Info on Fresno, Central Valley

Can anyone recommend a dive shop and/or a dive club in the Fresno area?

I will be moving to the area in the Spring. I currently dive in the great lakes and I have dove Monterey before. Are there any other sides to where the locals go to?
Any info on the diving community in the Fresno area will be appreciated. I can't wait to dive year round.

Thanks.

danteswim:

Can anyone recommend a dive shop and/or a dive club in the Fresno area?

I will be moving to the area in the Spring. I currently dive in the great lakes and I have dove Monterey before. Are there any other sides to where the locals go to?
Any info on the diving community in the Fresno area will be appreciated. I can't wait to dive year round.

Thanks.

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I am not familiar with the Fresno area, but I've sent a PM to someone who I think might be able to help you out.

Thanks Tracy!

If you search "Fresno Scuba" you'll get these two: Bob's Dive Shop and Aqua Sports.

I have shopped at Aqua Sports once (bought a flashlight and rented a wetsuit) so my experience there is limited. They have been here a long time and seem well stocked. They are a PADI shop. I am not sure what their facilities are like.

Bob's is the one I use regularly, mostly because they are right across the street from my house. They are SSI, and my son and I trained up to OW with them. They have a pool on site which made the training very convenient, and they will let you use the pool for practice, trying on gear, etc. I bought my wet suit there and although it was no bargain, the value of having the pool there and actually wearing the suit before buying it I think more than made up the difference. They actually insisted I get in the pool before they would let me buy the suit, to be sure the fit was good. It was, and I am very happy with the suit. It fits so well that the last time I dove, I forgot to zip it up :shocked2: and barely noticed any leak! They are pretty well stocked with the last minute items.

Between the two I am sure you'd find what you needed, and if you dive Monterey regularly you will probably find a local shop there you like also.

Of course in this internet age, the thing that makes or breaks a local shop is service, which is something you'll have to try out for yourself and see who you like better.

As a recent socaler having moved up to Fresno for work, I can say I've been to Aquasports on Blackstone and Shields several times, mostly for air ($5) and nitrox ($15) fills. The owner is quite approachable, and he's usually fast and attentive with fills. Service is excellent. I had a VIP of steel cylinder done while I waited.

I haven't bought gear from them, but their prices do look more or less MSRP.

Locals that I've seen at the shop usually dive Monterey, and the shop does have a few tropical trips done throughout the year.

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my post. I actually found both shops on the internet but it is always good to have an opinion from a local.

Is Monterey the usual diving site for you guys?

I do Monterey/Lobos 1-2 times a month, schedule permitting. That said, I also go down every other month to do a boat in Southern California...

Quick question:

Can you dive Monterey as a day trip from Fresno or is it strictly a weekend thing?

I am already in Fresno and hoping to dive soon.

You would have 6 hours of driving in the day plus the dives... I wouldn't want to try and do it all in one day.

Isn't Morro Bay closer to Fresno than Monterey?

MS Streets and Trips says 2 hours 26 minutes to Monterey, 2 hours 18 minutes to Morro Bay. But Morro Bay isn't exactly a diving hot spot.