Laguna Sea Sports

Laguna Sea Sports is no longer the same shop it was years ago, and NOT in a good way. A few years ago it was bought out along with several other shops and became Beach Cities Scuba. It had used That shop several times for gear and air fills, but now I absolutely refuse. Some time ago I bought several items, including a small LED backup light. After only 2 or 3 dives the light failed. When I returned it to the store, they stated they would have to contact the manufacturer. I waited for nearly 3 months and never heard back, so I finally went to the shop and asked them to either give me another light or just refund my money. They treated me as if I was a criminal. After a long fight they finally gave me a replacement, and as with the previous light, it failed after only a few dives. Note that these were just local dives, nothing extreme, and I take meticulous care if my dive gear. I threw away the light and bought a light and backup light from Nocturnal Lights which I’ve been using for several years now. After that incident, I ran into some old friends who had made the mistake of going to Beach Shitty Scuba for lessons. After getting their money and a few classes, they supposedly told them they couldn’t get certified. I had surfed and white water kayaked with this couple numerous times, so I knew their comfort in the water. We teamed up with another instructor and finished up their certification. They did fine I the water. Since I’ve heard of other complaints. I’ve been diving for over 30 years all over the world, starting in the Navy, and I advise you to find a better place to learn and shop. It is time dive shops like this learn to treat customers and fellow divers with the loyalty they so want and often expect themselves.

I came to the shop a couple of days ago with my friends, and they completely blew us off, the Asian guy simply ignored us, and they acted very snobby when questioned about the gear, yes I know I’m a beginner, but that’s why I came to the shop, wouldn’t recommend this place if you aren’t very familiar with the diving scene, no help what so ever.

Very ok store. We purchased a «scuba certification» Groupon through Beach Cities Scuba and had our «Pool dive» at Laguna Sea Sports. First of all, their pool is TINY. The pool was shared by our class of 7 students along with multiple other «private lessons». It was fishbowl carnage with people constantly kicking eachother. Simply not enough room. Limit the class sizes or get a bigger pool.
Second is their scuba equipment policy. If you are enrolled in a scuba class, you are NOT allowed to rent their masks and snorkels, etc. In other words, they try and make you purchase their incredibly over priced gear. As an avid free/​spear diver, I brought multiple set of gear to use for my GF and I in their «fish bowl». I was given an incredible amount of grief before they finally let me use my proper scuba split fins and $ 200 Mares free dive fins.
We came back the next day to finish the class (Another story — but we were told the pool class was 5 hours. FALSE — we started on time at 11:30am and were still in the pool at 6:30pm — at which point we said said «We have to go. Its Sat night and we have dinner plans»). CHOP, who did do his best to accommodate us the previous day, finally made Alissa (my gf) purchase a set of their booties and fins. He explained to us that his boss was very upset with him for allowing us to use a set of Mares free diving fins. Fine. Brian — our instructor for the day was great.
Finally — my last bit of beef is with their employee/​instructor Shane. A boothead with an attitude. I parked in an open parking spot in the parking lot and he came out and told me to move. And not politely. Already drained from the day before I asked if it was not their public parking lot… and I didn’t see a sign that said I couldn’t park there. Like a prick, he said it was for instructors only and there didn’t to be a sign. Just rude! Zero customer service. If it wasn’t for the fact that we had to use their pool to get certified, I would NEVER GO BACK.

I own my own gear but went here to refill between dives. I just bought a Blue Steel Faber 100cu steel cylinder and this was my first refill. They filled it up and I noticed the staff kind of struggling with it while filling it. My buddy and I paid and went off to prep for our second dive. When I hooked up my Octo to the cylinder it leaked severely so I took it back for them to take a look at it. At this point I was just concerned about my safety so I was not upset. When I got back to the shop the Asian guy there (didn’t get his name) was so quick to pass the blame to the tank manufacturer and didn’t care the slightest about my safety or that it may have been their fault. I explained to him that it looked slightly bent around where the O ring sits and that had to happen when they filled it. The guy actually said that all tank valves are bent like that which is total BS. He messed with it for a bit and changed the O ring out several times and got it working ok. I was able to dive but my buddy notice that the tank was leaking slightly the next dive and we cut the dive short.
I have been to the shop before and they have always been really helpful and friendly but I just felt like they needed to be quite a bit more concerned about this cylinder leak and my life potentially being in danger. Seemed like this Asian guy’s only concern was make sure they weren’t to blame.
Wont be back here.

