About Aquarius Dive Shop
Aquarius Dive Shop has been Monterey Bay's flagship dive operation since 1970, making it one of the oldest continuously operating dive shops on the California coast. Located on Del Monte Avenue just minutes from the most popular shore-entry dive sites, they serve as the primary outfitter for divers exploring the legendary kelp forests, pinnacles, and submarine canyon walls of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary — widely considered some of the best cold-water diving in the world.
As a PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center, Aquarius offers the full spectrum of dive education: Open Water certification courses, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and Instructor-level training. Their rental inventory includes full wetsuit setups, BCDs, regulators, computers, cameras, and enriched air nitrox fills. They also stock snorkel gear for non-divers and run guided dive excursions to sites like Breakwater, Lovers Point, and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, where visibility can reach 50 feet on calm days.
What makes Aquarius a Central Coast institution is over five decades of accumulated local knowledge. Their staff know every dive site intimately — which spots produce nudibranchs in spring, where harbour seals congregate, and when the giant Pacific octopus is most active. For visiting divers unfamiliar with Monterey's unique conditions — cold thermoclines, thick kelp canopy, and strong surge — Aquarius's guided dives and site briefings are invaluable for a safe, productive dive.
