Pacific Wilderness, San Pedro

Jacques Cousteau had barely slipped the first scuba tank off his back when Pacific Wilderness opened its doors in 1953. Since then, the shop’s staffers have used their collective expertise to outfit divers & professionals with high-quality equipment from brands including Aqualung, Scubapro, Oceanic, Seaquest, and Zeagle.

They also teach PADI scuba-certification courses that range from basic open-water training to Instructor Training. Lessons start at the on-land facility's heated pool but progress to weekend-long dives in the waters of Redondo Beach. The shop's scuba-philes also arrange journeys to exotic locales such as the Sipadan Water Village Resort in Malaysia and the secret depths of Camp David's presidential bathtub.