This is the place where dreams come true. Where you can learn to breathe underwater in what is seemingly another planet – the sea! When I finally made the decision to earn scuba certification, Laguna Sea Sports/​Beach Cities Scuba supported me along the entire journey. From Open Water to 50+ dives later, I’ve had such a positive and exciting under their watch. I am now Rescue Diver certified, but not without the utter gratitude towards the dive shop team – Chob, Rob, Chase, Paul, B etc! Without their knowledge, expertise, kindness, and conscientiousness, I would not be the strong diver I feel that I am today.
When you sign up, they give you the material you need to take the courses and prepare for the pool/​ocean dives. The instructors both in the classroom and in the water were awesome, had a sense of humor, and kept the course fun and educational along the way. The beach dives are a bit tricky as you have to acclimate to carrying what feels like a ton of weight (but was actually ~60 lbs) up and down the stairs to the beach in a wetsuit! There’s also the option for a boat dive where you’re well-​taken care of and hauling a bunch of weight around isn’t an issue. Though beach dives or not, it’s totally worth it when you get wet. It certainly feels like a different world underwater, and the skills you will learn offer your neurons so much goodness. It’s sort of a therapy.
As for the gear (this is a pricey activity, so ready your wallets!), I was able to communicate to Chob my needs, goals, and financial limits, and he was so kind to listen, understand, and work with me. He was honest and sincere about gear options, pros and cons, and provided me with the tools I needed to make well-​informed decisions. Mind you I absolutely love diving, so I had to have the basics – BCD, wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, reg, computer, etc. It took some time to collect all my gear, but I am happy with what I have chosen.
All in all, with the support of the team at the shop, I’ve become a safe diver and am ready for more. The shop is right next to one of the sweetest local dive spots in socal and tanks are always full and ready to rent. This is the spot to dive with friends and munch on a burger across the street in between. I’m happy to have found this shop. And now I pretty much get to live my dream with each dive.

The only dive shop close to Laguna Beach to buy, rent, and fill tanks for diving. Rental is more expensive than many places I’ve been to ($ 90 for everything, $ 30 for aluminum tank). Time to get my own stuff!!! Bought several items here and left satisfied. Rented just fins here which I never used and was refunded. Also, left one brand new dive bootie at the shop and they were kind enough to coordinate with me and send it back via mail.
If ever in Laguna, this looks like it would be my go-​to.

I can’t tell you how relieving it is to work with a dive master who’s first priority is safety and awareness in diving! I didn’t do a «Group-​on» or weekend impulse desire to dive, I wanted the real thing. I am 53 years old with a few extra pounds ready to take on Tahiti with confidence. Thank you Greg Moss!!! You are the real thing!!!

Word of advice for those shopping here. If you buy something you won’t get your money back if you return it. You’ll get store credit. which is cool if you dive in that area alot because you can use that credit to rent tanks.

We cannot recommend this highly enough!
My girlfriend and I have both wanted to get certified — and in pops an email over the summer from Living Social which gave us the financial opportunity to finally do it. The classroom instructors were great (enthusiastic). Our pool coach was wonderful. The boat dives were challenging but super fun! Major thank you to Beach Cities Scuba for an incredible life-​changing experience — we can’t WAIT to go diving!

Had a great time getting my cert with the staff here at Laguna Sea Sports. My instructors Jay (dives 1&2) and Alex (dives 3&4) we’re very helpful and made me feel safe under water and on shore! The pool instructor Bill was also very knowledgeable. I had a good experience getting my certification done here and would recommend it to friends!
The only thing I would change, and would pay a bit more for, would be a shuttle service to pick you up at the top of the stairs. No biggie though. It’s all part of diving. Especially beach diving. Thanks to Chob, my dives were all scheduled and done the same weekend! Thanks to the entire staff at Laguna Sea Sports!

Laguna Sea Sports offers great diver education and knowledge of diving equipment. My wife and I took the open water diver course and were impressed with level of training and service we received. Chob has been great and has always made good recommendations for equipment that make sense. My only complaint is that I wish scuba diving wasn’t so addictive!

I took my scuba course here and was highly impressed and learned a lot. Jennifer Young-​Miller was my instructor and she was awesome. She moved the class right along course and took some time when it was needed for myself and other individuals to help with skills that were difficult. I would defiantly recommend this course, this location and Jennifer as a instructor.

