Hard to believe living this close to the beach, how hard it was to find someplace that sold decent swim fins, Beach Cities Scuba has them, for every need and in every size, I told them I was in training to be a MERMAID, and that I have BIG FOOTS feet, they steered me to the Perfect Fin, immediately headed to beach to test them, OMG, they were so perfect, I swam for over 2 hours, wish I had gotten the gentleman's name that helped, the price was so good I went ahead and got new goggles also read more

Beach Cities Scuba - My new fins and goggles - Scuba Diving Near Me - Dana Point, California

Purchased the Scuba Certification a few months back. Overall C minis. I felt that the 'manager' of several stores Chob pushed expensive gear. All smiles until I stopped buying gear. The first 2 Boat Dives... Visibility poor, about 3' with heavy surge. The second 2 Boat Dives... Visibility about 6'... I purchased the Boat Dives because it was supposed to be better than Shore Dives. Again... All About The Money for this business. The boat Beach City Scuba uses is the Riviera in Dana Wharf. This boat is All About The Tips for the crew. There was ABSOLUTELY no help getting back into the boat with all the gear on... You were supposed to get up the ladder with 80 lbs of extra gear on! Good Grief! I would NOT recommend this business to anyone! Boat Dives? Go to Catalina read more

The best service I have had since I started diving 25 years ago. They tell it like it is on everything you ask. Andrew and Rica bend over backwards to make your experience second to none. My son is a Research Diver, he took most of his certification courses with them, and he gets all his gear here even though there are places much closer. I highly recommend them. read more

Worst customer service I've experienced in a while. I bought a groupon for $200 last year. I tried to set up the class a few times but they were always booked out for 3-4 months. When I finally was able to schedule a class that worked I received a call from the center saying the dates needed to be moved and the new schedule didn't work with mine so I was told to reschedule. My groupon eventually expired as I had to move to San Diego from Irvine. I went back to one of their locations in Newport a few months back after reading that the value of my groupon never expired. The clerk the Newport store told me there was nothing I could do and that I was basically out $200. I showed him the fine print on the groupon and he told to go to their main location and take it up with the manager at the Dana Point store. I took a day off work last week to drive up to Dana Point to try to get this resolved but here's what happened. I was the first customer in the door and had to wait around for the store to set up. I'm a really patient person and considerate of others. I run a business myself and I usually empathize with other business owners/managers/operators. There's a lot that goes into running a business. The manager eventually came out to greet me and I told her my situation. It was an older Asian woman, didn't catch her name. I told her I has bought a groupon for the classes and how hard it was to schedule and that I wanted to see what we could do to get me in the water now that it was expired taking into consideration the fine print that reads: The amount paid for this voucher ($199.00) with Beach Cities Scuba NEVER EXPIRES. The first thing she asked was if I bought a lot of groupons and let them expire. I'm not sure if she was insinuating that I looked cheap and careless. Either way I knew this lady wasn't going to try and help me. I'm a pretty positive guy and kept smiling hoping she would eventually see that I just wanted to get in the water. I showed her the groupon and she immediately pointed to the expiration date. I told her I knew that it was expired but I wanted to see what we could do to get me in the water taking into consideration the $200 I had already paid. She told me the class was too expensive and that I should probably not take it. I asked her to give me the price for the class and asked if we could take the $200 that I paid groupon off that price and I would pay the difference. She started throwing different numbers at me and finally came to a fixed price for the basic open water diver class of $575. I've been checking around and most centers in Southern California offer the same class between $250 and $350. I told her that and she told me to go to one of those centers. I told her I had all my materials and equipment and she still wouldn't budge on the price. After feeling defeated and a little humiliated I left the store. I've never written a review for service before; I'm a pretty neutral person and take things as they are. I just looked at their website and they offer the same class we discussed in the store for $335. Worst customer experience I've ever had. read more

Seriously price-gouged us on equipment servicing. This is more than I have paid for gear servicing by almost double. Ack!

