As a non-diver, dive shops can be sort of intimidating but the staff here was super friendly, answered all of my questions and made me feel really comfortable. Thanks Bruce! Also love that they are good stewards of the ocean and encourage divers to not take granddaddy lobsters from our ocean, rather they suggest to take a picture and release them back to live and reproduce. Cool place. read more

My fiancé and I spent 2 amazing days starting our certification process. From the beginning everyone at the shop was super friendly and helpful. However, the shining star was clearly our instructor Stew! He not only was fun to be around but was also extremely helpful in alleviating all anxieties I had being underwater for the first time. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! read more

After years of putting it off, I decided to commit to learning how to scuba dive. I called a dozen dive shops to get prices and information, and Carter at Malibu Divers was the only one to offer prices and a rundown of what was included, AND a list of questions that I should be asking each shop and why I would want to know these things. He spent a solid 45 minutes on the phone with me, answering questions and offering advice. It's obvious that he really wanted me to have a good experience, and if it was with his shop, great, but the most important thing was for me to learn the joys of diving. The instructors for the class were incredibly patient and professional, but still hilariously entertaining and lots of fun. I cannot imagine a better introduction to the world of diving! read more

Another great experience with Malibu Divers. This time I joined Catalina Free Diving class. It was well organized by our dedicated free diving instructor Vaclav. All other students have already some diving background and successfully certified right away, And he motivated me to learn step by step at my own comfortable pace. Additionally, we all had wonderful weekend mini vacation and built good friendship. Thank you, Malibu Divers! read more

Underpinning the art of teaching there exists a quality of personal caring compounded by an element of joy. You perhaps have experienced this with some favorite teacher in your past, who excited you about a subject that in the hands of another teacher, however capable, might have been meh. And with really great teachers, the lessons go beyond the classroom. To mix this best case teaching scenario with the wonderland under the waves, the arrow points directly to Barbara and the quite capable staff at Malibu Divers. Thank you, Barbara, thank you. read more

Very friendly and professional staff. They always make me feel very welcome and spend a lot of time helping me pick the gear that is right for me. read more

I had my Open water diver certification done here. I have to say, I am glad that I chose this place. Carter is very nice and friendly and will tell you all you need to know about the equipment. I spent over 30 min just trying out masks with him and he was just happy helping me. I didn't know a thing about diving before that, but Tamer, the instructor, was very attentive and I was comfortable diving with him. He takes really good care of his students and he takes their safety as a personal matter. He's so passionate about diving and teaching diving and that makes the difference. I think the best thing about this place is how much they love scuba diving, and that vibe just gives you confidence. I learned Scuba diving and I fell in love with it. This is going to be the place I go to for buying equipment and taking the Advanced course and anything scuba related. read more

My wife and I just completed our open water diver certification on Catalina. The entire process, from pool dives to open water, was well organized and fun. Tamar and Mariah were a blast! They were very knowledgeable and safety-minded, making us feel comfortable. Diving in Catalina was fantastic with the kelp and several huge sea bass. We will definitely be joining them again for advanced classes. read more

Really bummed out about Malibu Divers - bought a knife and mask for spearfishing and both have problems. The mask is less then 3 months and a piece broke off, and the knife is rusting. read more

Best non-pressure sales, and instruction, Dive Shop anywhere. Patient , qualified, personable people work here. Safety and your comfort are their priority. I purchased all my gear here, and add more as I go. They have a great reputation. They also have the coolest t-shirts and towels available. Good deals on air, and occasionally a sale on accessories. I highly recommend them to all my friends. read more

Completely professional and knowledgable. Malibu Divers has a very friendly staff and know the area very well to suite your comfort level from a diving perspective. I did two shore dives while in Malibu and had a great time with the staff that showed myself around. Going lobster diving a huge plus! Cannot recommend this place enough. If you are in the Malibu or Southern California area, go through Malibu Divers. read more

