Very poor customer service both over the phone and in person. Down right rude behavior.

I just finished getting my open water scuba certification via PADI at Scottsdale Scuba. It was such a great experience and Rick Owens/Brent are great scuba instructors/dive masters. I highly recommend getting certified at this dive shop because it's a seamless process, reasonable, and a quality program. read more

Finally found my new go to dive shop in Scottsdale. Stopped in today to get some gear assembled and purchase a new compass. Rick is awesome! Super helpful and friendly. Very reasonable prices too! What a nice and knowledgeable business owner. Not sure the other reviewers encountered the same person! Will be signing up for a navigation course soon! Thank you Rick! read more

I honestly have no clue what some of these past reviewers are talking about. My husband and I have done all but our lake dive (which is scheduled for tomorrow morning) with Rick for our initial PADI certification and he has been great! We work a super hectic schedule as health care providers and parenting 2 busy children yet Rick made sure we'd be certified in a timely manner and worked with our schedule. He made sure we thoroughly understood all of the concepts prior to our first pool dive which went very well. My husband and I were joined by another male and female for our pool dive. Rick took his time with each of us. He taught us the skill and watched us perform it while providing corrections if necessary. NOT ONCE did I feel put down or belittled. Rick takes pride in his classes and store and empowers his students. That being said, scuba diving puts you in a primitive surrounding. We, as humans, are not meant to breathe underwater; I want to be safe. I'd rather be corrected on my skills in a pool than drown in the ocean. I respect Rick as he is very knowledgable and experienced- he ensures you will be safe underwater. Honestly, I feel as if the prior reviews written by offended males must have been from insecure little men. Rick was nothing but understanding, caring, patient and compassionate with not only my husband and I; but the other 2 people who joined us on our pool dive. Thanks Rick! read more

Rick knows his stuff hands down and has been teaching SCUBA since 1990. I've taken him for my initial Open Water and even came back to him for my Advanced Open Water. read more

Both my wife and I have been diving with Rick (multiple times), used his shop for service and received our advanced open water training/certification from him. I have to disagree with the other review that gave Rick 1-star. I am a picky engineer, I found nothing lacking with his services and per my observation on dive trips, he is very concerned about quality, safety and attentive to all to ensure a positive experience. I don't know if he still catches fresh fish on the San Carlos trips, that his crew then cleans and cooks for your lunch, but that was a real treat! If I was to go to San Carlos again, I would be going with Rick. I would also not hesitate to recommend him for gear, training or service/repairs. read more

As with the other review I just read, I can't believe some of the things people are saying. Rick was excellent. My husband and I are small business owners and have a very hectic schedule. We called many other dive shops who only did certifications on weekends and were also extremely expensive. Rick was friendly from the get go. We explained we wanted to get certified in 3-4 days, and he made it happen. He worked overtime and made sure we were happy, and got our certifications. Not only was he patient, he was so understanding and friendly. I felt very claustrophobic diving in the lake, and he helped me calm down and was extremely understanding. Not once did he put me or my husband down, or make us feel uncomfortable. He even treated us to ice cream after one of the pool sessions. I definitely recommend using Scottsdale scuba over any other scuba shop in the valley. We are beyond happy customers and will refer him to anyone. It seems that negative reviews are by people who aren't serious about diving and complainers. They take a scuba class, and get sensitive. Scuba diving can be dangerous and shouldn't be taken lightly, so why would someone want a teacher who is easy on them and tiptoes around. Rick was great in explaining the risks, and also showing compassion. Thank you Rick for the great experience and getting Austin and I certified. You were great! read more

I went with this shop to get my open water certification and I did not regret it one bit! Rick, the owner, is amazing, super flexible and definitely knowledgeable! I had a tight schedule and it seemed impossible to get certified before my trip, but Rick made it happen! I would recommend this shop to anyone! read more

The owner, Rick is very knowledgeable, has the most fair pricing in town, and is very flexible with his schedule to accommodate clients!

