Great training and very strong on safety. A good range of equipment and we had new BCs and regs for our ocean dives. Michael gave fabulous advice, particularly on the purchase of gear, and Dev took us for our certification dives. He was super enthusiast and encouraging. We were blessed with good visibility in Monterey and our mascot for the weekend was Butch the mighty Lab. read more

My 13 year old daughter and I just went through their open water certification program. Michael, Nina, Stephanie, Dave and the whole team were amazing -- helpful, friendly and patient with all of our questions. They provided expert guidance on selecting and fitting our personal equipment and the rental equipment. Michael's training on land, in the pool and at San Carlos Beach was exemplary. He is patient, careful and very focused on safety -- and he makes it a fun experience. The whole program is well organized with good communication and planning throughout. All of the instructors were very supportive and encouraging of my daughter which she really appreciated. I highly recommend Harbor Dive Center to anyone interested in obtaining SCUBA certification. We are looking forward to taking their advanced courses in the future. read more

My husband and I got our dry suit certification recently and it was great! Our instruction Session was wonderful to dive with and patient as we worked through our skills on a day with poor vis. They've also serviced some of our equipment. Great to have them so close! read more

Disappointing service and a nonchalant, unprofessional approach to your diving experience made this a waste of a 40 minute drive for me.

I just completed my PADI Open Water Certification through Harbor Dive Center last weekend. After having gone through the entire experience with Michael and his team, I wouldn't recommend getting certified anywhere else. This is your spot. Michael and his team run a very efficient, professional and smooth operation. As our instructor, Michael was extremely professional and easy to work with. He is a solid leader with a deep level of knowledge of everything Scuba. The entire process from being fitted for equipment, to the pool dives, to the open water certification was treated with great attention to detail and effort to make sure everyone is always on the same page. I will continue to come back to Harbor Dive Center for any future advanced training, trip suggestions and equipment consultation. read more

I bought a dive computer and rented gear from them. They are the most friendliest people with a wealth of knowledge. Their store is very well decorated so it is pleasing to see when you are looking for gear. When I bought the dive computer, they did not try to push me to buy something more expensive. I told them what I wanted in a dive computer and they went looking for a dive computer that fitted my needs. When they did not have a part or gear I wanted, they were willing to order one and call me when it has arrived. I would recommend this dive shop. read more

From picking out my gear, to diving in Monterey Bay, Harbor Dive Center did not disappoint. I really appreciated Michael's calm and accommodating demeanor when instructing the pool and open water dives. The overall experience was incredible, and now I feel confident to brave the water. Thank you Michael and your whole team for the fun and safe time! read more

This is the 4th dive instructor I've had over the last 2 years and by far the best. Not to take anything away from the previous instructors I learned from, but there is much to be said about calm, patient, private instruction. Cesion (I think that is how is name is spelled) produced a major breakthrough in my diving skills when I went in to learn about peak buoyancy. I told him the problems I have had and he was able to give me the exact instruction needed to overcome. He also did a really good job at holding back his laughter as I put my BC on the tank upside down, or as I flipped around like a sea otter trying to get my BC on once we got in the water. I can officially say that Harbor Dive is my new home shop. read more

The Team at Harbor Dive is professional, knowledgeable and a joy to learn from. I took the open water certification course and I feel confident in what I learned. More importantly, they have inspired me to keep progressing in my skills. Thanks a ton for the excellent, friendly service! read more

I"ve had consistently excellent service at Harbor Dive, and I take my diving seriously just like the other reviewers. What I like about Jack (the owner) is that he doesn't work on your stuff just to work on it, but if there is a problem, he'll go the full 9 yards to fix it. For example, I had an 18 year old octopus 2nd stage that had developed a small crack in it. Jack didn't replace it the first time it was detected, but after 2 years, he let met know it needed to be replaced. He also knew that this was a problem with this particular model, and he took it upon himself to call the company and get me a replacement part free. Sure I paid for the service, but it was a lot better than buying an entirely new 2nd stage. Similarly, he overhauled my BC 2 months ago and fixed a sticky purge valve and tightened up some other seals, all for a very reasonable price. In short, they are a knowledgeable, friendly staff who will treat you fairly--exactly the sort of store with whom you want to create an enduring relationship. I have since moved to New York City, but I still have Jack service my equipment, usually dropping it by the shop when I visit San Francisco, and then having them ship it back. Not as easy as dropping my stuff off at the dive shop that is literally 40 feet from my front door, but better service. I have complete confidence that Jack will take care of my old equipment and give me good advice about purchasing new equipment. If you are in the area, definitely check them out. My experiences have been completely different from that of the one negative reviewer. read more

I recently got my equipment serviced there (been going for years after having 2 bad servicing problems at Bamboo Reef a few years ago.). It turned out that there was a logistics issue and they accidentally forgot to service the equipment when I called a few weeks later so the owner took care of it, didn't charge me for the labor, and then FedEx'ed the equipment to me overnight. That's the sign of good service and caring about your customers. Equipment worked great. read more

