My husband joins me in giving this store and Trish in particular an enthusiastic two thumbs up…read morereview. We shopped at their beautiful and well equipped store and had a ball. Trish was so helpful and knowledgeable. No sales pressure at all. They have high quality merchandis. We took a refresher course in Walnut Creek today and it was EXCELLENT! My husband had some issues with his gear and, just like she was in the store, Trish was very patient. He had his breakthrough and completed his dive! The instruction team was very organized and available for help. Thanks to the store, thank you, Trish. What a great experience!

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.

Just finished my open water dive course here and i honestly really enjoyed my experience. The shop…read moreowner took the time to hear what I wanted from my own diving experiences and made suitable recommendations. He clearly told me what to expect from my pool sessions and ocean dives. They even worked with my work schedule and kept the dive shop open long enough so I could pick up my rental gear past their normal business hours. My open water instructor, Alaric, made learning diving easy and fun. He answered my many questions and gave reasonable advise when it came to gear. Thanks again Deep Blue for welcoming a new diver into the fold!

Getting back into Diving after a long time out of the water. Deep blue is truly a full service…read moreshop, Steel, Rick and Dan are honest, kind, and so knowledgeable!!! Got me kitted up, classes and diving again!

California Diving Academy offers an amazing diving program with professional coaching and a clear,…read morewell-run structure. My daughter started at age 9, and under Coach Eric's guidance, she has quickly improved in both diving and life skills like confidence, focus, and teamwork. CDA stands out because it combines high-level training with strong character development. Younger kids learn from older teammates in a positive, respectful environment. The whole community is supportive, and the kids truly thrive. Coach Eric is very experienced and always gives clear, personalized feedback. He's great at explaining things to both kids and parents. Whether it's in the water or Dryland, he's always focused and encouraging. The facility is fully equipped, and the flexible schedule is a big plus for families. If your child wants to compete at a high level, or just enjoy diving in a caring place, CDA is the best in the Bay Area. Highly recommend!

My 16 year old daughter started diving at California Diving Academy this past summer and it has…read morebeen an outstanding experience. She was an avid gymnast for the past ten years. On vacation last summer, her aunt (a former D1 diver) showed her some dives and suggested she just "try" diving. They looked online, found Cal Diving Academy, and sent an e-mail. Coach Eric called my daughter that afternoon to tell her about the program and suggested she come in the following week just to try it out. My daughter did not intend to switch sports then and there, but she loved diving and everything about Cal Diving Academy. From day one, the coaches and the other divers have been welcoming, friendly, and inclusive. The coaching has been incredible. Her diving is beautiful and she has learned so much. More importantly, the coaches show incredible kindness, compassion, and are very attentive to the whole athlete. Guiding them gently through fears and getting to know them as people. I am so grateful that my daughter found coach Eric and Cal Diving Academy. She is a happier person having found this new home away from home.

Great experience for my son who is very interested in scuba diving. He attended the PADI seals camp…read moreand the instructors were attentive, helpful and knowledgeable. Looking forward to attending the master seals camp when we can.

Had a great experience in the Open Water Dive certification class. I appreciate the clear…read morecommunication, the relaxed pace, and the confidence from the instructors. I look forward to continuing my diving education with DNT.

hands down the best refresher course I have ever taken…read more My previous refresher experiences involved far too much classroom time, followed by the entire class swimming around a crowded pool with very little individual instruction or attention. Idonya's course was completely different. She is exceptionally knowledgeable about diving, patient, attentive, and an excellent instructor. She made sure each of us received the guidance and practice we needed to feel comfortable and confident in the water. I highly recommend Idonya to anyone who needs a scuba refresher--or simply wants to connect with a knowledgeable and supportive dive instructor in the East Bay. We could not have asked for a better experience! We will be diving with her again for sure!

My friend George and I joined Idonya's trip to Bonaire in 2026 and had a blast!! I feel very safe…read morediving with Idonya and she's very on top of things. I having been diving for 8 years and it's so nice to finally find a great instructor that I feel safe with and enjoy diving with on trips. She's great for beginners too and is always ready to help teach new divers.

My friends and I just finished our scuba certification course with Scott and Lynn in Brentwood (for…read morepool dives) and Monterey (ocean dives). I'd give them 6 stars if I could! They're true professionals, very passionate about diving, and focused on safety. They made sure that we felt comfortable in the water, took time to explain everything with patience and care, and never cut any corners. They also accommodated our busy schedules. I would follow their recommendation and spread out the lessons. Scuba is an intense workout, and consolidating everything into two weekends was more taxing than we thought. Scott, Lynn - hope to dive with you again soon!

