Even though I was born on a village by the Sea and spend my childhood watching Hans Hass photos, Cousteau documentaries, and reading Julio Verne’s adventures, etc. I never had the opportunity to scuba dive until very recently.I am super happy for reaching out to Gotham Divers to get the SSI open water scuba diving certification. it has a great atmosphere and an old school scuba vibe.Michel is a great Instructor, knowledgeable, passionate for scuba and for mentoring students to become good divers; Not only at a technical level, but there’s also a message of integrity and posture that will be helpful in and out of the water.No kidding, you’ll find that many of the Scuba principles are super handy out of the water too.I must mention the good times with the Gotham Divers team at Dutch Springs open water dives weekend, epic BBQ and great chat, jokes contest… that was pretty fun!Safe diving!

I started my Open Water Diver cert with Tim and his crew. The classroom and pool instruction were both great- they were knowledgeable, patient, and skilled teachers. I did my open water dives on a scuba trip and the process of transferring my prior work over was simple. Id certainly come back for further certifications or recommend Gotham Divers to friends.

DO NOT GO to these guys! Please save your life under water and some embarrassment on the land!!Theyre extremely rude and unfriendly. Ive dived at multiple spots around the world and havent come across someone as rude as them.I live in NY but have never dived in NY area because I primarily dive in the tropics so thought of giving these guys a shout but turns out theyre horribly rude!!If this is their attitude on land, I would NEVER dare to risk my life underwater with them.I have a ton of diver friends and I will make sure that all of them know about their bad attitude.

Amazing instructors. As someone without any diving experience I felt fully prepared to jump into the pool after the classroom experience. In the pool they were phenomenal and helped me feel fully confident heading into the open water.

Just finished my Confined Water Dives with Tim and Michel. Very happy.Instruction was fantastic, patient and thorough, couldnt have gone better.I feel excited and prepared to take on my Open Water Dives now.

Great shop, knowledgable, responsive, and friendly!

I completed my Open Water certification this past summer, and it was a remarkable experience. As a seasoned teacher, I can immediately identify the folks at Gotham Divers as people with an emphasis on strong pedagogy and safety all wrapped up in a personalized experience. It simply does not get much better. They communicate well, and often focus on a conversation to better understand ones goals as well as comfort level. By understanding goals, they are better aimed with recommending the proper equipment. This is always a delicate balance because Scuba has many safety considerations, and as mentioned Gotham Divers has a strong emphasis on safety; however, the shop sells Scuba equipment that is a necessity for class or continued diving. Through understanding of goals, the folks at Gotham Divers do not push unnecessary equipment. As a matter of fact, they are very frank when some equipment is not needed for either a beginner or for a specific diving environment. For example, if you plan on diving exclusively in tropical waters, then they are not going to recommend a thick wetsuit.One of my goals for completing the Open Water certification was to prepare and develop a program for my high school students where they will be working with a research scientist on a reef restoration project. I recently had the Gotham Divers certify several of my students, and again, the experience was second-to-none. My students had a range of abilities and comfort with water, and with patience and a personalized touch, all students finished with their certification. They had a great sense of accomplishment and they cannot wait for the next part of their experience.

My husband and I just recently did our Open Water training through Gotham Divers and I cant recommend them more. They were helpful and personalized from start to finish and our instructors Edwin and Michele took so much time to really explain and show skills and make everyone feel comfortable. Very thorough in the best possible way.In such a big city we are always getting stuck these days with super corporate outfits that are more interested in selling you stuff than teaching you as an individual and a human and I was so beyond pleased to find Gotham Divers was primarily interested in helping you become a safe and skilled diver and recommending gear based on your individual needs. A rarity in the city these days!

So HAPPY to have renewed my PADI certification with Gotham Divers. Tim was super helpful answering all my questions and even helped me figure out how get a new photo uploaded. Thank you Gotham! Will be back for my next certification for sure!

