I did my pool sessions for my open water class here. Anthony, the instructor, was amazing! He was so patient and encouraging. He is extremely knowledgeable and put a major focus on safety. I highly recommend Anthony at SF Scuba Schools!! read more

On a whim in November during Covid, we decided to get open water scuba certified. We were hoping to travel to French Polynesia for a milestone birthday in 2021, so we thought it would be a good idea to be certified for that trip, and it would also give us something to do for a bit while still sheltering in place at home. We did a bit of research online, and came across San Francisco Scuba School. We called a few other schools, but some were busy or not open during Covid, and some of the class schedules didn't work for us. We contacted SF Scuba School and the owner Anthony was quick to respond that he had space in an upcoming accelerated class. It met on the weekends, which worked very well for us. The course includes e-learning modules, a pool day in Pacifica, and four open water dives over one weekend in Monterey, if conditions allow. We confirmed for the course and within a day had access to the e-learning modules we needed to complete before the Saturday pool portion. For the Saturday course, we were at Andersons Swim School in Pacifica. We arrived a bit early, which I would recommend, as you can purchase your own mask and snorkel before the course starts if you don't already have a nice one. The class started at 2pm, and we were told to be prepared to stay until 9 or 10pm. So, eat a nice big lunch before you arrive. Anthony was a great instructor. With an excellent background in both diving and the medical field, I felt very safe. This was important to me, as I was quite nervous and wasn't sure I was going to enjoy diving. Anthony is focused on safety and provides great instruction to ensure you feel comfortable. The next weekend, we headed to Monterey for the open water portion of the training. Since the course started at 7am, and we didn't want to drive down from San Jose early, we made a weekend of it and got a hotel for Friday and Saturday night. I recommend doing this if you can. Anthony told us we could get our wetsuits and BCD's fitted on Friday afternoon if we wanted, which we did. I was again super nervous for the open water portion, and Anthony was incredible at making me feel at ease. I am proud to say I completed all 4 dives over the two days and am certified! In January we also completed the Nitrox air certification with Anthony, which is a quick and easy e-learning module plus a trip up to Pacifica to meet with Anthony and review the material and take the test. Tip, don't buy modules from PADI directly, allow Anthony to schedule any trainings, modules for you, as it is more affordable that way. I HIGHLY recommend using Anthony and San Francisco Scuba School. read more

San Francisco Scuba Schools - Scuba Diving Near Me - Pacifica, California

Anthony and his teaching assistant were awesome. Anthony delivered the lecture in a calm manner which inspired confidence. Anthony has a great deal of teaching experience! We picked this dive school because they don't require you to purchase a diving mask, snorkel, booties, or any other gear. SF Scuba Schools provides all the gear. This was perfect for us because we were doing the PADI open water dive certification pool work with Anthony, and then we did our PADI open water certification dives in Hawaii, so we didn't need to have our own gear to take on the plane (the dive shop in Hawaii had everything). My girlfriend, and our children (10, 12, and 14 years old) all got open water certified through San Francisco Scuba Schools. The facility is indoors and the pool is well heated. read more

San Francisco Scuba Schools - My girlfriend and our children doing the pool exercises for our open water certification. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Pacifica, California

Anthony taught me to dive. What a fantastic human: patient, clear, safe, fun.... His style is absolutely brilliant, with just the perfect balance of detail and clarity. Can't recommend him highly enough, what a tremendous experience, both in the pool and the ocean. read more

I took Rob's Open Water PADI scuba class in a marathon 5 hour session in Pacifica last week. Rob is a very good teacher and clearly explains and demonstrates the skills that you need to know before you take your open water dives. I took the referral class, in which I studied the materials at home before attending the 5 hour class in Pacifica. After successfully passing the class, you can take the referral form to any PADI certified resort (hopefully somewhere with warmer water than Monterrey) to complete the necessary 4 open water dives to get PADI open water certification. Overall, I think Rob's class was good, but I think that doing all pool dives in a single 5 hour evening session is a lot to digest all at once. Most other schools have a few sessions to give you a better chance to review what you've learned during previous sessions. I think it might have been better to have 2 sessions. If you do sign up for the class, it's very important that you thoroughly review and complete the PADI training materials before class. read more

