I've wanted to dive for a long long time and have even visited several area dive shops to get a…read morefeel before committing to the sport. With this place I got the warm and fuzzy right from the get go and thus have certified with them. Though the store isn't as glitzy and big as some of the others make no mistake, Phil, Kyle, Steve, Pawel (just to name a few, too many to list!) will go the extra mile to make sure that you are good to go. PS- I live 30 miles south and make the trek out because they're that awesome! -Ron L SDI OW Certified June 2010

I did a referral program with this institution. They provide pool sessions to train underwater…read moreskills as required by both SDI and PADI. These guys are very professional and experienced and they emphasize safety a lot. I was able to learn and get really comfortable with all skills. The training really helped me to stay confident when I did open water sessions overseas. Highly recommended and I will definitely go back for more advanced classes.

What a great experience at Blue Water Divers. Friendly and extremely professional staff in a well…read morestocked facility. A little bit old and stodgy looking, especially from the outside, but the warm, friendly and extremely professional staff more than makes up for it. I would recommend BWD to anyone looking to embark on a lifetime of adventure, or existing divers looking to hone their skills or service their equipment.

Blue Water Divers is going to be my new dive shop from now on. Although I live on Staten Island and…read moreafter losing my previous dive closer to my home. I searched for a new dive shop, and was impressed enough that my son and my granddaughter took the try scuba class. Everyone that I have spoken to has been extremely helpful and passionate about their role at the shop. I am looking forward to continuing my own scuba education next month.

Orbit Marine provides unbeatable depth of experience in all SCUBA related matters. If you have a…read morequestion, Captain Noel has the answer (and a compelling story to go with it). He'll help you get the gear you need and connect you with the training to make the most of it. Real, practical knowledge makes Orbit a genuine value. Don't send any more money to Jeff B. for spending on rocket fuel. Buy your gear from Noel at Connecticut's own Orbit Marine and learn the meaning of real value.

My husband wanted some squid for bait to take our grandchildren out fishing. Stopped in and quickly…read morehad what we needed!

I have been a client of PanAqua for over twenty years--they trained me, they've helped me with…read morediving 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.

I just had my PADI open water certification re-activated at Pan Aqua after 20+ years. Everyone at…read morethe 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.

Great lads at this local dive shop. Came in as I wanted to finally invest in my own mask + snorkel…read moreset for SCUBA and freedive. Staff members were super friendly with a love of the game, and were so helpful in giving me the right metrics by which to evaluate fit for my gear. Left with what I needed and will be back soon for a set of fins no doubt. Prices match those online so definitely strong value in coming in-person to try on difficult to fit gear like masks and fins. They also do courses and dive charters here, which I'd love to take advantage of soon.

I had a great experience with Scuba Network! When I got a last minute invitation to join an old…read morefriend on a scuba diving trip, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. Unfortunately, I hadn't been diving in 30 years! I called the folks at Scuba Network and everyone I engaged with was extremely accommodating. They helped me sign up for an eLearning refresher course and encouraged me to grab the last spot in an upcoming beginner's, in-person, 2-day pool dive to reacquaint myself with the gear and familiarize myself with some new technology since I last dove (goodbye dive tables, hello dive computers!). They equipped me with all the regular gear and even helped me pick out a scuba mask with reading bifocals when I told them after the first day that I couldn't read my gauges. (Yes, bifocal masks are a thing!) Ryan Hoffman, my dive instructor, was fantastic. He was patient, easy-to-understand, thorough, and kept things moving well. He also didn't miss a thing. If someone seemed nervous during an underwater exercise, he was right there to put them at ease and help them master it. If someone didn't clear their mask of water fully, he had them try again until they crushed it. At every step he was enabling us to know how to do for ourselves because in Scuba, though it's a buddy sport, you don't want to leave the details to anyone else -- you're safest when you are self-sufficient. Within days, I felt as confident about scuba diving as I did 30 years ago when I got certified -- no, actually, I felt more confident! I can't wait to get back in the open water now, and I'm even considering getting my kids to take up this past time so we can go as a family. If so, I'll take them to Scuba Network to learn!

Doug is the best!!!! Very professional and knowledgeable! Took scuba classes here and I deff…read morewouldnt go anywhere else.

I have, for years, wanted to take SCUBA classes. After kicking the idea around for a while I…read morestopped in at a few shops, some of which were clearly less-than-honest about the pricing. I asked a few friends, young and old, about their opinions, and the only shop to get high recommendations was Cedar Grove Divers Supply. So I stopped in the shop to talk. Let me be clear, scuba diving is not cheap. But it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. CGDS was up front about the cost, which was reasonable. Some places say they are cheaper, but then add "pool fees" and "certification fees." CGDS has awesome supplies in stock, and let me try out items before making the decision on what to buy. They include so much in their course, which doesn't begin to explain the experience of the instructor. The primary instructor, Doug, has been diving for longer that I have been alive. The wealth of knowledge provided during class, during open water dives, and during general discussion is unparalleled. Classes and certification dive days felt more like talking to friends than taking a class. I can't say enough about this family owned operation, and would recommend it to anyone. In fact, some of my own family members will be signing up soon. I will be back for more advanced training in the future!

Great customer service on gear. I finally have a mask that fits! They have many snorkle masks and…read morethey are very patient so you can be selective.

I have been a loyal customer of Scuba New York for over 20 years. It's where I got my PADI open…read morewater certification and my TDI nitrox card. I bought my first set of gear here. I have continued to buy and service my gear here, even though I have moved out of the immediate area. I trust Robert implicitly- he will recommend what's best for me instead of what will make him the most money. I also like to support physical dive shops. Scuba New York is a great place for scuba equipment, advice and education.

