Snorkel San Diego Scuba

I am a PADI diver and wanted to go with a group that my guide would be a PADI Instructor. I found out on the phone that all there guides are Assistant Instructors or higher. Went with them on two dives. My group was very diverse and very fun! Our first dive was to the kelp forest. Loved it!
I received help with my gear ( learned with a weight belt and warm water). They explained everything and brought it all for me :)
I even was pointed in the right direction for purchasing gear before I went home.
Maybe some people don't plan very well. But, I really, really, really enjoyed myself and was thrilled with everything from start to finish.
La Jolla Cove is such a wonderful place and even better with these guys/gals.
I really want to go with them again.
I will be back.
Thank you.

Posted 09/09/09 | Report Abuse

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This was quite fun! They give you everything you need, the best coaching and advice and guide you every step of the way. We had called last minute on a Sunday morning and they fit us in that same day in peak season in August. Friendly knowledgeable, well prepard in every aspect and made you feel so comfortable and safe. Highly recommended!!!

Posted 08/04/09 | Report Abuse

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We had a blast snorkeling with Margo and Stephanie on our vacation in June! They were very informative and friendly! Stephanie had so much patience swimming side by side with my sister-in-law who was pretty nervous about snorkeling! They made us feel very safe and answered all our questions! Swimming with the sea lions and having them take pictures of us was awesome!! Thanks so much for an unforgettable adventure! We loved every minute of it and will highly recommend these girls!!

Thanks
Mike, Lindsey, Brandon, Sara, Chelsey, and Shelbi
(The Colorado Gang)

Posted 07/15/09 | Report Abuse

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It was an in credible day. Not even summer yet and the water was so clear and beautiful. The sea lions swam with us! This place was great. Brought everything we needed. We just brought a towel and our swimsuits and cameras. I am so happy my dad talked into all snorkeling. We don't do this in the desert. It was really cool. And, yeah, felt stupid walking in fins, but it was so worth it~ Great!

Posted 04/19/09 | Report Abuse

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They are the best instructors in the world. My family is going to St. John for two weeks. As a surprise, I called Snorkel San Diego Scuba spoke with Stephanie (very sweet, it was like talking to one of college friend's from way back), together we put together the plans to have my husband, my two teenagers, and myself get certified quickly (Did I mention I am typing this from the airport? We finished yesterday). She came over with all the material for the course and Rich showed up the next day for our pool sessions. It was wonderful, we did everything in our own pool. The ocean dives were incredible (do you see I know the dive lingo, my kids may think I am cool now). Stephanie and Rich took us on our check out dive; we saw Giant Sea Bass, huge starfish, and sea-lions swam around us. I had no idea my backyard was one of the best dive sites in the world. We are all excited about St. John's. Thank you for all your hard work Stephanie and Rich and Everyone at Snorkel San Diego Scuba.

Posted 02/02/09 | Report Abuse

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Left a review on google, where I found them. I am here to let everyone know they were truly fantastic. I have two wonderful children that are little fish in the water. I booked a private tour at the request of my wife.
Rich and Stephanie made our tour of La Jolla Cove more than just another tourist event. They made it fun. Our kids played along the shore. Learned about the different sea life. The wetsuits fit perfect, that surprised me. Who knew you could get a wetsuit so little. We received the pictures this week the moment we arrived home.

Posted 09/22/08 | Report Abuse

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I just wanted to say that this was the most incredible romantic weekend my girlfriend and I have had in a long time.If I hadn't decided to take her for a weekend of snorkeling and scuba diving I would still be in the DOG HOUSE so to speak. See my nickname is Ooh-Rah. It's because I'm a Marine(DAM PROUD OF IT). That's a saying that's a permanent part of our vocabulary.The reason I speak of it, is because it's what made me want to write this review. I didn't tell anyone of my affliation with the USMC so I could make sure they were safe,professional and family orientated.It's just being a JAR HEAD!When I am not on land I am in the water, so the water is almost second nature to me. Not only were they everything I expected and wanted they were 100% more. Stephanie(the leader of the group) watched over this big group of clients as I would my unit.She was very thorough,protective and always had our backs. My girlfriend was timid at the begining because of her lack of experience and Stephanie was so patient and loving that it was as if they were best friends for years. Matter of fact, my girlfriend saw so many beautiful sea creatures and plant life that she felt like we were on a pretend honey moon! I was so impressed that I told all my brothers at Camp Pendleton they need to take their ladies too. Plus the price fits a Marines pay. And Rich( my friend) you would of been a great Marine with your sense of calm yet quiet strength. You two make a great team! So Thanks Snorkel San Diego Scuba!-guess who's not sleeping in the dog house?

