Completed open Water 3 and 4 this weekend. The exceptional service continued with Riviera Capt. Bob and Dive Master! One of the things I really appreciated had nothing to do with diving. Capt. Bob saw a fishing boat in a protected area and respectfully recommended that they move to a legal place. The fishing crew was not as respectful. Instead of blowing up, Capt. Bob handled it appropriately and got them to move off. Thanks for protecting our marine life in a such a mature way!!! Looking forward to going out again with Bob and his exceptional dive masters! read more

Professional and fun boat and the dive crews! Great service, definitely recommend going diving with them! read more

PADI Certified on Riviera charters and had a mostly good experience! The captain of the boat was fab and Steve from Beach Cities was the best at training and a super nice person. Ken. who trained me on one of the charters, was not very friendly and condescending at times. I would have given a 5 star review if he would have had a better attitude. I tipped him anyway, but felt I should let him know that his snippy comments and deflating words didn't go unnoticed. read more

What a great outfit! Great people and service! Our Scuba certification was amazing thanks to the crew!

Easy to schedule, great crew, easy instructions. There's a variety of dive sites that they visit. You can get a boat dive in half a day.

By chance, my wife and I booked her first OW dive as a certified diver and were rewarded with some of the best conditions I've ever seen here and that is since 1976. We've done several trips and love the boat and the people. The other divers have also always been great company. We did Picnic and Treasure Island and got great direction from Captain Bob as to navigation. We looked around and have found BCS to be the best in the business, really a one stop shop. read more

Riviera Charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

I went for Women's Dive Day and loved it! Bethany, our guide, kept us safe and happy while exploring some surge-y areas of Laguna Beach reefs. The boat has a wonderful snack area with Maruchan, which is heaven after a cold dive. The dive master, whose name I'll misspell - Carrie-Ann? - is also wonderful! read more

We had a great time on Riviera Charters. Bob and Chris were very professional and very nice. We felt safe on and off the boat. We're new to diving and the captain and crew put our minds at ease from the onset and made our trip very enjoyable. read more

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Enjoyed an early morning sucba diving, The crew was excellent; competent, professional, and extremely helpful in assuring equipment was perfectly suited for the schedule dives. Looking forward to many more exciting diving experiences read more

Bob and Chris are awesome! Riviera Charters made my PADI first open water boat dive a fun and exciting experience. Will definitely join them again! Big thanks to Beach Cities for partnering with a professionals! read more

Safety-minded crew with great snacks (girl scout cookies!!!). This was the second time we've used the Riviera and will be back for more. Thank you! read more

Really enjoyed the 2 dive scuba charter out of Dana Point! Crew was knowledgable and helpful

Great dive leaders and boat crew. We are "returning after a long time" divers and our instructor Sarah was so patient and skilled. Booking is easy and convenient on the website. All our rented gear was on the boat. Everyone was very supportive and kind. read more

A student and I were on the riviera last weekend for an Advanced Open Water dive course. Dive Master Kuhns did an amazing job helping weight redistribution during PPB. The staff was amazing helping get us in the water and out of the water. The snacks and water helped keep us recharged during the second and third dives. read more

Riviera Charters - Coast Guard mandated briefing and briefing regarding COVID-19 safety. - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

Great crew, and 2 fun trips. The crew was nice, and attentive. Captain was very knowledgeable and gave us some great trips with lots to look at. read more

Went for our PADI open water certification but the swells were too powerful and couldn't find a safe place for us to do our dives so it was cancelled. It was the safe and prudent thing to do. I am grateful that they kept our safety first and foremost in their minds. There were some who were disappointed I am sure but I wanted my kids to have a good time and not be scared trying to get back on to a boat that would be rocking in the waves. They have earned my trust and I look forward to many dives in the future. read more

Participated in a PADI open water diving certification from Beach Cities Scuba with Riviera Charters. Everyone was very professional and supportive. Thanks for taking care of me out there! - Steve read more

I have to say the riviera crew are amazing, Tried them on a scuba dive &: 1. They have air set up 2 tanks for you "but it's alum." So you need more weight I learned lol. 2. When you're ready to go in he helps you put your fins on he is like don't bend I'll do it. 3. They are like if you come up and you don't give ok after 2 times asking they will jump in and get you. So very careful and caring 4. On the forms they ask how much weight you need. I brought my weights but they had weight belts for everyone with names . That to me was beyond read more

Excellent crew. Very professional, friendly and made sure we stayed safe. Highly recommend.

Crew was very helpful and professional. Boat was clean. Ramon noodles was a nice touch.

