Scuba Schools of America

I would definitely advise my family and friends to chose SSA Montclair and Jeff as an instructor if they wanted to learn diving. The classes were well planned and very enjoyable. In two weeks I was able to earn the basics of SCUBA diving and have my first dive in Catalina Island. My first ocean dive was very memorable, the trip was well planned and it was assuring to have a professional instructor guide you through the dive. I found the training to be very reliable and minimized to a great extent the anxiety of being in the ocean for the first time. Overall it has been a great experience, I cannot wait to dive again and go back to the store for the best advice on gear and some more classes. SSA Montclair team, great job! Thanks again Jeff for all the good work. more

Rusty and the SSA Staff--I wanted to thank you for the high quality experience both you and Jeff gave us during our Open Water classes, both in and out of the water you made me and my son both feel comfortable with what we are learing. When we made it to the ocean the crew on the Second Stage made us feel at home and we had a great two days of diving. Thanks for the great experience! We will be back for more training soon. more

Private classes with my Instructor were quite amazing and highly recommended. more

I want to take this opportunity to thank you, Rusty for everything. You and your entire staff have been great! It took me 50+ years to decide to take up SCUBA and I am glad that SSA Monclair was there to provide expert instruction, guidance on equipment and encouragement in the classroom, in the pool and in the open ocean. Please pass on my thanks to Jeff, Paul, Mike Butler and Nicki for accommodating me and my schedule and for making my first experiences in the underwater world such a blast. Thanks for your expertise in outfitting me with the best equipment and for insisting on safetry first. Thanks also for your patience as I learn and for inviting me into your family of enthusiastic divers. Keep up the great work and bring on the advance classes! Cheers! more

The employees are courteous and very well informed about their products. more

I have had experiences at at least 10 dive shops over the past 8 years of diving. I have sat in on classes, purchased gear, gotten air fills. I can say with complete certainty SSA Montclair is by far the elite of shops. The "Safe Air" program is top notch. The customer service is amazing. Every person on staff goes out of the way to be sure your getting the instruction you need and truly care about your experience. I was certified open water Padi. The level of instruction I received was poor at best. The SSI program literature is totally up to date as where the Padi text had not seen an update since the 70s. I have several friends certified at other shops and I now know after sitting in on SSA's class lectures the instruction is night and day. These guys will keep you ALIVE. I have signed up for as much instruction as time will permit. Cant get enough. It has been my experience the normal feel of walking into a new dive shop is not really a warm feeling. Usually the staff acts like there Professional status as a instructor or Dive master gives them the right to be arrogant and cocky as if you know nothing and your there to make them work. SSA is the only store I have felt welcomed to like a family member. Really a great staff! If your interested in scuba diving I can promise you will be 100 % satisfied with SSA. Your education will be the best you can get. In closing this shop can take you from entry level open water to the most of advanced technical diver. To my knowledge this cant be said about any other shop in Southern California. I could go on forever. Wow what a great Shop ........Thanks! more

I have been an active professional and recreational diver for nearly 34 years and have worked with numerous dive shops on both coasts. During this time I have worked with dive shops all over the country and consider myself to have a good sense of the industry standard for customer support and relations. I have been a costumer at SSA since 2007 when I was referred to the shop for their excellent support and training for Rebreather diving. The rebreather training I received was superb and I continue to be impressed with SSA’s approach to dive training and their emphasis on safety and dive planning. When I went over the rebreather training requirements with Rusty, he made it clear, in writing, what was covered by the tuition and what was not (boat trips, text book, equipment). This policy is a industry standard and is largely due to the fact that many new divers take their initial training at home, but finish their checkout dives while on a trip abroad. Diving is a gear intensive sport and SSA provides support and knowledge for the wide variety of gear that is necessary to safely participate in the sport at all levels. SSA’s prices are comparable to other dive shops and their inventory is superior to most shops. SSA offers an excellent return policy that exceeds the industry standard. On the rare occasion that I have identified a point of miscommunication, Rusty worked quickly to resolve the issue in a way that was extremely fair and has gone to great lengths to make sure my concerns were addressed. Finally, I am very impressed with SSA’s ability to take out a large group with a broad diversity of diving skills and make it a fun and safe trip for all. more

Scuba Schools of America is one of the most professional outfitters I have ever used. I have been diving with this company for more than 7 years. I have had my products repaired and/or exchanged if needed without incidence. The employees are courteous and very well informed about their products. They offer some of the best international dive trip packages around. I feel one of their strongest points is diver safety and their education and equipment promotes that! I have yet to be disappointed by SSA in Montclair! more

I've been diving with the guys and gals at Scuba Schools of America for more than four years now, and I can honestly say, I would not dive with any other dive group. I have always received superior customer service and support from the crew at SSA. When it comes to scuba instruction, diver safety and customer support, they have it down to a tee. The staff live and breathe SCUBA. When I want to know about the latest SCUBA gadget or training technique, I head to the shop for a SCUBA update. They are always enthusiastic about upcoming trips, club meetings and just getting out on the water. I feel at home with the staff and instructors, they have become my scuba family. This is what SCUBA is all about! more

Working with Rusty Berry at Scuba Schools of America has been a rewarding and very satisfying experience. He has taught me how to scuba dive safely while maximizing the fun factor. He has also help me to advance to more experienced levels of diving like wreck diving, deep diving, and rebreather diving. The cost for my education and equipment was never hid nor sugar coated. Life support equipment by its very nature tends to be a bit pricey at times. I find it laughable that some people think they can learn how to scuba dive and get certified all for a low price. I would think an intelligent person would take the time to get all information about scuba diving training instead of belly aching about their show deal didn't include this and didn't include that. more

I have been a customer of Scuba Schools of America for many years. Rusty and his staff have always gone the extra mile to satisfy my needs. When I have had any issue with equipment or training Rusty has come threw. Thanks for the education,support and exciting diving adventures. more

My husband and I decided to try scuba out and found SSA quite by accident. I had never thought about diving but after a tryout in the SSA pool I found it was really easy. The best thing about SSA's staff was that they weren't pushy about anything. We took our time.We could practice in their pool whenever we wanted to,and still do. We did get our dive gear from them and are very happy because it fits us perfectly. I would recommend them to anyone seeking a program that cares about their divers. We have even signed up on an upcoming trip to Africa with them. more

Wow!!!! What a divestore should be!! These guys are the real deal. They give it to you straigh and are interested in training you the right way. I checked into over nine different stores before I picked SSA. I tried some wingnut in Upland and the Sport Chalet guys....what a bunch of knuckle heads!! I got to dive warm in a drysuit, no weight belts and they didn't push me into a fast class with the wrong equipment....I would only go to SSA! more

i was SSI certified here and it was a great experience. they have there own pool and the classes are not boring at all. The entire staff is helpful and willing to work with you. For example, due to my commute and late schedule i was unable to get there on time for class but they stayed over an hour for me to get there every class period. They also have a decent prices on gear. more

More than willing to help with your requests in the retail store and repairs right on the spot - The best customer service in town! more