We had a mixed experience with SFSS. My husband and I needed our Advanced Open Water Dive certification for an upcoming trip. After exchanging several emails, phone calls, and messages, we were finally able to reserve our spots in a weekend class and order our books. We were told we would select our 3 optional dives once we arrived on site for our weekend dives but when we arrived, they said they had already picked our dives and expected us to have read all of the accompanying course material (which we obviously hadnt). Also, you dive out of a shop in Monterey and they ask you to be there at 8am on Saturday. We arrived at 8am and there must have been at least 30 other people in the shop also there for other classes. This made the atmosphere chaotic and unprofessional. I will say that our dive instructor was great and once we were checked into our class, everything went smoothly. The initial communication and setup however left a lot to be desired. read more

Our instructor Anthony was just awesome! He is highly experienced, very knowledgeable, super patient, and just fun as well. What makes the school outstanding is that all the gear is already included in the price, so one thing less to care about. The groups are small enough for everyone to get the attention they need. Thanks, Anthony for helping me build more confidence in the water. read more

So I decided to finally get dive certified and I signed up for the pool sessions at SF Scuba Schools. The class showed up early and they accommodated by just starting the class, off to a great start! Things were well explained and I never felt like I was unable to ask a question, so by the time we had to demonstrate the skill I was comfortable to attempt it. I'd often forget parts of the longer techniques, and even underwater he was able to remind me of the steps. Rob's a fantastic teacher, he was patient, funny, informative, and did I mention patient? I would definitely recommend this place to all my friends. read more

Some team members from our company (and a few friends) signed up for our PADI certification with Rob and John, and they made this experience really great for our entire group of six. The process itself is a challenge, for sure. We endured spending lots of hours in a pool after long days of work, learning to become comfortable breathing under water (not as easy as it sounds for some) getting into cold wet wetsuits on day 2 of ocean dives, and climbing into the 51 degree water in Monterey, but Rob and John kept everyone in good spirits, did a fantastic job of explaining each exercise that we were expected to complete, and were very clear about making sure we understood the fundamentals of safety for scuba diving. I've always felt extremely comfortable in the water, but when I had an overwhelming experience under the ocean when the cold water hit my face, Rob was able to get me to relax enough to complete the task and to reach my goal of becoming certified. It was a memorable weekend for all 6 of us. Those of us who came into the experience thinking they might not be that into diving now have dive trips scheduled in Florida and Hawaii :) Thumbs up to Rob and John from all 6 of us at BAM! read more

San Francisco Scuba Schools - Scuba Diving Near Me - Pacifica, California

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After a very nerve wracking experience, I was able to get certified. I didn't think I would get so nervous and panicked--I AM COMFORTABLE in the the water. I free dive, I snorkel, I love it, I feel safe and confident. Once that regulator went in my mouth and the water covered my head, I had an anxiety attack. I couldn't do it. I wanted to quit. I wanted to walk away. You know, I didn't. Rob was so calming and explained everything very well. He was patient. I sent him some emails and he told me I would be fine, that perhaps I was over thinking things. Ok. Maybe. Then the Monterey Open Water dives came, and I had to squeeze into this wetsuit. Hoods, gloves, boots. Weights. I couldn't move, I could't breathe, I couldn't see. After the third dive, I told John I wanted to quit. I don't think this is for me. He told me not to quit, that I've got it, I'm so close. Both John and Rob were patient. I felt that they explained the necessary skills well enough, but still kept a low key enough vibe to ease my nerves. I asked tons of questions and every one of them were answered with patience. They were explanations that made sense to me. You know what is an incredible feeling? Not giving up. Not turning my back when it got difficult and after I swallowed water and was in tears and wanted to just go home, where it was safe and dry and warm. And then the final five minutes of dive number four when I managed to maintain neutrally buoyant and was swimming back to shore. That was an incredible feeling. Thank you John for calming me into staying and completing the certification and thank you Rob for being patient and so responsive. read more

