California Diving Academy - Walnut Creek, California

Cheng H.

California Diving Academy is a nurturing and professional diving environment for children.

We enrolled our daughter at California Diving Academy when she was 9, and the transformation we’ve seen in just a few months has been incredible. Coach Eric is not only one of the most skilled diving coaches we’ve ever met, but he also deeply understands child development. Under his guidance, our daughter has grown in more than just her diving abilities—her self-confidence, discipline, and social-emotional awareness have all blossomed.

CDA is incredibly well organized, and their communication with families is clear and supportive. We especially appreciate the flexible scheduling options, which makes it easy to balance training with school and family time.

Another standout aspect is the mixed-age group training model. Older athletes serve as mentors, creating a family-like atmosphere where everyone lifts each other up. At meets, the kids not only shine in performance but show maturity, responsibility, and team spirit. CDA teaches much more than diving—it nurtures character.

We’ve seen firsthand how athletes from CDA go on to earn scholarships and attend top universities, which gives us great confidence in our daughter’s future here. CDA is a place where dreams take flight—whether that’s reaching the Olympics or becoming a well-rounded, confident individual.

leah B.

We started at California Diving Academy 3 years ago in the summer class program and then joined year round. Both my kids love diving and have been excited to go to practice since they started. It is their favorite activity. I feel so fortunate to be a part of California Diving Academy. The coaches are excellent. Coach Eric and Coach Paul clearly have a lot of experience and are fantastic instructors. They give each student their attention and feedback. The classes are structed and fun. The kids are learning many new skills and practice dives they have learned. They are learning that patience and hard work pay off. It has been wonderful to see my son and daughter active and doing something they really enjoy. I highly recommend California Diving Academy.

Sophie T.

I have had over a half dozen coaches during my years diving in high school and college, and nobody compares to Coach Eric. I learned so many amazing practices and wish I could have started working with him sooner. If you are considering diving, California Diving Academy will make sure you become the best diver you can all while having fun and meeting great people!

Maria T. H.

We cannot praise enough the coaching team of the California Diving Academy. They are so very thoughtful about the needs and aspirations of each child/adolescent. Our teen had to manage a broken foot (not diving related) in the middle of the junior and senior years and Coach Eric has been instrumental in bringing him back into diving and providing a challenging and also motivational training program. CAD does a wonderful job of creating a warm and supporting community among families and among the team.

Kim F.

My 16 year old daughter has been diving at California Diving Academy for five months now and absolutely loves it! She was a high level competitive gymnast before this and it has been such a perfect transition. She has been able to build on the strength and skills she had from gymnastics and under the care and guidance of coach Eric, progress quickly in her new sport. She is a highschool junior and coach Eric beleives she can be recruited to dive in college. As she loves her new sport, she is very excited about this and wants to continue as long as possible! Coach Eric has spent considerable time with her not only training her in diving, but helping her understand and navigate the college recruiting process as well. He has also found college camps and other amazing opportunities for her this coming summer. My daughter is excited each day to head to practice and we are so incredibly grateful to have found California Diving Academy!

Nichole B.

My 14-year old daughter absolutely loves being on the California Diving Academy team and we couldn’t be happier with the environment that Coach Eric and his team of coaches have created there.

She began with their Try It Out Program and worked with three different groups of kids during the trial. It was clear to us immediately that CDA fosters a friendly, inclusive and welcoming environment. She was greeted with friendly faces at every session. She had some concerns going in that it would take some time to get comfortable, but that turned out to be not the case at all!

What struck us most about Coach Eric and his team is the emphasis they put on the whole athlete. We admire the way they take a holistic approach to coaching, making sure that divers are not only learning proper diving techniques, but that they are doing it with a healthy mindset.

We wondered if CDA could give individual attention to each diver since they have a robust club, with divers at every level, but we are amazed by the way the coaches work with each diver individually and know how to offer constructive corrections, motivate and praise them for their work.

Coach Eric’s emphasis on being safe, having fun and growing skills correctly makes him a true gem.

Kristen M.

My daughter belongs to another club in Southern California and was having difficulties with a couple of dives. The problem was with fear and a lack of access to dryland equipment to help her through the motions. I started looking for a location with an experienced diving coach with access to a well equipped dryland facility that would be able to give her private lessons.

I came across CDA in a Google search and saw that the dryland facility had many, if not all, the same equipment as my local university. After an in-depth conversation and sending videos to Coach Eric, he deduced the problem was with fear and that he could teach her different techniques to help mange it. She had a 2 hour private dryland lesson in a very professional dryland facility and a 2 hour dive session with his team every day for 3 days.

I was very impressed with Coach Eric's experience, knowledge, professionalism and care when he was teaching my daughter. It was a great learning experience for her as she felt that she learned so much in such a short period of time and that Coach Eric is "an awesome coach". His focus on fundamentals and fear management helped her become more comfortable with the dives.

Julie C.

My child has been diving with California Diving Academy for a little over a year and I could not be more pleased. The coaches are knowledgeable and work with each athlete to help them achieve their personal goals in a supportive manner, the dryland facility is well equipped and allows for the athletes to safely progress through their diving career, and the other athletes are encouraging to each diver regardless of their level. I quickly saw her progress from a child who had never dove to a strong JO diver. I highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to learn to dive regardless of age or experience.