I have been a client of PanAqua for over twenty years--they trained me, they've helped me with diving questions and issues, and they have supplied me with all of my equipment. Diving can be a dangerous sport if the equipment you rent at a resort hasn't been properly serviced, I have always preferred to own my equipment personally as a long-term investment. Nearly every dollar I spent over 20 years ago, all of the equipment is in top shape and will last decades more. I have traveled on their trips from South Africa to Polynesia and beyond. Some reviewers say to consider Amazon or scuba websites, but when you're down 100 feet underwater, nobody cares how much you saved by going online. If your equipment fails, it's kablooey and you're dead. The instructors and owners are fantastic, and nobody can consult you better on equipment than Lorraine. She analyzes every option before suggesting a good match for you. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more

Pan Aqua Diving - Their team in the shop and waters inspires success and confidence with each dive. - Scuba Diving Near Me - New York, New York

I just had my PADI open water certification re-activated at Pan Aqua after 20+ years. Everyone at the shop was great to work with. From Harrison and Lorraine who walked me through getting a new, prescription mask (and snorkel) to Jae who worked with me in the pool and out over 3 days on my re-activation, everyone was stellar. The care, depth of knowledge and patience they exhibited and practiced were greatly appreciated and will no doubt prove invaluable as I head into my next diving phase. I'm sure I'll be back for more...Thanks, Pan Aqua. read more

My 10 and 14 year old took our their confined water dives at Pan Aqua to get ready for their PADI certification before our open water dives in Bonaire. I cannot say how wowed i was by the instruction of Kathryn as our instructor. She is a master teacher, able to calm our kids and deliver explicit instructions and skills thoroughly without cutting corners or compromise. Without this step, we would not have been able to complete our certification on our vacation with the young ones, as there is just a lot of info for everyone to digest. Leah was our co-leader whose caring and serious manner was greatly appreciated. read more

I just completed my Open Water course at Pan Aqua, and can't recommend it enough. Sean, Karen, and Joe were fantastic teachers, and made sure everyone got personal attention and tips so that we'll be safe and prepared for our certification. Even from the first moments in the shop, they spent extra time helping us pick out equipment--not just giving us the bargain basement rentals, but fitting us with the best masks. Sean and his team made the pool dives and required skill learning fun, easy, and informative. As soon as we walked in the door, we were treated like regulars, and old friends. I'll be returning to Pan Aqua to start buying my dive gear, and if you're looking to get started, you should absolutely make Pan Aqua your home shop. They're so passionate, flexible, and excited to share their love of diving, and it made me even happier that I decided to start. read more

I have never done any snorkeling in my life and have a trip coming up. I reached out to the school and they were very accommodating. My instructor, Rich, was so patient, knowledgeable, informative and professional. He was also kind and supportive. Goal was accomplished! He was also helpful as well as the staff in ensuring that I had the proper gears and the right size. I will definitely continue to use them. Trustworthy company! Highly recommended. read more

I just finished my open water pool training with Pan Aqua, and I can't recommend this place enough. 1) The instructors were knowledgeable, thorough, kind, and patient. They inspired confidence and made me feel comfortable the whole time. 2) The pool was large and clean. There's a shallow section that you start with, then a deep section you eventually progress to 3) Their equipment both used during the class and available for purchase is very varied and well stocked, which ensures that you'll find a good fit. Shout out to Karen for being such a wonderful instructor. read more

I was always hesitant about scuba. Being under water for an extended period of time just mouth breathing did not sound like fun to me. The staff here showed me otherwise. Very friendly and helpful. I tried discover scuba. This consists of a overview of the equipment, signals, and general lessons. Then after it's a review of the same in a pool. Once they're confident that everything is understood you swim freely in the pool (with a trained diver of course). Always felt safe and had a blast. I may go get fully certified after this experience. read more

Pan Aqua Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - New York, New York

Fantastic team with great trips and very helpful instructors! Highly recommended for beginners and experts alike. read more

Is Pan Aqua the best diving instruction site and scuba store in New York? Yes. Phenomenal people! I've taken my certification and recertification there and they were both exceptional. Highly recommend Kathryn, an incredible instructor and a phenomenal person. Sending all my friends there to learn! read more