The Captain and dive master were super helpful. It was a great day. They made sure everyone was safe and the Girl Scout cookies were the best. read more

Crew was great. Boat was what I expected and paid for. Snacks and refreshments provided. Captain knew what he was doing.

A group of us yelpers bought a deal off of Groupon for Snorkeling in Dana Point. See deal here: (http://www.groupon.com/orange-county/deals/riviera-yacht-charters-orange-county) We made a reservation with the Riviera Yacht Charter. With the groupon deal, we were to check in at Beach Cities Scuba Center. Then, meet the Riviera at the dock nearby. Making reservations with the Riviera Yacht Charter was actually pretty easy. I emailed them at: reservations@rivierayachtcharters.com and in less than a day, David wrote me back, also CC'ing the Captain of the Riviera (Rod) and Andrew at Beach Cities Scuba. We dealt mostly with Andrew, and it was easy for him to fit us into his schedule. Excellent customer service! On their website, are really good instructions on what you should do/bring before you get there. (http://www.rivierayachtcharters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Riviera-Groupon-Directions.pdf) There's also a liability form you need to sign and bring on the day of. (http://www.rivierayachtcharters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Boat-Travel-Statement-of-Risks-and-Liability.pdf) On the day of the snorkeling excursion, we showed up early. Checked in, got our wetsuits. Met at the designated meeting point.. and went off into sea. The boat ride to our destination was around 15 minutes long. From there, they set us loose to snorkel as much as we wanted. Visibility that day was alright. The captain said it was around 7-8 feet. We were able to see some black and orange fish, and a seal! If you go, definitely pay the extra $20 for a wetsuit. The water was cold as hell. Maybe even get a wetsuit for your hands and feet! :) Maybe even bring an underwater camera. And Dramamine if you get seasick. Overall it was a fun trip. read more

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I was certified on the Riviera in 2016. Since then 50+ dives of my 120, and 17 certifications have been from this boat, or instructors I met from the charter. I have seen this charter grow and change based on the needs and feedback of their customers. No dive charter is perfect, but these guys/gals have always been safe and worked hard to make things right if issues were brought directly to the Director of Operations, DJ Mansfield. What else can you ask for? I caught my first lobster from this boat, was introduced to the dive 949 club, and continue to have great trips. It's a simple boat without a lot of frills, but it's the people you're going to meet and the knowledge of the crew that will keep you going back. read more

Absolutely wonderful crew. Very professional. Can't wait to join them on another adventure!

Had a great time! Staff was super friendly. Appreciated the warm tea and hot cocoa available after the dive.

My first SoCal dive! Riviera books their scuba trips through Beach Cities Scuba in Huntington Beach, glad I visited the shop to get more details about the parking, etc. Felt prepared for the trip. Riviera motors out of the Dana Point Harbor, the closest off ramp was closed the Saturday I went, glad I allotted a little extra time to get the lay of the land. Check in was at the boat, and not the harbor office like the sports fishing. Reasonable price. Dive locations were pretty close. Reefs were interesting, but I didn't expect SoCal diving in July to be so cold! Glad I wore a 3mm suit. 2d dive was a shallower dive near a beach, a nice way to cap everything off. Bill & the rest of the crew was very helpful and helped to make my experience a fun one! Will repeat and recommend to others. read more

Riviera Charters - Diving off Dana Point, CA - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

Great boat to dive on for local Orange County diving. Experienced staff runs the boat. Perfect for lobster diving, exploring the kelp forests, or finishing your training. read more

I have been out on the Riviera 4 different days and always a pleasure. The crew is helpful and they spoil all aboard with food/drinks and when diving/snorkeling they assist you with your gear and even swap tanks for you while you relax and enjoy some hot soup or snacks between dives. They are very knowledgable of the area and you can dive in many different places not just one location. I would recommend anyone heading out to contact the Riviera and reserve a spot. Pricing is also very reasonable. They also work with beach cities scuba centers so if your looking for more training or certifications I would recommend them as well. all info can also be found at there website. Looking forward to my next outing on the riviera read more

Riviera Charters - Sunset headed back to the harbor at the end of our day of diving - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

