From the onset, let me say in full disclosure that I have known Captain Mike since 2009 and have…read moretaken numerous Diving certification courses, including East Coast dives as well as, having patronized his establishment to have my gear serviced (which is what I am doing now). Captain Mike's is less about Clicks and social media Hype and more about personalized dive instruction. Learning from Captain Mike is like learning SCUBA diving from your older brother or Uncle. He cares more about you becoming a safe diver rather than the actual business side of the recreational diving industry. His dive shop looks more like a Dive workshop then a Glitz and Glamour SCUBA Diving shop that sells the Fantasy of a Caribbean or Pacific Dive experience rather then what you need to do if your Face-mask fell off, you are low on air or have a dive-buddy who is panicking because he/she forgot to turn ON his/her air. Small class sizes and practical instruction are the norms. Check out dives can be done in open NYC waters rather than the usual quarry in PA, which saves you time and money. And it's not unusual that you get to interact with the East Coast Diving Community and by that, I mean Divers with decades of real-world SCUBA experience & knowledge. I highly recommend Captain Mike's, he is not your average Glitz and Glamour SCUBA instructor(s), before this Captain Mike belonged to the NYPD elite SCUBA team(s). So, what you get is a man with Real world experience and knowledge trying to teach you how to operate in an underwater environment rather than some Tanned Dude in a Cool Polo shirt trying to Market Experiences to you and/or UP-sell you. I don't think you can find a more experienced and seasoned instructor in the NYC area then Captain Mike.

Made an appointment 10 days in advance. reminded him 4 days before,Called same day in the morning…read more Didn't show up, didn't care to let me know of a problem. Couldn't find another diver in short time, ruined my trip to the Vineyard as I just had very limited time.Avoid. i

I must say fishing with Ernest Fernandez fishing buddies of America was one of the best experiences…read moreI could have ever had. We caught fish after fish after fish. He made certain that we were fed always providing a box of Popeye chicken with biscuits giving us a bottle of water and soda and walking around the boat asking is everyone okay. Fishing buddies of America has seen a lot of members come and a lot of members go. I was very happy to be a part of a fishing trip that took place in North Carolina on a 24-hour fishing vessel where we caught lots of Vermilion snappers the size limit and the limit for two days as well as Grunt and triggerfish. It was my first experience and a great one. It's sad to say though in 2018 Mr Ernest Fernandez passed away. He does have friends of fishing buddies of America who are running their own charters as a matter of fact there is a trip on June 9th the boat is almost full will be a dedication to miss the earnest Fernandez will we will dedicate to the sea memories of mr. Fernandez. I think that is a great way to pay homage to him. We will also fish on this day in memory of mr. Fernandez for one of his favorite fish porgies. I can see the smile on this man face now catching two parties at one time. Nonetheless great man and a great time I had with him fishing with fishing buddies of America tightlines forever mr. Fernandez

Another happy camper here! This time, the experience is for my daughter, and she had a blast…read morelearning about sailing, wind patterns, knot-tying, and teamwork. Hudson River Community Sailing Camp provided her with not only fun on the water but also a valuable educational experience in navigating and controlling a boat. If any parents are considering whether to bring their kids to this camp during the summer, I highly recommend it. The staff are incredibly kind, patient, and professional, making sure each child feels confident and supported on and off the water. My daughter came home excited each day, proud of her new skills and friendships.

Highly recommend the intro to sailing course. Went out on a sailboat with Andrew and three other…read morebeginners. Andrew explained the basics and then we hit the water to practice. Andrew was great at making sure each attendee actively participated in the sail, including steering. I look forward to my next course with HRCS.

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!

Arthur was a solid guide that got me onto a beautiful fish... on the first cast. It turned out to…read morebe a challenging day, but he kept the options open and we added to our total while exploring waters with NYC skyline in the distance. Will be back on the water with him again soon.

Capt Cortes is a great guide. I booked a trip last minute and he got me on the fish. The boat is…read moreclean. The gear is solid. Capt Cortes ties his own flies - and they work. He has been fishing locally since childhood and knows where to find em and how to land em. I highly recommend fishing with Cortes.

These guys are the best! Exactly what I was looking for - local guys who know where and how to…read morecatch fish, while having fun. The scenery is amazing and it's a total privilege to be out with these guys in this water. I've been out multiple times and have caught every time...including one trip where we caught 6 monster striped bass between 36"-42"+

Captain Joe Shastay is a real gem! He knows NYC harbor waters better than anyone. While other…read moreboats are floating around aimlessly, he is catching fish! He hasn't been skunked in over 2000 trips! We caught 12 stripers in 4 hours right next to the FDR drive! Joe is a great guy, very easy-going and easy to be around. He takes care of everything. Just show up and he'll rig you up. He does bait, lures, fly fishing ....all depends on what is biting and where you are fishing. Joe is worth every penny!

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.

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.