What a great experience. I was actually connected to Rob via SF SCUBA Schools to do my pool and open water training for my PADI OWD SCUBA certification. I thought they were great, but was a little disappointed to find out that they are based out of Seattle actually, and run everything here remotely. When I made my reservations, I did so because they were the first group I contacted that could fit me in what was a very tight schedule (and of course because they had great yelp reviews) However, as a supporter of local businesses, I wish I had known ahead of time...I would have preferred to connect with Rob directly, and I advise you to do so. Rob demonstrated great patience with my trillion questions, asking and re-asking until I understood everything needed. This same level of patience translated into every aspect of the training: pool training, first dives, my problems equalizing the pressure in my ears, an unexpected sinus infection from the pool, and helping me through the last day after the meds I was taking made me sick to my stomach. What could have been a real ordeal turned out very well. All thanks to Rob. Each step of the way he took the necessary time with every student to make sure they got everything right...but mostly he waited on me: 1) waited with me and my slow descents due to equalizing problems 2) waited with me after I got sick to my stomach after my 3rd dive 3) made sure I was safe to dive again for my 4th dive, and even offered to allow me to come back and do it all next week when I was feeling better 4) after lunch (which was longer than necessary because everyone was waiting on me yet again) I felt much better and went for the 4th dive...and yet again I got sick and Rob waited on me some more. 5) changing out of our gear, I was last out the gate and moving slowly...everyone was waiting on me...ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Never once did I feel rushed, or feel anything but an agreeable nature from Rob. Other instructors may do the needful, but what shows the true character of a *teacher* is the patience exhibited when things don't go according to plan. If he ever felt any frustration he hides it well, because I never sensed it. The overall demeanor of the class is light hearted and easy going. You'll get some gentle chiding to coax you along, which fits right in with the SCUBA culture. I highly recommend Rob to instruct you on your PADI OWD certification. P.S. If you are at Breakwater Cove for your OWD, don't listen to anybody who gripes about the Russian lady who runs the sandwich shop next to Glenn's AQ 2. She is a sweetheart and took care of me when I was feeling shitty. She may have a stern demeanor, but she's really a softie. Look for a separate review on her shop. read more

I have mixed feelings after studying with SF Scuba School. Rob (owner, Pacifica pool session trainer) and John (Monterey, open water trainer) were kind, good-hearted people and only hours after the final dive I was looking back on the experience with fond memories. However, from our registration process to the open water dive at the end, our experience was best described as a comedy of errors due to poor planning and convoluted processes. The worst part by far was when on our first open water dive day a total of 9 students showed up yet the instructor can only teach 8 at a time, meaning he had to break us up into two small groups. So we ended up spending about 80% of our day between 7:30am and 3:30pm just waiting around in our wet suits while each group took turns doing our dives with the instructor. PADI itself is basically a propaganda machine designed primarily to get you to spend money buying your own gear and registering for as many classes as possible. The pre-dive course materials are rather out of date and goofy. I had expected the certification to be an experience in and of itself, but I came to realize that the point is to just get your certification out of the way so you can get out into the water with your friends where you have real fun. Overall, would I recommend it? It depends on what the other options are out there. It seems as though there's not a ton of competition and so business is pretty much guaranteed if you're a scuba school. read more

In short, SF Scuba School and Rob (the instructor) were amazing. Rob teaches you how to dive the right way, making absolutely sure that your skills are where they need to be for a safe and enjoyable diving in the future. His classes are efficient without being rushed and he takes a lot of time to make sure you're doing what you need to be doing. It's clear the Rob loves to dive and his enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. If you're thinking about taking a diving course, take it with Rob and SF Scuba Schools. You can't beat the price, and you certainly can't beat the quality of instruction. read more

Rob, Tony and Ian - they're all great. Tony Jones was our instructor for the pool sessions. Ian was helping out - both of them were extremely kind, courteous and helpful. When first scheduling my scuba sessions I spoke to Rob on the phone. He was great about promptly returning my phone calls. When I didn't receive my reading material on time he made sure he sent out another copy ASAP so that I had enough time before the first session to read up and prepare. If you're considering getting PADI certified, go with these guys! read more

