2 days of 2 tank guided dives with Aquarius Dive Shop Booking was very easy. I got my confirmation email quickly with attached waiver that I was able to sign before I arrived to help expedite the check in process. When I arrived day 1 I was introduced to my guide Travis. He talked to me about my dive experience and asked me if I had any dive sites in mind. I wanted to go to North Monastery so we met at the site and checked out conditions and we were good to go! Both dives were GREAT! Travis was great at pointing all kinds of cool things out! We saw a ray, wolf eel, ling cod, nudibranch, and tons of other fish. I told him I loved swimming though kelp so he took me on a great cruise through the kelp forest. My second day of dives I dove with Nick. I wanted to check out the pipe at Breakwater and then make my way out to the Metridium fields as well as some more kelp forests. Nick expertly guided me everywhere I wanted to go and pointed out tons of little critters along the way. The Sea Lions even came out to play throughout the dives. I had a new regulator and octopus I wanted some help setting up and Will (I think that was his name) helped me out and also helped me find a pressure gauge I love! Overall I had a great experience and will be returning to this dive shop. read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - Day 2 with Nick. - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

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I got my AOW certification through Aquarius this past weekend - William M. was a great instructor! He was friendly, explained the concepts in a very thorough manner and provided individual feedback in an easy to digest manner. By the fifth dive in the class, I felt A LOT more confident in the water (esp. my buoyancy and compass navigation). I've rented gear (wetsuits, BCD, reg's, etc.) through Aquarius a few times now and it's always been a pretty smooth process. If you call and reserve in advance, the gear will be waiting for you to try on and verify. read more

Great dive shop! Friendly and knowledgable staff, good prices, convenient location for Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur based dives. Excellent course instructors! read more

​ I had a great dive with Chris as the dive master. He was very thorough and made the dive very enjoyable. We saw cormorants, sea lions , and the largest starfish I've ever seen! This dive was a wonderful introduction to Monterey Bay. The Personnel in the office were phenomenal. They assisted me with my dive suit and also the BCD. I highly recommend Aquarius to anyone who wants to dive in Monterey Bay. read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

In summary, everything you'd want from a class! - Very friendly, organized, and prepared - Always felt safe - Skill instructions were clear and help always available - Their experience and love for diving makes the class! I took the Open Water Dive Course with Steve and David and they were absolutely amazing instructors. Before we even began, communication was clear and often. Early in the week, we received an email with all the information we'd need for the weekend classes (and tips and tricks to streamline the whole experience). They were also incredibly prepared and had extras of everything (or in Steve's case, had all the tools to fix things) to handle the inevitable issues that arose so that we were all able to stay on track. In terms of instruction, it was clear that their top priority was watching out for our best interest. Our safety was always first, followed by an obvious desire for us to learn the necessary skills. They were always willing to answer our questions and redemonstrate when needed, were willing to take extra time to help us if required (but their explanations were so clear it was rarely necessary), and overall very thoughtful and accommodating to our needs (e.g. keeping note of how we were all doing and changing the plan as needed). What was particularly stellar was their personal love for diving. They're both incredibly experienced and made it a priority to give us the room to discover a love for diving as well (and not just focus on the skills). It was a particular joy to hear all the diving stories they had and the good humour in which they told them. The one point of confusion (which was my fault for being late and is actually a great deal offered) - the store offers extra credit if you don't ask for the deposit returned. While the course includes all the SCUBA gear, you will need to buy your own personal gear (fins, mask, gloves, boots) and will likely spend over this credit. It's certainly worth it! Overall, I had an outstanding experience in the course, as well as interacting with everyone in the shop (everyone was always kind and helpful). read more

Great dive guides and high quality, well maintained rental gear. We dove with guide David and he took great efforts to help us get the best experience possible. Also have been diving with Phil who is a fantastic guide. Wonderful people here. read more

Go elsewhere for dive certification! With all their hidden fees it's $800 for open water which is way more than other dive shops. Terrible customer service. Manager won't even take the time to talk with you. read more

Use this dive shop the next time you are diving in Monterey. They have air tanks. They have rental gear. They have fins for sale. They have many doodads. THEY HAVE ALL THE THINGS! read more

I had a few guided dives with folks at this shop and they were great! Reasonably priced rental gear and efficient service.

