Raul is an affable and effective teacher for Scuba! I highly recommend learning how to dive with him. He is patient, clear, and fun to work with. read more

Yo recomiendo a rey diving por el trato la calidad el profesionalismo y la entrega en los momentos de realizar los ejercicios lo seguro que te sientes en todo momento ya que es lo más importante cuando se va a realizar un buceo confianza seguridad y conocimientos y todos los brinda rey diving . read more

Finally time to do the pool session towards my PADI open water certification since I'm going on vacation next month! I had previously done the e-Learning and just needed the next step. Diving isn't the first thing you think of here in NYC, so I started digging online. A few websites and a Yelp session later, I landed on Rey Diving. The website was clear and the YMCA location was perfect for me. I couldn't book online so I quickly met Raul who was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Within minutes I had everything booked and the information for the 1 day session. The hardest part about the quick e-Learning review is clearly the dive charts. Raul did a review and quizzed us on a few facts to be sure we had no troubles in passing. Then the three of us headed into the pool. All of the equipment is provided, although you can bring your own, and they have towels on site as well. Just bring your swimsuit, flip flops, lunch, and a lock if you want to use the YMCA lockers. From setting up the equipment to entering the water to learning critical skills, Raul explained everything step-by-step and efficiently moved us through the course. He has great humor and consistently checks to be sure that everyone is comfortable with the task before moving forward. To be honest I wasn't looking forward to doing the pool session, but it was quite enjoyable. The small class size and expert leadership made it a breeze and I feel confident that I will do well on the open water dives. Thanks, Raul! read more

I had such a wonderful experienc. Raol was so patient with me as I kept mixing up my Ok signals with going up. He was really clear with all the explanations and he knows what he's doing. The day in the pool training made me feel com about my open water dives coming up in Hawaii. Highly recommend Rey's diving. Ever was clear, easy and organized. read more

I truly can't put into words how much fun I had learning to scuba dive with Rey Diving. I signed up online after reading their excellent reviews, and the service did not disappoint. Raul is a truly fantastic instructor--kind, patient, extremely knowledgeable, and most of all, enthusiastic. He clearly loves what he does, and it shows. Frank is likewise extremely friendly and helpful. After taking the eLearning (which was included in the cost of the class, and which was, interestingly, *the* most interesting, practical, and well-put-together online course I've ever taken), I did my confined water dives at the Brooklyn Sports Club. My group was small (4 new divers including myself), which was fantastic--all of us really got a ton of instructor attention. While I'm going to be doing some diving next month in Hawaii, I'm almost certain that I'll be signing up for an open-water trip with Rey Diving next year to complete my certification. Genuinely can not recommend Rey Diving enough! read more

Raul and his class were great. Very patient and well run class. I did the full-day pool session after doing the e-learning in advance of a trip where I plan to do the open water dives. Class was small -- 4 of us -- and well organized. read more

I did discover scuba diving with Justin, and it was incredible! I will definitely get fully certified in the future. It has always been a dream of mine to do this, and Raul and Justin helped me and built my confidence with the skills along the way. Thank you both so much for this experience :) read more

I completed my confined water dives yesterday and this was an amazing experience. Raul is the owner of the business and was my instructor for the 8 hour training. He is an incredibly experienced diver. As a teacher myself, he was also able to clearly communicate the techniques and made sure that you mastered them before moving on. For example, I struggled with the free-flowing regulator skill and we stopped and tried it again to make sure I got it right. I feel confident jumping into the water for my open water dives after completing this training. As for the location, Raul has a partnership with the YMCA to run all of his confined water training by closing a lane off. There is an option to rent all of your equipment and it is super convenient. If you live in the NYC area, I would 100% recommend you complete your confined water dive with Rey Diving before your next vacation, when you can complete your open water dive. read more