Posted 09/17/08 | Report Abuse

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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My girlfriend surprised me with a trip to San Diego for my birthday. The first day there we meet up with the people from Snorkel San Diego Scuba for our tour around La Jolla Caves. Everything was so incredible. The sea lions came right up to us. We even saw some crazy looking squid and tons of fish that followed us everywhere. We went to Sea World the next day, but snorkeling was by far the best time, other than the night life in downtown.

These guys at Snorkel San Diego Scuba are very cool. It shows they love it!

Posted 09/15/08 | Report Abuse

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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I am so HAPPY I found a public forum to BRAG about a Company that TOTALLY DESERVES IT!
I live in The Bay Area, and was down in San Diego visiting some friends and they wanted to snorkel. I myself am a little scared of the water, but thought it would be a fun time.
When we arrived, the Instructors had all of our gear waiting for us...They asked our sizes in advance so EVERYONE had something that fit PERFECTLY..they taught us how to put on wetsuits, booties, how to breathe through a snorkel most importantly!..being from out of town, they were EXTREMELY educated in the habitat of the water we were in and told us all about the history of the Cove before we left..LOL..but thing that IMPRESSED me the most was the SAFETY these divers took with us. Everyone in our group wore Bright Gloves, all the same color so we could easily spot out our group, they taught us proper signals to use while in the water...and most of all they were PATIENT!
You get what you pay for and more with these folks..I would have paid DOUBLE! I will DEFINITELY suit up with them the next time I am in San Diego!
Thank you Rich, Stephanie and Margo for making our trip a BLAST!

Posted 09/12/08 | Report Abuse

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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i went diving went these guys and had to be saved by the lifeguards. my guide was unable to help me for whatever reason and the lifeguard at la jolla cove had to come to my rescue. my bcd would not inflate and so i couldnt stop sinking. my guide shouldve known to drop my weights but they were still on when the lifeguard got to me. not really a good deal.

Posted 09/08/08 | Report Abuse

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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this seems to be the only outlet to voice my opinion about these people where anyone is listening. This "company" is a fraud. They have no business address, the pictures on their website are from haiwaii not san diego, impromptu - not organized, not affiliated with anyone in san diego except for another bad "company" unrealfind. These guys are a fraud and should be shut done. thanks.

Posted 09/08/08 | Report Abuse

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I wanted to be the first to take my daughters snorkeling. I had not went in many years and the staff from March V adventures, Margo, Rich and John made this experience more then fun. There knowledge of the area and the energy they displayed really took away all concerns and fears my daughters might have had. They gave us all the equipment we needed, and was in excellent condition. I would highly recommend them as a guide and am glad to have had there years of knowledge make our experience way above even my own expectations. Thanks so much we will see you guys again!!
Karl K

Posted 09/05/08 | Report Abuse

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Fantastic! From the time I made the call to the time I left the dive it was great. I arrived early to be sure I wouldn't have parking problems and the guide from Snorkel San Diego Scuba was already set up and waiting for me and my buddy. She reviewed the equipment we would be diving in and discussed our dive plans and what to expect. She even told us she always dives with a plan b in the event visibility is not so great. I liked hearing that! Well, the visibility was terrific and I can't believe how big those giant bass get (bigger than the sharks, little guys). We were out for around 70mins and it was incredible. We saw everything and the funniest thing we ended our dive right back next to the steps of the cove. Navigating like that takes some skill. Very impressive.

We went back to dive with them the next day at La Jolla Shores Canyon; figured we should get some use out of our advanced cert. We were told that the two places even though so close together are very different, so true. There were thousands of sand dollars on the way to the canyon edge and so many octopus and sea hares right along the edge.

It is not often that a company this small can deliver so big. Their promote and polite and it really shows they love San Diego. I want to bring my girlfriend to get certified with them next time I am out here, since she just won't dive the lake back home.

