I had an amazing experience at Divers West! I have always wanted to scuba but it was a little scary…read moreto me, but my teenage son and I decided to do it together. I'm so glad we chose Divers West! The owner Javier is personable and helpful, and I learned so much from him and bought some great gear. (Support your local dive shop!) Our instructors were incredible - we had Mark Kempe for the pool dive instructions, and Emerson Martínez for the ocean dives. Mark has been diving forever it seems and he got us off to a great start. And Emerson has tons of experience and we felt very confident with him in the ocean and at Catalina. Our dive master Reed was fantastic - I confess I got a little panicked in the ocean when water got in my mask as I descended, and Reed came back up with me and got me totally calmed down and talked me through it all, and I was able to descend like a pro. Thank you, Reed! You made all the difference. I feel like a whole new world has opened up to us!! Hint: if you have a big roller bag, bring it instead of the bag you get from Divers West! The gear is so heavy and even though we pay to have it transported on Catalina Island, it was just so heavy to bring from the car onto the ferry, off the ferry to the transport truck, and then back again at the end of the day when you're so tired. Just toss the DW bag with all its gear into the roller bag and you will be so happy. You're gonna love this dive shop! ps I also heard about the group Sole Searchers in Pasadena that meets once a month for dinner and plans bunches of trips together. Fun!

I had such an amazing experience with my first time ever diving. Signing up for the class from the…read morewebsite is easy and navigating around the course is simple as well. Even if you are completely new to diving, the courses very well prepare you for what to expect and possible hazards that you could encounter. Some basics: -Get a mask that fits -You'd need to experiment with different fins that match your swimming style. -Get the hose with a valve, you'll need it when youre hitting the real waves. -Buy the boots with the extra layers; your feet and fins will thank you. -Always use defog every time you can because it will fog every time it could. -Remember to breathe. -Have a separate bag for your valuables. My class' instructor was Mark Kempe, and he was the most personable person I've ever interacted with. He loves talking about VR (Half-Life: Alyx) and software - he loves that stuff. He also used to fly planes, ride bikes - pretty much everything - he's done it. Javier, the owner, is such a cool guy too. Tons of fun experience to share and encourages you to join them, too. He likes flight simulator games. haha We started off with 2 days of pool diving. We got familiar with our gear, practice basic skills, we even got to play around with the extra air we have left to get comfortable. Same thing was with day 2 - we picked up where we left off and we just had the rest of the time to continue practicing the skills that we could improve on. Day 3 - it was at Veterans Park, Redondo Beach. It was raining too, and it added to the already fun trip. I felt very comfortable with what ive learned in the pool and i was actually pretty excited for our first open water dive. Got to see an octopus. Remember, to walk on your feet until you cant walk anymore and then put your fins on. Dont be afraid of the open water and stay close with your buddy. Day 4 - CATALINA! When you get to Catalina, USE THE TRANSPORT SERVICE - its SUPER WORTH IT. They will pick up and load one bag and transport it to and from the dive site and they will even store it for you until you are ready to leave - it will save your back and it will save your energy. At the dive site, you dont even have to go far to see the beautiful stuff - its right there when you hit the water! Mark even saw a technical diver with the advance gear and had him show us how it works and how its different. I think that person was a technical level diver and he also explained everything very well. WE GOT TO SEE THE BLACK SEA BASS!!! OMG. I cant wait to make new friends and go on more dives. This opens a whole new world of opportunity and adventure for me, and its only going to get better and more fun from here.

Twelve years ago, I walked into Ocean Safari already certified but honestly not a diver yet. I'd…read morehad a bad certification experience at another shop a couple of years earlier, and it completely destroyed my confidence. My gear sat untouched for two years because I was scared to dive again. Eventually I worked up the courage to walk in and ask to join a local dive trip, I had my card, so I figured I should be able to do it. Somehow Gabe, Soo, and the team recognized exactly where I was and never once made me feel embarrassed about it. They patiently filled in the gaps in my training, helped me work through the things that scared me, and gave me the confidence I'd been missing all along. Looking back, it feels like they quietly re-certified me without ever making me feel like I had to start over. That changed everything. Diving went from something I was afraid of to one of the great passions of my life. With Gabe's mentorship and encouragement, I eventually moved overseas and spent a few years working as a scuba instructor, something I never would have imagined when I first walked into that shop. Over the years, Ocean Safari has become so much more than a dive shop. It's a community and a second home. My parents learned to dive here. Years later, I brought my boyfriend in to get certified, and he's now my husband. We still dive with Gabe, Soo, and the Ocean Safari family regularly. They gave me the confidence I needed to actually become a diver, introduced me to lifelong friends, and gave me a community that still feels like home. Thank you, Gabe, Soo, and everyone at Ocean Safari. You've had a bigger impact on my life than you'll probably ever know.

