I want to start off by saying that I am so proud of myself for not giving up and accomplishing this challenging task. I want to say the cost of my training was $499 total. There was a special going on online for the spring weeks, and let me tell you, it was too good to pass up! Everywhere else was really expensive and did not include dive gear. I was lucky because I was supposed to get certified a month before I started with BLA, so I already had open water approved dived gear that I bought at a local dive shop. The only thing I needed from BLA was booties because I wanted an extra pair. Class days were from 8am-5pm and they cover EVERYTHING! It is a very thorough class and if you get Spencer, you'll be glad to know he is upbeat, light-hearted, and detailed. (I can only speak for my instructor this is not to say no one else is.) The pool days are challenging because you are toting your gear, but this is what builds strength, endurance, mental stimulation, and lets face it, RESPONSIBILITY. You are responsible for all of your things, so get used to carrying it. On beach days, I had my husband drive and carry my tanks for me to ease any extra stress, they didn't mind, but on pool days, I did it all myself. I want to give a special thank you to Nathan, dive master who was just as poised, supportive, and informative as my dive instructor. We had fun on beach days. 2nd day was better than the first. The sun eas out, better visibility, we saw a horn shark, I saw a lobster chillin by himself in the sand. It was great! I appreciate how professional and composed my dive Instructor, Spencer was under the water, that can't be easy. He was rather hard on us, but it's because he wants us to master the skills and really understand everything there is to know. Scuba diving is fun, but should be taken seriously when learning the ins, outs, hows, and whats. It is a guaranteed work out! No kidding. Hydrate and take food with you. Eat lost of bananas, I drank protein shakes on my beach days. I am proud to say I started my training April 1st, and received my open water diver certification April 14th. I am not here to pretend like this was easy, it wasn't, but it wasn't impossible either. It can be done if you ask questions, pay attention, and don't give up. Remember: once you are certified is a lifetime accomplishment, so get it done! The hardest part for me was the cold water San Diego had to offer! Thank you Beyond Land Adventures, I look forward to taking some more dive courses with you. I recommend this shop if you are trying to get the full experience and be comfortable with diving after training. They're very informative and are passionate about what they do. read more

Beyond Land Adventures - Beach Day at La Jolla Shores - Snorkeling Near Me - San Diego, California

Our experience with Beyondland Adventures was unfortunately a mixed bag that left us unable to complete our dives that weekend. The pool day was a great start. Daphna was attentive, supportive, and helped us have a successful day of pool dives -- we felt like we were in good hands. The one hiccup was that the wetsuit provided to my fiancé for the pool session had gaping holes in the knees. By the end of the weekend, my partner wasn't sure whether more pool time would be needed before moving on to the ocean dives. To feel comfortable about the upcoming dive she checked in advance to confirm that the ocean dive suit would be a different one -- not the damaged pool suit. We were assured it would be. Come Friday evening, we arrived at the shop to pick up gear ahead of Saturday's ocean dives, only to find that the wetsuit set aside for us was the same pool suit with holes. When we raised the issue and asked about viable fixes, things quickly went sideways. Skyler seemed overwhelmed and unable to work through a solution with us. Mid-conversation -- while we were still actively discussing options -- Skyler walked away, leaving us standing there confused and disheartened. Emotions ran high, so we stepped away to collect ourselves. I went back in trying to find a moment of Skylar's time to help bring acknowledgement to the feelings that arose. It seemed at first we would get to have that but I then at a moment things changed and we didn't get to solve it then and things got busy. I waited patiently hoping for a moment to come but it never did. At the end of the day after waiting hours I could share the issue in more detail and how it escalated, but left feeling unheard about the issue when explanation of issue was responded with retorts of how I might handle things. I did my best to make it a constructive conversation still aiming for a solution - but the experience was disheartening and the point was reached that nothing was going to work. Unfortunately we didn't complete the weekend dives with the gear and the experience on Friday detracted from the whole thing. I do want to give credit to Daphna, who stepped in afterward to help us arrange things so we could still get certified on our upcoming trip. She reached out and was responsive to concerns and ultimately wanted us to enjoy the activity of Scuba diving wherever that would be. read more

