Perth to Exmouth

[Gudge]

Looks like our trip is shaping up - thanks for all the comments. We're probably going to hire a camper and take it nice and slow and not have to worry about accommodation so much.

Make sure you book ahead for camping grounds. You're not allowed to just camp on the side of the road and depending on what time of year you're coming camp sites can be hard to get. In particular avoid the July school holidays.

Any recommendations on the best operator to use? Any of them have tanks with DIN valves for hire?

My recommendation would be Exmouth Dive Centre. The diving here is generally shallow with most dives around 15 metres with no wrecks or caves, so the dive shops don't generally cater for tech divers. Best bring a DIN/Yoke converter with you.

Navy pier sounds like a nice little dive, do the local shops hire tanks to allow you to dive this - or do you have to pay for the guided dive? Thanks again!

Diving under the Navy Pier is only available through one dive operator (under contract to the Australian Government). The pier dive is very good but also very expensive ($165 single dive, $230 double dive on the one day (if tides allow) and $185 night dive ) for a what is essentially a shore dive. I've heard a lot of complaints about the dive operator that does the Navy Pier dives (Ningaloo Dreaming) so would only recommend using them for the Navy Pier dive (as you have no choice) and going elsewhere for the rest of your diving needs.

 

[AndyNZ]

Thanks, Gudge! Great advice.

Given the dives are shallow, do Exmouth Dive Centre have any issue with long dives? At those depths we'd probably be wanting to do 80 minute dives and wouldn't want to annoy them too much!

Will probably skip the Navy Pier dive - I can't bring myself to pay NZ$200+ for a shore dive!!

 

[Gudge]

My experience is that the dive times on the Exmouth Dive Centre trips are 60 minutes on a two dive trip. Be aware that some of the other dive shops offer three dive trips but these are 3 x 40 minute dives and that includes your safety stop so you're actually getting more bottom time on a 2 x 60 minute dive trip like Exmouth Dive Centre run. Personally, I'd rather have two longer dives with plenty of time to look around than being rushed around on three short dives.

 

[AndyNZ]

Thanks, Gudge.... we'll see how we go.

On another issue, what sort of water clarity is likely? Trying to decide which camera setup to take - don't really want to bring strobes all that way unless I have to. Can you get reasonable wide angle shots with just natural light?

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer all these questions, thanks so much!

 

[Gudge]

Visibility is variable here and can change quickly. Generally it is in the 10 to 20 metre range. Unless you're on whaleshark/manta trip there's not a lot of wide angle subjects that you can shoot with WA natural light. Ningaloo is best known for the both the quantity and biodiversity of its fish and critter life. Come set up for macro to large fish photography and you won't be disappointed.

 

[AndyNZ]

Awesome, thanks Gudge.

 

[MA]

HI,

I am in exmouth now, and out of 7 trips booked, 5 have been cancelled so i'm packing up my bags, spending an exorbitant amount on flights home so i can avoid further expensive accommodation costs to sit here and do nothing. I was with Exmouth Dive, and although the staff are fantastic the company policy is completely inflexible when it comes to 'not enough divers booked on". Be very careful and DO NOT book ahead - its not worth the disappointment i'm now facing. 2 weeks off a year from work, and most of that has been a complete waste of time and money. I really hope you have a better time! Note they have offered refunds for my cancellations - doesn't really make up for my time and the rest of the trip expenses.

 

[alcina]

Yes, MA has had the worst luck with weather with 3 days in a row canceled due to conditions. It's very unusual for us to have these conditions at this time of year, but obviously it can happen.

Happily she had planned her trip to include a "lay day" so we were able to get her out for Whale Sharking on Monday after we had to turn around and come back in from Friday's scheduled Whale Shark Adventure due to adverse conditions.

Today we had to cancel due to only have three people booked for a trip. We tried everything we could yesterday to find another solution to get her out diving including checking with other companies (they had fewer people than we did), offering incentives and reducing our minimum number policy (contrary to her perception that we have no flexibility on that matter). Unfortunately, we just can't run with three and had to cancel today's dive.

I hope this is the last of our crappy conditions for a long while as it's frustrating and disappointing for all involved and I know how expensive in both time and money it is to get here!

There was never a question of refunding the tours that were canceled due to weather or because we didn't meet minimum numbers and we have also fully refunded the dives she had scheduled but has chosen not to do as she is leaving early. We truly try to do the best we can by our visitors and I'm sorry that MA didn't have everything go smoothly.

I'm sorry that this has been MA's experience and I sincerely hope that she had a good time on the tours she did get to do.

 

[MA]

Please note that of the 5 trip cancels - 2 were due to number of people. And I was told it was 5 and when i offered to pay for the additional places needed to head out I was quoted a price that equated to paying for 3 additional people. Therefore there were 5 booked. I would've expected in a customer service industry given the number of cancellations already faced (4 at that point - 3 weather, 1 lack of nubmers) that the 'company policy' would have been lifted this once. Out of 6 trips booked, i was successfully took 2.

Also i did recognise that EDC do offer full refunds for trips not taken. However this is the only time i get off. I work 50-50 hour weeks with 20 hours study on top of that. Leaving my only spare time spent asleep. After 2 years of this i had 2 weeks to come up here and dive, and yes i am completely disappointed that the boat would not be taken out on one occassion. I appreciate that EDC do not want to operate at a loss. However, i did consider not coming due the global financial crisis and head to cheaper places offshore. I instead chose to support EDC by giving them by business and Alcina, yes i'm completely disappointed at your lack of support.

I will continue to relay my experience. And it is a balanced one, the staff and crew and the day to day runnings of the operation are fantastic. Just a little more customer service should be considered in extreme circumstances. But I'm now heading back and home and cannot wait!!

 

[alcina]

MA - again, I'm really sorry that your trip was not smoother!

Please be aware that we canceled four tours, not five. Three were due to weather - your first three days - and only one was due to lack of numbers, today's trip. You canceled your scheduled trip for tomorrow as you are leaving town earlier than originally planned. So I guess that does make a total of five tours, but only four were outside of your control.

I appreciate your feedback on your experience and your feedback on how great our crew are!

I'm sorry I disappointed you as I have tried my best to make your holiday the best I can.