This was our third diving experience with Aaron's Dive shop. The online booking experience was easy. We had been told at booking that we would meet at Maunalua Bay Beach Park. By chance the afternoon before our dive I called the dive shop to check and make sure we were set for the next morning. I was told that we had been moved to a different location and boat. It was frustrating that nobody ever emailed, texted, or called to notify us of this change. Had I not called we would have driven to the wrong location. We arrived at the marina early, and prior to the boat arriving from the morning dives. I had not been told what pier the boat was at. I called the shop and the gentleman that I spoke to was lost. He had no idea what I was talking about as far as location. He just kept saying look for the boat called the Rukus. I explained that it was a Marina full of boats and wanted to know where to start looking. He said he didn't know anything about piers and that I just needed to look for the Rukus. At that point I hung up since he had no idea where his own company boat was supposed to be located. After wondering around aimlessly for a bit I asked Dive Oahu if they knew where Aaron's boat was. They guy was super nice and said he had heard Aaron's was in a certain area and he pointed to the general area to look. In that area we did not find the Rukus so I called back to Aaron's. The gentleman I spoke to this time had a better idea of where the boat should be coming in. Moments later we observed an old fishing boat called the Rukus pulling up to pier C. I was surprised at the boat as the other dives I had done in the past were done on a newer looking but smaller dive boat. The Rukus was an old seen better days fishing boat that had tank racks installed. We meet the Aaron's employee who was super nice and very knowledgeable. The boat captain has her own operation and contracts with Aaron's for dives. The captain was very nice and knowledgeable. We definitely expected a better set up from our prior dives though. We put our dive gear on and motored just out of the marina and stopped at our first dive spot. We all were safely assisted into the water and our dive guide was patient and got us all down safely to around 65 feet where we saw a couple turtles, some fish, and some eels. It was okay but nothing to jump up and down about. We got out of the boat and we believed we would move to a second completely new dive location. They asked if we just wanted to re-dive the same location or if we wanted to move. We said we would like to move. After a few moments we were told that they could not move because other dive companies had moved to the other dive spots, which were just a couple hundred yards away. So we dropped in again and went a different direction from the anchored buoy. We did not see any turtles this time and about the same amount of fish. We had some young divers with us who burned through their air quick so our dives were cut short. When we got in the boat we saw a few whales swimming in the area as well as a pod of dolphins. We quickly made the trip back into the marina since we were just outside the marina. Overall the experience working with the shop was poor. The boat was sea worthy but not an overall great dive boat. The captain was very friendly and our dive guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Pretty disappointing that we did the same two dives in a row. We all got the feeling that the captain just didn't want to spend the money on fuel to go to a completely different spot, which is what we thought we paid for. Our prior dives with Aaron's were completely different. We dove completely different locations on a nicer boat. It sounded like that boat was not in Coast Guard compliance which is why we ended up on the old fishing boat. If your just looking to get into the water then your good with Aaron's. They were nice on the boat, and we felt safe. If you want a truly good experience with quality equipment on a nice boat and the opportunity to actually dive more than one spot more that 5 minutes from the dock then look at other dive companies. We are diving Trident Adventures in a couple days out of Ko Olina. They are pricier but their dive boat is a catamaran base with a dive top. They also guaranteed that we will be diving two separate locations including likely some type of wreck. In the end we tipped the captain and dive guide well. They were nice and knowledgeable but based on this experience we likely will look elsewhere for future dives. read more

Great dive shop and the staff are very helpful. I was certified here and joined the club. Very easy process and they handle everything. Always looking for the next dive to go on and either using their air, or boat. read more

I dove several days with Aaron's in November. They were very accommodating (e.g., letting some girls do their science fair experiment during the trip). Some of the sites weren't particularly impressive (particularly Airplane Canyon), but I saw interesting things on every dive. The instructors know what they're doing, and were all easy to get along with, even when things go wrong that are outside of their control. If you're interested I gave a longer more detailed review with photos on ScubaBoard.com: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hawaii-ohana/403938-trip-report-oahu-november-8-15-2011-long.html read more

