Since I'm taking a trip with some seasoned divers to Belize next year, figured I'll get certified so that I can join in the fun. A friend recommened Sonoma Coast Divers and from the beginning till the end my experience was superb. When I first called to gather all the information Brandon Wienholz was super sweet and patient with me asking a million questions. The day I got fitted Bryan Guntle walked me through the process of making sure I got all the gear I needed to be comfortable and safe. Steve Johnson was the head instructor of the course and led our class with lightheartedness and humor. His teacher assistances Jeff Mathias and Brain were amazing! Collectively they created a safe and fun environment to learn a skill that in moments felt intimidating. I also enjoyed my fellow students. It was by far one of the hardest trainings I've ever done but so worth it and looking forward to learning more. read more

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience getting our open-water certification. Over the last two weeks, we were supported by three wonderful instructors. Each of the instructors knew what they were doing and each took time to work with us during the course and program. In every interaction, they were friendly, patient, and professional. I could not have asked for more and I know that my daughter and I are both so happy that we got to have this remarkable experience with such a fine group of people. I hope to see them all on a future dive! Thank you!!!! read more

Sonoma Coast Divers - Certification dive in Monterey with our remarkable instructor! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma Coast Divers is where I got my initial Open Water Scuba certification and I liked them enough that I stuck with them for nearly a dozen other Scuba related certifications over the years. The instructors, dive guides, and retail employees are all super friendly and knowledgeable. They all love diving and it's great to just go in and talk shop with them from time to time. I've had several instructors teaching various courses and while personalities and teaching styles vary, they were all very professional and safety focused. They'll answer questions, give examples and advice...in general they'll do anything they can to make you a better diver. I've referred several people to them and pretty much everyone I've sent has come back reporting that they really enjoyed their experience also. Only downsides: 1) They don't service Scubapro equipment, so I have to take my regulator elsewhere 2) Closed Sundays If you're looking for a local dive shop, or if you've never dived and want to experience it, I highly recommend Sonoma Coast Divers! read more

Sonoma Coast Divers - Scuba Diving after obtaining Open Water Certification from Sonoma Coast Divers - Scuba Diving Near Me - Rohnert Park, California

Do not use them for servicing regulators or BCD's. We spent nearly $500 for them to service 2 regs and 2 bcd's before going to Bonaire for a month. We had 4 issues in Bonaire with the serviced equipment and had to abort diving and find a repair shop. 1) My BCD was self-inflating. This is obviously a major safety issue and could have caused me to accelerate to the surface. We're lucky we did a checkout shore dive. The part was totally corroded and obviously not serviced or replaced. We missed a dive, and found a dive shop to service the equipment, and had to spend additional money. 2) The high pressure hose to my gauges was leaking at the connection and in multiple places. It was obviously not checked during service. This caused the 2nd trip to a dive shop in 2 days to replace yet another part and pay more money. 3) The o-ring in my husband's first stage was damaged and obviously not replaced during service. That was the 3rd trip to the dive shop for a repair. 4) BCD inflator connection to the BCD was loose and the BCD would not hold air. My husband was smart enough to tighten it underwater. We incurred charges for all 3 above repairs, and lost dive time. We have been diving for over 30 years. My husband is an instructor and I was a dive master, and used to work at a dive shop. This is the first time where a dive shop made excuses for poor service to our equipment. When I contacted the dive shop upon our return, I had to contact them multiple times to get a response. I sent pictures and videos of the issues. Their response was that the BCD test was only a 'bench test' to check for it to hold air - no parts were serviced. What the heck is the point of getting gear serviced before a trip?! After going back and forth many times, they finally refunded me only $75. Go find another dive shop for service! read more

