Choosing the right dive center

Behang

If you are learning to dive or taking a diving course, it is important to have the right people around you and to learn in the right environment. Likewise, if you are already a diver who is planning a diving break, you want to make sure your dives are remembered for all the right reasons.

That's why the right dive centre can make such a big difference to your diving experience. So how should you go about choosing a dive centre and what questions should you ask before you decide? We talk you through some of the things you should be looking for in a dive centre when you are about to take the plunge.

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Exceeding expectations

The first thing to consider when choosing a dive centre is what you are expecting that dive centre to be. There are many different types of dive operation, from simple, laidback dive centres with a small boat and a few tanks, to luxury liveaboards and dive centres that cater for a large numbers of people.

Even the simplest of dive operations can surpass your expectations and ensure you have a great time, while the most expensive, luxurious dive centre can still disappoint. It all depends on what you are looking for, what your budget is & what kind of dive centre you enjoy diving with.

When it comes to the best dive centres, there are plenty of things that they all have in common, regardless of their style & the size - and you can use these factors to help you make the right decision.

The Human Touch
A good dive centre is as much about the people as the facilities. From the moment you first contact a dive centre to the moment you leave, the people you deal with greatly influence your diving adventure.

Are they helpful in answering your questions? Do they make you feel welcome, comfortable & safe? Are they flexible in dealing with those individual quirks, queries & requests we all have? Are the dive staff & boat crew experienced and friendly? Do they seem knowledgeable about the local area and enthusiastic about the diving?

In a nutshell, at a good dive centre, you should feel part of a family, surrounded by people that want you to have a great time while staying safe. If a dive centre makes you feel like just another customer, then maybe it's time to look elsewhere.

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A good fit

Enshadi

One crucial aspect of a good dive centre is the standard of their equipment and facilities. If you are renting dive equipment, it's important to know that the equipment is well serviced, well looked after and in excellent working order.

If you have good equipment, you are more than likely to have a very enjoyable, stress-free dive. But a dive with a regulator you don't trust, a patched up BCD or an o-ring that is leaking is always a more stressful experience, no matter what you are lucky enough to see on your dive.
Likewise, it's important to know that there is a variety of rental equipment and plenty of sizes. Diving with fins that don't fit or a BCD that is far too big will always detract from your experience.

A dive centre's facilities are also important, so remember to ask exactly what facilities a dive centre can offer you. Is there somewhere for you to shower & change after your dive? Is there somewhere to wash equipment and store it safely. Does the dive centre have somewhere to store valuables while you're diving? Is there a shop in case you need to buy some crucial extra piece of kit? And can they take care of simple repairs if your equipment goes wrong? If you plan to bring an underwater camera, is there somewhere to store the camera safely on the boat and rinse it afterwards.

All these aspects affect your dive experience and help to ensure your diving holiday is stress-free and enjoyable.

The joy of diving

The way dive trips are organised and run is also important. A chaotic, badsly organised dive trip is no fun for anyone and does little to inspire confidence. A well-run dive trip on the other hand can make all the difference to your day.

What are the dive centres boats like? A small, simple boat is absolutely fine if the dive site is close, but if you have to travel further, you'll be spending a reasonable amount of time on the boat so it's important to be comfortable. And what are the maximum number of divers per trip? Thirty divers on a large boat is no problem, but on a speedboat it's far from ideal.

The size of your dive group is also very important. No matter how good your guide or instructor is, the more people they have to look after, the less time they will have to pay attention to you. It's also worth asking if the dive centre visit a variety of dive sites. Everybody likes to see new places and visiting a variety of sites can really enhance your experience.

Lastly, researching a dive centre's repuation is a great way of deciding if they are right for you. Divers love to talk and there are plenty of websites and forums with all sorts of useful information, comments & experiences. It's worth remembering that even the best dive centres have bad days and occasionally cistomers leave unhappy, but if the majority of people have good experiences and are happy to recommend a dive centre to others, chances are they are doing a good job.

So by following these tips & making a careful decision, the next time you plan to go diving, you can be sure you pick a great dive centre as well as a great place to dive.

Tara North

Bali

Possibly Indonesia's most well known tourist destination, the diving in Bali is also excellent.

Many divers head to Tulamben on Bali's eastern coast, home of the USS Liberty wreck.

To the south of Bali lie the islands of Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Ceningan, where Manta Rays and Mola Mola can be seen in season.

Read more about Bali

Dummie's guide to camera kit

Jakob Owens

Do you struggle to know your arm from your socket, your port from your bracket, your flash from your fisheye and your light from your lens?

Well, you're not alone. Underwater photography has it's own dictionary of parts, accessories & technical terms and it's tough to sound like an expert.

Read more about Dummie's guide to camera kit

Nha Trang

Nha Trang, just south of Vietnam’s most easterly point, is the country’s main diving mecca & its most popular tourist spot.

Just off the coast of this bustling tourist destination is the Hon Mun Marine Park, a beautiful group of islands with very good diving, especially for fans of smaller life.

Nha Trang is the most popular spot in Vietnam to learn to dive.

Read more about Nha Trang

Scuba Diving Terms - A Dummies Guide

Scuba means Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

Frans Daniels

Scuba-diving, like many activities seems to have a language all of its own, with confusing concepts, technical terminology and an ocean of jargon to decipher.

To help newcomers break through this barrier we've developed a dummies guide to scuba diving, so that you can get to grips with what divers are talking about. Find out what SCUBA stands for, what PADI is, what it is to be narked, and so much more.

Read more about Scuba Diving Terms - A Dummies Guide

Cebu

Cebu is the most accessible island in the Visayas, and home to some wonderful scuba diving.

Diving Malapascua is a thrill for more advanced divers due to regular sightings of Thresher Sharks. Oslob, to the south of Cebu City is famous for whale sharks, while you can dive on beautiful coral reefs in Moalboal or Mactan Island.

This is a great area for island-hopping, combining well with Bohol and Negros Islands.

Read more about Cebu

Tunku Abdul Rahman

Colourful scuba diving close to Kota Kinabalu

Just off the coast from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's regional capital - the five islands that make up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park are often overlooked by divers heading straight to Sipadan in the south.

The national park, which is named after a former Malaysian president, has some very good diving though, with pretty fringing reefs sloping gently down from white-sand beaches, plus some rare & unusual species.

Read more about Tunku Abdul Rahman