The most professional, and safest dive shop in New York. My wife and I have done all our training with them from open water to tech. Ive bought all my gear from them (often at an awesome discount). Its one of those shops that is so good it makes you nervous to shop elsewhere. Also, the guys that run this shop are real deal new York wreck divers.

After booking a trip to Belize, I decided to take up SCUBA. I was a bit skittish to do so, since Im hardly a mermaid, but I am SO very glad that I did. I went with Gotham Divers based on location and schedule. The pool session consisted of practicing and familiarizing yourself with a series of skills. I had difficulty getting past the mask-clearing portion, which apparently is a common challenge for many new divers. We practiced that part a bit more and then went to on other skills like buddy breathing and establishing neutral buoyancy and emergency ascension. I was personally frustrated with not being able to complete the mask skills, but John and Edwin encouraged me to come back and to continue to work on it the following week. On my second visit, Edwin gave me one-on-one training on how to work through the skills. We focused step-by-step and worked through the mental blocks, and as a result, the physical challenges of the skill. I was so excited to have been able to work through it and to gain a calmer disposition underwater. I successfully completed the class with all skills, and left with much more confidence about choosing to take on this rewarding sport. A HUGE thank you to Edwin, John and Tim for their encouragement, expertise and support! Im so stoked to check out the real-life aquarium on my upcoming vacation, and for a new and exciting activity for life!

If you care about learning techniques to make you a better, safer diver then Gotham Divers is the place you want to train. They are hands down the best dive shop in NYC to learn to dive (or improve your skills). The owners are responsive and give great advice on the gear you actually need to suit the diving you want to do. I highly recommend to anyone in the greater NYC area!

I decided to get SCUBA certified a couple of months ago, with my big 5-0 coming up: diving was something Id always dreamed of doing. My husband and I live in the East Village, but it was not convenience that led us to Gotham Divers, it was the solid reviews we heard and read about the team running the shop... and they’re all true.The owners, Alex and Tim, are highly knowledgeable, experienced, and patient. Edwin and John, two of Gotham Divers seasoned instructors, excel at tailoring the course to one’s individual needs and level of comfort, with a keen emphasis on safety at all times. They offer steady, expert direction and take great care in teaching others what they know, and it shows.I highly recommend Gotham if youre ready to explore an entirely new world underwater. Its a magical place down there, and you can only reach it with SCUBA! Weve just come back from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where we hovered in crystalline caverns and drifted across deep ocean reefs, in the midst of Moray eels, sea turtles, and spotted eagle rays to name a few. Unbelievable!Today I feel stronger and more positive for the experience - I’m on a new journey and its called SCUBA… and I can’t wait to see more. Warmest thanks to the expert team at Gotham Divers for so genuinely sharing their passion for diving.

Thumbs up Gotham Divers. The owners Tim and Alex took over the ownership of the previous dive shop and made it The Best Dive shop in the downtown area. They recommended the right equipments, nothing was pushy or hard sell. I bought the fin boots but was looking for a bigger fit they were happy to switch out sizes for me. Took the pool class with instructor John in the lower east side. Just got my Open Water Certification with owner Tim and Alex. Seriously these guys are not playing around. Lead the team, drove to PA. We all geared up, dove in at the Dutch Spring. Tim was very patient the whole time even when I was a beginner and very slow and he just let me took my time. The class was taught with enthusiasm and passion. Followed with BBQ and beers and a night of camping after a long day of dive. It was such an eye opening experience. Def going back to PA again with the crew. Best way to get a new skills and meet people who share the same interests. Dont miss this gem in the lower Manhattan!

I had the best experience ever! The team is so professional and patient. Tim has been amazing from the moment we reached out, and helped us sort everything out last minute! Edwin, the instructor, is beyond fantastic! He has taken the time to explain things and make sure you are comfortable all steps of the way and always has a positive attitude and very supportive which helps when students aren’t confident in their ability to complete a task dor example. I highly highly recommend Gotham Divers!