High praise to the entire staff of Malibu Divers -- Carter, Joseph, and Achilleas. My son has a passion for swimming and SCUBA diving, but due to being young (...and not having a parent who is open water certified), I need to rely on expert and safe instructors. Malibu Divers was highly organized, detailed, and responsive to my family's visit to Catalina Island, arranging for an instructor (Achilleas) to take my son through the Peak Performance Buoyancy and Fish ID courses. Instructor Achilleas gave thorough briefings, ensured my son's safety throughout each dive, and followed-up the dives by reviewing the PBB Knowledge Reviews. Achilleas was also remarkably patient, friendly, thorough in instruction, and positive; he was 100% professional. I wholeheartedly recommend Malibu Divers, and I'm positive that we'll have more dive outings with Malibu Divers and Achilleas. read more

I am a troop leader and brought a group of scouts out to Camp Emerald Bay for the Rugged S and Rugged O programs. From the beginning, Carter made sure things were organized and easy for me as the adult leader. On site, the boys had a blast and came home RAVING about the experience and their instructors - Barbara, Kari, Matt, and Alex. It is clear that Malibu Divers loves what they do, and they do it well. They went above and beyond to make this week *amazing* for all involved, with efficiency and excellence in their program from start to finish. I would definitely come back, and can't wait to go get certified myself! Thank you for everything! read more

Malibu Divers is an amazing Dive shop and scuba diving training facility. There instructors are very professional and very kind. Carter and the staff has always given amazing customer service. If you want a safe and fun time with great customer service, I would highly recommend them. read more

Love it here. Malibu Divers has become a home away from home for me now. The staff is great-- each with their own individual personalities. The service is excellent, their gear reasonable (they can get you anything you need), and they constantly offer awesome diving events-- pretty much every weekend. I highly recommend coming here for your first class, continued education (take it to the next level!), updates on diving events, or just to hang out with good people with great diving experiences. read more

I was in the area and thought I'd check out the local dive shop. I'm from Orange County. I stopped into the store and was greeted very nicely. I was looking for a few specific things and fortunately they had what I needed! I was inquiring about the local dive spots (as I was unfamiliar with the area) and was brought up to speed by Carter. He's a very nice Gentleman, tons of knowledge, and not a hint of any condescending attitude that so many shops have. Overall a very pleasant experience and would definitely go back again and ABSOLUTELY refer this shop to everyone! Actually looking forward to diving with their crew sometime! They informed me of their website and twitter feed....so I'll keep an eye out! Thanks! read more

Horrible customer service! Signed up my son to dive at boy scout camp. When booking they assure me that would take care of scheduling his dive at camp so that it didn't interfere with other activities. It was NOT taken care of. When they finally contacted me that there was an issue at the last minute, the remaining dives were all full and he couldn't dive. No effort was made to reschedule. Carter, I believe the owner, called my son stupid and blamed it all on the kid not his inept staff. Reluctantly agreed to issue a refund -as if he were doing me a favor for not rendering any services! Rude and incompetent. read more

Malibu Divers is a truly a five-star dive center. My entire family utilized Malibu Divers to become advanced certified divers this summer (our 11 year-old got his junior open water certification). I can see why Malibu Divers has been around since 1969. The sheer volume of knowledge and experience that each staff member has is INCREDIBLE. They are able to break down their knowledge for any lay person to understand. They are also all very caring people, making sure that each student receives what feels like customized instruction (made possible by the small class sizes). They want people to feel comfortable, have fun, and become knowledgeable, responsible divers. When we conducted our training, we saw many competing companies at the dive sites. The smallest class from other shops were usually 12 adults; however, when we saw a big box store entering the water with 18 adults. It was at this point I truly appreciated Malibu Divers mindset on class sizes. Here is why: ask yourself how fast can a weighted down instructor or divemaster get to you if something went wrong in such a large class size. While I understand there are ratios of students to instructors to ensure safety; other variables that are taken into account for all class sizes are divers abilities, environmental factors all the way to divers comfort level. As a result, it make me think how can an instructor know the comfort level and or diver ability in such a large class. With Malibu Divers you are getting a practically custom PADI certification experience with caring, experienced professional instructors. My wife and I plan to conduct our Rescue Diver certification with Malibu Divers next month, and we look forward to a long, happy relationship with the shop. read more

