Doing my open water scuba diving certification at Pacific Scuba Divers was the best choice! Kevin was extremely thorough in all his communications and put safety first for our groups. The course experience was seamless, and Kevin was flexible enough to do the dry suit course certification for those of us who were interested the week before our open water! I went diving for the first time in Seychelles a month later, and felt like I knew everything I needed to in order to feel safe and in control. Will definitely be taking more courses in future! read more

Super awesome instructors for open water certification ! Both Thomas' were professional and made the class enjoyable. Moses -the indoor staff member was very patient and nice. read more

First of all I would like to say, a lot of the staff are excellent. However, due to lack of attention to details, rushed training and faulty equipment, two of the 4 divers that trained as a family may never dive again. When we came to pick out our personal equipment the sales person was not trained well enough to make sure our equipment fit and resulted in ill fitting dive boots and masks for my son and daughter. We had to returned a couple of items and some of the boots and flippers never fit properly and resulted in foot cramping and pain. The day of our open water dives they had over scheduled and equipment was scarce and labeled incorrectly. My son's BCD leaked so severely the dive master had to take him to shore immediately. My daughter's compass was broken and her regulator leaked and a new set had to be rented from the local shop in Monterey. Good news is my daughter rebounded and is now an accomplished diver. My son and I were not as lucky. We still haven't finished our open water dives and I'm not sure we will be able to. Story is, check out how the shop treats new divers and make sure they pay close attention to individual needs. read more

I had a wonderful experience getting geared up for freediving. Frank was extremely patient and helpful and made sure I was fitted out with the right gear. He gave me tons of useful advice informed by a lifetime of diving. I couldn't be happier about my experience at Pacific Scuba Divers. read more

Pretty much my second home now! I took the open water diving course with Mark Suzuki whose calm demeanor allowed me to complete the skills with ease. I felt very comfortable in the water and loved every second of it. He was incredibly patient. When it came to the ocean dives, Sabine was the other instructor and she's a total badass. Her method of teaching can be intimidating to some, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I absorbed everything she taught us, chuckled at her sarcasm and respected her extensive knowledge on diving. Another Mark (forgive me if this is not correct), who is at the front desk, is the best! Nice guy and will set you up with the right gear for what you need. Looking forward to more dives with this shop! read more

My two teenage daughters and I just finished our Open Water Diver certification with Pacific Scuba Divers. We had a group of 8 people (family friends including 5 teens) who needed to get certified before a trip to Belize, so we requested a private group. Pacific Scuba Divers and our instructor Thomas were able to accommodate our (somewhat crazy) schedule. We had a great experience! Thomas was a fantastic, experienced and fun instructor, and everyone at the shop was super accommodating and knowledgeable. Thomas was great at guiding us through all aspects of the certification, and dealing with any issues that came up along the way (as they tend to with 5 teenagers in the class!). We all feel very comfortable and well trained in the water, and excited to take on our next scuba adventure in Belize! Highly recommend Thomas and PSD! read more

Wain and Thomas were great instructors, and everyone at the shop was very friendly. Everything about the open water diver course was great. The only thing that could be improved is the descriptions on the website and the email communication regarding what prices of the e-learning vs textbook, and communication about the exact time commitment required (you need to visit the shop 4 times total - before and after the pool weekend, and before and after the ocean weekend - to get and return equipment). read more

Had a wonderful time with my introductory class with Mark! It was very informative and I look forward to getting open water certified!

A great local resource for getting your PADI certification. The staff at the store were very helpful in setting us up with the right gear and the instructors were very experienced and did a great job of teaching us how to dive. read more

Recently completed my Advanced Diver and Dry Suit certifications with Pacific Scuba Divers and all I can say is that this company is first class. The emphasis is on safety and having a good time. Kevin is the owner and was my instructor for my Advanced class. He is very knowledgeable and made the class fun. The other great part about Pacific Scuba is Charles, the store manager. He is extremely knowledgeable and helpful choosing equipment, fitting your wet suit and just talking about diving in general. He won't try and up sell you on equipment that is too expensive or beyond what you need. I hope to dive with Charles sometime this year as I think he will add a whole level of fun to the dive. Great people, great store, classes are first rate and much less expensive that other local dive shops. read more

Participated in the open water scuba diving certification course with Thomas (Pool sessions) and Mark (ocean sessions). Both are extremely experienced and definitely professionals. For me, a 5 star review means basically perfect, which this was. I could tell quickly that if your not "ready", they will let you know and recommend additional training prior to getting certified. I.e. they don't just hand out certifications. If you want to learn how to properly scuba dive, do it here. read more

