TLDR, if you're on the fence- TAKE THE INTRO TRAPEZE CLASS! These classes *are* available to the…read morepublic - you do not need to be a trained professional. Circus Academy NY (formerly Trapeze School NY) was an incredible place to take my first trapeze class. Did their Thursday afternoon class @ Pier 40 yesterday from 6-8 PM and all 3 instructors - Yiannis, Ross, and Stuart - were knowledgeable, friendly, and made me feel safe. Special shout out to Yiannis for his sense of humor and warmth! I liked that all instructors gave detailed guidance, patiently answered questions, and then demo'ed the sequence. I especially appreciated that if students didn't feel comfortable flipping or being caught mid-air, the instructors encouraged everyone but didn't pressure anyone to do something if the student wasn't feeling it. I lived in NY for years and my only regret is not having taken regular classes here while I was still here. LOVED the experience and I intend on taking a class every time I'm visiting NY! A few notes on logistics for Pier 40 classes: -arrive 10-15 min early to change, check into your class, and get fitted into your harness -to reach the class, take the elevator to the third floor and walk through the parking lot towards the turf soccer field, you'll see the huge trapeze structure -there's a changing room, water, also cliff bars and sunscreen available for purchase on the roof (third floor) -bathrooms are on the second floor

Tried flying trapeze for the first time and with a big fear of heights, came out swinging and…read moreflying through the air, and got to do an advanced trick where I swung and grabbed the instructors' arms! What a great experience, I'm still soaking in how cool and accessible this class was. What made the experience was how well thought-out the teaching experience is, and how passionate the instructors are at correcting your form and helping you succeed in such a brief time. This is truly a school. Some of the people helping me were Hal, Aaron, Allie. They have a great system to get you set up with safety, get you hooked, and help you through the tricks as you get a feel for swinging through the air. I felt I could put my complete trust to them as they called out for my next move, and could focus on getting the trick right. The time flies fast, and your time on the trapeze is fast-paced so make sure you're warmed up and ready to swing your legs onto the bar that you're holding with your hands. The only downside is that the amount of times you get to go up the ladder depends on how many people are also in the class with you, since it's an individual sport (I got to fly three times). I would highly recommend!

As other Saling Clubs in New York City (OK, the Manhattan Yacht Club is slightly above the…read morecompetitors), ONE 15 Brooklyn Sailing Club is all about groups of weekend's sailors who enjoy to meet once a week to roam around the NY Harbour, with no particular attention to the basic seafaring rules, and drink some beers at the dock later, which is totally OK, but you can't call this serious sailing. As US Sailing certified instructor and Star Sailor League's Crew, I have volunteered as instructor on board and I have personally seen pepole unable to correctly start the engine or uncapable to face a 10 knots wind in order to get back to the dock, and before the sailing session, the only concern of Steven, the Directors of Sailing, was to ask crews about the price of an eventually broken equipment or the exact sunset time (it looks to be so relevant if someone fails to correctly remeber it, and this means he wants the exact time reported on some smartphone's apps he only knows). This sounds ridiculous to me! Therefore, the way of teaching is quite confusing and not focused on the right things to do on board, not following a logical pattern. The staff, starting from the Director of Sailing, claim itself to be top-notch sailors, but if you are looking for rigorous racing please take a look to the Long Island Sound or Oyster Bay and you will find much better clubs and probably for a cheap price! Please stay away from these club in particular, but also from the other ones in NYC, if you can.

Well run and lots of fun. I have been racing and sailing for a long time and this is one of the…read morebest sailing clubs I've found. The boats are top quality and well maintained. New sailors, whether they are racers or cruisers, have many opportunities to get on the water, improve their skills and try new things. I enjoy mentoring and not only do I get a chance to help people become better sailors but I receive top level coaching well above my skill set. As a racer I appreciate that the club fleet is evenly maintained, the boats are rotated every week, there is a program to recruit and train people interested in racing, there are debriefs and coaching to make the fleet more competitive, great RC and a culture that is supportive rather than cutthroat. We have a great time on the water and off. One of the main attractions of the club for me is that it is under the direction of Stephen Yip. His decades of experience as a racer, PRO and instructor and his dedication and professionalism make this a top notch sailing venue. I've had the good fortune to receive coaching from him in several of the Saturday races that are designed to improve the racing program and that coaching has greatly improved my Thursday race results - last night we got a first in fleet and a first overall. In the first Saturday race I participated in he put someone on my team who had never raced before who said that "racing was her worst fear", she improved as a novice spinnaker trimmer under his coaching while I improved as an experienced driver, the entire team had a lot of fun and everyone has been back for more. Having a program like this that mixes novices with experienced racers and coaches makes racing fun for just about everyone at any level.