One PADI course isn't going to be much different from another as far as what is taught; what will really set them apart is the the intructors. Rob and John were not only knowledgable and passionate about SCUBA, but just all around great people. The equipment we used seemed fine and they were quick to adjust or replace any problem equipment (not that I had any issues other than adding a bit of weight). I was a little worried at first about cramming everything in to just 3 days, but it worked out well and would recommend taking that route. Robb was very patient and answered any/all questions we had. I know I'll be keeping in touch with Robb for future certifications, it's just a matter of deciding which to do first. read more

I discovered my passion for scuba diving because of Rob at SF Scuba School. When my roommate and I took scuba classes in preparation for our diving trip in Thailand, Ron was patient, funny and super nice. When we arrive in Krabi, Thailand I felt like I was at the aquarium at the Academy of Sciences....expect this time I was swimming with the Marine Life. We saw stingrays, puffer fish, Nemo, sea urchines and a lionfish. If you've ever had the desire to learn how to scuba dive, give Rob a call! You won't regret it. read more

We had a great experience with SF Scuba School. For open water certification, you can do the pool dive in the south bay or navato. We opted for navato and the drive wasn't too long from SF and the pool was fine. We then did the two-day dive at monterey. Rob was our instructor at both places and he was great. Super patient and cool. Amazingly I didn't feel like a moron once the whole time and I credit that to Rob. The monterey dives were great, too. The one and only reason I can't give them five stars was because the class sizes for both the pool and open water dives were pretty huge. Large classes make it tough because there are tons of things the instructor needs to do one at a time with each person. In monterey, they split the group of about 15 into two groups and the instructors we had (Rob was with the other half) were just as awesome and patient and kind as Rob. On top of the fact that all the people we worked with were great, this is I think the cheapest deal you will find. You get to rent all the equipment free, which is different from other places. Also, they offer the home study portion as a program that you can load onto your computer and share with friends if you do it as a group. Other places make each person buy their own study materials. Overall, a great place. read more

I really enjoyed my pool instruction class with SF Scuba Schools. Reasons being - online study materials and quizzes are very comprehensive and cover most topics that are new to novices of the sport. The videos offer good supplemental information. - Rob is a fantastic instructor. He is extremely knowledgeable and very skilled at all things scuba and has a great classroom and pool presence. I really appreciated his patience with me as I took a long time to get adjusted to the different pressure points at the bottom of the pool. Rob was also very gracious and demonstrated gentlemanlike behavior at all times - for some of the moves that involved bodily contact or weird postures, Rob made sure I was comfortable before proceeding with the instruction. - Referral program with Maui and Cabo allows me to gain my certification in the warmer tropical waters. read more

Had an absolutely great experience with SF Scuba. Rob did our pool training and dives in Pacifica and then John did our open water dives in Monterey. I was worried about being handed from one instructor to the other, but they had clearly been in very close communication and were on the same page. Both of them did a great job explaining things and making sure everybody was clear. They were always happy to answer questions and were very patient. They were quick with the paperwork, too, as I got my certification card in the mail exactly one week later. I noticed that some of the other reviews complained about the shop they use in Monterey. Well they actually recently switched shops. The equipment we got was clean and in perfect working order. Everybody there was really nice and helpful, too. Really great experience throughout and I'd recommend them without hesitation. read more

My buddy was one of those guys whose parents never taught him how to swim. Sacrilege in my book! Anyway, after starting with blowing bubbles while using a kick board, graduating to me dragging him into the Pacific against his will (gave the poor guy a spring suit in the winter), we decided that he would get his SCUBA certification. SF Scuba School did a really good job with my friend. He's not exactly what you call gung ho or a water bug. More like a couch and TV guy that has had an awakening that there is more to life - like seeing the Great Barrier Reef in person. SF Scuba School handled him with the requisite velvet gloves he needed, but the firmness required to deliver all the important information a newbie must have to survive. We did the Novato pool dive. My friend managed not to die. I like these guys already. We then did the Monterey dive for a couple of days (stayed in Monterey - will be sure to review some of the great places there). Rob was a so cool with my buddy who was really out of his element. My friend walked out with some confidence and a real understanding of what to do at all times from suiting up, to diving and surfacing properly. Future Navy SEAL? read more

