If I could give them 100 stars, I would! Andy, Sophia and Allen are so awesome! This shop has gone above and beyond for us and we will continue to shop here and take classes. This shop is fantastic! read more

First time signing up for a diving trip to Catalina with this shop that I have not gone on yet. But when I called in for a fitting, they did not have enough inventory to fit me for, told me to come later in the week when inventory may possibly come back. Also they tell me that I have to pick up my rental equipment to bring to the dive boat site. I am appalled when someone named Sherrie tells me divers need to own their own equipment like a mask, snorkels and fins and don't have those to rent out even though they are a dive shop. She had a sarcastic and condensing tone with me because she was surprised I did not have my own fins and told me they did not carry my size. She said "Welcome to California! Where are you from?" In my almost twenty years of scuba diving all over the world, I have never been met with such poor customer service, gaslighted for not owning fins, assumes all scuba divers own their own equipment and tells customers to pick up their own rental equipment when we pay them to do so. I have canceled my upcoming trip because I don't feel safe with diving with them and have not been refunded my money yet. I would think twice before paying your money to this dive shop. read more

I've been on Yelp for many years, but this is my first review - because I really think this dive shop deserves it. I got my OW certificate here, and it was truly a wonderful experience. Big thanks to Sandy and Ludek for helping me with purchasing my snorkel package and sorting out the rental gear and tanks. And a special shoutout to our instructor, Mike Faust! tbh, I was a little hesitant at first since they don't have a fixed, pre-planned schedule for when the course will be held each month. They run semi-private classes (I think they also offer private ones -- I saw one during a pool session), usually with a max of 4 people. The schedule really depends on the whole group's availability. I had to wait about 3 weeks after finishing my online training to be placed in a group. I'm still not a big fan of this kind of setup since I prefer to plan everything ahead of time with fixed dates. However, I'd say the wait and the uncertainty were actually worth it. Some other dive shops nearby run group classes with 8 people, and once you experience that, you'll see the downsides. One major issue is that for certain practice tasks, all students float at the surface while going down one by one with the instructor. Even with just 4 people, this process took a while and we were all getting chilly just floating there. I can't imagine how long and uncomfortable it would be for a group of 8. Another kudos to our instructor Mike. He always prioritized safety and made sure the whole experience was fun. Our 3rd and 4th open water dives were originally scheduled for Sunday of the second weekend. But that day, the conditions were rough - over 5 ft surf, messy and chaotic. Even as a rookie, I could tell it wasn't a good day to dive. After observing and discussing with us for about 20 minutes, Mike decided to call it off for safety reasons. Of course, everyone was a bit disappointed. We had all gotten up before 5 AM and driven to the beach but it was the right call. We wouldn't have had fun or been safe in those conditions. Luckily, we regrouped two days later, had a blast on the final dives, and got certified together. TL;DR: 5 stars, highly recommend. read more

I really want to write something nice, as my original experience was good, but it slowly went downhill after that. In 4 months of purchasing an underwater cert course, the dive shop only offered one class. After not being able to attend this course and me moving states, I asked for a refund. This process has been conducted very poorly. In email threads, they have accused me of ignoring the invitation to the course when I have given them proof of my contact with the instructor, saying I won't be able to attend. Still, they say I have never been in contact with the dive shop. Now going to PADI to try and get a refund. Overall, I have not had a good experience with Dive and Photo. read more

Let me first say I really liked the old owners and was worried the shop would close when sold. The new ownership is even better. Great service and a lot of improvements already. Andy is also a super nice guy and about as knowledgeable as you can find in the dive industry, from Recreational to Tech. Awesome to see our local shop getting even better. I highly recommend them. read more

New owners are so helpful and nice. Got a vis and a hydro on a couple tanks and everything was smooth. They take the time to explain what they did and also help with any questions regarding gear. Air fills are consistent. Support your local dive shop! read more

Awesome dive shop with fantastic instructors! I did my Rescue Diver certification here with Mike, super cool guy who made the whole process smooth and stress-free. I was on a tight timeline before a Hawaii trip, and he even offered a private session to help me get it done. My girlfriend also did her Open Water cert with Mike, and we both had a great experience. Can't recommend this place enough! Pick them you won't regret it. read more

