They are a really good shop to deal with. The class schedule is flexible. They run classes all over town under schedules that can fit into anyone's busy life. The instructors I have dealt with from the shop (granted I haven't had contact with all of them) all know their stuff.
It's true that they require you to have a mask, snorkel and pair of fins in order to take the class but they don't FORCE anyone to buy these things from them. Your instructor won't look at you sideways if you show up on the first day of class with gear you bought at Campmor or (heavens forfend!) Leisurepro. (Which is NOT really an LDS, despite what an earlier poster said. They don't offer manufacturer's warranties, useful advice on gear purchases, or any type of training. THey just move mercahdise. But I digress.)
Gear is cheaper at Leisurepro, but buying at Panaqua DOES have it's advantages. If you buy your fins from Panaqua and find out after your first pool session that you really, really hate them, Panaqua will allow you to trade them in for another pair. Leisurepro, on the other hand, will not take returns on anything that has been in the water. I'm sitting on a pair of Force Fin Pros, size XXL, for this reason. If you buy at Leisurepro you might end up buying one or more items twice, or just living with an item that you really can't stand.
I'm not a Panaqua employee. I don't get any brownie points for referring people to them. I didn't even buy my major gear items from them. But I've dealt with all of the major scuba suppliers in Manhattan in one way or another. I trust Panaqua to be straight with me. I can't say that about all of the shops in the area.
If you're interested in investigating their class schedule go to
www.panaqua.com.
One word of advice, do your homework before you go shopping for gear. Use the available online resources to get an idea of what might suit you. Don't purchase gear on impulse. MAKE SURE YOUR MASK AND FINS FIT. And don't spend too much on a snorkel. At the end of the day it's just a plastic tube that you will hardly ever use.