Diving Catalina

I tried this out through Groupon and have to say I feel like I got ripped off a bit. I showed up on time with my girlfriend, but we didn’t actually go into the water till almost an hour later. This is probably my largest issue.
In that time, there wasn’t any training or prep it was just disorganized. The group was huge, felt way too big for these guys to manage.
Now before we got into the water they did take about 5 mins walking us through safety items. But even that felt so rushed.
I also felt like they rushed the entire experience when we finally made in the water. I forsure won’t try this again with them. I recommend anyone interested in doing this just buy the snorkeling gear and go on your own. It’s a better investiment.
The pros:
The staff was friendly. The water felt great.

My mother and I are out here at Avalon, CA and we were suppose to be going diving with an instructor from Diving Catalina. Well we paid $ 300 to get to this island and go on a guided dive with one of their instructors. Well this is how it went. My mother called and made reservations 3 weeks ago for this trip and spoke with the owner of the company and explained: she has not been diving in 5 years and I have not in 10 but she is comfortable in her skills and I did a refresher. Well she also went o n to explain that we r not in the best physical shape but r comfortable out in the open water. She was told that it would be ok and we would be out in the water. So we get here and get to the dive park so we can get in. Well we meet with the instructor at the park and immediately looks at my mom and u can see immediately in this guy’s face that he isn’t gonna take us in. Well he takes my mom over to where EVERYONE can hear their conversation and basically tells my mom that she is to fat for him to take her down. Now remember she called and explained this already to the OWNWR. So after 25 minutes of waiting just to be told they won’t take us down we go and call the owner who refuses to own up to the fact that they told her it would be ok. Well now we r out of the money we spent to come diving and didn’t get to get in the water. If anyone ever comes to Avalon to go diving with a guided dive don’t use this shop. They r rude, unprofessional and just complete asses. Please share so the word can get out about this shop. The OWNER REFUSED TO OWN UP TO ANY OF THIS.

Diver Dave is such a homie. After struggling for over 30 minutes to prove a friend’s Padi certification, Dave offered to do our scheduled 2^nd dive later in the day to avoid rushing. This was an awesome accommodation and made us feel very welcome.
Getting into all our gear, Dave went over the purpose and function of everything (without making us feel stupid) and made the heaps of equipment a little less intimidating.
After not diving for 4 years myself, it was really comforting to have someone knowledgeable guiding us to the shipwreck, past not one — but 2 Giant black sea bass, and back up through choppy surging water onto land safely. The company provided everything we needed and dealt with everything when we got back.
They were awesome about answering the phone (compared to other dive shops) as well as through email. Dave even called to give us a weather update after our dive to help make our decision regarding diving again the next day. He is a very honest, courteous guy and definitely made our diving experience on Catalina one for the books! Thanks Diver Dave!

My husband and I had an AMAZING time in Catalina with Diver Dave! We did a night dive and two other dives and they were all so unique. I am a beginner diver but my husband is more advanced, and Dave really took the time to help me with unfamiliar gear. Diving Catalina provided my BC, regulator, gauges, and weights and tanks for both of us. I felt 100% confident that he would make sure we were safe during our dives. Dave is super knowledgeable about the sealife in Catalina and took the time to show us everything from giant sea bass (freaking amazing!) to a tiny spanish shawl. It doesn’t seem like the Catalina Dive Park is very big, but there really is a ton of life there and quite a few different environments and these guys can really show you where to look for the best possible experience. Prior to our arrival, they were also very responsive via email and phone with answers to any questions and changes we needed to make. Thanks so much again Dave (and Andy)!

Andy was a great guide, and was very knowledgable about the dive site. We were able to see multiple huge black sea bass which was really awesome! Great time overall, would definitely recommend!

Went snorkeling here and had alot of fun! Staff was helpful and informative. Went in may and water was 55°that day! Really cold! Saw alot of fish & coral. Had a real good time!

Can’t say enough good things about this company.
We are new to scuba as we just received our open water certs in Thailand about a month ago.
Andy & Dave made us feel welcome, safe, and we ended up having an amazing dive. The equipment was great, and they went above and behind to make sure we were warm and comfortable (Dave even offered my girlfriend his own pair of gloves to ensure her fingers didn’t get too cold).
Andy was our guide and took us on a fantastic dive through the kelp forest. He pointed out wildlife, consistently checked up on our equipment, and made sure we were happy & healthy the entire dive .
Highly recommend Diving Catalina. We are already looking forward to our next dive with them!
— Nick & Ana