Signed up for the Fundamentals of Sailing class. Great way to get a solid intro to sailing as well…read moreas US Sailing Certification (for an extra $50). The class happened over 2 day, with maybe 10 hour spent on the water and 4 hour in classroom. The class was animated by Amy who was amazing. Also got to speak with Stephen, the director of sailing, who is very passionate and has amazing plans to build a vibrant sailing community. Currently 120 members including ~35 skippers. The club has a brand new fleet of top notch J80's and Melge 24's that are carefully maintained. The club membership fees are reasonable with different levels of privileges. The Marina conveniently located in Brooklyn Heights.

I wanted to pick up sailing and I did a bit of research before choosing a school. One15 Brooklyn…read moreseemed like a good option because the boats were newer than the surrounding sailing schools. I'm glad I went with this choice! I took the Fundamentals of Sailing class over a two-day weekend and had a blast. Went from 0 experience in sailing to getting my US sailing keelboat certification. The instructors were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, definitely would recommend.

This was a pleasant surprise to discover a boathouse in Hoboken which gives free kayaks in the…read moresummers. I was here in the summers of 2012 to try out kayaks in the waters of hudson. The staff was helful and everybody was made to sign a constent form in the begining. The had the lockers for $2 fee to store the personal items. They had bascially cordoned off one end of the hudson river and we were allowed to ride kayaks within that area. The kayaks were good and they had an option of picking up a kayak with single or double riders. Overall I really had fun riding the kayaks, I would definitely be back next summers.

Was introduced to this gem last summer & am always shocked that more people don't know about it…read more You can kayak & take SUP boards out on the Hudson River with the NYC skyline behind you - for free! Everyone on the boathouse is extremely friendly and if it's your first time in a kayak or trying SUP, they are there to help. And the views are just surreal. You can be standing on a SUP board while cruise ships are passing you or while the sun is setting behind the beautiful NYC skyline. Honestly had to pinch myself every time I was out there. The Boathouse also organizes public trips - an exhilarating adventure & a fun way to meet new people. I took an outrigger (with the help of an experienced volunteer) to Red Hook. The kayaks are in great condition & they also provide life jackets. No more sitting in 2+ hours of traffic to get to the Jersey Shore... If you are in need of beach time fun, just head to the Hoboken Boathouse!

Went with friends on a Friday afternoon for arrow and archery, and honestly at first I thought I…read moredrove to the wrong place since there wasn't a noticeable sign outside. But it's actually the last warehouse at the end of the road. Once inside, the space was huge with really professional equipment and a great setup overall. Rowan was extremely nice and knowledgeable. He taught us a lot, gave really helpful advice throughout the session, and always checked in to make sure everyone was doing okay and improving. The atmosphere was welcoming and fun, and we all had a great time. Definitely a fun experience and I'd absolutely come back again!

It was such a fun time, learning a new skill of archery with a friend. The instructor was great…read more It was not TJ or Michael who was showing on the appointment website, I don't remember their names, one gave instructions to the whole group while practicing shooting with the bow, The other instructor was making sure we fixed our posture aiming at the target . First time I have ever done this, and I had a great experience. My aiming was all over the place, in the first round, after fixing my mistake of pulling the string near my mouth and keeping my arm straight, each round I was getting better and better near the 10. Awesome 1 hour spent.. great to do with friends, couples, etc...

I took a sailing class here. The duration is 5 hours. The instructor taught us how to tie knots,…read more how a sailboat works, and how to steer one. A guidebook was given out. The club organized a bbq for the students. We had lunch; afterward, we were paired up with sailboat owners. Thus, we were able to practice what we learned in class. If you always want to learn to sail, this is the perfect place. The members at this yacht club are nice people.

Wonderful waters for sailing, wonderful company to sail with, all sorts of activities, and a…read moremembership diverse in every way possible. Make your sailing dreams come true.

Row NY is awesome! I went for the first time this past Thursday and I got my A%# handed to me by…read moreDenise. The workout was what they promised, a full body workout! Everyone there is super nice and over all I had a great time and will be back. That said, $30 for an indoor rowing session that lasts 30 minutes in queens is a bit pricey. I will be back because I love to row, but most likely every other week due to the price. I wish they had a student discount, then I would be back every week for sure!