Service and professionalism was abundantly obvious from the start from renting the gear to advice on the dive site

I got a Groupon for this business. When I called they told me they don't have any classes until end of February. I said that's fine, can I sign up for one? the person on the phone however told me that he has to do something right now and he can't sign me up but he promised to call me back. Unfortunately No one called me. I called again the next day and another person answered and I said I wanna schedule a class. She again said she will call me back but again no one called. I called another time and yet another person answered the phone and told me that I should call back because they are busy. Another day and this time "we are about to close, call tomorrow". Anyways I returned my Groupon and got my money back. read more

Really nice people, but unfortunately our dive was a disaster. Our dive master called in sick, no one told us, instead they tried to double us up with another dive master already at the beach. We ended up getting poor quality and ill-fitting gear from the store staff, and ended our dive after 10 minutes because we were so cold. They offered to refund our rental gear fee, but that doesn't make up for a ruined dive. Not going back. read more

EDIT: Updating my review because of the owner's reach out and issuance of store credit. Will happily adjust further to reflect the (hopefully great) experience once I get the chance to use that credit with them. Booked two wetsuit packages the night before a planned dive after laying out my plans to their staff and receiving advice on when to be at Point Lobos in the morning to secure my spot. Found out shortly thereafter that the place required reservations, immediately emailed the dive shop to cancel my reservation, at which point they refused a refund. In short, got the wrong advice from their staff that led to my booking and wasn't helped when asking for credit for another time when I could book the reservation. They incurred no costs, as I only booked it the night before where no one could have rented these suits anyway. Sorry to see that Aquarius needed the money so badly that they would rather lose a customer than rent a wetsuit two weeks later. Certainly not what I expected after the friendly phone conversations. read more

I'm very happy with the dive shop. I called to book a 2 tank dive and they were able to schedule me for the day after. They open at 9, and that's when they start the fitting etc. The dive master was very nice and talked about the dive site and gave good description about what to expect and what we're going to do. The rental equipment was in decent shape with small cracks here and there but nothing of concern. The only thing I wish was improved is the timing, as we were done at 4PM even though we started at 9AM and it's a shore dive. read more

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Took a great night dive last Saturday night. The Divemaster explained the dive plan in detail and we followed it. A very enjoyable night Dive. I had some equipment questions about the Dive lights and he answered them thoroughly. We were in the kelp forest at night about 30 feet down. We communicated well underwater. This shop always has Divemasters of the highest professional caliber. read more

Excellent service and very knowledgeable instructors. I did a refresher and a enriched air class.

I was PADI certified at Aquarius Dive Shop and couldn't be more thrilled with the experience! It was a super professional and fun experience with some of the best teachers / divers anyone could wish for. Everyone working there really cares and knows how to coach you to success. A special shout out to John Mathews who tested me on the Ocean Dives and is both fun and an incredible PADI Instructor with great patience and coaching skills. Everyone there is fantastic including Brian B, Dane and Brian who were also amazing ! read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - John Mathews Scuba Dive Master and me! - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

My son and I spent Labor weekend in Monterey and booked 6 dives with Aquarius as we had zero experience diving in the ocean, as our OW and AOW was all done in lakes. The crew at Aquarius were super nice and helpful and Curren and Rigo were amazing dive masters!! We were able to dive four sites around the Monterey/Carmel area during our trip and conditions were outstanding. Can't wait for our next trip back, will definitely be booking more dives through Aquarius. read more

My special needs son booked a 9 am tour, because his PADI certification requires him to dive with an instructor. He and I spent all morning preparing his gear, we arrived early to get his BCD, tank, etc... The instructor Nick did not arrive, would not answer his phone. We waited a half hour past the scheduled time. Nick did not arrive, did not answer calls. We leave in frustration, Nick calls on our way home trying to say he got the time, wrong, then he overslept, then it was his alarm. Excuse after excuse. I explained that they called him numerous times, he had no explanation and hung up on us. Complete incompetence. No one at the shop would offer anything to make this right, except to refund my son. They wasted our morning. My son got personal instruction here to get his cert. Update. I received a call from the manager at Aquarius Dive Shop. He was very apologetic about what happened, and explained that by CA law dive instructors are independent contractors and don't work directly for Aquarius. His staff on hand did not have the authority to offer compensation for what happened. The manager did offer to make it right, and provide my son with a responsible instructor, we will not accept the same one again, diving is a dangerous sport and it's important to have instructors who have good ethics. The staff at Aquarius were professional, and kind. They did what they could. The manager, Dane, offered to compensate my son adequately for the issue. I'm satisfied with the follow up response, and good will toward my son. read more

