New York City/East coast cold-water certification?

[davidbaraff]

I'm looking for a good place in NYC for my cousin to get certified. (I live in California.) I'm hoping she can do the pool sessions in NYC and then do the checkout dives as a referal somewhere on the East coast.

Also, it'd be cool if she can do the checkout dives as a cold-water diver, because i'm trying to get her experienced as a cold-water diver so she can dive with me when she visits me in California. I.e. 7mm suit with suitable weights --- I'd rather have her learn that first, since transitioning to warm-water diving is such a snap after that.

If you've got a place in NYC you highly recommend (translation: you know they do a really, really good job instructing, turning out really safe, competent divers) please let me know. And if you have know of good East coast sites for referal for cold-water certification dives, let me know.

Is anywhere in Florida ever cold-water diving?
Thanks for any leads/pointers.

[TMHeimer]

Is anywhere in Florida ever cold-water diving?
Thanks for any leads/pointers.[/QUOTE]

We spent winters on the panhandle with the water temps. down to about 56F (Though one night dive I actually recorded 43--still wonder about that). So for anyone from up North, the answer is no.

[TMHeimer]

Is anywhere in Florida ever cold-water diving?
Thanks for any leads/pointers.[/QUOTE]

We spent winters on the panhandle with the water temps. down to about 56F (Though one night dive I actually recorded 47--still wonder about that). So for anyone from up North, the answer is no.

[Dr Wu]

I'm looking for a good place in NYC for my cousin to get certified. (I live in California.) I'm hoping she can do the pool sessions in NYC and then do the checkout dives as a referal somewhere on the East coast.

Also, it'd be cool if she can do the checkout dives as a cold-water diver, because i'm trying to get her experienced as a cold-water diver so she can dive with me when she visits me in California. I.e. 7mm suit with suitable weights --- I'd rather have her learn that first, since transitioning to warm-water diving is such a snap after that.

If you've got a place in NYC you highly recommend (translation: you know they do a really, really good job instructing, turning out really safe, competent divers) please let me know. And if you have know of good East coast sites for referal for cold-water certification dives, let me know.

Is anywhere in Florida ever cold-water diving?
Thanks for any leads/pointers.

Without extreme prejudice:

Adventure Scuba: Scuba Diving Lessons and Equipment in New York City (http://adventurescubany.com/)

Second generation PADI dive shop. Some great instructors and all teach in unheated pool and do OW in a cold and dark quarry nearby. Several instructors (but not all) dive North Atlantic wreck scene and know cold water issues. Ask Seth to hook you up with a local diver as the instructor. It's a place that caterers to both the aspiring hard core and the weekend warm water diver. They sell mostly warm water gear but also delve into Dive Rite.


Scuba Diving with Pan Aqua Diving in New York City - Home Page (http://panaqua.com/index.php)

They certify more people in NYC than all the rest combined. Great PADI shop and everyone that works there is a full time instructor and retail worker. Teaches in a heated pool. They also certify in the same cold quarry but most if them are not Atlantic divers. Only sells warm water gear and with magnificent displays. They sell reels but have no idea what they are for. Ask for Lorraine or Peter.

Village Divers (http://villagedivers.com/)

SSI shop (apparently they were "excused" from PADI and NAUI but don't quote me on that).

One of the only shops in NYC that starts with the cold water, semi "tech" experience. The place is pretty butch. The owner Cal parks his crotch-rocket motorcycle right inside the shop and fondles it during classes. They do the OW dives in the Atlantic Ocean (which is cool) so you would have that going for you. It is not really a bad choice if you are into the whole "hetero" thing.

Enjoy

[a22shady]

If they don’t mind a little driving I can recommend a Fantastic place in New Jersey "The Scuba Connection" They have 2 website's TSCSCUBA (http://www.tscscuba.com) DIVESeekers.com Call us Toll Free 888-728-2247 (http://www.diveseekers.com) There training is terrific they even have their own pool onsite. They do their training dives at Dutch Springs quarry.
Call the shop and speak with either Jason or Wayne. After speaking with them you will feel confident that she will be trained properlly.

