What a great place to go to good facilities and amenities really nice customer service great place…read moreto rent a kayak but sadly the parking is very sketchy. We noticed several tweakers so we wound up going to a whole different place because we just didn't feel safe leaving our car this day tweakers going back-and-forth on bikes from each parking location. It's very sad this detoured us from using this marina that we so enjoy on this day.more security is needed

Spent a weekend at Dock Street Marina, checking out Tacoma & hanging out on the boat. The location…read more allows easy access to quite a bit: the glass museum, UW Tacoma campus, the free link train to most of downtown and there is a Starbucks within close range too. The marina has a great shower/restroom facility. Very clean and updated. Laundry is also available. Upon check-in, we were given a welcome packet with info on the city, sightseeing brochures, coupons, etc. Docks were clean, I saw them being swept/washed in the morning. We had a great view of the bridge at night, and with the water so calm, you could see the reflection mirrored in the water. Food options nearby: 1) 7 Seas Brewery with restaurant 3uilt inside 2) Forum (link train to theatre district) 3) The Swiss - bar/pub food Heads up: you're near the train tracks, so you'll hear trains going by or as hubs likes to say "fake train noises".

I've been to Point Defiance Marina quite a few times and especially when we were new to the area…read more Steve and I walked all the way from Owen Beach to the marina a number of times and always enjoyed the walk and view. You can see Vashon Island and it's ferry, Mount Rainier on some days and even some aquatic life in Puget Sound like jellyfish and seals. Some time passed where we finally went into the boathouse and even though we don't own a boat (and don't intend to) or are into fishing we still found lots of merchandise that we found and Steve even bought a t-shirt so there is a wide variety of merchandise to check out. There is a restaurant tucked down here we should check out sometime, an Anthony's restaurant that we will perhaps go to sometime also.

This is a lovely area to spend the afternoon in! The…read moreBoathouse is where you can go for your supply run. They have a variety of fishing equipment, snacks, sandwiches, and really cute clothing/décor. The marina itself has several activities to do. They offer boat and kayak rentals - the boats come from the Boathouse store and the kayaks come from wayyy down on Owen beach. For those that like to fish there is an area off the pier that allows you to do so and there's a fish cleaning station nearby. If you have a boat there are drive up and hand launch areas to get you in the water and moorage is available with gas and pumpout on site. From a walking stand point: great place to see sea life, close to the ferry, and an all around lovely place to get some fresh air!

I'll start by saying the entire staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I recently got my…read moreopen water certification here. The course was great because I had some of the best instructors I've ever experienced. Ed & Danetta were extremely helpful. I felt like I was being taught by good friends more than they were "instructors". I've been scuba diving before this class but they still taught me extremely useful skills in the pool and open water. They did a great job keeping me and my buddy comfortable at all times and I never felt like I was in any danger at any point of the class (even though you must take your mask off at 25 feet in the cold water!!). I would definitely recommend the open water course with Ed & Danetta to any of my friends. I had a blast and I'm sure you will too. * special shoutout to Dimitri who volunteered in his free time to help out with our class.

I feel very fortunate to have found Underwater Sports in Federal Way. I have been snorkeling for…read moredecades and wanted to get SCUBA certified for a very long time. With an upcoming trip to Baja Sur, I decided this was the time and was initially looking at outfits in Mexico when I just so happened to check local prices here in the PNW. I was surprised to find that Underwater Sports offered the most affordable PADI certification I had seen, half the cost of some dive companies in Baja. When I went to check out the shop, I was immediately impressed with the staff, who were all friendly, knowledgeable, & passionate about diving. It felt right, so I booked the Open Water Diver course. This proved to be a very good decision as our instructor, Jaiden, and her assisting Dive Masters (Frank & Jason) were all equally skilled, friendly, and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was professional but never stiff. I was confident that Jaiden and our Dive Masters always knew what they were doing and had our safety as their top priority, but they also were very relatable and easy to talk to. The experience was an entirely positive one, from beginning to end, and while I was already certain that I would love diving, I am now equally certain that I have found a community that I will continue to share that love with. I highly recommend Underwater Sports in Federal Way for anyone interested in crossing over to the other side of the water's surface. It's a beautiful world down there & you couldn't do much better than having the Fed Way crew introduce you to it.

I did the paddle board class today with Doug and it was my first time to try SUP. IT WAS THE BEST…read moreTHING EVER! Doug was a great teacher, he was very patient and knowledgeable and we went at a good pace for me to get started. I even stood up a couple of times! I've definitely found a new hobby! If you want to get started paddle boarding, need a class, or just want to rent some equipment, see Big Bus!