I’ve read the previous reviews which if what made me book this scuba diving experience but sad to say my girlfriend and I did not enjoy our time. Although they did accommodate us in the class last minute even though it was booked (because I bought it on group on) they were nice in the beginning.
When me and my girl friend arrived we were provided with the gear, we were excited and ready to go! Once we got to the water it seemed like everything changed with the instructors. Not only was this or first time doing this, we had on gear and wet suits we’ve never with before so we were looking to the instructors for help and assistance.
I got in the water first. It was cold but great! I floated fine (the wet suit keeps you afloat). Once my girl friend got in I could tell she was panicking. The instructors informed us that it was a lowtied and not to flat by the ducks as we could get seriously injured. The water was really choppy that day.
As I tried to help my Gf as much as I could, the instructors were no help once we were in the water. Mind you something we’ve never done before I thought they would be more mindful. My Gf got to a point where she just floated and kept drifting really far n there was so much only I could do with all my gear on. I asked an instructor next to me can you please go get my girlfriend I think she is panicking. They replied to me «well she knows how to swim right, she needs to swim to me». I was furious! Obviously if she could stun to you she could buy the tide was taking her away and it wasn’t easy to swim with the wet suits. After getting an attitude with me he finally goes to get her and drags her out of the water.
They said to us we thought your guys could swim. I said of course we can other wise I wouldn’t have booked this activity.
All in all, I felt that the instructors could have been a Little more helpful, but I won’t be booking this any more. It was fun but the way they treated my Gf and another couple was unacceptable.

This was the best guided Scuba tour of my life. Andy made me appreciate my existence in a way I never thought possible. It’s crazy to think how small and insignificant our lives are in the grand scheme of things, especially when placed next to a 400 pound giant Black Sea bass. Big ups to the Diving Catalina team for an amazing day!

Had a wonderful experience diving the Catalina scuba park with Andy! He was so knowledgeable and experienced in general and with the local area. All the gear was top notch and I was so grateful for the specific wetsuits they have to rent because that water is cold! I highly recommend this dive operation!

This was amazing! We did the introductory scuba dive with Dave. He is very knowledgable and patient. He explained everything extremely clear and made our first dive extremely comfortable. We got to see a leopard shark, lobster, and lots of fish. I highly highly suggest this place. After getting snorkel gear later in the day Snorkoling Catalina (terrible equipment and wet suits!) I was extremely please with my decision with Diving Catalina! Thank you Dave!!! It was amazing

I had THE BEST TIME!!! Dave, you’re AMAZING! Today was my first time snorkeling and Dave the instructor was very patient and friendly and made the entire process a better experience for me. I arrived 30 mins before my scheduled time and Dave gave me all my equipment. I was nervous but he reassured me that all would be well and it’d be easy as pie. When I got in the water it was cold but Dave talked me through what was happening and what was to be expected. I will DEFINITELY be coming back to Catalina and will go directly to Diving Catalina!

First off, I have to mention how incredibly nice Dave and our guide Roberto are. We originally wanted to do the snorkeling tour because both my boyfriend and I are first timers. Unfortunately, we were the only 2 that signed up for the tour. I gave Dave a call letting him know that I had already made plans to be in Catalina for the weekend and it wasn’t easy taking off work. Dave was very understanding, he decided to rent out the gears to us (his company actually doesn’t offer rentals normally). We showed up to Casino Point and as it turned out, he had a guide coming to help us in the water. Before going in, Dave walked us through the entire process and made everything super easy to understand. He talked about mask fitting, breathing through the tube and helped us pick out the right fins. The whole experience was incredible. Once I was in the water, I did not want to leave. Can’t wait to snorkel again. I cannot imagine a better first time experience. Thanks guys!!!

Dave’s the bomb– amazing customer service, knowledgable, fun and easy going. choose Diving Catalina if you want the best diving or snorkeling experience on the island.

Diver DAVE is awesome!!! I would definitely recommend coming here. I was actually amazed at how much there was to see right off of the shore. I did my dive with Dave and couldn’t be happier with his enthusiasm. He was a great host, instructor and human being. Thanks for accommodating me on such short notice. I hope our paths cross again. With sincere thanks,
Eddie

I took my PADI open water certification with Dave and it was an excellent experience. Dave’s expertise, professionalisim and passion for diving really made it a fun experience and prepared me for my dives. He won’t let you slack on any skills test and will ensure that you check and recheck everything and are doing everything correctly.

I have been on a several year hiatus from posting reviews on Unilocal but just had to post one more to recognize this amazing company! If not for Dave with Diving Catalina, I would have given up scuba diving. I had tried to get my PADI certification in Orange County (went through the the entire course and pool dives) but the boat and shores dives were a deal breaker. I am so glad I found Dave. He customized a weekend of diving for my husband and I to complete our open water dives. Not only was he easy to work with, he is an amazing instructor. Very, very kind and patient. He made our training dives more than just learning skills by giving us a wonderful lesson and tour of the underwater park. Such a great experience! I would highly recommend Diving Catalina for any diver, whether you are looking to get certified or just want an amazing guide.