The kindest, most knowledgeable staff. Absolutely beats all of the big five or sports basements around. Best place to get scuba or snorkel gear, even for amateurs like me! They set me up with a full on face mask and gear that allowed me to snorkel for hours without getting any water up my nose. Truly a dedicated small business that cares and knows its craft. read more

It's the instructors who really make this experience great! You get three different styles with Thomas, Sabine, and Peter - and it'll do you good to listen to all three. The logistical process was more than I expected and bumpy at times, but Kevin, Frank and the staff at the shop are very understanding and will work through any issues with you. read more

cool stuff and reasonable price. flexible schedule. My Instructor Mark Suzuki is nice and friendly. Got my certification in two weekends. suggestions: provide better wet suit in winter if possible, it is really cold if wet suit is not properly sealed... read more

Pacific Scuba Divers - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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It is very frustrating when you sign up for a fun dive with this shop and you are the only one who signed up. They dont even bother to message you that its not gonna happen so you dont have to drive 1.5 hours to the site and found out nothing. When u call the office a day after, not even a simple apology! Bad mngt and customer relation! read more

Pacific Scuba Divers is a great dive shop! I've gotten to know Kevin and Thomas (co-owners of the shop) well and they are both great, caring, and very knowledgeable divers. Kevin has always taken great care of me. He helped me buy a Waterproof drysuit which he sold to me at a great price. When I had issues with my Waterproof wet gloves he credited me 50% to the purchase of a new pair. And, he went way above and beyond when he made sure that Waterproof cover the repairs for my drysuit that had multiple leaks even though it was out of the warranty period. You can't go wrong if you're looking to get certified as a diver, wanting to sharpen your diving skills by taking advanced courses, or buying top quality dive gear at a great price! read more

This is one of the best experiences I have ever had in my entire life. I know that sounds incredibly dramatic and over the top, but when your life is in the hands of other people, it's really a very appropriate statement. I am going diving in the Seychelles in a few months, and the group of gals I am going with are all certified. I wanted to get mine done properly so I can enjoy my time on vacation diving, and not trying to get certified by a shady person who wants to take my money and not properly train me. From the second I walked into the store as a total noob, I never once felt intimidated, or overwhelmed which is great. I signed up, and took my first pool class with Charles, Sabine, Eric, and one other gal whose name is beyond me right now. The instruction was great. They truly ensure you are doing everything safely, and understanding the risks of diving. And once you get the skills, they show you how fun scuba can be. Open water dive was amazing. Sabine is a natural when it comes to teaching, and for someone who is afraid of swimming and drowning, her, Charles, Eric, and Alex took all the mystery, fear, and nervousness away, and opened up a whole new world. I HIGHLY recommend going with these guys if you are thinking about getting certified. I went into this experience thinking I was going to get my cert and then dive only on vacation, only in tropical locals, and that getting certified here was a formality for convenience purposes. But my experience here in Monterey, and with these people at this shop changed all that, and opened up what I hope to be a new, and regular hobby, right here in our backyard! read more

Pacific Scuba Divers - "I'm good!" - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Hi my name is Carlos Webb I did my training to Pacific SCUBA diving from day one it was the best experience I ever had catcher from and the time I walked into the door they were the greatest help if you're looking to get your license I recommend pacific scuba diving Mike Zukey was my trainer he i The greatest guy very patient very knowledgeable of what he's doing made me feel like famil‍ they're the best Thank all you guys for everything read more

I was recommended this shop by my friend who had a great experience getting certified here. Ask for Sabine or Gary they will hook you up and are both very knowledgeable. Sabine is the regional instructor so she trains all the other dive instructors on all of the west coast, she teaches you the little things that make diving a pleasurable experience such as crawling out on your fist instead of your palms. I got NASE scuba certified and NASE Nitrox certified both are online courses (PADI is physical book) and when you sign up for a class you get 10% off any gear you buy! and 20% if you buy a full set up and they don't pressure you to buy anything. I had a great experience and would recommend anyone interested to get their certification here. read more

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I just finished my OWD dive certification this past weekend. Overall, I had a great experience. Both the pool and ocean dives were well planned and a lot of fun! Thomas was a fantastic instructor and I feel confident that I will be able to handle myself in future dives. What I really liked: Thomas made sure to go over skills till we got them right. e.g. stuff like CESA which is critical in out of air situations. He emphasized on repeating good practices which will help me in future dives. It was a difficult initial dive in Monterey - it was cold and visibility was poor on our first dive, but Thomas planned the outing well to ensure that we got through the skills in a safe and organized way. He also made us do non-gear entry/exit practice which I felt made the first dive easier when we were entering with the gear. I didn't see a lot of other schools doing this, so it was great to have this attention to detail (similar to learning how to navigate with a compass in the waiting area). Overall, Thomas was a fun instructor with a lot of experience, and came well prepared for cases with minor equipment issues. I felt safe and supported throughout the entire trip. Would highly recommend him as an instructor! read more