I have absolute best time with Aquarius dive shop. There were many staff Members, and were all very friendly, Kind and patient. I felt very taken care of never rushed and we all took our time setting up our gear and checking it making sure that everything fit perfectly. I was pretty blown away with the quality of the rental equipment as I rented all my gear, And I'm honestly considering buying the same gear I used. It was really high-quality stuff. Also, first dive at San Carlos beach was so Incredibly beautiful, and I felt so comfortable and so well equipped that I opted in for a second day diving. When I had initially called the shop a couple days before my arrival to double check everything. I was nervous about the cold water, but the staff member on the phone promised me this would be some of the best I've ever done in my life and he was absolutely 1000% correct. If I find myself coming to Monterey more often, I would definitely join their dive club. Pro tip bring wool or neoprene socks, swim pants and a tight rash guard to wear under your wetsuits for a super warm experience. read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - Dive spot San Carlos beach kelp beds - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

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So happy we booked a dive packages through Aquarius. Brother and I just needed a full scuba kit and tanks but no guided tours. My brother forgot his reg at the shop and called from the dive site and they drove it over to us. Steller crew. Thanks! read more

It was our first time diving in Monterrey. Upon arrival, they had our equipment ready. Our DM Rigo made the experience safe and enjoyable regardless the horrible visibility. Thanks for the great experience. We'll be back!! read more

The people there were super helpful I. Getting me set up with a wetsuit and stuff when I left mine on the chair at home!!! Super NOT pushy to sell you anything you Don't need! The master Guide Brandon was the BEST!! I get nervous when 1st getting in even though I've been dining for 10+ years. He helped settle me down right away, he went slow and we got to see sooo much on the dive including a harbor seal! read more

I've had wonderful experiences with the dive masters at Aquarius but unfortunately had a negative experience renting equipment here. I and two other divers made gear rentals the afternoon before we planned to come down - unfortunately, one of my group came down with food poisoning that very evening and we had to cancel our trip. I called Aquarius upon it opening the very next morning (today) to try to see if anything could be done for our situation (move the reservation, in store credit, refund) but to my disappointment I was informed nothing could be done. Ultimately, I understand the 48 hour policy and this was on my group, but I was surprised at the rigidity and inflexibility of the policy. It's an expensive mistake to make, and it's disappointing knowing that despite us most likely coming down again in a few weeks that we couldn't get any accommodation on account of the gear already being "set out". I've had good experiences prior at Aquarius, but due to this I'm not sure I'll be back, at least for equipment. I get that it's a business at the end of the day, but I'm surprised and disappointed that our money for a completely lost trip was worth more to the shop than a group of recurring customers. I'm disappointed that I made plans and suggested us get gear from Aquarius - we love diving but losing out on the cost of a weekend dive like this is disheartening! read more

This review is solely about the customer service at Aquarius dive shop. My husband and I had planned to go scuba diving Valentine's Day weekend. We had scheduled everything and then on Thursday night before our getaway, our senior dog took a sudden turn to the worse and had to be put to sleep Friday morning. We were of course devastated. We called the dive shop first thing Friday morning, and they were incredibly compassionate and understanding. Without hesitation they offered to rebook or refund us, and we will be rebooking. I cannot wait to go diving with you, and my family is incredibly grateful for how you treated us on a very difficult day. 10 for customer service. read more

best dive shop i've been to! the staff (marin and david) were so nice and patient and helpful as we figured out our gear rentals. the shop was super clean and organized and pleasant to be in. highly recommend read more