I give one star for the girl that helped me the first time I came in. However after explaining that my wallet was stolen with my card inside of it I was told I needed to get My PADI cert number from them so that I could rent a regulator set up and a tank. After spending the day tracking that down finally having house of scuba be the ones that were able to get that info for me, I felt as though because the earlier interaction with the previous employee was positive i would return and rent the gear. Big mistake. Little bit of insight, my regulator stage one and two were in storage and some mice decided to feast on my hoses. Long story short I was in need of a set today so that I could do a recovery job tomorrow morning. After jumping through hoops and tryjng to stay loyal to the original store beyond land adventures. I returned to find some new guy working the desk. He tells me that he needs more than my cert number to be able to rent the gear. He calls the other employee who vouches for me and then asks her if she knows how to input that into the computer to make things work. They have a brief talk and he ends it with I will figure it out. After about five minutes he proceeds to tell me that he can't rent the gear because he has no way to look up my info. I have the PADI app which clearly states that I am certified as a rescue diver. Plus my number. Then I ask him if he could sell me gear and he says no they don't sell gear to anyone not certified. So I ask him if I was new at getting into diving and wanted to be certified with my own gear so that I was trained on how it worked with a professional his response was that they don't do that. i Have never been to any store or bought any dive gear online and been asked for my certification card. So now that I have wasted my whole day finding out the information they asked me for only to be denied at th time that house of scuba or ocean enterprises are closing I get that fake response of I'm sorry so we just can't help you. If you read between the lines it says I don't want to do the work to figure out a way to make this workout for you. . I highly recommend that if you are going to need anything dive related that you look elsewhere because clearly they are not interested in making money. I will tell you one thing I miss the good ole days when Ricks diving locker in Escondido was still around. Rick was always helpful, insightful, and knowledgeable as well as being a great guy overall. It's no Wonder that shops are closing due to internet sales. Today I wasn't even able to get what I needed at a store that carries everything I needed. looks like I am gonna have to go online and get what I need too bad I will prolly miss out on this work today though. read more

Me and my two kids (16 and 17), just got home after finishing our last certification dive for our SSI Open Water course. If you're looking for a dive shop that has great instructors and staff, Beyond Land Adventures is it! My wife was worried about me taking my kids in the pool and worse, the ocean, but no need to worry! The instructors and dive guides are super patient and helpful. We started with Chris, who did our two pool days with us, and 1 ocean dive. Because of the rain a couple weeks ago, the rest of the weekend was cut short. They worked with our schedule and we were able to finish our ocean dives this weekend. Chris was super patient and calm, especially with my nervous 16 year old daughter. I was bummed we wouldn't get him as our instructor this weekend until we met Spencer, who was equally as good! He, Lynsey, and Sean were our instructor and guides this weekend. All super patient and amazing people! The other staff back at the shop are equally as great. Had to switch out a couple pieces of equipment we sized wrong. No worries, they were great helping us switch to the correct size. Their shop prices might seem high when you're getting your first bits of equipment, but if you've done your homework, you'll find they're actually about the same price as Amazon and online scuba stores. Yeah, you might get 10% cheaper, but why gamble? BLA will back up everything they sell us Thanks again BLA! Can't wait to do our first scuba in Cozumel over spring break. read more

I have wanted to learn to scuba dive for years. I was finally able to take the course - I was strongly recommended to take SSI and go through Beyond Land Adventures. I had absolutely no regrets. They are so knowledgeable and always willing to help. Chris was my instructor for the open water course - he made it fun. It was more of a learning curve than I expected but with the way the course is taught it actually sunk in - lol read more

I had an amazing experience doing BLA's Open Water Scuba Certification course. The course: We received really comprehensive learning material via the SSI app and took a short written test. Two days were in the pool learning skills, and two days were at La Jolla Shores practicing/testing skills in the ocean. I loved that they limit the group size to 6 people because it almost feels like a private lesson. The scuba guru: Patrick was our instructor, and he was amazing! (And not just because he's the "octopus whisperer" and found a baby octo on our first ocean dive.) He was so great at thoroughly explaining everything and demonstrating each skill. When anyone had problems, he was very hands-on and used multiple approaches to explain things. He was a wonderful teacher and guide. I was impressed with how patient he was, while holding us to a high standard of safety and skill. After taking the course, I feel confident in my diving abilities and am eager to learn more. I would love to take more specialty courses with Patrick! The cost: Originally, I purchased a Groupon for the course, which was a great deal for two people. You should be prepared for additional costs to purchase personal equipment (mask, snorkel, fins, boots, and gloves) and to rent the major gear (BCD, regulator, weights, dive computer, hood, and tanks). Although I spent more than I originally thought I would, I'm confident that all my gear is high quality. BLA has very comparable pricing to online sales, and with the 10% discount from being in the course, I was happy to support a local business. I'm eager to continue my scuba education through their specialty course packages, which are quite reasonable considering the skill and experience of their instructors. read more

Beyond Land Adventures - Mares Avanti Superchannel fins - Snorkeling Near Me - San Diego, California

