When I decided to dive, it seemed bold at the time because I've never snorkeled, Fall was ending…read moreand the idea of having tons and tons of water above me while I build the muscle memory to use the only thing keeping me alive was not something I would willingly do, at least with a sane mind. I spent about a week researching about scuba and realized the importance of buoyancy and trim. Unfortunately, I also found that almost all beginner friendly scuba classes treat buoyancy as something to check off a list. I was personally shocked because it meant that the vast majority of divers never really spent enough time learning to be neutrally buoyant. I cannot stress how important this is- divers kill coral, destroy ecosystems and by extension, marine life by simply being sloppy. Sandra realizes this and much more, it is evident on her website. Her classes are small in size and feels like a mentorship program (which was exactly what I was looking for) as she often teaches beginners and advanced students side by side, giving the beginners an opportunity to watch and learn from master divers. Safety is paramount to her, followed by buddy awareness and buoyancy. She is a passionate cave diver which is a highly technical side of diving, hence even if you just try your best to imitate her underwater, you will end up learning more than any beginner anywhere in the world. She is also a very meticulous teacher. You really have to earn your certification from her, making it all the more rewarding when you finally do. (as opposed to diving in a resort and checking a list off) In about 7 hours in the water at Dutch springs (including a snow day) I've become perfectly comfortable underwater -with a dry suit- evident to me and the other divers who buddy up, because of Sandra. She even managed to instill confidence and passion in me to get into technical diving and take up advanced courses. I cannot recommend her enough! 10 stars!

I got both my Open Water and Dry Suit Diver certifications with Sandra. Both the pool and open…read morewater sessions were well-run, organized and 110% thorough. I always felt very confident that I was being taught not just the basics, but also a lot of other helpful information. This is not your average, "check the box" certification. Sandra is extremely flexible and often spends a lot of extra time with students, whether it's to help with the e-learning or during the sessions themselves. She truly goes above and beyond. "Scuba Sandra" should also be known as Safety Sandra, because she is huge on safety, both out of the water and in it. Sandra has been diving for more than a decade, and it shows. I loved hearing her stories and also her teaching tools (ways to remember things, anecdotes, et cetera). And she's got a great sense of humor that I could appreciate. She's also very real, honest and down-to-earth (get it?). I would highly recommend booking her for your certification(s).

Finding My Dive Family at Scuba Connection…read more Looking for a dive shop that truly builds divers, not just certifications? Scuba Connection is it! I came to them like a 'fish out of water' -- and left a proud little guppy, ready to swim. Scuba Connection has been everything I hoped for as I continue building my dive journey. Their instructors combine deep knowledge, real patience, and precision, always putting safety and skill first. From the very first conversation, it was clear: their priority isn't just certifications -- it's building skill, confidence, and true community. The instructors made sure I understood not just how to do something, but why it mattered for my safety -- every step reinforced with encouragement, care and expert support. The access to top-of-the-line equipment was outstanding -- everything was thoughtfully fitted, meticulously maintained, and set up for success. At one point, I was geared up with over $3K in dive computers -- talk about trust and full VIP treatment! If you're even thinking about diving, this is the team you want behind you. But what stands out most is the human side. At Scuba Connection, "connection" isn't just a word -- it's a promise. It's family. I'm proud to have found my dive family here -- and I can't wait for everything ahead!

Excellent experience from start to finish! Emailed them as I had purchased new regulators, BCD and…read moreSPG and wanted to test, and get familiar, with the new equipment before doing an 8 day Liveaboard diving with sharks in the Bahamas. Frank responded very quickly and professionally to each of my numerous emails with many questions. TIm who was my instructor (I did a refresher course to check out the equipment and get some pointers/reminders) was very attentive, had great input/suggestions and is also very patient. Both Frank and Tim checked my gear for leaks while we were in the water to ensure all hoses were properly connected. I highly recommend them, and hope to go on one of their trips in the near future!

