Want deep down confidence?

That’s the motto at The National Aquatic Service on Erie Boulevard. With expert services, lessons and trained staff, the National Aquatic Service is ready for anyone willing to dive in.

Dr. Jere Hallenbeck founded the National Aquatic Service in 1959. Hallenbeck was an educational psychologist and diving pioneer that spearheaded the scuba diving culture in central New York. He and his partner, Paul Snook, expanded the company and used their passion to teach diving to thousands of people in the area.

Today, the NAS is considered the largest scuba diving school in the Northeastern United States and has taught more than 34,000 people to dive. The NAS has also teamed up with 14 upstate colleges and universities, including Syracuse University, to provide scuba and diving lessons to interested students.

Vice President Chris Ryan said that they teach about 45–60 Syracuse University students per semester.

“It’s definitely a fun thing to try,” Ryan said. “It is the closest thing to going to outer space, but instead, you are going to inner space.”

Students who prefer lessons through the NAS store are given a variety of options to begin their aquatic adventures. At the NAS, students have the opportunity to take a plethora of courses including scuba diving, snorkeling, free diving and swimming.

The NAS takes students of all levels. You can begin by learning to dive and eventually further your skills to become a diving professional. Scuba training begins with a seven-week beginner course in which students are required to attend a three hour lesson one night each week. The lesson is broken down into classroom and pool time so that students can learn the basics and then try for themselves.

Ryan explained that by doing an hour of training in the classroom and two hours in the pool, students are able to go slowly through the skills. This ensures instructors that every diver is comfortable before they advance onto open water dives. At the end of the seven-week course, students are eligible to be certified as a scuba diver.

For students who are on the fence about committing to a seven-week scuba diving journey, there is an option for those who want to just test the waters. Only through the NAS store on Erie Boulevard are perspective divers able to sign up for a single class to see if scuba diving is something they want to get more involved with.

Students can sign up by appointment and receive a one-hour class and a few hours of pool time to get the feel of this underwater sport.

Once divers have excelled in their lessons and preliminary dives, they are sent 45 minutes north to Skaneateles Lake for an open-water dive.

“The water is crystal clear,” said Ryan. “It is such a great place to dive because of the great visibility and there is so much to see.”

Shipwrecks and fish are among some of the “great sights,” that Ryan mentioned. Despite central New York’s treacherous winters, the NAS hosts open water dives year-round, even in the winter. Ryan said the only time they’re limited is when the lake is covered in ice, and he added that even then some people still dive in.

In the winter, divers are required to wear a dry suit and a layer of dry suit underwear, which keeps them warm and dry when entering the depths of Skaneateles Lake. Once divers are all geared up in their dry suit apparel, they can swim in the frigid water for about a half hour.

Open water dives in Skaneateles are offered regularly throughout the week. On October 25 from 4–9 p.m., NAS participants are invited to join in an underwater pumpkin carving contest and picnic at the lake.

Published on October 16, 2014 at 12:19 am

Contact Abby: [email protected]