The Finest Scuba Instruction in Southern California
As the largest scuba school in the United States, PCH Scuba can teach you everything about diving, from your initial PADI Open Water certification that will let you play in southern California's underwater forests, to advanced diving techniques on everything from wrecks to oil rigs. PCH Scuba will give you the training you want and provide the attention you need because we use multiple instructors in every class that we teach. We invite you to read our reviews on Yelp from students who learned to dive with us.
Read MoreExploring Your Home Waters
PCH Scuba charters top of the line dive boats here in southern California waters for trips to both familiar and unique dive sites surrounding the Channel Islands. From Farnsworth Bank on the windward side of Catalina to a relaxing Catalina Weekend Getaway, we are thrilled to share with you our favorite sites. We have trips perfectly suited for every level of experience and can satisfy your hunger for exploration.
Read MoreUnbiased Advice
PCH Scuba is not a dive shop—we don't sell gear—so we can give you our unvarnished opinion on every piece of dive gear we've come into contact with. We'll be happy to help you build your gear package, making sure you source the right gear for your style of diving, and get the competitive price you're expecting. The PCH Scuba dive staff has rich experience in underwater photography, wreck diving, tec diving, night diving and even, occasionally, warm water tropical diving, so tell us what gear you're curious about, and we'll give you the benefit of our experience!
- Scuba Training
- Local Dive Trips
- Equipment
Scuba Certification
We teach:
- Open Water
- Advanced Open Water
- Enriched Air Nitrox
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Wreck Diving
- Deep Diving
- Search and Recovery
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The PCH Scuba Difference
In Southern California, we are lucky to have a large population and fantastic diving, which means there are a wealth of choices to consider when it comes to picking a group for your scuba certification. We stand by our mission statement and would like to detail some of the things that we feel make us the best choice for your hard earned money.
Attitude
PCH Scuba's staff is passionate about diving and that comes through clearly when you attend one of our scuba certification classes. But passion does not mean gung-ho. Certainly for people just coming into the lifestyle of scuba diving, they may be apprehensive that there will be a lot of barking of commands, stern looks and possibly even yelling. That could not be farther from our teaching philosophy. We feel it is our job to coach you through the process, not badger you. Scuba should be safe first and foremost, but right after safe, it should be fun! We build an encouraging environment in our classes, on our boats and during our international trips so that you can seek the level of adventure you're comfortable with.
Self Reliance
We are proud that the majority of our scuba instructors and divemasters are home grown! Amy Desuza, Daniel Hienzsch, Stu Mclellan, Kelly Compton, Kim Mahl, Casey Mahl, Shelley Fox, Kuo Fox and Daniel Rom all trained up through the ranks of PCH Scuba and were mentored by the founder, Brett Bovard. We're excited that our community has supported the growth of these individuals and we continue to provide an environment that supports others as they grow to learn how much scuba means to them.
Options
We provide a variety of ways for new divers to become certified, and you will be able to choose any number of ways to complete your open water scuba certification. Our standard class features two weekends, with the second weekend spent entirely on Catalina diving at Casino Point. Generally, most students love the free time on the island this style of class accords. However, we have multiple dive boats, trips to Catalina Island and regular beach dives, any combo of which allows individuals of any budget to complete their training in the most cost effective manner. Most importantly, we feel it is vital that once you've worked hard to complete your certification, that you have the opportunity to continue to dive and we will make every effort to provide you with those opportunities.
Availability
Every member of PCH Scuba's staff is regularly available on Facebook, email or on the phone. We are your dive consultants, ready to answer any question you have, help you find a dive operator for your vacation, get you directions to the boat and locate the one piece of gear to complete your setup.
Community
The PCH Scuba Community is our single, greatest asset. Through PCH, you have access to a world of divers dedicated to making sure that each boat trip, each tropical vacation, each class - literally every contact you have with PCH - is safe and fun. No one ever worries about finding rock solid buddies on our boats; no one will ever have to worry about the quality of their training. The community we've built exists to support each and every member of it and we welcome you to join us!
The Bottom Line
PCH Scuba is different. You will spend less money—get better value for the money you do spend—have more fun, and feel more relaxed. Take a moment to learn more about the PCH Scuba Community or read all about our Open Water Scuba Certification. When you're ready, head straight over to our Online Store to reserve your spot and begin your underwater adventure!