I realized that it was beyond time to update my review here. I've just returned from my third trip with Raul and Rey Diving and I still can't say enough good things! First off, after my confined sessions in April of 2017, I easily completed my check-out dives in Turks and Caicos. In 2018, I did my advanced dive certification with Raul in Cozumel (awesome trip - great diving - he does this trip annually and you should GO!). In 2019 I accompanied him and another posse of divers to Colombia (Rosario Islands), and again traveled with him to Curacao this past week. My guy doesn't dive, so I've gone on each trip as a "solo" diver, although there is always a buddy at the other end, and Raul takes care that each person on the trip is comfortable and happy, both under water and topside! First of all, Raul chooses to dive with dive operations that are every bit as safety-oriented and hands-on as he is, and he carefully vets them ahead of time. Also, Rey Diving does a great job of handling most of the travel arrangements, which makes the trips very easy. He also creates an atmosphere that is conducive to group bonding (although if you want to go off on your own during down time, go ahead) and he is just plain fun to hang out with! :-) This year, for Curacao, there were some repeat divers from last year's trip and we had a terrific time. Cannot say enough good things about Raul and Rey Diving. Why are you still thinking about where to train/who to travel with? Call him NOW! read more

Rey Diving - Always stay hydrated! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Did our PADI training here with Raul and Frank at the Brooklyn Sports Club. They were both great and it was nice to get everything done in one day. They also include the eLearning when you sign up which is a great deal. Some other places we looked at in the city wanted us to get it separately read more

I did a lot of online research before choosing Rey Diving for my PADI Open Water certification course. TLDR; I highly recommend Rey Diving. They're great guys who know what they're doing and genuinely want to see you fall in love with scuba. When I was looking into which school to do my certification with, I was tempted by discounts and Groupons from other schools in the area. I'm glad I didn't skimp out and go with the cheapest offer. Scuba diving is an expensive hobby, and if you're going to do it you should make the (relatively) small investment to have the best instructors possible in the beginning. I have a strong swimming background and have always been comfortable in the water, but I had never had a regulator in my mouth before meeting Rey and Thorner at the YMCA this summer. They made me feel very comfortable and were patient with everyone in our group. We began by going over the online training and dive tables. They took the time to make sure all of us understood the material. After taking a quick quiz we went into the pool area and split into two groups. You don't need to worry about renting or buying any gear, they'll provide everything you need. It's not always the case, but when I went there were four students, and two instructors (Rey and Thorner). The 2:1 ratio was amazing. Thorner took me through each skill and made sure I didn't have any questions before moving on. They're both quite personable and he made the time fly by. I started this summer completely new to diving, and three months later I've already logged 20 dives in 3 countries. The fact that they helped me feel so confident and comfortable in the water from day 1 definitely played a role in developing my passion for scuba! read more

I had a wonderful experience with Rey Diving both in the pool and for my open water checkout dives. Here are a few great features of Rey Diving: - Small class sizes: There are a maximum of four students per instructor in the pool so you'll get lots of personal attention. - Efficiency: You can do your pool work in ONE day. Other places I looked into offered two, four (or even seven?!) sessions. - No hard sells: Raul never tried to sell me equipment I didn't need or wasn't ready for. - Checkout Dives are available: Raul organizes weekend trips to Dutch Springs, PA to do your checkout dives (or you can do them yourself on your dive vacation). Highly recommend. read more

Raul is a very patient and thorough dive instructor. This is my second course with Rey Diving and I appreciate the thoughtful instruction he always provides. read more

Never have I had such a personalized education. I have a newfound passion for Scuba Diving and believe that it will be a lifelong one. Raul, Thorner, and Jennifer are professional, dedicated, and patient teachers. It is a magical experience; exploring the wondrous depths, but at first a nerve-wracking one, however, I never at once felt uncomfortable or afraid below the surface. After receiving both my Open Water and Advanced Open Water licenses with Rey Diving, I do not plan to slow down. THANK YOU REY DIVING! :D read more

Rey and his team are absolutely amazing! We're heading to Tortola this Christmas vacation and wanted to get scuba certified ASAP in NYC. He worked around our schedules and we (my wife and father in law) were able to complete our entire pool session in one Thursday evening. He is extremely knowledgeable and we all feel completely safe and well trained to do our open water dives on vacation. I can't recommend this company enough for anyone in NYC looking to get certified. read more