NOT HAPPY, This GROUPON DEAL IS A BAIT & SWITCH, and I'm a Sales person so I am not mistaken. Rika at the store said there were no available dates for the next few months, but Quote on Quote " I can fit you in next Wednesday" if you are willing to pay REGULAR Price $400.". read more

I highly recommend and give Beach Cities a FIVE STAR ... whoohoo this is AS GOOD AS IT GETS review. They have exceeded ... and continue to exceed all of my customer service expectations. Thanks Beach Cities!!! read more

Look at the other 1 star reviews - they mention an Asian woman who provides TERRIBLE horrible customer and price gauging on service fees. Those reviews are dead on! I too interacted with this "older Asian woman," whose name I also did not care to get. She gave me some of the WORST costumer service I have ever received. She was dismissive, rude, kept throwing out different numbers for prices at me, and seemed overall incredibly hostile. Avoid this dive shop at all costs in case you have to interact with her. It's not worth it - there are plenty of other dive shops that are run by friendly owners/managers who will be pleased to have you business - don't give one cent to her! Beach cities Yelp moderator - what's the deal? Is she the owner? I'd be genuinely happy if someone could respond to clear this up for me. How come nothing has changed after all the negative reviews that EXPLICITLY point to this rude woman, who is inexplicably still interacting with the public and scaring away customers? I also have to mention how ridiculous some of Beach Cities prices are, and here's why: in coastal cities all the way from San Clemente up to Laguna I can name exactly two dive shops.... and they have the SAME OWNER! That's why they jack the prices up so much here. I'm all for shopping local, but if the profits are going to some rude woman (?) then do yourself a favor and head elsewhere. Cheaper prices, nicer people. read more

Got a groupon deal last year and they are great. They have a location close to me in Newport Beach, but also have a location in Dana Point where you do your pool training. The instructors are all great and everyone has a great attitude. Couldn't be more satisfied with the service and help I've gotten from these guys! read more

Did not see the response from David Mansfield at Beach Cities Scuba. He asked a strange question instead trying to understand the problem. David .J Mansfield, that is how you listen to clients and improve your customer service with this strange question? As said in my post, I own my IT System Corporation in Newport Beach, I have never worked for Sport Chalet nor for any Dive Shop in my life, I am just a basic Dive Master and client. Why this question? Did you mean I intentionally posted negative review about your business to help Sport Chalet? Do you personally know me or have we ever met in the past. I posted this review to help other clients to avoid this bad experience with your shop and eventually help you guys to improve the customer service. I really hope you have improved since, because I am not the only client who has experienced the same bad customer service there. Just for you know, my new local dive shop is Scuba.com in Irvine and again I am just their client. Just in case you want to ask the same strange question if I work for this shop in your future comment. read more

Got PADI certified with Beach Cities Scuba last weekend and have to say I had an amazing experience. I did my classrooms at the Huntington Beach location, and bought my fins, mask, snorkel, booties and gloves with Chop at the HB location. Chop was very helpful and gave me honest opinions on what he thinks is the best bang for the buck. After completion of the classroom sessions, I had my pool class in Cypress with Brian S, and signed up for four boat dives in Dana Point, which is chartered by Riviera Yachts. I was fortunate enough to have Brian for all of my dives, love him. He was thorough, made sure to repeat the instructions so that we understand what we are supposed to do, and made sure that we were comfortable with all the skills. When we asked him about equipment, he shared with us his experience and didn't come across as a pushy salesman. His knowledge and experience made me comfortable during the ocean dives, and heck, he saved my life twice, when I freaked out at the bottom of the ocean floor. Thanks Brian, and BCS. Can't wait to explore the undersea world! read more

CHOB IS THE MAN! NEWBIES: LOOK NOWHERE ELSE! TRRRRRUST ME WITH LOTS OF RRRRRs!! I'm a newbie to scuba but not to darn expensive hobby equipment. I've got 700 skydives under my belt and I know how horrible it is to look for the right gear at the right price. Everybody tries to milk your wallet! I walked in to this store, since my girlfriend recommended it, and brought my skeptical negotiation skills with me as well. Chob asked me to google and call anywhere else I wanted for every single piece of equipment. The man gives you the best deal in Southern California and beyond. I tried shops in LA, multiple online stores and called a few other shops. Well played Chob, now I wont buy or trust anyone else but you and your silky long hair with your funny ass heavy accent! The guy will assemble everything for you and answer any questions you have with upmost patience. I highly recommend you to try this place!! read more