Just finished our shore dive at Sharks Cove. Jake was our tour guide and knew exactly where to take us newly certified divers. Great time and would defiantly recommend Aaron's Dive Shop in Kailua, they have dependable equipment and plenty of knowledge. Can't wait to see all the pics that Jake took, heading to a computer to download pics today. Mahalo Jake read more

Aaron's Dive Shop - Diving In Oahu - Dive Shops Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Great dives! The whole boat staff kept the whole boat happy and motivated to dive. Supremely helpful and efficient. We got to make it to two extremely fun dives and see some amazing things. Fantasy Reef was a treat. read more

My husband and I dove today with Sara, Kitty and Garret. It was a first time experience for both of us and it was amazing! The girls explained everything and made sure everyone in our group felt comfortable. We both felt safe during our entire experience underwater. Their goal was giving us the best possible experience and they did that and more. The equipment was well maintained and they bring everything you need. Do not hesitate to book with these guys, you will not be disappointed. read more

I did a boat scuba trip with Aaron's Dive Shop during our vacation to Oahu. I am a novice diver (open water certified with about 15 logged dives, but mostly spaced a year apart on resort trips). I thought the staff at Aaron's was very thorough, professional, competent, and safe. We did two dives off of Hawaii Kai. The dive sites themselves were OK - Angler's Reef - a moderate amount of tropical fish and some eels, but nothing outrageous, and Koko craters, where we saw 2-3 sea turtles. It sounded like, due to my self-description of ability and last dive time (a year ago), I was grouped with a handful of other "certified resort divers" and we went to a more mellow dive location. To be honest, that was fine with me, and I think an appropriately safe choice. Our dive master was Jake, who was very friendly and informative. He had us set up our own equipment in order to gauge readiness, and he gave a very through pre-dive briefing. Never felt rushed, and felt like safety was paramount, and that Jake did a good job making sure everyone was taken care of and having a good time. I think our group was a little challenging - there were a few divers with less experience and/or hadn't dove in 10 years, and they had some goggle issues, etc. It seemed that Jake did a good job of addressing issues while keeping the group moving at a moderate pace. I appreciate that he sent some divers up on the boat line early on while the rest of us still had air in the tank - and he explained that he would do that too and instructed everyone on how to do a safety stop at 15'. While it would have been nice to go to someplace a bit more exciting, given my experience level, I was happy with the overall experience, and think that the dive shop was very well run. read more

Thanks Tim for arranging our large diverse group with last minute notice. The experienced divers in our group rank it as one of the top dives ( juvenile Tiger Shark, Spotted Eagle Ray, 10+ turtles and the friendly octopus) Thanks Jake for this! The newbies in our group had great experience with Shawn and have a new love of our mighty ocean and will likely never eat octopus again after hanging with their new friend. A shout our to captain Garret. This dive will be the highlight of our trip. Mahalo read more

Aaron's Dive Shop - Bordokas and Haller fantastic dive - Dive Shops Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I have been a member of Aaron's Dive shop now for about four years I am sad to say that Friday February 12 was my first time diving with them. That said, of all the dive companies that I have gone with on the other islands or abroad, Aaron's is the most professional, knowledgeable and personable. **Of note, I mostly do shore dives on Oahu where I live since I have all the proper gear to do so.** Whether you are filling tanks up, spending more money on gear that you most likely don't need or asking about recommendations for shore dives, Aaron's knock's it out of the park each time. Maybe it's because they have a Fire Team (-) of Marines working there. I have purchased a large quantity of my of my gear there and I won't have anyone else service it, but them. They never try on selling you the most expensive gear, but the best gear that fits your diving needs and bank. They are an ocean of knowledge of everything in their store and what is not in their store. Just ask them anything and they will dive in and help you. Ok, I am done with the puns. Absolute must to give your business to them. Whether on holiday or you if you are a local, they will welcome you into the Aaron's family! Semper Fi Brandon Stibb read more

