Lois Ann Dive Charters

The weather was raining and wasn’t sure it was going to be a good dive or not. The captin said if we didn’t dive he would make it up on another trip. we decided to give it a try. the dive was great after we got in the water we had good viz and nice dives. The crew was great and feed us after every dive. They treated us good and made sure every thing was good. Thank you for the great time I had on your boat. Looking ford to the next time. 5 star

I originally had booked a morning dive with this company, and the dive was initially confirmed via phone with an individual named Eric. He called about two weeks before the dive and said that the website was wrong, and that the kelp dive was in the afternoon. I had to rearrange some things, but that wasn’t a big deal.
The day before we departed, I checked the website to confirm the time for the afternoon dive. I found it odd that the website was still incorrect with the Kelp dive in the morning and the wreck dive in the afternoon, so I had my friend call first thing in the morning and confirm the time.
On the website, the kelp dive was still scheduled for the morning, and the wreck dive said it started at 3 PM. Realizing that it was still wrong, I just planned to be there 30 minutes before the 3 PM dive.
He doesn’t call my friend back until 1 PM only to wonder where we are. He said we needed to be there at 12:30, and that he needed to go since people were waiting. Not only was the website wrong about the type of dive in the afternoon, it was also wrong about the time of the dive. He stated that it was leaving at 12:30, not 3 PM. In addition, when my friend called in the morning to confirm, he called us back too late.
I expressed my concern over the multiple website errors and the delayed phone call that morning, and he said he’s «not good with computers.» We ended up missing the dive because the website stated the wrong time and the phone call that morning was not returned promptly. He did not apologize, and only said «I’m not going to charge you.» Given that I drove down from Los Angeles to make the dive, I was very upset with the poor customer service.
A majority of business is conducted via the internet, and it seemed disorganized that his website remained incorrect for weeks. Even if he isn’t good with computers, phone call confirmations the day before might reduce confusion.
I would not recommend this company at all because of the disorganization and the lack of apology for when things went wrong. If you want an organized operation that has adequate follow-​up with good service, I would recommend Waterhorse Charters. I have never had problems with them and the staff are prompt and helpful.

I spent a full day on the Lois Ann; 1 wreck and 2 kelp dives in the morning with Divemaster Brian, and 2 wreck dives in the late afternoon with Divemaster Pam. This is a well-​equipped boat with a capable, fun crew. Captain Eric keeps a tidy ship, and puts out a nice spread between dives to keep your energy and spirits high. If you’re a diver and find yourself in San Diego, you should be spending some time out on the Lois Ann!

My first open water dive for my advanced certification. I struggled, but the staff here were awesome. They helped me out any way possible and were super friendly in the midst of my all my fumbling.
I can’t wait to be back. Hopefully I will not cause them too much trouble next time!

I did their 3 dive trip to see the Ruby E ship wreck and the kelp beds and it was great!

If you want to have a great time diving, take a trip on the Lois Ann. Great crew not to big and not too crowed. Great locations.

Simply put, these guys are great. Dove the Ruby E, Lazy Days and NRAD today and they made it very easy. The boat was full, but not crowded and very well managed. Compressor on the boat is cool and another big plus for this outfit.
Use these folks when you want a quality diving experience in San Diego.
Today’s bonus — learned the dive signs for big, f***in’ shark!

Many things in life are simple in theory, yet difficult in practice. I’d bet running a successful dive boat is a good example of that, yet Eric does it and makes it look easy.
First the facts: Eric is the captain and he is easy going but by the book. After being on enough dive boats, you can tell who loves the sport and who actually cares. Eric certainly does and it shows. Diving is a great sport but you can’t and don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t give a s#$t. Eric is friendly, knowledgeable and by the book. He has your best interest at heart when it comes to safety and enjoyment. The boat was well maintained, the dive master helped everyone with everything. The divers were a mix of experience levels; some flew in, others were local — all had a great time.
I can write to tell you how you should dive with Eric because I think he’s top notch, but really what you should know is that *you* should dive with him, because we all should be lucky to dive with someone this good.

