Rachel Schattle

I’m a PADI scuba instructor with seven years of diving experience and five years as an instructor. I was certified in a cold, murky quarry in North Carolina, and while it wasn’t a glamorous introduction to diving, it didn’t matter to me. I was immediately hooked on the feeling of floating weightless underwater.

After moving to Los Angeles, I worked at a dive shop where I quickly gained hands on experience with a wide range of dive equipment and built a deep understanding of the diving world. I taught scuba classes for groups of up to eight students, working with divers of all ages, experience levels, and confidence levels. I also work as a safety diver for underwater camera operators, where attention to detail, situational awareness, and safety are essential. Together, these experiences have taught me how to stay calm, focused, and adaptable underwater.

Now I enjoy focusing on creating a more personalized experience, working with people one-on-one or in small groups. This allows me to meet each student exactly where they are and move at a pace that is comfortable to them. There’s no rushing through skills and there’s also no waiting around if you're ready to learn more.

Getting scuba certified completely changed my life and opened doors to adventures all over the world. I’ve been very lucky to dive all over the world and I still find myself most drawn to California. There’s something magical about the sunlight dancing through the kelp forest that is hard to beat.

Person in scuba gear with a black beanie, smiling, in the water, near a boat.
A person scuba diving underwater wearing a mask, regulator, and wetsuit with a yellow air hose, surrounded by blue water.

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Getting certified is more than a checklist. It’s about learning how your body, your breath, and your gear work together underwater. Learning to dive is about building awareness, becoming a reliable dive buddy, and mastering the fundamentals in a way that actually sticks.

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An underwater scene with a diver swimming between two tall kelp forests, surrounded by small fish.
A small animal resembling a primate, possibly a monkey, underwater with large eyes and a rounded face surrounded by clear water and some underwater objects.
A young woman sitting on the edge of a swimming pool, smiling, wearing a wetsuit, with snorkeling gear on her chest, and her feet submerged in the water. Behind her are poolside items, a covered patio with string lights, and lush greenery.
Scuba divers underwater surrounded by kelp with many bubbles.
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A sea lion swimming underwater surrounded by bubbles with a rocky ocean floor in the background.
A group of four smiling people, two men and two women, standing together outdoors near the water with a marina and mountains in the background. They are dressed casually, some in athletic wear, with a sailboat mast visible on the right.
Underwater shot of a dense forest of yellow kelp or seaweed swaying in the ocean.
A fish swimming underwater with a blue background.
Two women dressed in athletic gear preparing for outdoor water activities, with scuba tanks and equipment, standing against a brick wall.
A scuba diver swimming among tall underwater kelp plants.
A group of scuba divers underwater in a clear blue ocean, wearing wetsuits, masks, and flippers, positioned on a shipwreck or submerged structure.
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Three smiling women at the beach wearing wetsuits and unique animal-themed swim caps, with a cloudy sky and ocean in the background.
Underwater scene with several black fish swimming above seaweed and rocks.
Three scuba divers underwater, posing with hand signals and surrounded by blue ocean water.
Person scuba diving underwater among kelp forest, wearing a black wetsuit and a pink cat ear headband, with diving goggles and breathing apparatus.
An underwater scene showing a sea creature with a broad, flat tail, and a long, smooth body swimming in the ocean with rocks and sand on the ocean floor.
A scuba diver swimming among tall kelp plants underwater with a trail of bubbles rising above.
Underwater scene with scuba divers holding hands, surrounded by small fish and bubbles, with a submerged structure and sea floor visible.
Underwater cave with a scuba diver swimming near the bottom and sunlight shining through an opening in the rocks.