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 was certified at Marin diving center years ago, great experience great staff. Just stopped by to…read morebuy a T-shirt. Great prices and a great way to advertise for them. Thanks Marin diving center.

I bought two preowned steel tanks here. Jon, the owner, was responsive to my questions over texts…read more He was friendly when I met him at the store. He even pointed out that my Octo was missing an exhaust cover, and offered to mail me the part as I live in the Bay Area. I got the part a week later in the mail, while other dive shops couldn't order one for me. I would definitely go back when I'm in the area or consider signing up a friend for a PADI course.

I've been diving with The Deep Ocean Explore Store for the last two months, and I can honestly say…read morethis shop has completely changed my diving journey. From the very beginning, the team here helped me with everything -- gear rentals, certifications, dive planning, skill progression, and even opportunities to join dives purely to gain more knowledge and experience in Monterey's challenging conditions. They even organized an expedition to Catalina, which turned out to be one of the most beneficial and unforgettable diving experiences I've had so far. What really sets this place apart is the dive masters. No matter what question you have -- even if you accidentally ask the same one a few times -- they walk you through it with patience, clarity, and zero judgment. Their goal isn't just to get you certified; it's to help you become a confident, capable, and safe diver. The environment here is incredibly welcoming and community-driven. In just two months, I've seen everything from 10-year-olds getting their first certification to 30-year veteran divers calling this shop their home base. It's rare to find a place where beginners and seasoned divers feel equally supported, but this shop nails it. Whether you're looking to get certified, expand your knowledge, rent reliable gear, or join a safe and genuine dive community, this is the shop you want behind you. They care, they teach well, and they make every dive count. If you're on the fence, take this as your sign--go with The Deep Ocean Explore Store. Your future dives will thank you.

Completely inattentive sales(?)person. Would have purchased something but we were totally ignored…read more We were looking for two snorkeling sets and a wet suit and reef safe sunscreen. Could have been a decent transaction if anyone had even greeted us.

PSD is an outstanding dive shop. Staff are super friendly and they supply you with a container that…read moreneatly packed all of their rental gears. It made it super convenient for me. I signed up for a refresh course and the pool is conveniently located with its own parking lot. I arrived and was promptly greeted by PSD staff and checked in. Jeremiah and Casey were our dive instructors. Both were patient and explained everything in great details. I had a fantastic time. Would highly recommend PSD to everyone.

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.

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.

This place is wonderful. Great staff. Top shelf gear. Very knowledgeable. Many different niche…read moretypes of divers. A+ I am very grateful to Trisha, Sean, and Jorge. I have a feeling we will be diving together again soon! From initial e mail to final dive, things went super smooth. They have a wonderful location to practice shaking out your gear, or brushing up on skills nearby at Clarke Swim Center. The Monterey dive location was amazing. The pre brief, and post brief were great. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! This isn't just a dive store. It really feels like a cool hangout spot with cool people Totally worth it!

A friend referred me to this shop as she had taken the Open Water Dive Program with them and…read morethoroughly enjoyed it. She said the instructor made her feel safe and helped her feel confident with her abilities in the water. I couldn't agree more. Steve is an excellent teacher/coach, and just a kind/patient human overall :) . I was deathly afraid of the mask removal underwater and Steve's calm approach helped me get over that fear. This shop truly puts safety as it's number one priority and I'm so glad to have found them. I'm thinking to take my advance class here as well now that I'm addicted to the sport and truly feel confident and safe in my abilities.

California Ocean Adventures is a FANTASTIC dive school and shop!!!…read more I researched a lot of dive schools before choosing this one. I was primarily looking to obtain my open water certification with a school who has a low student to teacher ratio. I also needed a patient instructor, as I was a bit challenged in the Discovery Scuba class I took in Maui. I drove down to Santa Cruz to buy the required mask, snorkel, fins, gloves, and booties for my upcoming certification. Both Brian and Steve suggested gear and gave me options that would meet my individual needs. I was very happy with my purchase. Brian, the instructor and owner exceeded my exceptions. He went above and beyond in so many ways! He was super patient, extremely encouraging, and made my dives very memorable!! Brian sets the class pace and learning to meet the students needs. Not only did we practice the skills needed for the certification, but we spent time on the dive just exploring and having fun! I highly recommend this place for all your scuba needs!!!

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!!!

I took a class with Cyndi through a different scuba shop, and highly, highly, highly recommend her…read more She is absolutely great. She's incredibly patient and takes the time to make sure you are familiar with your gear and you know what's going on. I struggled a lot at the beginning with getting used to breathing through a regulator and going through little what if scenarios like what if your mask gets kicked off. She was very helpful and walked me through my mini-panic attacks of "Oh no, my mask is off, I'm going to die!". And most importantly, she pushed me to not give up when I thought my life really sucked. All in all, CYNDI IS AWESOME. Dive and learn with her.

I took dive training with Cyndi through a different dive shop. She is fantastic. I would highly…read morerecommend her as an instructor and guide. She has a encouraging and engaging teaching style. And is very knowledgeable about marine life. If you have the opportunity to dive and learn from her, do it! You will not regret it.