Both my girlfriend and I agree that Dave is the best instructor!
This was hands down the most relaxing and enjoyable certification experience my girlfriend an I have had. Dave is very attentive, patient, and caring, which must come from teaching children when he lived in Michigan. He renewed our faith that scuba diving can be fun. I have been and will continue recommending him to everyone who is interested in getting certified.

Went on an intro dive this morning with my girlfriend and Dave as our guide. First and foremost, Dave was awesome. He is very witty and has a way of making you feel at ease. I was nervous because this was my girlfriend’s first dive and she has never been able to valsalva and was having particular difficulty today because she was getting over a cold. He made sure she was okay and taught her everything she needed to know. During the dive he kept a close eye on both of us to make sure we were comfortable enjoying ourselves. We were able to see all the animals that we had hoped to see, all the while being expertly and safely guided. Definitely worth the money!

DIVE’ing into the deep on CATALINA
I group of friends and I decide to go to Catalina to celebrate a couple September birthdays. But more importantly we all just wanted to get together, cut loose and have fun so I was ALL IN!
I found a GROUPON for a snorkeling tour because if you know anything about Catalina there is REALLY NOT TOO MUCH to do there and the last thing I wanted was to be bored so I bought the GROUPON and messaged everyone so if they wanted they could also get it too to kill some time.
With GROUPON in hand we contacted the company to make a reservation to go snorkeling. The GROUPON was expiring that day and we mentioned it to the company and was told «NO PROBLEM» because we were making our reservation BEFORE IT EXPIRED even though it would be expired when we actually used it! So cool no need to pay the additional fee.
We were all sent the time and meet up location which is by the Casino near the US flag. There was a little while non-​descript pickup truck with our tour guide and helper. We gave out name and was immediately told WE OWED. We tried to explain that we mentioned it was expiring and that it would NOT be a problem but IT WAS! So it was either loose our money via GROUPON and find something else to do on the island or FORK OVER another $ 28 buck-​a-​roos! Needless to say we were PISSED but tried to make the best of the situation and move forward paying the additional monies!
The company provided wetsuits and snorkel gear. I unlike others in my group am a water rat so I came prepared with my own wetsuit and snorkel gear. I REALLY don’t trust the cleaning methods of used wetsuits or snorkels and don’t want anyone else’s NASTY CROTCH germs or other various STD’s I can’t get rid of on MY HONEY POT. The clincher was when I kept hearing the lady tell people to, «Please use the restroom BEFORE putting on the wetsuit»…So you KNOW GOOD AND D*MN WELL people are peeing in the wetsuits while in the ocean! Can you all say GROSS! I’m sure they clean them but I’d rather NOT take that risk.
Once everyone was all signed in we gathered around the back of the truck and got some instructions about the mask, snorkel, fins, and wetsuit which was helpful if you didn’t know. You should know how to swim even though the wetsuit DOES keep you afloat. He also explained how to use the machines for the power snorkeling. Everything was clear and concise. And then we headed for the water.
The guide was COOL and brought food for the fish so we could ACTUALLY SEE some fish up close and take pics if you brought a camera. SOOOO COOL to see life under water I LOVED IT! I LOVE, LOVE hearing the sound of my own breathing. My friends and I had a blast and we were able to wonder off in the roped in area on our own and ACK-​A-​FOOL. So much FRICKIN FUN.
The ONLY thing I have a problem with was it WAS NOT A TOUR like the GROUPON mentioned! EVERYONE got to do whatever they wanted! Aside from renting the gear I’m NOT SURE what we paid for, especially me since I brought my own wetsuit and snorkel. I could have saved my money and went snorkeling own my own for free since there WASN’T ANY TOUR! And since we all had to FORK OVER additional monies NOT having an ACTUAL TOUR and having things pointed out REALLY didn’t go over well with us!
Yes we had FUN and the people WERE VERY NICE. They allowed everyone to keep their belongings in the truck and valuables they locked up inside the truck. Or so we were told they were going to do but when we were gathering our things after snorkeling the truck wasn’t locked AT ALL but the lady was there making sure no one just wondered up to the truck.
Overall we all had a BLAST, but I don’t think I’d use this company again since I have my own snorkeling gear and wetsuit. It doesn’t make since to pay to enjoy myself in the water without going on an ACTUAL TOUR. I have a problem being told one thing a the time I make a reservation and being told something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT when I arrive. CONSISTANCY would be NICE! I also didn’t like there were upwards of 30 plus peeps going out with ONE GUIDE! Not sure how ONE person could handle emergencies should they arise and I HOPE THEY NEVER DO but It be nice if they had a contingency plan or more guides watching out for snorkelers.