I had flown into San Diego to go scuba diving but found out that the next day’s dive to Islas de los Coronados had been cancelled. The crew of Lois Ann jumped into action, found me a dive master, and got me on the water at 7:30am as planned. They were a great crew, and I was impressed when Eric the captain pulled rank and kept a diver who was flying home later that day from diving, as there was not the recommended 12 hours between flying and diving. Hard call to make, but safety came first. Know you are in good hands with the Lois Ann! Also, refreshing to dive with a female master diver.

Only been on Lois Ann once and had no regrets. Great Captain and crew. They made absolutely sure everyone had working gear and nothing forgotten prior to departure. It was a cool morning dive with plenty of begals, cream cheese, fruit, cold and warm drinks. Two dives, first the radio tower, then the kelp beds. Pre dive brief was very helpful since I never dived the tower before. They know the dive sites very well. I have also been on the other two San Diego Dive Boats, The Marissa and The Humboldt. You can’t go wrong with either of the three. We are lucky to have great dive boats in San Diego. Since we had an early morning dive, there was plenty of great parking. If your taking an afternoon departure, you may have to look around, but you’ll eventually find a spot.

My boyfriend and I went on the Lois Ann via sport chalet charter as part of our Advanced Open Water class. We had an excellent time, and would highly recommend this boat and her crew.
There is plenty of parking at the marina, and loading/​unloading is as easy as I’ve ever seen for a dive boat. Before diving the crew insisted we both take Dramamine (I always do anyway) since there was a bit of a swell that day. Turned out they knew what they were doing because I ended up chumming the water (barfing) more than I ever have before. I get pretty motion sick (not the fault of the boat or crew), and was pretty miserable for a bit, but they cheered me right up and I was back in the water in no time!
We visited the Yukon and the Ruby E, and both were amazing! This was our first wreck experience, but now we are hooked! The Metridium anemone’s were really something, and the history of the boats was quite interesting. One of our class buddies had a problem with his reg (he had just bought it) and had to cut a dive short. The crew quickly took his reg apart for him and corrected the problem and we were back in the water in no time! So helpful!
The food was simple but hit the spot (maybe I was hungry?!?); Sandwiches, Doritos, soda, and fruit. Overall, an excellent experience and I will definitely be diving this boat again. Maybe I’ll see you there!
P.S.
Don’t forget to tip! :)

My brother and I wanted to do some diving while he was in town. After calling around Eric stood out to us with how incredibly helpful and in trying to make the accommodations work. Captain John was awesome too! Great great experience would recommend and will definitely rebook with these guys in the future!

Fantastic crew, very accommodating and patient, snacks between dives, I hired a divemaster as I wasn’t sure who else would be diving on twin tanks, jay was fantastic, could not have asked for better. I’ll be back in 2014 with a full team of divers and we will definitely be back on the Lois Ann

Great experience and they blew away by their customer service. Our original company canceled on us and we had no options for dive trips but a phone call to Lois Ann made it happen. Eric was bummed we were here on vacation and couldn’t find anyone so much he asked a private charter if they sold all of their seats and got us on. The boat and food were fantastic. The service was top notch and best of all, the knowledge of the crew.
I highly recommend them for diving.
Thank you again for being the highlight of our trip.

My dive buddy & I went out on the Lois Ann Dive Charter yesterday to complete our Wreck Dives, the crew was great as always, upon leaving the boat I did observe one thing, the rest of the boat was Sports Chalet (Irvine store) dive canidates, I knew it because I talked to one of the instructors & the students, when leaving I tipped out the crew $ 40.00 ($ 20.00 each for my dive buddy & I)
We were the last to leave the boat when I noticed that not one of the divers left a tip for the crew I was like THIS IS HOW THEY SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION TOWARDS THE CREW.
My Dive buddy & I are Organizers of a Meetup dive group, & always show our appreciation towards the hard work that the staff puts out,
I want to Say THANK YOU Eric & John for all the hard work.
As far as Sports Chalet Instructor’s & canidates SHAME ON YOU

