Pacific Beach Sports

STAY. AWAY. There are no words to describe my frustration. If they ARE closed I am not at all surprised. It was IMPOSSIBLE to get someone on the phone and the only reason I was able to give them my money in the first place was because I went there in person.
The day I signed up for my open water certification the older man behind the desk was rude to multiple people both in person and over the phone so shame on me for not taking a hint. Then he said their classes were full until 3 months after the fact which meant I’d be getting certified in October.
The date of my certification rolled around and thank goodness I had the sense to call… But even then I still had to leave a message. I was on my way from OCEANSIDE and was 20 minutes away when I received a return call saying the class was canceled and there was no estimated date for the reschedule. Keep in mind I had already paid them.
This was the last time I got anyone on the phone and it’s now January. I filed a dispute with my credit card company to have my money refunded (which I won) and all I can say is STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHOP if you are looking for any type of positive experience.

THIS PLACE IS OUT OF BUSINESS, found out the hard way by trying to go to my 1^st day of class, only to find a building with the sign painted over and a half empty store front that looked like they were in the process of moving out.
I purchased my course through Groupon and they were great, they already had notes on PB Sports and refunded my money with no issue.
If you are still looking to get certified in the SD area I would recommend looking into Ocean Enterprise, they are reasonably priced, courses are a bit longer, however they ARE in business and are very helpful.

I think this place went out of business.
I was super excited to purchase a LivingSocial deal for their PADI Open Water course and signed up for a course in December (the soonest available when I booked it in September). Last week I got an email from LivingSocial informing me that the deal was cancelled (kudos to LivingSocial for a quick refund). I was still interested in the course and emailed PB Sports to see if my reservation would still be honored and, if so, what the cost of the course would be. After no response, I tried calling. Nobody answered (pressing 0 just started their recording again). Finally I went to the business during their normal business hours only to find a sign indicating they are closed and customers should call or email with questions.
If they aren’t permanently closed, customer service seems to be a non-​priority.

Had such a great time. Paddle boards were practically new. They help us mount them onto our car and because the previous reservation kept them a bit past their time, they gave us an extra half hour. Really nice!

Horrible experience, if i could give 0 stars i would. Bought a scuba certification deal, attended first day of class then tells us to meet on friday for next step in certification. Have to drive all the way up to rancho bernardo take in mind i live in otay ranch, get up there and find out from receptionist at fit that the class was cancelled by the instructor Justin. Thanks for the heads up drove 45 min up there for nothing, then have to head back down in rush hour traffic. I call him and he said he had an emergency so had to cancel, tells me to call back on tuesday that way i can get into next weeks friday class. Called him everyday of the week and left voicemails no calls returned, he ruined my shark dive trip i had planned. DONT EVER USE THIS COMPANY

How do I give zero stars?
I made a reservation with this company over a week ago and my husband and I ensured we took time off work before our Groupon expired. Not only did they fail to inform us they wouldn’t even be open to honor our reservation, they would not answer their phones to speak to their customers. All that let us know they would not open was a poorly written sign that claimed their neighbor was «assaulting» them. Really? Assault? From an estate sale business. Grow up, children, and be honest business owners with some integrity.

Horrible!!! Bought a groupon on they make it impossible to schedule. Called pb sports and the guy on the phone said they were completely sold out once he found out I had a groupon. Told me to call groupon to get a refund. They suck. Horrible customer service

I have been contacting them for over a week, trying to get more information and get scheduled for the Open Water PADI certification class. The phone number goes to voice mail automatically, and even after leaving voice messages, we have gotten no response from them whatsoever. I wish I could return my LivingSocial deal, but unfortunately, I’m stuck with this business that apparently (or very clearly, in my case), doesn’t care to actually provide services to their customers. Very disappointing, as it was highly referred to me as the place to go for scuba certifications.

Rented 2 boards for a 2 hour SUP session. The owner was helpful and have us some tips since it was our first time. He told us where to go to park for free and helped us put the boards on our car. Super laid back business & boards were in great condition. Highly recommend!

