I signed up with Jon Prins for the beginning freediving course and highly recommend it. First, we…read moredid a remote lesson over Google Video Call where Jon led a group of ~8 students through basic safety, equalization, and breathing exercises. Then we did a morning and afternoon dive at Breakwater cove in Monterey, where we met Brandon, our instructor. I was impressed and pleased that John brought three or four instructors out so each instructor only had ~3 students. Brandon was an excellent teacher and helped me feel comfortable in the cold water and was patient and conservative while we practiced new techniques. On top of that, he really drove home the risks and dangers of freediving, more so than any of the books or videos I've seen so far. Overall, I highly recommend Fins and Foam for freediving and will be joining them in future dives. Their focus on safety and contagious passion for diving provide a responsible and fun environment. Pro tip: I learned you can get seasick just by being in the water. Dramamine could be a good idea, my buddy and I both ended up nauseous after many hours in the sea.

Wow! John and team were not only easy to work with but insanely knowledgable. If you want to get…read moreinto free diving they have everything you would need to get started and if you're already certified they have a rich community to join with consistent dives weekly. If you're even thinking about it - just do it!

My husband joins me in giving this store and Trish in particular an enthusiastic two thumbs up…read morereview. We shopped at their beautiful and well equipped store and had a ball. Trish was so helpful and knowledgeable. No sales pressure at all. They have high quality merchandis. We took a refresher course in Walnut Creek today and it was EXCELLENT! My husband had some issues with his gear and, just like she was in the store, Trish was very patient. He had his breakthrough and completed his dive! The instruction team was very organized and available for help. Thanks to the store, thank you, Trish. What a great experience!

Ryan and his staff were extremely helpful and professional! I needed to rent some gear for a dive…read moreclass recently. They thought of everything, plus the were very organized and accommodating. Their gear was clean. worked perfect, and the staff support was terrific. I highly recommend Pacific Ocean Sports for your dive needs and I'll be using them again in the future.

I've been coming to PSD for a while now, and it's easily the most welcoming shop in Sunnyvale. The…read morestaff actually knows their stuff. Whether you're looking for high-end gear or just need a quick tank fill for a Monterey shore dive.

The instructors are great however management leaves much to be desired and was quite an…read moreuncomfortable experience. Spent over $500 in certification and personal gear at this shop and yet such lack in service, felt treated like a cash cow with disregard to providing a positive experience. They forgot to include my wetsuit in my bin so during my ocean dives in Monterey I had to rent my own wetsuit on the day of my dives. Discussed this situation upon return of equipment and instead almost got charged with $55 for not capping the dust cap back on the regulator. Funny how they DO NOT stress or mention at all upon renting gear - you have to read it in the fine print. Which I feel the owner does on purpose for customers to pay out the extra $55. We ended up "breaking even" despite the huge inconvenience their mistake has brought upon me on my important certification days. Super disappointed with this shop and management. Please bring your business elsewhere.

I recently completed my open water PADI scuba certification with Gary Gardner of Scuba Bay Area and…read morehad an absolute blast! Gary is a fantastic educator and teacher both outside and in the water. He really wanted to make sure we understood the fundamentals of scuba so that we could be safe but also have fun! We completed our 3 pool dives at a dive center in the city which was super easy to get to. Our 4 open water dives were in Monterey where another instructor, Jennifer, was also there to help out. We saw sea lions, sea otters, starfish, a baby shark egg and all sorts of fish I don't even recognize! Contacting with Gary and his team was seamless both via text and email. For anyone in the Bay Area looking to get their certification, I'd strongly recommend Gary and his team at Scuba Bay Area!!! Little known fact: Gary also engineered and created a product called diver drops to help divers regulate the pressure in their ears during diver. I tried the drops during our open water dives and they worked great!!!

I had such a great time getting my open water certification with Jen and Gary! They are very…read moreknowledgeable, passionate about diving, and make everything fun while still focusing on safety and proper technique. The open water dive was great and I felt totally comfortable after getting the pool sessions done with Jen. The cherry on top was diving with seals :) definitely recommend!