Booked a PM 2 tank dive with Aaron's Dive Shop and had a great time. Rachel is a great dive master and took us to some awesome locations. Dive shop is professionally run and the excursions are spot on. read more

A friend of mine recommended this place - he got his dive master 15 years ago here and dives with them whenever he comes out. There are so many options, having a friend with first hand knowledge is huge. So you can now abuse my friendship for that advice, too! I hadn't dove in some time, and I was a bit nervous. I even called a few days before and they took the time to listen and talk. They put me at ease. In addition, there was just no drama. Show up, hop on, dive. Super simply. The dive itself was great, good guidance, good organization. I'll be using them again on my next trip. read more

Great crew and outing. Shout outs to instructor Josh, master Zack, captain Garret, and close friend of crew Dominique. Quality gear and organized dive preview and safety topics. Frequent air level checks, and guide through aquatic species. Cool turtles and other schools at inverted barge, and variety of smaller fish and eels and Angler's reef. Prices reasonable and quality gear and guiding with a smaller personalized group, size good value! read more

Amazing knowledgeable staff at Aaron's. I am new to scuba diving and Marina, my instructor, made sure I was comfortable and confident to know all that is needed to get my certification. Her passion for the sport exudes in her detailed instructions, demonstrations and over-all high customer care quality delivered. Highly recommend Aaron's Dive Shop - a true Kailua gem! read more

Super fantastic time with a wonderful crew who was super professional and super fun! We saw turtles trying to mate, eels and lobsters galore! The fresh pineapple in between dives so money! Will definitely dive with again! Thanks guys! read more

I had two fabulous dives today with Aaron's Dive Shop! I will definitely be back next business trip to Oahu. Ed McNeil is a wonderful instructor/dive guide who found us an Angler ( frog?) fish, just after he spotted a large octopus hiding in the reef, just after finding two delightful morays. Later on we found a large moray, two turtles and hundreds of fish. I had always heard the diving here was not spectacular, but my experiences today sure say that is not the case. I really liked the operation, too. Captain Garrit, Patrick and Ed were a terrific team and you will enjoy diving with them. This is a nice change from the big dive shops or the ones who are too famous for their own good. This one has a lot of heart, and is just the right size for me. read more

This is my second time diving with Aaron's while in town from LA. Both times I have had an outstanding experience! Patrick, our dive master was both personable and highly knowledgeable. I am open water certified but my boyfriend was on an intro dive- Patrick made sure he felt safe and relaxed. He talked him through every bit and it turned out to be a really incredible day!! I couldn't have asked for a better experience for a first time when trying to share a sport that I love with someone I love. From the captain to the other dive instructors to other divers there along for the ride with us- it was an absolutely great day! I'll be calling Aaron's to book again the next time I'm in town. Thanks guys!! read more

Had the opportunity to dive 4 days with Aaron's. it was a wonderful experience. From Warren, the owner to Jake, Shaun and the rest of the staff it was great top to bottom. I did not rent gear from them but would expect it to be outstanding. the shop was immaculate and well stocked with high quality gear. The supplied tanks on my dives were all perfect with full HP fills and no leaks. the Nitrox fills were the same and right on the requested 32 & 36%. Dove with them on two different boats they chartered. both were well equipped and comfortable in size. Easy to dive from with attentive crews. I decided to take the PADI Zombie Apocalypse Diver course from Shaun. it was way more educational and a better experience then I imagined. Very cool course for those interested in furthering their diver education. If your on Oahu to dive or just vacationing and want to get certified I highly recommend this shop. you wont be disappointed. read more