I wanted to become a certified scuba diver so I contacted Pan Aqua for my confined water dive. It was easy to signup and make payment on their website, and prior to my class, they also sent me reminder emails of the documents and swimming suit I need to bring with me. I chose the weekend intensive class, it was hours in the water in a swimming pool but my instructor Karen made it so much fun. I have dived several times without a certificate (kids don't do this) in the past so the confined water dives are more like to get used to the buddy system and demonstrate my skills, and there are other newbie divers and Karen paid a lot of attention to all of us. I would highly recommend Pan Aqua Diving shop to everyone. read more

Booked Pan Aqua to get my Open Water certification for a scuba dive trip in the Philippines. What an amazing time. Karen and Michael were patient with us during the confined water dives. Super hands on, answered all our questions, and helped us with any issues/anxiety we were feeling as first timers. I was feeling nauseous on my second dive and they let me take a break and get back in the pool to complete the dive. Overall 10/10 would recommend over any other dive centers in NYC. read more

My wife and I went through our pool training with Peter and had an awesome time. He helped us through the skills we struggled with and explained everything well - overall 10/10, would recommend to anyone interested in becoming a diver! read more

Took the Open Water classes in preparation for my certification and could not be happier with the quality of teaching and overall experience. Sean and Karen were great instructors that not only taught "textbook" skills but presented it in a way that gave you practical knowledge to keep you well prepared for the real thing. I took a Discover SCUBA class elsewhere, and while I was prepared for the dive I felt the "practical" understand was missing from some of the skills taught. What was also great was that they were teaching to a class of varying age levels (13-30) and while I can't speak for everyone in the class, we all seemed to have enjoyed the experience and felt confident in the materials. Everyone I met at the Pan Aqua shop were also fantastic and super helpful/friendly. 110% recommend to anyone looking to learn how to dive. I'm looking forward to completing my certification soon. Thank you! read more

Really enjoyed my confined water dives with Kathryn. The Pan Aqua staff are welcoming and very knowledgeable.

I'm open water certified and am heading down to the Florida Keys, but the shop I booked dives with requires a refresher or a logged dive within 12 months. I've not been on a dive in a few years, and I found out about this requirement less than a week before leaving. Luckily Pan Aqua was able to fit me in with only 3 days notice. Madeline was my instructor, and she was fantastic. She walked me through the skills we were going to cover, gave me great instruction on the things I had gotten rusty on, taught me new skills that had become canon after I got certified many years ago, and tailored the lesson to my needs and the skills I wanted more practice with. She was patient, approachable, funny, and a skilled diver. I feel so much more prepared for my upcoming dives, and much more confident in my skills. Another plus: the class was in the evening, so it didn't clash with my work schedule. The pool they use at the gym upstairs is great, it's deep and big enough for practice. It has good facilities, a retractable roof so you get sunshine and fresh air in good weather, and tons of live plants around the perimeter. read more

This place is amazing! I completed my open water certification with them a few years ago. The entire staff are extremely knowledgeable in their field and just overall provide excellent customer service. After diving now in several islands along other divers, I realize now how well Pan Aqua trained me. The open water certification process was taught in depth with many skills and rules that other divers don't learn in other places unless they have been diving for a while. They're so friendly here as well, you can always come back with questions about gear, other courses to take and diving over seas. read more

Peter is an exceptional scuba diving instructor and I am very happy with the choice of pan aqua diving as the place to get certified in the city. Peter was incredibly patient with me when I was nervous and really helped me build my confidence up when it came to the various diving skills that we practiced. I highly recommend Peter as an instructor and appreciate the thoughtfulness, care, and comprehensiveness of the course. I look forward to using pan aqua and Peter in the future for any diving needs! read more

In mid June I did the 2 day open water class room/pool intensive with Maria and Bob, then went on to do my open water dives in Thailand. Maria and Bob were AMAZING teachers. They did a great job of expressing the risks of diving without instilling fear in me - I left the weekend in the pool with them feeling confident and excited to get out in the ocean. Flash forward, I just completed 9 dives in Thailand and I couldn't have felt better prepared. My instructor told me I was better than most of his advanced students; I have Maria and Bob to thank for that! I look forward to diving with the Pan Aqua group this fall hopefully. Thank you everyone for the great experience. I will 100% recommend Pan Aqua to a friend. - GW read more

