Wings Diving Adventures Divescover Review

89/100

25 March, 2011

Wings Diving Adventures

Address: Shop 3 Abel Point Marina Airlie Beach, QLD 4802 Whitsunday Region, Australia

Phone: 1300 859 853

Web: http://www.whitsundaydive.com.au/

Crew (Diving & Non Diving) How is the crew in general? This includes dive instructors, divemasters, cooks, skippers, managers, etc... Everyone on board. Are they friendly? Honest? Fun? Do they have passion about their jobs? Being a crew member in a live aboard is tough job, but do they focus on the quality and are always professional?

Friendliness 3 / 3
Qualifications 2 / 2
Trustfullness - Honesty 3 / 3
Enough Staff / Diving Crew 2 / 2 Do they have enough crew to support the guests? Do they have backup divemaster / instructors?
Application of safety procedeures 3 / 3 Applied specifically for boats
Professionalism 3 / 3
Passion 2 / 2

Total 18 / 18

Gear How is the gear? Do they provide rental gear? Is it in good conditions? Is there any other opcional gear available?

Enough materials 1 / 1 Is there material enough for everybody? Or some people has to stick with wrong sizes / share equipment?
Clean materials 1 / 1
Condition of equipment 2 / 2 Is it broken or very old? What is the general condition? Specifically regulators and safety gear
First aid / Oxygen 2 / 2 Is there a proper first aid kit? Do they have oxygen to fit any possible emergency (That's to provide O2 until they can reach mainland, or other emergency service come)
Emergency plan 1 / 1 Up to date and adapted to boat situations
Reference Books 1 / 1 Do they have fish reference books? Information about the place or diving in general?
Optional gear for rent 1 / 1 Including cameras, dive computers, SMBs, etc..
Nitrox Availability 1 / 1
Safety gear per diver 2 / 2 Do divers have proper safety gear? 1 point if every diver has his own SMB, 2 points if they have an additional safety device, including emergency beacons, or other devices.

Total 12 / 12

Facilities & the Boat How are the facilities given? Is the boat confortable and nice or it breaks apart?

Tidy, clean, and well mantained boat 3 / 3
Enough showers, changin rooms / toilets 2 / 3 Is there speace enough to shower and not forming long queues within guests? Additional points if there is the possibility to have private showers and if there is hot water.
Confortable rooms with good beds and clean 2 / 2
Diving Area 1 / 2 Proper area fitted for diving, with assembly and dissasembly areas, cleaning, wet zone, etc...
Free drinking water available 1 / 1
Bar availability 1 / 1 Bar / fridge to buy soft drinks, beers or other alcoholic beverages after all water activities
Snacks & Drinks between dives 2 / 2 Do they provide snacks or food between dives + coffee / tea?
TV / DVD / sound system 1 / 1 Do they have a TV with dvd and sound system to put music, watch the days pictures or watch movies?
Food 3 / 3 Quality, amount, variety and proper diet

Total 16 / 18

Dive Sites How are the dive sites? Enough and good for different levels?

Enough dive sites 2 / 2 Is enough for the lenght of the trip? Is it possible to choose dive site with the guests (given the weather conditions)
Different levels 2 / 2 Are there dive spots for different levels of diving? Do they use them and take divers to they most suited places?
Divemaster leading quality 1 / 3 Does he find fishes? Guides properly? Takes care of the divers? Has in mind currents? Is experienced?

Total 5 / 7

Customer Service What is the overall customer service experience? Do they treat customers properly? And how about the staff / crew? Do they have a proper boat organization and offer additional services?

Customer Treatment 4 / 4
Staff Treatment 4 / 4 Is the staff / crew treated properly? Or they are enslaved by the manager?
Boat plan organization 3 / 3 Group sizes, mixing different levels, diving times and flexibility, etc.
Other services (Photo / Video) 2 / 3 Do they offer additional services of photography, or videography? Do they have professional staff for that?

Total 13 / 14

Information How is the provided information before and during the trip? Is everything clear? Do they offer other additional activities? How is the website?

Information about the dive sites 2 / 4 Do they have enough information about the dive sites? Maps availability? Proper briefing AND debriefing?
Website detailed enough 2 / 2 Do they have a proper website with info about where they go, pictures, schedules, etc... ?
Brochures 1 / 1 With price lists and services
Other activities 3 / 3 Do they offer other activities than diving? Snorkelling, beach walks, trekkings, etc...?

Total 8 / 10

Teaching Do they offer courses on board? Can you do continuous education?

Courses offered 2 / 2 Do they offer certification courses? Only introductory dives? Can you go through advance and rescue courses?
Enough and right materials for courses 2 / 2 Do they have the needed and official materials for the courses? Are there enough for all the students?
Language options 0 / 1 Do they have materials and instructors to teach in several languages?
Time allocated for courses 1 / 1 Do they have time enough for the courses, or they rush everything to fit in a short time? Does it affect the normal boat schedule?
Instructors / Divemasters availabilty and approachability 2 / 2 If there is no instructors, do the divemasters help you to improve your diving skills?

Total 7 / 8

Prices Is the price reasonable? How is the price / value ecuation?

Price / Value according to the area 1 / 2
Payment options 2 / 2 Including credit / debit card, and other systems such as paypal
Hidden costs or surcharges 2 / 2 Are all costs clear from the beginning? Do they have any non-said hidden cost such as dive computer rental, or nitrox fee, national park entrance, etc...
Discounts policy 1 / 2 Is there any discounts available? I.e. discout for diving more than X days, for dive proffesionals, students....

Total 6 / 8

Eco Awareness How is their eco-impact? Do they try their best to reduce their impact in the ecosystem? Do they try to recycle? Do they try to teach about coral reef protection for example?

Crew eco-behaviour 1 / 1 Does the crew behaves in a good ecological way? Do they explain how to save water, recycle, etc..
Eco-boat 1 / 1 Is the boat prepared for that? It can include sailing if possible (instead using engines), recycling, using solar power, etc...
Diving eco-behaviour 1 / 2 Do the guides touch or harass animals underwater? Do they take care and explain about stepping on the reef?
Teaching eco-awareness 1 / 1 Do the diving crew explain about how to protect the ecosystem?

Total 4 / 5

Total Points: 89 / 100