Scuba shop Manhattan, NY
- Thread starter gusvs
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
pilot fish
Guest
- Messages
- 11,538
- Reaction score
- 4
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
gusvs:
Pan Aqua, west 43 St at 9th Ave. Great staff, all divers, and quality gear.
scubadobadoo
Contributor
Pan Aqua is very friendly and a large typical LDS with lots of trips and smiling faces but it can be very expensive. It is well stocked. They have always gone the extra mile to help me out, even when they didn't know me and they still don't really know me very well. A good place to take classes too as they have a pool in the same building. Very active shop and not too pushy with the hard sell. If I were a millionaire I WOULD spend all my money here and take the trips too and have a blast. I have spent SOME money here and don't regret it. 
LP is the cheapest and offers one of the largest varieties of on hand scuba products perhaps in the country. Not overly friendly or smily warm but they won't give you the hard sell and are helpful when they have the time. I have spent LOTS of money here and am very pleased with all of my purchases and my customer service experience.
Village divers is a VERY small location in the village. I have only been in the shop a few times and wasn't very impressed. Like I said it is tiny and didn't appear to have much in stock. I have never had a reason to go back so no real opinion as to customer service. I rented gear from the shop once and the price changed (higher than originally told) when I returned the gear. Ooopsie. Lots of divers seem to "hang out" here but generally more tech minded and at the time (3 yrs ago) we weren't. Ofcourse our diving and gear has changed since then so perhaps now we would be more interested in Village Divers. :06:
Yet another is the Scuba Network with two locations in Manhattan, one not far from LP. Everytime I have been in this shop (about 10 times on 6th ave) I found the staff to be generally grumpy and not interested in talking to me unless I was about to spend major bucks and even then they weren't too friendly or helpful. It is a nice large shop and appears to be well stocked. Not trying to pick a fight or slander just offering my opinion on my customer service experience. I'm not the only diver I know that feels this way. I found LP to be warmer than these guys and that's saying something. Just for the record I am very friendly and always an easy to please shopper. Some may love it and I hope so but this was one of those shops that just gave me a cold feeling the first time I went in and has done so again and again. :nosmilie:
Adventure Scuba is located in the 90's in manhattan and I have never visited them. No opinion other than they were very friendly on the phone twice now.
Stingray divers in Brooklyn have always been VERY nice on the phone but I have never visited them. I would visit them if they were closer.
Paragon is an expensive waist of time. Sorry. I tried to be more positive with my comment but couldn't due to my tendency to be honest. I have seen Paragon employees shopping at LP if that tells you anything.
Going into a LDS is alot like a blind date. First impressions stick, like it or not. As for shopping in NYC, why? Prices are horribly high here (except LP) because LDS's have very high costs given the location. You are likely better off shopping at your LDS or calling scuba toys.
---edited---
LP is the cheapest and offers one of the largest varieties of on hand scuba products perhaps in the country. Not overly friendly or smily warm but they won't give you the hard sell and are helpful when they have the time. I have spent LOTS of money here and am very pleased with all of my purchases and my customer service experience.
Village divers is a VERY small location in the village. I have only been in the shop a few times and wasn't very impressed. Like I said it is tiny and didn't appear to have much in stock. I have never had a reason to go back so no real opinion as to customer service. I rented gear from the shop once and the price changed (higher than originally told) when I returned the gear. Ooopsie. Lots of divers seem to "hang out" here but generally more tech minded and at the time (3 yrs ago) we weren't. Ofcourse our diving and gear has changed since then so perhaps now we would be more interested in Village Divers. :06:
Yet another is the Scuba Network with two locations in Manhattan, one not far from LP. Everytime I have been in this shop (about 10 times on 6th ave) I found the staff to be generally grumpy and not interested in talking to me unless I was about to spend major bucks and even then they weren't too friendly or helpful. It is a nice large shop and appears to be well stocked. Not trying to pick a fight or slander just offering my opinion on my customer service experience. I'm not the only diver I know that feels this way. I found LP to be warmer than these guys and that's saying something. Just for the record I am very friendly and always an easy to please shopper. Some may love it and I hope so but this was one of those shops that just gave me a cold feeling the first time I went in and has done so again and again. :nosmilie:
Adventure Scuba is located in the 90's in manhattan and I have never visited them. No opinion other than they were very friendly on the phone twice now.
Stingray divers in Brooklyn have always been VERY nice on the phone but I have never visited them. I would visit them if they were closer.
Paragon is an expensive waist of time. Sorry. I tried to be more positive with my comment but couldn't due to my tendency to be honest. I have seen Paragon employees shopping at LP if that tells you anything.
Going into a LDS is alot like a blind date. First impressions stick, like it or not. As for shopping in NYC, why? Prices are horribly high here (except LP) because LDS's have very high costs given the location. You are likely better off shopping at your LDS or calling scuba toys.