Beyond Land Adventures has been wonderful to me and my family. I went diving at La Jolla Shores with them in the fall...amazing. They made certain my equipment worked well and I had everything I needed. So much marine life! Baby horn sharks, octopus, many types of fish, lobster, huge crabs. We went back for two days of diving at La Jolla Cove and the Shores in June with my kids, one 21, one 15, who were fairly inexperienced. The shop rightfully canceled the dive at the Cove due to high waves, also giving us a full refund. We were disappointed not to dive but incredibly impressed at how seriously they took our safety! The next day the kids went with the dive master who was incredible. They had safe and fun dives, saw lots of marine life, even a cormorant at 60-ish feet! I would dive with Beyond Land Adventures again. They are a safe and responsible business. They really care about their customers and the marine life. read more

My husband and I took the Open Water course here to get certified prior to our honeymoon. From start to finish, Kevin was amazing - knowledgeable, professional and probably most importantly - CALM - and took everything slowly. We started as a group of 6 (down to 4 after 2 students dropped). I loved the small class size which allowed for plenty of time for practice and questions. I haven't spent alot of time in the water, nonetheless the ocean, so I ended up the Anxious Anne of the bunch. Kevin explained everything in detail BEFORE we did it, and answered all 7,000 of my questions without batting an eyelash or ever getting impatient with me. He also let me borrow his boots on pool day 1 because I forgot mine, and on the final day he brought a wetsuit for my husband (since I had swapped out the wrong one) which saved us a trip to the shop. He went above and beyond. I was very anxious about the first real ocean dive, and Kevin allowed me to buddy up with him and lead the group together. He asked me to develop a signal to let him know I was feeling anxious and asked me what would make me feel better (ie physical touch, eye contact). Throughout the dive (which was around 54 feet!) he touched my arm to check on me (as agreed), and did a great job distracting me by pointing out various sea creatures with his flashlight. Aside from Kevin as an instructor (and basically my therapist for 2 weekends, lol), I loved how the course was setup: 1 full weekend in the pool (max depth 7 ft) to get comfortable in our gear and with skills, then 1 full weekend doing a shore dive at La Jolla Shores (they added a Divemaster for this part to assist Kevin). And before racing into the water, they had us practice getting into/out of the water with just the snorkel first which reduced my fears by about 75%. In the shop and during the shore dive, Hollis was hands down my new favorite go-to person. She is very sweet, approachable and knowledgeable. She helped me pick out a new mask to purchase when my borrowed one was too big and she was super honest, genuine and no-pressure about it. All around the vibe of this shop is friendly and jovial and you can really tell everyone just LOVES being underwater. Lastly I have to give a shout out to Divemaster Justin - even after stepping on a stingray on ocean dive day 1, he still made the first dive with us to keep us on schedule and while waiting for his replacement. He came back for day 2 and helped me past the break for the final dive, basically forming a "human wall" around me with my other buddies and giving me words of encouragement the whole time. When our dive was over a little earlier than the required 20 min, he took out an underwater notepad and had us all play tic-tac-toe while chilling on the ocean floor.... Talk about surreal! I do have to add: in regards to the 1-star review a few below mine (by "the friend of Desi"), these women were actually the 2 in my class who dropped. I have to say that Kevin was incredibly compassionate and patient in my own personal experience with him. I also witnessed him helping another diver (who had never experienced ocean waves before) through the break during ocean dive day 2. Afterward, she told me she kept telling him "I can't do this!" and he kept encouraging her and telling her how to get through the waves - and she did it! So just consider everyone has a unique perspective ... Also worth mentioning that the BLA website indicates that for people who are anxious, private classes are best because an instructor cannot always accommodate the extra time an especially fearful student might need. My only constructive criticism is that some people's equipment (including my own) had issues a couple times - my tank had a damaged o-ring which caused an air leak, and on the final day a few regulators malfunctioned during our pre-dive check. I am new to the SCUBA world so maybe these are standard/minor things (they were easily addressed and didn't stop anyone from diving) but it didn't do a whole lot to soothe my nerves, lol. I would choose BLA 100x over again, especially if I was guaranteed to work with Kevin! read more

This is a highly experienced and professional dive shop. Being a dive master myself from Florida, I have never done cold water diving. However, Ben and Kevin ( my dive guide) provided me with all the necessary equipment and gear as well as advice to stay warm. We did two dives in La Jolla cove, both are amazing among the kelp forest and sea lions around us. Kevin even gave me a ride to my hotel after the dives. As a dive professional myself who worked in the same industry, I highly recommend this dive shop if you want to dive around San Diego. read more

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I think the best way to start is to simply agree with EVERYONE else. This place deserves their five stars! The staff here are what make this establishment so special. Everyone is so eager to help and many of them have decades of experience. I think that may be one of the things I like most, just the ability to just go in and ask a "dumb" question without feeling like an idiot. Kumar is very knowledgeable as is Pauline, Ben is always helpful and Hollis has a friendly smile that can soften the saltiest of souls. If you go in there make sure to ask them about any package deals they have. They really do have a bunch, and if you do some research their prices are very reasonable. Plus, they price match so there is literally no reason to not give them your business. read more