Posted 08/31/08 | Report Abuse

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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This time I brought my entire family and mother-in-law. She complains about everything (don't get me wrong, I love her). Well, she had such a good time. We surprised her with the trip to San Diego and took her snorkeling. I don't think I have seen her smile that big (except for my wedding day). Once again this was so cool. The sea lions were with us the entire time!

Posted 08/28/08 | Report Abuse

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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My best friend and I learned to scuba dive as most of us in Arizona do, in the desert. We decided it was time to really DIVE. California here we come! Now mind you we considered Mexico and other places like that, but we heard the diving in San Diego was worth it. We started surfing the web to find the right place to guide of on "Discover Local Diving. Can you tell I'm PADI? I came across Snorkel San Diego Scuba and the reviews were fantastic. When I called I got all my questions answered; I had a lot. They sent us all our info. At our morning dive we met Stephanie and Rich, so nice and alert. My BF and I were tired but ready! As a new diver I worried I would do poor in real elements of nature. She has a way about her that makes diving so comfortable. Once we were in the kelp Rich showed us some cool stuff. We saw seal lions; tons of fish, a giant crab, shark, and dolphins were in the water. I may have had the best dive (they said). It felt like another planet and my planetary guides were so welcoming. Thank you Stephanie, Rich and everyone at www.snorkelsandiegoscuba.com.

Posted 07/28/08 | Report Abuse

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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We are a group of experienced divers new to the San Diego area. When we finally decided to get our fins wet again, we figured we had better go with a local guide. All of our dives have been in warmer, clearer waters, so the cold water and kelp beds were very new to us. We picked Snorkel and Scuba San Diego off the net and gave them a call. Right away I knew we had made the right choice. Margo answered the phone and her love of diving came through!! Had she not been so excited that we were going to dive in La Jolla for the first I might have chose another company, but she was GREAT help, and I couldn't help but look forward to our dive. On the day of our dive we were running a little late and had to call Stephanie, our guide, and let her know we were coming, she was cool and told us no problem. We got to the Cove and she was waiting for us, keeping a look out, she spotted us from down the road, waved us down told us where to unload, where to park, helped us get our gear out and everything. She then went on to tell us EVERYTHING we would need to know about the dive site and other sites in the area. She told us what fish we would see, the course, compass heading, everything. We donned our gear, 7mm wetsuits and hoods, extra weight and all, then headed down the steps. Stephanie had a camera ready and she took lots of pictures of us heading out on our adventure. She led the dive and Rich backed us up. I felt completely at ease with them there, and that was a good thing, the visibility was lower than we were used to. Stephanie and Rich kept a close eye on us, checking our air and keeping us together. I began having some mask flooding problems and had to surface about five minutes before everyone else did, my dive buddy and Rich surfaced with me and we paddled our way onto the shore. I would totally recommend them to any new or experienced divers looking to get out in our local waters!! We would go back with them again anytime! Stephanie and Rich made an outstanding guide team and their experience in the water shines through in how well they dive. The navigation was perfect, the help was amazing, and the dive was FANTASTIC.

Posted 07/11/08 | Report Abuse

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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From my first phone call from Boston through the entire dive, the service was fantastic. I did the 6:30 AM dive on a Tuesday which was a perfect way to get do some diving without taking away from my family vacation. La Jolla Cove was easy to get to and very quiet at that hour. Stephanie was ready to go with all the equipment required for someone from out of town. She was very thorough in her explanation of the area right down to the details of where to watch your step as you enter the water. She was an expert guide and made me feel safe throughout the dive especially when navigating under tricky kelp beds upon entry and exit. I liked it so much I immediately signed up for another dive the next morning.

Posted 07/08/08 | Report Abuse

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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I arrived around 0615, to find my guide, Stephanie waiting for me. She had my gear ready and reviewed it with me. We adjusted my weights and talked about the location we would be diving, La Jolla Cove ecological reserve. The shore had kelp washed up on it and the cove was covered in a kelp canopy; there were small swells coming in from the south west. I told her about myself and my experience diving in warm water; it turns out Stephanie is one of the rare divers that knows she is in a great location to dive and has always dove the California Coast and Pacific Coast of Mexico and the Islands in both locations. Needless to say she knows cool water diving with variable visibility. When we got in the water she told me where we were going and the path we would take. We dropped down immediately upon entering, the visibility was about 4+, didn't phase her, she took my hand and navigated us out to the buoy, within minutes we were in beautiful kelp forests, teaming with life, with 15+ visiblity. Tons of the orange Garibaldi (spelling unsure), Sheep head, Kelp bass, perch, and so much more. A harbor seal went by us at about 30ft. After sometime time we were on the move again over, around and under kelp. Toward the end of the dive we entered the area of 4+ she checked the gauges and we were at 10ft we surfaced at the sea lions and were right on course and had really used our air wisely. She lead us back under the kelp canopy and right to shore. It was wonderful. The morning was great. Did I mention Stephanie is not a big girl, but knows her stuff. She mentioned off hand that she and her husband are instructors for PADI. No wonder, even with almost no visibility to start our dive she found the area of visibility, sea life and created such a great dive environment.If you can't tell I am a fan. Been all around the world it makes a difference having a good, confident, and fun guide.

