About CIS
Under New Ownership!
We are proud to announce that Channel Islands Scuba is officially under new ownership. With new ownership will come many changes, some small and some big. But you can rest assured that you can continue to receive the same high quality service, training, and equipment that you have come to rely on from Channel Islands Scuba for the past 35 years.
Stay tuned for announcements on upcoming changes and events.
Looking For An Underwater Adventure?
Channel Islands Scuba is a dedicated Dive Center, giving us the specialized knowledge to meet all your diving needs. We are affiliated with the following organizations:
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING
From its humble beginning in 1994 to today, the group of training agencies Scuba Diving International (SDI), Technical Diving International (TDI), and Performance Freediving International (PFI) form one of the largest diving certification agencies in the World – International Training.
Channel Islands Scuba is proud to be an SDI 5 Star Dive Center, A TDI Technical Diving Center, and a PFI 5 Star Freediver Training Center.
Channel Islands Scuba has partnered with Diveheart to provide training to Adaptive Divers and Adaptive Dive Buddies.
The purpose of Diveheart is to provide and support educational scuba diving programs that are open to any child, adult or veteran with a disability, with the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person.
We’ve discovered the forgiving, weightless wonder of the water column provides the perfect gravity-free environment for those who might otherwise struggle on land. Underwater, we’re all equal.
Diveheart works with individuals who have a variety of disabilities, including physical and developmental disabilities, vision and hearing impairments, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and more. Diveheart seeks to help its participants “Imagine the Possibilities” in their lives.
DAN
DAN is the premier source for diving physiology, medical assistance, and dive insurance. As DAN Industry Partners, all of our students receive complimentary dive insurance that covers them during their Open Water training.
DEMA
Membership in DEMA ensures that we are staying in touch with equipment updates in the dive industry. With a keen focus on conservation and protection of our aquatic resources, DEMA and their members are working hard to ensure you can dive for years to come.
PSI-PCI
SCUBA cylinders are filled to high pressure. Without proper maintenance, inspection, and testing, they could pose a significant hazard. PSI-PCI is devoted to training inspectors on how to identify issues and properly perform air station operations, to keep cylinders in a safe operating condition. Certification as a Premier Facility indicates that all of our staff are trained on proper air station operations, and that we use only PSI-PCI trained inspectors for visual inspection and maintenance on not only our cylinders, but our customers’ as well.
TRI Air Testing
As divers, we have a saying, “as long as you have air, you’re okay.” But that air needs to be high quality – proper oxygen level, proper dryness, particle free, oil free… The list goes on and on. Given that air needs to be compressed mechanically to get to the required pressures to fill cylinders, a lot can happen. That is why we test our air and post the results in the shop. You deserve to know that we are maintaining our equipment, and that the air you are breathing from our fills meets standards. It is your link back to the surface. Don’t accept air fills from a shop that isn’t willing to share this information with you.
Meet Our Team
Larry is the current owner and operations manager for Channel Islands Scuba in Thousand Oaks. In addition to teaching Scuba full time, he is also the Lead Instructor for the DiveHeart Foundation’s California Chapter. As a leader of this program he not only works with adaptive divers of all abilities, but also teaches certified divers to be adaptive dive buddies, helping to spread the healing nature of Scuba Diving with everyone.
Larry started his career in recreation not in scuba, but in white water rafting, climbing, and earning a degree in recreation management, where he learned how to teach with patience and calming encouragement. Once he took his first breaths underwater at Sport Chalet in 2015 he knew his career path would forever change and from that point on he has been working full time in the dive industry. Working at multiple dive centers and charter boat operators in both Southern California and in the Florida Keys. Larry has worked with thousands of divers, mentored young instructors through their instructor development, and has been in charge of maintenance for some of the largest dive operations in the world.
Larry’s favorite dives are in technical wreck penetration, deep freediving (up to 40 meters), and working with adaptive scuba divers.
Matt first got certified with Channel Islands Scuba and has since become one of our highest level educators and divers. With a background in technical diving, CCR, and freediving, Matt is well equipped to bring you to new depths.
Matt is one of our in house TDI Technical Scuba Instructors. You will still find him teaching SDI specialty and Open Water Scuba Diver courses.
She here to brighten all of our days! Desi as a friendly, yet sometimes shy, Corgi Pomeranian Rescue.
When Desi is not in the shop greeting divers, she enjoys long walks on the beach and playing with her favorite ocean themed toys.