I did my Open Water confined water classes and OW and Nitrox certifications with Pan Aqua in Fall 2022 and can't recommend them enough. Karen and Dave were patient but thorough instructors in the pool, and Jim, Rick, and Sean kept our (very chilly) OW certification weekend calm and fun. I also purchased all of my equipment through Pan Aqua, first the basics (mask/fins/boots) for my certification and then my full kit (reg, BCD, gauge, computer) prior to my first diving trip; everyone in the shop was fantastic, taking my preferences into account and making suggestions without upselling. But the real test is if what you've learned (and the kit you bought) serves you in real life, and I felt some first-time nerves but nonetheless ready for my first dive trip; during a week of daily 2-tank boat dives (and 1 night dive) I never felt unprepared for any challenge that came my way, went down in weights as my confidence grew, and left eager to get back in the water. I look forward to doing my AOW with the Pan Aqua crew in the future, and if you're looking to start diving while living in NYC don't hesitate to make Pan Aqua your dive shop! read more

I can not thank Peter Miklatek enough for all he did to teach me how to scuba dive!!! He is so patient and genuinely a kind human being that cares about educating his students. Being an educator myself this experience exceeded my expectations and he actually taught me more about how to be a great teacher. I am flying down to Miami to complete my open water dives in 11 days, and I can not wait to start diving in all the cool places I have heard about!!! Thanks to Peter, he made this dream a reality. Prior to class, I was really nervous about diving but he eased me into each skill and before I knew it, scuba diving became more comfortable and then eventually super fun. I'm really sorry class is over. It was the highlight of my semester...heading to scuba class. I highly recommend picking him as an instructor!! He will inspire you and teach you how to do something that is so relaxing and fun!! I also highly recommend Pan Aqua and what I learned with Peter was truly inspirational! read more

I had a great time doing the Open Water PADI course. Sean and team were great and helped me out a lot with my anxieties learning. I'd recommend anyone interested in Scuba to check out this place. read more

Jim was super helpful in taking care of my last minute scuba equipment needs. The staff is wonderful and they clearly have a love for diving. I am definitely coming back. read more

I've bought a lot of gear from these guys over the years. Super knowledgeable, reasonable prices, great customer service. I just brought back a defective snorkel and they replaced it right away, no problem. As a business owner myself, I greatly appreciate it when a company goes out of the way to make customers happy. Thanks, guys, I'll see you next time I need any gear! read more

I just finished a refresher course here with Rich and I'm very glad I did. My certification was ages ago. Without this class I would have held everyone else up. Rich was very thorough and I feel so much better about my skills. Everyone at Pan Aqua has been great to work with. It's an excellent dive shop! read more

Just did a refresher course with Rich Lowe at Pan Aqua Diving. Rich was patient and extremely thorough going through the checklist several times to ensure that all skills were covered. He was easy to understand and made the session fun. I would recommend Rich and Pan Aqua to anyone! read more

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING PADI OPEN WATER CERT HERE. STOP! AND GO WITH SOMEONE ELSE. I am scheduled to take their confined water lessons with my gf yesterday and today. They told me before hand that they don't rent fins, which is very strange. So we brought our own. I got myself a pair of Cressi Gara3000 LD (one of the best long distance fins on the market) and my gf a pair of Cressi Palau fins. I have done extensive research on the internet and scuba diving forums before pulling the trigger. When we arrived to the shop yesterday for the confined water lesson. They asked to see our fins. Then, the shit storm starts. First they told me that my fins are long and my gf fins are too short. I said I like longer fins I would be less tired with them in the water, and I hold up my gf's Palau fins to the ones that they are trying to force us buy in their store - they are the same bloody length. Then, they said their pool is not deep enough for my long fins and my long fins would kill corals in the water. As for my gf, they said her Cressi fins material is the wrong material. I nearly lost it there... I see no point arguing over this anymore. Clearly, they won't let us take the class unless we buy the fins from their store. Out of principle, I am not going to buy their fins even if cost just $1. So, I have requested for a refund and ready to leave. Now, before getting my refund, this older woman gave me a lecture on how having the right equipment is crucial for the diver's safety; how hundreds of divers still die every year; how we can't trust the equipments at other PADI certified dive site and must bring our own; how responsible of a shop they are because they are signing off on our safety for 7 years and they take that very seriously; and how naive I am and how dangerous it will be trying to scuba dive with the fins I brought... ARE YOU F**** KIDDING ME? I agree having the right equipment is crucial for safety. But, are you telling me that it is safe for us to use/rent other dive center's BCD, regulator, SPG, tank, wetsuit, but it is not safe for us to rent their fins??? If that is not what you are saying, why don't you just make me buy everything from your shop??? Why just the fins??? I am so disgusted by the lame sales tactic at this place and the lamer attempt desperately trying to justify it when questioned. Stay away. read more

