I needed my equipment to be serviced and went to Scuba Network to get it serviced since they are close to my job. The people I've dealt with are very helpful, nice, fun to talk with about diving experiences. They were even honest about the fact that if they serviced my BC and reg, a brand which they did not sell and normally service, that they may not have the right parts for it and suggested that I go to the place where I purchased them, or another place that sells that brand. I did not feel any "hard sell" that other reviewers described. They were super nice, and I think I found my new dive op! read more

THE PROFIT MOTIVE RULES HERE............Scuba is just their hobby and they use high pressure tactics to make you purschase all the gear even before you have gone into the COLD POOL in a NYC high school how clean or dirty ??? who knows..........this palce is all about the $$$$ read more

I have to say that overall my experience at Scuba Network was somewhat lackluster. The owner of the store, I'm blanking on his name, is constantly trying to get you to purchase items that you don't necessarily need. He is CONSTANTLY pushing more and more products on you. "You definitely need to have this. You can't go in the water without it." It feels like you are being ripped off constantly and that his sole goal is to make more and more money and sell more and more products. If you are not an experienced scuba diver BEWARE. He will try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge and possible fear to insist on you purchasing items you may not need! You can rent most items, but he will insist on you buying. He uses fear to push these items and should know that as a customer, that is a massive turn off. On the plus side, the woman you gave us our scuba course was wonderful, supportive and positive. VERY refreshing and a great help. read more

I walked into Scuba Network on 21st street back in May of 2015. I was just looking for a swim cap. Meeting Mark who runs the shop basically changed my life! I had done some "resort" dives over the years but never took the time to get certified (didn't have any time really). Anyway, after talking with Mark I signed up to be certified and by June I was in Costa Rica taking my open water test for the certification. A week ago I came back from my second trip with Mark in the Sea of Cortez. Both trips were fantastic! I had been to another dive shop in Manhattan (will remain nameless) previously and was frankly put off by the owner / manager. Mark, besides being a wonderful person, is an excellent instructor - experienced for a number of years, and having a great deal of patience to impart all his knowledge, I am looking forward to the next trip offered by Scuba Network in the Winter! If you have any desire to dive, but are wondering what it involves, you should pop into the shop and speak with Mark. Your life may change as well! read more

Mark is keeping this place afloat. I spent $300 for the scuba lessons, another $99 for the SDI online course. I was not allowed to use my Cressi wetsuit for the second day session because I purchased it at Leisure Pro( 3 blocks away from the 21st street store)for $135. Scuba Network is selling an equivalent for $230. Very pleased with scuba instructors not with the way Scuba Network does business. read more

My boyfriend and I just finished our pool dives with Scuba Network and were really impressed with the organization of the program and knowledge of the staff throughout our experience. Obviously I did my homework when it came down to choosing an outlet for our certification and was slightly hesitant about Scuba Network due to some of the negative reviews on here (we got a Groupon deal for a great price so it was hard to turn down). However, our expectations were exceeded and we felt extremely taken care of here. Mark and Ryan really know their stuff and do a great job of making sure that everyone in the class is prepared for their open water dives. While the shop might be no frills, there is very much a family dynamic here -- class turned out to be a welcomed oasis away from the chaos and stress of work and life in NYC and I found myself really looking forward the escape. In terms of equipment, they give you everything you need to do the pool dives free of charge (though I do recommend buying your own equipment)! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to get certified. Thanks guys! read more

Great experience, great teachers. I just did the pool dives, and feel like I was given very complete information and training. And it was fun! I am ready to hit the open water. read more

Very helpful and friendly store. They have good selection of wet suits are willing to order one if size is not available in the store. Good experience read more

I was originally thrown aback by all the stuff they recommended I purchase, and kept thinking in the back of my mind that I was being taken advantage of. However, right after I got certified I went on a diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef and let me tell you, I was SO happy I had my own basic equipment. Everybody else I was with who was renting all th equipment kept having issues with their fins and masks and suits, while I was just chilling with my perfectly sized equipment. The wet suit was by far the best purchase I made. So if you are originally intimidated by the fast pace of the whole process, don't worry, they are just fast talkers! Make sure to sit with them to go through all those questions you have and they will happily go through all of it with you. I got certified with Ryan and he is an amazing instructor, I was definitely well prepared for my solo adventures. I think some users criticize this shop for their customer service, but I think they just misinterpret their no bullshit attitude. You won't get a complimentary glass of champagne or a back massage, but what you will get is an outstanding education and everything you need to be ready to scuba dive. read more

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. I popped in to look at a full setup to take on trips. Ryan was so patient and steered me towards the best combination, while keeping my budget in mind. So happy with my purchase, and I could never have figured it out on my own. Also, the staff all dive- which was not my experience at other NYC shops. I appreciate that it is a pro run shop, not just a retail store. My go to!! read more