Was really great talking to the owner and the girl working. Really fun people to talk to + seeing…read morethe egg yolk jellies made the cruise so worth it.

THIS IS THE PLACE IF YOU WANT TO GET A SCUBA CERTIFICATION!!!…read more The staff was polite, knowledgable, and really made you feel safe. I got a basic open water certification in November, and it could not have gone smoother. During the closed water portions (in a pool, and the first time you put on Scuba gear) they had a 1:1 student instructor ratio, so not only were you quite safe, you also didn't have to spend a lot of time waiting around for "your turn". By the time we started open water instruction (in Puget Sound), I felt very prepared. Once you get certified, they'll also throw in some free equipment rentals (which means everything you need for a dive), plus let you go on later group dives led by instructors for no additional charge (you'll need to rent or provide equipment though). While recently diving on vacation in Maui I told some of the other divers about the cert plus free rentals and they were simply blown away with the value! I'll be bringing my wife (and anyone else I know that wants to get Scuba certified) here for sure!

Great contact for diving in Tacoma, and great prices! I had non-diving friends move to Tacoma, and…read morefinally got the chance to visit from out of state. I was looking for a guided dive and had never been in open saltwater before. It was a bit of a last minute trip, and the shop was really really good about working with me to match me with a buddy, and had cheaper rental prices than all the other places I checked. Professional and easy to work with. I dove with Allen Raphael, and he was wonderful! Incredibly helpful, attentive to any questions I had, and was incredibly fun and knowledgeable about what we were seeing. I was also a little nervous, and he had a very easygoing calm personality while managing to get all the little details just right. I felt super safe and free to enjoy the dive, and he went the extra mile to work with me and my limitations, (no car, no place to dry gear overnight etc.) Lots of amazing sea critters too, lungfish, rockfish, nudibranchs, flounder, crabs and starfish of all sizes, sea cucumbers, anemone's...you'd never guess it's all down there by looking at the coast, and it's mostly all okay to touch! So incredible. Fantastic to work with, and we've already picked out the dives for my return trip!

Quick and easy rentals, nice and well-informed staff, and an overall great experience!…read more It's cheaper to rent during the winter months, but I'm not quite sure if you'd want to in the winter anyways. If you're up for a bit of a challenge (and an arm workout), leave the harbor and venture out into the sound. Keep an eye out for seals, jellyfish, and more!

My daughter and I were there looking at an inflatable kayak to purchase. My daughter had every…read moreintention of purchasing one they had but the one man working stood outside talking with someone who was sitting in his car the entire time. He never once asked if we had questions or needed help with anything. While looking at the kayak she wanted another couple walked in and needed help to which he pretty much blew them off. Needless to say my daughter hopped online and purchased a 1500$ kayak online because the one person working didn't acknowledge her or anyone else browsing the store what so ever. He clearly wasn't motivated to make a sale because we both would have gotten one.

This was my very first sailing class (101), and it exceeded all my expectations!…read more Mike Clidas was an outstanding instructor--knowledgeable, engaging, and incredibly effective at breaking down complex concepts. The class progressed smoothly from one topic to the next, making it easy to absorb a large amount of information without feeling overwhelmed. I'll definitely be returning for the 102, 103 and 104 courses. In fact, I was so impressed that I'll be signing up for a membership to get some additional practice on the water. If I could give 6 stars, I would. Highly recommended! Thanks to the entire team!

I took ASA 101 with my daughter as her introduction to sailing. We had such a great time! Mike C…read more Was an excellent instructor. My daughter is now excited to take additional classes and training, as well as getting her Coast Guard captions license- it was that great of a time. I have taken several sailing classes previously and this one was excellent. I highly recommend this school/training resource.

We love this pool !! Highly recommend…read more We look forward to summertime all year round just to go swimming here!

My family loves this pool! We have gone a few times this summer and my husband, 2 year old and I…read morehave always had a great time. They have a splash pad/very shallow area for the littles, 2 different sections of deeper water, the DEEP area where they alternate diving and free swim and a whirlpool. The pool is heated which can be a little weird on hot days but was mostly fine. My parents would have loved it since they get cold easily. Our little one was allowed to go in either in her floaties or in our arms. The locker rooms were clean and large and I appreciated the family rooms that are available. I only wish we lived in Fircrest so we could get a discount to use it but we love it all the same!