Hello! Having been a reader of the scubaboard forum for a while, I finally decided to set up an account after receiving a strange email from a dive operator in the Maldives.
For a bit of background, I am a new diver. I did my certification in July and have a total of 16 dives (including the 4 training dives). Most of my dives have been here in Oman, but I did take a holiday to Bali and did 6 dives there, which were amazing. They were on the challenging side (drift dives), but we had a fantastic guide who really looked out for us.
We are going to the Maldives in a couple of weeks with the sole intention of diving. I emailed the top 2 of 3 dive shops on the island we are staying on, asking for dive package prices. We are only going for four days, and to make the most of it plan on spending two days diving (3 dives per day). The shops emailed me back, one offering a 6 tanks dive at $210 with the price inclusive of equipment, guide, boat & taxes. The other company offers a 5 dive package 5 dives package (including equipment except wet suit & computer) for 235 US$; we would need wetsuits (7US$/dive) and then there is 12% tax on top. So that's a total of $302.40.
The reviews on TripAdvisor are good for both. The first dive shop did have 2 (of over 130 reviews) that said that they didn't like that the guides tried to take them deeper than they are certified, but this didn't ring any major alarms for me.
So based on the package being the number of dives we wanted, and being cheaper we chose the first dive shop, and I didn't think anything more. I received an email from the second dive shop, following up on my query. I replied and said thanks for the info, but we will dive with someone else as their package suits us better, and it's cheaper.
They then replied with this:
Hi Ayshe,
Nice to hear from you again.
Please chose your dive center carefully, as I am sure that your safety is also one of your big consideration.
You have to be aware that one dive center is currently under a PADI investigation for repeatedly breaching basic safety standards, and that another dive club had a near-fatal drowning accident about 6 months ago.
Have a safe holiday.
I don't really know what to think. Of course as a diver, especially a new, inexperienced one, safety is a huge consideration. That said, my instructor (and every PADI book) makes it very clear that as a diver your safety is your responsibility, and I would have no issues telling a guide what I am and am not comfortable with when we go through the dive plan.
So the point of this whole post really is, what should I think? Surely if there is a center breaching standards and being investigated he should have just told me who they were? Considering there are only 3 dive centers on the island is he implying only his is safe?
Your advice and wisdom would be much appreciated, I am very much looking forward to my trip, and I am aware that diving in the Maldives is mostly drift and current dives, which are a bit more challenging. If anyone has been diving in the Maldives, I would love to hear more.
Thank you!
For a bit of background, I am a new diver. I did my certification in July and have a total of 16 dives (including the 4 training dives). Most of my dives have been here in Oman, but I did take a holiday to Bali and did 6 dives there, which were amazing. They were on the challenging side (drift dives), but we had a fantastic guide who really looked out for us.
We are going to the Maldives in a couple of weeks with the sole intention of diving. I emailed the top 2 of 3 dive shops on the island we are staying on, asking for dive package prices. We are only going for four days, and to make the most of it plan on spending two days diving (3 dives per day). The shops emailed me back, one offering a 6 tanks dive at $210 with the price inclusive of equipment, guide, boat & taxes. The other company offers a 5 dive package 5 dives package (including equipment except wet suit & computer) for 235 US$; we would need wetsuits (7US$/dive) and then there is 12% tax on top. So that's a total of $302.40.
The reviews on TripAdvisor are good for both. The first dive shop did have 2 (of over 130 reviews) that said that they didn't like that the guides tried to take them deeper than they are certified, but this didn't ring any major alarms for me.
So based on the package being the number of dives we wanted, and being cheaper we chose the first dive shop, and I didn't think anything more. I received an email from the second dive shop, following up on my query. I replied and said thanks for the info, but we will dive with someone else as their package suits us better, and it's cheaper.
They then replied with this:
Hi Ayshe,
Nice to hear from you again.
Please chose your dive center carefully, as I am sure that your safety is also one of your big consideration.
You have to be aware that one dive center is currently under a PADI investigation for repeatedly breaching basic safety standards, and that another dive club had a near-fatal drowning accident about 6 months ago.
Have a safe holiday.
I don't really know what to think. Of course as a diver, especially a new, inexperienced one, safety is a huge consideration. That said, my instructor (and every PADI book) makes it very clear that as a diver your safety is your responsibility, and I would have no issues telling a guide what I am and am not comfortable with when we go through the dive plan.
So the point of this whole post really is, what should I think? Surely if there is a center breaching standards and being investigated he should have just told me who they were? Considering there are only 3 dive centers on the island is he implying only his is safe?
Your advice and wisdom would be much appreciated, I am very much looking forward to my trip, and I am aware that diving in the Maldives is mostly drift and current dives, which are a bit more challenging. If anyone has been diving in the Maldives, I would love to hear more.
Thank you!
Have a safe trip and keep blowing bubbles. 