When it comes to learning to dive, and your ability to use the skills underwater at depth it’s not something you want to take a shortcut on, it’s your lifeline.
My 12 year old Daughter and I had Tim W from Laguna Sea Sports AKA Beach Cities Scuba as our instructor. Tim was really amazing, as a seasoned diver he was able to make sure we went through the guides and tests and relate them to real world situations. Tim spent the time we needed on the really important items, he helped my 12 year old understand many of these new concepts.
The staff @ the store have been very helpful, we got GroupOn prices (A great deal), with products that are top quality and more expensive elsewhere.
On the boat, Dive 1 & 2 in the ocean, the boat was pretty full, but the captain and dive master made it a fun experience, everyone really enjoyed themselves.
For our 3^rd & 4^th dive, there had been a big storm 2 days before, the boat did not go out on the Saturday. The crew spent the time to visit 3 dive sites before determining the best (safe, visibility, surge, etc) for us, even although we went further up the coast, it turned out the be well worth it.
The most important thing for me was not getting PADI certified, which we did, but to feel confident and safe in the ocean, and make sure this is something Im ok doing with my daughter. With Tim’s guidance and the great training both in the textbooks/​exams and in the water, we have this and are looking forward to our next dive adventure. which we just booked !!!

My boyfriend and I got our basic PADI rec dive certifications here with a deal from Living Social. I have to say, I think they were great.
Jen instructed our classroom work which was interactive and interesting. She made sure each student understood all the concepts and shared some personal experiences over the years which helped us connect why we need to know the book material.
Chance instructed all our dives, pool and ocean. He was great, his instructions were clear and he was patient with anyone who struggled and offered useful suggestions for improvement.
It’s true that you will need to buy some equipment prior to doing the dives, but this is standard anywhere. Their prices are competitive and they can help you find the gear that best matches your preferences and price point.
We are looking forward to signing up for some Adventure dives soon!

Unethical. Bought a groupon for scuba diving certification and so far everything is extra and equipment that should be optional labeled as required. Then I bought some quality scuba diving fins that were featured in some scuba magazines and when we went to the pool dive… they said you can’t use those and we had to purchase some of their fins. I only hope that we can return them as they promised (but from the look of other reviews, that’s a fat chance). Also, why not just recommend that we rent their scuba fins if they are the only place that won’t allow them? Thinking of scuba diving, renting equipment, etc… don’t go to Beach Cities.

Just finished my advanced open water with Beach Cities Scuba and had a great time. Troy and Ron were both competent instructors and made the dives very enjoyable. If you are looking for a place to get certified in the Orange County area, this is it!

I got my certification at Beach Cities in September, and I had a great experience! I had Jen M. as my private instructor for the classroom, pool and open water sessions and I highly recommend her! She was so organized, made the classes super fun and she really made me feel comfortable in the water even when there wasn’t very good visibility. After getting certified in the ocean here, I felt confident I’d be able to dive in tropical waters. Thank you Jen!

I’ve had the most amazing experience at Beach Cities Scuba (all locations). But I had my PADI Open Water course pool time at Laguna Beach with the most awesome instructor ever… Jen! I have to say I was scared at first when pool time came, but Jen was thorough, super clear and super patient! She made it fun yet serious and not hard at all! Learning to scuba dive has been a great decision, the staff is so helpful and the prices for all the equipment are completely reasonable and they even have great discounts for students; I would definitely recommend BCS to anyone! Everyone I’ve had the pleasure of talking to: Chob, Troy (another great instructor) and Robb have made my underwater life transition the best!

I recently took private open water scuba lessons through Beach Cities Scuba & I had a great experience. I did my classroom time & pool dives with Troy who was great. He was very informative & easy to talk to. I then did my ocean dives with Jennifer. She was also amazing. She has a calming presence about her while being very patient & encouraging. She made my diving experience feel both safe & fun. I’m so happy I started diving. I can’t wait to do the advanced open water course. I’ll definitely be doing it with Beach Cities Scuba!

It’s unfortunate to see the couple of negative reviews below. As a café manager, I value the importance of personalized customer service. I can only speak for my experience with Mike, who works at the Laguna shop (they have 5 shops), Chob the course director, and the instructors with whom my wife and I have dived in the specialties toward our Master Diver cert: Troy, Ron, Mike and most recently Robb. They have, without exception, been extraordinarily helpful, courteous, and professional. The other reviews below may have been based on catching one of these staff, or perhaps another or former, on a bad day, but I give a most hearty two thumbs up.
As for pricing, I can’t speak for rentals (all necessary equipment rentals are included in the Open Water and Master Diver certifications. However, for the certification costs, they’re the most inexpensive I’ve seen (we purchased our OW through Living Social, but Master directly through them). Also, the staff that I have dealt with have been very knowledgeable about equipment. Their pricing is typically standard retail. From what I’m told, this is because they are an authorized merchant for the items they carry, so the manufacturer’s warrantees are honored, unlike some online sellers. However, I’ve found that they are fully willing to match competitor’s pricing.