Highly recommend Rey's Diving to anyone in NYC looking to get PADI open water certified! I had Thorner, who helps out with classes occasionally, and he was extremely patient, knowledgeable and fun. To give a quick overview of the multi-step process to get PADI open water certified (~$1K total): 1) 12 hours of eLearning with quizzes 2) Pool day (11AM-8PM) at a dive center like Rey's - this review is for this step 3) 4 open water dives over 2 days - these are booked as 'PADI referral dives' and can be done on vacation. Just bring your eLearning certificate and referral papers from the dive center! Make sure you actually go through the entire eLearning and pay attention because it will give you a good foundation to learn actual skills. It is not difficult if you pay attention as there are several videos to demonstrate and reinforce concepts and skills. Coming from a science background, understanding the relationship between pressure, density, volume and using dive charts came easily. For the pool day, we met at the YMCA around Union Square. There were only 3 of us, which was a great size. Thorner started off by reviewing basic skills on land and answering any questions we had about the eLearning before giving us a quiz similar to the eLearning final review quiz. We did some swimming and treading tests to make sure we were comfortable in the water, assembled our gear several times, and practiced lots of scuba skills like breathing, fin pivot, hovering etc. Thorner always demonstrated the skills first and then we took turns doing the skill afterwards. There were a couple breaks for snacks. Thorner was very supportive the whole time. I did my referral dives in Turks & Caicos. Because of the strong foundation of knowledge I had from the eLearning and pool day skills, I felt very comfortable and relaxed in the water. Moving from pool to salt water was not an issue. My referral dives instructor even said I was the best student she has ever had! The whole experience was great and I recommend diving to anyone interested. read more

Thorner was my teacher for the confined water portion. He is extremely knowledgeable, articulate, friendly and watched us like a hawk which I'm happy about because if I'm going to be underwater where I can potentially die, I want attentive, expert supervision. As a busy New Yorker, I appreciated the option to do the confined water portion in only one day in a small class where there are a maximum of 4 students. 9 hours, however, is a long time to spend mostly submerged and I could not recognize my feet that had transformed into white prunes by the end. Perhaps because i have not swam with this much intensity in a long time, I am exhausted. I do feel mighty accomplished though... we got through it! Thank you Rey Diving. read more

I had my confined water lessons with Eric and Alison. They were super attentive and patient with the students. Classes are small, which made me feel safe. My open water class was with Raul and again, another great instructor! Had a blast at Dutch Springs. The lessons were pretty straightforward. High recommended! read more

Deeply knowledgeable, patient and perceptive instructors. The only place in New York I'd trust to train my friends and family. eLearning + confined water dives make their Open Water Course terrific for busy schedules. (Location is 14th & 6th Ave. One can do single-day or two-day courses.) Yet compression doesn't mean cut corners. Instruction was detailed, thorough and individualized. Simply knowing what to do wasn't enough. Thorner wanted us each comfortable with the skill. Looking forward to my Advance Open Water Diver certification in June with Rey Diving. read more

I just completed the confined water dives with Raul of Rey Diving this past weekend, and I cannot say enough great things about my experience. Raul was responsive by email before my test date, providing all the information I could need to feel prepared. When I did email with a question, he got back to me within hours. He was supportive of all my questions preparing for the written test, and really broke down the dive charts for me, which had been confusing when I did the online classwork. After a few minutes of tutoring with him, it felt like second nature. When it came time to start actually breathing underwater, he was calm and reassuring the whole way. When I had trouble and needed to repeat an exercise, he was patient and gave me tips to help me succeed and feel comfortable. I feel completely comfortable for the open water portion of my certification, thanks to Raul. If you're thinking of getting certified to dive, I could not recommend Rey Diving more. read more

Great experience! Ended up effectively getting a one-on-one with the owner for my class and was able to finish in half the allotted time. I feel very comfortable going on to my open water dives now and I hope I can come back to do a Rey trip sometime soon! read more

My partner and I completed our eLearning, Quick Review, and Confined Dives with Rey Diving this past weekend. It was a fantastic experience with expert instruction, small class size (2 of us for 1 instructor), and thorough content reviews both in and out of the water. We both feel confident in our skills and abilities to complete the open water dives on our upcoming vacation! I would whole-heartedly recommend Rey Diving for the easy process, great instruction, and convenience. The option to complete the confined dives in 1 long session is also really nice (albeit long!). Thank you, Raul and Aidan!! read more

