The management is a mess. The instructor wasn't told I was coming to the confined water session. No…read moremessaging, no check-in ahead of the class because the instructor didn't know I was coming. I was lost, called and no one picked up the phone because everyone was in water. They expected me, a complete beginner, to put on all the gears myself and swim to the teaching location (the confined water pool is at least 7ft, someone not comfortable with water can potentially drown without supervision). As a result I missed half of the class and wasn't qualified for the open water session. I asked for a refund and they pointed to me to their one-year free instruction policy, which will cost me non-trivial hotel, flight expenses for another trip. Despite of the above, Max was very patient catching me up when I was late to the class. I appreciate his instruction.

this is a review for Neal Tyagi. My partner and I took the Level 1 Free Diving class and also did a…read moreprivate coaching session with him. Neal has great energy and is passionate and knowledgeable about the sport of free-diving. he is also very attentive, detail-oriented and challenges you in a gentle way. i learned a lot from our time together about the mind-body connection present in free-diving, and by the end of our session together definitely saw shifts in how i related to the physical act of diving and understanding how to better my technique. thanks Neal, for the gems. hope to get out there with you again soon!

Freediving at its finest!…read more Go sign up and learn how to hold you breath for 3 minutes and dive to 66 ft!!

From the owner: FII Level 1 Certification, FII Basic Freediving Safety Course, Freediving depth and breath-hold…read moretraining, Apnea practice sessions, Line diving training sessions. CPR, First-Aid, and Oxygen training courses. We offer advanced scuba courses only. We do NOT rent gear.

There are many options for shark diving on the North Shore…read more One Ocean Diving seems like they are committed to the shark conservation, research, and education. You sign up online. With the times, if there are not enough they will consolidate times. We were signed up for 10am but got moved to 8am. You meet at Haleiwa docks near the blue hut (see photo). They provide mask, snorkel, and fins. You should bring a rash guard or wetsuit. The ride out is about 15 mins and as is typical in Hawaii, water can be choppy so you might get a little seasick. They give you instructions on the boat. Once there you hang on to a rope on the side of the boat and they take you individually to dive down closer to the sharks. We got lucky because there were tiger sharks (see photos). The cost is about $150 person but I would recommend paying some additional money for the go pro. You really want some documentation of what you did and saw. It's $50 for 2 people. They also have $250 option for photos and go pro but I think the go pro was enough. The people were really good and it was a great experience for all of us. Strongly recommend.

