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New York City Sea Gypsies Inc DBA Big Apple Divers
New York, NY · EIN 262509627 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE N50 · Recreation & Sports · Micro (<$100K) · bigappledivers.com
revenue
$39K
expenses
$40K
net assets
$24K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

To serve the members of the organization by fulfilling their desires for mutual assistance in and enjoyment of skin and SCUBA diving; to promote the safe participation in safe skin and SCUBA diving and related activities; provide information to members of various aspects of and matters related to skin and SCUBA diving; provide recreation, athletic, sport and cultural activities, entertainment, social activities and diversions related to skin and SCUBA diving and to increase members opportunities to participate in skin and SCUBA diving activities.

profile · synthesized from sources

Recreational diving club based in New York City that promotes safe skin and SCUBA diving through educational events, presentations, and community engagement. The organization serves diving enthusiasts by organizing monthly talks featuring explorers, historians, and marine scientists, and supports member participation in diving-related activities including wreck diving, underwater photography, and marine conservation. Founded to foster mutual assistance and enjoyment among divers.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Dive Safety and Education
Offers educational content on dive medicine, task loading, rebreather training, and safe diving practices through expert talks and workshops
Monthly Speaker Series
Hosts monthly presentations by divers, explorers, marine scientists, and historians covering topics such as shipwreck exploration, underwater photography, marine biology, and dive safety
Underwater Photography and Imaging
Supports members in expeditionary imaging, photogrammetry, and 3D surveying of shipwrecks through collaboration with groups like Scuba.Tech and NY Underwater Photographic Society
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Recreational Boating and Sailing Programs 3 activities
    • Conduct organizational rebranding and member engagement
      Retired the name "NYC Sea Gypsies" in 2022 following a unanimous executive board vote and conducted a four-month member engagement process—including surveys and a membership vote—to adopt the new name "Big Apple Divers."
    • Organize distant and specialty dive trips
      Coordinates dive excursions to distant locations such as the Thousand Islands, Rhode Island, North Carolina, the Great Lakes, and the Caribbean. Includes specialty experiences like shark cage diving on the Sea Turtle vessel and weekend events in Alexandria Bay.
    • Organize local and regional dive excursions
      Plans and conducts local day and weekend diving trips to sites including shipwrecks off New Jersey and Long Island, as well as shore, lake, and quarry dives in locations such as Lake Minnewaska and New Jersey. Also includes half-day boat dives to wrecks like Vizcaya and combined diving-camping weekends.
  • Nonprofit Organizational Management 1 activity
    • Administer membership and governance operations
      Manages organizational operations including collection of $25 annual membership dues, holding an annual November membership meeting to elect Directors, and maintaining a principal office in New York City. The Board may establish additional offices as needed.
  • Regular Membership Meetings 1 activity
    • Host monthly educational meetings and lectures
      Hosts regular monthly meetings featuring dive committee updates, member reports, guest introductions, and presentations by renowned divers, underwater photographers, and explorers on topics such as shipwreck exploration, marine biology, and diving in Antarctica. Meetings include a happy hour at 6 PM and formal session at 7 PM on the second Wednesday of each month.
  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
    • Maintain public archive of dive-related lectures
      Preserves and provides public access to a large collection of recorded presentations on scuba diving, underwater exploration, and marine science.
  • Competitive and Learn-to-Swim Programs 1 activity
    • Provide training and skill development workshops
      Organizes pool training workshops and educational sessions to support diver skill development, including programs to help new divers access local diving opportunities and presentations on transitioning from snorkeling to scuba diving.
  • Marine and Coastal Education Programs 1 activity
    • Support ocean exploration and coastal community engagement
      Supports ocean exploration and community-based water safety through affiliation with Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers (CIBBOWS), promoting open water swimming, free diving, and volunteer initiatives in Brooklyn’s coastal waters.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Publish and promote member-led diving literature
      Hosts events to support the launch and dissemination of member-created publications, such as a book on underwater cave exploration in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$39K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$33K86%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$40K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$24K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$24K
1 years on record · 2024–2024
relationships · 35

Who they work with

  • Amos Nachoum Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • BSAC Partner — Recognizes BSAC as a certifying agency for member certification.
  • Becky Kagan Schott Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Bernie Chowdhury Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Christina Zenato Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers Partner — Collaborates with CIBBOWS to promote ocean safety and local marine exploration in Brooklyn.
  • Cristina Zenato Partner — Featured speaker on cave diving and modern exploration practices.
  • David Concannon Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Evolution Scuba Partner — Collaborates on organizing a pool training workshop for scuba diving.
  • Gareth Lock Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Gareth Lock Partner — Featured speaker on human factors in diving safety.
  • Gary Gentile Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Glenn Butler Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Herb Segars Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • IANTD Partner — Recognizes IANTD as a certifying agency for member certification.
  • Jill Heinerth Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Jill Heinerth Partner — Featured speaker on cave diving and author event participant.
  • John Chatterton Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • John Chatterton Partner — Featured speaker on shipwreck diving and exploration.
  • Jonathan Bird Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Meetup Network — Uses Meetup as a platform to connect with members and share club events.
  • Meetup Partner — Platform used to organize and connect with club members.
  • Michael Aw Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Mike Emmerman Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • NAUI Partner — Recognizes NAUI as a certifying agency for member certification.
  • Northeast Public Safety Divers Partner — Collaborates with Northeast Public Safety Divers by hosting its owner and lead instructor for an educational talk at a club meeting.
  • Ol' Salty II Partner — Partners with the Ol' Salty II dive boat for local diving events and underwater excursions.
  • PADI Partner — Recognizes PADI as a certifying agency for member certification.
  • Richie Kohler Partner — Featured speaker in the club's lecture series.
  • Shane Gross Partner — Featured speaker on underwater photography and visual storytelling.
+ 5 more
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community Building Through Shared Passion and Peer Coordination
    methodology: community_driven_engagement
    By leveraging a shared interest in ocean exploration and diving, the organization builds community and increases participation through peer-driven coordination and mutual support, because social connection rooted in common purpose enhances motivation, safety, and retention.
  • Conservation Advocacy Through Visual Storytelling
    methodology: visual_conservation_advocacy
    By integrating underwater photography with conservation messaging, the organization advances marine protection goals because visual narratives make environmental issues tangible and emotionally resonant, motivating stewardship behavior.
  • Education and Safety Through Expert-Led and Experiential Learning
    methodology: expert_led_education
    By using expert presentations, human factors analysis, and regular meetings, the organization promotes safe and informed diving practices because combining technical knowledge with cognitive and behavioral insights reduces incident risk and deepens member engagement.
  • Member-Led Governance and Decision-Making
    methodology: member_driven_decision_making
    By involving members in governance and key decisions such as rebranding, the organization fosters ownership, inclusivity, and democratic participation, which strengthens community cohesion and legitimacy of change efforts because collective input builds trust and sustained engagement.