Similar to most dive shops the owner (Darryl, thankfully to sell shop and retiring soon),…read moremistakenly works under the premise he is in the scuba diving business. He is NOT. He is in the customer service business which happens to be a dive shop. ZERO concept of customer service. ZERO follow through on any promises made. I have visited the shop three times since moving here in July 2025. Each time Darryl makes promises about setting up courses, scheduling this and that, "calling me within two weeks." NEVER happened. Not a single time. During one visit he told me he would call within two weeks, but "if I forget, call and remind me." WHAT? Me call to remind a business owner that he neglected to call as promised -- so I can give him my time and money? No. It does NOT work that way. Be true to your word. Have common respect and courtesy for CUSTOMERS who pay the bills -- or go ahead and retire and get out of the business. I form productive working relationships with business that actually do what they say they will do. The last thing I need is another flaky, unreliable dive shop (or dive partner)! l'll search for, and affiliate with, another dive operator and avoid wasting more of my time at Discover Diving.

I wish I could give Discover Diving a 10-star rating! I recently returned from a scuba trip with…read morethem to Bonaire and it exceed all expectations! As a beginner diver, Darryl & Marian, provided me with all of the information and instruction I needed to feel comfortable and enjoy the dives safely. The wildlife on the dives was incredible! Darryl & Marian shared detailed information to prepare everyone for the trip and then personally checked in with us during the trip to make sure that we had everything that we needed during our stay in Bonaire. It was truly an extraordinary experience, and I would highly recommend taking a scuba class or traveling with Discover Diving.

Phoenix SCUBA of Buffalo's new shop on South Park Ave is awesome. Their larger retail space, a…read morededicated training area, and an expanded service department is next level from the old Ridge Road location, where they have been doing business for the last 22 years. They can now display a wide range of quality diving equipment and have factory-trained service technicians on staff for all the brands they carry. I also like the easy in-and-out service for air fills. Owners Carole and Tony Anderson have been prominent figures in the Western New York underwater community for decades. Tony Anderson has taught SCUBA in WNY for over 50 years and has participated in discovery teams for several wrecks in Lake Erie and Tobermory, Canada. He is an instructor trainer for Scuba Schools International and Divers Alert Network. Carole Anderson has been diving for 26 years and a Scuba Schools International instructor for 23 years. She is also a Divers Alert Network instructor and is currently in her 8th year as the dive safety officer for the Aquarium of Niagara. Her knowledge combined with a little tough love keeps all of her students alive.

I rarely write reviews, but I felt compelled to share my experience with Phoenix Scuba to hopefully…read morehelp others make an informed decision. We enrolled in a scuba course with the intention of learning in a safe, professional, and supportive environment. Unfortunately, what I encountered was the opposite. Communication was poor from the start -- schedules were unclear, and I often had to follow up multiple times just to get basic information. During training, I witnessed a level of disorganization and lack of professionalism that raised real concerns about safety and adherence to industry standards. Instructors seemed overwhelmed or disinterested, and basic expectations for structure and clarity simply weren't met. I've submitted a formal complaint to SSI (Scuba Schools International), and they are currently investigating the matter under their Quality Management System. While SSI has limited authority over how individual training centers operate beyond official standards, I appreciated their willingness to take the concerns seriously. I believe scuba training is something that should be handled with the utmost professionalism and care -- and unfortunately, Phoenix Scuba did not deliver on that. There are many great dive shops out there -- I would recommend looking elsewhere.

You have to do this (at least) once in your life! Memories…read morefor a lifetime. The give you a poncho and you will still get soaking wet after the mist. Amazing to hear the waterfalls. I couldn't see when I was on the boat when it got near the falls because all the water mist was splashing at my eyes/face, it was that powerful. All I Could do was laugh and try to wipe my eyes. The experience puts a big smile on your face Short ride. You just have to do it

Again one of those must do's while here in Niagara falls. Is…read moreit crowded? Yes but the lines move fast as there are plenty of boats. The provide a poncho (way better than the cave of the winds poncho, if you are doing both, save this one), the poncho of course is to protect you from the water, because that is what poncho's do. You have two choices here. 1) You can stay on the bottom deck of the boat, and I hear you can remain fairly dry, but I cannot attest to that as, you are at Niagara Falls, you should be on the top deck, getting wet! 2) The Top deck, the Upper decker, they have some seating up here, and great views. The boat navigates so that all sides of the boat get equal views of the falls and get to experience the massive mist generated, no it's not raining on you it's the falls. So, don't be one of those pushing into people/groups to get your shot, be patient you will get your turn. Yes there will be people taking selfies for the entire duration or groupies (not sure what its called if its more than 1), Yes they will claim part of the deck for the entire trip, this is easy resolved with a gentle nudge as they enjoy a small quick journey overboard and get the VIP experience. Wait no, don't actually do that, just ask people to move and/or take a picture of you with the falls in the background. Everyone was friendly!

