I had an amazing experience at Divers West! I have always wanted to scuba but it was a little scary…read moreto me, but my teenage son and I decided to do it together. I'm so glad we chose Divers West! The owner Javier is personable and helpful, and I learned so much from him and bought some great gear. (Support your local dive shop!) Our instructors were incredible - we had Mark Kempe for the pool dive instructions, and Emerson Martínez for the ocean dives. Mark has been diving forever it seems and he got us off to a great start. And Emerson has tons of experience and we felt very confident with him in the ocean and at Catalina. Our dive master Reed was fantastic - I confess I got a little panicked in the ocean when water got in my mask as I descended, and Reed came back up with me and got me totally calmed down and talked me through it all, and I was able to descend like a pro. Thank you, Reed! You made all the difference. I feel like a whole new world has opened up to us!! Hint: if you have a big roller bag, bring it instead of the bag you get from Divers West! The gear is so heavy and even though we pay to have it transported on Catalina Island, it was just so heavy to bring from the car onto the ferry, off the ferry to the transport truck, and then back again at the end of the day when you're so tired. Just toss the DW bag with all its gear into the roller bag and you will be so happy. You're gonna love this dive shop! ps I also heard about the group Sole Searchers in Pasadena that meets once a month for dinner and plans bunches of trips together. Fun!

I had such an amazing experience with my first time ever diving. Signing up for the class from the…read morewebsite is easy and navigating around the course is simple as well. Even if you are completely new to diving, the courses very well prepare you for what to expect and possible hazards that you could encounter. Some basics: -Get a mask that fits -You'd need to experiment with different fins that match your swimming style. -Get the hose with a valve, you'll need it when youre hitting the real waves. -Buy the boots with the extra layers; your feet and fins will thank you. -Always use defog every time you can because it will fog every time it could. -Remember to breathe. -Have a separate bag for your valuables. My class' instructor was Mark Kempe, and he was the most personable person I've ever interacted with. He loves talking about VR (Half-Life: Alyx) and software - he loves that stuff. He also used to fly planes, ride bikes - pretty much everything - he's done it. Javier, the owner, is such a cool guy too. Tons of fun experience to share and encourages you to join them, too. He likes flight simulator games. haha We started off with 2 days of pool diving. We got familiar with our gear, practice basic skills, we even got to play around with the extra air we have left to get comfortable. Same thing was with day 2 - we picked up where we left off and we just had the rest of the time to continue practicing the skills that we could improve on. Day 3 - it was at Veterans Park, Redondo Beach. It was raining too, and it added to the already fun trip. I felt very comfortable with what ive learned in the pool and i was actually pretty excited for our first open water dive. Got to see an octopus. Remember, to walk on your feet until you cant walk anymore and then put your fins on. Dont be afraid of the open water and stay close with your buddy. Day 4 - CATALINA! When you get to Catalina, USE THE TRANSPORT SERVICE - its SUPER WORTH IT. They will pick up and load one bag and transport it to and from the dive site and they will even store it for you until you are ready to leave - it will save your back and it will save your energy. At the dive site, you dont even have to go far to see the beautiful stuff - its right there when you hit the water! Mark even saw a technical diver with the advance gear and had him show us how it works and how its different. I think that person was a technical level diver and he also explained everything very well. WE GOT TO SEE THE BLACK SEA BASS!!! OMG. I cant wait to make new friends and go on more dives. This opens a whole new world of opportunity and adventure for me, and its only going to get better and more fun from here.

I had to wait two years to join a tour to see the whales in Guerrero Negro. Even so, turning 60 in…read more2026 made me feel that this would be a truly special trip, and I was lucky enough to secure one of the few remaining spots back in 2024. I had been looking forward to it ever since--and it turned out to be absolutely the right decision. Our tour organizer, Charlie, guided us through the week with incredible experience and deep knowledge. He made sure we were always safe, comfortable, and engaged, and he led the trip with warmth, care, and a great sense of fun. And Tara and the rest of the staff were also very professional and friendly, and they created a wonderful tour where we could fully experience the whales and the surrounding nature with all our senses. I was the only participant coming from outside the States, but I quickly became friends with everyone on the trip, they were so nice. Even now, a month after returning from Mexico, I often find myself remembering those amazing moments--the feeling of touching a whale, the cool night breeze over the water, and the spray from the motorboat as we headed out into the lagoon. They remain such vivid and exciting memories. The desert landscapes, the cold burritos (beans and cheese!) we nibbled on in the boat--everything about the trip still sparkles in my mind. Thank you so much, Charlie. The whales remind us how small and humble we humans really are. If someone is thinking about joining a whale tour, I highly recommend Charlie's tour.

We had the most amazing trip, ever. Charlie is a fantastic guide, we learned so much about marine…read morelife, it was great. Our cabins on the beach were great, sunrises were gorgeous, spending all day with whales and dolphins, would do it again in a heartbeat.

