on 7/17 to 7/19 and what a trip it was. Captain Michael, 2nd captain Max, galley cook and deckhand Ayden, as well as the other 2 deckhands John and Cooper made it an amazing trip. Not only did they put us on the fish, but they helped recommend the proper tackle tips, ensured we had minimal tangles, and had the gaf ready for each fish that made it up. The meals included in our trip price was very good. Kept us fueled as we were putting major time at the rail fishing. I will definitely be booking another trip on this boat before the season is over. Thanks again Pride crew

I gave them another try, hoping things had improved, but unfortunately my experience was pretty…read moremuch the same. It started in the tackle shop when I asked for a lure but had the name wrong. Instead of simply helping me figure out what I was looking for, the employee made a point of correcting me and did it with an unnecessary attitude. Then there was the $20 fuel surcharge. With gas prices having come down considerably, I was surprised to still see an additional fuel charge added to the trip. The deckhands were good and I had no issues with them. I could also question why we went after bluefin when the yellowtail bite has been hot, but I understand that is ultimately the captain's decision. At the end of the trip, I cleared my galley tab for $25. I'll take responsibility for not confirming exactly what I was being charged for, but I had a cheeseburger, a Coke, and asked to have three rockfish filleted, so the amount seemed about right. I also left a tip. When we got back to the dock, however, I received all three fish whole--not gutted or filleted. When I questioned it, the response was basically an "oh well" attitude with no real attempt to fix the situation. Mistakes happen, and none of these issues individually would necessarily ruin a trip. The bigger problem is the overall attitude and lack of customer service. I gave them another chance, but unfortunately I don't feel much has changed.

JMJ helped me big time. I was in the middle of my open water certification and was having…read moredifficulty finding a rental suit that fit me. I went to a couple dive shops but still couldn't find one. After one uncomfortable dive, I reached out to JMJ to see if I could get a custom wetsuit made before the following week. Not only did they say yes, but it was done in just a couple of days, allowing some time for the hood to be altered slightly. I've now used it on my four open water certification dives and cannot express enough how great it is to have the comfort of my own suit. Thanks so much!!

My JMJ Custom 7mm wetsuit got it's first splash this weekend in 51degree water in Catalina. Kept…read moreme warm and kept the water out as it should. It was easy to get on and off, wet and dry. I saw several other people with JMJ wetsuits that looked like they had been used for years and looked like they were holding up well. The JMJ Crew were friendly, responsive and physically make the suits on site so I was able to see the process. I was able to see, touch and feel the product before I ever placed an order, which you cannot do when you by online or even in some of the high pressure dive shops! I tried on a lot of wetsuits with all the special high tech treatments and seam seals, etc. None of them felt good on my skin and most of them were too long or too tight and bigger sized had to be ordered and were subject to restocking fees if they were returned. When I met the guys at JMJ, I knew custom was the only way to go and I am glad I did. The process was easy, Jeff took measurements and two weeks later I walked out with a custom fit wetsuit. They even custom fit a pocket for my dive knife! The cost was only a few dollars more than one of the best Henderson's off the rack, but much better because it fit me like a glove and I got to pick the colors! JMJ makes a high quality product which I expect to have and enjoy for years, locally in Torrance. I HIGHLY recommend them. JMJ will be making me a 3mm wetsuit as soon as I can decide what colors I want. JMJ is conveniently located in Torrance, California, not far from the 110 freeway