I was certified by Panaqua in August 2016 and went on one of their excursions to the Cayman Island in November 2016. 1) The certification was solid, we practiced in the pool and I learned all the skills I needed. They host their open water certification at Dutch Springs, which is a murky lake with very low visibility (and an additional cost to rent gear that they do not mention up front). However, since they cannot control the conditions, I cannot fault them for that. 2) Customer service is definitely not their strong suit. At the store, when I went in to buy gear, I asked them for the least expensive gear because I am on a budget. The salesperson said to me "Well that sounds like your problem, not mine." Needless to say, I did not buy anything from them. At the store, their gear is overpriced and their staff is unnecessarily slow. I would say only go to the store to buy something if you have probably 45 minutes longer than you think you need. 3) My main issue with PanAqua was the trip they hosted to the Cayman Islands. For one, they did nothing to create a welcoming or supportive dive community. As a new diver, this felt surprising and unfortunate. I would DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMEND the trip to anyone who is travelling alone, as you will spend most of the trip feeling lonely and you may have a hard time finding a buddy, which is essential to your safety underwater. Panaqua also did not let me know that it was "strongly recommended" that you have an advanced open water certification to take the trip until after I had paid for the trip in full and purchased my plane ticket, which meant that I either had to pay more for an additional certification or risk diving beyond my limits. Further, there were about 30 people on the trip, which seemed like too many for only one coordinator. On the trip, the logistics were taken care of, but the woman who organized/hosted the trip (Maria) did nothing beyond hang out with her friends, who were also on the trip, and the bare minimum for organizing the details of getting to/from the airport. When one of my friends had an issue in the water, and was asked to hold off from diving for 24 hours, she did not approach him to ask what happened, talk to him to help him understand his mistake, or do anything to help him resolve the issue. As a new diver, I expected a little bit more support, or anything to help enhance my level of comfort or expertise in the water. Although Maria was available to answer some questions I had about diving (if you could find her), she was unwelcoming and even rude towards me and other members of the group in multiple instances, which made me feel upset, uncomfortable, and not welcome. For such a pricey hobby, I would expect at least some level of cordiality from the PanAqua staff running the trip, or at least a warning on the flyer that this would be a purely transactional trip. I never dived with Maria, and was not on her boat, so I cannot comment on her demeanor underwater, but I think her presence/lack thereof above water speaks volumes. PanAqua either need to cap the number of people on the trip so that everyone can fit on one boat, or hire someone who is better able to make everyone feel included, regardless of which boat you are on. Probably both. Although the diving/weather was great (but again they do not control the conditions) and I had a lovely time with my friends, based on my experience, I do not think I will go on another Panaqua trip again and I would recommend other new divers against choosing PanAqua for your next dive vacation. read more