My son Alex and I signed up for scuba lessons with Beach Cities Scuba in December 2012 and became certified after our open water dives in January 2013. I was previously certified in 1971 when I was 19 and wanted to get back into the sport after being away for many years. Robb was our pool and ocean dive instructor. He was fantastic! Patient, knowledgeable, and fun; you couldn't ask for a more caring and dedicated teacher. His passion for scuba diving is obvious and contagious. Recently, Robb connected us with Chob at the Laguna Beach store to show us and teach us about all of the scuba gear options. Chob is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of diving and has a great sense of humor. He made the buying process very enjoyable. Alex and I are now schedule to do some advanced dives with Robb. For new divers, taking additional classes is great way to develop skills and confidence. I see in some of the reviews that people gripe about the cost of equipment. Yes, scuba diving is not an inexpensive hobby. But, if you are going to do it, you will want to have your own equipment because you rely on this equipment to survive in an alien environment. You become familiar with your own equipment instead of having to get used to different rental stuff each time. Our experience with everyone at Beach Cities Scuba was excellent and I highly recommend them to everyone. read more

Went to get help for my completely dead dive computer, Andrew had it up and running in a jiff. It was user error (mine) he just showed me what I was doing wrong, patted me on the head and sent me on my way, didn't even charge for service. Really reputable shop, has been there for years. read more

By far the best Dive shop in Southern Cali, Consistently carries the widest selection of top quality gear at the best prices. Ask for Andrew, He'll take care of you read more

My friends and I purchased the scuba cert Groupon and from day 1 Andrew the manager and his team were nothing but polite and helpful. All of the instructors and employees are very knowledgeable and ready to help. Great experience! read more

I have been getting scuba stuff from them for a number of years. Always knowledgeable and willing to help with any request. Inventory is very good. Prices are competitive. Andrew is a top-notch guy out of the Dana Point location. read more

I recently passed got my SCUBA license with BCS and their friendly staff. It was an awesome experience!

Helpful staff (Andrew in particular) and quality products. Just ask them about the return policy before purchasing anything...it's on a small piece of a paper taped to the register. They only offer store credit. read more

I got scuba certified here and couldn't be happier with the experience. The instructors were very patient despite my initial anxiety about diving and the shop staff were friendly and helpful. I had to exchange my mask because of some fit issues and they let me do that easily with no questions asked. I would definitely recommend them! read more

I recently purchased an underwater camera system from the store in Dana Point. While I regularly get air and nitrox fills from the Laguna Beach store and have also purchased other gear this was was definitely the biggest and most complex purchase I have made. Andrew was very helpful in explaining what I did and didn't need to get the pictures and video I wanted for the kind of diving I do. read more

My family and I were very grateful to have such great service when going through the certification process at the Beach Cities Scuba Center in Dana Point. All of the employees were very helpful and informative when deciding what gear to get, especially Andrew. We were surprised how quick and easy it was to get certified and we're glad we did! read more

First, the instructors were awesome. 2nd-the upcharge of $115 for the boat dives was a total rip off and waste. The boat went out only about another 100 yards from where the shore dive was. Vis was worse out there and nothing to see. 3rd- they will not accommodate your schedule at all. Must take pool same weekend following class that week. read more

Beach Cities Scuba is fantastic! My husband and I recently obtained our Open Water Dive certification from them and the process was smooth and enjoyable. I found the class room & pool sessions to be informative and efficient. We opted to do our four dives off a boat versus the beach and were very happy with this decision. The Scuba Teacher/Master ratio to Student was 1:3 or 1:4 - I think this is a great ratio and seemed semi-private. Their Dive Masters are knowledgable and friendly. In addition to testing the required skills they made sure we enjoyed our dives and were able to explore. I was also pleased to see that safety is a top priority for Beach Cities Scuba. Lastly, two of my family members completed their classroom work elsewhere and the dives via Beach Cities (there are special requirements for this, so be sure to check with Beach Cities if you are considering this option). Beach Cities was very accommodating of this request and made the experience smooth and fun for my family to join. Overall, Beach Cities is fantastic! Their employees are knowledgeable, friendly and prioritize safety. If I consider any additional certification I will absolutely go through Beach Cities! read more

