Pinnacles Dive Center - Novato, California

Isabel Gervis

Used Pinnacles to do my pool work for Open Water Certification (my open water dives were done tropically). Mitch was a fantastic instructor - super experienced, straight and to the point, but I never felt rushed. We had a group of three students and he made sure each one of us practiced the skills before moving on, and gave feedback. The class was 8-2pm, and didn’t drag on at all.
Scheduling was also easy and Rick’s prices are the most competitive around. I would definitely go back!

S M

Ocean training was done by Jessica and Don. Jessica was very meticulous and by the book with her training. She was the best thing about our dive weekend. Don skipped steps or deviated from the lesson plan. Jessica had a hard time keeping him on track. I felt very safe diving with both instructors based on their experience level.

My only problems are as follows:

-Students had to pay to have their two rented tanks filled with air at a local dive shop in Monterey. Not only would both tanks have lasted for two dives, all the student were shocked that we had to pay 10 dollars to fill each tank with air. Air for all dives was allegedly included in the rental gear price, or so all students were led to believe.

-Minimal spare equipment was brought to the dive site incause of issues or replacement. We were told to go rent from the local Monterey dive shop if there was issues with our equipment. I’m sorry but well working equipment needs to be given in the rental. I dealt with a leaky regulator because no one had an O-ring replacement.

-Students were not fitted appropriately with wetsuits and staff fought with students who wanted a larger size.

-I was charged an insane amount to rent boots and fins for the dives because they were not included in the rental. When I asked on the phone how much a boot and fin rental was I was told it wouldn’t be that much. When I showed to get my equipment, I was charged over 50 bucks for the boot and fin rental. That is an insane price and I could have bought highly rated name brand boots and fins for just $40 bucks more.

Charlie Hunter

With a trip planned to Roatan in two weeks, I realized I had lost my Naui card from decades ago. Dave set up a program for me and within a week I had completed the PADI online class and the pool work. Dave was also instrumental in rushing through completion of new prescription goggles for my trip.
Thank you Dave, and the rest of the Pinnacles team.

Matt Swagler

Ian helped us get set up with initial gear, boots, fins and snorkel. The pool sessions got us through all of the standards and familiar with the equipment. Mitch and Rick did a great job coaching some of the nervous students and provided clear instructions. Exploring underwater is a blast and I felt comfortable after studying the material and working with them. We recently did a buoyancy class with Ian in the heated pool and had a really fun time learning how much you can control your position using breath control. The staff are very experienced, down to earth and observe good covid etiquette. I definitely recommend checking them out if you want to get into scuba or want to talk shop and geek out with some folks who love the sport.

Stephen Favetti

All of my experiences at Pinnacles have been exceptional, and it has quickly become my favorite dive shop. Everyone I have spoken to has been knowledgeable and helpful. For some reason my local shop was unable to order a tank I wanted, so I asked Pinnacles. Not only did they submit the order for me while they were on a dive trip in Mexico, but they went above and beyond to make sure the order was what I wanted. The company who shipped the tanks sent the wrong valves, and Pinnacles pulled ones from another set of tanks and set them up for me on the spot.

I also had the pleasure of working with Rick for all of my classes, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. He is extremely patient and has extensive experience diving a wide variety of equipment.

John Saguto

Very knowledgeable and super friendly. A full service dive shop. I buy many useful items to assist my diving and rent tanks and waights. I'm be a regular customer there.

Devon Croft

My 11 year old son earned his open water scuba certification through Pinnacles. He was expertly trained by seasoned professionals from start to finish. Most importantly, he had a blast and has developed a passion for the ocean. He's so proud of his accomplishment and we are so excited to be able to dive together as a family in Mexico. Thank you!!

Dave Johnson

Went in for a strap for my daughters mask. New mask strap given to me and installed for free!!
This type of behavior restores my faith in humanity. Officially my new dive shop!!