I recently had the pleasure of becoming a certified PADI Open Water diver through Under Water…read moreWorks. The instructors and divemasters were undeniably competent and incredibly patient. As someone who learned to swim as an adult, I felt like I was always in great hands. They knew exactly how to build my confidence in and above the water, and helped me to work through any mental/physical blocks. Thank you Gretchen, David, and Justin x2 for an amazing open water weekend and intro to scuba diving! For those who are already certified, they host monthly fun dives at different dive sites around the PNW. They provide dive site info, help pair up single divers, and even guide those who are beginners. Check out dates/locations on their website! My open water weekend dives occurred right before their fun dives, and it was encouraging to see other divers of all experience levels come together. It is truly a testament to UWW's love for PNW diving and the fostering of our local dive community. I can't wait to participate in them!

Be weary of their 'refresher' course. They are located in Tigard and used to use the Tigard High…read moreSchool pool. Now, you have to drive all the way out to St. Hellens. And, they do 'final paperwork at the pool', so if any of your paperwork is not correct, you will have done the drive for no reason and will not be allowed in the pool. Even if Gretchen tells you your "good to dive and all our paperwork is completed" online (with green checkmarks) you still may not dive. When I asked if I could 'redo the paperwork', I was told, "PADI does not allow redo of paperwork". I argued that clearly PADI ethics would allow mistakes to be fixed but the dive instructor was steadfast that they do not. What a complete joke. I asked for a refund and I was told they would not give one. I called and talked with Gretchen the next morning and she said I could not get a refund. After further discussion, she gave me a partial fund.

The crew at Acquatic Sports is top-notch! This business has been in their family for more than 3…read moregenerations, and it is clear how much they love diving and introducing new divers and season divers to incredible experiences and new skills. I decided (at age 54) that I wanted to become open-water certified as a SCUBA diver. After looking at a number of options online, I was referred to Acquatic Sports by a trusted friend. I was immediately impressed with the commitment to safety and ensuring that equipment works for each individual diver. The owner, Jeff, and his daughter, Shelby, as well as the other incredible staff are great resources, and are very knowledgeable about what they do and the latest diving equipment and diving opportunities. I especially appreciated the way my SCUBA instructors took time to explain concepts and allowed me unlimited pool time to practice outside of classes to solidify my skills. I would highly recommend this dive shop both for SCUBA education, as well as that instant feeling of camaraderie with everyone who works there. 10/10

This my local dive shop and I have been buying from them for years. Great staff, very friendly and…read moreknowledgeable. The product selection is good. The best part is the pool. They offer classes and if you're a scuba club member ypi can use the pool for practice.

Ron and TJ did a great job running the open water certification program. Strongly recommend.read more

I got certified at Adventure Sports Scuba with Ramon, Mark, and Irene at Ron's shop and can't…read morerecommend them enough. They were extremely patient with all the students, the instruction was clear and well paced, and the SDI certification and knowledge from the instructors put me in a great position to get my open water referral at my dive sites in Maui. I saw poor divers firsthand on my actual dives and was very thankful for the instruction I got here. Ron was a huge help in processing my certification when my referral dive company was a different certification group and was knowledgeable and patient through some logistical hoops I had to jump through due to the dive companies I chose. I'm recommending Adventure Sports Scuba to all my friends for certification and I hope to dive with their team and social dive network a lot more in the future!

I went in to by snorkeling gear and was blown away by the informative and thorough explanation of…read morehow to select a mask, snorkel and fins. I've never owned snorkeling gear (just rented) and was highly impressed by the selection and service. Top notch and glad I didn't buy at a general sporting goods store or Amazon. Highly recommend buying at this store.

The owner Laurie Hannula has a lifetime of diving expertise, and their safety record is…read moreunparalleled, with no training fatalities. This is because they have the highest standards, they have amazing dive masters teaching. John Cook, Eric, and of course Laurie. They are patient, thorough, and fun to be taught by. Laurie will not up-sale gear, in fact they are one of the only shops that include scuba gear during the lessons, this is particularly useful if you are not certain if this sport is for you. Highly recommend this team!

Wonderful customer service. Professional and kind. Great products. Convenient location.read more

I took the Open Water certification course at Thunder Reef, and the instructors were excellent!…read more They did a great job of teaching the coursework and thoroughly reviewing the skills in the pool. I really appreciated that at the end of the course, they set up all of the certification dives for you, so that you can immediately get certified at the end of the course. Sometimes dive courses don't do that, and it leaves you having to figure out where you're going to dive to become officially certified. Thunder Reef lined up multiple options for dates to complete the dives, as well as affordable hotel options. All of the staff really go the extra mile, and I could not recommend Jen and the whole team enough. :) I left the course feeling confident and excited to explore the world of diving!