[RJP]

They do the OW dives in the Atlantic Ocean (which is cool) so you would have that going for you.



Yeah, but first they moved it to Bethlehem Pennsylvania and filled it with fresh water.

http://www.scubaphotos.org/DutchSprings2008/source/image/sc7bfa~1.jpg

[Dr Wu]

Yeah, but first they moved it to Bethlehem Pennsylvania and filled it with fresh water.

http://www.scubaphotos.org/DutchSprings2008/source/image/sc7bfa~1.jpg

OK, but you have to admire the tech spirit of the endeavor that picture displays.

Imagine moving the entire Atlantic ocean into a small body of water in the Lehigh valley?

That has to be a feat worthy of praise.

[oly5050user]

I'm looking for a good place in NYC for my cousin to get certified. (I live in California.) I'm hoping she can do the pool sessions in NYC and then do the checkout dives as a referal somewhere on the East coast.

Also, it'd be cool if she can do the checkout dives as a cold-water diver, because i'm trying to get her experienced as a cold-water diver so she can dive with me when she visits me in California. I.e. 7mm suit with suitable weights --- I'd rather have her learn that first, since transitioning to warm-water diving is such a snap after that.

If you've got a place in NYC you highly recommend (translation: you know they do a really, really good job instructing, turning out really safe, competent divers) please let me know. And if you have know of good East coast sites for referal for cold-water certification dives, let me know.

Is anywhere in Florida ever cold-water diving?
Thanks for any leads/pointers.
Scuba New York-Westchester NY..914 779 2966
Where in NYC is cousin located? We are in Yonkers NY,which is on the NYC-Bronx-border.ONLY facility that has its own onsite heated pool. No scheduling conflicts or issues about pool not available this way.
We can issue referral for the training dives or take her to Dutch Springs or LI Sound(both cold water locations.)Owner/manager right now out in Calif. on the "sand dollar" diving Catalina Island.

[TMHeimer]

Scuba New York-Westchester NY..914 779 2966
Where in NYC is cousin located? We are in Yonkers NY,which is on the NYC-Bronx-border.ONLY facility that has its own onsite heated pool. No scheduling conflicts or issues about pool not available this way.
We can issue referral for the training dives or take her to Dutch Springs or LI Sound(both cold water locations.)Owner/manager right now out in Calif. on the "sand dollar" diving Catalina Island.

I was in there a lot last summer for fills. Never took a class, but they seem to be a good group that is right on top of things.

[davidbaraff]

Thanks for the info so far. My cousin lives in Queens. Apologies for being geography challenged but i have like no idea which of the places quoted so far that is near or not.

I don't know why 56 degree water isn't considered cold-water diving --- all i meant by that was needing to use a 7mm so you're used to that kind of environment.

Also, i only meant for the checkout dives. i don't think that means you have to do the pool part in frigid waters. my own training in the pool, the water was so warm we would have suffered heat prostration in only a 3mm! just that the checkout dives were in monterey.

thanks for all the info, folks.

[scubaren]

This guy is good. I went to Bonaire with him several years ago.

Di Dieter Diving - Professional Dive Training - New York (http://www.didieterdiving.com/)

[obsession600]

My wife and I did our confined water dives with Panaqua and then did our OW check out dives down in Florida. We live in Queens and do not own a car so being able to take the subway to the shop, classroom and pool made things easy. They also run a van or shuttle bus out to Dutch Springs when they do OW dives. The shop caters to recreational divers but the staff has a wealth of experience in a wide variety of diving. Lorraine can help with any questions and if she has a moment she might even share a story.

I know a few people who have used Village Divers for their certification. Most of them complain about scheduling hassles and very uneven quality of instructors. All of them are really good divers but not all of them are good teachers. I would not feel comfortable recommending this shop for beginning instruction.