Tonight was a blast! I felt extremely safe and comfortable during my DSD class tonight. I will absolutely be using Rey Diving for my certifications. Thanks Raul! read more

What an amazing teacher, Raoul is. He reinforced very important life safety skills to make me feel confident to go for my open water dive!

We were lucky enough to have a private class with Raul last weekend. He was very knowledgeable about scuba diving, and was able to make things easy and clear for us. They were very helpful with any questions I had prior to and during the dive. Thanks for getting us prepared to take on new adventures Raul! read more

SO happy I did this! I was super nervous to learn to dive, but Raul put me at ease, was very professional, and also very personable. I ended up having a private session with him in the pool, and took my referral to the Great Barrier Reef for the open water dives! His teaching kept me completely at ease when I was eventually in the open water--he was thorough and clear and careful. I shopped around a lot in the NY area before choosing Rey Diving and I'm SO glad I did. The online eLearning was convenient and accessible to my schedule, and his central location for the pool course at the 14th St, YMCA made this process very smooth. Most other companies take multiple days to finish the course, but Rey Diving gets it done in one day at the pool for the same price. It was perfect, highly recommend! read more

My Son and I worked With Thorton at Rey Diving. We chose Rey because they were close and Raul was super responsive. We did our inpool training with them in one day and it absolutely flew by. It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it was and Thorton was great. A good teacher and communicator. We learned so much and spent a ton of time in the water in scuba gear. I highly recommend Rey Diving. read more

Raul's class could not have been more perfect. I took the open water certification course which required a lengthy but thorough and helpful e-learning course before coming in for one day (11-7:30pm) in the pool at the Y on 14th Street. Raul is so knowledgable, patient and kind. I couldn't have asked for an easier process and better instructor. I plan on doing my open water dives this weekend on vacation and I feel super prepared to get my certification because of Rey Diving! read more

I recently completed the confined water (pool) portion of my certification with Raul and had a great experience. Raul is patient, thorough, engaging, and knowledgeable. I had a great day in the pool. Raul's love of diving and teaching is palpable. I feel confident to proceed to open water training, and can't wait to complete my certification and continue with specialized courses. I wouldn't hesitate to complete my training with Raul at Rey Diving. He's very down to earth and I appreciated that all of my equipment was included with the session. He gives great advice and goes above and beyond to address any concerns. At every step, he makes sure you're confident in your skill, prepared to move on, and most importantly, enjoying the sport! Thanks, Raul! See you soon! read more

I recently completed my confined water dive session with Rey Diving. I did a lot of research on dive certification companies in NYC and felt that Rey Diving was the best fit for me and my schedule. You complete the eLearning course online at your own pace, and then you finish all five confined dives in one day at the YMCA on 14th street (there is no lunch break, so bring a snack, as well as a lock and a swimsuit). Other companies split up the confined dives over several days -- there are pros and cons to both, so you can decide for yourself what type of schedule you want. My instructor was Thorner who was very patient, explained things clearly and always made sure you felt safe and comfortable. We completed the confined dives without any issues and are now on our way with a referral to do our open water dives! Make sure you eat before your pool dives since it is intensive, and get a lot of rest the night before and the night after. read more

Excellent 1-on-1 instruction that enabled me to complete my PADI eLearning and Confined Water Dive. Raul Romero was an amazing teacher -- fun, friendly, patient, thoughtful, informative, and confidence-instilling. Just a few weeks later, I successfully completed the PADI Open Water Course and my instructor in Barbados even commented on my skills and how comfortable I seemed in the water :) I look forward to taking more scuba courses and would happily recommend Rey Diving to anyone interested in falling in love with scuba!! read more

My two sons, ages 13 and 17, and I completed the PADI e-learning and the confined water dive at the YMCA. Our instructor Raul Romero was extremely knowledgeable, patient and attentive. He is a true teacher in the sense that he genuinely wants to pass on his love and skills of scuba diving to others. I had some anxiety going into this experience and every step of the way I felt safe and supported. My sons had an amazing time and we look forward to completing the open water dive at some point in the near future. read more

Thorner is a professional and responsible coach for new beginner divers with lots of patience and demonstration!