I had an unfortunate experience with communication with there staff. My friend booked me to go on a boat for a dive but I don't scuba dive. I was skeptical I should go and upon calling them the man I spoke to says it didn't make any sense that I go. I was concerned I would be the only non scuba diver in the boat and alone for hours. I have no experience so I was relying on there guidance and info on what it would be like. He said they would find me a replacement to see if the could fill my spot as it was too late to cancel. At the end of that day someone called me asking if I still wanted to cancel. I was confused as I made it really clear I wanted a replacement. They said they would post to Facebook they had a spot and no one did. Come to find out there were several people on the boat that don't scuba dive! I should have gone and was disappointed I didn't as one of the main reasons being a staff member said it made no sense I go. I'm sure there great if you dive.....but I lost the money I paid because there staff directly said it made no sense I go and didn't encourage me there would be other non divers and how as a non diver the trip would still be worth it. Wasted vacation money. read more

I took the Peak Performance Buoyancy class while at Boy Scout Camp Emerald Bay. Cullen was my instructor and he was great. I had the best dive of my life. I felt more in control than ever before during both dives. My abilities improved vastly and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. I highly recommend Malibu Divers, they made my trip very incredible. read more

My son just came back from the Rugged "O" camp at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina. He had a terrific trip with lots of dives during his week. The local staff on the island and the staff on the mainland were friendly, professional and very helpful. Thank you for such a fantastic experience! Highly recommend them. read more

I will start by noting that I have spent a lot of time with Malibu Divers over the last 3 years. Starting with DSD dives on Catalina through Adv. Open Water and Rescue Diver Classes for me, my wife and two sons. So there is the real review..what started as a fun thing to do with my son at Boy Scout Camp has turned into something the whole family does together. SCUBA is something you don't know if you will like or do well at until you try. You need those initial experiences to be with professionals that make sure your start in SCUBA goes well. Even better is if they have the resources to take you through advanced training and gear purchases. I highly recommend these folks and that you train through at least Advanced Open Water. That first certification is just a license to keep learning. Let the shop plan your trip to Catalina...they are better than Yelp and we got a great family vacation in addition to our training. When you are trained up they will hook you up with a boat captain. That's the value, you get to leverage their institutional knowledge and shorten your own learning/fun curve. read more

Malibu Divers - The Malibu Divers hoody has been a good purchase too. This is from our charter to Anacapa Island that the shop arranged. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Malibu, California

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Absolutely the best dive shop we've ever been in. They are super knowledgable about every single piece of equipment out there. And if they don't have it, then can get it quickly. They're super friendly. No hard sales. Can't say enough good about these guys!!! Worth the drive. read more

I just did a Free diver course through Malibu Divers and FFI ( Freediving Instructors International ) with Vaclav Havlik. I cannot speak too highly of my experience. The Instruction was thorough and competant while at the same time being fun and overall a pleasure. I also saw parts of how Malibu Divers taught PADI Open water and and several other Courses and I would be happy to recomend this course and Malibu Divers to anyone. Thank you read more

I am a Boy Scout leader for Troop 51 out of Atascadero, CA.  My son, Nic, and one of his fellow scouts, Lucas, signed up for the Discover Scuba session at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island, this past week.  The two Dive instructors were Marissa and Lester.  Let me preface the rest of this by saying I have rarely if ever seen my son or Lucas this excited over an experience.  You just mention the word scuba and huuuge smiles appear, and they can't contain themselves telling you about their experience.  I watched from the moment they were being fitted for suits and gear, and I can say it is all due to Marissa and Lester.  Those two were patient, funny, kind and extremely professional.  Both boys were very nervous going into this, but that trepidation melted away the moment Marissa and Lester took charge.  I was highly impressed and appreciative beyond words.  It was Lucas's birthday, and his immediate response was 'this was the best birthday present ever.' Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Both boys are hooked, and my son and I are going to figure out how to get certified through Malibu Divers.  Also, major props to Brenden.  He capitalized on the boys' enthusiasm and helped make this an unforgettable experience. read more