If you are considering Rick and Scottsdale Scuba, I suggest thinking about your situation and what you want. Pros: Rick obviously knows his stuff. Very knowledgeable and experienced. Flexible in scheduling. Reasonable priced. If you know how to dive and are looking for certification, he's good. Cons: No patience. Not a teacher. If he has to tell you more than once, becomes very abrasive and irritable. Actually hit (as in HIT) my arm away while underwater because apparently I wasn't doing it right. Talks trash about other students, which means I'm sure he talked trash about me. Terrible experience. New to diving and want to learn, go elsewhere. Know how to dive and just need certification, he's worth considering. read more

The guy who helped me (I think he is the owner) was very nice, gave me good suggestions, had exactly what I needed, & threw in a few jokes.

Decided to go to Hawaii in three weeks and Rick got us certified in two weeks!! Worked around our schedule, helped us with proper equipment, and really worked with us throughout the process. Thank you Rick!!! read more

Wow were these people difficult! Went in for a simple set up for some shallow Caribbean diving a while back and not only was there no help to be found upon entering, but the guy who did help me (Rich or Rick I think?) was not only a bit condescending, but tried to up-sell me on on equipment not needed for my dive. Steer clear! read more

Scottsdale Scuba is great! They are a local dive shop that helps any range diver in finding what they need. They do price match (even online prices) and I am one who loves to support a local business. If your looking at getting into scuba, or your an experienced diver, this shop is for you! read more

Rick, the owner and instructor, is the best. We had done all but out OW dives with another lds and wasn't comfortable with them. We had felt like just a number and dollar sign. Rick was more than accommodating with our schedule and comfort level. He made all the bad juju from the other shop a distant memory. Shortly after getting certified with him we dove in Maui and it was great. We were comfortable enough to do a beach dive without a DM and when confronted with a problem mid dive his instruction took over and we were calmly able to make good decisions to stay safe and make it back to shore. I honestly believe had we finished with the other company and not him, we might not of made he right decisions. Look no further for your instruction. read more

Scuba Rick is a great teacher! He is patient, knowledgeable and experienced! Prices are great too!

This place is a RIP off and the owner is beyond RUDE! I purchased a Group On for a family member for Christmas. He refused to honor the price unless she rented gear from him. No were in his add did it say that was a requirement. It said it wasn't included but we had already purchased gear for her for a future trip. Why would we rent gear she already owned? When I called to have a conversation about it I was informed that I didn't understand how much Group On took out and he was there to make money. Trying to reason with him resulted in him hanging up on me. Not happy! read more

What a horrible experience we had at Scottsdale Scuba. The owner/instructor makes you feel stupid while you are learning and seems to enjoy giving out insults. Very unprofessional. read more

Rick is knowledgeable, efficient and professional. Worked well with certifying my 12 year old daughter as well.

DO NOT GIVE THIS MAN YOUR MONEY! I did and I am very disappointed. Rick is RUDE, UNPLEASANT, IMPATIENT, UNPROFESSIONAL & TEMPERAMENTAL! Scuba should be fun and I can tell you it was no where near a fun experience. If you are a male, be prepared to be HUMILIATED and BELITTLED! I witnessed this treatment on more than one male in our group. read more

My wife and I just did a refresher course with Rick from this shop. couldn't have asked for anything better. He was thorough in running through all the basics. Great stuff and made my wife and I confident to then dive Catalina to see 6' sea bass. Small class and great attutude read more

I purchased a Groupon for Scottsdale Scuba as a gift. When the recipient went to use it, they were told that they were required to rent all gear from the shop. We have all of our own gear and did not need to rent anything, Rick said it was mandatory. This is what the fine print says on this deal "PADI certification picture card, Rental gear, and books not included. Must provide own masks, fins, boots and snorkel of scuba quality. Rental gear for check out dives not included." We planned on picking up the tab for the card and books but not for rental gear we don't need. When my husband called to confirm renting gear was mandatory , Rick said "I am here to make money, you don't know how Groupon works!" The phone call ended with Rick hanging up on my husband. We will be taking our business back to El Mar in Mesa where we have always had excellent service in regards to equipment, service, rentals and instruction. Beware. read more