What a great experience! I attended the Discover Scuba class with Raul, as I wanted to get comfortable with the basics of Scuba diving before a trip to The Great Barrier Reef. I had tried Scuba once before, but the training was so rushed, and I didn't feel comfortable when it came time for the actual dive. Half of the people in our group had the same issues and stayed on the boat. This time was completely different- Raul was extremely patient with me and made learning so easy. After our 2 hour class, I now feel 100% comfortable to Scuba on my upcoming trip. I highly recommend working with Raul if you're looking to get PADI certified or just learn the basics of Scuba. read more

Thorner was an amazing instructor! He made sure each student feel comfortable with each skill and was very attentive. I feel very confident and safe to continue to the open water. The class was efficient and I would recommend it to anyone. read more

I took a course with Ray years ago, before he opened Ray Diving, after completely being unable to learn in a prior course. Despite thinking I was hopeless, I had already booked a trip, so figured I should give it a final shot. I'm no super student, that's for sure, but I dove the barrier reef while comfortable in the water after a one-day class. Can't think him enough, and plan to head back to NY (I love in DC now) to take a refresher course before my next scuba trip. read more

I really enjoyed this class. Raul is AWESOME - very patient and thorough. He showed up on time and very prepared. The facility is great and super convenient. Raul has all the equipment that you need to learn - including wetsuits. The pool is around 80 degrees, but you still get chilly since you're in it for awhile without moving much. Highly recommend Rey Diving. read more

Raul is awesome! A friend and I took the beginner's class. I kept getting nervous and swimming to the top and everytime he was patient with me. He gave me tips on how to relax when I started to panic. His patience and kindness made the class very enjoyable. And I love that you play frisbee underwater the first time you scuba dive. I highly recommend Rey's Diving! read more

Raul's Rey Diving is everything that we could have asked for in a first time dive instructor. Raul made sure my girlfriend and I were comfortable and confident the entire time. The small group setting was exactly what we were looking for (only 3 of us) and I could not even imagine doing this with a bigger group like at other shops. We feel perfectly prepared to finish our open water dives on our vacation and if we ever want to add additional certification then there is no question we are coming back here! read more

Last weekend I completed my confined water diving session with Rey Diving with my wife and sister and brother-in-law. Thorner was our instructor, and we had a wonderful time. He was extremely knowledgeable, very patient and a great teacher. He made us all feel comfortable and at ease in learning to dive. I would highly recommend Thorner and Rey Diving to others in the NYC area looking to get certified. read more

I just took the pool portion of my open water certification with Raul and it was an incredible experience. He made the seemingly intimidating course much less scary and confusing than I thought it would be. Raul is a very funny and kind person to learn from. His patience and easy going demeanor also make him a great instructor. I would definitely recommend contacting Raul for any diving certification you want to pursue. His prices are also very competitively priced compared to others in the area. read more

I've always wanted to become scuba certified and be able to dive with my spouse and relatives whenever we go on vacation together. After researching several scuba schools around NYC I decided to go with Rey Diving, and I could not ask for a more pleasant and efficient experience. Raul and his associates are knowledgeable and amazing. The day I came in to do my confined water dive at the YMCA I had the privilege of having Raul as my coach. He's super competent and friendly, and truly passionate about scuba diving. During the pool section we practiced every single skill on my own pace and Raul never rushed me going forward until I felt secure about my performance. If you are thinking about taking scuba classes to get certified I highly recommend Rey Diving. Raul, thank you so much for teaching me how to scuba. After leaving your class the other day I feel confident and ready to perform my open water dive test soon and get my certification. You're the best! read more

Perfect pool scuba lesson! Raul was very knowledgeable and friendly.