I cant rave enough about SF Scuba School and Rob (who runs the school). I did a lot of research for a good PADI scuba instructor to get my certification. I always ended up coming back to SF Scuba School, so I gave Rob a call and asked him tons of questions (which he was super patient and kind in answering) and decided to paypal him the tuition, and wait for my pool appointment. My PADI learning material arrived the next day. Wow! The pool lesson is convenient for people like me who work 8-5 and is hesitant in letting go of a full weekend for pool/classes, because it's only 1 night and honestly, its not bad at all. You learn a lot of skills at your own pace, and Rob is so incredibly patient with each student, and I appreciated his sense of humor to ease the anxiety that came and went. Monterey was perfect. Everything was super smooth and we completed the weekend fast and effiiciently. I honestly am glad I went with SF Scuba School (Rob), especially for the open water dives in Monterey, because our visibility was not great during the weekend, and the fact that I knew he had "my back" made me feel at ease. I am now certified, thanks to Rob! Once I get some dives under my belt, I am going to do the advanced diver certification with him for sure. Dont hesitate in choosing him. He's such a good instructor. read more

Rob was the best scuba instructor, especially for a group that was completely new to the sport. His willingness to work with your schedule and accomodate different weekends / size of groups was very helpful as we had a group of 4 and we were able to stay together throughout training. The first classroom session was easy, especially if you've done the reading prior and prepared properly. His review of the lessons is helpful and hits on all the key points so you feel prepped to enter the water safely. Once in the pool he's very patient and ensures that everyone is comfortable and able to do the skills properly without rushing anyone or making anyone feel incompetent (though I'm sure at times we were a lot to handle). He made the first underwater experience fun and took all the fear and pressure out of the process. Once in the ocean, Rob was organized and again made sure everyone was able to go at the same steady pace so you never felt rushed. Rob was great at quelling our fears (breathing underwater without a mask on is not as easy as it sounds if you're a wuss like me) and making sure everyone was OK after each task or skill. You always felt safe and knew you were in good hands with Rob even underwater where it can sometimes be difficult to communicate. Overall you learn a lot in a short amount of time without even realizing it. I am confident in my abilities as a certified Scuba diver thanks to the all-knowing Rob and his training techniques. read more

San Francisco Scuba Schools - Certified Scuba Divers! Thanks Rob! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Pacifica, California

I had a great experience with Rob and the SF Scuba School (referral class), all in advance of a trip to Hawaii to finish my certification during a few open water dives. I called him to schedule my class, and within a few days received the materials by mail. I read through the chapters and completed the quizzes before our 6pm pool session (advice: just do one chapter a night--don't wait until the day of your lesson or you will never finish). Rob was very professional, patient, and helpful. The day after the dive, he emailed me the necessary paperwork to bring to Hawaii where I took a few more open water dives with instructors there. Now, I'm totally certified, and have my card to take with me wherever I want to dive around the world! If you are considering it, take the class with Rob. It's affordable, and a great way to start the certification process. Doing the coursework and pool dive in advance will allow you to jump right into open water dives wherever you go to finish the certification. If I had not planned the trip to Hawaii, though, I totally would have just done the entire certification program with Rob (Kelp diving in Monterrey). Do it! read more

The course itself was thorough and the instructors were knowledgeable and helpful. We had Rob and John both on our trip to Monterey, and that pairing allowed some flexibility in terms of grouping and sessions (half the class squeezed in 3 dives in one day). There is a lot of material to read, but Rob goes over the stuff with you and highlights the important/difficult parts. The pool in Pacifica is also a saline pool to help with buoyancy (though not as buoyant as the ocean). The only criticisms I have are that Monterey has really cold water (unavoidable anywhere in the Bay Area, really) and that it was a pain to have to take all the gear back to the hotel room after your first day, but neither can be blamed on the school. Not a bad way to get your PADI certification, and we were able to get a multi-diver discount too! read more

