I signed up with Jon Prins for the beginning freediving course and highly recommend it. First, we…read moredid a remote lesson over Google Video Call where Jon led a group of ~8 students through basic safety, equalization, and breathing exercises. Then we did a morning and afternoon dive at Breakwater cove in Monterey, where we met Brandon, our instructor. I was impressed and pleased that John brought three or four instructors out so each instructor only had ~3 students. Brandon was an excellent teacher and helped me feel comfortable in the cold water and was patient and conservative while we practiced new techniques. On top of that, he really drove home the risks and dangers of freediving, more so than any of the books or videos I've seen so far. Overall, I highly recommend Fins and Foam for freediving and will be joining them in future dives. Their focus on safety and contagious passion for diving provide a responsible and fun environment. Pro tip: I learned you can get seasick just by being in the water. Dramamine could be a good idea, my buddy and I both ended up nauseous after many hours in the sea.

Wow! John and team were not only easy to work with but insanely knowledgable. If you want to get…read moreinto free diving they have everything you would need to get started and if you're already certified they have a rich community to join with consistent dives weekly. If you're even thinking about it - just do it!

I did my open water, refresher, and advanced scuba courses with Harbor Dive and it was fantastic…read more SHOP The staff at the shop are very knowledgeable and can literally answer any question you have. They also have high end equipment for sale and rent. I ended up buying my Suunto D5 dive watch here that I can't stop wearing! I bought all my personal gear here and very happy with it. I have always rented the rest of the gear and they have worked great for me. You can tell that their equipment is well taken care of hence why I keep getting my gear from here. COURSES Michael was the instructor for all my courses and always went above and beyond to make sure you were confident and SAFE in the water. He answers any questions you have and you can tell he has a lot of knowledge and experience about diving that he shares. It was also nice to know that you were diving with a PRO/S. ADVANCED OPEN WATER The courses were always well organized from start to finish. You knew what you were doing for each hour of the day give and take some delays. This information was provided to you prior to the course as PDF. I did my advanced course at San Carlos Beach, Monterey. The day starts at 7 AM and by the time you get there, Michael and staff have already began setting up a big green tent that you cannot miss from the water. They even brought coolers full of food, snacks, and drinks! There are also scuba shops and restaurants within walking distance that you can get to. By 8 AM you are expected to be suited up and have already come up with a dive plan, which the instructor goes over with the group. This dive plan happened every time before every dive ensuring that everyone was in sync. When everyone is in the water, you gather at one spot on the surface and then we all descend together keeping the group together. This was the same when we were in the water, we were a school of divers following the instructors until we ascended. Of course during the navigation dive we were expected to navigate a square leading us back to our starting point with our dive buddy. This was a great learning experience. There was also an extra instructor that hovered around us which was nice. 2 instructors for 6 people. The five dives that we did were the performance buoyancy, deep dive, multi level, navigation, and fish identification dive. Overall it's always enjoyable diving with Michael and Harbor Dive staff and look forward to doing more dives with them. I would highly recommend to anyone!

I received my Open Water certification in 2012 with Harbor Dive in Monterey. In January, I decided…read moreto do a Refresher after a period not diving. My experience was even better the second time around! The assistance from Michael and Nina was great. They were knowledgeable and courteous. At the pool, the instructor was polite and proficient and helped me to get reacquainted with the gear and the basic skills that are necessary to know in order to dive safely. I enjoyed being in the water again so much, that after the class I went back to the shop and ask about fun dives and other possible classes. I spoke with Michael, and his passion for diving reminded me just how much I have missed it! I decided to sign up for the Advanced Open Water class for the following weekend before I left. In Monterey, conditions can be challenging but for me that is part of the fun. Michael was the Instructor for my Advanced class. It had been several years since I dove Monterey, so I was a little nervous. He was helpful, totally professional and patient. Monterey is not warm water diving like Mexico or the Bahamas, or even Hawaii. Safety is his Number 1 priority, so it is absolutely necessary to listen and follow all instructions and to ask for help if you need it. And... IT WAS AMAZING!!! Up next, Dry Suit certification!

Suddenly closed down and ran off with everyone's money. I've been calling and emailing for the past…read morefew weeks, but there has been no response.

Update: My husband contacted the Dive Shop a couple months ago after receiving the owner's reply…read morehere on Yelp. We were hoping they would make this right and instead they basically told us to get lost. We asked to speak to the owner and the "manager" told us that he had directly spoken to the owner and he would be happy to "look at" the dive watch, but they would not refund me for their negligent service. They also did not offer to pay for the repair or new battery/service. So how are they going to "make this right"? I'm not driving all the way to SF for some guy to "look at" my obviously flooded watch. Run far away from this shop unless you want your precious and expensive scuba gear damaged with no accountability.

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!

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience getting our open-water certification. Over the last…read moretwo weeks, we were supported by three wonderful instructors. Each of the instructors knew what they were doing and each took time to work with us during the course and program. In every interaction, they were friendly, patient, and professional. I could not have asked for more and I know that my daughter and I are both so happy that we got to have this remarkable experience with such a fine group of people. I hope to see them all on a future dive! Thank you!!!!

Sonoma Coast Divers is where I got my initial Open Water Scuba certification and I liked them…read moreenough that I stuck with them for nearly a dozen other Scuba related certifications over the years. The instructors, dive guides, and retail employees are all super friendly and knowledgeable. They all love diving and it's great to just go in and talk shop with them from time to time. I've had several instructors teaching various courses and while personalities and teaching styles vary, they were all very professional and safety focused. They'll answer questions, give examples and advice...in general they'll do anything they can to make you a better diver. I've referred several people to them and pretty much everyone I've sent has come back reporting that they really enjoyed their experience also. Only downsides: 1) They don't service Scubapro equipment, so I have to take my regulator elsewhere 2) Closed Sundays If you're looking for a local dive shop, or if you've never dived and want to experience it, I highly recommend Sonoma Coast Divers!

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!

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.

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!!!