I went in looking to change out the prescription lenses on my 20 yr old mask. Since the style is no…read morelonger available I browsed for a new mask. They were very helpful and patient as I tried on masks and asked a lot of questions.

Great dive shop, been coming here for years. Was good back in the day and still good. Only shop I…read moreuse in the South Bay / Long Beach area. Service is done well and fair prices.

Rude and condescending- when I complained to the owner, basically co signed his managers behavior.read more

I would like to start out with a quick story before getting to my review. 5 months ago, I was only…read moreable to walk with the assistance of a walker, after a major surgery, and spending all my time in physical therapy, relearning to walk. After a discussion with my surgeon and Physical Therapist, they agreed that learning to Scuba Dive would be beneficial to my recovery, with a few minor restrictions. I cannot begin to find the words to thank Rusty Berry and his incredible team of instructors, assistants, and shop employees. Each and every one of them went above and beyond to work with me and assist me with a couple of restrictions. I began spending every single Saturday in their pool, working with a number of instructors, and was even allowed to come in on a Sunday to only focus on buoyancy. Today, thanks to each and every one of them, I became a certified open water diver. Through the pain, the anxiety, and the frustration of my limitations, they made it happen. They were my biggest cheerleaders in not only getting my life back, but making me stronger and making sure I reached a long time personal goal of mine. I proudly represent Scuba Schools of America each and every day and I will forever refer SSA to anyone ready for their Scuba adventure. Rusty is a savant when it comes to diving. His knowledge is so impressive I could spend hours listening and learning something new every day. He is truly a rockstar in the industry. I would like to give a special thank you to David, Devin, Scott, Jim, Annie and the rest of Rusty's team. I look forward to future adventures with Rusty and crew and will forever be grateful to each and every one of them. Thank you all!

I found this dive shop at the Long Beach scuba diving convention. The staff is friendly and very…read more knowledgeable in scuba diving training. This shop has all the equipment and gear for recreational and serious divers. They plan excellent boat dives that make your diving experience fun and memorable. There is parking available and I do recommend this place. Training never ends if you want to advance your diving experience. Great instructors and dive masters!

Amazing service, would definitely recommend these folks for all your scuba needs. Street parking…read morewas easy to find

I have been a fan of Hal and his partners and team at Hollywood divers for over 20 years. There is…read moreno other place to go in the Los Angeles area, the greater Los Angeles area to take classes, to buy equipment, to get advice, these guys are the real deal. They don't try to sell you things you don't need, the value you get for what you pay here is above expectations. It's a great business, run by friendly people who care. They have passion for what they do. They care about their clients. They put their whole heart into their business. It's a small locally owned business. The kind of business you want to support. Absolutely love this place. They deserve 10 stars. Yelp only allows me to give five they rock.!!!

Dan was such a patient instructor. Received outstanding service and instruction!!! Would definitely…read morerecommend their shop.

If you are looking for a great place to get certified, consider Scuba Steve! Him and his crew spend…read morelots of quality pool time, making sure that you understand all the skills needed to be safe and pass your test. We had a pretty decent size group with plenty of instructors around to answer any and all questions. I felt like I had my own private instructor, which was great. They take care of everything for you, and if you need gear, stop by the shop!

This place is awesome! I have been a diver for more than 30 years and I've been to a lot of dive…read moreshops, but I can say that none of them hold a candle to Signature. They are always friendly, always willing to take the time to help me with any of my gear. I recently was certified as a tec diver with them and it was an amazing experience. They always get me anything I need/want! They have super staff and they are all very knowledgeable. I have been going to them for years and I can't say enough good things about them. I have all my gear serviced here and it is always quick and done right. In short I definitely will not go anywhere else! If you need anything scuba related, or if you are looking to get into the hobby Signature is the best place to do it!

I was very impressed with my experience here. Carlos was excellent! He really took his time to help…read moreme pick out all my necessary gear and get to know me to help determine my needs. He really knows his stuff. He was wonderful helping me find the right fit for my safety, and helped me stay within my budget. Impeccable customer service! That's very hard to find these days. I'll definitely be shopping here again, and would love to join their dive group.

Went to Eco from my Open Water Certification and the entire experience was fantastic! Very…read moreknowledgeable and polite staff assisted with gear rental recommendations and my instructor Kendra was nothing short of a pleasure to work with! Training was very hands on and any questions regarding hypothetical scenarios and specific circumstances were answered with knowledge built from experience. She took initiative to make sure all of the students were tended to and accommodated, as the different students came into the class at different levels of comfort with being in the water. More importantly, the entire experience was FUN! You can tell everyone in the shop loves what they do and makes you feel very welcome. I will be pursuing my other certifications here and will definitely book more trips through them in the future!

Great dive shop with a gut selection of items. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.read more