Harbor Dive Center

I just received my basic certification from Harbor Dive Center.
The teacher, Michael Short, was great. The class (including elearning, one saturday 8 – 5 in the pool and Sat/​Sun in Monterey in the ocean) was always very clear and straightforward. The PADI materials were very good, and Michael’s teaching style was very focused, without hyperbole. This made it very easy for me to focus on understanding and executing each of the skills. With Michael the classes were like climbing a ladder — each step was small and incremental, but at the end you found you’d made a progression from the Sausalito dive shop with a coffee in hand to 40′ below Monterey Bay wearing a scuba rig and chasing fish and seals.
My class included a 13yo (unattended) and a 10yo (with his mother). Both did fine and seemed to enjoy the class.
I originally chose Harbor Dive Center because they had a single day in-​pool program. On a weekend with light traffic it was a 20 – 25 minute drive from San Francisco. I plan to do my advanced class with Michael and to get my kids certified this summer.

Good selection of merchandise and great service added up to an $ 1100 sale for this location. The man running the shop «Michael» was knowledgable and patient as he helped my son and I with Wet Suits. He explained the differences in cold water diving suits and we ended up each buying wet suites, a hooded vest, gloves, and accessories. He matched other sale prices and treated us as valued customers. We got product we want and an education. I highly recommend Harbor Dive Center and look forward to joining them on some dives in the future.

I completed my PADI certification with Michael and his team from Harbor Dive last weekend in Monterey and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Michael is extremely knowledgeable and no-​nonsense, making sure that everyone has the skills needed to have a SAFE and enjoyable scuba experience.
I was actually in the same group as the person who gave a 2-​star review on 11÷15÷15, and I think that she should take the blame for not researching what she was getting herself into, and not blame Harbor Dive for her experience. My husband and I inquired from the beginning about what would be required to complete the certification and were left with no surprises — nothing but fun and a sense of accomplishment (and yes, a few bucks poorer — certification is not cheap but is ABSOLUTELY worth the investment — the potential for our life vacations has skyrocketed).
If you want to be confident in your abilities to have a safe and fun diving career, start with Harbor Dive — they’re top notch quality and I’d recommend them to anyone.

Completed advanced certification this past weekend in Monterey and while learning scuba isn’t always easy, Michael and his team of dive pro’s are always there to encourage and inspire us through the entire learning process.
Cool thing about this whole learning process is that there isn’t much hand holding. They teach by example how to be Real divers. We pick up our own rental gear, haul our own gear to the site, and are responsible for getting our tanks filled between dives. We carry our own gear to the boat or to the beach, we hook up our own gear and are responsible for the assembly and function. We are responsible for getting to the boat on time. It’s part of the experience that makes it so amazing and empowering.
If you are not accustomed to doing things for yourself and would prefer a concierge resort dive service that does everything for you, check out another place perhaps in the city. This its the Real Deal. This is why I chose Harbor Dive and I have not been let down :)
And BTW, I feel completely safe and secure with Michael and his instructors, as well as the equipment I’m renting from harbor dive. It is top notch!
Prices are great, it all fits like a glove, and their advice has Never steered me wrong.
I couldn’t be happier exploring my new passion and putting my trust with this Very qualified dive shop and crew. They make it fun!
*(Side note): regarding a recent review by M. Kiera W.
This review is COMPLETE BS. I was there, this same weekend. It’s a slanderous review by a person who is upset they didn’t finish the certification and taking it out on harbor dive. Not at all fair to this responsible and reputable dive shop, not to mention SO inaccurate it’s almost comical.

