I'm a long-time lurker on this website (belated thanks to everyone for sharing!), but had such a great experience with Explore Kauai Scuba that I wanted to share my experience in case it helps others. I hope that this is the right place to post it - if someone could let me know if that is not the case and I will move it.
For my background and others to compare, I'm a novice vacation diver (32 dives total (mostly on Bonaire), 2 years OW certified). After looking at the phenomenal reviews here, I contacted Nick with a laundry list of questions. He responded quickly, thoughtfully and honestly. Nick told me early on in his communication that his focus was on delivering an upscale, different dive experience and he completely delivered.
My spouse and I are certified divers, traveling with an adult friend who was certified pre-kids, and his 13 year old son. Nick suggested a refresher for the three adults, combined with a discover scuba for the teenager.
Because of the non-certified teenager, I was expecting a morning on shore of skills, following by a short, max 20 ft dive (and was OK with that going in) but what we got was not that – it was so much more and the four dives that we did, while shallow (max 35 feet) were just as wonderful as any other dive we have done since being certified!
Divemaster Anthony, with 13000 dives under his belt (nope, that is not an extra zero) seemed to have a specialty with new divers and was calm and amazing. He made it clear to us that his focus was on the teenager having a positive first dive experience, but he still managed to make it a great experience for the three adults, pointing out more marine life than we would have noticed on our own (including more eels than we could count, gigantic turtles, multiple octopi, a frog fish that I’ve been dying to see since I started diving and an extremely rare pelagic jellyfish). Anthony also timed things so that the three certified divers could spend extra time in the shallower water at the end of the dive while he took the young diver into shore.
Pre-dive, Anthony and Nick brought a couple of different suit options for the gangly teenager (our height but ½ our weight), along with a hood, booties and other extras. They were super focused on making sure he was warm. There were chairs, carpets, fruit, water and trail mix on shore before the dive and for the surface interval, very new Cressi gear (much better rental gear than any rental gear I’ve seen), and he and Anthony really cared about the gear fit and comfort, as well as overall dive comfort, bringing different options for the two who were renting gear.
Anthony was unbelievably good with the teenager…so much so that the teenager asked if we could come back for 2 more dives the next day, and so we did. Anthony did such a good job of creating a passionate new, comfortable diver that the teenager would have spent the rest of the trip diving if he could have, and has been asking us when we can come back to get him certified.
Oh, and I wasn’t the model client…in addition to the many pre-booking questions, I mixed up where we were supposed to meet, so we were about an hour late. Other dive organizers would have been angry/frustrated, but Nick and Anthony were calm and calmed me down (I was upset with myself and embarrassed). Also, when we left a piece of equipment that luckily Nick and Anthony found, Nick returned it *to our condo* (!) along with a couple of fresh avocados from his tree. Talk about a step up from the usual resort dive experience!!
Finally, Nick and Anthony were extremely honest throughout about the conditions. It turned out that we had rough seas this week, and so although I had booked the second day as (more expensive) boat dives, they told us that although they were happy to go out with us on the boat if that was what we wanted, the conditions would mean a rough boat ride to the site and back, as well as surface interval being tossed around. They left the option to us, and when we opted for another shore dive, they were just fine with it, and were flexible with the add on of the young diver and his dad and the request that Anthony be our divemaster for that dive (they had to rejig/reschedule last minute to accommodate us).
Nick and Anthony are kind, calm, patient and knowledgeable divers who truly care and want you to have a great diving experience on your holiday.
Highly, highly recommended.
For my background and others to compare, I'm a novice vacation diver (32 dives total (mostly on Bonaire), 2 years OW certified). After looking at the phenomenal reviews here, I contacted Nick with a laundry list of questions. He responded quickly, thoughtfully and honestly. Nick told me early on in his communication that his focus was on delivering an upscale, different dive experience and he completely delivered.
My spouse and I are certified divers, traveling with an adult friend who was certified pre-kids, and his 13 year old son. Nick suggested a refresher for the three adults, combined with a discover scuba for the teenager.
Because of the non-certified teenager, I was expecting a morning on shore of skills, following by a short, max 20 ft dive (and was OK with that going in) but what we got was not that – it was so much more and the four dives that we did, while shallow (max 35 feet) were just as wonderful as any other dive we have done since being certified!
Divemaster Anthony, with 13000 dives under his belt (nope, that is not an extra zero) seemed to have a specialty with new divers and was calm and amazing. He made it clear to us that his focus was on the teenager having a positive first dive experience, but he still managed to make it a great experience for the three adults, pointing out more marine life than we would have noticed on our own (including more eels than we could count, gigantic turtles, multiple octopi, a frog fish that I’ve been dying to see since I started diving and an extremely rare pelagic jellyfish). Anthony also timed things so that the three certified divers could spend extra time in the shallower water at the end of the dive while he took the young diver into shore.
Pre-dive, Anthony and Nick brought a couple of different suit options for the gangly teenager (our height but ½ our weight), along with a hood, booties and other extras. They were super focused on making sure he was warm. There were chairs, carpets, fruit, water and trail mix on shore before the dive and for the surface interval, very new Cressi gear (much better rental gear than any rental gear I’ve seen), and he and Anthony really cared about the gear fit and comfort, as well as overall dive comfort, bringing different options for the two who were renting gear.
Anthony was unbelievably good with the teenager…so much so that the teenager asked if we could come back for 2 more dives the next day, and so we did. Anthony did such a good job of creating a passionate new, comfortable diver that the teenager would have spent the rest of the trip diving if he could have, and has been asking us when we can come back to get him certified.
Oh, and I wasn’t the model client…in addition to the many pre-booking questions, I mixed up where we were supposed to meet, so we were about an hour late. Other dive organizers would have been angry/frustrated, but Nick and Anthony were calm and calmed me down (I was upset with myself and embarrassed). Also, when we left a piece of equipment that luckily Nick and Anthony found, Nick returned it *to our condo* (!) along with a couple of fresh avocados from his tree. Talk about a step up from the usual resort dive experience!!
Finally, Nick and Anthony were extremely honest throughout about the conditions. It turned out that we had rough seas this week, and so although I had booked the second day as (more expensive) boat dives, they told us that although they were happy to go out with us on the boat if that was what we wanted, the conditions would mean a rough boat ride to the site and back, as well as surface interval being tossed around. They left the option to us, and when we opted for another shore dive, they were just fine with it, and were flexible with the add on of the young diver and his dad and the request that Anthony be our divemaster for that dive (they had to rejig/reschedule last minute to accommodate us).
Nick and Anthony are kind, calm, patient and knowledgeable divers who truly care and want you to have a great diving experience on your holiday.
Highly, highly recommended.