Two weekends, first weekend is at a pool in Sunnyvale, you take your test (swimming laps and floating). It's kinda hard to float and listen at the same time since water is in your ear, helps if you can tread water upright. I suggest doing the Sunnyvale class during the morning because evening class is super cold, even if the pool is heated. Kevin was the instructor, one of the most experienced. I bought all my gear at the shop, and took the NASE (online version - also cheaper). Day 1 - was 6:45pm-10:30pm Day 2 - was 8-11am then 1-2pm (second half is lecture) Day 3 - was 8-12pm (2 dives NASE) Day 4 - was 8-10:30am (1 dive NASE) The first day of the dive, it was not raining, but boy was taking on and off the wet suit was tough. You're basically wearing 70lb on yourself. Walking up and down the stair was a pain. One person couldn't complete it, so it was down to one girl and myself. Second day, horrible weather, rain, but was able to get another person to join. Thankfully we had to do one dive only. Drove back up to the shop to finish paper work and then had photo taken. Overall, not a bad experience. Was super cold, and each day I felt sick because the cold, and all the tank breathing. I lost some appetite, and my ears are clogged still. I'm certified! read more

Since the first day of pool instruction to the last day of open water certification in Monterey, Pacific Scuba Divers has exceeded my expectations. Charles, our instructor, has been diving for decades and has logged thousands of dives under his belt, so I felt that I was in good hands the whole time. The other staff are incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and patient. They answered all of my questions on the phone and in-person. If you want to get certified, you have to go here. This is the best place to do it. The people who work here are fantastic and their passion for diving shows. read more

Pacific Scuba Divers - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

We got our open Water certification through here with Thomas and Sabine. The shop is friendly and helpful setting up the gear and the instructors are tough, fair and fun! By the end you will be comfortable in the water, know skills that can save your life and have fun diving along the way. read more

Great dive shop! I first stopped by to inquire about a refresher course and got my mask, fins, boots and snorkel. They had a great selection of equipment and at discounted prices compared to going to the manufacturers sites directly. I also took a scuba refresher course here with Thomas which consisted of a few hours pool session. I even ended up going over things I don't think I covered during my initial certification years ago! With COVID restrictions letting up a bit, I decided to buy my own scuba gear from them as well. Alex at the shop spent a few hours with me going over all of my options and ordering equipment that was not in stock at their store. Mark has also been great in coordinating classes, dives, and helping to make sure my gear arrived on time. They are also starting to do some fun dives in Monterey, which I joined in on this past weekend with Robert. It was a small group (which I prefer) and a good way to get back into the water again. Overall, this is just as you should and would expect in a dive shop - knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about diving. I'm glad I found somewhere to help continue my diving education and experience! read more

The team at Pacific scuba divers were amazing all the way in helping us get our open water certifications in Monterey. Recommend them even if you feel a little anxious about getting into the ocean. Everyone on the team has years of experience in the sport and place a lot of importance on safety and comfort. Kevin at the shop is patient and helps you pick out the best gear that is very economical. Sabine and Thonmas are the most passionate people we had the pleasure of meeting. They truly love to dive and are very generous sharing their knowledge as instructors. Sabine brings with her tremendous energy that's just contagious and Thonmas has a fun story to relate to for every situation, together they make the class a lot of fun. Some of us were quite anxious about the cold waters in Monterey. But Kevin and Frank at the dive shop set us up with really good gear and we never felt cold the whole time. Sabine also works with you to build up your skills and confidence so you feel comfortable getting into ocean. She made herself available for questions throughout the course leading up to the ocean dives. Watch out for "pro-trips" that she sprinkles in during class. Would love to come back when we feel ready in the future and totally recommend them if you are considering getting an open water certification. Ask for Sabina, Thonmas, Kevin and Frank for a great experience !!! :D -Namita and Vasanth read more

Just finished my Open Water PADI certification this last weekend. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Sabine was our instructor for the ocean dives and she was amazing. She was really patient when I couldn't perform my skill and allowed me to repeat it and helped me stay calm. When I decide to get the next level certification I'll definitely be coming back here. read more

