Scuba San Diego

I was so excited to dive while in San Diego. I wish I would have went with another facility. I have been a PADI Open Water Diver for about 11 years. I have done wreck dives, shore dives, tropical dives, lake dives, quarry dives, etc. I loved every minute of every one of my dives and never had any issues.
With Scuba San Diego, I was woken up to my phone ringing saying they were looking for me. They put my reservation on the wrong day. I made it about a month in advance and then called to confirm a week prior, which I explained. They said they would be able to accommodate my husband and I on the day we reserved — great, that was the least of my problems.
On our reservation day, we arrived and started getting set up. I am a thin person, however I have always wore a medium wet suit. I was given an extra small. It was extremely tight. I asked if I could wear a larger size. Rod told me, «we don’t have any extras, besides you’ll be cold in a larger size.» I put on the XS. I couldn’t even zip the bottom of the legs it was so tight. I’m used to wet suits feeling tight, I mean that’s the nature of them, however this tightness was overbearing. I explained again and Rod told me I’d be fine.
This was a shore dive out to La Jolla Cove. We put our tanks on pretty early. Usually when I have done a shore dive in the past, we wait til the last minute, put on the tanks and head out as they can get heavy. Here, we wore our tanks for a good 30min before heading out.
We got in the water and put our fins and masks on, and then started heading out. I wasn’t feeling right. I couldn’t breathe, felt like I was hyperventilating, my wet suit was getting so tight around my lungs and I started losing feeling in my legs. I’m always just in front of my husband on dives and he noticed I was dragging behind. My husband asked if something was wrong. I told him to hold on a second. I did several things to get my body to a good state. I filled my BC and tried to relax, catch my breath, and I couldn’t. I tried floating on my back for a bit, that didn’t work. I tried breathing from my BC instead of my snorkel, still couldn’t get my body to calm down. I told myself, I can still do this, I want to do this, I had been so excited to go… my heart wanted to, but my body said no. I told my husband. He yelled this to Rod from about 30 feet away. Rod yelled back, «she’ll be fine, just tow her out here!» I thought about it, really wanted to, but the way my body was feeling, I knew that would have been bad news.
I was so weak, my husband towed me back to shore. I needed assistance getting out of my wetsuit and couldn’t even stand on the beach, my legs were numb. It took me a while to catch my breath. My body was shaking on and off for the next several hours. (In case you’re thinking my body couldn’t handle diving: I am 32 years old, in excellent health, physically fit as I work out on a regular basis, lift 100−200lbs 4 to 5 days a week, and have been diving for 11 years.)
Rod did not offer any assistance when I was having problems and was out on the dive when we headed back to shore. When my husband told him something was wrong and I couldn’t go out, he replied, «your loss, your going to be wasting a lot of money!» I also understand that I used equipment and one tank, however my second tank and my husband’s second tank were completely untouched by us. I wish I could have been refunded for at least the two tanks. $ 400 waste. I do plan to dive San Diego again, but with another facility. Usually the number one goal with dives is safety, this facility seems to be lacking that as well as listening to what their divers are telling them to possibly avoid issues.

Did some web surfing and finally decided on booking a scuba trip with these guys. I was a bit nervous due to some bad reviews, but you never really know. Rob answered all my questions via email extremely fast & was helpful and kind leading up to our dive and I really appreciated that.
The day of our dive my boyfriend and I showed up to La Jolla cove as we had discussed over the phone a few days prior. No one was there. We walked around a little and I eventually gave Rob a call. Turns out whoever filed our dive put us under the wrong day. Somewhat understandable because my birthday was the next day do both dates were on the paper… But still. Rob told us this doesn’t happen often and packed everything up to last minute meet us for our dive. Luckily there was lots to do around the area. Rob was extremely apologetic and overall an awesome guide.
Minus one star from the mix up. But this was both of our first time diving in San Diego, we had a great time and would do it again

BEWARE! I booked a two dive La Jolla cove trip via phone with Rod. On the phone we discussed I would bring one tank, he would provide the other. Two days before the dive Rod and I had an email exchange in which I confirmed with him that I would not bring a tank and would use two of his tanks instead as they are provided in the cost of the dive. I know he received theses emails because he replied back. I showed up at the cove, met Rod, and he asked me where my tank was as he only brought one. I reminded him about the email exchange, but he said he didn’t remember this, and that I told him on the phone that I would bring a tank.
OK, mistakes happen, so I suggested we just do one dive. Rod responded that since he was inconvenienced, he would have to charge me the price of two dives for this one dive! So, he screws up and denies an email exchange, even though he responded on the email, blames me, and says he was the one inconvenienced. I walked away. Which was a bummer as I made a 400 mile round trip to dive in San Diego. But no way this guy is getting a dime from me. But I also screwed up, Unilocal has several reviews blasting this guys poor customer service, and I didn’t take heed.