I can not be more pleased with the professionalism of approach with this small business. Sonoma Coast Divers truly cares about their customers and customer relationships. I walked in off the streets and was 100% taken care if to the fullest extent. German (pronounced Herman) went above and beyond his job dudties to help me find the best fit for gear. In fact, He spent 3 hours of his time with me. I am going on a trip to see the great whites of Guadalupe in October. And thought it would be a good idea to get dive certified for the submersible. I signed up for the SSI open water course and Scuba Steve was my instructor and Rick was his assistant. Both excel in safety and professionalism. And I feel completely comfortable with Both of them. Both are wonderful men with a great sense of humor. I fully trust both instructors knowing they have experience and knowledge. I highly reccomened this dive center and every single person in there is packed with knowledge and experience. read more

Sonoma Coast Divers - Scuba Diving Near Me - Rohnert Park, California

Three strikes they're out! *Strike one - I went in to get a reg serviced and the began lecturing me for buying it online instead of their shop. Fair enough but the way they went about it was distasteful. * Strike Two - I purchased my wife's Aqualung wetsuit here and after less than 10 dives the zipper derailed. I took it back for repair. I wasn't expecting a free repair, I just wanted it fixed and an estimate on time. Their answer was vague and they tried to put blame on us. The guy asked, "Did your wife gain weight?" Did you really just ask that?!? * Strike Three - After two months of inquiring calls (and no dives), I finally stopped by the shop and asked If they had heard anything from the wetsuit manufacturer. They said they could not get get ahold of them and I learned, THE WETSUIT WAS STILL IN THE SHOP AND NEVER SENT OUT! I took the suit back and took it to Monterey where a woman who makes wetsuits fixed it for 100 bucks. It may have voided the warranty but at least my wife can actually use it - and has for 70 dives so far. So there: Lectures. Insults. Poor communication. I do my business elsewhere now. read more

I just got home from my certification dives in Monterey and the first thing I wanted to do was write a review. I cannot recommend Sonoma Coast divers enough! The instructors are so kind and helpful and guided me through the required exercises, not just to pass the certification, but so I really felt prepared for diving. There were several times I had difficulties during certification and they were right there to make sure I felt comfortable and safe. Even under the water, they reminded me to think and breathe and remember my training Crystal and Robert were excellent instructors and Vadim and Rick were so informative supportive. If your goal is to become scuba diving certified, I would highly recommend you do your training here. They will make sure you are ready for a lifetime of diving! read more

Bryan G. and Dalton were the instructors for my open water dive class. They were both very patient, kind, and easy to get along with. They worked extra with me when I struggled with some of the skills and calmed any anxieties I had. They not only made sure that I survived out in the water, but also enjoyed it! read more

Ah, Sonoma Coast Divers! Great bunch of motivated and helpful crazy divers. I am 63 yrs young and I certified with them November 2018. They are very helpful and knowledgeable about anything diving. They are flexible, yet very safety oriented. It was a wonderful learning experience. Pat, Roni, Navy diver Chief Tim Thompson and Jessica are so full of knowledge and experience they made the process painless! Check Groupon, because they have a special to get certified! Do this. You will not regret it. The Ocean is so beautiful and truly is the last frontier! If, I can do this....so can you! Hawaii here we come! read more

I heard about this shop by buying the Groupon for the SSI open water certification. I'm so glad I did my training through them! Tom, the owner, was so friendly and nice - he quickly answered all my questions, and he didn't try to upsell me, and he just tried to help me get the best equipment for me, not necessarily the most expensive. Pat Pacheco was the classroom, pool and ocean instructor, and he was wonderful! He was encouraging, helpful, kind, and patient. The assistant instructors, Roni, Quinn, David and Robert were so cool and helpful. I never felt like I was in danger because there was so much help around, and I got so much guidance. It was awesome having about a 2:1 student to professional ratio in the class. (They max out at 12 students per class based on what I heard from them.) I had an overwhelmingly positive experience with them. My one small criticism was - they need a little better communication and information before the class about when pool classes end, where pool class are, that the ocean dive classes could be in a couple different locations, gear check lists, warnings that ocean dives could be 30m-2h based on possible mistakes (ie loss of equipment) so waiting may occur, and gear due dates. A couple of us didn't get signed up for the online classes correctly until a couple weeks before the pool classes. I could have used a ton more info in general. Maybe hire someone part-time to manage class communication, website info, and contact sheets for the group? This wasn't a deal breaker, though, because everyone was so amazing, kind, and helpful. read more