I have a Hobie Mirage double kayak that I love. A few years ago, we were having trouble with the steering/rudder unit not functioning correctly, and my husband took it to California Canoe and Kayak in the East Bay to have it repaired. (We purchased it there, originally.) It came back from repair still not right; very hard to turn the steering lever, and the rudder wouldn't lift out of water completely. We didn't take it back for a second repair because PIA to find time to get to Alameda. Anyhow, yesterday I took it out on Tomales Bay, and although it was a beautiful day, it was a tiny bit marred by the frustration of STILL not being able to steer the kayak accurately. As luck would have it, just on Saturday, my husband had mentioned to me that when he was at West Marine in Sausalito, he had stopped in at the dive shop located across the street to pick up some dive gear, and discovered that they sold and serviced Hobie kayaks, which he had passed on to me. So today, with the kayak still on my rack, I called Harbor Dive and Kayak and asked them if I could bring the boat in for service. Stephen answered the phone, was very nice, and said no problem. Here's the 5 star part of the story: I got to the shop about noon. Stephen was just coming back from getting his to-go lunch, which he put aside to help me, apologizing that he wasn't right there when I pulled up. He then helped me get my Hobie off the rack, and spent about 15 minutes of quality time going over the kayak with me, figuring out the problem. Then, as I stood watching, he took about 15 minutes to FIX both issues with the steering and rudder that hadn't ever really been fixed before, all the while giving me a sweet and short lesson in Hobie steering systems, so that if mine stopped working again, I'd know right what to look for and maybe even be able to fix it myself. I was also missing a fairly obscure plastic hook that was necessary to hold the pedals in a fixed position when stopped, and he dug through his drawers to find one, because "he knew he had seen one somewhere". The brass hooks on my seats were a bit worse for wear, and he took the time to get out some WD-40 to help loosen them up. I showed him my pedal sets, which he pronounced good to go. He then helped me load the kayak back on my rack. For all this, he charged me about $20! I cannot say enough good things about the service I received there today. Stephen totally made my day. I am super psyched that I have what feels like a brand new kayak, and can't wait to take it back out on the water. I would highly recommend this shop for Hobie Kayak repairs and purchases, and I give my highest praise to Stephen, who made it all happen with a totally easy-going and friendly attitude. read more

Yay! I just may have found my favorite dive shop in the Bay Area. While it may not be the cheapest or the biggest, it is by far the FRIENDLIEST, with the nicest, most sincere & low-key staff ever. If I had to take a class, it would be from them, especially because renting a wetsuit from them is a pleasure thanks to their spacious and well-decorated dressing rooms. It's much more fun stuffing yourself into a 7mm neoprene sausage casing when you have pretty coral reef posters to look at. In fact the whole store has a really neat decor -- kinda kitsch, kinda Steve Zissou (complete with Jacques Cousteau photos, day-glo Farmer Johns and 1970's Great Barrier Reef guidebooks), but with the latest in gear. And did I mention how NICE they are?? The more you look, the more you find great stuff packed into this tiny but fun little shop. It's almost worth a visit even if you aren't planning on diving but just feel like visiting a mini-museum of diving. read more

Harbor Dive is our dive shop of choice for everything, especially purchasing gear & equipment maintenance. We live in the east bay and our drive to get there is 1 hour each way (in good traffic). Yes, 2 hours round trip. But we make the time to go this shop because we feel like they are worth it. Shop owner, Michael, is meticulous about equipment & safety and we like having his keen eye looking over all our gear and giving us advice when we're considering new equipment. We've always had great experiences with his staff as well. We didn't find Harbor Dive until after we had already gotten advanced certification so the only class we've taken from them was for Nitrox certification-- the in-shop instruction was excellent. Again, Michael is very thorough, detail-oriented and attentive to safety so we felt like we got a high level of instruction. I might also add that this shop stocks a lot of great gear-- wetsuits, computers, regulators. I was getting ready to go on a dive trip and learned at the last minute that I'd need a thicker wetsuit... no problem! They had quite a few to choose from in my size. I'm very concerned about diving safety and my husband and I both think these guys are the best! read more

I had been visiting Harbor Dive Center on a regular basis for around 6 years, but will no longer use them. My number one problem with them is their hours. They open at 11ish (that is what the sign reads) On numerous occasions I have had to wait for them to open. Sometimes 10 or 15 min not a huge deal but plenty of times 30 and even 45 minutes. By that time I could have gone up to Marin Bamboo reef and back. That is where I visit regularly now. Bamboo Reef opens when they say they will, early most of the time is friendly and knowledgeable. Jack is the most knowledgeable in the shop, (he does the repairs) if you do go to harbor dive try to speak with him. Laurie is friendly but seems to be burned out. The extend of her knowledge is snorkeling gear and maybe wet suits, although she seems to tell you what the reps have told her and not a lot of real world experience. If all you need is snorkeling gear Harbor Dive is fine. They seem to be set it their ways and don't carry much in the way of the new types of gear and some of their gear regs, bc's, and suits wet and dry have been there for years. So if need this type of gear make sure it has not been on the shelf for a couple years. read more