I genuinely hate having to write reviews like this (especially for small businesses that are doing…read moregreat work on shark education), but I have to share our experience. Who we are: Our family, two adults and two children (tween/early teen), did this shark dive in early August. We are all scuba certified, strong swimmers, and have snorkeled A LOT. Our daughter is VERY interested in marine science, and our son has always loved sharks, so we mostly did this for them (my husband and I have both previously dove with sharks). First, the pros: - Responsible shark diving. This was VERY important to us and One Ocean does it right in regards to respecting sharks, their home, and space. - Yes, we saw sharks! Not a lot - maybe 4 or 5 - but they are wild animals, this isn't a zoo, so we knew we may see 1 or 2, or we may see 20 - it's the nature of wildlife. We did the first tour of the day as well, but just wasn't our lucky day. - The photographer was wonderful & friendly and did his best to get shots. It was tough, because the sharks stayed quite deep, but he did what he could. He did capture a great shot of our daughter, and a decent one of our son, but did not get any of my husband or I, nor did he take many of just the sharks, which did surprise me. For the extra $250, I would still recommend it, as it's impossible to otherwise capture photos. Just know that you may not get photos of everyone in your group, or the sharks on their own. - Very safe! At no point did myself, husband, or children feel unsafe or in danger Now, the cons: - What really negatively impacted our tour was the boat captain. He was EXTREMELY rude and condescending. Twice, he made completely unacceptable and rude comments and it was very off-putting. When we arrived to the site, there were tiger sharks there, BUT the team had done NOTHING to prep everyone to jump right in the water. On the boat ride out was the time to have everyone get their masks and snorkels ready, fins on, etc. but they didn't. They waited until we got to the site and then were trying to rush everyone off the boat in case the sharks left the area. The issue with that is with children, nothing moves quickly. The boat captain said to the photographer, snarkily, loudly and right next to my children, husband and I "these are the slowest four people in the history of snorkeling". Never mind we actually WEREN'T slow - all of the gear was stored in underseat storage (at their direction) and needed to be pulled out and put on. Had that been done on the boat ride out, no one would have been rushed. But that comment was completely unprofessional and unacceptable. Our kids were shocked that someone would be that rude. Instead of doing his job and offering to help, he stood by and made snarky comments about how all of the guests were "so slow". Then when spraying the goggles with defog, he fully YELLED at our kids for rinsing them after he sprayed them. We have been diving and snorkeling for YEARS and we have ALWAYS rinsed our goggles after defogging. He made ANOTHER snarky comment to our CHILDREN "yeah, because YOU know what you're doing over ME" as we were getting into the water. I was disgusted at this point and we hadn't even gotten in the water yet. - EVERYTHING about the tour is VERY rushed. They were ~20 minutes late in arriving, which I'm sure contributed to the rush, but of all of the tours we did while in Hawaii (4 scuba diving excursions, 2 boat excursions, helicopter, snorkeling excursion, etc), this was the ONLY one that we all felt VERY rushed by. Their lack or organization and prep work became the customer's problem, which led to a negative experience. - You're only the water for about 20 minutes. Even though they say it will be 25-30, no one from our entire boat was in the water for more than 20 minutes total. I only know this because I was videoing with our GoPro the entire time we were in the water, turning it on when we entered the water and off when we exited. Again, this may have been because the crew was late in arriving, so we were late in departing, but regardless, important for people to know when they are booking that they will only have a total of ~20 minutes in the water. Also know that you are in open water and the day we went, the current was STRONG. You MUST be physically fit and a strong swimmer to do this activity. Two of the people on our boat could not even participate because they weren't physically fit enough - there should be disclaimers and warnings prior to booking, but I don't recall there being any. For the price, I probably wouldn't do it again. While I very much support shark education and conservation, they could definitely do a much better job of on-time departures, preparedness, and customer service.

I took my 11 year old son to get his OW and my 16 year old daughter to get her AOW. Kaleb is the…read moreowner and was so helpful with coordinating our dive dates as a family. I was able to join the dives as a certified diver. Ed was the kids instructor and we all enjoyed diving with him. He was very patient and clearly communicated the dive lesson skills and goals for each dive. Our boat diver was Captain Demitri (Capt. D) and he was another fantastic person that made my kids have an awesome dive experience. A+ for all of these guys at Hawaiian Diving Adventures for there excellent customer service! You dont need to go anywhere else for any of your diving needs.

Callum is an awesome coach and trainer first time with my husband and daughter scuba diving…read moreadventure!! Since it's been 12-15 years since my last dive, I truly appreciate Callum's simple/clear instruction. He gave us all confidence before even that first dive; a terrific experience, for sure. The whole team was careful and appropriate for planning the best time for a dive, given the recent storms. Captain D is super friendly and drives the boat to areas that we could see dolphins- no one was in a hurry that we had to be back to the port, knowing that we wanted to see dolphins and maybe a whale off in the distance. Shannon M from Ashland, OR

When it was time to upgrade my short fins and diving mask that I literally found on the beach -…read moreWestside Dive & Tackle was the spot I decided to go to. I walked into a few other surf and snorkel spots but they mostly carried short fins. I went with the Leaderfins which are the most affordable carbon fins. The fins do come separately from the foot pocket, so I also got their forza foot pockets. They do offer a service where they put together your fins and foot pockets but only certain people are trained on that, so I did have to pick it up just a few days later- and that service is $30. I also got a pair of diving socks to go with my fins. They have different sizes, thicknesses, and cuts (high vs low). I also got a new diving mask and snorkel. The best thing about going to a dive shop is the ability to try things on and Westside Dive has so many different options. Being able to put on the foot pockets with the diving socks or even just trying on a few different masks to find the one that best fits your face is why it's better to come in person than buying online. The service was also super friendly. I was making some big purchases, so I wanted to make sure that each component was exactly right and the staff here was helpful and overall super chill. We talked story for a bit, exchanged where we like to go diving and even some fish recipes. If you're looking for diving gear, support local and check out Westside Dive!

