I just came back from a second dive with Catalina Scuba. Both experiences have been stellar. I've had two different guides, and each has been warm, welcoming, and informative. They're relaxed but knowledgeable and attentive. They also have, as some have noted, the best gear--the bcd's in particular make me want to get my own. I can't recommend them highly enough, and if I make it back to the island, which I certainly hope to, I'll certainly be signing up with them again. read more

What a great experience! They have the newest and best dive gear. The experience from start to finish was amazing! I will be back. Thank you for a great memory!! read more

Very patient, helpful and amazing gear!! We had a wonderful dive. The visibility was amazing.

Chris was an awesome guide to the kelp forest. I did the single tank shore dive into the protected kelp forest. We saw a California Moray Eel, Garibaldi, and a giant Sea Bass! The dive equipment that came with the dive was excellent. read more

Had several awesome dives on Catalina with Chris. The gear was really well maintained and made for an enjoyable diving experience, even at night it was a bit chillier. Chris clearly has a lot of experience and was quick to share his knowledge with us when we asked questions. Definitely recommend diving with them! read more

We have used Catalina Scuba on several trips with Chris and Nikki, and the latest trip with Garrett. They are top notch, gear and set up are great (well-maintained, and they make it so easy), and they go out of their way to make sure you see the most interesting underwater life! It has always been a great experience! We hope to dive out there with them again soon! It is cold water in Catalina and Garrett recommended a vest with hoodie under the wet suit for my daughter, it completely improved her experience!! P.S. I noticed some negative reviews that are CLEARLY NOT about Catalina Scuba, but about a different shop that actually has a storefront. People need to be more careful.... read more

Chris is very well informed he has excellent gear. Everything was clean everything function properly. He knew how much weight we needed with the seven mil wetsuit. He showed us a great time on the dive and was very clear and articulate on the dive plan. Just a great guy we will dive-with him again. read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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In a new location it is always a great idea to have a guide. Chris was knowledgeable, did a fabulous briefing. I thought the price was good for including all quality gear. It was nice to use a computer I have already been looking at for my own upgrade seriously, nothing looked like rental gear! He pointed out some great features and critters. read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

My family had the chance to visit Catalina and dive with Chris. He was absolutely fantastic! He made sure we all had a fantastic time. We will definitely be coming back. 10/10 read more

Catalina Scuba - Dive location - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

I am a retired instructor. I was surprised to be asked to take along a single diver... I was fearful of the liability and expressed my discomfort. The shop was not providing any other solution. The selection was okay/decent. The wait and unorganized folks that provided the suits and gear could have been a lot better. No one stated much and there was no personal service. I did recommend the shop, but warned my friends not to expect a warm, friendly environment or experience. It is a shop that you show up to; complete the paperwork; pay. Wait. Take gear. Get away. No problem. God forbid you have an issue.... I also tell every purchase a bottle of regular Listerine from Safeway before using the equipment. It is not a sanitary place and you cannot be too careful. Flush all gear before use with antiseptic. The return of the gear is painful and you are a criminal until the staff checks everything. No exceptions. I get it, but they could at least smile and demonstrate compassion or empathy. I'm sure years of dealing with the public has soured them. If someone has had a different experience than mine, not a worry. I rented from them before and it is due to the convenience and location. Nothing more. I would never recommend them for a course or for a guide. read more

My son and I both had 1 day time dive and my son also tried a night dive with Catalina Scuba. We felt Catalina Scuba was very safe, competent, and we felt very safe with them. My boy had a blast for the night dive. Good instructions and safety notes were provided before entry and my son felt very safe. He saw LOTS of lobsters and an eel hunting for dinner. We had a great time and will be sure to try again in the near future. read more

Catalina Scuba - One of the lobsters during night dive! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

We called Catalina Scuba when we were planning our trip and asked if they do boat trips to other parts of the island. They said they did not, and claimed there are no boats available for hire from anyone, and that invasive species have eaten the kelp on other parts of the island, so the best diving is at Casino Point. This seemed suspicious. Fortunately, we did some research, and quickly found several companies with boats, including one operating directly from Catalina. We also found great pictures of the kelp forest on other parts of the island on Instagram. So basically they straight-up lied to us. Maybe they're a perfectly great scuba shop, but their lies did not earn our trust. read more