I recently completed my pool certification with two other friends in the single day session. Raul is an incredible instructor and did a fantastic job. He's very personable and we felt extremely confident at the end of our session. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get their pool cert in NYC. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Raul and Rey Diving! I recently took a refresher course with Raul, and he was accommodating, professional, and very informative. I was on a very shortened time line for making this refresher happen, but Raul was able to offer me a spot right away, and was flexible with my timing (I had to come late because of work). There were only 3 of us in the pool that day, so we all got a good amount of individual attention. His teaching was wonderful and I get that he would be just as good in any setting, large group or small, open water or pool. Before we got in the water he gave us very clear, precise instructions, then guided us through each step that we might encounter for any situation at the start of a dive. He always asked if we had any questions, and gave very informative answers when we did. In the water Raul was great at explaining the game plan for our skills sections, and was just as good about giving clear instructions under the water (which is SO important, and very difficult). I have been on some dives where the instructors were experienced and knowledgeable but not always totally clear with instructions, or would start moving too quickly if they started to feel comfortable with the group - Raul always moved at the same pace and would be sure to demonstrate each action we performed facing several directions so that we were all sure to understand what was happening. There were also a few moments where one of the students was having trouble with things like mask removal, but Raul was always there to lend reassurance and was very good about calmly guiding each student through our skills until all of us understood exactly what to do and then felt confident doing it. Both above and below water Raul was patient and clear, and he encouraged us to have fun with our dive. I was very impressed with Raul's extensive experience, travels, and interests. I strongly recommend Rey Diving - I will certainly be returning for future instruction and remain on the look out for a dive trip I can join! read more

Raul is an excellent instructor! The reason I found him was because I was last minute dumped by Hoboken Dive Center and needed to complete my confined water dive a few days before my dive trip overseas. Rey Diving is not some commercial dive shop that makes you buy packages or forces you to buy equipment. He is a one on one instructor teaching from the YMCA pool currently near 14 street in NY. I really appreciate that I was trained by Raul because he really take his time to train you until you are confident. I would highly recommend him to anyone from people who maybe not that confident in speaking English (he speaks Spanish), to people with special needs, as well as people with anxiety. It was an excellent experience and will be looking to take more advanced courses from him in the future as well as join him on an overseas dive group trip that he organizes. read more

I took the scuba diving training with Raul and it was excelent! When I contacted him, he explained to me all what I needed to do clearly. He sent me all the information I needed on time and followed up the completion of all my assignments before the class to make sure everything was ok for the practice. At the pool, he really takes care of you and makes you feel safe during the excercises. The equipment, including BCD, mask, tank, etc was also perfect. I am looking forward to taking my next scuba diving class with him. read more

I just completely the confined water portion of my certification, and I could not recommend Raul more! He was incredibly patient, and explained things fully so I felt comfortable and confident in the exercises we needed to complete. I was very nervous to begin training as I had only been snorkeling years ago, but Raul is so nice and made me feel very safe trying this new sport. I would highly recommend him, and would go back to him a heart beat. Thank you Raul!!! read more

Raul is an awesome instructor -- everything you need in somebody walking you thru your first steps as a diver: patient, fun, and encouraging. I was on a bit of a short timeline, and he accommodated it by moving around his schedule to make sure I did my pool session before going on vacation. There is no better guy in NYC to get your scuba certification with! read more

A year ago I came here and got my certification to go diving. I've been on a few vacations since coming here and thanks to these guys my trips were more fun. The PADI certification was not hard at all. The instructors are more personal, and seem to care quite a bit when it comes to safety. I felt more confident going diving after coming here. read more

Excellent experience at Rey Diving. My fiance and I took the confined water training class with Raul shortly prior to our trip to the Carribean. Top-notch experience: Small classes (i.e. extra attention to specific questions we had), expertise, and patience. The class had a private lesson feel. Conveniently accessible location close to Union Square. We had a great time, and were well prepared to complete our open water PADI certification afterwards. read more

Rey Diving was perfect for me! Raul was incredibly kind and patient with me. I didn't know if Scuba Diving would be right for me, but all my anxiety disappeared after my training with Raul. He explained everything thoroughly, never rushed me, and made me feel safe. Rather than being anxious about my upcoming trip, I couldn't be more excited now! If you have any hesitancy about diving like I did, go to Rey Diving! Also, the facility and equipment were superb! The entire experience really exceeded my expectations! read more

I had my pool dive today and had a great experience with Raul. He was very personable, specific with instructions, and always gave a demonstration for each skill. I was pretty nervous to start, but he made me feel very comfortable throughout the entire experience. I would highly recommend Raul for anyone considering getting scuba certified! He was awesome! Thanks again Raul! read more

We had a great experience with Raul, completing our confined water training. As a family of four, we had the instructor to ourselves.. The training was very thorough and rigorous, but Raul was a great communicator and able to keep everyone at ease. We now look forward to our open water certification in Belize! read more

Raul is so patient and knowledgable! I had to try a few skills over again and he worked with me until I could get them right. He's a wonderful instructor and I highly recommend. I was referred by a close friend who also loved her experience! read more

