Dive Shops with English Language Services

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joshua.d.vise

Contributor
Messages
81
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Location
South Korea
# of dives
25 - 49
Here is a thread to list any dive shops you have had experiences with, or who offer English language information on their websites. In the interest of full disclosure, please state if you work for the place you are listing. I hope that this thread can be something of a directory, so if offering a detailed review, please post in a new thread, especially if being critical.
 
This is a repost from a different forum, and was originally written by @BusanScuba :

We would love to invite you to join our community of divers in Busan, South Korea, whether you live, work, or are just traveling for vacation.

About Us: Busan Scuba is a PADI 5 Star Dive Center that opened in 2003. We specialize in training from Open Water through Instructor and Tech in English, as well as Korean. We have recently purchased a new facility, and built a 4 meter indoor heated pool for training purposes, and hope to complete the classrooms and retail space in the near future. Most of our Open Water training is completed on the island of Yeongdo near Taejongdae Park in Busan.

Locations: Each year, we host various events and Fun Diving throughout the Eastern coast of South Korea. Places we like to Fun Dive and what you will be able to see are as follows:

- Pohang: Fish Cubes, Fish Cage (no fish are harmed and was built as a man-made structure so as to provide protection for the smaller sea-life), and Natural Reef.

- Yeondeok: 3 different shipwrecks, a Large Crab Statue that you can go under and around, Buddha Statue, and Natural Reef.

- Taejongdae: Beach Dives, Fun Dives, Training Dives, Beach Clean Up events, and during October, we like to host and Underwater Pumpkin Carving event.

Season and Conditions: The wet suit season is from May through November (18c~20c), though July through early October can reach 25c~28c, and then it's time to pull out the Dry Suits.

If you would like more information or want to book a course, or Fun Dive, please feel free to contact us here or any other of the following methods:
- Facebook Page: Busan Scuba
- email 1: mlavier@gmail.com
- email 2: divemania@hanmail.net

Also, you can follow this forum here at Korea Sub-Forum for Korean community dive information as well.

Best Regards,
Busan Scuba
 
I did communicate with NB Divers in Seoul (although I haven’t dived with them yet). They have English on their website and at least basic communications in English for those seeking a dive organization out of Seoul. I just confirmed that they also offer English courses!


138-862 Seoul Songpagu Jamsil 195-5 Daejin Building 2 Floor
Ph: (02) 423 6264
Email: mail@nbdivers.com
Website: http://www.nbdivers.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nbdivers
Naver: http://cafe.naver.com/nbdivers2015
 
Aquatic Frontier - Based on a USAF base in Osan, contact Alan
Deep Blue Quest - Based in Seoul, contact Russ
Sea World Dive Centre - Based in Busan, contact Jen or JoLeen
Big Blue 33 on Jeju island - contact Ralf.

Several years ago there were 4 English language service providers. Unfortunately, all but Sea World Dive Centre (Busan Scuba) have ceased to operate in Korea. Deep Blue Quest has moved to Palau, and Big Blue 33 is under Korean management. I believe Ralf, the former owner, is now setting up a liveaboard service in Indonesia. Websites for Aquatic Frontier have shut down.

Also, Jen & Joleen are no longer at Sea World Dive Centre. Contact Matt Lavier via the Busan Scuba Facebook page or messenger. See details above.

Also, see above, I just confirmed via FB messenger that NB Divers, based in Jamsil, Seoul, offers English language PADI courses.
 
I'm based in Seoul with my Korean husband (both of us are CMAS), and will start open water diving next month (April). I'm a foreigner and have settled down here. I'd love to dive with other people in this new season.
 
As mentioned, there are not many actual centers that offer English language instruction. Busan scuba is the only one that I know of.

However there is a group of foreign divers here known as Expat Divers in Korea (search them on facebook). The leader of the group is Tim and a PADI MSDT and based in Seoul. He typically teaches a few certs or specialties every year to maintain his instructor status. Mainly we organize dive trips around Korea. Not that when I say "organize", I mean we are a club and just pick a dive location and create a facebook event and dive. There are no organizer fees and the only costs are the actual dive fees.

With that in mind let me break down some of the pricing structure here.

Typical Diving costs (if you have all your own gear) are about 35,000-45,000 won per dive. This if you are basically just like a typical person with your gear, certified and just fun diving.

Gear Rentals - Usually between 30,000-40,000 to rent a full set of gear. Individual pieces are typically 8,000-10,000 each.