KAYDENZE is the man! Love this shop! Always helps out! Thanks for setting up my bf pathosread more

This was, undoubtedly, one of the best decisions we've ever made! Ronnie, Megan, Ren, and Stacey…read moremade our first shark diving experience memorable- and we can't thank them enough! We saw dolphins, 3 Tiger Sharks, and Galapagos Sharks- we felt safe and in control the entire time. Ronnie and Megan were both brilliant and knowledgeable about the sea, animals, and conservation. Everyone was kind, patient, and friendly- even for a beginner like me. 10/10 HIGHLY recommend!

It's honestly hard for me to even put into words how much this experience means to me. Diving with…read moreHawaii Adventure Diving on the North Shore is something truly special, and every single time I go, it exceeds my expectations. The crew consistently goes above and beyond to make the experience both fun and safe especially Ro, Stacey, Terry, and Ronnie. Their professionalism, energy, and genuine care make all the difference. You can tell they love what they do, and it shows in every detail of the dive. The optional photo package provided by Terry is worth every penny. I'm a certified diver and have had the opportunity to dive in several locations around the world, as well as with other companies on the North Shore, but none compare to this team. Hawaii Adventure Diving stands in a league of its own. This experience means the world to me. I travel to Hawaii every month for work, and I try to do this shark dive every time I'm here. That alone says everything. I won't be diving with any other shark diving companies on the North Shore, Hawaii Adventure Diving is simply the best!! The North Shore has been hit really hard recently with devastating flooding. Hawaii Adventure Diving's crew needs our support. Book your dive today!!

I learned about Affinity Freediving through Elaine's monthly community freediving meetups. At the…read moretime, I had only just started getting into freediving and was also new to the island, so the meetup was an opportunity to get connected to the freediving community and to make friends. Despite being a beginner, I felt very welcomed to the group and appreciated Elaine's careful attention to our group's safety and comfort. Her experience as a clinician and emphasis on mental health and making freediving as accessible as possible resonated with me, which is why I chose to take my Level 1 course with Affinity Diving. My experience with Affinity Diving exceeded all my expectations. Elaine was patient, receptive to various learning styles and experience levels in our group, and was able to tailor the course to meet everyone's individual needs. Our theory portion of the course was outside on Magic Island which was wonderful compared to a traditional classroom setting, and having the lagoon which meets the criteria for the confined water portion of the course was really nice because it was less cramped than a swimming pool which is more common for other courses. Elaine also provided nearly all the equipment including weight belts, weights, masks, fins, even spare neoprene pants and tops, which not all schools provide. This also gave us a chance to try out gear that we weren't all necessarily in the position to be able to upgrade right away. I passed my exam, but did not pass my skills test at the end of Day 2. Elaine was encouraging and unlike other instructors who leave it up to the student to reschedule make up sessions, Elaine took the initiative to offer times to reschedule to anyone that didn't pass, and encouraged me to continue attending the monthly community free diving meetups. I don't know of any other instructor or dive school who as as invested in their students success as Elaine, and about a month later after additional practice, I was able to come back and complete my final skills test. Affinity Freediving's commitment to inclusivity and community is genuine and I have come away from the course with lots of wonderful memories and new dive buddies. I cannot think of a single negative thing to say and would recommend this course and Elaine as instructor to anyone looking to discover freediving or take their existing skills to the next level. Mahalo! -Jess Chilinski

Elaine's instruction was exceptional! Tailored to my level, patient, and experienced. Def recommend…read morediving with her, Will be back for more!

My instructor was Tim. He was very professional and extremely knowledgeable on all of the topics he…read morecovered. I came into the course with a relatively high comfort level in the water and a respectable depth from watching YouTube videos. I took the course to refine a lot of fundamental skills and more importantly to learn how to act in an emergency situation. The course really hits the topic out of the park and prepare you to properly act if the worse happens. I will definitely be taking my intermediate course in the future though this company. I also got a PB on my static breath hold and on my depth.

I just completed my level 2 freediver cert with Tim and I'm so happy I did. I've always been…read morecomfortable in the ocean but after taking his course, I feel even more safe knowing how to properly handle safety and emergency situations that I've never accounted for before. I also appreciated the deeper knowledge of efficient entries, breathing up, and proper form skills I gained from Tim. My diving has improved immensely and I have Tim to thank for that. He was very patient, knowledgable, clearly passionate for the sport of freediving. I'll definitely be returning to Tim for his other courses.