Are you ready to join the most amazing scuba family in Brooklyn? Do you want to dive with 2…read moreexperienced retired firefighters/divemasters? Do you want to be the most competent scuba diver? If you answered yes to all of that ocean horizons scuba is for you, if you didn't reread my review five times and re-ask yourself those questions . I loved scuba diving and like most people when you initially try to get your scuba certification, your probably looking for the "best deal" like where can I get certified for the "cheapest price". Well you can go on yelp look up reviews call 15 scuba shops and I can almost guarantee not going with Ocean Horizons Scuba is a big mistake. When I went scuba shopping some places will give you your certification after one day in a pool and say "hey your certified, just go complete the course online and finish your certification dives and your PADI certified" After one lesson in the pool do you think your ready to get tested on skills underwater in the ocean or a quarry you decide? Paul's prices are so reasonable....There is really no competition. Paul & Jimmy (the handsome instructors) are the gurus of the ocean they drill the concept of diving and the risks as well as understanding. They embed information into your brain. The course is 5 weeks, that's right 5 long weeks of water time(spent either at YMCA park slope or Ft Hamilton high school) and class time... and if you aren't picking it up fast enough they wont "let you fly just yet" they will take you under there wing and spend individual time with you in the pool or tell you to come for extra classes(no they wont charge you, they genuinely have your best interest at heart). If you feel uncomfortable about a skill they will review it with you, over and over again. They prepare you to take the NAUI certification and are more than willing to help you out with anything. Paul plans trips to Cozumel and Micronesia and other places once your certified and also to complete your certification. Like I reiterated when you take a class with Paul not only do you become a certified diver but you just got a first class ticket to one of the best circle of divers to travel and dive the world with! Not only would I go back and do it all over again and again but this time I would take the paper with the list of other dive places and throw it out and not waste my time. I went to Thailand and It was such a great diving experience I owe it all to two hardcore scuba instructors. Working a full time job, and going to school Paul accommodates to every schedule possible. Weekend, Nights he has so many classes to choose from. Ocean Horizons Scuba has one goal and its making the best and safest divers in the world!

Well, one must give credit where due... My girlfriend and I are incredibly thankful to have become…read moreinvolved with this organization. We actually interviewed several dive shops before deciding on taking our certification course with Ocean Horizons. We felt very comfortable with Paul's demeanor, approach to our concerns, and high level of diving skill/experience. We enjoyed the experience so much we decided to go on a trip to Cozumel to do our certification dives. The group that traveled down with Ocean Horizons was big mix of very friendly people who were never shy about sharing their experiences or providing helpful tips to make each dive as smooth as possible. To make an already long story short- if you are thinking of getting scuba certified, do yourself a favor and at least reach out to Ocean Horizon, you won't regret it!

Scuba Network Long Island is the best! Martha, Steve, and Michael are all amazing. I learned to…read moredive here with Steve as my instructor, and he made the whole process fun, safe, and super approachable. Since then, I've been on multiple trips with the shop (Bonaire, Little Cayman, and Hawaii), and every single one has been so well put together and a blast. Everyone at the shop is friendly, knowledgeable, and really makes you feel like part of the dive family. Highly recommend them for lots of different kinds of training, a wide range of gear at a great price, or travel -- they've given me some of the best experiences of my life!

Caring and helpful. Great experience in scuba training and purchasing gear. A class act.read more

My son and I found Oceanblue (the Norwalk shop) this year and are hooked. Michael, the owner, is a…read moregreat guy and clearly cares about what he is doing, both in running his business and in bettering the diving community. We have taken a couple of courses at Oceanblue, gotten some great gear, and been diving with Michael and other instructors (shout out to Dan, who we finished our Master Diver certification dives with) - all fantastic experiences. I strongly recommend this shop to anyone in the CT/NY area for whatever your own diving interests are.

You know you're chicken of the sea when you always wanted to scuba dive, but can't, cuz you're too…read moreafraid of the ocean (hint: take a look at the image below) But have no fear because Oceanblue Divers are here!!! I came with my girl friend and we both had so much fun! The people were absolutely friendly and knowledgeable. The location was a bit far, but beautiful. The pool was beautiful and very tropical-ish, while the experience of going underwater with a tank was amazing!! I highly recommend this surreal experience to anyone who wants to get their feet wet but are too afraid to do so in the ocean. o / ) / ( , __/ ) .' `; o _.-~~~~ ''---..__ .' ; _.--' b) "" "" ''--...____.' .' . ( _. )). `-._ / `WW\)-.... .___"- `-. __...-- '-.'. jgs ' '---......____... " --.`.___.'----... .' `.; Btw, one of the best things about Oceanblue Divers, is that they are also a club which means they travel together as a group on vacation so they can enjoy swimming with the fish in its natural environment.