From start to finish and everything in-between our experience with Dive and Photo has been absolutely amazing. Everyone is great! A huge shout out to our outstanding dive instructor DJ for being so flexible with scheduling. His knowledge has far exceeded our expectations and then some! My friends came from Chino to join me on getting certified and they didn't mind the drive because of how great the whole experience was. I am looking forward to taking more classes with them in the near future!!! read more

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They didn't tell me that I had to clean my mask so I had to use foggy mask. Also the fins they recommended for me are not good. I wish they are more informative for beginners like me. read more

I rarely come on Yelp, and really only do so when I believe overwhelming praise is due. I had a great experience with this shop, and obtaining my Open Water Diver Certification. Ludek was great in helping me rent out the equipment and helping me buy my gear. And shortly after signing up for the course, I was able to join a group last minute with dive instructor Andy Kunig, and I am so very lucky I got to be a part of his class. First of all, Andy is an incredibly experienced and knowledgeable diver. And yet even with this vast experience, he made us newbie divers feel at ease and comfortable. No matter how many questions I asked, or how many times I repeated them, he was patient, kind, and ensured we were successful during all dives. He was quick to answer emails/texts when there was a question outside of our class/dives. He was prompt in submitting our info so we could obtain our "official" certification card. And it was obvious he was invested in our success. You can tell he truly enjoys his job and his passion shows. People asked me if I was scared to complete this course and dives as all of this was brand new to me, and I would tell them that I was not scared at all, thanks to my amazing instructor. I highly recommend Dive & Photo for your diving needs, and if you can, request Andy for your Dive Instructor. You will not regret it. read more

This dive shop is awesome! Did my PADI open water certification with my buddies through them. They make it easier for us and they're very considerate and accommodating. Shout to our Dive Master DJ! read more

We are so thankful for our local dive shop! My fiance and I wanted to learn how to scuba, but honestly, I was really nervous about it all - safety, cost, and complexity. Despite my rookie nerves, Ludek and his staff are so knowledgeable and approachable on any and all questions - no matter how silly (and no matter how many times you ask the same question over again because you forgot). On top of it all, Dive & Photo is probably the friendliest shopping experience we've experienced in recent memory. We worked through the shop to get PADI certified and the instruction from Deryk was unparalleled. During our first beach dive, we were so thankful Deryk was our instructor. We felt safe, supported and comfortable during the whole experience. Now that we are diving alone, we still hear Deryk in our minds reminding us of the things we need to remember to be safe, responsible divers. Thank you Ludek and Deryk for opening our world to our new favorite hobby!  We are 100% hooked. read more

Dive & Photo - Love our local Dive and Photo dive shop! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I highly recommend dive and photo. Very thorough PADI training for my fifteen year old. Mike Faust was very patient and mindful during the whole training. They also were able to set us up with a complete set of gear at a good price. read more

Awesome experience! Ludek and his team are very knowledgeable, fair and passionate. I've been wanting to get SCUBA certified for a long time and Dive and Photo made my decision very easy. You can instantly tell the people care and want to give you the best experience possible. I will continue to go to this store for all my questions and future needs. read more

My Husband and I had a beautiful diving experience with our instructor! We felt very safe throughout the course and would recommend everyone, no matter if beginner or experienced diver, We'd love to come back here for advanced courses - thank you! read more

I purchased two masks for snorkeling/freediving but we were talked into purchasing scuba masks instead. We were not that knowledgeable and were taken advantage of and were sold the wrong type of equipment since the store did not have what we needed. The masks are either not properly designed for the purpose (no airflow or valves) or they are just very poor quality products. It is impossible to prevent these masks from fogging up completely. I went to the store and was told they we can't return anything that's been used, even if it doesn't work.. Very disappointed because I thought we were getting good advice and the products that we wanted, but the bottom line is they do not work and they are refusing to let us return them. Now I have to deal with the hassle of disputing with my credit card co. if I want to get a refund.. read more

Me and my family went to the store and purchased two sets of snorkeling masks. But unfortunately they kept fogging up during our whole trip in The US Virgin Islands and Hawaii this summer. We tried everything we can to save the situation but sadly no. When we came back we wanted to return the products which are not functioning but we're told it is not happening. This is not acceptable as a customer who bought faulty products ended up not being able to returning or exchanging!?! read more