Beyond Land Adventures is beyond the worst dive shop! Worst customer service I have ever experienced. I Paid for 2 dives back to back days Saturda/sunday & received 1 tank. Hollis was my dive master - she was great. She also seemed a little surprised I didn't receive two tanks and I believe her words were "I believe I asked them to give you 2" and then asked "if I'd be able to go and take my tank to be filled at the shop after the dive we had Saturday morning". I responded with I had obligations, and somewhere to be at 11 but I would try to make it back over on the side of town by 4 pm Saturday. I called the shop at 3:08pm & spoke to the owner informing him I would not be able to refill the take by the time they closed at 4 and asked if he could have the dive master bring it with when we met in the morning. He informed me that it would be $25. I responded with well that's odd you are charging me for this... my instructor this morning lead me to believe I should have received 2 in the first place when I came by the shop Friday to pick up my wetsuit I rented. Why am I going to be out more money and/or time when I should have received both on Friday? The owner himself told me that he would take care of it and see you tomorrow. So tell me why I received a call 15-20 minutes before their shop closed demanding more money for bringing my tank tomorrow morning at 6:30 am. I informed, the lady that I had already spoken to the owner and he said he would take care of it. she tries to tell me that the owner is who asked her to call me and take the payment. This lady hung up on me six different times, talked over me, and was unbelievably disrespectful. When I asked her, why am I receiving a call 15-20 minutes before y'all close demanding more money when I've already paid over $300 for these 2 La Jolla dives and have all my own gear minus, wetsuit, weights, tank. (Weights and tank were included) she asked me if I want to come in to refill and get another tank!! I said No that's why I talk to the owner 30-40 mins ago addressing this and he assured me I was good to go he'd handle it! Now why are you calling me demanding money or offering me to drive across the county 15 minutes before you close. BS! & Pauline cancelled my dive I paid for and no one showed or called for the second dive. I returned my wetsuit and am disputing the charge for the second dive. read more

Courteous, extremely helpful, and overall outstanding. Excellent rental gear, phenomenal instructors. Friendly, and have I said helpful? Very helpful. I recommend Beyond Land Adventures without reservation. read more

100% recommend this business!! The shop is nice and the entire team is phenomenal. Our instructor Patrick was awesome! He was extremely thorough. He made class not only safe but fun! My fiancé and I plan on taking more courses through them and join them on some fun dives. This is the place to get certified. If you've been thinking about it, do! read more

Kumar and Chris are best!! With out them I wouldn't get my certified!! I sign up scuba class with my 14 year son. It is the most memorable time in my life (if you have teen ager and interesting about dive you should do it) whole month pass by so quick and fun. Study together encourage together. I didn't know I was scare in water this much. Chris made me claim and do step by step. Kumar and Chris is very vey claim and helping out to receive certificates. never yell nor get mad face at all. Thank you. Thank you. read more

Beyond Land Adventures - Snorkeling Near Me - San Diego, California

This is only the second time I've ever written a bad review in my life. I always go to a manager instead. I did go to the owner, he didn't care, so here we go. This was a horrible experience and all four of us in the course were miserable. (How do I know how others felt? We all discussed it). The first evening, you are pressured into spending $500-$600 for equipment that you can buy on amazon for $200. Yes, quality stuff on amazon. (I don't know that others disliked this process, we never discussed it). Our instructor, Spencer, didn't communicate well, and didn't teach this course in a manner that made it fun or enjoyable. It felt more like some kind of military training or cross fit. For example, he had us carry two [heavy] air tanks to our cars, then drive them to the pool at USD, then carry both to the pool, only to tell us at the end of the day that we only needed one that day. what the what?! Why didn't you tell us not to bring both all the way to the pool at USD? Also If you want us to have the tanks at the pool at USD...why not bring them for us? The course is expensive, it should cover that. Also, I found out the next day that there's a cart you can use to take the tanks to your car. It would have been nice to have known that when we were carrying them in our arms the day before. And then, there was no break from 11-4:30. That first day at the pool we were there from 11am until about 4:30pm. and we were in the water for about 4.5 hours straight. This was an outdoor pool in February. By the time the sun went behind the clouds, we were all freezing and miserable. As in, when the instructor wasn't listening, people were exchanging looks, because we were cold and miserable. Literally shivering. The time we DID spend out of the pool was when the instructor had us get out of the pool and stand on the deck for 10 minutes, with these heavy tanks, weights, and all the gear on, while he explained what we'd be doing next in the pool. That gear is heavy and especially so after you've had it on for 4 hours and you are freezing. Oh, why was I cold if I had a wetsuit on? This wetsuit, which I actually paid money to rent from Beyond Land, had gaping holes in the knees. Even if it didn't, wetsuits aren't magic, there's no reason why the instructor should have thought we'd be warm in the water for 4+ hours in these things. My boyfriend took this course a couple years ago and he enjoyed it. His experience was completely different from mine. He didn't have to lug his tank etc to the pool, they had breaks, his wetsuit wasn't swiss cheese, they had breaks on pool days between the hours of 11-5 to use the restroom, eat, drink water. He had a different instructor. And this place has a lot of good reviews, so the instructor I got must be doing things differently from the others. I mean, it's scuba diving. Why not let it be a fun experience. I went back to Beyond Land the next day and asked the man at the front desk, Kumar, without even greeting me, told me to go back and rinse off my equipment. I was surprised to learn after I left that Kumar is the owner, because every time I walked into that place I was greeted cheerfully by the people that worked there, except for Kumar, basically he has no customer service skills. I asked if I could take the course when it's warmer out. He said no. I said, we had NO BREAK, no bathroom break, no break for food, no break for water, from 11-4:30 we were in the pool that whole time, is that normal? And he said yes...LOLLOLOLLOLOLOLOL dude. No it's not. read more

