Huge shoutout to Brian, the owner of Zach's Scuba Shack for an epic two-day dive tour at La Jolla Cove! He was incredibly attentive, kind, and knowledgeable, even teaching me how to swim properly in surge conditions. We saw amazing marine life, including nudibranchs, lobsters, nurse sharks, and angel sharks. Coming from Monterey, the absolute highlight for me was seeing the massive, chill giant black sea bass, Wreckfish! They are 7 feet and 600 lb so big!!! Brian went above and beyond by taking me back out a second time when my initial photos didn't turn out well, I was a bit scared and too far. Thanks to his kindness, I got some great shots and swam close to them Truly an incredible experience --highly recommend diving with Brian! He is amazing!!!! read more

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I felt extremely confident with Zach. I'm a pretty rookie diver and he taught me everything I needed to execute my first shore dive right off the bat. Thorough, sharp, and found us all the best animals. I would recommend coming into this dive with a little more experience than me (I'd only done 2 dives before this) if you want to fully take in all the animals. I struggled with trim and buoyancy bit in the surge and I'd love to do it all over again knowing what I know now. Either way, incredible experience and Zach is absolutely the man to do it with. Also, ask him about reggae. read more

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Wonderful local guide. Very skilled and knowledgeable about the area. Even in challenging conditions he was able to make every moment of all three dives count! read more

Zach was a great guy and super knowledgeable about the area. You could tell he cares a lot about the areas he dives in a the safety of his divers. I would absolutely dive again with him! read more

My 15-year-old son and I recently did our second open water dive with Zach at La Jolla Cove, and it was an awesome experience. The dive itself was challenging because of the stairs and surge, but Zach did a great job preparing us. He sent helpful information ahead of time and gave an excellent dive briefing that made us feel confident before we even got in the water. We were diving with two other newly certified divers, and Zach did a fantastic job tailoring his guidance to everyone's experience level. He gave me a few simple breathing tips between dives that made a huge difference on my second dive. It was the perfect environment to build confidence and improve our skills. On top of that, Zach has been diving La Jolla Cove for about 10 years and knows all the best spots. We saw some really cool marine life, and he shared so much interesting information before and after the dives. He's incredibly knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and happy to answer any questions. If you're looking for a guide in San Diego, I highly recommend diving with Zach. read more

I can't recommend Zach's Scuba Shack highly enough. Zach is a top-notch scuba guide who knows the La Jolla dive sites like the back of his hand. From the start, he clearly explained the conditions and what to expect. When the day we initially chose turned out to be less than ideal, he was flexible and helped us reschedule for the following day, which ended up being a fantastic dive. His calm, casual demeanor immediately put me at ease, especially since it had been a couple of years since my last dive. Underwater, Zach was attentive and thoughtful, pointing out marine life we absolutely would have missed on our own. The rental gear was also excellent--clean, high quality, and thoughtfully prepared. He even had the correct weight setup ready for each diver, which made the whole experience smooth and professional. As a local, I plan to dive with Zach again to continue learning the area and progress my diving skills. If you're diving in La Jolla, Zach is the person you want guiding you. read more

Zach is the best out there! His level of knowledge can be beat. Can't wait to dive with him again!

Zach is an excellent dive guide!!! He is very fun to hang out with for the day, friendly, knowledgeable about the local marine environment, and is obvious that he cares about the local wildlife and local ecosystem. read more

We had an amazing first dive with Zach's scuba shack! My husband and I recently got our open water certification. We wanted to come to La Jolla for a few reasons: seals, sea lions, leopard sharks, guitarfish, etc. This dive was better than I expected! Zach has great communication. He ensured us this is a great first dive spot. I was worried about being cold and he provided us gear. A 7mil suit, hood, gloves, boots, etc. in addition to the BCD and the whole get up. There were lots of swimmers in speedos. Lots of wildlife which I loved to see. He did a briefing of the dive and made us very comfortable before we went out. We saw seals, sea lions, lots of Garibaldi both mature and juvenile, a banded guitarfish, a rat, a baby leopard shark, and tiny pink nudibranchs. We can't wait to dive with Zach again! 1000/10 recommend! read more

Zach's Scuba Shack - Close encounters with wildlife! Remember not to touch :) - Scuba Diving Near Me

Zach is an awesome dive guide. I dove with Zach 4 times on 2 separate occasions - all private guided dives. All 4 dives at La Jolla Cove were great experiences, each a unique experience. We had amazing sea lion encounters, saw lots of Garibaldi, and Zach was super helpful to point out the more secluded wildlife like giant kelp fish, guitar fish, horn sharks, spiny lobsters, and nudibranchs. I will absolutely book future dives with Zach when I come back to San Diego! read more