Great place. Was looking for a new speargun to take on WSB and was hooked up with a great gun with a reel/line breakaway tip new shaft with a nice discount. My gun was made in minutes and was later out in the water catching fish. Great store and great customer service. read more

I found Beach CIties after moving to Socal from the East Coast. I've been diving for over 20 years and needed to find a good local source for equipment and travel. The shop is quite incredible. They have a huge range of gear that caters to all levels in the sport, from novice "first timers" through to technical diving. The staff is very knowledgable and Andrew (the main contact in Dana Point) is one of those "natural" leaders in the industry; he is great with people, fun, knows his stuff, and is passionate about diving. I believe in supporting local shops. We want the luxury to be able to browse different gear, learn from other's experiences, have good service facilities and travel etc... so we need to recognize the value that a local shop brings. Their prices are reasonable and their selection is fantastic. I highly recommend them. I'll also note that it is no small feat to build a chain of 5 stores in this industry - so they are obviously doing something right!! read more

Great shop! I have been coming here for 10 years now. My wife and I did all of our training though this shop and purchased all of our gear here. Everyone is very helpful and the staff is really knowledgeable in diving. read more

Did advanced here a few years back, great friendly staff. still to this day if any questions pop up I know I can call and get a nice professional answer. read more

My wife and I both took our Open Water PADI classes at Beach Cities Scuba Center and were very impressed with our in class instructor, Andrew and our Open Water instructor, Mike. Mike was very helpful and made sure each of us were able to complete all of our required skills. Andrew ensured we learned the course content while leveraging his dry sense of humor to make certain we also had fun. Both were professional, and knowledgeable, and kept us each from getting in over our heads. We also purchased our equipment from Andrew and have been using it for three years now with no problems. Andrew did an awesome job anticipating our needs and recommending the best equipment for our usage - both then and now. I also visit the Laguna Store regularly when we shore dive from Laguna Beach. Chase is very helpful with equipment and tank fills. One of these days I'd like to take my wife on one of the snorkel tours Chase leads in Laguna. Although we occasionally snorkel on our own around Laguna, all the folks I've talked to who have gone on the adventure tour seemed very happy and pleased with the locations he'd taken them to and the knowledge he shared about the area and marine life. read more

Amazing dive shop. Lots of easy locations, always have or can get you anything you need quickly from one of the shops. Friendly and helpful staff that care about your diving or spear fishing experience. Great opportunities to dive locally or abroad through beach cities. Highly recommend this dive shop, head in and see Andrew, he's the man and knows his stuff. read more

This is a great place for equipment and instruction because the people who work here actually use the stuff they're selling and dive the local spots. They set me up with everything that I needed to get my disabled Mother into the ocean for the first time and snorkeling! It is important, when you dive, to have professionals who know what they're doing because it keeps you safe, but it is important to have fun as well and these guys deliver. read more

After starting my relationship with Black Bart's SCUBA (ancestor of BCSC) in 1974, I have purchased most of my diving equipment from BCC. Fast forward (3k dives later) to 2012, & I was going w/ our club to Timor Este, SW of Borneo. Hosame suggested a new BC, since TE is mostly uninhabited. His (not the first) wise suggestion turned out to save my life. We were diving a spot called Vortex of Doom. It is a current riding dive. @ the end we were pushed from 20 fsw to 146 fsw in 15 seconds, w/ our bubbles going down too. I really thought it was the end of me. Then, I realized I had Hosame's new BC on & suddenly the panic vanished. I made a safe ascent (300 lbs air left) & was able to assist a novice female diver in the same predicament. She & I are now friends & plan to dive safer spots in the future... GO BCSC...! read more