Just completed my pool session yesterday with instructor Thorner Harris and it was a great experience! I fully understand why Rey diving receives such positive reviews. Before signing up for anything, my email inquiries were promptly answered. The PADI eLearning courses are easy to complete online; watch the video slides for each section and complete the quizzes and section exams. Once it was time for the pool their email instructions were very clear (arrive to the YMCA (towels provided), bring a lock, bathing suit, and a snack). Thorner was very thorough with his instructions and patient with everyone learning all the skills. I now feel ready to complete my open water dives and more importantly - super excited to scuba dive on my upcoming vacation! read more

I took the confined-water portion of my scuba certification with Raul at the Y on 14th St. between 6th and 7th Avenues, and he was a great instructor. He was very patient and adept at making my friend, who was feeling nervous about the whole concept of diving, feel more at ease. His class is also priced very competitively compared to the other scuba schools in Manhattan. Most other places that I researched insist that students buy their own masks, snorkels, fins, and diving boots, which can easily add another $100 to $200 to the total cost. Raul, on the other hand, has equipment that you can borrow. I'm overall very satisfied with my experience taking his class. read more

Raul is an amazing instructor. I recently completed the confined water dive session and all the worries and concerns I had about scuba diving were put to rest. Raul was very helpful, informative, and overall, a great guy. You could feel his passion for the sport through his way of teaching. He really wants to share his joy of scuba diving with others, and he has - I may have just found my new hobby. I highly recommend Rey Diving to anyone who is interested in getting certified for scuba diving! read more

Recently completed the PADI eLearning and the confined pool dive yesterday (5/26/2018) with Rey Diving. I am SO glad I chose them! When I first called Rey Diving to find out information about getting scuba certified (something I have always wanted to do), Raoul the owner was so attentive over the phone and made me feel comfortable asking anything, and even being a little undecided. The feeling I got was that he handles his business treating you like family. I continued to call a few more times before committing, and he was always very available/reachable, always returned my phone calls promptly, and most of all came off as a very honest guy who simply loves sharing his passion- not trying to sell me something or just get business, etc. Raoul is genuine and the proof was in the pudding when I met him at the pool yesterday. He was very personable, and the same vibe as over the phone- he genuinely cares about meeting each client's needs. Thorner was the instructor I worked with all day to complete the PADI confined dive skills, and I couldn't be more impressed. Very knowledgeable, made me feel at ease right away and throughout the day. I'm a pretty avid water sports woman myself- swimming surfing and all that since childhood, but even with being very comfortable in the water, learning scuba diving skills was challenging and I had a couple mishaps in the pool, but Thorner never wavered, never lost his calm and cool nature, and remained patient. I never felt bad for making a mistake or looking stupid (which I'm sure I did a lot of both!). I will be doing the two-day PADI open water training next weekend with Raoul, and I know I will be in good hands and I'm very much looking forward to it! Scuba is a different and new experience to most people when just starting out learning, and having done it with Rey Diving made ALL the difference! It was fun and relaxed even amidst the challenge of learning a new extreme sport. Would HIGHLY recommend Rey Diving to anyone in the NYC area looking to get scuba certified!!! read more

I completed my confined water training through Rey diving. Surely one of my best experiences. Raul is a great teacher. Very patient and will make sure that you learn all properly. Loved every part of this training. Would surely recommend everyone to join Rey diving for their open water certification. read more

I did the first part my open water certification with Rey Diving and would definitely recommend! The entire process from the online course to the pool dives was very streamlined, well-organized and easy to follow. The online course takes about 12 hours to complete but you knock out all the pool training in one day. Raul was a very kind, knowledgeable instructor and really made me feel comfortable (bonus: they keep the groups small and I actually ended up with a 1:1 lesson, which made everything even faster and easier). Great experience overall. read more

Raul is amazing! I tell everyone that ask where i went to learn how to dive to go to him! His very patient and makes you feel comfortable. I did my pool dive and also open water dive with him at Dutch Springs. I wasn't so sure about doing a open water dive in a lake at first but after my pool dive with him i couldn't have done it a better way. I would of course rather dove in clearer water with a referral and able to see more under water life but not knowing how another instructor and how they would teach me or make me feel. Knowing Raul and how he teaches us is not other way to go! read more