The spectral absorption coefficient and volume scattering function (VSF) are the fundamental inherent optical properties which govern the propagation of light in natural aquatic environments. Variability in seawater absorption has been extensively studied over the past decades, but owing to a lack of instrumentation measurements of the VSF are very limited. Instruments measuring discrete portions of the VSF over limited angular ranges are now available commercially. We present results of contemporaneous scattering measurements at 532 nm on particle suspensions using a Sequoia LISST-100X (32 angles, 0.08-13.5°), a Wyatt Technologies Dawn EOS (18 angles, 22.5-147°), a Wetlabs ECO-VSF (100, 125, and 150°), and a HobiLabs Hydroscat-6 (140°). The combination of these instruments provides the capability for measuring the VSF over a broad angular range. Experiments were conducted using suspensions of known particles (e.g. polystyrene microspheres) and natural seawater samples to evaluate the consistency among differing instrumentation. Utilizing this approach, we examine variability in the magnitude and shape of the VSF from samples of southern California coastal waters.