I spent the last 3 days diving with the crew over at Aaron's. I was thoroughly impressed with the entire staff over at Aaron's, from the Divemaster's, Shaun and Carsten, boat captain Garret, and the owner, Warren. What comes across very clear here is everyone absolutely loves diving. I am a very experienced diver, and I've found professional divers often get burned out when working in this industry for too long. Not the case here at Aaron's. Even the seasoned veteran's excitement is that of a brand new open water diver on vacation, one could easily spend too much time hanging out in the store just picking their brains about diving. I dove with Aaron's for 3 days (6 dives) straight and Warren was ultra accommodating with finding dives I really wanted to do. I come from northern California, an area void of shipwrecks, so he made sure to plan at least one shipwreck per day (LCU, YO, Corsair). All of which where fantastic. www.vimeo.com/chrisoliver/corsair I also had a chance to meet several IDC students finishing their instructor exam as Larry, their course director (highest position in PADI) offers classes all the way up to open water instructor. They carry awesome toys, maintain a really sweet dive club, and enjoy sharing the shores of their island with us Haole's -Chris read more

My son and I went out with the great folks at Aarons's Dive Shop. I had dived more years ago that I want to admit to, and my son had not ever dived. The team at Aaron's was great, you could not have asked for better service, and accommodations. We had an exceptional day out on and in the water. The dive master and the rest of the crew made it a memorable experience. Great store, with a good selection, and all at reasonable prices which says something about them considering it is on Oahu where everything is very pricey. I would recommend Aaron's to anyone visiting the island. They more than deserve five stars! read more

I just finished my open waters today with the team here and it was great even with the rough waters today. All very helpful and friendly. I appreciated how patient they were. Garrett our boat captain was awesome. I would highly recommend Warren's team here. read more

Aaron's Dive Shop - Dive Shops Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Very nice people. Helped me set up new equipment and make sure I was comfortable with it before diving. Well run boat dive - professional, efficient, safe, fun. Saved money on multiple boat dives and renting equipment by joining their divers club. Happy I chose to dive with Aaron's. read more

Had a great day out with the crew and fellow divers. Guides and ship captain were knowledgable and attentive. Dive was a blast! Saw sea turtles, including a hawkbill which is rare, eels, and numerous fish. Would highly recommend Aaron's Dive Shop. read more

Great staff always friendly, and will accommodate you any way they can. The dive staff and shop staff are all very friendly, professional and helpful read more

Me and my 15 year old son did night dives on 12/28/18 and the two am dives on 12/30/18. Dive masters and captain were exceptional. Devenetly will come back for more. read more

Very friendly, helpful staff; Aaron's has been the dive shop I use since 1978. I won't use any other shop!

Thank goodness we went to Aaron's dive shop during our vacation! Sean went out of his way to encourage us to go to a location we thought was too difficult to ensure that we had the best time possible! The equipment was great and the service was exceptional! They rent equipment for 24 hours which is extremely convenient and worked with our busy vacation schedule! Highly recommend Aaron's dive shop for all of your snorkel gear if you're staying in Kailua! read more