I recently completed the home study and confined water scuba test through San Francisco Scuba School. I had a great experience. Upon payment, I received the home study materials the next day via express mail. I signed up with a really short timeline in mind (pool class on April 5th and then the open water dives in Maui on April 7th and 8th). You have the option of attending the pool class in Pacifica (at Anderson's Scuba) or in San Jose. I took the class at the Pacifica location. (Perhaps I should mention the pool was awesome, heated & salt water! Which is nice considering the class is 5 hours long....a heated pool is awfully nice after a few hours!) Robert Haas was my instructor. He was great, very knowledgeable and more importantly...very patient. He reviewed each of the skills and walks you through everything. San Francisco Scuba School also referred me to B&B Scuba in Maui for my open water testing. That was great since it saved me the time and headache of researching a scuba company in Maui. [See B&B Scuba review]. I would highly recommend San Francisco Scuba to anyone who is looking to give scuba a try and/or become a certified diver! read more

Just completed my scuba open water certification and it was a smooth, great experience. Anthony was a great pool instructor and Rob / John were great for the open water dives. Couldn't have asked for a better experience! I'd definitely recommend them!! read more

I finished my SCUBA open water certification last week and am extremely happy with my experience with San Francisco Scuba School. Everything was efficient and seamless. Pool classes started on time and ended on time or early. I learned everything I needed to prepare me for my open water dives. I thought a few of the skills would be difficult, but Rob is so calm and laid back describing things, that completing even difficult skills seemed easy and natural. The dives were equally well run. The equipment definitely kept me warm and was ready to go when I arrived for my first dive. There was plenty of time in the water to explore and check out wildlife. We saw a mother/baby otter pair and a harbor seal. Rob made getting my SCUBA certification fun and easy. Highly recommended. read more

These guys know their stuff! Tony was our instructor. He was patient, and professional. I couldn't ask for a better experience. These guys will work with you to achieve your goals, they're not in it for the money. -R read more

We had a pretty bad experience with Rob and SF Scuba School. To summarize, Rob is really eager to take your money - he doesn't really care what kind of experience you have. Two friends and I had been talking about getting scuba certified for a while, so a few months ago we decided to bite the bullet and do it. We were going to Maui and wanted to do the certification dives in a warm, gorgeous location. We started looking into local places to complete the pool training. We chose SF Scuba School based on the outstanding yelp reviews - Yelp hasn't often let me down, but this time it did.. in a big way. I called Rob to enquire about the pool training and referral program in Maui. I told him the dates we wanted to do the Maui dives and the date we wanted to do the pool training. He took my credit card info. Done. Seemed pretty easy and painless. Then a month later, it was time for the pool training. I don't have anything bad to say about Rob as an instructor. He was fine. Not exceptional in any way, but not bad either. I wasn't scared of diving and had no issues, so I was ok, but he wasn't particularly helpful with another member of my group who was a bit nervous. Other cons? The pool in which you'll do the training is FILTHY (and tiny). I kid you not, when diving in the pool, I counted 5 used band-aids floating around and lots of clumps of hair. There were also little white particles floating around throughout the entire pool. EWWW. I sucked it up and completed the training anyway. The really infuriating part of the experience came afterwards. We were scheduled to go to Maui in less than 2 weeks, and Rob never communicated when or where we were supposed to go for the dives. My emails to him went unanswered for 5-7 days at a time. He did finally reply a few days before my trip. I had asked him to arrange morning dives so that we'd be able to spend some time after the dives exploring Maui. He had said he would, but seemed to either completely forget or just ignored the request. Lahaina divers (the referral dive shop in Maui) were great. We had a great 1st dive with them and saw sharks, eels, turtles and lots of fish. However, after the dive I was informed that you can't fly for 24 hours after diving. Having never dived before, I did not know this. Yes, it was probably buried somewhere in the PADI book - but I had not even received the book yet when booking the trip. Because of this, I had to cancel my 2nd certification dive, and was not able to get certified. The good folks at Lahaina were extremely sympathetic. They said that whenever folks book directly through them, they always ask about flight plans. They also said they had asked Rob about our flight plans and that he had said we were fine for those dive dates (Rob never asked for our travel plans). They offered me a refund for the dive that I was unable to complete, but said it would have to go through Rob since the payment had gone through him. Rob has refused to refund any of the money. Nearly $1000 down the drain, and no certification. BEWARE! read more

