SEAdventures

Like many people I also had a Groupon for snorkeling. I was able to make a reservation online which was pretty simple, but the day of my tour was when things started going down hill.
1). Couldn’t find the shop and the automated phone directions were extremely confusing and inaccurate.
2). Couldn’t talk to an actual person to let them know we were running late and ask for accurate directions.
3). When we found the shop it was placed so inconveniently and parking was ridiculous.
4). Once we were parked and ready to go, we were turned away due to certain weather, or water, conditions and they were not having tours.
I would not have been so pissed off at these people if they had known in advance whether or not they could bring people out to the water, before I wasted my time driving there and finding it. Also, they need to have a phone number directly to the people working so people can contact them and not listen to an annoying automated recording.
Hopefully, IF I reschedule I will have a better experience although I don’t think I’ll ever recommend this place to anyone else.

Let me start off by saying that our guide was really great, and the actual snorkeling trip was fabulous, but the events leading up to our trip are what cause the lower review because of the level of frustration we experienced…
Similar to Rebecca A. we bought a Groupon followed the instructions which told users to CALL to make a reservation. When I called I found out that this company uses a message service, so I couldn’t even speak with someone from the company which was annoying. I left 3 messages and filled out their online contact form twice trying to make a reservation and then on my 4^th, and very annoyed, call someone from the company actually picked up the phone! Finally! I told the man how difficult it was to get in touch with them and his response «well, we’ve been busy,» (nice, thanks for the apology) and then tells me to make the reservation online. This information of course would have been a lot easier to know in the beginning, considering the Groupon specifically states to call.
*note to the business, next time be better prepared for your Groupon!*
The next annoyance was when we arrived to La Jolla Cove we had a hard time finding S. E Adventures. This was because there were several other groups who had set up their meeting point in the same location and we had to hunt to find the correct tour group.
*Another helpful suggestion, maybe get some sort of signage?!*
Luckily once we found our tour guide the experience got a lot better. Though he was a little quiet at first once everyone sat down and he got to explaining the trip he really warmed up and was actually pretty funny. At the same time he did his job in preparing us, helping us into our gear and giving us tips for our snorkeling adventure. Once we got down to the water he helped everyone in, and then really let us all do our own thing which was really nice. He was there if we needed him (and happily took some photos for us with our fancy disposable underwater camera) but he wasn’t all cheesy like some tour guides, which made the morning really enjoyable.
The gear that you get with the tour (mask, suit, fins) is pretty nice and on the newer side which is always a plus for wetsuits! Plus they offered the added bonus of complimentary snacks & Gatorade at the end of the tour as well as offering everyone 10% off their next adventure package. Good marketing!
*On a side note bad brand identity marketing on Unilocal though, your company is called San Diego Excellent Adventures, yet you make references to S.E. Adventures making it very difficult for people to find you on Unilocal & other review sites*
Anyway…at the end of the morning we left happy, full of ocean smells & tired which definitely helped me to forget our the troubles in the beginning. With that said we would totally use this company again and would recommend them to our friends (with tips from what we learned the hard way).
*A quick tip… bring a waterproof camera, you can buy disposable ones at drugstores & walmart and they make for great underwater/​in the water photos!*

I noticed some of these reviews have been filtered so we’ll see if this makes it. Some points of frustration:
1) Though they have a website and encourage you to schedule through there in advance of your requested scuba time they did not offer my Groupon as an option and I was trying to book 2 months in advance. I had to repeatedly call to make sure I could actually use the Groupon before it expired because I didn’t see it offered on the website 2 months prior to expiration.
2) We walked in full scuba gear from the parking lot to the bay — tank, extra weights, wetsuit and all. Those air tanks weigh about 60 lbs each not including the extra weight to weigh you down in the water and i’m barely over 100 lbs! Did not appreciate the lack of help.
3) The bay was murky and cloudy we did not see any underwater life nor did we get a photo as specified by the Groupon.
4) We were asked to walk in full WET gear, tank and all out of the water and back to the parking lot. Because I’m a little bit of a lite weight they had to add more weight on me. When I asked for some help or if I could put down the gear else where and I’d get it later I got, «that’s what you get for needing more weight.» Joke, yes. Funny, No. All that gear isn’t meant to be worn outside of water. I had back and next aches for a couple of days after that.
5) Yes, I did lose a pair of goggles and breathing tube, but no one said anything about being charged. I apologized and should have been informed. The response I got was, «it wasn’t mine it don’t matter to me» Well, it should have matter because I got charged an extra fee for you not knowing it mattered. If I had known that upfront I wouldn’t have been caught off guard by the additional $ 50 charge on my credit card.
Not cool S.E. Adventures. Not cool.

I can sum it all up in one word: EXCELLENT. My instructor was Justin C. He was prompt, professional, a great communicator and a patient instructor.
I live in San Francisco now, but was in San Diego for a few weeks. I had originally planned to get certified by a different, big scuba school in San Diego. When I arrived in SD, it turned out that the class I had wanted to take was full at the other school — so I got on the web, and found SEA Adventures — It turned out to be serendipity for so many reasons! I recommend Justin and SEA Adventures for many reasons:
1. The cost — was greatly reduced, since SEA Adventures provides the mask, fins, snorkel, booties and wetsuit. No high pressure sales to buy any equipment.
2. Very personalized service – I read, reviewed and tested all of my material and Justin worked with me on the areas that I needed greater explanation. He also worked well with my skill level. He is super patient.
3. Prompt and reliable — If I called, they answered the phone, or returned my call right away. It was also very nice to just pay for the course online.
4. I have kids — and being the mama bear that I am, I can just tell that Justin would be a great instructor for people of any age. I am definitely going to SEA Adventures, and Justin, to certify my teens ;-)