The instructors and staff at PanAqua are friendly and experienced divers, but I cannot recommend that anyone I know or care about be trained or taken care of by them. I can't comment on the relative qualities of PanAqua to the other training options here in the city, but unfortunately my experience with this company was not a positive one. Our first pool class had 13 divers in it and the division of training between the three instructors was poorly planned resulting in a hurried class at the end of which we were thrown out of the locker rooms and standing in a darkened lobby. The staging of the equipment training was sloppy; with 13 students lined up in a 3' wide space at the end of the pool. It was difficult if not impossible to hear the instruction in this formation, and the instructor was forced to stand on the ledge of the pool. During this portion of the instruction, the instructor actually fell backwards into the pool which was still being used for lap swim and injured a swimmer's neck. To put it mildly, this did not inspire confidence. Day two of training went more smoothly, as the trainers seemed to have recouped from the international trip they had just returned from and had perhaps taken a few minutes to prepare. At the end of this class, I felt satisfied that I was prepared for the open water dives that I planned to do the following weekend. I was satisfied until I hadn't heard from them on the details of the meet-up 2 days before the quarry dive trip. So, I called the shop to get the missing information. They informed me that I had to come into the shop to be fitted for my rental equipment. I was surprised as this could easily have been taken care of when I was there a week before. I was told that this information should have been given to me as part of the packet I received the first weekend. It was not. More disturbing though was the fact that the instructors let us leave the weekend before without asking us to get fitted - when it was their responsibility to do so. This oversight caused a great deal of problems for myself and a friend who do not live near PanAqua and work full-time. Ultimately, my impression of PanAqua is that they are disorganized, unprofessional and willing to lay blame on anyone other than themselves for the results they get. Maria Hultz is like a broken record blaming the students for wasting class time chatting, but moments later waxes poetic for 15 minutes about a whale shark she chased on a scuba trip. I am sure Ed knows his stuff, but does he take his role as a trainer seriously? I get the feeling that because PanAqua does not have much competition in the city, they no longer are making the effort to pay attention to the details. Proceed with caution. read more

Scuba diving lesson... In a pool... In manhattan... When it's 95 degrees out... for a 50 % discount on Groupon... These are the things that persuaded me to purchase a scuba diving class at PanAqua. However, I felt a little gross wearing a damp wetsuit and putting my mouth on equipment that's clearly made the rounds. Plus, we only had access to a tiny portion of the pool. But what really bothered me was that we were rushed through the introductory lessons, which made me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was, and I ended up panicking and inhaling water a couple of times. If I am going to face my fears again and go scuba diving, I want plenty of room, time, and patience from the instructors. read more

I just completed the pool portion of PADI scuba diving certification here at Pan Aqua, and I had a great experience. The Manhattan Plaza Healthcare Club is a good, clean facility. The pool is large and ceiling covered by glass, which is rather nice. We did the intensive weekend class, so we were there from 5-11 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Our instructors were Lorraine and Jason, and they were fantastic! Very knowledgeable and friendly. We even got a drink after Sunday's class was over to celebrate being one step closer to poking around the ocean. Here's what to expect in terms of certification and costs: To get PADI certified, you need to spend time in a pool, attend class, finish eLearning certification, and then complete 4 open-water dives. Cost of the pool portion of the scuba: $295 PADI eLearning: $146 Cost of mask, snorkel, fins, booties purchased at Pan Aqua: $295 (after the $50 rebate) You can do the open-water dives through Padi Aqua. I am going through another operator because I already had a trip planned. The cost of open water certification dives run from $250-350. read more

I just got finished with the Intensive Weekend course before a dive trip abroad. This class was a great choice for me, especially if you're (like me) a busy professional, an ardent procrastinator, or an ardent professional procrastinator. (I'm all 3.) The course has some time in the class room, time in the pool, and time in their shop. I was a little worried how comfortable I'd feel underwater after this course, especially since I planned to finished the certification while traveling in SE Asia, but Sam (my instructor) couldn't have been more patient and knowledgeable. She explained the concepts from our elearning thoroughly, and added anecdotes from her own extensive diving experience. In the pool, she demonstrated each skill clearly, and took the time to answer our questions to make sure we understood the concept and felt comfortable executing it underwater. Part of the course is also spent in the shop, where the staff help you find scuba gear: that is a mask, snorkel, boots, and fins. Fit and comfort are extremely important, and the staff was patient, taking the time to help me (essentially) try on every mask until I found a good fit! One of the benefits of taking their course is if you initially get something that doesn't feel right, like I did, you can exchange it to try something else. I ended up having some trouble w my first choice of mask and fins, swapped them out for a different ones, and couldn't be happier. Now I know what you're thinking (bc I thought it too): c'mon, how much more am I paying for that gear and the "convenience"? The stuff I searched for online was priced mostly inline w the shop and really, it's nice to be able to try the equipment out right away and have that flexibility before committing. Overall, I had a great experience at Pan Aqua and would highly recommend it to those looking to get their start in scuba. read more

