Aaron's Dive Shop - Two-Tank Introductory Boat Scuba Diving
Overall Rating
4.62
Outstanding!
Reviewed by: Mike, 2013/12/03This is, by far, Oahu's top dive shop. Before beginning to dive, I shopped around, spoke with various instructors, and got a pretty good feel for what was available. In the end, I selected Aaron's and it turned out to be an awesome decision. All of the employees, whether they be sales associates, divemasters, captains, or instructors, are very professional, friendly, and immensely helpful. When it comes to diving, safety is always their first priority and they go to great lengths to ensure each diver is as comfortable as possible, both on the surface and underwater. There is no pretentious acting, bad attitude, or disrespect whatsoever; these guys are down-to-Earth, honest, and treat you like old friends. The number of people on a charter is kept small making every dive trip an enjoyable experience (I can say this with quite a bit of confidence after doing over two dozen dives with them from the boat), and the crew goes out of its way to cater to each person individually. This is the only operation I will dive with from now on, and if anyone expresses an interest in scuba this is where I tell them to go.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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fantastic dive shop!
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2013/02/14The staff was great for a repeat diver and a fairly new diver. Super helpful and careful. Boat driver helpful and funny. Felt a bit rushed in between dives due to traffic. The shipwreck was fantastic! Cant wait to go back and dive with them again.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Nervous mainlander
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2011/06/29I have to admit I was pretty nervous about my first experience. I am from the mainland, born and raised, and really haven't spent much of any time in waters other than YMCA swimming pools!
But from the minute I got there the guide was so friendly and welcoming. As shy as I am, I felt completely comfortable and at ease. THIS in itself made the trip for me.
But then we got in the cove, and oh my gosh! The number of fish and ocean critters we saw were amazing! A whole new world was opened up to me, and I LOVE it! Go on this tour, for sure!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
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Dive Trip
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2010/09/23Good time. Very friendly crew. Thank you.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Great Dive Trip
Reviewed by: Mike, 2010/08/30Took the trip as an introductory dive. Great dive masters, very knowledgeable and accommodating. Great dive site, saw lots of turtles, fish, corals, etc.
My only recommendation would be to do some dive training at home. I had some trouble equalizing my ears and almost a week later, still have some issues. Nothing painful but uncomfortable.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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To our friends at Aaron's Dive Shop
Reviewed by: Bruce and Liz, 2010/06/02I can't thank you enough for your assistance and professionalism working with us while we were in Hawaii. You were recommended by my son serving in the Navy, based in Pearl Harbor. My (newly open water certified) daughter and I wanted to dive while we were in Hawaii. We had a very small window of opportunity available and you made it possible for us to have a dream come true dive in Shark's Cove. Our instructor/guide Josh came in on his day off to take us on two amazing dives. With Josh's leadership we saw many species of fish, spiny starfish, eels, swam through lava tubes, along walls of lava all with 100+ visibility. Liz and I could not have imagined more perfect dives, or a better guide. Thank you for being flexible to our schedule, and helping us have the time of our lives. If we have the opportunity to visit Oahu again, we will be sure to call ahead.Thank you.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Great Experience
Reviewed by: Dennis Willing, 2010/05/29This was my 1st saltwater dives, so I didn't know what to expect. Jeff and Melanie were outstanding and took good care of us. They made the entire experience a great one.
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| Attended as: | Families |
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Certified!
Reviewed by: Danielle & Andy, 2010/05/20I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the amazing experience while we were there. Andy and I were certified during our stay on Oahu and we are so stoked!! Cameron was an awesome instructor, as was the rest of the staff at Aaron's. So kind, helpful, and friendly! We had such a great time. I cannot think of a better beginning for 2010 and an experience we will never forget.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Intro to scuba
Reviewed by: JayandAdrienne, 2009/06/17This was our first time attempting scuba diving. Jeff was very informative, helpful and patient. We went to two different sites for our 2 tank dive. He even went so far as to jump into the water and check the visibility; to see if it was a good site. We felt this excursion was a value for our money. He explains everything in detail before going out on the boat, and made sure everyone was comfortable before proceeding forward with the dives. All in all this experience has made us want to become certified.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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PADI Open Water Certification
Reviewed by: HK, 2008/04/18I've always wanted to be a certified scuba diver, and I'm so glad that I just decided to do it finally. The instructors at Aaron's Dive Shop were very professional and friendly, and they made the whole process easy. I had to do a bit homework but it was totally worth it, and I got to learn a lot. They answered all the questions I had, and explained throughly until I understood. So by the time I finished all the academics, I had a confidence to go underwater and play!
The two dives took place in Hawaii Kai, and I got to swim with a lot of Hawaiian sea turtles! They are the most relaxing animals. I also go to see some octopus, eels, etc.
I am now a certified diver, and I am ready to move on to advanced diver course. Thank you Aaron's Dive Shop!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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First Timer
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2008/03/15We've never done a scuba diving before so we were a bit afraid of it, but we ended up having a great time. The divers were very safety-oriented, friendly and patient. Actually, one of my friends had to be escorted to the surface because he was not aware that he was running out of air!
The sea was a bit rough that day, so I did my portion of throwing up. TAKE A MOTION SICKNESS MEDICINE if you are prone to seasickness. It's not fun.
Overall, excellent experience though. Thank you!
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| Attended as: | Families |
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Top Notch Operation
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2007/12/12Very safety conscious and good people at Aaron's in Kailua. I'm doing my open water certification now (the intro course) with them now. These guys are passionate, patient, and enthusiastic to introduce new divers to the sport. I recommend Aaron's over some of the higher-volume Waikiki-based operations because they're very well-established with locals / military personnel, so it's not so much a numbers operation (not to say anything bad about any of the operations in Town as I haven't experienced them, nor do I care to).
Regarding a previous comment, as a first-time diver on vacation a few years ago I greatly preferred skipping a pool and getting right into the ocean on my first day-dive. Time in the ocean vs a few hours back / forth and in/out of a pool is precious. Comfort of starting in a pool must depend on a person's individual comfort level, but I would think any credible operator will follow the same precautions in the ocean that they would in a pool. Good think to ask about
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Aaron's Dive Shop
Reviewed by: Susan Stepovich, 2007/05/24I ended up not diving because I was uncomfortable and a little afraid with the idea of actually scuba diving. I also felt very quesy from the boat ride. The staff was nice and understanding about my decision, they were not irriatated or pushy. They did however not offer to refund my money though, which I am ok with since I guess I technically tried, (ie had all the gear on and entered the water-only to quickly get back on the boat). I feel that a two tank dive is too much activity for a new diver and that a pool lesson would have made me more comfortable. A ten minute video shown in the van on the way to the boat is not acceptable. I would only recommend this activity to certified divers.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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