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I got Nitrox certified here and definitely want to come back for the dive trips offered by the shop! Mauri (the owner and my instructor) is highly knowledgeable and more importantly, patient and open in sharing that knowledge. He also places a huge emphasis on diver safety, with thorough briefings and debriefings. I'd only dived internationally up until recently, and now I realize that there's a huge difference between resort/tourist shops vs local ones like this one, which presumably have more repeat customers. But even among domestic dive shops, Mauri runs a tight ship. If you're new to scuba diving and feeling nervous, you'd be in good hands choosing this shop.
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A more detailed explanation of my experience with PSS Nitrox cert, which involves completing an e-learning module and then doing two training dives:
-When I inquired about doing a Nitrox cert, I received a thoroughly detailed email about my options. The staff (Sabrina and Mauri) were also upfront in letting me know about upcoming cable installations that could knock out wi-fi/phone lines for a few days.
-During my Nitrox e-learning, I sent a few questions about the PSS portal and received prompt responses.
-During our Zoom review of the e-learning module, I appreciated how Mauri only had positive things to say about my curiosity in asking tons of questions, and how he was willing to go down certain tangents not 100% pertinent to diving with nitrox.
-After I passed the exam, Mauri was SO communicative about dive dates. Due to the storms in California, we understandably had to reschedule several times, and I was impressed at how Mauri never dropped the ball on notifying me (and I assume other divers) about updated plans.
-On the actual dive date, we took our time in the shop (me with the next part of my nitrox learning, Tara with her divemaster training) and I got a sense that this shop is quite thorough with their inspections and safety procedures.
-One thing that particularly stands out to me was when Divemaster Tara was doing her briefing, and Mauri gave this suggestion: "tell new students that if something goes wrong underwater, you might suddenly grab their BCD (their strap in the chest area). Definitely do so for female students but it's good to tell male students too." This told me a few things: Mauri's seen a lot when it comes to new students panicking underwater. Mauri is considerate of other people's physical boundaries. Mauri has learned from any missteps in the past and is trying to implement better practices so his students don't fall into the same trap.
-After the dives, Mauri gave super detailed information about the steps to receive my certification card, as well as his upcoming travel, which would affect his email response time.
All in all, Mauri and his team definitely tend toward overcommunicating rather than undercommunicating, which is a VERY desirable thing when it comes to an activity like scuba diving! I picked up so much free knowledge just from watching how Mauri trained his dive master student.
Also: he and his wife Wendy (also a diver!) have two adorable huskies. Definitely a bonus every time I'm in the shop. - via 