If you're looking to get your Scuba Certification stop your search now. Beyond Land Adventures made it fun, safe, and informative. From the first time I went to the shop to inquire, and all throughout the training. The staff is super knowledgeable both about the diving itself and equipment. An added bonus is how involved they are after your certification. They offer a ton of additional training and alumni dives to keep you in the water. read more

I would highly recommend Beyond Land Adventures for the open water certification and dive gear. I had a wonderful experience getting my open water certification. I am a veteran with some minor disabilities and Kumar was excellent at working with me to get my certification completed. Dan taught the classroom portion and the two days in the pool. There were only five of us in the class, so Dan had plenty of time to help us through any portion that we had trouble with. My daughter took her open water course with a different dive shop that had 12 people in the class and she said she felt rushed. The two 4 hour pool sessions were tiring, but Dan had us busy learning skills and the time flew by. He took his time with us and made sure we were all proficient with the skills, comfortable underwater, and safe. I did the ocean portion of the certification at Casino Point Dive Park on Catalina Island with Patrick and they allowed my daughter to dive with us. The cost was a little more, but definitely worth every penny. The visibility was 50+ feet and there was a ton of marine life and underwater structures. Casino Point makes getting into and out of the water easy since there are a dozen extra wide steps with handrails leading right into the water and dive area. Patrick not only helped me with my skills, but also gave me advice to help make the current dive and future dives safe and enjoyable. Every time I have been into the shop the staff is helpful, knowledgeable and extremely nice. Beyond Land Adventures will definitely be my first choice for future dive classes and gear. I cannot wait to get back in the water. Thank you Kumar, Patrick, Dan, Mike, and Saleem for the wonderful experience. read more

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Had an absolute blast while learning how to scuba dive with this team. From selecting gear sizing and answering questions to the instruction it was a great experience. ‍ Groups are pretty small with 5 in my class and 6 seems to be max class size. You have a great opportunity to speak up, practice your skills, and receive feedback on technique improvements. ‍ I always felt safe and the staff emphasized safety which help calm my nerves when learning how to scuba. Do the eLearning coursework (thoroughly) and you'll have all the book knowledge in advance and then learning it in class and then pool is easier. recommendation for this business. They are fairly new so show your support of local business and give them a try................ Note, I saw a Groupon and before buying I called in and told them and they quickly offered to meet the Groupon price without me actually having to purchase the Groupon then go in and redeem it. There is also rental gear you need to get (or buy if you're ready for that investment). Also, there is eLearning material cost you have to also add in. Just be prepared in advanced and read the details so you're not surprised when you spend more than just the course enrollment fee. Totally worth it, but I don't think most folks who are beginners know what all they need to get. Their website has a nice table that explains the estimated costs. read more