Major shout out to instructor Andy Kunig. He is truly the best of the best. Teaches a wide range of courses and has made all of my certifications a breeze to acquire, not to mention he is a blast to work with! My experiences getting certified through him have far exceeded my expectations, even with a few bumps in the road along the way (i.e., weather, bad dive conditions). Andy handles every challenge with grace and I look forward to continuing education with him. read more

We can only say great things about our experience with Dive & Photo and our amazing instructor Mike Faust. My husband and son got certified for Rescue Diving and my daughter her best friend and I for Advance PADI. Mike made us feel always extremely safe and we learned all the skills with ease under his guidance. Understanding him under water was such a breeze! Amazing instructor. I am the WORST at reading maps and navigating so you can imagine my happiness when I was able to navigate under water and find my way back to the point of origin. The staff at the shop always helpful and extremely organized. We really appreciate it since we were a group diving. Again. Five stars! Best diving school in OC read more

Dive & Photo - Mike Faust best Scuba Diving instructor! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Just wrapped up my open water certification today thru D&P and I couldn't be more happy and impressed. I had my classes with Mike and I can honestly say he's one of the best instructors I've ever had, for anything. He very obviously wants everyone to know what they need to know to be safe, have fun, and overall be successful diving. Their program is definitely affordable for what you get (a steal given this is OC) and no corners are cut. They offer good rates on gear and further classes for students, both of which you'll probably want after the initial certification. It's a big world and can be daunting to new people like myself so it's nice to have knowledgeable and genuinely good folks to learn from and have look after you. read more

I did my Open Water Diver course with Mike Faust and couldn't have had a better instructor. Mike is a high-level dive instructor that has been diving and instructing for over two decades. Mike is a dedicated and passionate instructor who is very knowledgable and easy to work with. Mike always taught us about different safety precautions and events that could happen while diving - making me feel much more comfortable as a diver. I highly recommend Dive & Photo for their great instructors and amazing dive equipment. Five Stars ..... Great School read more

I found Dive & Photo from Yelp and wanted to get certified here with the boyfriend. We did our Open Water certification with Chris and our Nitrox and Advanced Open Water with Mike. We were able to have private classes each time which was convenient for us and allowed us to move at our own pace which was especially nice as we tried to get certified before a trip. Mike and Chris were both great instructors. Ludek is the owner of the shop, he's really nice and knowledgeable. He helped us pick out our gear and gave us good prices. All of the gear is pretty top of the line with a lot of locally made products so they're made in the USA and customer support is great. Because many of the products are made so close, when we had an issue with something it could be driven there and fixed within a week or so. The prices at Dive and Photo can't be beat, almost all the gear we got was cheaper here than amazon, and you support local business. Classes were also a little cheaper than Sport Chalet but it's so much better here because Sport Chalet has large classes with a high student to teacher ratio. Overall Dive and Photo is great for your scuba needs or if you're interested in starting out and getting certified! If you ever go to the Scuba show in Long Beach they also had a booth there this past year. read more

Dive & Photo - Class price list as of 02/14 - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Nice selection of dive gear and nice folks working there. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and help me out guys. I appreciate it!! read more

Seriously these instructors are amazing. For all those people thinking about getting certified from A Groupon deal, I'd rethink that. Most diver certifications take 1:20 hrs of ocean time, this paid certification gives you over 3 hrs of ocean time with an expert! I felt so confident in scuba Jake and Ashley's hands. They were amazing! And Ludek will hook you up with great gear for the dive! read more

