Diving Operator Reports & Trip Reports
I hope this page will be VERY BENEFICIAL to travelling divers. No pictures here - only facts as I observed them. If you have visited these areas, let me know your thoughts and I'll update my listing.
Whether a dive site is good or bad is subjective. Two divers will have different opinions even though they both dived the same profile. What is not open to discussion, is whether a dive operator is good, bad or indifferent. Most operators offer an excellent service with high levels of safety, however, as with all industries there are always "big sharks in small ponds" and "bottom dwellers", and those operators that really have no idea how to operate a diving business, and probably should enter politics!
I thought it pertinent that I mention some of the pros and cons of dive operators I have used. A number of Internet sites provide information on dive sites (species seen and so on), but rarely do they provide any information on the dive operator. The success of a dive and dive vacation rests heavily on the efficiency and reliability of the dive operator, as such, it is important that prospective divers are able to review the experiences from other divers.
Not all the reports are positive. As such a little of my background should be known before reading them. I was qualified to dive in 1977 and have completed over 3000 logged dives (I gave up logging dives in 1997). In 1989 I became instructor qualified and operated my own diving business until 1996. I was based out of Brisbane, Queensland and my clientele were mostly Japanese diving groups from colleges in Japan whose purpose was to learn to dive, learn basic English, and develop a knowledge of marine life. I have dived in many areas in Asia and the South Pacific. Therefore, I have a relatively sound working knowledge of dive operations and hospitality.
It should be noted that the below comments relate ONLY to events that occurred during my visit. These are my comments only, and I am not inferring that the performance of the operator today is the same as it was during my visit. Also remember that diving operators come and go, with all to often great regularity. Before you take these comments on-board ensure that the operator has NOT changed since my report. I will strive to keep this information up to date as changes occur. If you wish to contact me regarding my experiences with the various operators, please feel free to e-mail me by clicking on the contact form/tab.
I often receive e-mails from divers asking what the diving was like at such and such a place. As mentioned above, whether a dive is enjoyable is very subjective and depends on weather conditions, marine life encountered, diver training level and experience. To partly address this request I've added a table at the end of each operator critique. These ratings are my opinion and relate to marine life I saw on my visit only - they may not accurately represent your opinions or marine life observations at the time of your visit.
Click here to view the reports (offsite web page in new window)