I have been a fan of Hal and his partners and team at Hollywood divers for over 20 years. There is…read moreno other place to go in the Los Angeles area, the greater Los Angeles area to take classes, to buy equipment, to get advice, these guys are the real deal. They don't try to sell you things you don't need, the value you get for what you pay here is above expectations. It's a great business, run by friendly people who care. They have passion for what they do. They care about their clients. They put their whole heart into their business. It's a small locally owned business. The kind of business you want to support. Absolutely love this place. They deserve 10 stars. Yelp only allows me to give five they rock.!!!

Huge fan of Hollywood Divers, and support my local dive shop whenever I can. Great that they can…read moreservice all my gear. Had an issue with my inflator with integrated octo, and they helped me upgrade to an Atomic. Had an issue with my Atomic reg, and they fixed it no problem. Wanted to upgrade to a steel tank, done. Needed to replace my computer, and they helped me find one with a better display. All that and fills, local, and exotic dive trips. Huge thanks to Hal and the whole Hollywood Divers team!!!

Jake is so kind, knowledgeable, and accommodating. His vessels are also well-maintained. I highly…read morerecommend.

We drove two hours in Friday primetime traffic just to do this sunset tour with Glass Bottom Boat…read moreand it was so worth it. Our group was 4 adults, 4 kids, and our dog and everyone had a blast. I had done one of those regular glass bottom boats before and it was honestly boring. This one is way different. The boat has two levels. You start on the top deck cruising King Harbor where you get to see sea lions, and then go downstairs into this cozy underwater room with huge windows on both sides. You can sit right next to the glass and watch fish swim by like you're in a tiny underwater aquarium Captain Erik was amazing. He was hilarious, super interactive, and thoughtful. He noticed when one of my friends didn't have a jacket and made sure she wasn't too cold, let the kids try on the captain's hat, and somehow made everyone on board, including a few strangers, feel included. The sunset was beautiful, the ride was smooth and easy for kids and dogs, and it was way better than we expected. If you're in the South Bay and think you know what a glass bottom tour is, this one will surprise you. I get TERRIBLE seasickness and I did not feel sick for a second! Totally worth the traffic and we'll definitely be coming back.

I took my open dive certification course here and cannot recommend them enough. All of the…read moreinstructors I had have been incredible, and they make sure that every session has a good instructor to student ratio (the most I've had was 4 students per instructor). They also only offer boat dives as shore diving can turn off a lot of people to diving as it's so hard for beginners. Due to weather, my scheduled dive got cancelled, and I was worried that I would not be able to get certified before a vacation where I was planning to dive. Keline and Harry were extremely accommodating and went out of their way to make sure that I could go on my final dive to get my license. Will definitely be coming back for future scuba trips with them or if I decide to pursue a different certification

This is a fantastic place to become certified as a Scuba diver. The team is incredibly…read moreknowledgeable, professional, and patient. Not to mention, they are very likable . I wholeheartedly recommend them!

Had a great half day charter. Dan and Chris made it so easy and fun for this first timer. Loved the…read morebeauty of the sea, coastline and wildlife and the excitement of catching all the fish. Highly recommend for a very memorable experience.

Went out fishing with Dan for the first time. Wasn't really sure what to expect. We had a wonderful…read moretime and caught plenty of fish. We also had fun seeing the seals and some dolphins. Dan is very knowledgeable and really added to the enjoyment of our fishing journey!

Twelve years ago, I walked into Ocean Safari already certified but honestly not a diver yet. I'd…read morehad a bad certification experience at another shop a couple of years earlier, and it completely destroyed my confidence. My gear sat untouched for two years because I was scared to dive again. Eventually I worked up the courage to walk in and ask to join a local dive trip, I had my card, so I figured I should be able to do it. Somehow Gabe, Soo, and the team recognized exactly where I was and never once made me feel embarrassed about it. They patiently filled in the gaps in my training, helped me work through the things that scared me, and gave me the confidence I'd been missing all along. Looking back, it feels like they quietly re-certified me without ever making me feel like I had to start over. That changed everything. Diving went from something I was afraid of to one of the great passions of my life. With Gabe's mentorship and encouragement, I eventually moved overseas and spent a few years working as a scuba instructor, something I never would have imagined when I first walked into that shop. Over the years, Ocean Safari has become so much more than a dive shop. It's a community and a second home. My parents learned to dive here. Years later, I brought my boyfriend in to get certified, and he's now my husband. We still dive with Gabe, Soo, and the Ocean Safari family regularly. They gave me the confidence I needed to actually become a diver, introduced me to lifelong friends, and gave me a community that still feels like home. Thank you, Gabe, Soo, and everyone at Ocean Safari. You've had a bigger impact on my life than you'll probably ever know.

I went in looking to change out the prescription lenses on my 20 yr old mask. Since the style is no…read morelonger available I browsed for a new mask. They were very helpful and patient as I tried on masks and asked a lot of questions.