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A very unethical dive operator, and I would caution against using BLA. I already had initial doubts when, after having signed up for the Open Water Certification Course, I found out that the operator had mislead us regarding the $100.00 store "credit" for diving gear advertised and also found out that our diving teacher would not be the one to accompany us on our ocean dives for the Open Water Certification I had signed up for. My initial teacher, Ben, was so amazing that I put these concerns aside. He was calm, easygoing, a very steady presence under water who instilled a sense of trust and safety--just what every diving student needs. I cannot speak highly enough of him. Unfortunately, Hurricane Hilda hit and we got stuck with a domineering, condescending, narcissistic teacher Pauline Roche, who somehow thought that barking orders and patronizing/talking down to students was the way for beginners to enjoy learning how to dive. She was ultimately so nasty that I left. Unfortunately, the situation only got worse when she pursued me to my car against my wishes to get the air tanks that I had been given from the operator. Just as I was getting ready to pull away to go to the store to return the tanks, she suddenly banged really loudly on my window and opened the door to my car, yanking the tanks out, telling me that I was being "extra". As I was telling her that I was on my way to the store to return the tanks, she told me that there was no need to--as if I was going to let her behavior go unaddressed and not get my $500.00 back. She could have very easily caused an accident and her behavior was harassment at minimum. The owner Kumar was away on vacation supposedly and I never heard anything back for a week. When I called, he could not have cared less, and said he would "review my case" and get back to me. A few days later I got a generic email that he could not refund my money. Not once was this crazy, unhinged woman's behavior addressed. I had to file a complaint with SSI (who asked if I had called the police) and also dispute the transaction with my credit card company, who refunded my money. Otherwise I was prepared to go to court. Stay away from this company. Please read google reviews if you would like to see other negative reviews. read more

Friendly and well knowledgeable staff. The instructors here really know how to take care of their students and customers.. Tip top gear rental for all classes.. Bring your whole family in for the experience of a lifetime. read more

I just completed my Open Water Diver certification with BLA. Patrick Martin was my instructor and I cannot say enough great things about him. He took things step by step and was very clear in his instructions. He also had a great balance of creating a fun, joking atmosphere (nice when you are spending 2 full weekends with the same group) while still managing a safe/regulated environment. I was the only person in the group with zero dive experience but I felt very comfortable telling him what areas I was feeling shaky on. One of my favorite things about BLA is the limited class size. I believe class sizes are limited to 6 (maybe 8). Our group only had 4 and it was amazing! I did not realize how nice it was until we were doing our second pool day and House of Scuba had what looked like 16 people. As a result of smaller class size, we could get through skills much quicker and not burn through so much air underwater waiting on others. I do wish we would learn a little bit more about the computers and/or how to do calculations without the computers (since apparently most rental regulators don't have computers overseas). The BCDs that came with the kit for the weekend were great quality! If purchasing this course on groupon, beware of the fine print. My boyfriend and I still had to pay an additional $350 per person when signing up for the course due to the fine print that discusses additional fees. It definitely still comes out cheaper, though. My last contention is the first "class". It is a quick 1-2 hour class on Monday night. I am in school and was not stoked on missing class to come to this. The shop said I could pay $30-40 to reschedule for a different time (nice that they were willing to accommodate; however...). I ultimately just came in during the original time. I was pretty shocked to realize they were going to charge me $30-40 just to come in just to have someone look over my gear/double check my paperwork. That would have been an absolute waste of money. All in all, I am thrilled with my experience with BLA. I felt so accomplished after completing this course and would highly recommend it to anyone considering becoming a diver. I cannot wait to practice my skills and to take an advanced course in the future. read more

I'm super happy with my experience getting my open water scuba certification through Beyond Land Adventures. Love that it's a smaller shop. Kumar the owner was really helpful and helped me choose gear that would best fit me but wasn't pushy with buying their products. Ended up getting my ScubaPro fins and boots there because they offered 10% off gear to new students. Overall great experience and service from everyone at the shop, but I would have to say Patricia my open water instructor was AWESOME! She is a seasoned diver and amazing instructor. Any concerns or worries I had, she helped put me at ease. I came out of this feeling way more comfortable and confident in the water after diving with her. I'm excited to get back in the water and get more dives under my belt! Thanks BLA! read more

I completed my Open Water certification with BLA a few months ago and just finished up several specialty classes, and I've been very happy with my experience. I really like how they keep their class sizes small, which allows for more supervision, interaction, and personalized feedback. I am the type of person who spends time doing online research before gear purchases, and Kumar has been unbelievably patient answering my questions and providing his expert advice, while not being pushy at all. The prices at the shop are also very competitive. I am particularly impressed by how the dive center feels more like a family than a shop and everyone there is really friendly. All the staff have smiles on their faces and are happy to just chat about diving during downtime - it is clear that this is their passion. Now that I have my own gear and am diving regularly, I am always excited to say hi to everyone when I come back for fills. Thank you BLA! read more

Beyond Land Adventures - A few of us on an alumni dive trip to Catalina Island - Snorkeling Near Me - San Diego, California

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Kumar and the team are wonderful! My dive instructor Patricia is absolutely amazing - she brought us snacks on each dive (donuts and even homemade sub sandwiches)! Highly recommend and encourage everyone to give Scuba diving a try - it's an otherworldly experience that should be on everyone's bucket list. read more