Michael and his team are amazing! We were a family of four with one child that was nervous about…read morescuba diving. Michael and Conrad took such good care of him and made him fall in love with scuba. (we were scuba certified before we got there expect for the ocean dives). We really liked that they keep the groups small. They do run on island time so when they pick you up at your hotel they might run late :-)

From the owner: Blue Heaven Dives offers dive tours off the coast of Belize, Central America…read more Blue Heaven operates it's dive tours from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. We dive on the 2nd larges barrier reef in the world. Our dive master is Michael Cain, a long time Belizean residence of San Pedro. His life is to dive. He has many years of experiance and is very well versed on the local barrier reef, Turneffe Atolls and the Blue Hole. See Turtles, Rays, Groopers, Sharks, Whale Sharks, dolphins, corals, tunnels, a smorgishboard of tropical fish and so much more. Come dive with us in small groups (6) and have an adventure of a life time.

This is my local LDS in my new neighborhood. I went to this scuba shop to see about getting my Open…read moreWater certification. Larry's instructors Toby, Brent & Will were top notch! Very professional yet bring all the fun! We dove in Hoodsport, Washington for two days, stayed at the Sunrise Resort where they have all the dive amenities you could need, nice accommodations and even a hot tub overlooking the sound in the Olympic Peninsula! We swam with sea lions, and saw all sorts of radical seaside and small shipwrecks! I highly recommend getting your certifications through this shop. They will make you feel very comfortable and show you the best time!

Fun and friendly place. The owner is very knowledgeable and takes the time to make sure you know…read moreall the features and options. I have been having him service our gear for a few years now and have found the service to be honest and dependable. It is not the closest dive shop to my home by a long shot, but I like the vibe and the prices. Never any pressure for unnecessary accessories or repairs.

Excellent Instructor, one-on-one style course that carries on objective, to get you diving. Very…read moreknowledgeable and diligent in teaching important parts of scuba, and safety. I had a great time, and learned a ton, and definitely will continue to SCUBA. Also he is not affiliated with any Scuba shop, so he doesn't pressure anyone into spending money on equipment you may not use.

I found out about JCA Elite Scuba through Yelp, and I am glad I did! His prices are absolutely the…read moremost competitive. He was extremely helpful in choosing equipment for purchase depending on the type of diving you plan to do as well as how often you plan to dive. I had a tight schedule, and Carlos found a way to squeeze me in private lessons last minute so that I was certified in time for my trip to Belize. He was very knowledgable and patient - and above all emphasis on safety. Carlos Is a Master Instructor and an elite scuba diving educator who, through dedication and hard work, exemplifies what it means to be a scuba diving professional through his teaching efforts and professional conduct. That's why I am giving him my highest rating, Nine thumbs up!

Heads up! The ramp down to the boat is very, very steep. I'm able bodied and it hurts my knees…read more They have a solution if you're unable to walk the ramp, but it's a real adventure. It's so steep that they offer a wheelchair tied to a rolling machine with a rope. The special machine slowly pulls the chair on the ramp because it's not safe for a human to push or pull or even navigate your own wheels. Steeeep. Super steep. The first floor has a bathroom; the second floor and the rooftop do not. If you can't navigate stairs, you are stuck on the first floor. There really isn't a bad seat on the boat. Even if you aren't sitting right at the window, there is a perfectly awesome view from the middle. The second level is fully enclosed, except for a small patio in the front. Level three is the partially covered open air roof rooftop. There's a small gift shop up top towards the front that leads to the navigation quarters. You can talk to the navigation crew and the captain. Very cool. Overall, it's super fun to be on a boat. I'm grateful for what we have and the name does fit: The Portland Spirit. This one has the aesthetic of a good old Portland dive bar. It's not fancy; it's apparent that it hasn't been renovated or updated in ages. The tables have peeling laminate and the chairs have that familiar Portland grime. Looks like It was built in 1986 (it was). HAPPY HOUR CRUISE EXPERIENCE Our group was not able to navigate stairs, but they allowed us to stay on the first floor even though it was not open for happy hour (on our cruise) and made special trips to serve us since the bar was only open on the second floor. There is an ongoing narration about history and sites to see along the way, so if you are hoping to have a conversation, keep that in mind. Happy cruising!

We booked the big foot cruise. 2 adults and 2 teens. We were the last on the boat. The headphones…read morewere scattered about and 2 of us didn't get them. The boat was really crowded. People sit sideways on the small bench so there is little room in order to see out. Without headphones you can't hear the narration so it just becomes a boat ride. I wouldn't do this again.