Jake is the best dive master ever. To be an excellent dive master is to be able to "read the diver" and navigate a million things at once to ensure the diver gets the ultimate experience with safety as the number one focus. Its a long story but one that illustrates why Jake exemplifies what it is to be an excellent dive master. I went out with my daughter to do the Corsair 100+ feet dive. To begin the list of things not going smoothly, my personal dive computer hose would not connect. Jake tried to see if he could fix it but it was jammed so in the interest of time he swapped it out with a rental component. Then my tank was hissing and had a leak so we had to swap out the tank at the last minute. Then I get into the water and the surface was pretty rough and I knew I had to descend quickly. I got down about 10-15 feet and did not see my daughter/dive buddy so I resurfaced. After locating her then attempting the second descent there was another diver at the mooring ball blocking the line due to ear issues and I could not get around him, and I was afraid to let go of the line in the strong surge. I went around the diver and was I still struggling. Jake saw all of this happening and came straight to me and saw that I was not descending. He added some weight and I held onto the line, being tossed around quite a bit and by that time my "head got I the way" thinking about all that had gone wrong already and I was not confident doing the dive. I started to suck in a lot of air thinking of my borrowed equipment, the strong surge, losing my buddy at the beginning and how deep we were about to dive. So Jake did "the look into my eyes and just breathe move"but by that time I had called the dive in my mind and I was done. So I gave him the thumbs up sign and Jake got me back me back to the boat and I had a nice "time out" on the boat until the next dive of the trip which went perfectly. Three days later my daughter and I went back out to do another dive. This time all of my equipment was in working order and Jake was there to ensure a safe successful dive. He guided me down the line, all 100+ feet and we had an amazing dive at the Corsair! Jake pointed out all of the sea creatures including the resident eel and a "walking leaf fish" lol. He checked in on our air status, watched the surroundings and was all about creating an awesome and safe dive experience. Then as the divers started to surface, Jake assisted me with the ascent and safety stops and was so patient and attentive the entire time. I can't say enough about Jake focused on all of the divers and how he facilitated one of the best dives of my life. Thank you Jake for being an excellent dive master. I will always look to you as the model of what it is to be an excellent dive master! ‍ read more

The folks at Aaron's are great! We were certified back in the '80s, but have been out of the water for nearly 14 years. We did a refresher course with Jake a few weeks ago and went out on a dive yesterday. It was fantastic! David, our dive master, couldn't have been better. Jake had prepared us well and it was a completely great experience. Garrett, our boat captain, was really helpful. Mahalo to everyone at Aarons! We've joined the dive club and will be diving with them often from now on. Bob and Stacey read more

I called the shop twice before signing up to dive to confirm the dive I wanted. They were unable to do one wreck so I settled for the second option. The night before I got a change of location to meet the boat, and ended up doing the same wreck I had been doing daily. So signing up with Aarons made me waste $150. The same wreck dive is $99 with waikiki dive and you don't need a rental or uber. read more

My experience at Aaron's dive shop made my week. I took a three day course to get open water certified and the instructors were always helpful and knowledgeable to help me achieve my goals. After completing the booklet, I had to take several quizzes and a written exam. I then learned about calculating resting periods and the importance of them. I then learned underwater has signals in a pool while putting on equipment that I put together. The next two days involved open water dive i I then learned about calculating resting periods and the importance of them. I then learned underwater hand signals in a dive pool while wearing equipment I put together. The next two days involved open water dividing in Maunalua bay. Again, my instructors made me feel very uncomfortable and confident in the water. If you are trying to get certified or just want to have a good diving experience, I would definitely recommend giving this place a call. read more

Had a great dive today with Christian and boat captain Garrett. Professional, well organized and fun. I am an experienced diver but it was my dive buddy's first dive after his certification. I needed it to go well and be safe. He had never done a boat dive. Garrett thoroughly briefed him on the boat and all safety features and Christian gave a thorough dive brief and assisted with set up. Most importantly they made him feel comfortable. Being new to diving and having never been on a boat dive, he made the typical "new guy" mistakes but both professionally assisted him and helped him in the new surroundings. In the water Christian gave him pointers during and after each of the two dives. Garrett helped us both climb back on the boat and assisted with gear and setup. Again, they made him (& me) feel comfortable and safe in the new environment. If you are experienced or a beginner diver, this is the place to go. These guys adapted immediately to ensure we both had a safe and fun experience. My dive buddy had a real positive first experience. Thank you both. Semper Fidelis! read more

