“We are a family-based, veteran-owned and operated business that does scuba lessons, has all scuba gear at our location,” said manager, Miranda Collins .

Divers Down provides top tier product and training but also wants to make scuba diving accessible to all the community.

“You can find a lot of quality scuba equipment anywhere, but it is so expensive,” Collins said. “We pride ourselves on having the elite gear, but we also carry quality packages that are lower priced. This makes it more affordable for families to get together and take up diving as a group. We have partnerships with our dealers because of our veterans and other groups and are able to offer lower prices.”

The company offers PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification and conducts training for rescue operations.

“A lot of times you have to scuba-certified as police officers or fire fighters if there is a scenario where they’re looking for a lost weapon,” said Collins.

As a veteran-owned business, the company supports veterans and their families with 15 percent discounts, and that discount applies to family members.

“We feel a lot of times not only are veterans forgotten, but their families, so when we give veteran discounts, it extends to the entire family because they need taken care of to,” Collins said. “If your grandpa, or dad or aunt was in the service, you get a discount.”

The company gives back to other groups and causes in the community, like breast cancer awareness. In October, Divers Down sold company t shirts in pink and gave all the proceeds to the Survivors Network, a non-profit breast cancer organization. The company is planning to open a pool to provide free water training and lessons to children with autism and partners with the Waves Project, a free service using water therapy to help veterans suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), by supplying the scuba gear and equipment free of charge.

For lessons, ages 10 and up can enroll in classes.

“We have some that come in on their tenth birthday for training and we had someone that was 92 years old,” Collins said.

Owner John McGrath had bought the building where Divers Down is now located the same month COVID shut businesses down. The storefront at Bayway Village was closed to the public throughout most of last year, but the shop was still able to give lessons and training.

“You can’t be more socially distanced than being in the water,” Collins said.

The timing turned out to be a benefit for the business, as people were looking for things to do while in quarantine.

“With everything being shut down, it allowed people who had always wanted to scuba dive the time to do it, and it was something that people could still enjoy and get the kids out of the house,” said Collins.