Had a great dive with Rob. He was friendly and very knowledgable of the reserve, giving us the history before we dove. I’ll definitely dive with them at La Jolla cove next time I’m in San Diego.

Went night kayaking with Rod last night and had a fabulous time! He took us on a great tour of Mission Bay. I learned a ton about the history of the area. Then we paddled over near Sea World and saw an awesome firework show! So much fun!

Worse customer service ever!!! Didn’t even book a scuba diving activity because the person on the phone was extremely rude! Would not recommend this place! This place should hire nicer people or it will never get any business. I don’t even want to give this one star. Go elsewhere.

Rod was an amazing guide! He met us at La Jolla Cove with all of the necessary gear waiting for us. We had a very thorough briefing. The water was pretty rough, but he was extremely encouraging and reliable. I am a newer diver and he was by my side the entire time. He went out of his way to make it a great, safe experience. We saw a variety of underwater wonders. I admit that I was quite nervous, but he inspired confidence and security every kick of the way. I highly recommend Scuba San Diego, and Rod in particular. Thanks for such a memorable experience!

Corinne was a great tour guide. Had a great experience and saw some cool sea life. Look forward to going again

Sonja and Corrinne were awesome with my 11 year old son’s first dive after getting certified. They took good care of us and we had a great dive in La Jolla. Definitely recommend these guys!

About two years ago for my birthday a friend and I went out for the Kayak under the fireworks tour and it was absolutely amazing. I didnt think much of it other than it would be a fun experience but it ended up being one of the most amazing things I have done since I moved to San Diego 4 years ago. The guide was excellent very knowledgeable, the ride was easy (something beginners could do) and the show was in its self spectacular. Huge fire works right above your head, you can see the reflection in the water and feel the boom as they launch beneath you. Definitely a must do; great for a date, birthday, celebration or just an amazing time. Also Ron is very kind and helpful as far as customer service goes !

Had a great shore dive with Rodney this morning!!! I had a last minute trip to San Diego and was hoping to try out a shore dive. Rodney rocked and was able to fit me in last minute. This was my first dive after getting certified in february. Rodney was very friendly and explained everything to me and did an awesome job helping me into the surf and guiding us around the kelp forest. We got to see some beautiful fish, huge crab and a sting ray. We were hoping to see a few sharks but they decided not to come and play! :-). As we were swimming back to shore some seals were swimming by not to far away! I would definitely recommend Rodney and Scuba San Diego to all of my dive friends that visit the San Diego area!

Well, this was definitely not my favorite interaction with a business, enough that I ultimately decided not to use my reservation and lose some $$ to just walk away. And I hate to lose $$.Ugh!
I signed up for the night-​time kayaking and when i called in for a reservation, it sounded like I had woke up someone to bother them with a reservation and a couple questions, at 11AM. He was rude and everything was grunted out. I thought ok, that dude’s a jerk or hungover like all hell, but brushed it aside b/​c I was excited to go.
A day later, I called to see if there was any other times available over 2 days and the again the dude was rude and kinda d-​bagish, saying «NOOO, its a holiday weekend.» I didn’t ask about the holiday itself, I don’t know his business patterns, and after he was rude that time, I lost all desire to join this man for a 2 hour excursion. I don’t take being talked down to well, and I said forget it. Called to cancel and he was surprised and peeved even more:) Never even went and was fine with losing money to avoid spending time with rude people.

I was on the kayaking tour on July 3, 2011 and I had a great time! I was with the group that made the complaint and I gotta say that they were completely out of line and disrespectful. They complained the whole time we were there and after we got back didn’t even let the company see what they could do to make up for the boat that took on water.
On the other hand, my evening was fantastic! The guide took us out and showed us around the harbor on a beautiful and peaceful night. The fireworks displaying was the best that I’ve ever seen and can not wait to go again. The fireworks were so close that it looked as if you could reach up into the sky and touch them.
I’ve gotten bored by mist fireworks shows, but I will guarantee that this one will be one that you will talk about for years to come!
Don’t miss it!

In response to Rod’s recent comment on my review:
Thank you for responding 9 months later. I guess when you see your business has 2.5 stars you better finally try to respond to customers. Sorry us «coupon» people are not acceptable anymore… I guess you are one of those «coupon companies» that just couldn’t handle steady business. Coupon or not you should deliver the same quality. You could have simply apologized (a little more recent) but no, you have to pull excuses to refute my statements. Running a scuba company shouldn’t be this difficult. Bring right equipment, meet on time, scuba with no time restrictions on the instructor, and pack up. It wasn’t a holiday weekend… parking was no problem… we discussed the time thing on the phone if you read my review. Also, I am not a girl (Nate clearly a guy’s name) so not sure why you kept saying «she» in your review… sounds like you might have problems reading, Ronda.

