How to Choose a Scuba Diving Center
So you’re travelling to a destination that you have never been to before and you don’t know anyone who could give you a personal recommendation.
So how do you choose your dive operator?
Naturally, the best way to pick a diving operator is to visit the diving operator in person to chat with their staff and inspect their premises to see whether you actually want to use their services.
But what if you are not able to get to their location? What if you want to make your booking in advance to escape that last minute stress and not waste time during your holiday? We know all too well that the best companies are normally booked out way in advance, so there’s a chance you might miss out on that tropical island diving experience.
Here are some tips for a stress and hassle free process to choose a diving operator that you actually want to use.
Step 1 - Make a Wish List !
Think about what it is that you want from your diving trip, what you want to achieve by the end of it and make a list of requirements.
Is it to take some diving course ?
Is it to do some underwater photography ?
Or perhaps you want a simple fun dive ?
What should be the size of your diving group? Are you okay with big groups experience or would you prefer a small group where your instructor can keep a close eye on you? Or perhaps you would like a private guide?
Do you want to dive with Nitrox to extend your decompression limit and stay underwater for longer?
If you are planning to dive with your own gear, do check if the diving operator provides secure gear storage for you to dry everything overnight instead of taking it to and from the hotel.
Step 2 - Make a list of Dive Shops
Now is the time of research! Jump on Google maps and see how many diving centres are there in your vacation area.
Your objective here is to evaluate their online presence and look for red flags.
Check photos that have been posted by their clients. They can take you behind the scenes and show what it is actually like to dive with this company.
Check how clean the premises are. Do they sweep floors and wipe off the dust? How well organised are their facilities?
If a business can’t keep their shop clean and equipment organised, chances are they might be slack in other areas. For example, they might not be servicing their equipment or their boat properly.
Check the percentage of 5* vs 1* reviews on Google, Trip Advisor or other big platforms. While you can’t fully trust everything people write, especially if they are nonprofessional divers, it should give you an idea of overall service and customer satisfaction.
Some other things to consider is whether they have some kind of positive impact on the environment in their immediate location. Do they actively support and participate in beach and reef clean ups and participate in Dive Against Debris program?
Lastly, do they provide rental service? You don’t want to be wasting your vacation time looking for a mask or other equipment.
Step 3 - Check Their Websites !
Next step is to check their websites. How modern does it feel ? Do they keep it up to date?
If it feels like their website hasn’t been updated in over a decade, it is likely that their diving equipment might haven’t been updated either.
Tick off items from your wishlist. If you wish to take a course, make sure the dive operator actually offers it !
Step 4 - Narrow Your List
By now you should have a fairly small list of diving centres you would potentially want to dive with. Give them a call or write an email if you are in a different time zone and ask them some questions.
First and foremost, ask them how many dive sites listed on their website do they visit on a regular basis. From my experience, I can say that dive centres tend to exaggerate the number of dive sites they ACTUALLY visit. This might depend on time of the year, weather conditions, size of the group and fuel costs that would make the trip worth it.
If you plan to do several dives over a span of 3-5 days, definitely make sure there are enough sites in the area to provide you with a variety of experiences, rather than doing the same dives over and over again.
Do confirm that the services listed on their website you wish to use are still active. Once again, I am speaking from personal experience. The diving centre I picked to do my advanced certification had a beautiful website with lots of information listed on it. However, when it came to picking specialty courses, it turned out my options were limited.
Ask them about their cancellation policy in case your plans change or you are unable to complete the course; things happen. I have seen people being unable to finish their courses due to something as silly as sunburns or sea sickness.
Also, keep in mind, if you catch a cold, you might not be able to dive. A cold, as well as an allergy, can cause your sinuses to be congested. This can lead to the inability for you to equalise the pressure differential inside your mask and ears. As a result, you won’t be able to dive.
This is the time to raise any safety questions you might have. For example, how frequently do they service their regulators. While we don’t expect things not to break (my mouthpiece broke on my first dive), it is important there is regular proactive preventative maintanance.
Hopefully you have found this information helpful and managed to make the right choice of your scuba diving operator. If you have any more suggestions or tips, do leave a comment below !
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