I received my open water scuba diving certification through Pan Aqua this summer. I also bought all of my scuba and snorkel gear from them as well. I did my confined water dives at Manhattan Plaza health club next door as well as my classroom sessions there too. My instructor for the confined water dives and classroom sessions was Peter Miklatek who is a stern yet effective instructor. I felt really comfortable and confident in the water and ready to do my open water dives to complete my certification after taking instruction from Peter M. He was extremely thorough and during the confined dive instruction, he was patient with us and made sure we did each thing we were to be tested on a few times so that we could get everything down pat. There were four of us in this portion of the class. He went over the book and classroom instruction pretty extensively so that all of us would pass the tests with flying colors. I was really impressed by that and also his passion for diving is contagious. We decided to jump right in and complete our certification by doing the open water dive portion through Pan Aqua at Dutch Springs. That was a two full day affair and we were transported by bus with others getting various other types of certifications through Pan Aqua. For this portion of the course, our instructor was Peter McKay. This is where things got a little interesting. Peter McKay is an acquired taste. I say this because he was really talkative and not encouraging. I have to say, after the first day of our open water dives, I wanted to quit. I kid you not, the man annoyed me but not more than he annoyed my boyfriend. Okay, my boyfriend is probably the most even tempered man I know, he's quiet, especially with strangers. I have never seen him explode at anyone like he did with this guy. It was actually kind of funny because usually Jim keeps his temper in check. That is how irritating Peter was on the first day. He kept reiterating he was not there to teach us anything, etc etc. Oh and what annoyed me the most is his insistence on telling us a story of a boy who drowned a few weeks before at Dutch Springs. I asked him to not tell me details about it because I did not want to hear it, but he insisted on continuing the story. Ughh..you get my drift? He calmed down the next and final day of our dives when we were to get certified. But, if I had to do that again, I would choose another "instructor". In the end, we got certified, I'm happy and I'm out to the Caribbean next month to test out my skills. As for the store itself, Lorraine was our sales lady and she also got us all signed up for the class. She's really awesome and knows her stuff. She was patient and explained all the equipment we needed and had us try on stuff and really got us pumped about taking on this challenge. Because of her, I would only go to Pan Aqua to get my equipment for the future. Overall, Pan Aqua is a pretty good store for your scuba and snorkel needs. I thought their class was great and I feel really prepared to go out and scuba dive for fun. I'd recommend them. read more

Pan Aqua Diving - scuba certified @ Dutch Springs, PA - Scuba Diving Near Me - New York, New York

Pan Aqua Diving is a first-rate, full service SCUBA store that has been in Manhattan for years. I first started shopping here when I was first certified in 1996 and needed to be educated on what kind of gear I needed. Of course, I paid a premium for this, but I didn't mind...better to be properly informed when first starting out. Their staff is truly knowledgeable about what you need based on your experience and where you want to do your open water dives. For example, many people who get certified in the Tri-state area do their open water certification dives in a quarry...which is typically cold water. I, however, am what you might call a "fair weather" diver...meaning I don't care how good the diving is, if the water isn't warm (70 degrees and above) I'm not getting in. Thus, I flew to the Keys to do my open water certification dives. I needed warm water gear (wet suit) but my friend needed gear suited for colder water. They outfitted both of us appropriately, and each of us had exactly what we needed to do our dives safely and comfortably. There are less expensive places in the City to buy your gear once you know what you need, and if you fall into that category you might want to check out my review for Leisure Pro. However, if you want expert advice from experienced divers, check out Pan Aqua. They definitely know what they are doing, and that is worth the higher price. TIP: When they have a sale or discounts on their gear, make a bee-line over there. It won't last long. read more

I'm not much of a swimmer and have never been scuba diving before.. but I had always wanted to learn so I signed up for the Open Water Certification Course. Frank was my instructor and he was awesome. He was laid back enough to make the course fun and feasible and the whole Pan Aqua Team was very helpful; I got there at closing the night before classes to pick out some gear and they stayed open after hours and let me pick stuff out and purchase them. The course was 3 intensive night sessions and I felt pretty comfortable with the skills and concepts for the real thing. I went to the Caribbean a week later and am now certified. Thanks Pan Aqua and Frank.. you guys rock! read more