Dane and his fine staff provide very professional, timely and enthusiastic service whether it is scheduling a training, dive tour or general informational requests. Appreciate their fine efforts and many trainings ahead.....Michael Z read more

wow--what a fantastic shop. This weekend was my first time diving with Aquarius and I am so glad I found them. Although they were busy, everyone was kind and communicative from beginning to end. The rental gear was brand new and worked flawlessly. I went out Saturday and Sunday and had a different guide each day and both were wonderful--knowledgeable and attentive, sociable and friendly. You are truly in good hands with this shop! read more

Had an awesome day of diving with Nick! Everyone at the shop was so helpful and friendly. My friend was a new diver and Nick was so great keeping an eye on her and making sure she felt comfortable. He was also great at spotting neat things during the dive. Very impressed with the shop! Will definitely dive with them again!! Also nice to see them being as safe as possible during COVID (wearing masks, keeping doors open, etc). Thanks Aquarius! read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - One of 3 octopus we saw on our dive! - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

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We booked the last two spots of this November open water class session and did our dive class during Thanksgiving holiday. Brian and Dave were the instructors of our pool session, Brian and John were the instructors of our ocean dive session. All the instructors are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Though the experience with this dive shop was amazing, the water was super cold for me (~50F/10C). Though we were in 5 mm wet suit, and it sounds cool to get certified in ~50F water, I would recommend coming here at a warmer time if you are sensitive to cold water. read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - Ocean dive training at Breakwater Cove - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

All the staff I met on my visits were very helpful and friendly. Brandon led a guided tour and the whole group had a great dive! Highly recommend these guys. Looking forward to future visits and dives. read more

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We had the best time going out with Doug from Aquarius! He was very knowledgeable on all the different sea critters we could possibly see and really made sure our dive was a good experience. He did a great job giving us time underwater to enjoy ourselves while also pointing out many critters for us to check out. He made sure to gauge our comfort with the ocean before hand and took our wants for the dive in consideration. I highly suggest going out on a dive with him! read more

Recommended by a friend. Rented some tanks and BCD's from them. Easy pickup and easy drop off afterwords.

Fantastic shop with good staff and well maintained rentals. I did a two tank guided dive at Monastery Beach and it was a phenomenal experience. Highly recommend this shop and Brian as a dive master. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8e9zstTY38 read more

Aquarius Dive Shop - Lingcod with Dive Master Brian in the background - Dive Shops Near Me - Monterey, California

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Nice place to rent gear and fill your tanks when you wanna check out the kelp forests. Been coming here since 2001, and it makes the visit to Monterey memorable. read more

Booked 2 guided tours pretty late in the afternoon the day before a early morning dive. When I got there when the shop opened it was swamped! So many people in and out, getting rental gear, getting tours, it was crazy. Got my rental tanks and the regulators that I had serviced from the last time I dove with them. Met with the guide, Nick, and discussed my dive history and possible sites the group might dive at. Ended up doing McAbee for both dives. Every time I come to Monterey I choose Aquarius because its a super friendly and helpful dive shop. I have dove with 4 of their guides and each time the guide was super friendly and supportive, even if it was with a larger group. read more

Enjoyed the guided dive with Brandon. I really appreciate his emphasis on safety, keeping with a buddy, and staying together as a group. The only hiccup was having the weights set aside after all the other gear had been prepared. So I had to go back to pick up before the dive. Fortunately, it's only a 6 minute drive. Saw a lot of sea lions (like a playground of them dating around) and traveled through the kelp forest, which was almost cave-like and cool. read more

Everyone at Aquarius was very friendly and helpful. Went on a dive with Curren. He was an excellent dive master and very knowledgeable. See lots of great sealife and beautiful underwater formations. Can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Took the underwater specialty course from Brian. Booking was easy. Brian was very knowledgeable and thorough. I learned a lot and feel much more confident using a compass. read more

I got my Open Water cert here, and I plan on getting my Advanced OW and Nitrox certs here as well. I live in LA, but trips to Monterey are worth it to expand my scuba education with these fine folks (not to mention the beautiful waters of Monterey). My instructor was William, and he was stellar. If you could grade your teacher, he'd get an A+. Patient and accommodating to his students' various needs. I was very proud to have him as my instructor and hope to continue learning with him in the future. read more