Went on an Abalone Dive Course a few weeks ago and thought it would be a breeze swimming with fins, getting some abalone, maybe some sea urchin, and setting a high bar for a first timer. I definitely set a high bar... in things going wrong.... water was pretty calm so I skipped the sea sickness medication, first mistake. After changing into my gear and entering the water, my belt was a bit loose so I tried tightening it while floating, but it slipped off and went to the bottom. After letting Drew, my instructor, know what happened, he quickly searched, found my weight belt, and helped me with my weight belt. Then as Drew went scouting for abalone so attendees could try and have their chance at prying an abalone off the rock, I lost my flipper, luckily my dive buddy was able to get it for me. A few moments later...my other flipper fell off and I couldn't find it. Drew again without any sign of annoyance or snide remarks went looking for the flipper, found it and helped me tighten it properly on my foot. After all those fiascos were over with, Drew continued to search for abalone so I could leave with a limit. I got a bit sea sick since we were near a wall and the water was like a washing machine, but Drew was patient, told me to take my time before diving, and even marked the abalone location by leaving an ab bar and float line by it. I seriously considered swimming back to shore after being seasick, but was determined to get my limit. Thanks to Drew finding some abalone and waiting with me until I was ok to dive, I was able to get my first abalone, and legal limit. I can't thank Drew enough as he was an amazing instructor, the rest of the crew for the experience, and Ferrous for being a blast to play with. I can't recommend them enough as they go out of their way to make sure everyone has a good time while being safe. I'll definitely be making another trip. I do wish the dive shop was closer to the dive location so I could've bought some stuff afterwards. read more

Friendly staff with good communication skills. They were clear on what my husband needed to do before his scuba diving lessons. I purchased the Living Social deal online for his birthday. He is stoked about getting certified and officially being able to dive with his pals and visit international waters to explore the world deep down under. The deal offers a weekend of classes, followed by pool dives and ocean water dives. They walk you through it and are extremely helpful. I hope my husband gets an experience of a lifetime and makes fond memories! read more

I absolutely disagree with the previous writeup. I took an Abalone diving class through this shop, and it was an amazing experience. Tom and Drew came out and had everything set up including all of our equipment. Half of the class were late and had to drive back into town to buy Abalone cards, and Tom was totally cool about it. Drew took the 3 of us out who already had our cards, and was very thorough in preparation and direction. On top of that, these two guys were incredibly nice. Drew was perhaps one of the coolest guys I've ever met. Super low key, but over the course of the day, we found out he used to be a Navy diver, is a nuclear physicist, grows and harvests most of his own food, had broken his back at some point, is a master chef, etc etc. And then there's Tom, who really couldn't have been any more nice and accommodating even if he tried. I HIGHLY recommend taking a class with these guys, scuba or freediving. read more

Tom, Pam and Lisa are wonderful. You really can't ask for a more personable staff, I have always been interested yet nervous about the idea of diving however even after countless hours of pestering them with the most abstract scenarios they still have calmed my fears and led me on a wonderful path towards my goal of being a diver.... As an update 9/18/12, I have now completed my "open water diver" course and have decide to pursue my "advance open water" cert. I feel quite confident in every aspect of my training and eager to continue further on in the sport! read more

I recently took an abalone class with Tom and Al and had a great time. It was obvious that ab diving is something that these guys simply love doing and sharing. They rolled up with a trailer full of gear and their families. They went over a ton of content and were extremely helpful in the water. They brought all of the equipment to clean, slice, pound and cook the abalone. They even shared some of their catch with the group and their families cooked them for us. I would like to see the class cover a bit more freediving basics and some freediving skills, instruction, and practice in the water. As beginners, everyone was limited by their bottom time. I think a little extra emphasis would improve that. All that said, I have to knock them a star for logistics. The email with all of the details wasn't received until a few days before the class. I sent a question and never received a response. The message had a different location than the attachments. One of the instructors showed up right at 9:00 am and the other a bit late. This wouldn't be a big deal except that there's zero cell coverage on the coast. We spent 20 minutes bouncing around the various parking lots before eventually locating the class. All in all, a great day with a few trivial hiccups that I'd strongly recommend. read more