I did a "refresher" with Raul about 10 days before my trip to Galapagos. While my open water certification dates to 2004, I dive very infrequently, and my last dive prior to "refresher" had been 4 years ago. If you don't dive, you start to forget things. I had a one-on-one with Raul, and we started from the beginning (assembling things -- BCD, checking tank, etc.). More often than not, when you dive, whatever agency you use will assemble all this stuff for you. Still, it's good to know. I'm very glad we did that. Then we got into water (YMCA pool) and went through all necessary exercises. Raul is an awesome instructor -- calm, knowledgeable, patient. After the course, I felt confident to dive in Galapagos, and when I got there, I knew exactly what to do, and felt very comfortable. Thanks to Raul at Rey Diving. Highly recommend! read more

Raul was a fantastic instructor. He was as patient, helpful, and friendly as you could hope for an instructor to be. I highly recommend him to anyone. We also found other aspects of our arrangement with Raul to be exceptionally convenient. Most importantly, he provided all the equipment we needed, unlike nearly every other service I spoke with, who force you to buy lots of gear when you train with them. (As a beginning diver, I have no interest in keeping all that gear in my small closet and then trying to TRAVEL with it--I'll just rent, thanks.) Another big plus was that we were able to do the online training at our own pace on our own time, and then we did the pool dives with Raul all in one day. read more

I did my entire training with Raul at Rey Diving and would strongly recommend him to anyone. Patient, personable, positive and an overall pleasure to be around ... Raul is a great trainer. If you're looking to get scuba certified ... You've found the right guy read more

I first met Raul on the pool portion of my open water diving certification course. We were a big group so there were two instructors. They could not have been more different. Raul was calm and reassuring above water and, most importantly, clearly communicated information underwater when we were in such unfamiliar territory for the first time. The other instructor, and you may meet these often as you begin diving, was more interested in showing off his own diving skills than teaching you yours. Raul is excellent at individual attention and assessment as you begin to experience breathing and becoming buoyant underwater. After this pool class, my friends and I continued our instruction with Raul and Rey Diving, enjoying a fabulous camping weekend at Dutch Springs and meeting other students of his. He prepared us for diving in open water in Cozumel and has been our friend ever since. My relationship with Rey Diving continues to grow. I take more courses as I have the time (up to Rescue Diver now) and Raul is always available to dive as a buddy at Dutch Springs or beyond. His curiosity and enthusiasm is unbridled and I believe we will have a long relationship both in the water and out. He is a great instructor who excels at teaching anyone from kids to adults, beginner to advanced. His knowledge of equipment and technique is deep and up to date. I highly recommend Rey Diving. read more

It was a fantastic class, well paced and extremely knowledgeable instructors! I was nervous as I have asthma but was not only reassured about the class once I got there, i feel much more confident about scuba diving in open water. read more

I highly recommend Rey Diving. Raul was very responsive via email, and then an excellent and patient instructor with good equipment. I left feeling much more comfortable in the water scuba diving, and prepared for my open water dives. I would highly recommend Raul to anyone who wants to get certified in scuba diving. read more

I first studied with Raul a few years ago for my open water certification. After some time out of the water, I recently consulted him for some additional training. I'm very glad that I did! Raul is extremely knowledgeable in variety of topics (equipment, marine and environmental issues, techniques), patient, and thorough. He goes into the right amount of detail when providing explanations, and always seems more than willing to answer questions. I especially appreciate that Raul is very patient. I have to admit that I am sometimes a bit of a chicken, but Raul instills confidence and remains calm and un-annoyed! He makes sure that you do what you need to. His demonstrations are very clear and he is a great communicator under- and above-water. I strongly recommend Rey Diving for its high level of expertise, attention to safety and detail, and friendliness. I look forward to additional training in the future with Rey Diving. read more