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Brian is awesome. He made our whole group feel at ease, even a beginner diver. It was evident early on that Brian knew the cove, knew the locals all over the cove, and he even knew the sea lions there. We had an excellent dive (even in November!) with garibaldi, cormorants diving, lobster, and juvenile sea lions all over. We'll definitely be re ring gear and diving with Zach's Scuba Shack again! Hint: Follow him on Facebook for daily reports on dove conditions at La Jolla Cove. read more

Ken was our tour guide for snorkeling. He provided great tips such as avoid grimacing to prevent water from coming in the mask and go with flippers that are tight fitting. I'm not a great swimmer so he suggested wearing two wetsuits for more buoyancy. Once we got out to the water, I had a bit of a panic attack but Ken was super patient! He let me hang on to his arm for the majority of the tour which was very reassuring. The water was very cold and choppy in October. It was amazing to get so close to the sea lions. read more

Zach was an excellent guide for our La Jolla Cove dive. Exceptionally friendly, knowledgeable, and reassuring. I hadn't been diving in several years and he made it very easy to get reoriented. Zach was incredibly organized, having prepared all our gear before our arrival. He gave us a thorough briefing of the local animal and plant life before the dive and made us all feel at ease and prepared about what to expect. Throughout our two-tank dives he diligently ensured everyone was safe and close together, and gracefully guided us through the kelp forests and a nearby cave. He is passionate about the sport and that excitement made us all have an even better time. I would highly recommend him if you're considering diving in the San Diego area! read more

Did a bunch of research before booking a snorkeling tour and I definitely made the right decision! Ken was very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful! Im planning to go back with my friends in the area. This tour comes with all necessary items, as well as water and a snack. While in the water, we saw a bunch of sea lions (who came inches away from us!), fish, lobster, pelicans, and visited the cave and the surrounding areas. AMAZING experience and definitely one I'll always remember. If you're considering a snorkeling tour and come across this review, know this is the right choice! read more

Zach's Scuba Shack - Scuba Diving Near Me

Im vacationing from New Jersey and picked Zach's because it looked established and responsible. OUR SNORKEL AND SCUBA DIVES WERE AWESOME. Swimming with the Sea Lions is a bucket list experience. Christine took us (me, my wife, and son, it was their first time) snorkeling on Day 1, and she was fun, knowledgeable, and patient. We were in awe and appreciated having a guide to catch all the sights. Day 2 I went on a 2 tank dive with Zach. He was a true pro who is passionate about diving and providing the best experience possible. It's Pacific diving, so good to have a calm professional showing you the lay of the Land. Lots of great life. Oh, and did I mention that the Sea Lions are AMAZING!!!! read more

Zach's Scuba Shack - Watching the Sea Lions show off! - Scuba Diving Near Me

Amazing dive with Zach! A lot fun with safety in mind. Zach knows the area so well and a great guide!!

Zach provided us with an unreal experience and tour of the kelp forest and La Jolla caves. The dive and interactions we had with the Sea Lions were phenomenal. He was well organized, friendly, informative, and fun! 10/10 will book again! read more

If you want to experience the underwater world through La Jolla's Cove and La Jolla Shores then Zach's Scuba Shack is your one stop guide to a fun and safe tour through these majestic waters. Whatever your level of diving or snorkeling you are sure to be dazzled. Tons of sealife to be greeted by and amazing aesthetics to swim around and through. Fan favorites are the sea lions, kelp forest and the plethora of fishies swimming around you. One of our personal favorites is the night dive at The Shores, tons of cool night creatures to meet and a canyon to explore! Go get your SCUBA on and happy diving. read more

What a great experience I had. I took my 12-year-old grandson. Ann Marie was awesome. I can't believe I've been in San Diego for so long and never have done this. Highly recommend the experience. Ann Marie thank you for being so patient with my grandson I personally know he's a handful. read more

Awesome experience with a great guide -- Zack Did my first night dive ... and he took the time to make sure I was set up properly with all the rental gear (I am from Chicago), explained all during the pre-dive, and regularly checked to make sure we were together for the tour Took great pics Super experience Highly recommend... I will be back to dove with Zack again! read more

Zachs Scuba Shack provides an awesome intimate diving experience at La Jolla Cove and a few other amazing locations nearby. Whether you've been diving for sometime or are just discovering Scuba for the first time, Zach is knowledgeable and patient to make your experience a memorable one. Our dive began before the crowds begin to gather in the cove which made it feel like we had the area all to ourselves. Expect to see an abundance of life including rays, numerous colorful fish and the occasional seven gill shark! Zach provided excellent gear for us to use and provided great tips for entering and exiting the water with the gear which made it extremely easy. We will see you again Zach! Thanks for allowing us to enjoy this awesome dive location with you! read more