The instructors are very knowledgeable and passionate about diving and it really shows in how they instruct the classes. I came out feeling confident to dive and highly recommend this place. The small class size is wonderful as well because the instructor is able to focus on every person for as much time as needed. They also have a great selection of gear and are very helpful in finding the right gear to fit what you want to do in the diving world. I look forward to coming back and taking their other classes! read more

Kumar and Patrick are great teachers! I was a bit nervous but they eased that with small classes, great teaching and so much knowledge and experience! Can't wait to come back for our Advanced Open Water. read more

Shout out to the Beyond Land Adventures team! Brand new dive shop that opened up recently and they are fantastic! Kumar, tony, chris were all knowledgeable, easy to get ahold of, and quick to respond for everything. Classes... brutal but the teachers make it easy and they ensure you know your stuff before hitting the water. Make sure to at least skim the book! Pool... fun but tiring. U gotta drive like 25min to it but not too shabby. Ocean dive... we just did ours in may and it was colder than expected. The instructor to students was about 4-6 students. Absolutely could not be happier with it! They ensured you were safe and comfortable. They are leggggitttttt. Trust me I was terrified of being in the water and that team changed my view. Great job guys! read more

My wife and I just completed the PADI open water course with Beyond Land Adventures. We had a vacation planned to Key West and they made some schedule changes to ensure we could get certified in time for our trip. Big props to Patrick! He was our main instructor. His knowledge, patience, and ability to train groups of brand new divers beat all expectations. I definitely recommend this shop to anyone interested in learning how to dive. We are planning on moving forward with the advanced open water course in the near future. read more

The open water scuba class is awesome. Patricia is a great instructor. She's patient, and explains everything very well. The fellas at the shop are friendly and help you get the gear you need and they make sure it fits properly. read more

I got my open water certification with Beyond Land Adventures. I had been wanting to get certified for quite some time and I couldn't have asked for better instructors! Dan and Kumar definitely know their stuff. When I went to get the basic materials for the class they were very helpful. They explained what I would need and why it was the best fit for me. While I was there they had a sparse inventory but were able to order anything that they didn't immediately have on hand. The certification class itself was a lot of fun! Kumar was informative and took his craft seriously but he didn't have a stuck up attitude like other dive instructors I considered. He made me feel very comfortable in the class. I plan on going back to Beyond Land Adventures not only for the gear that I will need but for the community that they are building. Everyone coming into the shop was very friendly and it seemed like a good community to get plugged into. read more

I was the friend with Desi B. There were only 6 of us in the class so the instructor had the time to encourage Desi to do the mask skill. She did do the regulator and when she purged the reg to go back into her mouth it flooded her mask which was the skill to do next, however this scared her and she surfaced. She was doing a fantastic job all day with all the skills but when it came to the mask flooding and clearing this scared her. I truly believe had the instructor tried even the slightest to encourage her to give it a try she might have gone back down to try it. I was encouraging her as her buddy but the instructor didn't even try talking to her. I will add this instructor knows his stuff!! He was very clear on his instructions. What he does lack is empathy and compassion for someone with some fears of the unknown!! She needed his encouragement so she could trust she was going to be OK completing this skill. This is not the first time nor the last time a diving student has issues flooding their mask on purpose. Its not an easy skill, however once done and with practice you can get over the fear of drowning. Desi and I are going to go to a pool and practice on our own and take a Scuba class elsewhere now. read more

My friend and I both purchased a Groupon to get Scuba certified by BLA. I have never done Scuba certification before and was excited to do this. We both did all of our online certification and started the pool training and got through most of day one. When it came to clearing my mask, I freaked out a bit as this was not something I was used to, and I also was not a fan of taking my air out and having to put it back in to clear the water out. I had to take a moment, and the instructor did nothing to help me or to get me to come back down for to continue training, so both of us left. The next day we both went in to take the written test and to see what we can do now about continuing the certification. We were hoping to join a class at a later time. I spoke to the owner, Kumar, and explained what happened and that I know i'm not the only diver that freaked out in this situation. Kumar said that because of what happened, I am now "flagged" in their system and cannot take a class, rather that I (we) would have to do private lessons, this is unheard of! Kumar proceed to say that this would cost us $700-$800 per person and what we had paid would not transfer over. I ask him if he was willing to work with us and he said this is all he can do. I told him that if he did not help us, that we would take our business elsewhere, and he said that's fine. Worst experience ever and I recommend that no one takes classes from them as they are only looking for your money. read more

Everyone who works at the store is incredibly welcoming and helpful. They'll find what's best for you and your situation and make sure everything works for you well. Not only did I buy gear from them, but I also took my open water diving certification class through Beyond Land. They cap their classes at 6 people, ensuring you get the attention you need and pay for. My instructor (Patrick) had tons of experience and was extremely patient. He made sure that everyone felt comfortable and was having a good time. If I could give them more stars, I would. I'll definitely be back!! read more