I recently took the learn to row class with row New York. The beautiful boathouse is located in a…read moreserene nook of upper Manhattan. The boat and related equipment in good condition. Experienced Mel and her team are a wealth of knowledge, professional are top notch skillfully balancing making safety a priority while still having fun. I so grateful for Row NY!

I am in my early 30s and have a fear of water. Though I know it is possible I just could not bring…read moremy legs to come up and move around in the pool. I was encouraged by my husband to learn how to swim again after a bad experience from swimming lessons when I was a child. I contacted Lori and one statement she said stuck to me, "You will not be afraid, if you have an exit strategy." She put me in touch with Craig and when we met up for my first lesson, he just said: "As long as you trust me and trust yourself, I can probably get you to float during your first lesson." I honestly thought that he was quite ambitious. I had a two hour lesson and Craig spent the first part of the lesson getting me comfortable in the water and explaining to me theoretically how the water can work to your favor. I told Craig that my biggest fear was the front float as I was extremely uncomfortable with my face in the water. He explained to me that when I take my makeup off and wash my face in the shower at night, I had to hold my breath. He told me to treat it as it was the same routine. I held my breath and dunked my face in the water knowing that he was right there. Then, he proceeded to hold my hand and told me to try again and this time lifting my legs up. Lastly, he said, "When you first saw me, you gave me a hug...I assumed you liked me enough, that's why you leaned forward to give me a hug." "Why don't you try again, come towards me...trust me I won't let anything happen to you." And I guess, that was it...I looked at him, held my breath, and leaned in towards him and there it was I floated...just like that. I had a total of 4 (2 hour long) lessons with Craig. Currently, I am able to partially do the breast stroke, free-style, and float on my front and back. I've still got lots to work on and plan to continue my swimming journey with Craig, but I never knew I was able to do it until Lori and Craig encouraged me that I can. If you are an adult with a fear of water, but is eager to learn how to swim, please consider Aqua Skills. If you trust Craig/Lori and yourself, you can definitely do it.

I learned enough here to enjoy some shallow pool swimming, which I'm truly grateful for,…read moreconsidering how I wouldn't even set foot in a pool before taking these classes. However, for the price, I could've probably learned much more elsewhere. Most of the instructors here are great; patient, friendly, and professional. But I'm sorry to have to join in the chorus with others and agree that the owner, Lori, is a terror. She sets a hostile environment, constantly screaming at her boyfriend, Craig, and interrupting lessons. The way that she communicates with her staff is simply weird and disrespectful. I've heard her disparage the instructors to students. Other times, I'll hear her TALK TO HERSELF out loud and say things like, "I''ve been doing this for 15 years, I know what I'm talking about, no need to make a big deal about this" - - the look on her employees' faces after these bizarre statements is one of resignation and confusion, because they must be used to her passive aggressive style, yet bewildered by her snide remarks. I'm not describing constructive criticism expressed harshly, I'm describing a woman who gossips and complains about her employees to students. So everyone is minding their own business, teaching and learning, and then out of nowhere she'll just scream at Craig, or say something snarky to/about her instructors for no apparent reason. One time, Craig, who was really kind to me, mentioned that I should come in ten minutes earlier just to warm up. I thought that was nice, so I did. I'm in the pool, and I see Lori get out and go to Craig and loudly complain to him how it's not okay to allow students to start early. It was passive aggressive and rude. I arrived 10 minutes early only once, and only because Craig offered. But even if he was mistaken, it would have been fine if she simply just told me that they couldn't accommodate. The pool can be busy. I get it; too many people in the pool would be disruptive to students who paid for their sessions. Instead, she chose the childish tantrum route and talked about me in front of me. This made me so uncomfortable that I wanted to quit immediately. I stayed because I was determined to learn. You will see from her response below that she's not one for healthy conflict resolution or professional propriety. It is disturbing how she lies as a defense. It means a lot to customers when they see that an owner cannot own up to a mistake. See photo of screenshot I posted: Lori edited her comments to my review 21 times. Each iteration more bizarre and divorced from reality than before. Obsessing over her response is not only creepy but the end result becomes contrived. Does it take 21+ attempts to make herself appear right? It became almost humorous so I took screenshots of her versions of alternate realities. She kept erasing her comments after I called out each lie. Thanks to all former students who messaged me to support my review. It's true that Lori is her own worst enemy. I would have left my review at 3 stars had she not been so relentlessly vindictive. Those who are ambivalent about this place can find many more testimonials on the TimeOut New York site: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/sport-fitness/aqua-skills#tab_panel_4