Zach's Scuba Shack - Scuba Diving Near Me

This was our first time going snorkeling and Christina and Michael and Zach made everything extremely easy and enjoyable. They are very informative and looked out for your safety and provided an overall fun experience. I would definitely recommend going with them if you're interested in snorkeling in La Jolla read more

My wife and I recently dove with Zach's Scuba Shack over the Labor Day weekend in La Jolla Cove. Let me start with this review with the comment that "if you are here to see the sea lions, then you probably won't be disappointed". With that being said, let me breakdown my 3-star final review. You start the experience with a meet up on the shore above the cove. Zach has all your gear setup in containers. Since this is a cold-water dive, he sets up with a 7-mil wetsuit. Since I have only ever dove in Caribbean or Hawaiian waters, I have no experience with diving in such a thick wetsuit. Surprisingly, Zach nailed the weights spot on for me. It was about 2x what I would need for a 3-mil shorty wetsuit. After a test fit of the wetsuit, you get a pretty good shore briefing of the dive. Next up, you put on all the gear minus the fins and mask. Then, you schlep all off that heavy gear down a flight of stairs to the cove. Since most of my diving experience involves jumping off the back of a boat after only having to walk 3-5 feet fully geared up, I wasn't thrilled with the long, heavy walk. The last step off the stairs into the cove was a bit treacherous. The weather for this dive at 8am in the morning was cool and overcast. So, not surprisingly I expected the vis to be pretty poor. During the briefing, the instructor suggested that it would be 15 feet. As a Caribbean diver, I was not super thrilled about 15-foot vis. Once in the water, I was having issues with my personal mask leaking like crazy. The instructor patiently got back out of the water and retrieved another mask for me. Thank you! Upon descent, the poor visibility was confirmed at 10-15 feet. The other issue was significant surge. It is a good thing that I am not prone to seasickness. The surge made it tricky to navigate in certain spots. The result was a lot of extra fin work and energy expenditure. Due to the poor vis, we were instructed to stay close to each other. This made it problematic to get a good look at anything the dive instructor was pointing out in the reef. It was difficult to get into proper position due to the "crowd" of people and the surge. As a result, I only really got to see a few species of fish and crustaceans. By my count, I spotted the ubiquitous garibaldi fish, spiny lobster and 1 or 2 other species of fish and that 's it. That was a big issue for me on this dive. There just weren't very many species of fish to observe. However, there were the sea lions. This was highlight of the dive. There were a total of 2 that came into my field of vision while under the surface. This was a bit underwhelming given how many you can see above the water. The rest of the dive consisted of swimming through sea grass and kelp. While this was interesting, it was also underwhelming compared to the beautiful corals of the Caribbean. Also, I got tangled in the kelp on a couple of occasions. I did not panic...just got frustrated. At the conclusion of the experience, you get to schlep the heavy gear back up the stairs. This experience was worse than getting to the water because now you are tired from the dive. Again, I am super spoiled with boat diving. Overall, I rank the customer service from Zach's Scuba Shop as very high. They got a lot of things right in preparation for the diving experience. The unfortunate reality was that the dive itself was very underwhelming. The very poor vis and lack of fish drags the overall score down by 2 stars. I would dive with them again at a different location with better visibility and more fish. read more

Brian Zach is the most experienced dive guide that I've ever encountered in Southern California where I have been diving since the late 90's. He is extremely knowledgeable and familiar with the San Diego coast. I've never felt safer and more comfortable while diving in an unfamiliar area with challenging visibility. I truly appreciate his respect for the marine life and his advocacy for their environment. After contacting several dive shops in search for a guide, I was referred to Zach's Scuba Shack which costs half of the price that everyone else quoted. But make no mistakes, his competitive prices are not a reflection of the quality of his services. I cannot wait to dive with him again, and again...and again! read more

Once again Zach showed us a great time. He showed us a long narrow swim through that belongs in a movie, the great kelp Forrest and Sea Lions that seem to like divers much more than folks on the beach read more

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Great experience! Zach is super personable and knowledgeable! 100% Recommend using this dive company when you're in town! read more

Zach's Scuba Shack - Scuba Diving Near Me

Went snorkeling with Ann Marie today! She made the experience so memorable. It felt like snorkeling with a friend but she also taught us so much about the marine life and made us feel extremely safe. She guided us through the water and into the caves which made the experience extremely unique. I would recommend Ann Marie to anyone wanting a memorable snorkeling experience! She made me want to go every weekend now! read more

Unbelievable service and attention to detail. We had the best time with Zach. Felt very safe and he is knowledgeable about the area. Brings all equipment and is a suitable dive master for all levels. 100% will return! read more

Super knowledgeable of the area. Great experience. Will book again! Great either beginners.