My girlfriend and I did two dives this past Saturday with Catalina Scuba and we had a GREAT experience. Chris, our dive master, was very competent and took us to some very stunning spots under the water. The whole experience, start to finish, was very easy and I felt was priced very reasonably. The diving off Catalina was great. It was my first time and we had excellent clarity. Would recommend! read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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Marvelous! After 50 for my first diving experience but felt in love with it. We visited ship wreck and a fair distance from the dive point, pretty unexpected adventure. Underwater kelp forest and garibaldi in between was a sight to see. Thx for making it happen, instructor was awesome, careful and attentive, great guide. read more

We have lots of dives, but always in warm water environments. As Californians, we knew we had to log at least one Cali Dive, even if thick wet suits were needed. We had heard stories about Monterey diving being super cold, poor visibility and depleted kelp forests. NOT THE CASE HERE in Avalon!! Clear water with beautiful and amazing, sea life! Our instructor alleviated all our concerns about a cold water dive, the equipment was top notch and the marine life was abundant and colorful - even saw 2 super large sea bass (bigger than us!). Highly recommend this outfit. You will have an awesome dive! read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

We had an excellent experience with Catalina Scuba. Great people, super easy to gear up and go. Equipment was solid. My son was along for his first dive and while he was cool on the outside, I know he was nervous. Chris' instruction and style were perfect to help get him going. High marks all around. Thank you! read more

Had an amazing experience today! Took the first class which was at 8am , great time to go in for a 3 hour experience. My instructor did such an amazing job at explaining everything, he made me feel safe and of course made sure my gear was working at all times. I definitely recommend this experience. But i also recommend to do snorkeling before the scuba experience just to help out with feeling comfortable with the breathing through your mouth technique. Saw amazing sea creatures! read more

Son had a private dive with divemaster Chris. A+ experience. Saw lots of sea creatures. Gear is top notch! Chris is professional and cordial. Obviously very competent and experienced. Will return with son and daughter for a dive before college starts in late September. read more

Catalina Scuba was great, they had all the gear we needed, and they were very laid-back. We were booked for 90 minutes, but he pretty much said snorkel as long as you want. The only downside of this dive was it was an overcast day, and the water was cold, but that was no fault of Catalina Scuba. We had a great time diving even though the water was freezing cold. The wet suits helped a bunch and there was some great marine life and we even found a mask and snorkel lost by someone else in the reef. read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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Wonderful experience with Catalina Scuba! The company provides all the best gear and I felt completely safe with the guide. Catalina is the most beautiful place to dive. Highly recommend Catalina Scuba. read more

Did a couple dives with Kara on a spur of the moment trip to Catalina. Kara was great and all the staff were super helpful and friendly. Only (very minor) complaint would be that I didn't love the snorkels they rented out, but they did the job just fine. Vis was great and the Giant Bass are a sight to see! Beautiful dives and would highly recommend the Catalina Scuba folks. Will def go back with them! read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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What a great experience diving in Catalina! We're novices, and our guide worked with us the whole time to ease our anxieties and give us a memorable experience. We'll be back! read more

What an amazing experience we have had many dives around the world, and the Catalina scuba is one that can't be missed if you're a diver. Chris or Master was second to none and those of the dives site like the back of his hand. We had four dives in two days and each dive was different and beautiful. We hit the easy button and used their gear and it was awesome all first rate equipment and absolutely love love the Wing BCD. great for first time divers and super fun for certified divers. Will be going back next year. read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

signed up because Catalina Scuba had great reviews. i will add another as they were very responsive to conditions beyond their control. my friend and i signed up for a beginners' dive and when we arrived the current was too strong for very inexperienced divers like us. Catalina Scuba decided it was best not to dive in these potentially dangerous conditions and refunded my money without any issues. obviously to them, safety is paramount so i will not hesitate to schedule again when ocean conditions are more favorable! read more