Great company! Always buy my gear here. These guys are helpful in so many ways: from recommending equipment to different dive sites, they've got it down! A small piece of my BC broke right away on a dive, so I went up to the shop and they fixed it and sent me on my way. Super cool people. read more

I needed to get Open Water Certification for a dive trip to Belize next month. Andrew and Rika were instrumental in getting that done quickly and at a fair price. I looked into seven other dive stores in Orange. Just walk into Dana Point, Beach Cities store and you can feel the difference. They are all very professional and friendly. I found the dive instructors (Perry & Rodd) to be highly qualified and skilled at helping me through all the exercises to make me safe. They showed great patients and knowledge in guiding me through my training. I would not go anywhere else. Also, I bought most of my gear from Andrew. But even the gear that I bought elsewhere for what I thought would be less expensive, was not. When the equipment that I bought elsewhere did not work, Andrew told me to bring it in and he would attempt to fix it. I challenge you to find better customer service than that. I will stay with Beach Cities Dana Point. They are the BEST in their business. read more

Purchased an online special for the certification course, all the rental equipment was included. I was really looking forward to the adventure. The classroom was small and cramped. The instructor was unfriendly. For the pool class, my wetsuit was too small, and my buoyancy device was too small, but I had no idea at the time how these were supposed to fit. Breathing was very restricted. My weight belt was too heavy, and maneuvering was difficult. I wasn't the only one with ill-fitting equipment. One of the guys was pretty tall and somewhat overweight. His rental wetsuit was too small, so he went into the shop (right next to the pool). Apparently, they couldn't find a rental to fit, so he came out wearing a new suit that the staff had sold him. A short time later, he said that it was still too tight, and one of the staff said, "It's already used, we can't exchange it." Also, the buoyancy control devices of two people in the pool were much too big. My first open water dive was at the beach. We carried our equipment from the shop about a block and then down about 70 steps to the beach. My weight belt was obviously made for a larger person, because at the tightest, it was still a couple of inches too loose. My BCD was too large, coming up around my ears, and pushing me forward. The weight belt was slipping from my waist to my legs. I decided to abort the dive, and swam to the beach and took the equipment back to the shop. I asked the staff why they had given me such a large weight belt, and his reply was, "It was the only one left." I subsequently talked with Rica, the manager, and she was unwilling to give me any kind of compensation for the wasted day, except $10 off a boat dive if I wanted to do that. Because it seemed so hard to maneuver in the water because of the heavy weights, and the restrictive wetsuit and the ill-fitting BCD (and I am a good swimmer), I came very close to quitting. But I scheduled a boat dive, and visited the shop the day before to try on the equipment. Selected an XL wetsuit (they had been giving me a L), and a BCD that fit correctly. I asked the instructors on the boat what my weights should be, and they recommended 24 pounds instead of the 30 pounds the shop had loaded me with. With the right equipment, the dive was a dream. I could maneuver freely, breath better, and easily accomplished my required skills. On the way to the second dive, the boat's engine compartment was filling with water, so we had to go back to the docks. Did not get to do my second dive. They had forgotten a weight belt for one of the students. None extra on the boat. He would not have been able to dive that whole afternoon except one of the ladies sat out the dive, and loaned him her belt. Another student who was rotund was given a belt that was too small. He also would have had to sit out the dive, a wasted trip, but someone had a belt that could be enlarged enough, so they traded. I talked with manager Rica about how they were going to reimburse me for the aborted dive. I had to schedule another boat dive for an additional $50. On the second boat dive, I again checked equipment the day before. Even though they say they keep a log of what equipment the students use, they still had pulled a L wetsuit, and the wrong BCD. Second and third dive (out of 4 required) on this trip went well, except the mouthpiece of my regulator was damaged. Beach Cities really does not look at things from the customers' point of view. They are constantly pushing to sell something. Their equipment prices are about 30-40% higher than Sports Chalet, and equipment rental at Sports Chalet is $45 for 2 1/2 days, as opposed to $71 for 24 hours, and much better quality. I believe Beach Cities takes advantage of people who are new to the sport. Not a good way to build loyalty. On my final boat dive, I again checked my equipment the day before. I had learned to try on everything no matter what. They gave me a wetsuit marked XXL, but that was crossed off and now was marked XL. I tried it on, extremely tight. Probably a medium. I told them that was not an XL. I thought the staff member would want to know, but he seemed offended. He pulled another XL out which fit fine. Again had them exchange the BCD. I told him twice that I needed a L hood (not XL) and 24 pound weight belt. Voila! On the boat, I get an XL hood and 22 pound weight belt. I checked it before putting it on and adjusted it to 24 pounds. I don't think this was their usual ineptness; I think it was deliberate. The guys on the boat, the Riviera, are great. Some of the class instructors were unfriendly, some were friendly but not very proficient. Ron and Chip were superb. Great guys, excellent instructors. The company takes no care at all to making sure people are fitted correctly. I received no compensation for the two extra days it cost me to complete the course, plus an extra $50. Don't recommend this shop to anyone. read more