I completed both my confined water dive, and open water certification with Rey Diving (and Raul, the owner). I am also scheduled to complete the advanced open water certification with Raul in October. The experiences that I have had with Rey Diving have been incredible. The class sizes are extremely small. In both my confined and open water dives, I worked with an instructor with two other students (three total). This gave the instructor time to individually help each student with the skills that we were learning. However, I think the most valuable time that I had was *in between* dives. The amount of knowledge and insight that Raul, and another instructor Thorner, have to share is incredible. They were available to answer any question that anyone had, and went above and beyond in their explanations in order to help us fully understand the concepts. I'm looking forward to my next certification with Rey Diving, and using them for any more that I decide to do in the future. read more

I completed my confined water training with Rey Diving. My first session was a group session with Thorner, who is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. After having a hard time with one of the underwater skills (mask flood and clear), it was evident to me that I needed a private session and couldn't complete my confined water training in a group setting. This was extremely frustrating for me to come to terms with. This is where Rey Diving really impressed me. Raul, the owner, was willing to work out a time with me to have a private 1:1 lesson to master the skills that prevented me from passing the first time. He was so patient with me and gave me feedback in the moment that changed how I was approaching the skills. He offered this session at such an incredibly reasonable price, and I couldn't thank him enough for his generosity. He and Thorner truly care about their clients' successes and made that very clear with their flexibility in meeting my personal needs. I would never steer anyone anywhere else - Rey Diving is one of a kind. read more

After completing a pool session in April with Thorner (which was fantastic; separate review by C.M. on that below), my fiancee and I had another amazing experience with Rey Diving this weekend with Raul at our open water certification in Dutch Springs. Logistically speaking, Dutch Springs (in PA) was the easiest and closest place for us to complete the open water dives coming from NYC. It took place over the course of two days: 2 dives on day 1, 2 dives on day 2. It was such a great experience taking our learnings from the eLearning & pool sessions into a real-life setting at Dutch Springs. We worked on a variety of skills and by the end of it I can say that we feel 100% confident and ready to go out diving on an upcoming vacation to the Azores. Did I mention that it was FUN? Come on, you're breathing under water! Raul was very patient and knowledgeable, keeping an eye on everyone in the whole group at once while ensuring each of us mastered every skill along the way. Out of the water, he was equally instructive and helpful, and simply put he was great to hang out with. Given we completed the course in early June, the water was frigid but we were adequately prepped (setup with rental wetsuits and gear from a nearby shop) to take on the waters. We recommend Dutch Springs for those in the area looking to complete their open water without getting on a plane. Even more so, we HIGHLY recommend Rey Diving as we had a phenomenal experience with Thorner (pool session) and Raul (open water) and now feel comfortable going to scuba dive in the real world as certified open water divers. Thanks so much!!!! read more

My boyfriend took my scuba diving the first time in my life. I am by no means an expert, but the staff was extra friendly. They answered a gazillion of my questions and I asked the same questions over and over again. The actual dive was quite an experience (even though it wasn't an actual dive, but just the initial dive for my certification course). read more

Raul was great to deal with. He was super patient and helpful before, during, and after the course. As I was hesitant about diving due to concerns about my ears Raul recommended I start out with the Discovery class. I experienced some ear discomfort after that session and instead of just saying "don't worry about it" he encouraged me to see a doctor to get checked out first before continuing. He clearly cared more about my health than just signing up another student. Once the ENT gave me the go-ahead I did the e-learning, followed by the all-day pool session with Raul. I then did my 4 open water dives in Brazil and had an amazing experience. I'm now a certified diver! My day in the pool with Raul was really helpful and I can't say enough nice things about him. Thanks Raul! read more

I just took an amazing Open Water Dive class with Raul this past weekend and am so thrilled that I did. I've snorkeled a bit but was really nervous about getting into the diving realm. Needless to say, Raul's calm, friendly, and easy-going manner helped me gain the confidence to begin my diving journey. He was patient with all students in our class and by the end of the class confined water dives, I couldn't wait to dive again. If you are looking for a professional, patient instructor who is passionate about diving and fun to be around then this class is for you! I cannot recommend this experience enough! read more

If you want to learn how to Scuba so you can really experience the sport and dive with great confidence, this is a great place to learn. I just went through some skills refresh work with Reydiving. My original certifications were up in MA in 2001-5: navigation, wreck, enriched air, advanced, drysuit, rescue/EFR, etc. I've been lucky enough to dive and train around the world. With that I can easily say Raul and his team do what all shops should do:complete commitment to student comprehension of safe diving practices and assurance that students demonstrate solid skills in the water. And the students are always comfortable - that is a great combination.. read more

