Questions? We've got answers.

That depends. People have done it in as little as a week, and some spread it out over months. The more time you have, the more flexibility you have. The eLearning is done online at your own pace, the academic review and two pool classes take about 9 hours total, and the open water portion is 4 dives, usually done over two mornings. In a time crunch? Give us a call and we'll figure out how to get you done in time.

You need to be able to swim 200m, any stroke, with no time limit, and float for 10 minutes without assistance. It's not too demanding: we just want to make sure you can safely be in the water.

You have options. Come on one of our trips and your certification dives are included free. Do a checkout weekend in Florida. Dive our Pennsylvania lake when it's in season (June–October). Or go anywhere in the world with a referral.

Yes, and it's what we recommend if you're already going somewhere with scuba. Instead of spending half your vacation in a classroom and feeling rushed by a resort class, do the academics and pool training with us, and we'll write you a referral to finish your open water dives at almost any shop in the world.

One year. You have to finish academics, pool and open water within 12 months, or you'll have to restart. We recommend getting to the ocean within 3–6 months of your pool classes, or doing a refresher before you go. Once you're certified, it never expires.

No, your certification never expires. If it's been more than 2 years since you've been diving, we recommend a refresher to get your skills back.

Yes, we offer both PADI and SDI courses. Both are internationally recognized, and you can dive anywhere in the world with either. PADI courses may cost a bit more because of their materials, but there's no significant difference in training quality or recognition. It comes down to personal preference.

Yes. SDI (Scuba Diving International) certifications are recognized worldwide and accepted by dive shops and operators around the globe. SDI is part of the same group as TDI and ERDI, and all of them follow international diving standards.

PADI is one of the best-known agencies, but SDI is just as valid and widely respected. PADI has a larger global network, and SDI is known for a flexible, modern approach to training. There are over 25 internationally recognized scuba certification agencies.

Every class meets at our shop at 43 W 21st Street first, then we go to the pool together. The pool is in Midtown, on 50th Street between Lexington and Park.

Our classes are held on Thursday and Saturday nights. If you need other days, contact us about private classes.

Generally, no. The A and B sessions need to be completed in the same week (Thursday and Saturday). If you need them in separate weeks or months, book a private class.

Every course starts with a free meet and greet with a dive pro, where we meet you, go over the course and complete your paperwork. After that session, we'll email you your eLearning code.

We provide the big, expensive gear: tank, weights, BCD, regulator and dive computer. Mask, fins, snorkel and wetsuit aren't included, because fit varies so much from person to person. You can buy them at special pricing with your course or rent them.

Do a refresher with us: a pool session to get your skills back. We only keep records for 7 years, so if it's been longer than that, we may recommend joining our Open Water students for both pool classes ($399) to get up to speed with newer equipment. You won't need to be recertified.

Most people in Florida get around by car. You can rent one, use ride-sharing, or add our concierge service: your instructor picks you and your gear up from any hotel within a 1-mile radius, takes you to the dive site and drops you back afterward. Contact the shop for details.

We generally recommend buying your personal gear: mask, fins, snorkel and wetsuit. You get a perfect fit, consistent performance and long-term savings, and your gear is always ready to go. If you'd rather rent, we have plenty of high-quality rentals.

When you take a course with us, you get special pricing: 20% off masks, snorkels and fins, 10% off boots and wetsuits, and 20% off Nitrox with your Open Water course. Your gear also comes with our in-water guarantee.

Fit matters most, and we don't want you leaving class with gear that doesn't fit. With our in-water guarantee, if the gear you bought doesn't fit as expected in the pool (or you'd just like to try the other option), you can exchange it any time before it's used in the ocean.

We recommend quality gear from trusted brands. Cutting corners on scuba gear isn't a good idea, and gear you're not sure about may not be right for class. Our prices already match the internet (and we price match), you get special pricing with your course on top of that, and we teach you how to use your gear, exchange it if it doesn't fit and take care of any problems quickly. And, shamelessly: support your local dive shop.

Yes. We price match valid online retailers. Show us the page and model number so we can confirm it's the same item. We can't price match sales or specially discounted items.

Yes. Unless specified otherwise, you can return items within 10 days, or exchange them within 30 days for another item or store credit. Items must be unused to be returned or exchanged.

That's unacceptable to us. Bring it back to the store and we'll make it right. We're not the store that says "sorry, nothing we can do."

Most of our vendors offer a warranty, and we'll send it back to them on your behalf. If it's outside warranty, we'll see if we can fix it in store or walk you through your other options.

Yes. Scuba Network-branded masks bought from us or our Amazon store are covered for 5 years against accidental damage, breakage or loss, with up to one replacement every 90 days and a $25 handling cost per replacement. Register your mask within 30 days of purchase to activate it. See the full terms and register your mask.

Yes, we service most regulator brands, at one price paid up front based on the brand. Allow a minimum of 4 weeks, and longer in peak season. In a rush? We can do a bench test instead ($39.95), which is usually done in about an hour. See service prices.

For many computers, yes. Some brands have to be sent to the manufacturer, so call us with your model number and we'll check. Some battery changes take 5 minutes; others we may need to hold for a day or two.

Yes. Every dive computer you buy from us comes with a lifetime tutorial: come back and ask us to show you how to use it as many times as you like. Every computer is different, and without learning it, it's basically just a depth gauge.

Every trip is different, but most include 10–30 dives, some or all meals, and 7–10 nights in a hotel or on a liveaboard. Flights aren't included. See each trip on our Dive Travel page for the specifics.

For most of our trips, none. We have everyone from brand-new divers to people with hundreds of dives, and our instructors on every trip can cater to all of them. When a trip needs more experience, like the Galápagos, we say so in the trip description.

Definitely. Our instructors love to teach. You can do specialties like Deep, Night, Drift, Navigation, Fish Identification and Wreck. For most specialties the training dives are free on our trips; you just need the eLearning code from us.

It depends, but generally about 20. Some trips are larger and some are smaller, but for the most part that's what you can expect.

All the time. About half of our divers travel solo, and that's the best part: you make friends for life sharing these experiences.

Yes. Since we have so many solo travelers, we pair people based on vibes, and people have become best friends on these trips that way. You can also choose a single room for an additional cost, which we offer on most land-based trips.

All ages. We've had divers as young as 10 and in their 80s, and most trips have a good spread from young adults to retirees.

Yes. We often have non-divers who come to enjoy the beach.

No. Travelers join us from all around the world, and you don't need to live near one of our stores.

No. Flights aren't included on any of our trips.

Absolutely. We're proud to be an inclusive and welcoming dive shop for everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion. If anyone isn't living up to that, tell us and we'll take care of it immediately.