I’ve been to PacBeach Sports for stand up paddle boarding rentals and for surf board rentals, and the quality of their gear is excellent! They’re conveniently located and have a super comfy lounge-​type shop, where you immediately feel like a regular.
The staff is super fun and welcoming and will immediately make you feel like family. Justin and his crew really take care of their customers and offer some of the best deals around. I can’t wait to get some more diving certifications in with them!
If you’re searching for water sport rentals or even classes and tours in the San Diego area, I definitely recommend PacBeach Sports!

This place is tucked away so pay attention but don’t be shy! The shop is set up more like a lounge so feel free to plop down and make yourself at home! The staff is friendly and funny and they don’t hesitate to help load or unload gear!
Ask for justin and don’t forget to say hi to his friendly puppy!

*UPDATE*, Owner contacted me apologizing for his employee (who was not the owner like thought) and comped me for the rentals. By his professionalism with how he solved the situation and caring for his customers on account of a employee I gave this rating a 2 star by the customer service thus far and hope to change it again when I come back to his shop to rent the boards. One bad employee doesn’t mean a business doesn’t deserve a second chance. I look forward to trying out this business once again.
soo expect another update again shortly.

Very professional and polite staff. Great shop within the establishment if you’re looking to purchase or rent water equipment. I will definitely come back again with more friends, had an awesome experience!!! Pac Beach Sports it’s where it’s at!

Can’t beat friendly service, a cute dog and a groovy shop owner. Seamless experience, we’ll be paying them another visit soon.

I was in a bind because I was about to take a cruise to some fantastic dive sites and was not yet SCUBA certified. I e-​mailed a few SCUBA shops in the local area that offered Living Social and Groupon deals.
Justin promptly responded and I gave him a phone call the next day to discuss the process. He told me he would honor the same price and squeeze me into the class.
When I arrived on the first day he seemed a bit unsure if he was going to be able to fit me in so I was worried at first because this was my only option! When he saw how nervous I was, he told me to have a seat and he would work it out. The class was full the first day but we squeezed in and made it work. Some advice for people that sign up is to do all the reviews like they say and come to class prepared! This is the only time you will get in the classroom and you take all of the quizzes and tests this day.
The next day was the pool dive where we met at the pool in Mission beach. I was a bit nervous but Justin’s right hand man, Dennis was extremely helpful and calmed my nerves. I passed all the tests and was excited and nervous to get out to the ocean on the weekend.
The ocean dives are at La Jolla Shores, not to be confused with the Coves! I lost my way because I went to the Coves instead of the shores. I was frantic rushing over to the shores when I learned I made this mistake. Luckily they were all waiting for me so I was saved once again! Phew! Parking is not fun there though so get there early! The ocean dives were epic! Great instruction and patience by Justin and Dennis.
To make a long story short I passed and I left on my trip before receiving my PADI card in the mail. I e-​mailed Justin from New Orleans to ask if he could fax me a temporary card as my ship was departing that day! He responded promptly and had my card in my email in box within a few hours.
I am so thankful that the PB Sports crew was able to get me certified and honored the Living Social price while I was in a jam. Thanks to them I was able to dive in Cozumel and Roatan, Honduras. I love diving and cannot wait to try out some more sites in the future!

For as long as I’ve used Unilocal,I cannot remember ever writing a bad review, but I am compelled to do so now because SCUBA diving involves putting your trust in someone enough to put your well being in their hands.
I signed up for PADI certification through Groupon and was scheduled to take the course; however, because of scheduling problems, my SCUBA buddy and I began calling 2 days after I initially scheduled the classes so we could reschedule the weekend classes. We began calling about 6 weeks before the class was set to begin.
After contacting Groupon directly to complain about the lack of customer service, my friend received a call the day our classes were set to begin while she was at work. We decided to go into the shop and handle the business face to face.
Justin (who I am assuming is the owner through other reviews) was such a jerk about our problem that we decided to just cancel the certification classes. He was very stand offish and all but called my friend and I liars. Saying that we never called him or contacted him about switching the dates. He then went on to say that we should have contacted him by email. After reading the many negative reviews, I doubt any contact would have been answered.
My biggest problem is this, if he cannot answer a phone call and then does not have the integrity to admit it and instead chooses to put the blame on us (for not following a non-​existant policy that he just made up), why should anyone trust this unscrupulous lout to teach them the intracracies of SCUBA diving. From my interaction with this dude, I would worry that he would cut corners and if you are hurt in the process (or further down the line in your SCUBA experiences) he would not care in the least bit, and would not feel any remorse having taught you incorrectly.

