Local Trips

We make regular local trips to sites around the Bundaberg region. Including:

  • HMAS Tobruk
  • SS Karma
  • Cochrane Artificial Reef

Medical

All divers are required to submit a diver medical form for every trip.

Divers are not confirmed until they have returned their medical form. If the medical form indicates that a doctors certificate is required, an AS-4005.1 medical must be supplied. If it can not be supplied before the dive, the cancellation policy applies.

Cancellation Policies

General Terms

We have no minimum numbers. Once a trip is booked, it will only be cancelled due to weather or illness.

Times are subject to change, based on the skippers determination of the best time to leave based on weather and tide. Dive Coaching Australia fixes times 24-48 hours in advance.

Dive Coaching Australia is not a common carrier and reserves the right to refuse to carry any passenger, baggage or goods without assigning any reason. Therefore passengers shall comply with the Navigation Act 1912 (as amended 1079) and all regulations, orders or instructions given by the skipper.

Trips are also subject to our general Terms and Conditions.

Customer Cancellation

Customer who cancel at least 48 hours in advance will receive a full refund. Customers cancelling less than 48 hours in advance will incur a 100% cancellation fee. Your dive booking is transferable to another certified diver, the new diver can contact us before the dive or change the name on the booking at check in.

Weather

If Dive Coaching Australia decides the conditions are not suitable for diving, you will be entitled to a full refund. We only cancel based on sea conditions such as wind and waves, not rain. The skipper has the final say.

If the weather looks bad to you, we suggest you call 48 hours in advance to check the conditions with our staff. Our local weather conditions page may be helpful.

Dive Policies

Dive Plans

Unless otherwise listed, all of our dives have a dive master leading them. We will provide a recommended dive plan as part of our briefing.

Divers who wish to dive a personal plan may do so, with the following safety requirements:

  • Plans must be submitted 24 hours in advance. If you have not dived with us before, at least 48 hours in advance.
  • We may require divers who have not dived with us before to do a dive with a dive master before permitting diving on a personal plan.
  • We may elect to send a dive master with any team. The dive master will not lead the dive. However, if the dive master deems the dive unsafe, they may take over as dive leader and end the dive. All divers must adhere to this determination and end the dive immediately. Failure to comply with a dive masters determination will incur a $250 fee ($500 if we need to send other divers down to assist) and may include a permanent ban.
  • All team members must have at least 25 dives. For dive sites with advanced conditions, such as wrecks or current, each diver is required to have at least 50 logged dives.
  • Plans must include time and gas. If a team does not return within 5 minutes after their declared time, a rescue effort will be undertaken. This will incur a $500 fee.
  • Plans must have a final gas of at least 50 bar in the primary cylinders.
  • Plans must be made using a high gradient factor of 75 or less and computers must be configured to the plan.
  • Dive plans may not exceed the certified limits of any of the divers.
  • All dive plans must be in metres, litres and Bar. All equipment must be configured in metres, litres and Bar.
  • Divers diving on a personal plan are required to carry a torch.
  • Divers must carry a yellow DSMB in addition to a DSMB of a different colour. A yellow DSMB will be used to indicate distress. These can be rented.
  • We reserve the right to amend or reject any plan or team.

General Safety

Divers must follow the directions of the dive leader.

A dive professional will always be the first in the water and the last out. This ensures that they are there in case you need assistance.

Any diver can cancel any dive at any time for any reason. If you do not wish to continue diving, signal the dive master and they will assist you to the surface.

Divers must signal the dive leader when they have 100 Bar remaining and 70 Bar remaining so we can return to the surface with appropriate reserves.

Night Dives

All night divers must have two torches when entering the water.

The primary torch must remain on at all times.

We encourage divers to have flashers or other illuminators attached to their equipment. Cyalume and other non-reusable illumination is not permitted as they’re ecological hazards.

Wreck Dives

Wrecks cleaned for divers may be dived without a wreck certification. There may be some areas of specific wrecks which we require wreck certification and techniques (such as the engine room of the Tobruk).

Wrecks not cleared for divers require wreck certification to penetrate.

Divers may not enter wrecks beyond the limits of their training.