Diving with a guide - If you are diving with a guide or some shop that basically arranges with the actual dive operation, they typically charge 60,000-70,000 per dive. If I recall correctly I paid 140,000 a few years ago to Busan Scuba for a tour they had arranged in Yeongduk. I speak Korean, drove myself there and had all of my own gear...but because someone else had arranged it there is their "guide" fee. Not a bad deal however if you prefer it all done for you.

Clubs like Expat Divers do it just because we want to have fun diving with foreigners. We are not a business so we don't need to charge fees. Tim and I are just good friends and decide to take a trip, and invite anyone else to come along if they like. That's it. Actually a lot of times it is cheaper with us because Tim as an instructor often gets diving fees waived. However rather than him paying nothing, we just average the costs for all divers.

For myself, I am based in Daegu and an SDI Divemaster. I do most of my diving in Pohang where I manage ADS 126 for the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris. Most of my diving is underwater trash removal and I do that typically 1-2 times per month. I speak Korean and act pretty much as the logistics coordinator for Expat Divers when we arrange a dive trip.

Cheers to all divers out here in S. Korea. Feel free to contact myself or Tim if you are interested in doing some fun diving ( or Dive Against Debris cleanup events).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/552679698230761/
 
As mentioned, there are not many actual centers that offer English language instruction. Busan scuba is the only one that I know of.

However there is a group of foreign divers here known as Expat Divers in Korea (search them on facebook). The leader of the group is Tim and a PADI MSDT and based in Seoul. He typically teaches a few certs or specialties every year to maintain his instructor status. Mainly we organize dive trips around Korea. Not that when I say "organize", I mean we are a club and just pick a dive location and create a facebook event and dive. There are no organizer fees and the only costs are the actual dive fees.

With that in mind let me break down some of the pricing structure here.

Typical Diving costs (if you have all your own gear) are about 35,000-45,000 won per dive. This if you are basically just like a typical person with your gear, certified and just fun diving.

Gear Rentals - Usually between 30,000-40,000 to rent a full set of gear. Individual pieces are typically 8,000-10,000 each.

Diving with a guide - If you are diving with a guide or some shop that basically arranges with the actual dive operation, they typically charge 60,000-70,000 per dive. If I recall correctly I paid 140,000 a few years ago to Busan Scuba for a tour they had arranged in Yeongduk. I speak Korean, drove myself there and had all of my own gear...but because someone else had arranged it there is their "guide" fee. Not a bad deal however if you prefer it all done for you.

Clubs like Expat Divers do it just because we want to have fun diving with foreigners. We are not a business so we don't need to charge fees. Tim and I are just good friends and decide to take a trip, and invite anyone else to come along if they like. That's it. Actually a lot of times it is cheaper with us because Tim as an instructor often gets diving fees waived. However rather than him paying nothing, we just average the costs for all divers.

For myself, I am based in Daegu and an SDI Divemaster. I do most of my diving in Pohang where I manage ADS 126 for the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris. Most of my diving is underwater trash removal and I do that typically 1-2 times per month. I speak Korean and act pretty much as the logistics coordinator for Expat Divers when we arrange a dive trip.

Cheers to all divers out here in S. Korea. Feel free to contact myself or Tim if you are interested in doing some fun diving ( or Dive Against Debris cleanup events).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/552679698230761/
Most of the Korean divers I met speak a fair amount of English (and sometimes even French!). Anyways, would love to meet up with all of you to dive!
Edit: is there really a reason for a foreigner centered diving center?
 
Edit: is there really a reason for a foreigner centered diving center?

Not really, and there isn't one to be honest. Ralph down in Jeju years ago was the only one I would say was foreigner centered. The others just happen to have someone on staff that can speak English or another language well enough to teach or guide foreigners, but it isn't as if foreigners make up even a modest part of their overall clientele.
 
Not sure if this thread is still active, but to add to the list, I was interested into doing a rescue divers course this past summer and have communicated with several shops in Jeju.
Moby Dick and AquaScuba both stood out for offering courses in English. I ended up going with AquaScuba because I did some fun dives with them last year, they offered on site accomodation, and the manager/instructor Joo is great.
 
Not sure if this thread is still active, but to add to the list, I was interested into doing a rescue divers course this past summer and have communicated with several shops in Jeju.
Moby Dick and AquaScuba both stood out for offering courses in English. I ended up going with AquaScuba because I did some fun dives with them last year, they offered on site accomodation, and the manager/instructor Joo is great.
Definitely still active! Thanks for contributing. Various contributors just got sidetracked with education, babies, life....you know. If you have contact details, websites, etc. for those two, feel free to add it here. We're definitely trying to foster a community that shares info and makes it easier for divers that can't access the Korean info to still enjoy diving here. :thumb:
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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