Just went back to Malibu Divers for a basic diving tune up. Stuart Tanner was a great instructor. He helped me and daughter ready to jump of the boat again after a year on land. Highly recommend! read more

I am a boyscout in troop 148 out of Arizona and I signed up for the Discover Scuba session at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. They filled me in on all the necessary info and was in the water the next day. The scuba instructors always kept a close eye on us and helped us out when we needed help for a fun and amazing experience that I will never forget. Next year I hope to go back to camp and take the week long certification course. the staff was very friendly and professional and I would recommend this place to all of my friends. read more

For the best instructor out there, Stew at Malibu Divers. We knew him from another dive shop and sought him out for a refresher dive after being out of the water for a couple of years. Whether a beginner or experienced diver, Stew is knowledgeable, fun and able to tailor the lesson to whatever your needs are. You'll come out of the water confident and relaxed, knowing you learned from the best and will be a better diver for it. read more

It had been years since my last dive in open water. My wife couldn't take the talk and no walk anymore so as a gift she purchased the review course and advanced course for me through Malibu Divers. I was extremely nervous until I entered the Malibu Dive shop and met Carter and Barbara. They were very helpful and understanding with every question or concern I could come up with. Carter spent a great deal of time with me as well as the staff on hand that day. The real diving experience began with my instructor Adam Wills at the pepperdine pool. Again, my throat was in my mouth with anxiety until Adam simply opened his mouth and spoke. I was instantly calmed to a comfortable level with every reassuring word and piece of advice he offered. We met the next weekend on beautiful Catalina Island. The first day was spent out on the King Neptune Dive boat cruising to 3 sperate dive sites. They all were equally amazing. The staff running the boat and tending to our needs were awesome!!! The next day we dove off of Casino point, again - 3 sperate dives. I couldn't believe the abundance of sea life just off the shoreline. I could go on and on but in short - Adam Wills is a truly amazing instructor, I would recommend his cool and collected teachings to anyone, anytime. I completed my open water and advanced open water dives through him and Malibu Divers. I'm simply a very happy customer and will persue more training and trips through them again and again. Thanks Malibu Divers and a special thanks to Adam Wills. Yours Truly Shawn Hanes :) read more

Took my first dive trip in about 4 years... and my first dive in California. Danny Burns, made the trip! although I was not "his student" on the dive, he is clearly dedicated to his craft and made sure I was focusing on my skills while having a great dive...oh yea and not dying! Will certainly be doing some training with him... read more

Not only did I feel right at home with their friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff, but the training I received was exceptional. I feel extremely confident with the skills I've mastered and information I've learned. As far as I'm concerned, they are the only dive shop in So Cal to train and dive with. Thank you so much to everyone at Malibu Divers. read more

Again, Malibu Divers showed me their wonderful friendliness and professionalism. I did my Open Water Diving certification over two weekends with Matteo. Although I was not the easiest student (50ish, heavy (yet buoyant ;), and not at my best fitness peak), Matteo was encouraging and professional and never said "you can't do this". He had a great way of keeping the atmosphere fun, while never forgetting that the skill set was a priority. Matteo rocked as an instructor! THEN, one week later, I got certified for the Advanced Open Water certificate at Catalina's Boy Scout Camp Emerald Bay. Again, my instructor, Jenna, from Malibu Divers, was friendly, encouraging, and professional with me and my 16 year old son. She very capably built on Matteo's teaching and brought us to the next level of Advanced Dive Certification (wreck dive, night dive, navigation dive, deep dive, and peak performance buoyancy dive.) She even recognized that I should have a pony tank on the last dive and arranged for an extra instructor to be on call for me. She was always encouraging and, like Matteo, knew that the priority was being safe and learning the skill set of the certification. Thank you again, Malibu Divers. You are a top notch facility with top notch owners, personnel, and instructors. read more