I bought a spearfishing class through Zozi here and it was great. A little far from the city, up in Jenner but beautiful spot. The guides were helpful but also gave us a lot of freedom after they showed us how to do things. If you take the classes - don't forget to bring something and stay for the potluck. It is fun to discuss all the fish you didn't catch! read more

Great dive shop! Got my daughter an open water course for her 18th birthday. She loved it. Rick and Steve are great instructors and made the experience fun and educational. The folks at the shop are very helpful. My daughter had a blast and I got a new dive buddy out of the deal! Thanks guys! read more

Sonoma Coast Divers - Scuba Diving Near Me - Rohnert Park, California

I have had a great experience with Sonoma Coast Divers. First their SSI Open Water course is awesome. I had Steve as my instructor & he was fantastic. He really wanted everyone to have fun while always putting safety first. The training required some homework so don't think you can just glide through everything, but you will walk away prepared for sure. The staff at the shop are all passionate about diving & are experienced at helping folks fall in love with the sport. Very cool group & great course to get started. Highly recommend! read more

Great shop, great people, and excellent diving course programs/instructors. They are extremely knowledgeable in the area of underwater fun and the tools needed to do so. read more

Sonoma Coast Divers is the best of the best! I'm a new diver and have purchased all my gear there, and the staff are amazing and always so helpful! They are all passionate about diving, and want nothing more then for you to have a great experience, and to hear what a great time you have doing it! Tom is great, and is always going the extra mile for his customers! The SSI Open Water Course I took was amazing! My instructor was Kevin and he has such a passion for diving and gives the encouragement if needed. He makes sure you understand everything and answers any and all questions without judgment! Great Shop, Great People, and Great Experiences! Couldn't ask for a better dive shop! Thank you, Tom & Staff! read more

What a wonderful dive shop. We have purchased from them and been advised by them for a number of years. They have always been courteous and extremely experienced. We just returned from a group trip in Fiji. We had an amazing time on this trip. Thank you Tom and Pam! read more

We did a groupon for an intro course to spearfishing. Ive already gone fishing before so I wanted to take my friends and let me tell you what, I had a blast!!! We didn't catch anything and the ocean was a little rough but still we had a lot of fun. PRO TIP, if you're doing the intro class I'd bring your abalone gear to get those. Staff was great, friendly, and nice. We all had beers and are at the end read more

This place is the best! I have had the worst time getting a replacement card and this shop took the extra time to work with me and get it done. Not only are they professional, they are friendly and funny. I can't tell you how much help they were. Shop locally here for sure! read more

The service smelled of used car salesman techniques and is unreliable. I was on the way to Mendocino to go abalone diving. I was in a rush and wanted to buy a set of gear for myself and rent for my brother so I called several local stores. Bamboo Reef had the best deal on a wetsuit and also had rental gear that was relatively in expensive, so I took a detour to their store. Seemed like a great deal and required only one stop! When I got to the store, I negotiated a deal to buy gear and rent for my brother. I then spent more than an hour getting fitted. Once I was set with my gear, I asked for rental gear for my brother. At that point they told me that almost all their rental gear was already rented. I was understandably upset, as I had already invested a lot of time getting my gear and I was in a hurry. Now I had to make another stop to rent. They had bait-and-switched on the rental gear. Not good business practices. I would try somewhere else. read more

Love these guys. I'm new to diving and took their SSI open water course. The team is so much fun and so knowledgeable. Pat our instructor is hilarious! It's worth coming up from the Bay Area, spending a weekend jn the gorgeous neighborhood of Russian river and taking their classes. read more

The best dive shop around! Pam is the best and always goes above and beyond to help me. Tell your friends, this is the only dive shop they'll ever need. read more