August 2025. Came for 3 rides. We had Lexi and Scott as our…read moretrip leaders. Captain Nick was great.

Very intense boat ride. If you ride in the uncovered boat and sit in the front, you will be soaking…read morewet. The water pounded us intensely and came up to our waste. A bit cold. Don't leave your hat or glasses on, you wooo lose them for sure. Great experience but once was enough for me. lol... I would recommend to leave your phone behind or to buy the waterproof case and leave it around your neck. The staff were all amazing and very kind. You could tell the operators were extremely experienced. The jet boat ride was not for me, however if your looking for a wild adrenaline adventure and your someone looking for a ride that will challenge you, this is it. No Refunds, so make sure you don't need to cancel. US Citizens will need Passport as it's right over the Canadian Border! Good luck & God Bless!

This was a great experience from start to finish. Everything was well organized, the staff was…read morefriendly, and the views were absolutely incredible. Being that close to the falls really makes you appreciate how powerful and beautiful they are. If you're visiting Niagara Falls, this is definitely an experience worth doing. I'm glad I did it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and memorable way to see the falls.

Great experience with the cruise! You get up close and personal to the Falls. Everything was very…read moresmooth and totally worth the price.

Instructors are kind and caring, constantly checking in to make sure you are alright. I did a dive…read moreat my schools pool with my Jr. Firefighting team. Interesting and cool experience 10/10 would recommend!

Competent and professional; great location with tinge of Buffalo History. Boats are clean and…read morecomfortable; chartered one and signed for a lesson. Greeted by Captain Bill who looks right out of Central Casting as a formidable seafaring man. The crew on hand were also knowledgeable and full of energy for sailing. Lake Erie! Right at our finger tips, is a gift and a privilege to explore in a safe and friendly environment.

We spend time in Buffalo occasionally for our business, and this summer will be more than usual,…read more so I wanted to surprise my husband with a yearly membership. What an amazing experience! I can't wait to join this group more often. Thank you, Captian Zimmerman for making this an easy YES!

Tour date was 6/15. Steve was fantastic, great energy, had a lot of history to share on the falls,…read moreand did a great job keeping the group together. I really like how the folks who organized the tour make it a point to talk to all the folks in the group to try and get to know where everyone is from and a little about the family. It felt personable and not like you're another body on their tour but that they genuinely want to know where their "guests " are from; not just another customer. I would recommend their tour to anyone looking to do one. Maid of the mist was the coolest experience! What a view of all the falls. Would recommend a camera with a handle of some sort. Horseshoe falls was windy and wet! I was worried about dropping my phone. A lot of people start pushing to get to the railing of the ship. Not everyone on the boat is from your tour group. We got on the boat and stood by the side rail of the boat to get the view. My son and I were standing there by ourselves and people start filling in. As you get close to the falls people push you out of the way to try and squeeze in to get their photo. We were literally pushed out of the way. Hence the reason I was worried about dropping my phone. Cave of the winds also an experience but not what I was expecting. Maybe I didn't do my research but, I thought it was something different. The staircase down to the falls was pretty cool, you really get a glimpse of how powerful the falls are. You're right up there next to the American fall, it was very wet and windy. I got a little nervous, if you drop anything, it's gone. Hard to take pictures with hurricane force winds and the amount of water coming at you. Definitely suggest a camera with some sort of a handle or something. Saw a certificate in a gift shop that said I survived the hurricane winds of cave of the winds...had I have known it was going to be what it was I might have chosen not to do this part of the tour. But at the same time it was a pretty cool experience. I have no regrets doing it, just wasn't expecting to get blasted and soaked by the falls!

If I could give a zero, I would!…read more I had the same experience as another customer with this company! When I presented my tickets, I was told that my tickets would not be honored and I would need to purchase new ones! The worst part is that the tickets I purchased by this scam company were $25 more! I paid this trash company almost twice as much! I booked them through Viator and Viator needs to do a better job of vetting their contractors. I have contacted my credit card company, disputing the charge! Do not use this company, at least for Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist boat ride.....go through Maid of the Midst directly!!!! Total disappointment with this company!