I called there in desperation when I realized that I was three days away from a trip to the…read moreGalapagos and I couldn't find my prescription snorkel mask. My eyesight is pretty bad and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to snorkel with a normal mask. They went over and above. Drove out to the mask company to pick up a mask and lenses with my prescription and rushed me a new mask in one day. They were super helpful and so nice and Id recommend them to anyone.

After getting my certification a month ago, I decided it was time to get geared up. I visited…read moresome other area dive shop and they were OK, but still seemed more focused on the sale than on making sure I had the right level of equipment I needed. Then I walked into Lakeland and was impressed from the start. Al's experience and love of diving shines through with everything he shows you. I spent almost 3 hours in the store asking tons of questions and came away with the right gear for me. Everyone in the shop was great and extremely helpful. I felt like it wasn't just a one time buy - that we were starting a partnership that will continue to grow over time. I wish I had visited there before I got my certification - I would have definitely done it with Captain Al. I probably would have learned so much more. But now I know exactly where I'm going to do my Advanced OW.

I was lucky enough to get invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go Cage Diving with…read moreSharks, but they told me I don't get to go to 30ft depths unless I get certified... So naturally, I had to google to find the best place in NJ and UADC came up on multiple occasions. The owners answered my calls themselves and they walked me through the entire process. I cannot tell you enough that the owners literally made sure I did everything required to get certified (and I'm a busy entrepreneur who doesn't check his personal email that often)... They're kinda amazing! Their shop also had every piece of equipment I could possibly ask for to get setup for my classes. Ask for Anne or Scott as your teachers (they were the best, and even though I was a nervous wreck for a few of the lessons, they made sure I had a great experience!.

Paul and the staff at Underwater Adventures are wonderful. Scuba diving, while fun and exciting,…read morecan be scary and intimidating. The instructors here are patient, enthusiastic, friendly, and helpful. They ensure that every new diver feels comfortable and has a great experience. I would absolutely recommend Underwater Adventures to any scuba diver, new and old for all of their scuba needs.

Recently I had a chance to take a revamped PADI adventure course with GoodLife Divers that focused…read moremainly on skills needed for Northeast diving. Obviously, when presented with this opportunity, I jumped at the chance. After all, most of my diving would be in this exact environment. I'm a new diver, but already I know that I want to dive more then once or twice a year on a trip somewhere. I want to dive in my own backyard (back-sound? back-ocean?). The class touched upon different specialties, Deep, Wreck, Bouyancy, Navigation and Nitrox. In addition, my instructor, Danny, made sure to touch upon reel use, SMB deployment and pony bottle deployment. The course was structured with lots of home study, one full day of classroom teaching (lecture/videos), one day of 3 dives in a local quarry and 2 days of shore dives. Myself and another student met at Danny's place where we did one of my favorite things. Talked math, physics and equations. Today was the day of all of our theory and textbook learning. Oh, I forgot to mention. In addition to the standard padi workbooks, Danny also hand made an additional textbook that covered a ton of knowledge NOT covered in the course. So while we were learning all about nitrox, MOD and EAD tables, we were also learning about SAC rates and RMV. Between HIS textbook, the padi textbook, a few videos and discussion we really went in depth into all the equations and their uses. I felt it was really described in a way that was very helpful and nothing was rushed or forced. He even explained not only how some equations work but also why they do which is a good trait in an instructor. I find that too many times various teachers will teach you a formula but not WHY that formula occurs the way it does. I would say that during the classroom part of things GoodLife divers exceeded my expectations. With the exception of a few typos (and one section where he left out a distinction between psi and 100psi) I felt that the classroom training part was top notch and near-flawless and with the exception of clarifying the hand made textbook, I really don't know where there would be room for improvement. At the end of the night we took a few tests and then reconvened a few days later at the rock quarry for 3 dives. The day we chose sadly was a very cold day and the other students had cancelled which worked out well for me as it meant I had Danny's undivided attention. We did some diving where we went over reel use and also SMB deployment. We also worked on my trim, my frog kicks and bouyancy. Each time We dove, Danny kept challenging me in new ways that may occur in a real world situation. You just set up a reel line? Now take off your mask and find your way out using that line. Little touches like that to show how the skills we were using would be useful in a real world environment were fantastic. We did 3 dives total that freezing day at Dutch springs working on wreck, deep and various other skills. The next time we met was in Bayville for a shore dive. We were initially going to work on navigation skills but with our timing to the water it was late at night and instead we turned it into a night dive class. Going over light signals and working on buoyancy more we touched slightly upon navigation also. After a good dive we made plans for our next and final dive. The next time we dove we decided to focus on navigation. This is where my one criticism of the course comes. After going over proper setting of the compass and taking headings we went underwater. It was very hard for me to get a reading and I felt that after a few minutes of fumbling, Danny would then take the lead where I should have been learning my compass. A few times he got us back on course and then when I fumbled with my navigation skills, he would take lead and correct the situation instead of allowing me to correct it myself. This may not be an accurate recollection but it's how I felt at the time. (Also, after mentioning this to my instructor after the course, Goodlife has given me extra dives to work on my navigation skills. It says alot for a company that takes critiscim constructively and then offers a way to make up for that.) And that's my review of the course! Many, many pros! Danny is great and I felt he really explained things in easy to understand ways and went above just "book learning" and showed me how these skills are used in real world situations. Also the additional real world skills were completely an asset! His training style also meshed well the way he built upon previous skills. I'd absolutely recommend Good Life diving to anyone looking to build upon their knowledge and skills.

They do gear servicing! I recently got both my BCD and regulator serviced here right before…read moreThanksgiving. It only took them a week and the total came out to less than $200.