From my experience, Gotham divers is hands-down the best SCUBA shop in New York. I recently got an advanced scuba certification with them and the class was fun, well organized, and very well taught. The owners are extremely knowledgeable of the sport and the gear involved, and are always happy to answer my questions. I highly recommend this dive shop for anything you may need- be it instruction, gear purchases, or finding boat charters within the NYC area

By the time I found this shop, I was already an instructor. Tim and Alex have made continuing my education and development as a technical diver possible, and their passion for northeast diving has kept me motivated.Gotham Divers has supported my every diving need for the past few years, and if I needed an item not readily stocked, Tim would have it for me in a jiffy.The community Gotham Divers fosters is exactly why I love brick and mortar shops, theres always someone around to compare notes with or bounce trip ideas and dive plans around. If you want to get in the water, they will help you find a way- be it a dive buddy to carpool with, a boat seat on a private charter, or an all inclusive trip to the Caribbean.

I completed my Open Water cert with Gotham Divers. All the instructors were amazing. If you are completing a training at Dutch Springs, make sure that you call the shop and email Tim to get the exact details of the trip down.

Gotham was a great source of personalized instruction and advice. Tim was regularly available by phone, answering all questions in an informed, clear manner. John was a superb instructor, in class and in the pool. I did my open water dive elsewhere and that was fine with them, never a hard sell.

When youre learning, practicing, or participating in under water activities you want to feel safe and have confidence in those you are are with. Furthermore you want the whole experience to be friendly and fun and I have to say, that for me, Gotham Divers were all this and more.If you want to dive, and to do it properly; these guys are the BEST !!

So... if you are considering diving at all, you should absolutely do it. Water covers 71% of the earth’s surface, so if you’re not diving, you’re seriously missing out! And if you want to learn to dive, Gotham Divers is the place. These guys know their stuff. They take a very unnatural endeavor (breathing underwater) and make it palpable and easy. The instructors explain all of the pricing and the process in detail, and are up-front about the costs and time commitment. Before getting my open water certification, I had no experience diving. I was taking the classes alone, and that made the process even more nerve wracking. Tim (my instructor and the owner) and the rest of the crew at Gotham Divers made me feel very comfortable and at home. They are a community-oriented business and the minute you walk in the door you feel like family. I would highly recommend the open water certification course at Dutch Springs. It’s close to NYC, and a great place to get certified because it is set up specifically for scuba divers. During the entire course Tim made me feel safe and very well looked after. I am so happy to be a part of the Gotham Divers family and am counting down the days until I can go again. These guys are the best; highly recommended.

Gotham Divers is a great place to start and continue your scuba diving career. The new owners Tim and Alex have a great, customer-service attitude while keeping up high standards of teaching and selling top-line equipment. Some of the reviews refer to an old owner who is out of the picture and Gotham really deserves a new look.

Did padi reactivate through these guys and fully recommend. Michel, the divemaster at the pool, was extremely knowledgeable. Im diving next week after 10 years off, confidence level 💯

I work on dive boats based on Long island. I get to see students from a number of shops. There are 2 shops in our area that produce divers ready for the challenges of Northeast wreck diving. Gotham divers are always up to speed. Kudos to the staff!

Ive been coming to Gotham Divers for all my dive needs for a few years now, Tim makes an effort to make the shop feel like home rather than simply a place where currency is exchanged for goods and services.When I moved back to NYC, I knew I needed to transition to technical diving, and Tim has been 100% supportive the whole way. Ive never felt like I was being upsold or pressured to buy, and Tim has gone out of his way when I came to him looking for gear he didnt usually carry.Whether its to start the certification process, transition to Northeast diving, or find a trip to the Doria, Gotham Divers will be your go-to to get everything done.