I completed the confined water portion of my open water diver certification with Raul at Rey Diving. The experience could not be any better. We started off with a quiz of the eLearning materials before Raul geared me up with everything I needed (I had no equipment save for a pair of swim trunks). I chose not to wear a wet suit, but they are available should you decide you want to wear one. We then spent the next 4-5 hours in the pool doing all four of the confined water dives required for the open water diver certification. The experience was amazing, and the time flew by. Before I knew it, Raul sent me on my way with a brand new diver's log and a referral card to complete my open water dives when I go on vacation. Raul is a fantastic teacher. He is very patient in answering any questions anyone in the class had. He made sure to not just answer the questions, but made sure we understood the reasoning and rationale behind why certain protocols or procedures are the way they are. He also made sure everyone in the class felt comfortable under water at all times. I fully expect to go back to Rey Diving for more training in the future. For now, I cannot wait to get my open water sessions done for the open water diver certification. read more

We had a great experience taking the eLearning/pool skills class with Rey Diving this weekend. Raul was extremely organized, professional, and fun to learn from. There were some unexpected schedule changes with the pool availability but Raul was very flexible and communicated early and often with our group to work with the pool availability that was given to us. Highly recommend! read more

I cannot recommend Rey Diving highly enough. I did the pool sessions with Raul yesterday and it was a spectacular experience. Raul is a very special dive instructor: he's really just interested in sharing the wonder of scuba with others. That enthusiasm comes through in everything he does. He's also an excellent teacher: patient, kind and helpful. I felt incredibly supported through the whole experience, and I was never worried that I wouldn't be able to do something. He worked with all four students to develop key skills, and not sweat the small stuff. This made the experience fun, and overwhelmingly positive. There were parts that were a struggle for me, in part because I'm pretty fat and pretty unfit, but nothing insurmountable. The support Raul offered made me feel comfortable and never self-conscious or worried. Raul's extensive knowledge is something to marvel at too. He was able to suggest dive shops and sites in far flung corners of the world, talk about wreck diving and underwater archeology, and do all the technical stuff in imperial or metric measurements. He didn't talk over anyone, or tell long stories without invitation; but he has this information handy if you want it. A few other things that are worth mentioning: - You can do the whole pool course in one day! It's a long day, but it's a great option. - Zero up-selling. This is something I was nervous about, because I've heard that many scuba training courses are about selling you equipment. Not once did Raul even suggest buying stuff from him, be it gear or trips. He's happy to talk about this stuff if you ask, and provide recommendations, but it's never a sales pitch. - You can reschedule or cancel for free! There's a cost if you reschedule more than once, but when I had to reschedule it was no pressure, no cost. I have also heard that they can fit folks in at short notice. I cannot emphasize enough how great this experience was. If you have found this review, you've found who you want to dive with: Rey Diving. read more

I have been diving for approx. 8 years. My 11 year old daughter showed an interest in the sport during our last trip to Cozumel in 2018 and did her discovery SCUBA and was instantly hooked. After researching many scuba certification programs here in New York, I decided to sign her up with Rey Diving. Rey Diving was very thorough with the information they provided when we first spoke on the phone and helped me to understand all the steps needed to get my daughter certified. They provided everything we needed from start to finish. Once my daughter completed her e-learning we met the instructor at the pool. We worked with Thorner who is extremely knowledgeable and patient with his students. We began with a full review of the dive tables to be sure everyone was comfortable and adept at using them. Even though I was there for my daughter, Thorner made sure I wasn't bored and involved me in the review. Once they were ready for the pool, Rey diving provided everything needed. As the day went on, I could see that the two students (Rey diving limits the class size to 4 students max...very important!) went trough every skill and repeated the ones they needed work on before moving onto the next. I was extremely satisfied with the entire process from start to finish and the professionalism of Rey Diving and Thorner. We will continue to work with Rey diving in the future as we continue to progress through the next certification levels of SCUBA. read more