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.

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.

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).

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!

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.

What a great experience at Blue Water Divers. Friendly and extremely professional staff in a well…read morestocked facility. A little bit old and stodgy looking, especially from the outside, but the warm, friendly and extremely professional staff more than makes up for it. I would recommend BWD to anyone looking to embark on a lifetime of adventure, or existing divers looking to hone their skills or service their equipment.

Blue Water Divers is going to be my new dive shop from now on. Although I live on Staten Island and…read moreafter losing my previous dive closer to my home. I searched for a new dive shop, and was impressed enough that my son and my granddaughter took the try scuba class. Everyone that I have spoken to has been extremely helpful and passionate about their role at the shop. I am looking forward to continuing my own scuba education next month.

I was recommended here by a worker at AirWeld to refill my CO2 canister, and I'm glad I came…read more I brought in a 20oz canister and the whole refill process took maybe 30 seconds. Super quick, easy, and efficient. The price was fair too--only $8. Overall, great service with no hassle. I'll definitely be coming back whenever I need a refill.

133 reviews averaging 20 new good ones in 3 days to burry the bad one I left on google maps. Trust…read moreme, this is a scam company. They even admitted it on google maps. Claiming they gave me free service which nobody does anything for free. They had to try and fix the bad upgrade/reassembly job they did but failed several times. They also lied and returned a broken gun they claimed they upgraded. Never should have charged me if it didn't work.

As I took my giant stride off the stern of the Epic Diving boat at Tiger Beach, I pressed my mask…read moreclose to my face, secured my regulator in my mouth and octo against my chest, and thought wryly to myself, "I paid money to drop into a pool of milling lemon sharks at the surface to descend into a horde of tiger sharks at the bottom [I could already make out several dark torpedo shapes making their large circles]?" The boat ride out to Tiger Beach was spent doing boat briefing/dive site briefing then free-form discussion of sharks and other interesting ocean creatures. Vin and Deb were knowledgeable about the Bahamas, Tiger Beach and other sites, scuba in its many forms, and conservation. Since I was the only guest, the conversation was fast and furious. At the last minute, following suggestions from my hosts, I decided to dive in an old wetsuit and not in the stealth suit that I had been wanting to try out. My plan was to follow all instructions, interact authentically with every creature that might approach me, and use my own wild animal experience and instinct to assess my comfort and safety as my time underwater progressed. I wore a hood and booties and gloves, to minimize the areas of contrast between the dark neoprene and my skin - possibly an attractant for sharks. I kept my head on a swivel, scanning constantly in all directions to make sure that a large predator was not sneaking up on me for a closer look or a nibble. I was calm throughout, and I was aware that my two guides were keeping their eye on me as well. During the surface interval, we compared notes as to who we had seen and what their names were (I met Emma the tiger shark and Scylla the hammerhead shark who was impressively longer but not as robust). They even gave me a picture for my facebook profile. I would highly recommend EPIC DIVING because of their knowledge, experience, safety awareness, and caring about the sea and its inhabitants. This is not an inexpensive trip, and, as in many ventures, one gets what one pays for. One flies into Grand Bahama, the oldest town and capital of the island, then takes a taxi to the West End where one may stay in a beautifully-appointed hotel right on the water, a few feet from the dock. I very much enjoyed my drive from the airport to the hotel with a local who knew everything and everybody. I will absolutely explore again with EPIC DIVING - hope to see you there.