Had an amazing time! The instructors/guides were great. Loved them and loved the experience. We'll definitely be back

Went snorkeling with Jesse on the advanced Cave tour. It was so beautiful! The water was a little choppy on the day we went and Jesse did a fantastic job of directing us on what to do, Keeping us safe, and staying patient with us. I had a complete blast and although because of the weather we weren't able to see much had a fantastic time. I would highly recommend for anyone looking to do something fun in San Diego read more

San Diego Ocean Adventures - Snorkeling Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

You're probably reading this sketched out by the business because there are barely any reviews. BUT KEEP READING! This is by far the most underrated excursion company here in San Diego. After doing lots of research and Yelping, I found this business when it only had one review. [booking] I booked for 15 people easily. Just give Jesse a call and he'll open up the slot you want online (if it's available) as soon as you're ready to pay. [pricing] I originally found SDOA on Groupon, but I don't recommend purchasing it from there...I'm a supporter of great family owned businesses and I'm not about the interest being taken from them. Just call in and ask for the discount code to pay directly on the business website. My family was on a budget but we were determined to do something together, and $35ish each person (after discount and tax) which included all the needed gear was a remarkable price to us for the experience. [location] The locations are based off which excursion you're going on. Yelp says La Jolla, but my tour was at Mission Bay Park. Jesse sent me a dropped pin and it took us straight to the lot. We walk from the lot down to the canopy on the beach. Pretty easy to find but if your lost, Jesse will walk out to find you. [customer service] I was worried my group ranging from "child" to "old people"-years old wouldn't enjoy this collaboratively. Jesse, Britney, and Barbara went above and beyond to make sure we were all happy. They made sure to pay extra attention to those who couldn't swim (or in my case, kept losing a flipper) and didn't push us beyond what we were capable of. I showed up in a group of 18, booked for 15, but only 13 of us went on the tour. I don't know their return policy, but I didn't even bother asking for a refund because of how well they took care of us. They helped us get suited up (also, their gear was notably cleaner than other rentals we've seen) and were extremely clear with instructions. They didn't even mind that our other 5 family members frolicked in the water nearby the tour just to spend time with us, so you can't just NOT tip them extra! [our tour] We swam by school of fish, rocks, plants, Jesse's son (haha), etc. He caught a lobster and giant sea slug for us to pet. I think as beginners, this tour was great for us to just figure out how to use the gear and see some water life. Make sure to bring a Go Pro if you have one. If you want to get into the harder tours, they've got sharks and sea cave life. [overall] So so happy my family was able to do something active together after years, and I can't stress how accommodating Jesse, Britney, and Barbara were throughout the entire experience. Such nice people, and I recommend this business to anyone. read more

Very fun !!! Our tour guide was very patient ! We will definitely be seeing Jesse again soon !! Thank you SDOA !! read more

If you need a good experience, come to San Diego Ocean Adventures! You will not regret! I've gone snorkeling in the past, and this is by far the best! Registration - if you do not see a good opening for registration, CALL! DON'T HESITATE! He will make a special spot for you, depending on the number of people in your group, the tides, the weather, the time, etc. He is also very informative on the best time to snorkel. Be sure to provide him your height, weight, and shoe size so he can get equipment ready for you (to maximize your time in the water!) Equipment - Like new! Jesse takes the time to clean and disinfect the equipments and wet suits after/before every session. The wet suits fit like a glove, which will work best--keeping you warm and providing buoyancy. Masks fit extremely well. Snorkeling equipment has a valve that allows you to blow water out. Fins work wonderful with working straps. Other places I've been uses old equipment and are not cleaned (and does not look sanitized) Experience/Tour - Once you get there, call Jesse. He is very punctual. He'll guide you where to meet. I advise you to come with your swim suit on so you can get started immediately. Jesse gives you the downlow on what to do and what not to do, every step of the way. He is extremely patient and makes sure everyone (and I mean, EVERYONE) is comfortable throughout the ENTIRE snorkeling experience--going into the waters, snorkeling towards the caves, and back to the shore. He spends time explaining the shoreline, the animals around, seasons, history, etc. Very knowledgable. I don't normally write reviews, but he deserves one! read more

What an awesome experience, Jesse was great and worked with our schedule, even offered a different day when the day we had booked was a little overcast and gray. We opted to keep the original appointment as we had other plans. My son and I had a awesome time, we did the "beginners" course, as each of us had only snorkeled once before. Jesse explained everything to us, helped to make sure our wetsuits were on correctly, helped us with the mask and snorkel to make sure they fit properly. Jesse found an awesome starfish that we were able to hold, said he hadn't seen one with those colors before. Also found a giant "snail" I think it was called something else. Jesse even took a few pictures of my son and I after the fact. Would definitely recommend and I'm looking forward to doing this again sometime. read more

We loved Jesse!! Very personable and accommodating to beginners, and even helped us out with directions because we got lost (oops!) will probably be back this summer when the waters a little warmer :) Thanks Jesse! read more

