Nothing but good things to say about Dave and Diving Catalina. My husband and I usually snorkel,…read morebut we decided to give scuba a try while we were visiting on a cruise. Dave was patient, knowledgeable, and meets you where you're at. When we got in the water with all of our gear, I got in my a head a little and started getting anxious. Dave was able to talk me through things, gave me all the time I needed, and I was successfully able to scuba in time to see a seal swim by! Great first time experience with Dave.

A big thank you to our dive guide, Dave, with Diving Catalina for giving my son and me an…read moreunforgettable first night dive at Catalina's Casino Point Dive Park. The rental gear, including the dive lights, was in excellent condition, and Dave's safety briefing was thorough and professional while keeping the experience relaxed and enjoyable. The highlight of the dive was a curious harbor seal that followed us for much of the dive, using our lights to spot and catch fish along the way. Seeing the dive park come alive after dark was a completely different experience from diving it during the day. I highly recommend Diving Catalina for anyone wanting to experience the magic of a Catalina night dive.

I just came back from a second dive with Catalina Scuba. Both experiences have been stellar. I've…read morehad two different guides, and each has been warm, welcoming, and informative. They're relaxed but knowledgeable and attentive. They also have, as some have noted, the best gear--the bcd's in particular make me want to get my own. I can't recommend them highly enough, and if I make it back to the island, which I certainly hope to, I'll certainly be signing up with them again.

What a great experience! They have the newest and best dive gear. The experience from start to…read morefinish was amazing! I will be back. Thank you for a great memory!!

Excellent Dive Shop, Awesome experience everytime. For 12…read moreyears I have been diving with Dive Catalina, we always have such a wonderful experience diving with Shawn from Dive Catalina. Shawn is a fantastic guide--professional, patient, and genuinely passionate about sharing the beauty of Catalina's underwater world. Safe and comfortable the entire time, while also keeping the dives fun and memorable. His knowledge of the local marine life is incredible, and he has a great way of pointing out things you might otherwise miss. On our last dive trip, it was also a real pleasure to meet up again with Ron Moore, the previous owner. It was nice to see the continuity of Dive Catalina's warm, welcoming spirit carried on from Ron to Shawn. The whole experience always feels personal and special, and it's clear that the love for diving and the ocean runs deep here. We can't recommend Dive Catalina highly enough--thank you Shawn (and Ron) for making our dive trips unforgettable!

Noah was an excellent guide. Friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. It was our first time…read moresnorkeling and it was an amazing experience! Customer service is excellent. Will bring the whole family next time!

Did a walk-in last Monday to try my very first scuba dive and was greeted very kindly like everyone…read morein the island. I was first asked to do an e-learning course and then my instructor, Rane, went over the material again with me. Which was great as I can see how thorough he was and how much safety is in everyone's priority. Rane was pretty cool and relaxed, which is also why I feel assured before and during the dive. And the dive, divine, the water was very clear, a lot of fishes and even got to see a baby ray. Overall an awesome experience and very much worth it. Really expanded my world and even made me consider getting certified!

can't say enough good things about this operation and the team, met Chelsea at the scuba show in…read moreLong Beach, we got set up with Jemma our instructor for my daughter and I and just couldn't imagine getting a better instructor than her so patient and caring and thorough!! Jemma, Suzy, Chelsea and the entire team there are just first class experience!! I've already recommended them to a few friends.

A huge thank you to DM/Instructor Lisa Beach and Scuba by Design for an outstanding two-dive guided…read moreexperience at Catalina's Casino Point Dive Park. The rental equipment was top-notch and in like-new condition. It was also our first experience diving a backplate/wing BCD system, and Lisa took the time to explain everything without ever making us feel rushed. The entire experience felt like a high-end concierge dive service. She guided my son and me through the best areas of the dive park and kelp forest, making sure we didn't miss any of the highlights. After our second dive, she carefully reviewed our logbooks and certifications and confirmed that we had completed all the requirements for our PADI Master Scuba Diver certifications. It was the perfect way to finish our journey. Highly recommended!