I did all of the training for a scuba diving cert. with Harbor Dive. I found the instructors very competent and easy to work with. However, I wish I did research before dishing out around $ 1000 – 1200 for the whole deal of getting certified (includes buying equipment I thought was necessary for $ 300 and going to Monterey for the weekend open dives). Below is a full breakdown of the pricing/​details of the scuba diving cert (Written Knowledge Comp, 1 Day of Pool Dives, & 2 Days of Open Water Dives). I’d encourage you to read below before signing anything (everything is non-​refundable).
Cost Breakout
Online PADI eLearning Class: $ 160 (There’s a $ 90 option but I was told I didn’t have enough time to do the exams for the training at Harbor Dive because I would have to come in too early. Not clear on the details here.)
Dive Log Book: $ 23
PADI Card Fee: $ 35 + tax
Tuition for Pool Session (1 day) and Open Water Instruction (2 days/​4 dives): $ 249
Open Water Equipment Rental (wetsuit, hood, BCD, regulator set-​up, weight belt, and two tanks): $ 115 + tax
Buying mask/​snorkel, fins, cold water boots/​gloves from Harbor Dive (please don’t do what I did and spend $ 64 at Glenn’s Aquarius II Dive Shop right next to the open dive for $ 32/​day): $ 200-​$ 300
Parking at the Monterey Harbor 2 days for Open Dives: $ 20
Filling up Your Tanks at Glenn’s Aquarius II Dive Shop after Open Dive Day 1: $ 12
Cost of 2 nights in Monterey Hotel/​Associated Travel Costs: Assume $ 375 (Travelodge Monterey on 2030 North Fremont St offers a discount for Harbor Dive. Students who stayed there have told me that it costs approximately $ 375 for the 2 days. I stayed in Salinas for free on Hilton points half an hour away)
— Monterey (dinner, other meals, etc): Up to you
— The emails with itinerary details also ask for tips. Verbatim «Gratuities… It is commonplace in the dive community to tip per dive. The average gratuity is $ 5 per dive.»
If you don’t have a car:
— Cabs/​rental car from to Harbor Dive (you will have to go in once before your pool/​open dive to get fitted, once to go to the pool training, once on the Fri before your dive to pick up your equipment, and then once again return your equipment on the Mon after open dive)
— Rental car to Monterey for 2 – 3 days
The class requires that you have or buy your own mask, snorkel, fins, boots and gloves. This is also odd based on other trainings I have heard of, where you can rent $ 300 of equipment that includes huge fins (hard to transport for vacation), and thick cold water boots/​gloves (useful only if you plan to dive in extremely cold 50 F water many times in the future…) for a fraction of the price.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND renting all of this equipment from the dive store right next to where you do your open dive and perhaps using something cheap from Amazon for the day in the pool if you don’t want to spend an unnecessary $ 300.
Note that you have to pick all of the open water equipment from Harbor Dive on Friday yourself (or pay $ 75 for equipment transport) and fill up your tanks on location at the dive site for $ 12… most people I told this to seemed extremely surpised since dive shops in other locations normally transport all of this equipment for you and fill up your tanks for free. Also, expect to spend an hour to an hour and a half roundtrip to drive this equipment if you’re coming from SF. Expect to be lugging this very heavy equipment to/​from the boat, dive shop, & your car.
Glenn’s Aquarius II Dive Shop (next to open dive area) charges $ 61/​day or $ 122 for the 2 days for the Wetsuit, Hood, Reg/​Computer, BCD/​Zeagle, Tank and Weight Belt (around the same as the $ 115 Harbor Dives charges w/​tax), but you would be free to return the equipment instead of drying all of this in your hotel and also not have to make 2 extra trips to Harbor Dive… I assume to prevent you from price comparisons/​convenience and to make it more difficult to rent from the dive shop right where you go in the water, there is a policy on Harbor Dive’s website requiring you to use the same equip that you use in the pool for Monterey).
Other considerations/​notes:
— Since Monterey is not local at all to SF, you can even do these open dives somewhere closer. For instance, Santa Cruz has open dives and is only a 1 hr 20 min drive from SF (40 min closer than Monterey!) There is even a great groupon out now with Tropical Adventures Scuba and Travel.
— My diving buddy got 1 tank that was low in air. It took him 15 – 20 min to get it filled… no apologies, boat almost left him at the dock with no notice
— I’m not sure diving where we were is even legal on a commercial boat. On the open water dive, the students were told that if the Coast Guard stops the boat we should say that you we are «friends» diving for free… apparently anyone teaching from their personal boats and launching from Breakwater as we did violates Monterey city code 17.70−71 which is one of three city codes that prohibits the commercial use of public spaces.

Not much of a Unilocal reviewer — as in, I’ve never written a review before — but I had such a wonderful experience at Harbor Dive Center that I just had to share. I’ve always wanted to get open water certified and recently decided to go with Harbor Dive Center for the PADI e-​training and confined water dives. I got a little overwhelmed at the confined water dives and left mid-​session, heading back to the shop. Michael was a very calming presence and convinced me to regroup and give it another shot, and offered to take me to the pool to finish up the dives the following week. It was wonderful working with him and I am so appreciative of the extra time he devoted to get me through the confined water dives. I would give six stars if I could. Highly recommend Harbor Dive Center!

