Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of options you find when you seek for something to buy? Or a service you want to hire, say about SCUBA diving?
Well, if this actually happens to you regarding diving gear, we invite you to solve your doubts here. But if the question you have is about how to choose the company that will take you diving, here are five tips so you can choose a diving company in San Andrés, Islas (or in other places in the world).
Tip 1. Security when choosing diving companies
Safety is everything: look for trained personnel with extensive experience in diving. Keep in mind that diving is a recreational activity and that if it is practiced within the suggested limits, it is completely harmless.
However, incidents/accidents can happen and that is why we strongly encourage the dive agency you hire to show you that their divemasters or instructors are properly certified before you go diving.
In the process of selecting your school to go diving or if you are going to certify yourself in a PADI diving course, the most common thing is to establish a contact by e-mail (or through a form on your website) to ask them the questions that you have
Clear ALL your doubts by asking the questions you need, you have all the right and responsibility (because ultimately it is your safety) to request the certification cards to know the level of your PADI instructor and their teaching status. This ensures that you will be accompanied by properly trained personnel to deal with any situation before, during and after diving.
Tip .2. How many people can be in charge of a PADI instructor?
Ask for the charge capacity per instructor. According to the PADI standard, it will be ok to have four SCUBA students per instructor and two more if a divemaster joins the excursion. This allows for personalized attention and control over student divers in the water.
In the event that the excursion is with certified clients, the ratio is 6 divers per 1 instructor. Remember that exceeding the suggested load capacity can have its risks.
Don’t forget: a dive instructor is something of a superhero, but he definitely won’t perform miracles.
Tip 3. Reputation of diving schools in Google and Social Networks
Check the reputation of the dive school/instructor on social networks (such as Facebook and Trip Advisor). As for many other traveling users, this tool has become the preferred tool for outdoor enthusiasts.
A number of ratings/reviews above 50 people is a fairly representative sample of your average (I know, how dopey this sounds), but it will give you a robust idea of how the school and its staff are performing.
Tip 4. Now yes, make a contact with the company that seems most appropriate
Establish as direct contact as possible with the diving agency or instructor. Write to them, call them, look for an answer that comes directly from the source. Ask them all the questions you consider pertinent and wait for the answer.
A serious company should answer you in no more than 2 days (and maybe I’m being too lax), once they answer you, evaluate the approach: were they clear when answering your questions? Were they cordial when asking them? Did they offer to give you more information if you asked for it?
In fact, within your questions, it is most likely that you want to know the cost of diving or the plan of your activity, so we recommend you search about diving costs for tourists in San Andrés, islands and which leads us to our last one, but no less important advice…
Tip 5. Pay attention to their diving prices
Within the price offer on your vacation site, it is normal to find a wide range of prices for diving. However, sometimes prices stand out for being very high… or very cheap. BE CAREFUL! Diving prices are usually associated with the quality of your experience.
When a diving school sells very cheaply, it needs to sell in large quantities, so the volume of people during a dive trip can be so high that it borders on discomfort and insecurity. Think of it this way, if bungee-jumping was what you were going to do, would you rather pay $20 or $30 for the experience?
However, a very high price does not necessarily guarantee the best service. Seeks to compare the cost/opinions ratio on social networks.
The most common is that you find better qualifications in schools -relatively- more expensive. Indeed, for a diving instructor it is “easier” to work with 6 people than with 12 at the same time. Which assures you that the service will be 5 stars. Or when have you paid for an Uber at the price of the subway/bus/metro?