This review is long overdue. I got certified with Rob and John in June 2014 so that my buddy and I could dive in Catalina for the 4th of July (it was awesome). I echo all the other 5* reviews praising Rob and John for putting your safety #1 and your enjoyment #1.5 haha. But I have massive respect for John who did my Monterrey dives. I have a few stories on how things did not go smoothly but still have a happy ending for us, all thanks to John. 1) He was always on time. This is important because you only get a certain amount of daylight in a day to do your dives. 2) He has seen it all and doesn't get upset or annoyed or rushed or flustered. Even if you whine and puke clam chowder on the water surface while your classmates are below, wondering where you went. John went up, made sure she was ok, and came back down to finish the drills with us. 3) He respected everyone's individual capabilities. There were those gung-ho divers and there those of us who were "give me a minute to gather my nerves." No problem. He'll be there through it all with you. There was a drill where you have to completely remove your mask and put it on again and my buddy was having problems getting it back on. We can see her clearly starting to panic. John put a hand on her arm and she said that immediately helped her know that everything was ok and she just took her time to breathe and re-attempt to put her mask back on. Done! 4) HE WANTS YOU TO SUCEED! So, this is where I bare it all to read on Yelp. I had a little issue previously in the pool with my regulator letting in too little air which led me to feel as if I wasn't breathing on my very first underwater experience. Rob showed me how to adjust the airflow after I ascended in a little panic. However, that feeling stayed with me every time I go down initially for the day (still does). Anyhoo, I was very excited the Moterey dives and I think my adrenaline got a little too high. Visibility was BAD. You can see maybe 2 feet in front of you. For someone who has never dived and hates total darkness, it was scary to descend and see nothing but this flat green-brown color that my world has turned into. I cannot see my buddy, John, classmates or the bottom. I quickly felt suffocated again and snorkeled for the shore. John came with me, talked to me and I told him I wanted to quit. Screw the $500 I had sunk into this endeavor. I valued my life more. John told me that no one is going to force me but I should go and wait by his truck (and dogs ^_^) while he takes the rest of the class down. So I go and calmed the heck down. After the class was done, John took me down on a one-on-one session. He made sure I could always see him as we descended and we swam around and saw sand dabs and little crabs. Once I was ok, we did the drills. And ladies and gentlemen, that was the end of my problems. I had zero problems after that and got my license with the rest of the class. Thank you, John. Lesson of my long story: John wants to you to get your PADI license and he WILL work with you to get it the safe and proper way. If you want to learn how to dive safely so you can dive more, go with these guys. read more

San Francisco Scuba School is the place to get your open water certification in the Bay Area. The instructors are good teachers, and care about your learning as well as making sure you have a good time. When doing your open water dives in Monterrey, the school has a new trailer full of brand new gear and a place to change and use as your base, where all the other schools on the beach are just setting on tarps in the grass and parking lot. This infrastructure made our dive day experience significantly better. The pool dives are OK. The water is warm but the pool is small and can feel crowded at the bottom. The water is a bit murky at the bottom as well. Overall- Highly recommended. read more