Congratulations to Alex and Tim. They are the new owners of Gotham Divers (Previously Village Divers). Ive had the pleasure of training them as well as some of their professional staff. They are a young and energenic group of dive professionals that are passionate about the sport of diving. If you live in the Village and interested in scuba or need some snorkeling equipment these are the guys to go see. Awesome dive shop.

I definitely recommend this place to people who are new to diving. I had my pool class today with John and it was a great experience. He is a great instructor and he made sure every one of us had enough time to practice and get comfortable with the equipment and being under water.

I had an incredible experience with Gotham Divers completing my Open Water Part II. They structured the weekend to complete 3 dives on Saturday and my 4th dive on Sunday. Edwin and Alex were incredible instructors, made me feel safe/comfortable. Both are extremely knowledgeable, patient and I had no trouble learning everything required to obtain my certification.There are plenty of dive shops in the city and I had a horrible experience with another dive shop for my Open Water Part I. I had lost hope in the city dive shops until I met Tim from Gotham Divers who proved me wrong. These guys are 100% about teaching scuba and dont bother with the sales pitch that you normally might get from the other city dive shops.Thank you thank you again!

You wont find a better facility than Gotham Divers, nor a better instructor than Tim, both in terms of technical expertise and attitude. My wife and I needed to get dry suit certified under a very tight deadline for an upcoming trip; Tim made it happen even though conditions at Dutch Springs were some of the worst weve had to deal with in 25 years of diving (air temperatures close to 100F and humidity through the roof). He stayed good humored and enthusiastic throughout; when my wife started to show symptoms of heat stroke he dealt with the situation efficiently and sympathetically. Cant recommend him highly enough.

Alex and Tim took over the shop previously known as Village Divers (Cal, the previous owner is out of the picture!) They changed it magnificently; everything is 100% better and pleasant. They are knowledgeable, professional, helpful, fun and create an awesome atmosphere in all their dive related gatherings. Rest of the instructors and divers associated with the store are also a great bunch of people. I would recommend this store to anyone who is interested in anything Scuba related, starting at Open Water, all the way through tech.Gotham Divers is definitely worth a try, those guys deserve a chance (I know previous reviews are horrible BUT they are not about them or their staff). Alex and Tim already made a very positive change in NYC diving experience and this is just the beginning!

I received my Open Water certification through Gotham Divers in May and it was a great experience. John and Tim were amazing instructors and very helpful throughout the whole process.Gotham Divers really proved their care for their customers when I discovered a month or so after my certification that my wetsuit that I purchased from them had ripped at a seam. Off the bat Tim offered to replace it free of charge, but I was adamant that the manufacturer of the suit replace it, as the tear was a manufacturing problem and not the fault of Gotham Divers. Long story short, after months of dealing with this particular manufacturer Tim and I concluded that it was no longer worth the pursuit. I recently went into the shop and Tim was happy to order me a better wetsuit and swallow the cost of the ripped one - which was not cheap!I would 100% recommend Gotham Divers for anyone looking for quality certifications, expert advise, and exceptional customer service. I will definitely return to this dive shop in the future when my SCUBA needs call for it!

Disclaimer: Shop is now under new ownership, please disregard previous less than 5 star reviews. I just returned from a 2 week vacation to Thailand where I got to scuba at some of the most beautiful underwater points in the world. Less than 2 months ago, I had zero dive experience. My friend invited me on a last minute scheduled trip to Phuket and surrounding islands and suggested that we could go on dive excursions, but I would need to get certified. I work about 50 to 60 hours per week in New Jersey and was in a frenzy e-mailing all local schools to see who could get me certified with my limiting schedule in such a short amount of time. Tim was consistently the fastest in e-mailing me back and answering all my questions thoroughly. I try to be an adventurer in my travels and life, but I was definitely scared in pursuing this certification. Gotham made every effort to help me feel at ease and gave me the attention I needed to practice comfortably. I love Gotham and Im very much looking forward to the warmer months when they bring their divers together on weekends for dive trips and summer barbecues. I cant thank Tim and John enough for all their help.

