El Mar Diving Center

This is the best dive shop in town, the state, the us and the world. I have been diving for eight years now. I started with El Mar Diving Center not knowing what I needed to become a diver or what the dive industry standards were. I soon became very aware of what the differences are between shops. El Mar Diving Center goes beyond the minimum of teaching. They bring a confidence to the student and really mentor them to be safe responsible divers and enjoy the sport. The store has the best quality gear around for the best price. They also promote dive travel to really encourage the adventure in diving. The owners have been in this business for 53 years-​they definitely know what they are doing! Great staff, instructors, and dive masters.

Possibly the worst dive center I’ve ever been in, the people are very condescending, ALL there gear is WAY overpriced compared to the other shops I go to, as a leak finding company, we rely on dive shops for our dry suites, and all other dive gear. New policy says they can’t fill our tanks now. Not sure why, no one there has any kind of clue, but the can sell you gear that’s half the quality and twice the price. If there were negative stars that’s what they would get. Avoid this shop atALL cost…
In response, I had a great attitude until your staff started to be condescending, and yes, overpriced. I used to fill my tanks at your shop every time I needed when in your area, it has been a bit since I’ve needed to do that. I’ve also purchased dry suits there as well as goggles weight belts and various other gear. And your condescending response only verifies the problems I had there… The review stands…

This is the shop that certified me. Wow, what an amazing decision it was to become a diver! The best part is being taught by the most knowledgeable dive masters that are not only helpful and patient, but also so passionate! Everyone who works here makes you feel welcomed, comfortable and that really helps in learning this extreme sport. I highly recommend this dive shop! They are so fun but also professional. Thank you for teaching me! I love diving SO MUCH!

I wanted to get my open water scuba certification and a friend recommended this shop. I was happy with the entire process. They explained everything I would need and all the costs. The classes were a good combination of pool, classroom, and then lake dives. Everyone was very helpful, patient, and the classes were even fun! They offer a variety of classes for all levels and also sell lots of different gear. I will continue to use them for additional training, equipment and for a trip at some point!

Everybody is so friendly at Elmar, they are willing to go above and beyond to accommodate your needs and make sure you are taken care of. I just started and finished my classes, I am going to go to the lake this weekend to get certified (hopefully)
it is a great atmosphere, I felt I got all the attention and training I needed from Paul, Tony, Mark and …
They are amazing people, I look forward to do more business with them…
America :)

I’m not talking bad about the pool, just stating what I experienced. With 2 grown men & myself in the pool (deep end) doing descents/​ascents, buoyancy training & swimming around we constantly were bumping into each other or on top of each other.
It’s great you have a pool on site, but to me that was not a make or break, when it came to where I was going to get certified. The reviews of the instructors (at the dive training site) is what made my decision.

My wife and I got all of our certifications here and have been coming here for years for equipment and advice. The people here are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Even if they don’t carry what you need, they will give you advice on the best equipment for your needs, whether it’s dive equipment or underwater photography equipment. They are the best!

Always great, knowledgeable service when they work on our regulators. Great people working there who never try to oversell you on equipment and their salt water, heated pool is awesome for refresher courses!

I’ve been going to El Mar for years. They have a great selection and a helpful staff. I recommend them to anyone looking for classes, gear, repair. Thanks guys.

There aren’t many places in the Phoenix-​metro area that can boast being in business for 45+ years. I’ve been to many a scuba shop and its always nice to see a family owned and operated business thrive amongst the big box sports stores. If you are thinking about getting certified think about this: Do you want to be in a corporate setting with an instructor who has never been in the ocean OR do you want to be around incredibly knowledgeable/​experienced staff in a really cool yet safe and professional setting? Oh… and they beat anyone’s price on certifications and equipment; apple for apple.

My wife and I got our Open Water Cert from El Mar back in 2009. Then in Nov 2010 we bought our 3 kids Open Water. The cost for the complete Certification cost us $ 508 each (classes, dive and gear rental). My brother in law in Albq. NM got the SAME exact cert from the dive shop there for $ 280 (included classes, cert dive and gear rental). I think El MAr is going out of business and trying to charge whatever they can get to stay in business.

I needed some slings for my JBL speargun. The shop had a decent supply of speargun slings, but not the particular size or brand I needed. The sales guy said he could order them and it would take about a week. So I gave him my contact information and he said he would call me when the slings arrived. Two weeks go by and no call from El Mar Dive Shop. I decided to head over to the shop and check on my order. The same guy who said he would order the slings tells me he forgot to place the order. He asked if I still wanted him to place the order, reluctantly I said ok. Again, he takes down my contact information and tells me he will give me a call when the slings arrive in about a week. Three weeks go by and again no call from El Mar. So again I decide to head over to the shop to check on my order. This time the same guy, I didn’t get his name, says the slings arrived. I asked him why I didn’t get a phone call, he acted surprised and said somebody should have called. He then lays the slings on the counter, but they are not the size that I ordered. He then tells me that the company they order from, Trident, only makes them in certain sizes and they didn’t have my size. So this guy went ahead and ordered the wrong size for me anyway and then tried to sell them to me. I said no thanks and walked out.
I always try to do business with local merchants. These days, with the economy the way it is, one would think that a business, especially a dive shop in the desert, would provide better customer service to earn peoples’ repeat business.
Forgetting to place my order, failure to call me twice after saying they would, ordering the wrong size merchandise… three (actually four) strikes… YOU’RE OUT, El Mar!

We trained for our Open Water with El Mar a few years ago and then went one one of their Mexico bus trips more recently. The classroom and pool training was simply outstanding. The course staff was very knowledgeable and professional and the facilities are just right. Similarly, I was able to get my Advanced Open Water on the Mexico trip. Although I had not planned on doing so, the staff talked me into it, for which I am actually quite grateful.
Their store is very well stocked and prices are good, with knowledgeable retail staff as well.
We did our actual Open Water dives in Hawaii, but the folks at El Mar were very helpful and gave us everything we needed. When we got to Maui and did our dives, the Course Director with whom we dove remarked that our training had been superior, compared to most of the tourists with whom he completed Open Water dives.

Extensive selection of diving, snorkeling, and water gear. Staff are very knowledgeable and will either leave you be as you browse two floors of goods or assist you with every last question you have — it’s your call. I’ve followed most of their recommendations and been very pleased with my most recent dive gear purchase. I also love that they carry a small supply of Reef clothing. Even if you don’t dive, you’d find a nice array of beach and summer items that range anywhere from inexpensively priced to more expensive, higher-​quality supplies. They also offer year-​round dive certification classes/​trips.
There’s an annual May sale that is phenomenal. I appreciated staff giving me a heads up on the sale before I bought some new boots, telling me if I could wait I’d save a bit of cash come May. Turns out I needed them right away so I couldn’t — but again, staff proved themselves to be very helpful.