---edited---
Village Divers stocks DiveRite, Halcyon, and Oxycheq wings, reels, BPs etc. They're good if you're looking for wings, reels, and BPs.
LeisurePro is the best and cheapest place to get a wetsuit. They have tons. They also
have almost every regulator in stock.
Stingray Divers is like Village Divers but much bigger and much more well stocked. The owner is cool and owns the building. He tried to hook me up with his electrician. I like that.
LeisurePro is the best and cheapest place to get a wetsuit. They have tons. They also
have almost every regulator in stock.
Stingray Divers is like Village Divers but much bigger and much more well stocked. The owner is cool and owns the building. He tried to hook me up with his electrician. I like that.
scubadobadoo:Pan Aqua is very friendly and a large typical LDS with lots of trips and smiling faces but it can be very expensive. It is well stocked. They have always gone the extra mile to help me out, even when they didn't know me and they still don't really know me very well. A good place to take classes as they have a pool in the same building.
LP is the cheapest and offers one of the largest varieties of on hand scuba products perhaps in the country. Not overly friendly or warm but they won't give you the hard sell. I have spent lots of money here and am very pleased with all of my purchases.
Village divers is a VERY small location in the village. I have only been in the shop a few times and wasn't very impressed. Like I said it is tiny and didn't appear to have much in stock. I have never had a reason to go back so no real opinion as to customer service. I rented gear from the shop once and the price changed (higher than originally told) when I returned the gear. Ooopsie. Lots of divers seem to "hang out" here but generally more tech minded and at the time (3 yrs ago) we weren't. Ofcourse our diving and gear has changed since then so perhaps now we would be more interested in Village Divers.
Yet another is the Scuba Network with two locations in Manhattan, one not far from LP. Everytime I have been in this shop (about 10 times on 6th ave) I found the staff to be generally grumpy and not interested in talking to me unless I was about to spend major bucks and even then they weren't too friendly or helpful. It is a nice large shop and appears to be well stocked. Not trying to pick a fight or slander just offering my opinion on my customer service experience. I'm not the only diver I know that feels this way. I found LP to be warmer than these guys and that's saying something. Just for the record I am very friendly and always an easy to please shopper. Some may love it and I hope so but this was one of those shops that just gave me a cold feeling the first time I went in and has done so again and again.
Adventure Scuba is located in the 90's in manhattan and I have never visited them. No opinion other than they were very friendly on the phone twice now.
Stingray divers in Brooklyn have always been VERY nice on the phone but I have never visited them. I would visit them if they were closer.
Going into a LDS is alot like a blind date. First impressions stick, like it or not. As for shopping in NYC, why? Prices are horribly high here (except LP) because LDS's have very high costs given the location. You are likely better off shopping at your LDS or calling scuba toys.
Thanks for all the advice!
The reason we want to buy scuba gear in NY is that we are from Sweden, where scuba gear is outrageously expensive, and most stores keep low stocks. Since we will go to NY on holiday for a few days, we will "bargain" (the US$ exchange rate is very much to our favor right now). Ordering on the internet is of no use since we do not have any address in the US, and if shipped to Sweden we have to pay import duty, Swedish VAT (25%) and freight.
Anyway, looks like we will visit LeisurePro and maybe Village.
Thanks again for all the advice!
/Gustaf
menemsha43
Contributor
Pan Aqua - You will pay a bit of a premium here but in my view its the best shop in Manhattan (I have not been to Village Divers). Everyone there is helpful but I would recommend that you speak with Lorraine.
LeisurePro - I love the store, good selection and great prices. I tend to buy masks, wetsuits and other "non-critical" items there. I prefer buying computers, regs, and BCs from places like Pan Aqua.
Scuba Network - I got certified with them years ago but have never been overly impressed with them. You don't seem to get the personal attention. It has more of a "chain" feel to it if that makes sense.
I think there's another place called Seahorse Divers on the Upper East Side but I don't have any experience with them other than going in a few times. From what I remember, it seemed like a no-frills shop with really knowledgeable staff.
Paragon Sports has some dive equipment but its a major athletic chain.
LeisurePro - I love the store, good selection and great prices. I tend to buy masks, wetsuits and other "non-critical" items there. I prefer buying computers, regs, and BCs from places like Pan Aqua.
Scuba Network - I got certified with them years ago but have never been overly impressed with them. You don't seem to get the personal attention. It has more of a "chain" feel to it if that makes sense.
I think there's another place called Seahorse Divers on the Upper East Side but I don't have any experience with them other than going in a few times. From what I remember, it seemed like a no-frills shop with really knowledgeable staff.
Paragon Sports has some dive equipment but its a major athletic chain.
Similar threads