I bought the livingsocial deal on pure impulse and excitement without reading the reviews. I had been dying to try SUP for months and jumped at the chance. That being said, when I booked my tour, The thought finally crossed my mind to look at the reviews. My stomach was in knots this morning before heading over to meet up because all the reviews mentioned they had bad experiences with the staff. I expected to have my experience ruined but I my experience was anything but that. The instructor, who is actually the scuba instructor (I believe her name is Mallory), was great! Very friendly, offering help without making you feel like you were lacking in skills, and encouraged you. I had a great experience and would encourage people to go. :)

I think the history of reviews for PB Sports says it all so I’m being nice with 2 stars because our first tour/​visit itself was friendly. I had bought the vouchers as gifts for my sisters. The man behind the desk, who I assume is the owner, didn’t have enough boards for us to rent an additional one which I thought odd but whatever. Our instructor and the actual paddle-​boarding itself was fine. Our lesson was cut short because of weather conditions, okay, I get that. So, what happens to the other hour I paid for that was advertised as part of the deal? Did I miss a disclaimer somewhere?
My sisters enjoyed SUP so I called PB Sports to see if there was anything they’d be willing to do and boy, did I call on the wrong morning — by the man’s voice, I recognized it as the same guy who checked us in, and I’ll be honest, it was probably one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve had, and I’ve worked in customer service.
I explained my situation, hoping to work something out about the hour that was canceled, and the man says, «You got to be kidding me?» Not a pleasant start, and then he proceeds to lecture me about weather conditions, how he gets thousands of calls just like mine, and how he can’t please everyone, and the cherry on top, he tells me my question is «inappropriate.» You’re kidding me, right? It’s not even registering in my brain how unprofessional this guy is, and how poorly he’s representing the company.
I have another group of girlfriends that have signed up, and I’m very hesitant about going again. I suggest they develop a policy about weather conditions and state that up front for customers who have similar questions like mine. What started out as a good experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. Customer service like this is not going to get them very far.

UGH! If I could give ZERO star, I would!
I purchased two SUP certificates through Living Social, as my fiancé and I have always wanted to try it.
I booked our appointment online — which was confusing, but doable. Check your spam filters because the company is called SUP Diego, but the email with come from Gotta Dive. And you’ll be driving to PB Sports.
The PB Sports building is directly across from the World Gym — and they will tell you that in the email. You check in there and then you will get a small business card with directions to where you should meet your tour guide on Mission Bay. We were told to look for a brown van with paddle boards and our tour guides name would be Vanessa.
We found the van and parked easily. Our tour guide was awful. Your typical stoner-​PS-​chick who couldn’t be bothered to speak about a whisper or even crack a smile. There was no welcome. She new that everyone in the group was a first timer, and yet made no attempt to explain anything to us.
We carried the paddles and boards down to the water. She explained that she wanted to cruise over across the bay to the Over The Line competition so that she could hear the dirty team names being called out. She brought her dog on her board with her and told us to get in the water and go. So much for a quick lesson!
She stood on the shore for 15 minutes watching all 8 of us struggle to get going. You see, Vanessa thought it would be a great idea to have us start off against the current and let us fight our way across the bay. 55 minutes later and we were about 50 yards off shore. She made ZERO attempt to help anyone or give anyone advice. She made ZERO attempt to help the people who were struggling in the back of the group. In fact, 2 people were so far behind, struggling to keep up, that they went back to shore to hang out there! How rude of Vanessa!
Oh, and if you were looking on Facebook for your pictures, try this link:
The link that they give you from their website is WRONG!

We went on Thursday for a snorkeling tour but we had to reschedule because of the wave conditions. There were little kids in our group as well so I bet our tour guide was concerned about their safety too.
Anyways, we went today (Friday) and George was our tour guide. We snorkeled for about 2 hours, went by the caves, swam near the sea lions! Saw a bunch of garibaldis and we had a great time! George had little fun facts about the area so that was nice. They could work on picking up their phone more often, since we couldn’t get through to them multiple times. But other than their customer service, the tour was amazing! :)