I came to Gotham Divers for my SSI SCUBA Certification, and though I never write Yelp reviews, I couldnt help but write one for these guys -- I feel that strongly. It was an overwhelmingly great, informative, and positive experience for me. Tim was the main contact at the Gotham Divers shop, and went above and beyond to help me through my certification and work with me to have it expedited before my trip, even during off-hours and on weekends. And, in addition, my SCUBA instructor, John, was exceedingly professional, helpful, and made me feel so comfortable in the water and in the classroom. He was an all-star teacher. I cant recommend these guys enough.

I did part 1 open water and Tim was really helpful! Also the instructor John was so professional and I feel very excited to take part 2.

Ive been diving with these guys for years. They do my trimix fills for me & they are always accurate. Any old reviews that dont have 5 stars are directed towards the previous shop owner & have nothing to do with Tim & Alex.

Tim was very helpful when I was buying a new diving computer. I definitely recommend this place.

Tim was super helpful and John made the experience lots of fun. Excellent price on gear too!

I tell all my friends that my favorite thing to do on a Friday night is to hang out at this shop with Tim, Alex, Peter and co. I came in here once upon a time looking to be open water certified, and I stayed for the great stories and even better company.The open water certification course took me three non-consecutive days to complete, but they can the same week if you want. I got the Monday evening classroom and Thursday evening pool sessions done together so I could stay with my class. John and Peter were my instructors. I recommend that you clear your entire evening for the pool portion because it can run late into the night. Also, bring bottled water and grab dinner beforehand because youll be learning skills without a break.I finished my certification in Belize through SSI, and though John teased me for that and for getting my all-pink outfit online, I dont regret it because I saw wild dolphins and I look awesome. I can say that my Belizean instructor was really impressed by how solidly I had my skills (mask clearing, etc.), thanks to John and Peter, so getting through my first four real dives was a total breeze.I also recommend this shop if youre a working chump, like me, who prefers 7:30 pm classes. Alex, who taught me Nitrox, is willing to meet later. Really accommodating folks. Check this place out for any and all diving needs!

I always enjoy stopping by Gotham Divers. Solid experience, excellent recommendations, and everyone is always friendly.

Go to gotham divers to get certified, do your open water with them, buy your equipment from them. Theyre great and a nice group of people. They even have bbqs at their shop to get all their diving buddies together during random points of the year. I wasnt even actually getting certified when I first stopped by for one of these. Tre cool.I completed my open water diving certification through Gotham Divers the other weekend. My instructor was John, who taught both the pool course as well as the open water course at Dutch Springs. I also purchased my mask, snorkel, and fins through Gotham Divers, as that equipment is required to do the pool course and open water course. All the equipment I purchased is excellent and John spent a ton of time making sure everything fit properly, was the right size, and was comfortable.In both the pool course and the open water course, John was very easy to follow and communicate with under water. I didnt feel rushed to hit the depths or equalize my ears and I feel confident in my ability to check my equipment, assemble it, and have fun dives.If youre looking to get dive certified, I highly recommend Gotham Divers.

Previously Village Divers, the new Gotham Divers is now under new management being run by Tim and Alex. Friendly and knowledgeable - definitely worth stopping by for any of your diving needs!

This is a great shop for local diving and learning to dive as well as for gearing up for both tropical and cold water diving. The shop has been recently taken over by Alex and Tim who have renovated the shop so it looks great.The diving community (instructors and customers) in the shop are mostly tec-oriented so expect to dive with some great experienced people that are always more than happy to show someone the ropes at your pace. These guys will make sure that youre ready for your next dive whether its a beautiful reef in Bonaire or the most challenging of wrecks in Truk.

Horrible and unreliable. Theyre scam artists. Took me and my friends deposit money and never answered the phone afterwards to get us started for the diving course! I tried contacting them for months! They stole our money!

Tim is great, fills are always spot on.

Good

New owners are fantastic.

Im looking for the