Madison is a CHAMP. She provided a really fun, easy, safe tour for us and was very knowledgeable about everything. Definitely recommend a tour with her as your guide!! read more

Did a night dive with Brian and it was such a great time! Before the dive, I had some car and gear troubles and Brian was super understanding, calm, and prepared. He had everything ready and the wetsuit he provided fit really well! (It's a rare occurrence where I'm not trying on multiple wetsuits at a dive shop to find one that fits). Brian was patient and relaxed throughout the dive which helped me to feel comfortable and excited for the dive. Even when I took time to clear my mask or equalize my ears on the descent, he was super patient and understanding. Saw lots of cool stuff- horn sharks, octopi, nudibranch, lobster, crabs, shrimp, rays, etc. Brian was great at spotting things and had a great camera light to guide the way. I'm really looking forward to seeing the video footage on the company's Instagram account! Brian- thanks for the great conversations/company and for taking me out on such a cool dive. Really wish I had more time for a day dive with the baby seals but I will definitely be back to dive again with you. It was a blast. read more

Zach was fantastic. I did 3 dives, two during the day at La Jolla cove and a night dive at La Jolla Shores. I highly recommend Zach, I only planned to do the day dives and had such a great experience I immediately asked to do a night dive the following day. Zach has great gear to rent, knows the area well and creates a memorable experience. I'll be messaging Zach for a dive next time I'm in SD! read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I really enjoyed diving with Brian. He was professional and chill at the same time. His guiding skill was great and super smooth which made me comfortable. I could tell he is well experienced master diver and I wouldn't hesitate diving with him again. read more

Zach was a great guide and the cove was teaming with eye candy. Bunch of seals, sharks, and fish in the caves.

Highly recommend Zach's as your guided scuba tour in La Jolla. He was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and an amazing tour guide. My cousin and I can't wait to do more tours with him! read more

I've dove with Zach's Scuba Shack three times now and I highly recommend booking him for a scuba dive in La Jolla. He is a great scuba guide and has always been so helpful, whether it's letting me know I forgot something in my BCD after a dive, helping me with my fins or even offering to carry my weights up the stairs after a dive. He also has really top quality gear (the best and easiest 7mm wetsuits to get into plus 7mm gloves and booties) which is not always the case on rentals. I love that we can meet him right at the dive site and he has everything taken care of. He's also great at communicating before the dive and answering my questions. Did I mention he makes amazing highlight videos for you after the dive?! It's great to have a memory and video of yourself in the water. So many dive shops in SoCal are not super friendly or accommodating in my opinion, and Zach's Scuba Shack is the exact opposite. I felt like I was on vacation. White glove service, ninja creature spotting underwater and a genuinely great experience. read more

Scuba tour of La Jolla cove Had a great dive with Brian. Conditions weren't perfect but Brian was very safety conscious and he really knows his way around the cove. The highlight of the dive was a playful young sea lion that was curiously darting around us as we were returning to the beach. I defiantly recommend and hope to do it again. read more

My husband and I did the two-tank dive with Brian - what an amazing and unforgettable experience!! He was an excellent dive master and we are so happy we booked with hi!! It was just the three of us and not a large group, which was really helpful for this type of dive. We swam with tons of sea lions, the kelp forest was incredible and he even took us into some caves. The wetsuits and gear were great with a 7mil suit that kept us warm and integrated weight BCD. Brian also got great photos and video that he so generously shared with us. Thank you Brian!!! read more

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Brian Zach gives the best scuba tours in La Jolla! He provides all gear if needed, which is extremely convenient, and he knows the dive sites like the back of his hand so you always feel comfortable. He is also super nice and fun! I have dove with him numerous times and will keep coming back because every experience is amazing!! Thank you Zach!! read more

Did a dive in La Jolla Cove on 4/20/22 and we were able to enjoy some great guiding in the cove. We were well prepared for the physical nature of the dive. Honestly the worst part is the hike to the shore but it wasn't too bad after being prepared. Visibility was pretty rough, like 3-5 feet, but we still were able to get in a really enjoyable dive. Unfortunately you can't control the visibility but our guide made it good still. Next time that I am in San Diego, I won't hesitate to schedule another dive with Zach's scuba shack! read more