First time to Hawaii....did 8 dives in 3 days with these guys. COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!!! 1st Day - Carson was Dive Master - had a great dive all three dives. 2nd/3rd Days - We had Rich as a Dive Master - AMAZING diving Boat Captain - John - this guy made my diving tip. We had sooo much fun picking on each other. All three made us feel VERY welcome and treated us like we've known them all our whole life. They were very kind, very friendly, very professional, and remembered that diving is fun and supposed to be enjoyable. They went above and beyond helping with tanks, gear, getting on/off boat, etc. Pros - smaller boat not a cattle car, smaller groups, very friendly/professional crew, very helpful, very experienced, great dive sites Cons - the pick up van has seen better days. (had to have something) LOL I would HIGHLY recommend these guys and if ever in Hawaii again, I'll be diving with Aaron's ONLY. I felt like it was about the diving not about the money and that makes a huge difference. It was like diving with a bunch of old friends having a good time! Got TONS of very cool video that I don't think I could have gotten on one of the cattle car boats. Save yourself the headache, use Arron's!!!!!!! read more

My roommate and I decided to get certified open water diving recently and Aaron's is the place we went. The people are so friendly and most importantly helpful. I was pretty nervous before each dive but Jeff (our instructor) helped me out a lot to calm me down. Not to mention the store workers made sure we had everything we needed and helped us pick out the best equipment for us. I wouldn't consider getting certified anywhere else honestly. The prices may be lower other places but Aaron's takes care of military and definitely has the friendliest people. I definitely will be going back for future dives and equipment! read more

I just completed my advanced open water diver certification with Aaron's, and not only did I enjoy every day I dove with them, but I also received excellent training from divemaster Jake. It's obvious the crew genuinely love what they do, who they do this everyday with, and are true professionals. If you're interested in getting certified, this group teaches with patience so you're at ease going through the skills, even if you don't get it right the first time. From day 1, I requested one of my dives be a wreck dive, but unfortunately none of the morning charters had enough scheduled divers. To my surprise, the shop called me up the day before my last day of diving and said they would make a special stop at one of their close wrecks, giving me the opportunity to complete my certification and then join the rest of the group on the other 2 dives! Aaron's is a company that wants to exceed your expectations and are willing to go above and beyond to prove it. read more

Great overall experience! Saw our first Sea Turtle with Sea Monkey and Josh! read more

Aaron's Dive Shop - Pictures of sea turtles with barons dive shop - Dive Shops Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Very very rude employees. Neither of them were wearing masks and yelled repeatedly at my father for forgetting his in his car (he's hard of hearing and ran back to the car as soon as he realized he had forgotten it). The larger brunette employee was very very rude. Someone let them know they can't treat others horribly about forgetting a mask, especially if they are hard of hearing, if they don't wear them themselves. read more

Always have a great experience when going out with the staff from Aaron's. Professional, courteous, knowledgeable, and safe - but also very personable which sets them apart from others. There are many options when diving on Oahu, but I've never had a bad experience with Aaron's team. read more

Great guys, great dive, safe club, and just a great shop to dive with. We were really happy to find Aaron's Dive Shop for our dive in Oahu. No wonder our home dive shop in Toronto recommended them. We highly recommend Aaron's Dive Shop to anyone that wants to do some great diving in Hawaii. Thanks for a great day guys! read more

Staff is rather abrupt - both in the store and on the boat. They do make mistakes - but aren't very apologetic when they do. For example, telling you to show up at 7 when the boat shows up at 7:25, or getting overcharged and asking for a correction to your cc is painstaking and the apology for making you wait 30 minutes to do it - insincere. Ask a general question about X, and you get an attitude and answer that makes you feel like an idiot for asking. I don't know what their problem is, but they have no aloha at this shop. Don't get me wrong, they are competent and the shop is well stocked for a little place. But dude, why the stick up your you know what? Job requirement? read more

Had an excellent visit to their dive shop to get some snorkel fins while in Hawaii. They were very helpful and got my wife and I just what we needed. Decided to do a dive with them as well since I'd been recently certified. Their scuba dives are reasonably priced and include all the gear you need. The gear was in good shape and decent quality. Dive went great, they decided where we were going to dive based partially on what I was hoping to see. Also I learned a lot and saw great improvement in my diving ability from those two dives. read more