I really wanted this to be a positive experience, because this was a birthday activity for my…read moresister and me. I chose Scuba by Design because of its excellent reviews, so it was disappointing that our experience was so different. I want to start by saying Lisa was friendly and knowledgeable during the classroom portion of the lesson. She clearly has experience and I appreciated the time she took to explain the basics before we entered the water. Unfortunately, once we got into the ocean, the experience changed . As first-time divers together, we expected patience and calm instruction. Instead, we often felt rushed and corrected in a way that came across as frustrated. We had difficulty descending, even after adjustments were made to our equipment. Instead of helping us understand what was happening, we were repeatedly asked, 'Do you even want to scuba dive?' That was discouraging because the issue wasn't a lack of interest, we genuinely wanted to participate, we just didn't understand why we weren't descending properly. There were also several moments where we felt we were being physically pulled or repositioned without much explanation, and whenever we tried to help each other or instinctively used our hands while swimming, we were corrected in a tone that felt more like scolding than teaching. One comment especially stuck with me. When I said I didn't remember scuba diving being this difficult compared to my previous class years ago, I was told, 'Honey, you're not 18 anymore.' Whether intended as a joke or not, I found that unnecessary and unprofessional. At 35 years old, I didn't feel my age had anything to do with the situation. Because we felt so uncomfortable, we decided not to continue the dive, and switched to snorkeling instead. I appreciate being given that option, but it wasn't the experience we had hoped or paid for. We didn't get to go through the kelp forest after all :( .It was my sister's first scuba experience, and I had been so excited to introduce her to something I thought she would love, but we both left feeling discouraged instead of inspired. I'm not writing this review to attack anyone or argue with the business. My hope is simply that this feedback encourages more patience, better communication and a more supportive teaching style for beginners. Learning a new skill can be stressful, and instructors have a huge impact on whether students leave feeling confident or defeated. Based on my experience, I'd recommend first-time divers consider a company that emphasizes patient instruction and positive encouragement. I hope Scuba by Design takes this feedback constructively, because I believe a few changes in communication could make a significant difference for future beginner divers.

Absolutely amazing water was clear and beautiful perfect day for diving. I will definitely have to…read morecome back to this place. So many fish in the water not crowded. Everyone was friendly that was going there perfect dive spot

7/5/2026 - we did some research what to do and we love to snorkel. Took the RCL quantum of the…read moreseas and landed at Catalina Island Pier 5 from the ship. We brought our own snorkel gear and walked just .6 miles, flat to the casino which is the big white building in the photo. We walked to the back of the casino and there was a sign and steep slippery stairs to enter the cold water. As soon as you step off the last step, you are already 5 feet in the water. Lots of fish as soon as you go in. We were from about 9-10am and it was great. A solid hour and you will see the fish. Clear water and about 40 feet deep. Lots of people started to show up after 10 am. There are no storage lockers. Keep your items by the retainer wall or inside of it near the water. Have fun. 5 stars.

It is on the Pebbly Beach road and a short distance east from the city, walkable distance to this…read morecove from town and even shorter from the ferry landing dock. There isn't much of a beach between the road and the water here, where the rocky shoreline is mostly a snorkeling destination.

Great place to swim not too much of crowd ! Would come back again for another trip i always tell…read morepeople this spot

A big thank you to DM Mark and Captain Masa aboard the Scuba Cat for a fantastic two-tank boat…read moredive. We dove West Quarry and Red Lava Wall, both of which offered a completely different experience from the Casino Point Dive Park. The marine life, underwater terrain, and scenery made for two excellent dives. Mark and Captain Masa struck the perfect balance between safety and fun, keeping everything organized while creating a relaxed atmosphere. If you're looking to explore dive sites beyond Casino Point, I highly recommend spending a day aboard the Scuba Cat with Catalina Divers Supply.

Great crew nice boat decent equipment. We rented everything and got great service and some great…read moredive sites fair price.! my son and I will definitely dive with them again

Highly recommend the tour to Frog Rock. Dario was an amazing tour guide and truly patient and…read moreinformative with all of our questions. This place knows their stuff and Dario is an incredible asset to this team.

Solid crew and a great experience all around. We rented…read morekayaks here during the off-season, which we really appreciated -- not every place stays open, and the water was absolutely beautiful. The team was chill in the best possible way: efficient, relaxed, and clearly experienced. They got us in the water quickly, gave clear instructions, and were right there when we returned. No stress, just a smooth, well-run operation that lets you enjoy Catalina the way it's meant to be enjoyed.

Very under utilized Zayaks are a HIT! Great for Lover's Cove if you have little ones, don't want to…read morehave to work the whole time you're in the water, etc. My 4 and 6 year old loved them, got to feed the fish (sometimes in the direction of mom and dad - yikes!), and can watch perfectly through the glass cutout. Easy walk pulling the Zayaks to Lover's Cove via the supplied dollies. $20 each for 90 min is a smoking deal! Bring frozen peas and you're all set.

Excellent service, clean equipment and very reasonably priced. My sons loved the zayak sea sleds…read more We saw so many beautiful fish at Lovers Cove. Definitely an experience not to be missed! We went back again last week and I'm so glad; we had such a blast on the zayaks with the fish!! We rented 6 sets of gear and they gave us free fish food- the fish were incredible it's one of the best snorkel adventures I've ever experienced. I highly recommend this for your Catalina experience. The staff is so friendly & helpful.