We loved our beginning snorkel trip with Jesse. He was friendly, professional, and very patient with beginning snorkelers. The equipment was new and clean. The site was very nice--we saw mainly Garibaldi--and we enjoyed getting back into snorkeling this way. Very relaxed snorkel tour, would definitely do again. read more

Super chill, friendly, and knowledgeable. I was passing through just for the day and they took me out on a dive less than an hour after I called (whereas the previous dive shops I spoke to required a reservation in advance). The dive was great--especially since I saw my first cephalopods. Will definitely return to this shop next time I'm in town. read more

Jesse is really nice and took amazing care of my friend and I on our private snorkel tour. I called him day of and he was able to accommodate a special trip for us. If you don't see an opening, call anyway! He brought us wetsuits that fit really well and good quality equipment. He made sure we felt safe and showed us really cool sea life and was a wealth of information. I'm so glad I got to experience snorkeling into a cave! Amazing experience. I highly choosing San Diego Ocean Adventures! read more

So accommodating! Literally! Was able to book a tour ASAP,was even sent directions as we were not too familiar with the area,we booked a beginner tour as this was our 7 year olds first time, it was absolutely one of the highlights of our San Diego Vacation! Our guide was great with our son and he paid special attention to him to ensure he was comfortable with being in the water and giving him instructions that my husband and I could enjoy our snorkeling, wetsuits were even provided and the gear top notch! Would definitely recommend and use their service again! read more

San Diego Ocean Adventures - He even took our picture as we didn't bring our phones! A most memorable adventure! - Snorkeling Near Me - La Jolla, California

Relaxing and a workout at the same time. Jesse was very knowledgeable, courteous and whatever you can describe a good customer service. Absolutely one of the best I've experienced. Defenitly a recommendation to anyone who hasn't really been snorkeling or expired the shallow seas! read more

The instructor is awesome! Showed us some amazing sea creatures that I have never seen! Very good experience with him! Definitely recommend him! read more

This was the highlight of my week vacation in San Diego. Jesse was very knowledgeable and it was hands down one of the funnest things I've done. He also went out of his way to drop us off at our airbnb after our session! Next time we are in town we will definitely be booking again!! read more

Jesse is amazing! We just went on the beginner's snorkeling tour today as a family and Jesse took very good care of us. He meet us at the tour location. He was actually early so we started prepping early. He had brought all the gear we needed. Wet suits, hoods, fins, masks and snorkels. He made sure we understood how it all worked and how to be safe. He got us in the water and watched us the entire time, ensuring we were safe. At the same time, he found lots of fun things for us to see....Garibaldi, little green fish, little blue fish, starfish, shellfish and lobster! After going on a tour with Jesse, you know he puts his all in his work and you feel like you've just gone on the best tour ever with a friend! Thank you, Jesse! read more

We went snorkeling last week and this week again. We enjoyed both. Jesse is wonderful.he gave exceptional service. The memories we made during these trips are our treasures.we will be back again to try the cave tour. Check on their site for discount before you get it from groups, more savings! read more

Jesse was very accommodating and patient with our group. We had a blast as beginners and he made sure to explain all the things we needed to know when snorkeling. It was a great experience and would recommend this to anyone who is looking for something fun to do while in sunny San Diego. He made our experience very enjoyable. He had the gear for us to use and even went beyond to show us some lobsters and point out fish. Thanks, Jesse! read more

We went on a snorkeling adventure for a bachelorette party with Jesse and had a blast! He did a great job of keeping a big group together and making sure that everyone was comfortable and having a good time in the water. And the cave was awesome! We saw seals!! Thanks Jesse for a bomb time. :) read more

Absolute blast! The tour guide/owner, Jesse, is not only knowledgeable, courteous, humble and detailed in his guidance to make you feel completely safe and sure of your ability, he is without a doubt, an individual that understand the value of his customers as he went above and beyond for us during our experience! Prior to him, we tried two other locations for snorkeling that were deemed to be the popular spots to go, and they were subpar and we chose to bypass them in search of a better option! Jesse, of San Diego Ocean Adventures, saved our Saturday and made us forget about the two prior failed options! If you're looking to go snorkeling, scuba diving, or even just want to ask questions about where to go for the best beaches and best local spots to try some food. Choose San Diego Ocean Adventures! Jesse will not let you down! That's a Guarantee! Any of my Marines and fellow service members looking to get in the water and see some sharks or some Ocean life! This is who you need to call! read more

SDOA snorkeling experience was amazing. Jesse, our guide, knew what he was doing and was very knowledgeable about the sea life, snorkeling techniques, and swimming. We could t have asked for a better experience! We would recommend this to anyone and we plan to do it again another time! read more

Jesse was awesome! I went with my wife and daughter (11 yrs old) who were both very nervous. Jesse made them feel very safe and he was SUPER DUPER patient with them. We saw sharks, lobsters, bright orange fish, and a 10-14 inch silver looking fish that I don't remember the name of. The whole experience was fantastic and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It was definitely a fun family adventure. read more