Bought a Groupon here for open water certification. Paid $165, which was such a great deal, or so I thought. Turns out it's a total scam, the total charges ( in addition to that $165 Groupon) came to more than $450 extra. And you have to go in person to sign up. Be warned: they are trying to get as much money out of you as possible, and hook you by forcing you to come in in person to sign up for classes. I could have paid full price elsewhere for cheaper. read more

I loved my open water dive course through Beyond Land Adventures. Patrick Crockett was my instructor. He was super knowledgeable, funny and had a great eye for finding see life! I felt competent and ready after the course. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere of the shop, everyone was welcoming, kind and helpful. I strongly recommended going through BLA! read more

Yaay, a brand new dive shop in Point Loma! These guys are great, they do PADI classes, rentals, equipment repairs and arrange dive charters! Im very happy to have them in my neighborhood and did I mention- all their dive gear is Brand New :) Great customer service, they were very helpful and courteous with me and my friend who is a novice diver and needed professional advice on getting geared up. Even though "Winter is coming" I will def be back, its officially My new dive shop :) read more

I didn't want to scuba. My fiance who prides himself on being a couch potato decides this would be an awesome couples thing to do. I'm a fairly active person (on land!) and figured if this is something he wants to do, I should get on board. Don't get me wrong, the idea sounded amazing, but the idea of trusting a foreign gadget for air had me nervous. Mind you, I had just gone to Maui in April and did snorkeling for the first time, and that was baby steps of putting my face in the water! We were planning on going to Bali for our honeymoon in November, so being able to OPEN WATER scuba by then was our goal So here we go: August: The reading/class portion: easy-peasy! The pool sessions: A bit on the struggle bus; I tended to be the last person out of our group to get the skill down, but if needed, the instructor Tony came over, and gave me that extra attention I needed. Ocean Sessions: we are supposed to do four dives altogether, but after doing one dive (last one down, again), I couldn't finish due to an ear infection. I had to take anti-biotics, and get cleared to try again. I had to reschedule but had a wedding in September so... October, Attempt #2: First dive of the day went off without a hitch! I also noticed I was less nervous/anxious this time. I was more familiar with the equipment, hand signals, and trusted the instructors. Instructor Patrick, was really clear in what the objectives were, and what I needed to do. The dive master Patricia, was also incredibly helpful with tips. Unfortunately, my anxiety got the best of me and I didn't do so great on my last dive, that I knew I needed more work to really feel confident about my abilities. After discussing things with the instructor and dive master, we both agreed that I needed additional work and maybe even individual instruction. I admit, I was disappointed, but I realized, part of this is mental, and each time I went in the water, I was becoming less anxious and more confident. But I'm not going to lie, I questioned whether maybe I wasn't cut out for this. I said to myself, ok, if I can't do this last dive, that'll be it, I gave it a shot. November Attempt #3: scheduling my last dive was a challenge, but the owner Kumar, and Patrick went above and beyond to make it happen. I was ready to quit and just MAYBE finish after our Bali honeymoon, when they were like "No dude! Bali is amazing, and you have to scuba there!" And so FOUR days before we leave, I take my last dive, and Success!! I literally came up to the surface and screamed I DID IT! LOL It was so cool! I was so happy, I had to hug it out as a thank you = ) Off we went to Bali! While we were there we even completed the ADVANCED Open Water certification! whoot! whoot! From Aug-Nov, I now have 11 dives under my belt, have gone 92ft in depth, with my longest dive being 42 minutes! I've seen Nemo! Manta Rays, crazy star fish, coral, a wreckage, even drift dived! IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF BLA FOLKS (and hubby of course). read more

I got open water certified with Patrick Crockett at Beyond Land Adventures and I highly recommend both! Patrick is the perfect blend of professional and personable. It's important to him that you learn the skills but also to have fun. He is incredibly patient, between the 14,000 questions I asked to times when it took me a few tries to master a skill and kind. I look forward to continuing my dives and hopefully getting the chance to join Patrick on yet another adventure! Thank you for everything! read more

My husband and I went diving with Patricia and we had a wonderful tour in La Jolla. The water was fairly cold (and they had warned us about this before) but during our two dives, we saw a lot of different types of sea creatures including a harbor seal, long salps and a huge scorpianfish! The visibility was about 15 feet. We are fairly new to diving but Patricia was very patient. The only issue we had was that our dive suits were so new that we needed more weights than we had anticipated! Patricia also kindly drove us back to the dive shop (we didn't have a car). All in all, we had a very good dive! read more

Just got my open water certification! It was a great experience. Patrick is an awesome instructor!