I did my open water certification dive last weekend and here are my comments. Overall quality 6/5. My instructors were Thomas and Marc. Professionalism: Thomas and Marc, each have over 20 years of experience in diving. You really need that expertise in diving in places like Monterey -- where it is cold and the waves can be choppy. Safety: Diving can be safe, but only if you're given the proper instruction and you have experts (like Thomas and Marc) who can evaluate your current skill levels, the prevailing conditions and whether it is safe enough to dive. I have only one life and I felt safe because I knew my instructors were competent, safety conscious professionals. Quality of Service. I've never seen this level of service, even in five star hotels. Some students in our group could not make the regular schedule because of time conflicts, Thomas arranged a weekend dive just for our group. Incredible. Final note, If you a company looking to change the world, you can do no better than have Thomas and Marc certify your A-team in Open Water Diving. Once you've dove in freezing, choppy, potentially dangerous marine life infested waters, you'll emerge confident you can take on any challenge. read more

Pacific Scuba Divers - Open Water Dive, Monterey - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

I went into the dive shop on March 22nd to sign up for my classes and pick up the course materials and by April 8th I was certified! Course takes two weekends of your time (one week prior to study and read the book). My instructors were Charles and. Alex and they were great! They focused a lot on safety (which is obviously the most important aspect of diving) and we had a great time! I had ZERO issues here and would recommend anyone looking to get certified to chose PSD. Very knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. read more

Pacific Scuba Divers - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I have a great experience to get the open water certification there, highly recommanded

Highly recommend Open Water Scuba with Sabine and Thomas. The course is exhilarating, fun, and challenging. These instructors will give you excellent training to ensure that you are well- prepared, inspired, and safe. I'm already excited to take more classes under their guidance. Do it! read more

We did our dry suit certification from Pacific Scuba. Amazing experience! Would highly recommend it. As for the guru, Thomas, he's great guy! Committed to teaching all the needed skills in the right way. I wish i had done my OWD certification with him too! read more

Friendly place, helped my friends and I with their scuba certification from start to finish. Recommend Mark, Patty, and his team. They were accommodating with our schedules and answered all of our questions regarding PADI versus NASI certification. We also got a discount on our gear for signing up for the class. read more

I took my certification here 6months ago. I have to say that I have learn a lot. Sabrina was an amazing instructor and did a great job teaching us the ins and outs of scuba! I felt ready for my dives and highly recommend this place. They are top notch and know everything from finding the right scuba gear for you to providing scuba diving tips. read more

Instructors were Thomas and Marc. They were both very thorough with their instruction and very carefully in consideration with our safety. When members of the group needed an early certification, we were able to secure a different time slot to complete our certification, at no extra cost! They were very flexible and understanding. Professionalism, knowledge, but also humor was present within their instruction. It was a great fun and informative experience read more

I took the class few weeks before we heading to Hawaii for our diving appointment. My instructor is Thomas. He is so nice, patient and has provided greatly-valuable classes for us to quickly learn to dive in the open water! I would definitely recommend it to you if you want to learn diving quick and safe. read more

Super friendly and knowledgable staff. They helped me choose my gear for a trip to Hawaii with all of the advice I needed to pick the right stuff. Thanks for all of the help! The gear worked out perfectly! read more

I got certified as a open water diver here. Staffs and instructors are patient and professional. They really care about if you have learned the skills. I was vey anxious in the sea but the instructors are supportive and finally I finished all the skills. Strongly recommend to learn scuba diving here! read more

Great experience getting my open water certification- really enjoyed working with Thomas. Hope to dive with them again someday!

Thomas was a great instructor and we had a great time despite the less-than-ideal ocean conditions

I took the advanced open water certification with Pacific Scuba Divers and Thomas Stevenin. I have to say that my experience with pacific divers and Thomas was all 5 star across the board. He is very professional yet a nice sense of humor and caring for those in his class. This isnt just work you can tell it is his passion. He is very attentive before the dives and assisted with a couple divers getting extra clips, gear, fixing some items where most would tell you to just go rent, and mind you this is an advanced class not beginners and he was still Johnny on the spot helping out. During the dives we had underwater navigation first and all were involved and he was careful to watch out for all his divers even in low visibility the first dive due to the beginners out there at breakwater in monterey. Second dive was search and recovery where you get to find and recover items....obviously haha. And we all had a blast on this exercise and visibility was better thankfully. A very important detail on our third dive of the day I am so thankful for. Other advanced classes started the night dive early as sun was setting. Thomas waited for full night for the night dive and WOW. It was a very calm water great visibility experience without light from above. you saw so much life in the water from giant crabs two feet wide locked in battle claw to claw with each other, much life in the sand coming up and out, many many fish visible, so I would like to thank him for not rushing that night dive and waiting for optimal conditions and an experience ill not forget. I am a tropical diver and came into this cold water monterey experience a little worried. With people like Thomas you need not worry. Thanks again to Thomas and Pacific Divers for doing it right and putting the students first. read more