This spring I decided to get scuba certified. After searching my options near San Francisco, I chose to go with Harbor Dive Center and I’m *so* glad I did.
I called ahead of time to get information regarding the online education and they were so thorough in explaining how it all worked. I believe I even called back after hanging up with more questions. They were so patient and helpful. After I enrolled, I began with the online course and scheduled my confined and open water dives. I stopped by the shop twice before my confined water dive to get fitted for gear (forgot my mask the first time), and Michael was very helpful in picking out the best products for me. The shop is very organized, well-​lit, and staffed with knowledgeable and patient employees.
My favorite part of my experience with HDC was when I showed up to do my confined water dive and we had a ratio of 4 instructors/​divemasters to 3 students. The one-​on-​one help was greatly appreciated. If you are looking to get scuba certified, I highly recommend Harbor Dive Center.

Excellent customer service — and travel advice!
I recently bought a women’s wetsuit from Harbor Dive for a planned trip that includes snorkeling and am a very satisfied customer. The staff quickly determined my size and ‘sized up’ my needs. As an extra bonus they shared experience and observations of the Galapagos waters!

Fantastic customer service from the dynamic trio: BMS (Butch-​Mike-​Stephen). I came to the store looking for personal scuba gear. Once I entered the shop, the décor infused me into the sea… must be the mixture of Jean Cousteau posters on the wall, and Nemo and floats hanging from the ceiling. The shop was welcoming, clean and equipped with quality and unique items for adults and children. The bench area even has cool scuba literature, and kids coloring books!!! Though, BYOC (bring your own crayons). Staff members were pleasant, easy going, relaxed, and patient. They are experts in their job, and have answers to all scuba related questions: products that they do, and do not, carry in the store; upcoming scuba excursions; fishing licenses; paddle boarding; scuba courses, etc. The staff’s passion for scuba diving is evident and permeating. They shared their experiences with jolly smiles. Also, their Facebook page is filled with beautiful and lively photos of sea life, happy scuba students and smiley instructors. By the time I left the store, I was super eager to start my Open Water course.
If I have to suggest something for HDC to further enhance their guests’ experience, it would be to greet each person with fresh baked cookies and hot chocolate! ;-D

Stephanie (and Butch) helped us with our paperwork and answered questions we had about gear and the sport. Excellent customer service!
Mike and Daniel were our instructors for the scuba discovery course. We went over safety instructions then went straight to the fun part! They were accommodating and always kept an eye on the students. Overall, we had a blast and cannot wait to sign up for the open water dive class. We’re not considering certification anywhere else but Harbor Dive!

Great selection of stuff, including some great deals on end-​of-​run items.
Stephanie was super helpful, and very good at visually sizing us, so we didn’t have to try things on at random.

What a fabulous location! Michael the manager was so helpful. Came in to learn more about diving and got the full details needed. Guided me to the right equipment. I even checked online at some of the pricing and some of it was cheaper at the store! I love supporting local! I will be back. Happy I started my great adventure with Harbor Dive!

I took the PADI open water course through Harbor Dive and instructor Michael Short on 11÷10−11÷11 and 11÷17−11÷18. Michael was a fantastic instructor. He patiently explained and re-​explained concepts and practical skills, and worked with each student to correct any mistakes. One thing that really impressed me was his ability to convey his enthusiasm for the sport while still emphasizing safety skills and proper procedures (these being the most important takeaways from the course after all). Finally, you want to be able to have fun as well as learn during the course, and Michael and the rest of the class group were fun people to be around for the weekend.
Harbor Dive Center itself was very friendly and the staff was helpful in getting me set up with rental gear (which was in good condition and didn’t present any problems) and assisting me with snorkeling gear selection. I look forward to visiting Harbor Dive and training with Michael again.

I had a glowing experience getting SCUBA certified at Harbor Dive. My instructor, Michael is an exceptional teacher. Their prices seemed higher to me than the other options. Whether or not that is the case, it was worth every penny.

