I called Sheri a bit over a month ago, trying to find an instructor to certify me before my scuba diving trip. Everyone in Santa Barbara and vicinity was booked for a solid month and I needed to get certified within two weeks. Sheri patiently listened to my story and next day (after putting out some desperately-seeking-instructor messages), connected me with a fantastic instructor (Michael Francisco). Located on Catalina Island. LOL! I had not intended to make this extra three-day trip so close to my 2 week vacation, but hey... you do what you gotta do. And it was a truly educational and beautiful experience, which accomplished my goal and that I would not have known was an option had it not been for Sheri.  She also made a great recommendation for a scuba diving vacation location, which my instructor echoed. I went with their idea and was gifted an incredible diving trip. Sheri and my instructor continue to give me pointers about all kinds of things scuba-related and I am very grateful to have literally, stumbled upon such great resources. Thank you for all of your amazingness, Sheri and Michael! read more

Santa Barbara Divers - Scuba Diving Near Me - Channel Islands Beach, California

We spent two days- a total of six dives- with Sheri's expert guidance of the Anacapa Island's dive sites: Cathedral Cove, Landing Cove, West Winfield Scott, Garden Spot, Canyons and Gold Fish Bowl. Sheri helped us to find the most incredible sea life! She is detail-oriented in terms of safety - as one would expect an instructor/dive master to be. Sheri is also a really fun person with a wealth of experience, wisdom and a true love of the ocean and its inhabitants. I highly recommend her to anyone interested in some fantastic diving... read more

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My friends and I wanted to dive the Santa Cruz Islands, but we don't know the area well. All 3 of us are certified PADI divers, but we still wanted the guidance of someone who knows the area well. Enter: Sheri from Santa Barbara Divers! I got in touch with Sheri to see if she could arrange a guided dive for my friends and I, and she was SO easy to communicate with! She did her best to help us find the most cost-effective way to do the day of diving, and even recommended a way to save money by sleeping on the Dive-boat the night before our dives! She arranged all of the gear rentals we needed and paid the utmost attention to our comfort and safety during our entire day of diving. Even though we were all previously certified she still took ownership over making sure that the dive was conducted safely and that we were all diving within our comfort zones. Finally, Sheri documented all 3 of our dives with photos and video, and emailed us everything within a few short hours after our dive-day was over. She didn't charge extra for this or anything-- she just clearly wanted us to have an excellent experience and to have great photos to remember it by! If you're interested in diving the kelp forests off the Santa Cruz islands, Sheri is the guide you want! Hands down. read more

My friend introduced me to scuba diving a year ago. While getting my diving certification I found out I got seasick very easily but that didn't stop me and I passed. Sadly I waited a year ( never again!) to go back in the water and I was nervous. My diving instructor Sheri was amazing! Not only did she walk me through the basics again, she also made sure I was alright because I most definitely got sick again. She was very patient when I forgot steps and never did she make me feel bad for it. She was always available in case i needed her. Everything from awesome food, weather, great conversations/advice from my diving instructor, made this a very memorable trip. I'm very excited for my next dive with Sheri. read more

Wow! Excellent! Sheri certified our 14 year old son today at Anacapa Island. Conditions were not ideal but she exuded confidence and certainty to help keep our son calm and confident during his three certification dives today. She also helped me learn about leading and planning dives which was very valuable and necessary. I absolutely recommend this company. She not only taught us skills, but she taught us WHY we were learning the skills. I also love that she took the time to teach us about the reef and the nature abounding in the reef. Top Notch from start to finish. read more

This company went OVER the top for us! We actually rented equipment from a different company in goleta Santa Barbara that asked us to pick up our equipment the day before and we totally forgot about it. So we called all the dive shops asking for help renting equipment and Santa Barbara divers got us all set up (even though we had already bought equipment through a different company!) I believe she was the owner, but the woman I spoke to on the phone called around for us and made sure we were all set to go diving the night before. Basically without this company, we would have missed our dive completely. Next time I go back to scuba dive the Channel Islands we are definitely going to use SB divers! read more

I and my daughter have been diving with Sheri Bauer, and there's no one more attentive (and more fun!) in the water with you! We were both new-ish divers, and I had that extra layer of mom-nervousness since my 10yo daughter was in the water with me. But Sheri has the underwater equivalent of Spidey senses . . . she just always had an eye where it needed to be. I remember feeling that way generally for the whole two-week trip, and very specifically one day when I bit through my regulator. She was a ways away from me and still figured out what was happening almost the same time I did--she was right with me in a flash. It could have been a scary experience for me as a new diver, but Sheri (even underwater) exuded a sense of calm, and I remember appreciating that she was right there, looking me in the eye, ready to help, but she let me handle it myself. I thought it was a perfect way for her to deal with the situation. Sheri is also a very good teacher--we had a super-fun navigation lesson with her! Sheri is also something of an expert in dive gear, and provides comprehensive and thoughtful advice on what's right for you. If you get a chance to dive with Sheri, you'll love her AND the experience! We are always looking for our next chance to get in the water with her. read more

Look no further than Sheri at Santa Barbara Divers for a totally professional and individualized diving experience. I was newly PADI certified and wanted a guide/instructor with me for a three dive day near Anacapa Island. With a couple of email exchanges she made all of the arrangements. I was able to relax and enjoy the seals and lobsters and kelp ecosystem. Bill, my guide, was very friendly and patient. I learned a lot while he explained the plan of each dive. I left my dive log on the boat and feared it was lost but I emailed Sheri the next day and she found it and mailed it back to me. I highly recommend SB Divers. I will certainly dive with them on my next trip to the area. read more

Sheri is fantastic and i would highly recommend her for training or for guided dives in the SB area. I did a beach dive with Sheri this past Saturday at Refugio Beach. We had an amazing dive with lots of aquatic life - pipefish, octopus, angel shark, horn shark and more. She is a true professional. read more

I got certified a year ago but I don't consider myself an experienced diver. I was a bit hesitant about getting my fins wet but Sheri reassured me that diving was like remembering how to ride a bicycle. We did 6 dives in two days. We saw a ton of different sea life and she captured a lot of it on camera. She made this trip an incredible experience all while being safe. We are definetely planning and looking forward to diving with her again! read more

I had a picture perfect day and wonderful experience diving at Anacapa Island with Sheri and Santa Barbara Divers. Sheri was extremely knowledgeable about the locations and I felt very safe in her hands. Thanks Sheri for the experience of a lifetime. read more

My wife and I were traveling with our friends through some national parks in California this year in September. We had one day available to us and we made some arrangements for a three dive day trip to Channels Islands on the Spectre boat from Ventura. We asked the boat captain to recommend us a local scuba guide to accompany us on the dives. Lucky us that was Sheri Bauer from Santa Barbara Divers company and we could wish nothing more. She became a buddy for my wife as she was a little nervous at the beginning. Sheri was always next to her helping my wife to calm down and get her confidence. And with every next dive it was more and more obvious how my wife was feeling better and better under the water. And the best outcome is she wants to dive more now. We are getting our own equipment after that. I must say that Sheri is very caring and knowledgeable professional I will go to dive anywhere and anytime. She is very nice person too. I will highly recommend her. read more