I received my confined water scuba certification after taking the elearning class online. I took the class at the Laguna Beach location. I was immediately greeted and helped out, even after telling them I wanted the cheapest scuba bundle possible (college student here). They helped me out, and gave me a great discount! I then moved outside where Scott helped me and 4 other students start our class. The day was very long, about 11:30am to 6:30 pm. Scott, (and one other instructor I'm blanking on his name), were so helpful and patient with us. I was nervous after taking the elearning and and not the in class course, but Scott really walks you through the skills and helps you to repeat anything. After the pool course, I went inside to take my quick review and Brittany helped me out. The elearning course is not so good at teaching you how to read charts, so she spent extra time with me, drawing diagrams and explaining the whole thing to me. I really appreciate all the work and attention the staff put in, as it made me more relaxed and excited to get certified in open water diving and made the overall experience worth every penny! read more

Andrew IS beach cities scuba! I have been doing business with BCS for quite a few years now. He's cost me some big change, lol but never steers me wrong. I drive quite a ways to get servicing and upgrades with Andrew. He's also patient with me. TY Andrew! read more

My son and I wanted to go diving for lobster. I am rather sqeemish and wasn't sure I wanted to go try and catch one. We went into Beach Cities and they told us how to catch them and what we needed. They were very friendly and helpful. They even told us not to boil our catch but broiling them would make them taste even better. The Riviera boat was going out on Opening Night September 30th so we made a reservation. The crew was very helpful with our dive gear and assisted us when we were suiting up. Everyone was excited and couldn't wait to jump in, except me. Jumping into the dark water was a little freaky. But the crew was nice and encouraged me to jump in after my son. After I was in the water, I felt fine and we went down. Would you believe it, I got one. So much fun. read more

Kind, knowledgeable and helpful staff. My teenage daughter is taking the scuba certification class and all instructors have treated her with respect and made sure she understood and was comfortable with each skill. I was very nervous to let my daughter go out in the ocean on a dive, but I trust these instructors and I know she is safe. I'm glad she has the opportunity to learn a new sport, without professional instructors, I would never let her go diving. read more

I've had nothing but a great experience with BCS! A friend of mine recommended that I talk to Andrew about my PADI certification. I had started with a San Diego dive shop that I really couldn't recommend and had only one exercise to get my open water certification. Unfortunately, it was over a year so I started all over with BCS. Andrew knew I was a little apprehensive so suggested I take a private class and hooked me up with the most patient teacher ever. Thanks Brent! So, I am officially certified and on my way to getting more comfortable with my dives. Every dive gets better, BCC can book the boat from their shop - which makes it really convenient. I tried shore diving but for a beginner, it was too much for me so I am taking advantage of the boat dives. I went in last weekend to pay and I the folks in the store were very friendly and welcoming. I wouldn't go anywhere else! If you want to try the sport (which I highly recommend) - go with BCS. They really know what they're doing. Andrew rocks! They also do group dive trips which I am planning to do soon! read more