B&J Diving Centre Salang Divescover Review

92/100

13 February, 2011

B&J Diving Centre Salang

Address: Salang Bay 86800 Pulau Tioman

Phone: +60 9 419 55 55

Web: http://www.divetioman.com

Staff Are they friendly? Do they have enough qualified personnel? Did you feel comfortable with them? Did they follow safety procedures? Do they feel passionate about their job?

Friendliness 4 / 4 How nice is the staff of the dive operation? Do they treat you correctly? Are they willing to help, teach you and help to improve?
Qualifications 3 / 3 Do they have the qualifications needed for diving? Do they use certified divemasters and instructors (no matter what agency). Do they have proper specialist trainers?
Trustfulness - Honesty 3 / 3 Can you trust the staff? Do they provide the right information or they will try to push you into the water just for your money, even with bad conditions?
Passion 3 / 3 Is just a job for them, or do they really love what they do?
Application of safety procedures 2 / 3 Do they use proper safety procedures? Use of buoys and safety balloons, proper ratios and limits. Safety briefings, etc.
Professionalism 3 / 4 Are they professional at all times? Or maybe too much laid back? Are the instructors with hangover every morning?

Total 18 / 20

Gear Do they have enough clean, tidy and up to date rental gear? (including air tanks), Do they have first aid and oxygen kit? Do they have an emergency plan available to anyone and up to date? Do they have information and training materials? (Fish books, maps, other books and infos...)

Materials enough 1 / 1 Do they have enough number of materials and SIZES for the number of clients they have? Do you have your "own rental equipment" for all your dives?
Clean materials 2 / 2 Is the equipment clean? Do they clean properly everything at the end of the day? Do the equipment small bad?
Condition of equipment 2 / 2 Is your BCD too old and broken? The wetsuit is worn-out? Do they service properly the regulators, tanks and compressors?
First aid / Oxygen 2 / 2 Do they have proper first aid kits? Do they have emergency oxygen in the dive base AND in the boats? (Note: not everywhere is needed oxygen on the boats, depending on the return time)
Emergency plan 1 / 1 The emergency plan should be visible and accesible by all. It must have emergency procedures understable by divers and non-divers, including phone numbers.
Reference Books 1 / 1 Do they have proper books for fish identification, diving in the area, or magazines, etc?
Optional gear for rent 1 / 1 Can you rent optional gear, such as a underwater camera, dive computer, compass, etc?

Total 10 / 10

Facilities and Boats Is the place clean? Do they have showers? changing rooms? The boats are safe and have enough space to fit everyone? Are the boats fitted for diving? (Holes for tanks, place for weights and fins, scale for getting aboard from the water and safe jumping place...)

Tidy and clean dive center 2 / 2 Is the place clean or full of rubbish? Can you find empty beer cans and cigarrettes from the last day party? Is it safe to walk on bare foot around? Does it smell bad?
Showers, changing rooms and toilets 1 / 2 Do they have proper toilets and showers, in enough quantity for the number of customers? Are there changing rooms sex sepparated?
Boats 2 / 2 Boats must be specially fitted for diving, with proper space for the gear and tanks and places for the divers. Do they squeeze people too much on the boat?
Assembly / Disassembly areas 1 / 1 Do they have proper places to assemble and disasemble the equipment? Is there enough space for everyone?
Drinking water 1 / 1 Do they have drinking water available for free for divers?
Areas to sit, chat, debrief between dives 1 / 1 Are there places to sit, chat with your buddies, do a debriefing of the dive, etc in the dive center?
Classroom 1 / 1 Do they have a proper and confy classroom for the teaching? Does it have aircon and the proper materials? (TV, DVD, etc.)

Total 9 / 10

Dive Spots Do they have enough dive spots for three days of diving? Suitable for any level? Do the guides or divemasters lead the dive to the best places and show you enough fauna? (according to the area)

Enough dive sites 4 / 4 Do they have enough dive sites for at least 3 days of diving? Do they go always to the same places because is closer and costs less gas?
Different levels 3 / 3 Do they have places for different levels and apply it? Easy lagoons for novices, deep dives for advance courses, wrecks, etc.
Divemaster leading quality 2 / 3 How does the guide lead the dive? Did a proper briefing? with a proper explanation of the specific information and dangers of the place? Does he / she have very good diving skills? They stey under the limits of depth / time?

Total 9 / 10

Customer Service What they do in case of dive cancellation? Are they fair? Do they treat customers appropriately? This not only applies to you but to the rest of customers. Do they try to mix groups with same experience level? Do they give you any snack or drink during surface time? Do they have offers for pictures and video of your dives?

Cancellation and abort policies 3 / 3 What is the policy in case of cancellation? In case of emergency? Bad weather or conditions? Do they have money-back policy or free dives?
Customer treatment 4 / 4 How do the customers feel in the place? Are they treated properly? Is nice to hang around?
Staff treatment 4 / 4 How do the managers and owners treat the staff? Are they fair with them? Do they have a fair salary?
Boat plan organization 3 / 3 How many divers per dive and guide? Do they mix properly the groups? Are they open to dive site suggestions?
Snacks, coffee, tea, etc. 2 / 2 Do they offer snacks and tea or coffe between dives or in the dive center?
Other services 2 / 2 Do they provide other services like photography or videography?
Internet access for customers 0 / 1 Is there FREE internet access for customers?
Accomodation 0 / 1 Do they help you to get accomodation? (Or do they have accomodation packages with good value?)

Total 18 / 20

Information Do they have info about the dive sites, such as maps and brief models?. Do they have a detailed website with dates and rates?

Information about the dive sites 4 / 4 Do they have available information about the dive spots? Like briefings, info about the life, maps of the site, etc.
Website 3 / 3 Do they have a proper and UPDATED website, with rates, contact options, info about their diving, etc?
Brochures 1 / 2 Do they have brochures with their services and prices?
Information about other activities 1 / 1 Do they help you to do other activities rather than diving in the area? (like trekkings, tours, visits, interest things in the area, etc)

Total 9 / 10

Teaching It doesn't matter if they are PADI, SSI or other organization. This rating does NOT care about that. Do they have entry level courses? Do they offer continuous education courses? Do they have materials for the courses (such as mannequin for rescue, rings for PPB, reels, buoys, etc...). Do they use the official teaching materials? Did they have language options enough?

Courses offered 2 / 2 Do they teach a good variety of courses? Do they teach specialties? Tech diving? Instructor courses?
Enough and proper materials for courses 2 / 2 Do they have the right materials for the courses?
Language options 2 / 2 Are there enough language options to learn in your language?
Group sizes 1 / 1 How big are the groups? Is good to have the attention of the instructor when you need it?
Time allocation 1 / 1 Do they provide time enough for the courses, or they try to do it as fast as possible to get more clients?
Instructor availability and approachability 2 / 2 Are the instructors avaible to reply questions, and they try to teach you "beyond the call of duty?"

Total 10 / 10

Prices Are they prices reasonable? Is not if they are expensive or not, but if the value / price is ok. Do they offer different payment methods? (Credit card, cash, paypal...), Do they have hidden costs? (No informed surcharges, additional gear renting, etc...)

Price / Value according to the area 3 / 3 How is the price according to the value? Are they too expensive or theay are within the average price?
Payment options 1 / 2 Can you pay with credit card without surcharges? Other payment options like bank wire or paypal?
Hidden costs or surcharges 2 / 2 Do they inform about the proper final price or you get surprises with surcharges and hidden costs?
Discounts policy 3 / 3 Do they offer discounts for repetitive dives, or dives after courses? Do they offer discouts for dive professionals?

Total 9 / 10

Total Points: 92 / 100