Great store! Excellente professional help by Ryan.. My new spot for all my scuba needs. When to Paragon sports and the sales man was unimpressive. At Scuba they had loads of sizes and personal attention.My boy loved his suit and we got it for 20 percent off! Be back for more. Keep up the good work. Great store. read more

My son and I had wanted to get our scuba certification for some time now. So we finally decided to do it and visited Scuba Network right after we booked our trip to the Caymans... First thing is first. Scuba is a very expensive recreational activity with equipment that I say is required for both comfort and sanitary factors. With that said, you should be ready to purchase a set of fins, mask and snorkel at first and least. Rental equipment is crap mostly so while its good for the lessons, once you start to dive, you want your own equipment. Of-course other outfitter may have newer equipment, but personally Im not sticking anything in my mouth that doesn't belong to me or my wife... Be ready to spend around $2400, while you may save some money online, you may not know what you're purchasing and of course whether it fits right. So first with the lessons. The lessons are done a few blocks down in a pool in a school. The pool isn't that big, but I only had 5 people in my class and it seemed ok. Mark is a phenomenal teacher and so is Danny.. They are professional , patient and great teachers. I did the online stuff and then the pool sessions. While Im an avid swimmer, I did have a little tough time with the mask clearing skills but they were patient and I felt comfortable and did the skills. I didn't have time for my open water dives with them, since I was leaving to my trip to the Caymans which was all about diving.. They gave me the info for a dive shop in the Caymans and they helped me purchase equipment. I did purchase all of our equipment from them except the tank and weights. They helped us fit everything went over the equipment with us, demo'd it etc.. Yes when compared to online prices and even other places they were about 10-15% higher on some items, cheaper on others. However, they made me and my son feel so comfortable and helped us with everything that it was worth the extra money. So I will say this. If you are not prepared to go diving and enter the world of scuba where equipment is expensive and good comfortable equipment is slightly higher, then don't do Scuba.. You may save some money if you have friends who dive and can guide you on equipment purchases etc... Scuba network is a great place to learn, but scuba in its own isn't a cheap sport.. and can be fatal if you don't take it seriously , learn properly and follow their instructions.. read more

I purchased a deal through Groupon. I wanted to try scuba diving but since it's an extreme sport, best to play by the rules and fully understand the dangers of what I am getting myself into. First day when I signed up I stated that I never done scuba diving before and just want to try it out to see where it will lead me to. I was encouraged to purchase the gear instead of using rental. I would lose all the right to receive 20% off once I decided to rent the gear. Mark claimed that they do not profit off the groupon and purchasing gear will support the instructors. He also stated that he included the gear rental part on the groupon to capture newcomers. Mark kept pushing and saying that it's best to purchase the gear and find the best fit for you. I told him 3 times that I do not want to be carrying all this equipment on the plane and I'm not sure if scuba diving is for me, just want to try it out for now. If I am interested, I will purchase the gear. The rental equipment they provided was EXTREMELY worn out and already ended their life term. The condition appeared as if someone had threw it in the trash and this scuba shop decided to pick it back up and use it as a rental. The shoes given had holes, the flippers would come off during pool session and the goggles would not fit based on face. I never seen such horrific rental equipment condition in my life. I was asked again to either purchase the equipment and or use the broken rental gear. On my first pool session the flippers came out 3 times, water would go into my mask. I am surprised that I was able to complete the 2 pool sessions and I felt like I did a stellar job for broken rental gear. By the end of the 2nd pool session, Ryan pulled me aside and "recommended" me to do an extra class because I appeared to be struggling when I was doing my swimming laps. (I made stops to tighten the flippers) I do consider myself a frequent swimmer and for someone to tell me I cannot finish laps felt insulting. He mentioned that he will give me the next class discounted for $70 and would be able to put me into the class that works with my schedule and Mark originally said was full. I asked Ryan again on which class I did bad on and which skill set in specific, he just said overall I just believe you would need one more class. It did NOT answer my question, why would I need to work on overall? There isn't something I failed or didn't follow through on? Then I asked him which class should I take the first or second pool class, Ryan said "either one" I never came back for that extra class since it was recommended but he never mentioned that it was required. I came back to get my book signed that I completed the pool sessions the day before I fly to Florida to do my open water dive. Ryan would not sign my book and said I did not come back for that extra class he requested me to. He told me to do the class tonight, I had no swim gear on me at all. Ryan told me I can just purchase swimwear and join the class for $100, I refused it. He wrote me a letter stating I would need one more pool session and can complete it in Florida. Ryan then said once I completed my open water dives I can come back and pay $10 for the license. This place already required me to purchase a logbook of $16 a defogger for $8 and the license card would be $10 if I wanted a physical copy. When I went to Florida keys for my open water session, defogger was provided to us for FREE, the flippers were not loose or falling off, the mask did not have water flooding in and the license card was also free. I know groupon can sometimes be a bit deceiving but this place is a scam shop, if you have no intention of purchasing their overpriced gear, the service will be terrible. I saw the same pair of goggles that they sell at Scuba Network in the Florida dive shop I went to for HALF the price. This place isn't even deserving of 1 star if I can rate lower, I will. read more