Wanna learn to dive? In Monterey? Which will make you SUCH a badass in other divers' eyes?…read more Learn with Scott and Lynn! You get classroom sessions, pool sessions, and open water check-out dives. He'll cut you a sweet deal on equipment, too. 100% win, even if you are a sucky diver like I am.

The staff is great , If you're looking for more serious swim lessons for a toddler I wouldn't…read morerecommend. I gave the lessons a try for a few months and my toddler didn't learn anything. It's more like a play date in the pool. The price should be much less for the service that is being offered.

I inquired about swim lessons for my young children back in May. The staff were very helpful and…read moreinformative on the phone. They stated that they do not allow parents around the pool during their child's swim lessons until the very last lesson, but let me know there is a viewing area where I would be able to watch. I went down in person and again had a great experience with their staff, but was very disappointed to find that the "viewing area" was actually located outside and you could only see your child through a window which was tinted. So unless you stuck your face directly up against the glass you weren't able to see anything. I was very uncomfortable with this and decided this was not the place for us. I'm sure they have very well trained staff, but we all know accidents happen. For this reason I chose to take my business elsewhere.

PSD is an outstanding dive shop. Staff are super friendly and they supply you with a container that…read moreneatly packed all of their rental gears. It made it super convenient for me. I signed up for a refresh course and the pool is conveniently located with its own parking lot. I arrived and was promptly greeted by PSD staff and checked in. Jeremiah and Casey were our dive instructors. Both were patient and explained everything in great details. I had a fantastic time. Would highly recommend PSD to everyone.

The instructors are great however management leaves much to be desired and was quite an…read moreuncomfortable experience. Spent over $500 in certification and personal gear at this shop and yet such lack in service, felt treated like a cash cow with disregard to providing a positive experience. They forgot to include my wetsuit in my bin so during my ocean dives in Monterey I had to rent my own wetsuit on the day of my dives. Discussed this situation upon return of equipment and instead almost got charged with $55 for not capping the dust cap back on the regulator. Funny how they DO NOT stress or mention at all upon renting gear - you have to read it in the fine print. Which I feel the owner does on purpose for customers to pay out the extra $55. We ended up "breaking even" despite the huge inconvenience their mistake has brought upon me on my important certification days. Super disappointed with this shop and management. Please bring your business elsewhere.

Aaron was really spectacular. He fit my timeline for certification, adapted to my needs and was…read morethorough in his instruction. What really stands out is his emphasis on safety and being prepared for the unexpected. Scuba diving is a sport that comes with risk, and he wanted to ensure that I was ready for a variety of situations. Whether my mask filled with water, I got stuck in a low visibility area, or I needed to make a shore exit in tough surf. He had me go through live exercises of each scenario to prepare me. Hopefully those are skills I don't need to test, but on top of the beauty of diving, it's an extra comfort having that preparation

This review is for anyone looking for scuba diving training (first timer? general refresher after a…read morefew years? looking for Advanced certs?). My wife and I got Open Water Certified a few years ago, and it was a great experience. There were a couple pool sessions with gear plus a weekend down in Monterey with the dreamy kelp forests. I also did an Advanced Diver Course last year w Original Oaktown which had a NitrOx component. It consisted of more top notch diving in Monterey, including low vis navigation, night diving, and a deep dive to 100'. I can't recommend Aaron highly enough. He has been diving for decades in Northern California and knows everything. He cares so much about his students' proficiency, safety, and confidence in the water. He is training his students to be independent divers. He also has tons of helpful risk management and dive safe know-how that you will pick up.

We love Sherman Swim School! I am an actual customer. My kids took swimming lessons and got to see…read morethe big kids diving, and now they are divers themselves. At Sherman, they are very attentive and always looking for ways to help their customers. The pool is perfectly heated, so ideal place for winter/spring lessons. The facility is nice and clean, with seating, umbrellas, and a fine mist for the hot summer afternoons. I highly recommend this place if you want private swimming lessons or diving lessons for your kids.

Sherman Swim School is the best! My (now) 8yr old daughter had attended swim sessions over the past…read morefew years, and it totally prepared her for her dream of being on a swim team. Her teachers were fantastic and they fine-tuned each lesson to turn her weaknesses into strengths. They made each lesson fun and my daughter always left the pool wishing she could swim longer. I also realize the focus they placed on technique and timing created a solid foundation for her to grow from. She can swim all four strokes, is now a very confident swimmer and having a blast on the swim team. She even tells me she might be interested in diving down the road, and we'll know exactly where to go to learn! It was easy to work with them to schedule days and times to fit what worked for us best (as my daughter's activities seem to change all the time). We could always count on having a day to swim and my daughter looked forward to it every week. In summary, Steve, Laurie and all the teachers are the best. We couldn't recommend Sherman Swim School more!