I have a Hobie Mirage double kayak that I love. A few years ago, we were having trouble with the steering/​rudder unit not functioning correctly, and my husband took it to California Canoe and Kayak in the East Bay to have it repaired. (We purchased it there, originally.) It came back from repair still not right; very hard to turn the steering lever, and the rudder wouldn’t lift out of water completely. We didn’t take it back for a second repair because PIA to find time to get to Alameda. Anyhow, yesterday I took it out on Tomales Bay, and although it was a beautiful day, it was a tiny bit marred by the frustration of STILL not being able to steer the kayak accurately. As luck would have it, just on Saturday, my husband had mentioned to me that when he was at West Marine in Sausalito, he had stopped in at the dive shop located across the street to pick up some dive gear, and discovered that they sold and serviced Hobie kayaks, which he had passed on to me. So today, with the kayak still on my rack, I called Harbor Dive and Kayak and asked them if I could bring the boat in for service. Stephen answered the phone, was very nice, and said no problem. Here’s the 5 star part of the story: I got to the shop about noon. Stephen was just coming back from getting his to-​go lunch, which he put aside to help me, apologizing that he wasn’t right there when I pulled up. He then helped me get my Hobie off the rack, and spent about 15 minutes of quality time going over the kayak with me, figuring out the problem. Then, as I stood watching, he took about 15 minutes to FIX both issues with the steering and rudder that hadn’t ever really been fixed before, all the while giving me a sweet and short lesson in Hobie steering systems, so that if mine stopped working again, I’d know right what to look for and maybe even be able to fix it myself. I was also missing a fairly obscure plastic hook that was necessary to hold the pedals in a fixed position when stopped, and he dug through his drawers to find one, because «he knew he had seen one somewhere». The brass hooks on my seats were a bit worse for wear, and he took the time to get out some WD-​40 to help loosen them up. I showed him my pedal sets, which he pronounced good to go. He then helped me load the kayak back on my rack. For all this, he charged me about $ 20! I cannot say enough good things about the service I received there today. Stephen totally made my day. I am super psyched that I have what feels like a brand new kayak, and can’t wait to take it back out on the water. I would highly recommend this shop for Hobie Kayak repairs and purchases, and I give my highest praise to Stephen, who made it all happen with a totally easy-​going and friendly attitude.

I bought an Oceanic Pro Plus 2 dive computer from Harbor Dive Center five years ago. That experience was positive — they were helpful, non-​pressuring, etc .
Last week I took it back to them to get it a new battery. I also took my regulators and BC in for regular annual servicing. I take the annual service process seriously because I often dive in remote locations where, if my equipment fails, my diving is ended for the trip. I also don’t believe in skimping on my life support system.
The guy behind the desk argued with me a bit about the battery — tried to talk me into not replacing it if testing showed it was still good — I told him, No, I wanted a new battery regardless, as it was five years old. He finally agreed. So I left the gear there, and was told to come back in a week. They even called me to let me know it was ready, right on time. Sounds great, right?
I picked it up, and later that day I was in Santa Clara at Diver Dan’s looking at gear, and I see that the Atomic regulators have this uberly nifty ball joint at the second stage, so I ask the guy behind the counter if he could install one of those on my Scubapro. He said sure.
I handed him my regulators, and he looks at them and blinks and goes, «Uh, when was this cleaned last?» I told him I’d just picked it all up from service. He gave me a really funny look, then said they had not been cleaned and pointed to several corrosion spots. Then he looked inside. Long story short, Harbor Dive didn’t service the regulators as I’d requested — they’d just replaced the purge diaphragm on my octo.
Because I’m leaving for the Malvides in a week, there’s no time left to get my regulators overhauled. I ended up buying a new first stage and second stage at Dan’s, but my octo and the Air II on my BC will have to go as-​is, with just a «visual inspection» from Harbor. Harbor’s error cost me $ 899 (ok, so I bought the Atomic), and I’m not going to have that special and uberly important peace-​of-​mind feeling about my gear that’s so important.
It also turned out that while Harbor did replace the battery in the computer, according to guy at Dan’s, the replacement battery was at least five years old (he could tell this from the purple color). I had Dan’s replace the purple battery with one out of new stock.
I won’t be bringing my equipment back here for maintenance.

Yay! I just may have found my favorite dive shop in the Bay Area. While it may not be the cheapest or the biggest, it is by far the FRIENDLIEST, with the nicest, most sincere & low-​key staff ever. If I had to take a class, it would be from them, especially because renting a wetsuit from them is a pleasure thanks to their spacious and well-​decorated dressing rooms. It’s much more fun stuffing yourself into a 7 mm neoprene sausage casing when you have pretty coral reef posters to look at. In fact the whole store has a really neat décor — kinda kitsch, kinda Steve Zissou (complete with Jacques Cousteau photos, day-​glo Farmer Johns and 1970’s Great Barrier Reef guidebooks), but with the latest in gear. And did I mention how NICE they are? The more you look, the more you find great stuff packed into this tiny but fun little shop. It’s almost worth a visit even if you aren’t planning on diving but just feel like visiting a mini-​museum of diving.