Posted 07/01/08 | Report Abuse

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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I got lost on the way to La Jolla Cove; parking was crazy, but I found a spot in a parking garage.
As soon as I crossed the street my guide found me. It was wonderful; I wasn't unsure if I would find her with all the people there. She immediately started talking with me about where I was from what I do, very personable. When every one arrived she explained snorkeling and the ecological reserve we would be in.
When we went into water I couldn't keep the water out of my mask and was breathing water not air through my snorkel. She turned me around, had me knell in about 2 feet of water and she demonstrated and explained the mask and snorkel, again. Within minutes two guides were on either side of me helping me as I looked at beautiful fish. Stephanie then took my hand and lead the tour all around the cove. She moved swimmers and snorkelers carefully out of our path all the while pointing out fish and guiding us. It was wonderful.
I felt fantastic and in no way did she ever make me feel like I couldn't do it. I want to snorkel again.
Did I mention I haven't swam in over 10 years, until this day.
It was the highlight of my trip to San Diego.

Posted 06/22/08 | Report Abuse

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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Went out with these guys on a tour yesterday. I am local San Diego, but had never went snorkeling here and really wanted someone to show me the good spots plus have the safety of a tour guide. We saw some pretty cool stuff! tons of fish, beautiful kelp and underwater grasses. It was so amazing!

Posted 06/20/08 | Report Abuse

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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I agree with what I am reading. I will ask for Stephanie again. She was so very nice and knows her stuff, but isn't stuffy. She reminds me of our guide we had in Mexico. She made the snorkel so fun and worth the money.

Posted 06/19/08 | Report Abuse

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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Well, I didn't call them first, but I am glad I called. First place we called never called us back. This place was great. Brought everything we needed. We just brought a towel and our swimsuits. They were very professional. Safety and Fun were always number one with our guide. Great!

Posted 06/19/08 | Report Abuse

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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Well, I didn't call them first, but I am glad I called. First place we called never called us back. This place was great. Brought everything we needed. We just brought a towel and our swimsuits. They were very professional. Safety and Fun were always number one with our guide. Great!

Posted 06/19/08 | Report Abuse

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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Ok, so here is how our day started: Wanted to dive the cove, but with the huge surf and terrible visibility how guide told us not to come down and we scheduled for the jetty. Well, I had heard stories that it sucked, let me tell you. It was FANTASTIC! Our guide Stephanie was wonderful. She was helpful and knowledgeable. There was a guy bragging about all his dives around the world, but set his gear up wrong. She merely walked over with out being mean or rude and said, "I bet if we turn this and move this your gear will feel great and you'll like the fit." Now, I am not mean, but I would have laughed at the guy. In the water Steph took pictures and never was too fast or too slow. She found all kinds of life for us too. Only one person was caught by a fisherman, but Steph saved the day and the diver keep the hook. :) Thank you! We will be back.

Posted 06/19/08 | Report Abuse

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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I just started diving and I went out with them to La Jolla Shores for my first real dive. I had an absolutely great time, truly awesome! I saw thousands of squid, a bunch of seals and an octopus.

I recommend them to everyone, they're the very best.

Posted 06/19/08 | Report Abuse

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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The snorkeling at La Jolla Cove was beautiful yesterday. We spent a great sunny afternoon cruising along the surface of one of the most amazing snorkel sites I have ever experienced. Fish, rays, our guide even showed us an octopus. The Seals were SO funny. Our guides form www.snorkelsandiegoscuba.com were fun, safe and very professional. They are the best. Great Guides, Great Company, Great Day.

Posted 06/19/08 | Report Abuse

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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