Great experience with Scuba Network and the staff there. Mark was a great instructor and was very helpful in selecting the right equipment. Looking forward to doing my Open Water dives with them either in PA or at their sister store in FL. read more

Did a refresher course with Ryan. He was intelligent, funny, and most importantly a great instructor. I had such a fun time just being in the pool, but the important part was that I learned everything I needed for my upcoming trip. Highly recommend this shop! read more

BUYER BEWARE!!!! THEY WILL TRY TO TAKE EVERY PENNY THEY CAN GET OUT OF YOU!!!!! I SPENT CLOSE TO $1300 FOR A DISCOVER SCUBA CERTIFICATION WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN END UP FINISHING WITH THEM. 1. they say you "have to" buy the following: -wet suit $200-400 -snorkel $28.50 -fins $87.50 -water shoes $39.50 -whistle $3.95 (are you f'n kidding me!!!!) -clip board $8.95 -training log $12.95 (other places in the tropics give you this for FREE!!) -lens for mask $69.50 (said if i wear contacts, i need this) -wet suit shampoo $6.95 -spit gel $5.95 -discover scuba course $299 (this is basically for your 2 pool sessions) the pool is a dirty pool at a nearby high school which is humid & crowded with other people who are trying to get certified -$99.50 for online code to do your online training -$385 for your open water dives i bailed ship when they told me i would need to rent a hat, a jacket, etc. etc. etc. on top of everything else I just spent money on because it's cold in PA where they do the dives, blah blah blah. Then tried to tell me I need to spend $200-$300 more on a dive computer because this is REQUIRED before you get certified and you can't rent it. Mark then charged me $30 for a referral letter to do the open water dives elsewhere!!!!! I went to the Tropics to finish up my open water dives and they laughed at me for all the equipment I bought that I didn't need. He said nobody would be crazy enough to buy a dive computer unless you're really serious about it. The new shop I went to basically charged me $200 for my open water dives, gave me all the equipment I needed to use for the dives and that was it! NO BULLSHIT SALES PUSHING!!!!! trust me, save yourself the trouble and just go to a PADI in the carribean somewhere and you'll be certified in 2-3 days tops! not this dragging on 3 month process I just went through! read more

The sales person we dealt with here was super high pressure. If you don't know anything about diving, this guy is ready to take advantage of you ($$$). Also, the mask I was considering buying is $20 cheaper on their own website. What the hell? read more

getting scuba certified has always been a bucket list item for me. one random sunday i found a groupon for open water certification that i couldn't pass up. the first step is taking the online coursework and passing an exam. after the exam, you go into the store for orientation and review of the exam questions. i found this step helpful since they covered any questions i missed and were open for any additional questions since this was a new world for me. next step was the 2 pool sessions. no frills pool at a school in nyc - what can you expect? that said, the instructor for both of my sessions, mark, was very thorough and took care to provide individual attention, even though i was part of a group of seven students. it seems a bit overwhelming at first, but, as with anything, you get the hang of it after a few times, and mark was great about ensuring full understanding of the skills and techniques before moving on. for my open water dives, i opted to go to fort lauderdale to get out of nyc for a long weekend. scuba network coordinated everything (except flights) and made the process pretty seamless. ryan led this trip; there were a few divers getting certified, like myself, and several other divers that were going on several lobster dives. despite the moving parts with different groups and some weather challenges, ryan handled everything with ease. ryan is a skilled and patient instructor and a good guy all around. the first two certification dives were very skills-based, and the second two dives were also focused on skills, but we got to enjoy a ship wreck and a beautiful coral reef. i also managed to meet some other new yorkers who go on dive trips through scuba network, so it seems like this place creates a sense of community, which is cool. i look forward to future trips with scuba network (looking at you, roatan!). read more

My fiance and I were extremely pleased with the overall experience that we had at Scuba Network. Mark was extremely helpful and patient with me from the start. I had a lot of questions about our open water dives and he communicated with the dive shop in Tahiti for me to ensure that we would have everything we needed to dive on our honeymoon. The pool classes were well run and Mark helped us feel as confident as possible. The pricing at the dive shop was also extremely reasonable. I would highly recommend Scuba Network to anyone looking for a good dive shop/scuba certification classes! read more

Mark was a great, patient teacher. My children were fully prepared when hitting the open sea.

While I am happy with the certification course they gave me, I can only say DO NOT BUY their equipment. It is overpriced and they will get you to buy things you do not need and will never use. The staff is in full sales mode from the moment you walk in. Go online and buy the same equipment for far less. read more