Wish I had read these reviews before. I got my boyfriend a gift certificate as a first time scuba diver. Rod himself took him out but when he couldn’t pass a test in which he had to simulate drowning he was out of luck. So he got an hour or so about instruction, no scuba diving and so then no refund or anything really. I wouldn’t go through this company. Go somewhere else where a refund might be a possibility if you can’t pass all the tests

Horrible horrible horrible customer service!!! I do not even want to rate this company with one star because one star in my opinion is absolutely way too much. I have NEVER, in my entire life, been treated with such disrespect. I had purchased a Living Social deal for the snorkeling adventure last year and called prior to the expiration date to make reservations. The male employee who picked up said the water was too cold and I should call later in the summer. When I asked if I would still be able to use my voucher after the expiration date, he told me to not worry about it because it would still be valid. Then I called back a few months ago to make another reservation and at that time, the employee who answered was very helpful. He said he would schedule me in for a scuba diving tour this month (tomorrow) and when I mentioned that I had a Living Social voucher, he said it was still valid and did not mention anything about having to pay any additional fee. I called today to confirm the reservations and was told by a VERY rude employee that they have no idea what I was talking about and that they did not have me in any of their reservations. When I told the gentleman that I had a voucher, he tells me that it expired and my partner and I must pay an additional $ 70. Are you kidding me??? As if he was not rude enough, he decided to be Prince Charming and say «Anyone who knows English would be able to read.»
To the obnoxiously rude man who answered the phone today, you, sir, are an ASSHOLE.

I bought this as a LivingSocial deal — based on other deals I’d purchased I was expecting a rush job or something incomplete. But Rod did an amazing job in teaching me what to do, why I was doing it, and then showing me some amazing sights in the Mission Bay waters. It was my first dive ever, but definitely not my last!

You would be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable and experienced dive master than Rod Watkins there. He is a great instructor and guide and will teach you not just about the aspects of diving but about our local underwater ecosystem. He is a true professional that does it for the love of the ocean. He is also pretty fun guy to hang out with when not diving.

My Scuba San Diego guide made this a memorable day. She met me with the rental gear near the steps to La Jolla Cove and took me through our dive plan. It’d been a few years since my last dive, and she worked with to get the weight right (she brought along extra, just in case, which turned out to be necessary) and she prepped me on what to expect from the dive — both the joys and the dangers. The vis was low, but she found us some great spots farther out, where we saw lobsters, halibut, garibaldi, keyhole limpets and sea hares.
I appreciate that Scuba San Diego has a dive philosophy it works by, and it was clear my guide loves her job. I felt safe during the entire dive. As a local SoCal diver, I’ll definitely rehire the same guide the next time I drive down to La Jolla. And based on my guide’s recommendation, I’m actually contemplating my first night dive.

Most of my diving has been in the Caribbean and off the coast of Venezuela, so I am not used to colder water. For that reason, I wanted to try a dive in California. I’d heard about the kelp and garibaldi fish, and hoped to see a seal or two. Now, I consider myself to be well-​traveled, and pretty patient when it comes to tour operators, but this was a real challenge.
It was still pretty dark, when we arrived at La Jolla Cove at the appointed time. We waited. And waited, having been told they like to get a head start on the other dive groups who use the cove. Other dive leaders arrived with their customers and started setting up equipment. Just as we were getting ready to start calling, a young girl arrived and introduced herself. She looked like she’d just rolled out of bed after a very rough night. Ok, it happens to the best of us.
Next, she started setting out our equipment. Since we were here on business, we hadn’t brought any of our own gear. After everything was set out, she discovered she was short a mask. Blaming it on a new staff member who’d packed the bag, she called for someone to bring it down as we started to get suited up.
Standing there in cold water suits, including a heavy wetsuit, gloves and hood for another half hour waiting for the mask was tough, but that was only the beginning. After trudging down to the beach for a shore entry, we surface swam for what seemed like forever to get to where she wanted to submerge.
Visibility was ZERO. She said it was the worst she’d ever seen (not seen?). Maybe that’s why her navigation seemed off. Plus, it was HOT. The amount of gear we had on was overkill, and my partner was actually sweating the whole time underwater. In addition, though we’d told her how much weight we dove with in warm water, she overcompensated substantially for the extra buoyancy of a thicker wetsuit. Diving over-​weighted is no fun. We didn’t see a single creature, and gave up about 20 minutes later.
On the swim back in, I was rewarded with the sight of a single seal a dozen or so yards away. I think he was laughing. Oh, and when it got quite shallow I did spot a puffy yellow-​orange Garibaldi fish (it looks like a bloated goldfish).
All in all, it was a disappointing day. Now, any operation can have a bad day, and there’s nothing you can do about weather and visibility. Plus, each dive has its own enchantments. On the other hand, however sweet our guide was, she seemed disorganized and inexperienced (as a guide, not a diver). The equipment was on the older side, and very well worn. There was a lack of enthusiasm that was a bit of a downer. I guess I still might give them another try under very special circumstances, but for the amount we paid for what turned out to be a couple hours of torture with just 20 minutes of bottom time, it would take some serious convincing.