I am an experienced scuba diver and wanted to get my 10 year old certified. I signed her up for the…read moreconfined water classes offered by Adventure scuba and had a wonderful experience. Tom, the instructor was incredibly nice, capable, competent, and patient. The classes are very intimate with only four students. The proximity of the pool to the dive shop is literally across the street. We had amazing experience with my daughter learning all the skills in a very short period of time. I will follow up on this post as we were going for the open water dives next week. Thanks again to all the people adventure scuba. You all did a great job and we had a great time. **** Ok - following up on the above, great news. She passed her open water check outs with flying colors in the Caymans. The instructors thought she was perfectly prepared and will be a safe and capable diver. Thanks again to the Adventure Scuba team for solid work!!

I'm sadden to write this account as I wanted to like this place, but my experience was 100%…read moreavoidable. I went through the certification process elsewhere despite trauma I had to undo from Adventure Scuba. I tried twice to go to Adventure Scuba--big mistake. I arrived excited and ready, but left with an intense anxiety of scuba diving because of the comments the instructors made combined with their lack of support. The instructors boast having years of instructing experience, but had zero helpful advice while I had difficulty breathing except: "collect yourself" "what's going on with you?", "you need to relax and pretend your in the spa", all of which was monumentally unhelpful to hear as my body quickly spiraled to a panic. The worst was the female instructor. Hyper condescending. She was visibly irritated by my anxiety (I was astonished that my trouble breathing was a nuisance to both of instructors). The unfortunate part is that when I first conveyed I was having difficulty breathing, I didn't feel ANY fear initially, I simply tried to explain I was experiencing trouble breathing, and to ask questions, but I was quickly dismissed and told to "make up my mind if this is something I want to do." These comments quickly fueled a feeling of intense panic when I received NO answers to my questions and reattempted to submerge myself only for the cycle to repeat and lead several times to the same outcome of not being able to breath well. Repeating this several times rendered me freaked out, confused, and exasperated. I don't remember her name (but to be fair she kept calling me the wrong name which also contributed to my confusion). The male instructor accused me of not listening to him (although I proceeded to repeat everything he had just said, so no idea why he made that assumption). The bright side is, I have since been to two different dive sites (one to complete certification the other just to dive for fun) and they both were vastly different experiences from Adventure Scuba. Surprisingly, there was no insults or condescending statements, no visible impatience, no accusations. Only support, encouragement, instruction, and understanding which is not a lot to ask. I learned that the difficulty breathing wasn't in my head or something wrong with me, but breathing (unlike i was told at Adventure Scuba) does feel different under water and shouldn't be rushed. Now that's good instruction! The absolute worse part was I probably was in the pool both times for five minutes each and they happily kept the money despite lack of instruction. ASTONISHINGLY wrong. So I write this review and also let fellow divers know: please avoid this place. Ultimately, I'm glad I didn't give up despite this truly unpleasant experiences of my life. I would say its an ok place if you've already been diving a few times before, but definitely not if you expect to be supported, not rushed, and respected when you voice you can't breath or want to ask questions. I would definitely caution against spending hundreds of your dollars for that kind of treatment trust me other places are able to train without that nonsense. My sister did it with me she completed with Adventure Scuba, but fully agreed that the experience was lacking due to the treatment and how rushed the class felt. My feedback would be if someone isn't relaxed-- don't fuel the apprehension, it's NOT helpful.

My review is based on the summer kids' pony camp. Our kids loved the entire experience! From…read more9am-2pm Mon thru Fri (be warned though that on the last day of camp, instead of riding, they will visit the zoo). They learned about grooming, feeding, instruction on riding, and even happily mucked the stalls. Our kids are 5 & 6 but some kids were up to age 10-11 maybe. Total there were about 12 kids in the camp. Lots of walking involved as the bathrooms are a few minutes away (they are escorted there twice daily). The instructors were good with both the kids and the ponies. Not sure how repetitive it would get if you booked consecutive weeks as ours just went 1 week. The cost for one week, with the Bergen county discount, was about $337 per child.

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!