Riverside Scuba

"Just finished the Rescue SCUBA diver course with Brandon off of the Sundiver dive boat. Brandon was very patient and took extra time to answer all of my questions. I had a lot of them. He demonstrated the skills I would need to perform and added in tips for making the skills most successful. Thanks again to Riverside SCUBA for the excellent training. I just finished the BLS, CPR, First Aid at Riverside Scuba with Nico as the instructor and Brandon as the assistant. What a training program. They really took the time to not only make sure I was familiar with the knowledge base of the course but also comfortable applying the training in a real world environment. Everything was very well explained and they were patient with all of my questions. I feel confident in the training I received and that I will be able to handle a situation that requires this type of training moving forward effectively and efficiently. Thank you Nico and Brandon for all of the help and the quality training. I am newer to snorkeling and decided it was time to upgrade from my cheapie snorkel gear. The staff were super helpful in making sure I got what would be useful for my needs and even gave me some time on certain things that would make my trips more enjoyable and less work. They also have an amazing inventory. Even gave me some tips on great local laces to go snorkel or even just practice. Wanted to give a shout out to Riverside SCUBA and Nico. Since my last post for Riverside SCUBA, I worked with Nico and Riverside SCUBA to gain an Open Water Certification. I am a little older and was concerned a bit by my age but Nico and his staff spent the extra time with me so that I felt confident in my skills and was able to complete the Open Water certification and begin enjoying the under sea world. Since completing my open water cert with him in November of 2022 I have continued with the fantastic training at Riverside SCUBA. With Riverside SCUBA I completed the Advanced Open Water course that has made me a much better diver. The level of knowledge shared is fantastic. With knowledge shard and training I received from Riverside SCUBA I have completed several specialty courses including search and recovery, Night Diver, Nitrox Diver, Deep Diver and, Wreck Diver. We also completed a dive to the HMS Yukon near Mission Bay San Diego to put the Deep Diver, Nitrox Diver and, Deep Diver all to use at the same time. What a fantastic program. I am now working with Nico and Riverside SCUBA to complete CPR, BLS, AED, and Oxy, training to go with the Rescue Diver program. Couldn't ask for a better group to learn from and dive with."

"I had a really great experience getting certified at Riverside Scuba. I had Brandon as my dive instructor, and he really went out of his way to schedule dives that fit with my crazy work schedule. I was able to learn a ton in a really short time frame, but there was always a clear emphasis on safety. I completed training feeling very qualified to dive safely and have a great time doing it. I highly recommend this dive shop, and Brandon especially, to anyone looking to get a start in diving."

"Absolutely loved getting certified with Riverside Scuba. I felt safe and well cared for during the whole process. Both Nico and Brandon were wonderful, accommodating and supportive and they had everything we could possibly need. I highly recommend using Riverside Scuba to get your SCUBA Certification!"

"Just finished my open water certification at Riverside Scuba! My dive instructor Nico shared with me all of his knowledge and wisdom. I feel super comfortable now in this new world of scuba and excited for the adventures to come! Thank you Nico!"

"STUDENTS BE WARE! READ THE REVIEWS! These are not good people to do business with. Nico is a dishonest instructor. My son scheduled dive lessons with this organization and made it as far as the classroom session. When my son reported for the poolside lesson the instructor, Nico, failed to show up or call on both days (8th and 9th). He wasn't heard from again until a couple of days later. Nico tried to reschedule my son, who is a full time student, for the 13th but my son told him that he was not available due to a very tight schedule. So Nico agreed to reschedule both the pool and open water lesson for the 18th. However, when my son reached out to him on the 17th to confirm Nico cancelled again. On the 18th Nico told my son that his lesson would be complete by the 23rd. My son called called Nico several times after the 18th to follow up with him and get specific times for the lessons. Nico did not return any of his calls. We spoke with Nico today, the 23rd and he completely denied not following up with our son. He also lied, saying my son failed to attend the rescheduled class and NEVER followed up. But the text records and call logs clearly show that my son kept Nico informed of his availability and attempted to reach out multiple times. So my wife and I called the dive shop to ask for a refund. While we spoke, Nico attempted to dominate the conversation by interrupting my wife in a short but assertive tone. When I began to respond in the same manner he quickly became frustrated and eventually hung up on us asking us not to call back. I called him back anyway, at which point he said there is nothing we can do about it and that we should take him to court. Nico has demonstrated a lack of integrity coupled with indifference. Not the characteristics of someone I would trust with the life of my son. After reading some of the reviews I see that we aren't the only ones who feel this way. Hire at your own risk."