Why You Should Go: There’s no shortage of New Yorkers who’d love to experience life under the sea, but the East River doesn’t exactly lend itself to clean water or great visibility. For Gothamites who’d like to try scuba diving in a more temperate locale, there’s Village Divers, a fully certified diving instruction and guide company dedicated to showing you a safe and fun time below the surface.

What You Should Know: You and a friend will get a 1-hour crash course intro to the “why” and “how” of diving. Village Divers’ trained, certified instructors will provide you with informative classroom instruction, teaching you the basics of underwater breathing, before taking you into the pool to test them out for yourself. All your equipment is provided, so all you’ll need to bring is a bathing suit and a spirit of adventure that would make Jacques Cousteau jealous (or just a healthy curiosity, it’s really up to you). So head over to Village Divers, and sink like a stone.