I booked two days with my dive master on the Lois Ann to complete my Advanced Open Water and Wreck Diver certifications. We did two dives of the Yukon on Saturday afternoon and two more on Sunday morning. I’ll be honest; this was my first time diving off a boat and I have to say I am very glad it was this one. Eric was jovial and courteous from the get go. His sense of humor really put everyone in a great mood. He was very thorough with briefings but made them fun. At the same time, he was professional and completely on top of things. My air fills were always done and he even reconnected my regulators when he was done.
The thing I am most grateful to Eric for was solving the queasiness I’ve had after every dive. When I explained the problem to him he said to try taking a Zantac or acid reducer before diving. The pressure was causing some reflux. I took his advice and today I had two very successful dives without a hint of queasiness or acidity. He’s my hero.
Thanks to Eric, Nick and the rest of the crew of the Lois Ann for making my first boat dive experience so awesome. I’m sure to be back, but for pleasure next time.

I purchased my ticket from a Sport Chalet in Northern California as the focus of my trip to San Diego. I was a little skeptical at first because their charter’s website is outdated and has a few broken links. But once I approached the dock all concerns had disappeared. In short my experience on this charter was worth every dollar.
I signed up for a three tank dive and we were dropped off at the Yukon and the Ruby E. The charter provided weights, tanks, and air (they would fill air in between dives, didn’t even have to swap out tanks). This made travel easy since I was flying down. They also provided a snack after our first dive, lunch after our second, and cookies after the third. They also offered an assortment of beverages.
The Sport Chalet dive master on board was a great. Erik who was in charge of the crew/​deck gave great dive site briefings and overall had great customer service. It was also cool to have a Scuba Diver Girl, Karma, on board as another dive master. Overall the staff was great, no complaints, and I would dive off the Lois Ann again.

Went diving in the Pt. Loma Kelp Beds with the Lois Ann this past Sunday — we had a great time!
Eric was very patient and returned my various calls prior to our dive day. The crew was professional and very accomodating to all of our needs, laid back, funny and really made our day great! Both Eric and Captain Gary were very helpful when I started feeling a bit sea sick and then as soon as I got in the water, I felt so much better — we had a blast! The food was great, in between dives; filling out our forms and payment was a breeze.
We hired a DM to guide our group of three divers — Karma was amazing — funny, sincere and most importantly, knowledgable and experienced. We were in great hands!
The boat and crew were well prepared for us and we were impressed with the whole operation.
Thanks guys — we will definitely be seeing you all again soon!

Just went out today with the Lois Ann and I have to say one of the best charters we have ever gone with! Crew was amazing, very accommodating, super friendly and upbeat. They didn’t baby you (which some charters do and I hate), let you get out, do your own thing, and enjoy yourself! Of course if you do need extra help they are right there if needed.
We went out to the Pt Loma kelp beds, the first two dive sites were OK, not the best but not the worst, but the last dive of the day made the trip totally worthwhile, great kelp bed with lots of life! After every dive the crew was ready to fill tanks right away, and there was LOTS of food set up on a table on deck ready and waiting. After the first dive there was muffins, bagels, and fruit for the taking, after the second dive there were sandwiches and doritos, and after the third dive there were quesadillas and cookies. And free sodas the whole trip!
Did I mention the price? Extremely affordable, considering it includes food, air, and the boat gas it takes to get you to the dive sites. We will definitely be diving with them again. They go to Wreck Alley, Pt Loma Kelp Beds, and the Coronados Islands.
Our dive trip was full, which usually means lots of pushing, shoving, and people in the way, but today it was actually pleasant! Everyone on the boat was super cool, laid back, and fun to hang out with! The dive boat is really set up nicely, and there was definitely adequate room for all 20 divers on board to have a great time… they have giant stride entries on each side of the boat, and a large swim step at the back which makes entries and exits CAKE… ample room for all your gear, and area for dry bags up in the forward section of the boat.
Overall I am really impressed with this dive charter and would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to dive offshore areas around San Diego.

These guys are great. We got caught in traffic on the way from LA and showed up late. This is a huge no no for diving. They could have left without us, or made us feel bad about it all day, but they were super cool and understanding.
The DM was attentive and anticipated all our needs. I was complaining to my friend about having to dive my crappy backup hood because i lost my good hood a few weeks ago. The DM overheard, and he gave me his hood to use for the day. How cool is that.
Super A++ charter. We will be back!