I didn't know what to expect after not doing scuba for almost 15 years and trying to find someone…read morenew after moving to Oakland. Idonya was professional, organized, reliable and an absolute blast to get reacquainted with scuba and my open water dive certification. She works on your schedule and allows you to set your pace, making sure you're comfortable in the classroom and in the water. She helped me unlock some spectacular dive vacations since. She is patient, thorough, and makes sure you understand each aspect of scuba before moving onto the next concept. I felt safe and supported through the whole process and have referred several friends who have had nothing but great things to say. Best of all she has a great attitude and a great sense of humor to take any edge off if you're uncertain about getting into diving! Cant recommend more.

Idonya still continues to provide outstanding opportunities for anyone looking to get certified in…read morethe Bay Area. My daughter did her rescue diver certification with Idonya and now feels ready to help others should the need ever arrive (although hopefully it does not!)

I really enjoyed starting my PADI journey with this shop! Even with anxiety I was able to learn how…read moreto scuba. I wish I took pictures/GoPro of the pool class. We did their Open Water Pool course with the instructors Mike, Nick and Richard, who are incredibly patient and helpful. It is a very nice dive shop with the manager Brian. They have really nice gear to try on/rent/buy with helpful staff. We have been in contact a lot.

Beginner friendly, well priced... start (and finish) your search for SCUBA equipment and…read morecertification classes here! Any Water Dive Center is an open, welcoming, and encouraging dive shop filled with a great selection of gear at good prices, offering PADI certification (again at a good price)! I visited in November last year, poking my nose in, and asked about classes... the employee I met was friendly and took time to answer my questions, and I resolved to cross this item off my bucket list as soon as possible. Fast forward to yesterday, when I was finally ready. Brian, the manager, was there this time. He's an engaging, confident person with an intimate knowledge of the local (and global) industry. He was friendly and forthcoming about the requirements for the certification class, walked me through the steps, class requirements, medical requirements, the full deal! For those who (like me) are just getting started (the process can seem intimidating from the outside) expect to spend about $1100, all included... this gets your online classes and your hands-on classes (including two dive trips in Monterey). This is all done with an emphasis on safety, so be smart and take the training seriously. My dive class begins in June, so I don't have a full run-down yet; I'll update y'all on the other side!

I highly recommend Diver Dan's for getting your open-water scuba certification. Matt V was our…read moreinstructor, and he had the help of Rob another instructor. Both we fabulous taken care of my daughter and I, with the rest of the class. The staff is so attentive and helpful every time we are in the store and is excellent at providing information about scuba and equipment in a way a new diver can understand. Matt V the instructor for the course was so calming, knowledgeable and fun, but most importantly, he was so incredibly supportive. I was very anxious about the mask removal and replace and they provided encouragement, strategies, and extra praise when I was able to complete this skill. I wish I would have done this years ago but it didn't happen and for my daughter's high school graduation my husband treated us both the getting certified so we could all dive with the manta ray's on the Big Island for her Grad Trip. I can't thank Matt enough for being so patient with me as I am 58 and my daughter is 18....this will make years of memories for both of us! Thank you Matt and Rob & Diver Dan's!!

The customer service here is great. They're not trying to just squeeze money out of you, they know…read morediving really well. You can tell they love it and the enthusiasm is contagious. I had to repair my open cell wetsuit and Jeremy was able to tell me what I needed and how to do it. I typically come here for my diving needs here in San Jose. Highly recommend!

Training with Aaron is one of the absolutely best ways to learn to dive…read more If you're like me, you'll start by thinking you "need dive certification" and quickly realize what you actually want is to learn how to dive. I searched pretty widely to find the right person to train with and found Aaron. One of the things that inspired me to work with him is that he is a "career safety professional". He thinks about risk holistically. He manages to be highly empathetic and never push you beyond what you can handle, while simultaneously putting you through the exactly right amount of simulated disaster (that a normal school would never have the courage to do). He has the qualities of a great coach. He's able to keep a class on track, even for someone who asks a million questions like myself. He is patient, and he will not let you give less than what you are capable of. His prices are a steal (I hope he raises them). You get individualized instruction, and on top of that, you'll graduate into a group of alumni who continue to dive together. If you like to do things right, work with Aaron.