I love these guys! I have bought all my gear from them and could not be happier with it! Tom has been amazing, and extremely helpful. I recommend this shop to everyone! read more

Sonoma Coast Divers is a great dive shop, and my go-to location despite the fact that I live in Oakland and am much closer to several other outfits. Seems like most of those companies are either looking to vacuum as much money out of my pocket as possible, don't have much in stock, or are staffed with less than knowledgeable employees. SCD's staff is super friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful no matter what your experience level. They have a good range of equipment on-hand and seem to always have some brand new trinket for scuba or free diving. Case in point, locally made abalone float covers, custom dive boards (for free-diving), and innovative weight systems. In addition they're a great source of knowledge for both local and tropical diving. All the staff members dive locally, and the shop runs dive trips to warmer climes a few times a year. I've attended a few of their local dive events: abalone diving and fun dives, and always had a great time. They're clearly doing these to increase interest in the sport, not make money, and it shows. Very glad I found these guys. read more

I took the abalone diving class, and had a great time! Even though we didn't catch anything, we enjoyed learning, diving, and later eating! I would agree with another Yelper that some more focus on beginning diving and snorkeling skills would have been helpful. My goal now is to get some more snorkeling time before I head back to give abalone diving another try. read more

Sonoma Coast Drivers is GREAT! The staff is amazing and always extremely helpful, and always ready to answer my questions.

Got ripped off on Bargain Bin booties. Was never informed all sales are final. No sign in store indicating such. Asked sales ladies several times what was wrong with booties. Was told that nothing was wrong with them and that customer had returned for unknown reason. (Shame on me for not trying them on both feet!) Spoke with store owner 2 days later when trying to return them defective booties. (Broken zipper on one of them.) Store owner was rude, interrupting and talking over me. He said that all sales are final is printed on my receipt. This is a joke because isn't it too late in the transaction to know that? LOL Initially went to the store looking to purchase 2 dive computers and a wetsuit. Left store feeling upset and ripped off. Store owned lost an excellent customer all for a $25 sale! Agree with another review of this shop. Definite used-car salesman atmosphere! Stay away!!! Also, buy online and you will save tons of money and get much better customer service. Customer service does not exist at Sonoma Coast Divers. :-( read more

My husband and I just finished getting our scuba certification through this shop. LOVED IT! Our initial experience was with Pam - super friendly and extremely knowledgeable diver and sales person. All our questions were answered and she even eased any fears I had about diving for the first time. She helped us select the right gear for ourselves AND our budget and I never felt pushed to buy something more expensive (for example, she instructed us to purchase our mask based on fit and comfort rather than price - said it really just depends on what works for you and that might be the least expensive option. We both ended up with something below the highest end based on following her advice.). Drew taught our scuba class. What a great guy! He clearly knows his stuff and besides that, he's just fun to be around. He never seemed impatient with anyone in class and genuinely seemed to care that everyone was having a great time and was safe. We just received our cert this past weekend and I can say this experience has us hooked. My husband hadn't really even wanted to do it initially, let alone have any interest at all in diving along our coastline, but now he can't wait to get back. When we're ready to purchase the rest of our diving gear, this will be our first stop. read more

Pam was extremely helpful over the phone and in person. Went the extra mile to find my size, and make suggestions for alternatives. She has impressive knowledge and over the top customer service. read more

Bought a diving package and certification for my 18 year old son for Christmas. He told me it was the best thing he's ever done. He went to Monterey for a weekend alone. The instructors explained everything that was needed. The diving for him was "phenomenal". Great learning and growing experience. read more

My younger brother and I just got certified through these guys and had a great time. At no point did I feel like I wasnt being totally taken care of during the training. The retail shop could be a little bigger but they can get anything you would want. Pam is amazing!!!! She always treats you like your family and always explains her recommendations on what gear she recommends. She dosnt try and sell you gear. She takes the time to get to know you and what you want and need. Super helpful and I never feel like I was forced on something I didnt want. Great staff great store and top shelf training!!! read more

i took a class here in 06 loved it these guys are great thanks