I kept putting off doing my open water dive certificate because I was too lazy however decided since I have an upcoming trip to Bali it was time to do it. It couldn't have gone better. I did the 3 day evening course with Pan Aqua. I was put in an extremely small class, with only one other person. This was great as we were given a lot of attention from Donald our instructor. Although the class went from 7 to 11:30 each evening, the time flew and more than anything it was fun. Our instructor, went above and beyond to teach both us. He had a really obvious passion in both diving and teaching. He had so much energy and always made us feel safe and comfortable. He also went out of his way to assist us in anyway possible, and in the end he even told us we could contact him any time we like with any extra questions. He made the whole experience wonderful. Both Donald, and the people working in the Pan Aqua store, were friendly and honest. I would recommend them to anyone and everyone. If I go onto completing my other diving certificates, I will definitely pick Pan Aqua. Everyone, go here!!!! read more

I had the midweek intensive with Roger and Peter. Sessions were a little rushed at times. But that's the nature of the course with this school. Just dedicate yourself to learning, safety, and having fun, you'll be fine. Instructors were patient, knowledgeable, plenty of diving experience and stories to tell. You can tell they want to spread the fun and safety of scuba diving. It's an extreme sport. So there are some risks. Just have patience, be smart. read more

Headed down to Mexico for a Christmas vacation and thought it was about time I invest in my own mask and snorkel. (Been scuba diving infrequently over the past three years but love to hop in the water for a peek of what's under the surface whenever I can and hate to have to depend on finding a place to rent the most basic gear.) Walked in around 4:30 this afternoon and was immediately greeted by Peter. I told him what I was looking for and he took me straight to a stand of masks where I tried on three different models. He was really kind, explaining the difference between all of them and what I should be searching for / what it should feel like. Then showed me three models of snorkels and did the same thing. He was patient and knowledgeable, he didn't try to up sell me, and then shared a nice conversation about how we had both been diving in southeast Asia and really enjoyed it. I was in and out in about 15 minutes with exactly what I needed (mask and snorkel - in bright pink, woohoo!) and a smile on my face. So nice to find sweet peeps working retail in NYC. They're few and far between. read more

My wife and I did a lot of research on dive shops that offered PADI dive certification in the city. Clearly not an easy task in NYC where proximity of location (for post work education and training), quality and cleanliness of facilities (i.e. pool), small class sizes for more hands on learning, effectiveness of instruction, and price all intersect. Gary (the shops proprietor) does business the way it should be done - with patience and expertise focusing on what's right for the customer. We spent literally an hour and a half with him one evening purchasing masks, snorkels, fins, and booties for our trip to Thailand. We took part in the three-day Tuesday through Thursday class with three other students 7pm - 11:30pm. They believe in keeping classes small for a better learning experience. The classes include classroom instruction and pool-based learning (pool is 12 ft. deep so you really get a feel for depth). Tom was the primary teacher and Michael assisted. They were both extremely knowledgable and we both came out with a more favorable view on scuba diving after attending. Confidence in applying what you've learned is peace of mind. Net net: If you're looking to buy gear for your scuba/snorkel trip, Pan Aqua is a great place to turn to. If you need PADI certification, there is no other place I would look to in the city. One of those no brainer decisions that becomes very clear, very quickly. read more

My husband and I did our scuba diving course with Pan Aqua before a trip to the Caribbean. Pete was an excellent instructor! Very thorough, clear and patient. They were very professional and made us feel very confident. When we went for our open water dives, our instructors over there promptly commented on the high-quality of the course we had done back home, so it really came through when we most needed. We had no problems at all in completing the certification and look forward to diving much more now! I would definitely go back for the advanced certificates here. The people at the store are very helpful too. I was super happy when they made no fuss at all about making a special order for my fins/mask/snorkel so I could get the color I wanted. After all, as I learned with Pete, look and style are the most important considerations when buying your gear. (NOT!!) read more

Excellent place to learn how to dive. I have also taken trips with them to Cozumel, etc. The trips are well planned out. They are extremely knowledgeable about dive gear and only handle dependable stuff. The service department is also top-notch. read more