I know this rating system only goes up to 5 stars but this is one of those times that it is just not enough! If it went up to 100 Rob would be getting a 100! Let me preface this by saying that i did a TON of research on local dive certifications(phone calls and multiple reviews) and Rob was by far the most responsive and had the best reviews. A couple of the local companies in San Francisco wanted me to come in with my own equipment. REALLY?! I have no idea what i am doing let alone enough knowledge to spend a few hundred dollars on equipment that i don't know anything about. A couple other locals just had horrible reviews. IE taking payment and not letting people cancel or just bad attitudes. This is supposed to be a fun experience! Not a way for you to fleece your customers! If you are reading this review and have seen the others you know exactly what i am talking about. Rob was also one of the most affordable too. We just did our confined dive with Rob since we will be doing our Open water in Thailand. He makes sure that you get all your paperwork to transfer to the other location or you can go to Monterey and do it with him at your convenience. He cuts some costs by renting a pool off hours in Pacifica. Smart man! The only things i had to bring were my swim trunks, a towel, my book and the tests i had filled out. Everything else was already emailed to him.(like your registration and any doctors notes) I have friends who have done the same cert at other locations and they spent way more money and had to sit in classes that they didn't really feel were beneficial. Basically they just followed the book. Rob has a system of linking the activities together in a way that just makes sense and not wasting hours of your life! He teaches you what you need to know in a practical manner than anyone can understand. He's an EMT full time so this is just a spare gig for him. Even though he didn't have to save anyone's life it just give you that peace of mind that if something were to go wrong he knows what to do. Also he is just a patient guy that is great at explaining every exercise. I am one of those people that learns from doing not from reading so it really put it all together for me seeing Rob perform the exercises and then doing it myself. All and all just a great experience i will recommend to anyone that asks! If you read this Rob you did a great job and I appreciate your patience and guidance. Not to mention he makes that wet suit look good!! read more

Rob at SF SCUBA was awesome. This place will get you set for your open water dive in one night. SO AWESOME. And did I mention Rob was awesome? Competent, not obnoxious, grounded, easy-going... he made it kind of a fun experience. (I should know, this is my second time taking the class since I let my prior certification expire before I did the open water dives. Don't be an idiot like I was, get your open water cert w/the year!) You have to do self study before of course, and do the test, but this is by far the most painless, most efficient option. read more

My boyfriend and I did both the closed water and open water sessions with Rob and can't speak highly enough about it. Rob was straight to the point, efficient, but never rushed us. We felt comfortable in the water with him learning all the skills and even in the cold Monterey Water with only 7 feet visibility that day! For those weary of cold water, if i can do it, so can you! We have since been Scuba Diving in Florida and felt very confident there with the training we received from Rob, and are looking forward to an upcoming trip to Kauai! Thank you Rob! read more

Just did a class here. had a good time. My instructor was patient and understanding. a lot to learn in a short time but worth it, My trip to Hawaii will now have some underwater enjoyment ..THANKS read more

You really cannot go to a better Scuba school to get your PADI license. Rob's 1 day pool lesson was terrific. He's an awesome teacher, just brilliant. He's very precise, professional and easily understood under water. John took us on our open dives in Monterey. He is exceedingly patient, calm and reassuring. One of our group got a bit flustered and wanted to quit and John talked him through it beautifully. Greg's Aquarius dive shop is terrific, the staff are wonderful and the organization flawless. the wetsuits are nice and cosy :) What's more, you don't have to buy any gear. Studying at home in advance was a great approach for us. I don't suffer fools well and am cannot abide slackers. Both Rab and Greg did a super job of ensuring that all students had done their homework and we knew what we were doing before each dive. I really cannot imagine why anyone would chose a different company. Rob and John (and Greg) rock! They are the best! thanks heaps guys! no worries norm read more

The perfect scuba certification program if you value your time! You do all the 'classroom' part at home which is great b/c you can move at your own pace from the comfort of your own couch. And the pool work was actually a lot of fun. I felt like I thoroughly learned all the skills, but had a good time doing it. Since completing the class I am even more excited to get out into open water! read more

Rob is the best instructor out there, Period! He is patient and makes sure that you have a thorough understanding of the diving material/theory and application. There was this one lady in the class that just had a hard time with clearing her mask and he was very supportive and caring of her making sure that she does the skill before proceeding. Other instructors would just keep going, but not Rob. He is a great guy! I love that his classes are small and it gives him the ability to make sure that everyone is doing well and most importantly, SAFE. I have done my Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Nitrox, and Divemaster certifications with Rob. I definitely will continue to do my training with Rob and his team. read more

Both rob and Hugh (the instructor) were great. However the shop that is used for the open water dives in Monterey (Aquarius) is beyond sub par read more

Sf Scuba Schools is awesome. The instructors have infinite patience. Completed my certification with John this weekend. It was a great time in Monterey. Hope you had a great birthday John! read more