Last September, my husband and myself signed up for an Open Water Dive certification class and we were assigned to work with instructor Bill Cain. Our class size was initially 4 students, but the other couple we were with eventually quit the training, and only my husband and I ended up going to Catalina Island with Bill to complete two open water dives. Once on Catalina, we had two challenges. 1) Unbeknownst to us, my husband had an issue with his Eustachian tubes, which are inner ear tubes that help people equalize pressure when diving. Due to this issue, he was unable to equalize pressure safely, and he ended up with hearing changes and blood coming out of his nostrils after the first dive. He asked our instructor if it was safe to continue, and was told it should be, so he continued to do two more dives after that, meanwhile experiencing more and more issues with his hearing and blood from his nose. Apparently this is a rare issue and Bill had not encountered it before in decades of diving. 2) The weight system on my BCD malfunctioned, so while we were underwater, one of my weight packs fell out and I started surfacing quickly. Thankfully my husband saw what happened, alerted our instructor, and he kept me from going completely up to the surface, and my husband retrieved the weight pack, and we continued to dive after replacing it. However, the weight pack fell out a second time, (this time I was holding onto my husband's hand and didn't surface quickly) and once we all surfaced, our instructor had to go back down and dive for the weight pack. The day continued on with the instructor and my husband doing everything they could to keep me safe with an alternative weight belt, which unfortunately came undone and released its weights before we had completed all our diving requirements. Somehow, we managed to complete the requirements for open water dives 1-2. After the dive, my husband went to an ENT and was diagnosed with hearing loss in one ear due to burst blood vessels in his inner ear that resulted from the Eustachian tube issue. This eventually resolved a few months later under the guidance of his ENT who thankfully prevented him from further diving which could have resulted in permanent hearing loss. He now has no symptoms, perfect hearing, and the fluids have drained fully from both ears. Due to the accidents and health issues that followed, my belief is that our instructor, as well as ourselves, were traumatized though we didn't realize it for some time. That day, we just did the best we could to deal with the issues, and complete the dives. After this dive on Catalina, I noticed a change in our instructor, who until that day, had behaved himself with respect and professionalism, and who went out of his way to help try and keep us safe on Catalina after the accidents. He contacted me repeatedly via text as to when we might be doing our next dive and to check on us. Unfortunately, over time, it became clear something may have happened due to the trauma we experienced on Catalina, and he began showing a very clear romantic interest in me, despite having taught both my husband and myself to that point. After Catalina, unfortunately, I became the object of obsession, and ultimately, harassment. When I raised the issue with the co-owner, Mike, he was very respectful and receptive and offered to help us complete the training with him. He also spoke to Bill about the contact and assured me it would cease. Unfortunately, it ultimately continued until the present, but my hope is that this review will help it to cease completely, as I have dealt with enough. read more

We took the open water course with Mike. Mike has been extremely helpful, patient, and professional during the whole course. He was also very accommodating with our schedule. We truly appreciated the small class size which made learning very effective and enjoyable. Can't wait to go on more dive trips and advance courses with Dive & Photo. Thanks Mike and Janet :) read more

Jim is a knowledgeable and patient teacher and Shari (sp?) helped me pick out groovy yet reasonably-priced gear. If you have a little extra time and cash and don't mind waking up early, it's totes worth it to do one of your open water certification dives at Catalina! We saw a ninety-foot giant sea bass! read more

Dive & Photo - Catalina Casino Dive Park - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I did Confined Dive training with Mike Faust (will do Open Water dives during travel abroad). A crackerjack instructor. Experienced, knowledgeable, patient (especially that), concerned that students learn properly. A five star recommendation. read more

BEST DIVE SHOP IN OC!!! Dive & Photo is the best dive shop in the OC period! Ludek is extremely helpful and guided us through the process of getting our open water certification we have been diving almost every weekend since and we love it. Classes here are capped at 4 people with no hidden fees/ extra costs added on later, don't fall for the Groupon deals other dive shops advertise and get stuck in a 15-20 person class where they just push you through to get paid we see them at Shaws cove all the time! This shop cares about its customers and provides a higher quality of training which makes you a better diver at the end of the day. can't wait to take our advanced open water with Dive and Photo in the coming months. you won't regret getting certified with this place just read the reviews!!! Just went on our first boat dive with Dive and Photo to Catalina last weekend so amazing can't wait to go on more trips with these guys! read more

There is a reason this shop has such great reviews. I stopped in here to get a new dive light and the prices are not hiked through the roof like some shops. They also have a wide range of tanks that other shops don't carry. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful answering all of my questions. Recommended this shop to a friend and they too felt the customer service is above the normal. read more

I am so happy I found this dive shop! I was looking to complete my open water certification VERY quickly for an upcoming vacation (in ~2 weeks). Ludek and Mike worked quickly to accommodate my timeline seamlessly. I did not expect to turn scuba into a hobby; I just wanted the convenience of being certified for vacations. However, I had such a great experience, I am already enrolled in the advanced certification course! I cannot wait to participate in more dives with the Dive & Photo team. :) read more

I came to Dive & Photo to get my open water scuba certification, what a fantastic dive shop! Ludek is very helpful and got all my gear picked out (he even knew what particular fins I would need based on the currents I would be swimming through in Cozumel). I did my instruction with Mike Faust and he is the man!! The class was a fun time through all the steps: classroom sessions, pool dives, and ocean dives. He is very patient and truly just wants you to be a competent and safe diver. The small class size here is a selling point by itself, I couldn't imagine if I had split the instruction time across several more students. Thanks Dive & Photo! read more