I dove as part of my certification with this crew on 7/7/18 and have been meaning to write this review for awhile. The captain and two other crew members were helping us on our dive. The captain was a perfect gentleman and the one other crew member was nice; and all three were helpful, but I had a couple of issues with my instructor. He was an ex-sheriff, I think his name was Bill but I'm not sure. Within 5 minutes of meeting him, he intrusively pointed out a scar on my neck in front of others and asked me about it. While on the boat, he made a weird sexist joke while showing me pictures of turtles, saying "How do you know which one is the female?" "The one with her mouth open hahahhaha." It kind of caught me off guard. On the positive side, he was good at keeping us all together and on track underwater, which is important. However, the intrusiveness and sexist joke were out of place and unappreciated. I get that this is a form of humor, but it really doesn't have much of a place in modern society. read more

Took my first 2 dives toward my PADI cert and the boat and crew was great. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. I was borrowing gear and broke a fin strap and they quickly handed me a set of replacement fins. My mask hold was also bad and they quickly rigged me up with a replacement. These guys know the best spots in OC and are always willing to help. Looking forward to my next dives! read more

I was pleasantly surprised diving with these guys this past Sunday. Maybe it was because there were lots of teachers and students and snorkelers on the boat, but they were very professional, friendly, and helpful. They also had tons of food, drinks, and hot soup for all. There was plenty of parking and luckily few people on the boat...very comfy. I'll be back often. Maybe Sunday's are the time to go...it sounds like they were very busy on Saturday. Working with Beach Cities Scuba Center was easy too. read more

I just got my scuba certificate. I had such a great time. All the dive masters were awesome. A special thanks to lisa and Rob. You guys are the best. Thank you so much! !! read more

As a Scuba Boat this boat has a tremendous amount to learn. I had friend get her Certification on the boat. The boat could not remind the people on board enough about tipping the crew... Over and Over and Over again. The help getting back into the boat with all The Gear on was non existent. Great looking boat with a lot to learn. I would not recommend this boat. Want to get Certified? Go to the lee side of Catalina Island! Note to Riviera... A tip comes from Great Service! read more

Love this boat! The crew is so friendly and nice and accommodating. I would highly recommend this yacht for any occasion.

I have been on this boat two times for open water certification. The first time was absolutely perfect. Good crew, good instructor and good dive master. They were very helpful and patient with our small group of students. We completed our two dives without a problem. The second trip did not go as well. The instructor was not helpful. The dive master was the same and the captain of the boat was a rude lout. I was trying to complete my certification dives on this trip. On my first dive, I had equipment issues where I needed to make some adjustments. I asked the dive master, Lisa, to help me. She told me to fix it myself once I was in the water. I was not able to do so and had to abort my dive so as not to keep the rest of the class waiting. On my second dive, I surfaced early as the equipment issue was not entirely resolved. I was a bit panicked and asked for assistance to get to the boat. Lisa helped me get to the boat. But what happened next was unbelievable. I was tired and panicked when we got to the boat. There we were greeted by the boat captain ( a short fat guy named Chris, I believe). While I struggled, the captain was screaming at me, clearly as frustrated as I was with the situation. He was so frustrated, that he ripped my mask and snorkel off of my head and threw it into the ocean. That was over $200 to replace! When I asked Lisa about the whereabouts of my gear, she replied with a smirk " it wasn't on you when you boarded the boat". Needless to say, I will not be using this charter again. The instructor was not helpful, the dive master was irresponsible and the captain a jerk. read more

I have been diving on the Riviera off and on for past 3-4 years and I truly enjoy it. The crew offers some of the best customer service and is always willing to assist. I look forward to continuing to dive the Riviera :) See you soon! read more

Although long-time SoCal divers, we had never really explored Orange County before we went out with Riviera Yacht Charters. They took us up to Emerald Cove and Deadman's Reef. Both locations had pretty good visibility and abundant marine life (especially inside the underwater reserve). The crew were exceptionally helpful and generally nice to be around. It was a small group, so the boat was not crowded at all. Weather was beautiful, although the water was unseasonably cold and I was shivering in my 3mil. For anyone who has missed out on Orange County diving due to lack of boat availability, Riviera Yacht Charters is a great way to fill in that gap in your log book. read more

I have been diving on the Riviera several times and I have always had a great experience. The captain and crew are very helpful and they always have coffee and breakfast available on the way out to the dive site as well as warm food at the ready after each dive. They always do their best to find the best dive site and they are more than happy to help you set up your gear and help you in and out of the water. I feel very safe with this operation and highly recommend them. read more

We chartered the Riviera for a Coastal Cruise and had a fantastic time. Captain Derek took us along the shoreline of Laguna Beach and pointed out all of the landmarks including where Betty Davis house was right on the beach. The boat was very comfortable and even had heaters. On the way back we were able to see dolphins and whales which were right in front of us. The boat is wide and very comfortable. We had a great time and would highly recommend them. read more