Aaron is a great diving instructor who takes the time and care to work with each of his students…read moreindividually to understand where they are at and what they need. As a first time diver, I was both excited and nervous, and struggled a bit with my buoyancy. Aaron was patient and funny and encouraging and by the end of day two at Monterey I felt much more confident and capable. One of the great benefits of Original Oaktown Divers is Aaron's commitment to community and a feeling of belonging. That is unique and something to be valued!

I signed up for my Advanced PADI course through SF Scuba Schools and ended up with John from Carmel…read moreBay Divers. We spent the weekend in Monterey with a cozy class of 3 students. For the Advanced course, Saturday was a long but low-stress 8am-10pm day, and Sunday was 8:30am-3pm -- including time for meals and chillaxing. -Before the course:- I was nervous about various things including buoyancy skills, night diving, not getting enough attention from the instructor, getting too cold in the freezing Monterey waters, and falling behind everyone else in terms of skills. By the end, I wasn't worried about any of the above. -About the instructor:- John was insanely helpful, attentive, and experienced, and made me feel at ease the entire weekend. His down-to-earth attitude and humor definitely kept me going through the difficult sections of the class. -Before each dive:- John made sure that we understood exactly what we were going to do. He was always happy to answer my overly-abundant questions, and gave excellent instruction on what to do underwater, from the technical aspects to the emotional/mental ones (Settle down. Think warm thoughts. Fun is mandatory!). -During the dives:- I finally got properly weighted during our buoyancy checks, and IT FEELS SO GOOD! My buoyancy skills improved dramatically over the weekend. John was incredibly patient underwater. When I messed up one of the underwater navigation skills, he helped me through it again and helped me adjust where I went wrong the first time. Night diving was my biggest fear going into the course, and I wasn't even scared going into the pitch black ocean with John at my side. The ocean life is completely fascinating at night, and I'm excited to say that I'm not (as) scared of that crazy dark ocean abyss! -Between dives:- We had plenty of time to warm up, and I never once felt rushed. He even brought a tub of warm water for us to pour into our suits afterwards. -Last thoughts:- If you're looking to take any kind of scuba certification class, John is your go-to guy. I feel so much more confident in my diving skills after this past weekend. Already looking into taking another course with him (probably dry-suit because I'm a weenie when it comes to cold water). Thanks dude!!

WOW - what can I say?? If you are researching places to get PADI certified- GO HERE!!! Stop your…read moresearch now or you'll be sorry! The company is run by John Foxhall, a master diver with over 30 years of not only diving experience, but TEACHING experience. Other places may have similar COST, but they will guaranteed have a sub par experience. John is incredibly patient and compassionate for all his students. He is passionate about diving and ensures you not only have the skills required by PADI, but FUN IS MANDATORY. :) He is very accommodating to personal anxieties (of which I had no shortage), injuries/sore muscles (which i also experienced) and fitness levels (I'm average). He also has excellent equipment for rental and purchase and can explain the differences between bottom shelf, middle and top shelf products. My husband and I used John's course to prepare for a dive in the Cayman Islands and even though we will be "first-time" divers there, we feel confident we could keep up and/or lead among other divers. John has taken our skill sets from zero to extreme confidence in our ability! *****GRAB YOUR DIVE BUDDY AND A COUPLE OF FRIENDS AND GET CERTIFIED HERE.****** Also, if you are looking to take your basic certification to the next level, you want to do it with John. He has too much knowledge to keep all to himself!! Also, if you are averse to cold conditions, John has frequent certification classes further South which is also something the other places will not offer you. Can't recommend highly enough. Thank you John ad Carmel Bay Divers!!!

Just finished my open water dive course here and i honestly really enjoyed my experience. The shop…read moreowner took the time to hear what I wanted from my own diving experiences and made suitable recommendations. He clearly told me what to expect from my pool sessions and ocean dives. They even worked with my work schedule and kept the dive shop open long enough so I could pick up my rental gear past their normal business hours. My open water instructor, Alaric, made learning diving easy and fun. He answered my many questions and gave reasonable advise when it came to gear. Thanks again Deep Blue for welcoming a new diver into the fold!

Getting back into Diving after a long time out of the water. Deep blue is truly a full service…read moreshop, Steel, Rick and Dan are honest, kind, and so knowledgeable!!! Got me kitted up, classes and diving again!