My buddy and I just completed our Open Water Diver certification through Dive & Photo with instructor John Rice. I chose Dive & Photo mostly due to its proximity to my workplace, its competitive pricing, and stellar reviews... and they did not disappoint! As an instructor John is fun, knowledgeable, thorough, and extremely patient. My buddy and I went in with a lot of anxiety, and we came out of the class full of excitement and ready to dive some more. I even had a panic attack on one of our open water dives, but John calmed me down and eased me through the last of my skill performance as well as the rest of the scenic dive through Catalina. I'll never forget what an amazing help he was in helping me overcoming my fears. Even though I live further away from this place, I'll definitely be coming back for future classes and dive gear. If you want to learn to dive, I can't recommend this place enough! read more

I was looking to get scuba certified while in southern California for 2 weeks before taking a trip to Fiji and Australia. I did some online hunting and found JL Dive & Photo, which as it turns out is no longer owned by Joe Liburdi since he recently retired. I dealt with Ludek Subrt who is one of the two guys who took over the store. I paid $400 for the certification, and another $220 for gear (mask, snorkel, fins, gloves, boots). Since I bought the gear from them, they didn't charge me the rental fee for the wetsuit, hood, tanks, and BCD. So the total I paid out of pocket for the certification was $620. Ludek was really nice and helpful with the gear. He also set me up with the e-learning classroom session which took me about 6 hours to finish. The rest of my experience was with the dive instructor Mike Faust. As other reviewers have said, he is AWESOME. He was super accommodating. Since I only had 2 weeks to get the certification in and he was already booked for the normal weekend times, he set up a one-on-one pool session with me in the middle of the week (Tuesday) where we did the confined dives. The next session was on Friday in the ocean and Shaw's Cove in Laguna Beach, where I was scheduled to do open water dives 1 and 2 with one other student. I felt a little sick after dive 1 (probably because I had too much to eat too soon before), so I couldn't do dive 2 that day. Again, Mike was super accommodating and took me out by myself on (Easter) Sunday morning to Diver's Cove to catch up. And then 2 days later we finished up dives 3 and 4. As a teacher, Mike is sooo relaxed and laid back. I never felt rushed, and he patiently answered any and all questions. By the end of the 4th dive, my comfort level was infinitely better than when I'd started. I plan on getting advanced certifications with him when I get back, and have already recommended him to my friends and family in the area. If you get certified via Dive & Photo, go with Mike Faust! read more

What an awesome experience to get scuba certified and to be helped by the staff at this dive shop. After paying for the scuba classes, we also had to pay additional for required gear: mask, snorkel, fins, gloves, booties. Their policy is that you must have this gear for the class, and if you buy it from their dive shop, the wetsuit and other gear is free to rent (something like $85 rental fee otherwise). According to my friend, the prices for their required gear is pretty comparable, maybe even cheaper than other retail places. Their rental stuff is nearly new, some even brand new as Carl was opening up some of their store's stock to find a hood size that would fit me. The cheapest set of required gear comes out to around $150, but you can swap out whatever items for upgrades. I upgraded my fins to split fins for an extra $100, which I highly recommend... totally worth the extra money. The scheduling for classes is super flexible. Mike Faust was our instructor for everything (class, confined water, and open water). Mike is a great teacher and he's so patient. What I really liked about the class is that they limit each session to less than 4 students. I can't even imagine how other scuba classes are if there are more students per instructor as I felt like I got all the attention I needed from Mike when I needed help, especially in open water. The amount of time to finish certification depends on you and your instructor's schedule. We did our in-pool stamina test and academic class in 2 days the same week. Two weeks later, we did our 2 confined water dives and 2 open water dives over 4 days within a week. It really was 2 weeks of classes, but spread out over a month. Everyone at the shop is super friendly and helpful. Even my friend had trouble with his gear after our first confined water dive and Carl was super nice about letting my friend exchange his mask and fins for something that fit better for him. We also did our open water dives 2 days in a row on the weekend. Normally they only like to rent out 2 tanks at a time and each open water dive requires 2 tanks, but in our case Joe and Carl were willing to rent out 4 tanks at a time to make it more convenient for us. Every time I walked into the shop, they always knew me on a first name basis. I highly recommend Joe Liburdi's dive shop for scuba certification. read more