Highly recommended. Chris was awesome assisting me with the dives. I am a dive master my self from Florida and I can assure you this is a very very good dive shop with great services. I have never seen anything so magnificent in my diving career. If you are coming to the Catalina islands and feel like diving, make sure to Check them out ! read more

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We had such a great experience scuba diving with these guys last week ... it was my first time and it was so seamless that I will definitely be doing it again !! read more

One of the best dive experiences of my life! Garrett was an AMAZING divemaster he was super helpful to the whole group and gave us an amazing experience. All gear was well taken care of and they give you everything you need to stay warm diving. Would rate 10 stars if I could. I even got these amazing photos!!!! read more

Catalina Scuba - Scuba Diving Near Me - Avalon, California

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I took the refresher dive. I'm so glad I did. It was a great experience and helped me to gain more confidence diving. Chris explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and provided feedback to continue building skills. I would highly recommend Catalina Scuba to anyone visiting Catalina. All gear was provided, clean and in good condition. And the best part in addition to the dive is you don't have to bring any equipment with you. read more

Very friendly and knowable owner. Great equipment, I dir not need to bring anything. Love the location right where enter the park/water. Did the 2 tank dive and small group. read more

I did a 2-tank dive tour with Catalina Scuba last weekend and was very impressed. Dive guide Chris was very organized, had all of the rental gear I needed, and provided a great learning experience during my dives. I would not hesitate to use Catalina Scuba again on my next trip to the Island. read more

Found a Groupon for an intro scuba diving session so I decided to check it out while in Catalina! They only take one Groupon a day, so be sure to check for availability and reserve ahead of time. Both my boyfriend and I have never scuba dived before so we were nervous, but the guide was very friendly and informative and made our experience go smoothly. We had a great experience scuba diving and saw many fish. Overall highly recommend Catalina Scuba! We ended up being the only people in our session so it was awesome having the guide all to ourselves. read more

Brilliant! We had so much fun. Friendly and informative. Great for beginners. We went early (10am) and were told we could stay in all day if we wanted. Thousands of fish to see. read more

We had an awesome time diving with Catalina Scuba. Our dive guide was awesome and super helpful with my daughter since she is new to diving and is a junior diver. Would dive with them again! read more

This was my first time scuba diving as an open water certified diver. We saw the most amazing sea creatures with our informative and patient dive master guide. He even took photos of us with his Go Pro and captured shots we can remember forever!! Would definitely recommend this group to anyone looking to explore Avalon's Marine Protected Area with a tour guide! read more

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We had the best time! Loved the instructors, knowledgeable and made us feel right at home is such a setting! Would absolutely book again!

Chris is extremely knowledgeable, and patient . His rental equipment is high quality . Loved diving with Catalina Scuba and would absolutely book another trip ! read more

This was our first dive after getting certified in AZ. Chris was amazing and so helpful with my boys (14,16). The dive was awesome and we can't wait to come back. read more

Booking was super easy w/ their online system. Simply pick your times and show up a little bit beforehand at Casino Point. There are a couple of different dive shops out there so make sure you look for Catalina Scuba. Nicky led us on two dives, we got to see a couple of shipwrecks, some crustaceans, fish, and lots of kelp. Would definitely recommend Catalina Scuba to anyone going diving at Casino Point. read more

Best dive outfit on the Island. Amazing dive in the kelp forest of Catalina Island. Chris and Gus were excellent guides and took time to help us be better divers. We did 3 dives over 2 days. Lots of fish and things to see. I see why the kelp forests were one of Jacques Cousteau favorite places to dive. See the memorial to him right after the steps. If you are diving Catalina, go with Catalina Scuba. read more

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I had four incredible dives over two days! Cara and Chris were incredible dive masters! They made this an incredible trip and listened to my needs as a diver! This was my first time diving the kelp beds and I'll be back to dive with Catalina scuba!! Thank you guys for an epic adventure! read more