I'm 2 yrs. new to the dive world but since getting certified while traveling along with the Dive & Photo crew to Fiji, I learned a lot from their professional instructors. They set me up with all of my gear, plus introduced my husband and I to some really good diving friends. Whatever it is that you're looking for when it comes to scuba diving, these guys have got it. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE. Everyone who works here is always so friendly, informative, and helpful. PLUS their prices are great! I heard about Dive and Photo through a friend and went here to get scuba certified. The course was actually really fun and I was sad when it was over. Mike, the instructor was super nice and took the time to explain everything and make sure I was comfortable with every skill before we moved on. The ocean dives we did were so much fun!! We found all kinds of sea creatures and had the best time. It didn't seem like "class" at all. Don't get me wrong, we thoroughly covered everything PADI (the scuba certification course) required, but he made it FUN too. I didn't get to know the other people at the store as well as Mike, but they were all super helpful whenever I was in there. Ludek was there almost every time I went in and helped me a lot in advising me in buying gear. I appreciate the fact that they aren't just trying to sell you the most expensive version of something. They want to help you find what's best for you. I trust them and really love the place. Ten stars! read more

Dive and Photo is the best dive shop in OC, period. The owners and staff are all friendly and knowledgeable, and care about customer service far more than simply trying to make sales. The instructors (Mike Faust, Todd Marsh, Joe Tustison, Jim White) are all fantastic as well, all with many years experience and hundreds of certifications under their belts. They are patient with students and always make safety their top priority. Ludek Subrt is a great resource for any photography or equipment related questions as well. The shop stocks high quality gear at reasonable prices, and often run great deals on equipment, over $200 off list price for the Sola 2100 light for instance. Some highlights of their stocked equipment include Henderson and Bare wetsuits, Atomic and Oceanic regs, Dive Rite and Zeagle BCDs, Shearwater, Oceanic, and Atomic computers, Atomic masks and fins, and a huge array of photography and videography equipment. They are also more than happy to order any equipment they don't have stocked, and will take all the time you want to discuss your needs with you and help you to figure out exactly what gear you need to suit your diving goals. Their classes are extremely reasonably priced as well. $350 for your open water cert is a great price, and they never have more than 4 students in a class! This means you get more one-on-one time with your instructor, and will probably get to go on reef tours during your open water dives, rather than spend the whole dive sitting on the bottom while all the members of a huge class go through their skills. They also offer a deal where if you sign up for four specialty courses, the fifth specialty course is free! They also organize trips through the shop. They regularly do local boat trips, usually aboard the Humbolt out of San Diego (for Wreck Alley typically) or the Magician out of San Pedro, and plan bigger trips annually. They planned a Cozumel trip in May 2015, and there is some talk about Fiji as a possibility for 2016! Finally, their air fills are the cheapest I've found - $40 for a 10-fill air card! read more

For anyone reading reviews wondering if you should learn to scuba dive or just want to know if dive and photo is the place to go. I can assure you dive and photo is the right place. I highly recommend. I was certified by Mike Faust. He is an amazing teacher. Very patient, and made it a fun learning experience. At first I was a little bit nervous, but I always felt safe around Mike whether it was in the pool or at our open water dives. I also went on my first dive trip with dive and photo and made unforgettable memories and met great people. Scuba diving is my new favorite hobby and wish I started a lot sooner! read more

The best dive shop around!!!! Just finished my Open Water Dive Certification this weekend with Jim Whyte. Where to even begin... Jim's level of professionalism, honesty, attention to detail and overall personality made this such an amazing experience. From day 1, Jim was patient and always willing to explain anything in further detail that I didn't quite get or struggled with. I personally could notice the difference between myself and other new divers once we hit the beach for our final 4 dives. I felt so confident with everything, Jim took his time with me getting in and out of the water, suiting up and explaining everything that we would be doing once under water. I noticed so many other instructors around us not paying attention to their students, always so far ahead of them, and clearly not teaching them correct skills. Jim has made me such a confident diver and so excited to get out there and start exploring! I HIGHLY recommend Jim if you are interested in getting certified or obtaining any of the specialty classes the shop has to offer. 100% satisfied! read more