Useful dive information
Diving Information & things you should know...
Please take careful note of the following information which we hope will be helpful in ensuring that you enjoy your diving holiday to the full.
Click here to download our dive courses pdf
Details we need from you for land based diving or liveaboard holiday:
Your passport numbers are required for all land based or liveaboard diving holidays, please ensure that your passports are vaild for more than 6 months
Nationality
Number of logged dives & diving qualification level
First name and date of birth.
Emperor Divers minimum logged dives
Minimum of 15 logged dives recommended for liveaboards from Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh.
Minimum of 30 logged dives recommended for Fury and Friends.
Minimum of 30 logged dives recommended for South & St Johns
Minimum of 50 logged dives recommended for Marine Park liveaboards
Brothers / Simply The Best / The Big Four / Simply Magnificent.
No night dives are permitted in the Marine Park areas Brothers / Simply The Best / The Big Four / Simply Magnificent.
Insurance
Sportif dive insurance is highly recommended.
All customers of Sportif are required to be properly insured. All divers must have Scuba Diving accident and medical cover. Sportif Travel Insurance provides appropriate cover to a depth of 40 metres. If an alternative policy is taken details must be noted on our booking form. Sportif will not accept any liability arising from passengers’ failure to take out adequate cover.
Diving Centres
All diving centres featured in this brochure are staffed by instructors and divemasters licensed and approved by one or more internationally recognised associations, such as PADI, NAUI, CMAS, BSAC and SSI. As such they meet stringent safety and insurance requirements and have established procedures for dealing with any accidents or emergencies. Whilst on holiday clients must not undertake diving arrangements unless under the supervision of these centres. Dive Sportif cannot accept any responsibility for arrangements made by their passengers with any other diving operator or on their own.
Weather Conditions
In most of our destinations diving is possible year round. However weather conditions will vary from day to day and Diving Centres may have to alter their scheduled dive programme to alternative sites or suspend diving altogether if circumstances dictate. The diving centre will do all possible to ensure that the number of dives booked are accomplished within your stay but no guarantees can be given regarding precise sites to be visited, and no refund provided if a planned visit to one site is substituted with another.
Diving and Conservation - LOOK after our WORLD
Coral reefs are unique - built up over thousands of years by the activities of countless marine animals and plants. Sadly, like virtually every natural habitat, coral reefs are coming under intense pressure from pollution, collection of coral materials and over-fishing. Diving can have an impact too, but you can help to minimise it. Do not touch any coral formations and do not remove any coral or reef animals. In some countries damaging reefs or removal of coral is a criminal offence.
Flying and Diving
When planning your holiday, you should NOT dive within 24 hours of your return flight. It is also advisable to make fewer dives the last two days before departure and it is better not to dive on your day of arrival.
Equipment
Diving arrangements shown in the prices supplement, other than open water and advanced courses, generally include loan of tanks, belt, weights (specified as tanks and weights) and air. Guideline prices for the hire of equipment can be provided on request. You will need to take or hire mask, fins, snorkel, regulator with octopus and pressure gauge, and stabjacket (BCD) with inflator. Each diver must also have his own gauge for monitoring depth and time or a dive computer. Wetsuits are recommended even in tropical waters, to reduce the water’s cooling effect on longer dives and protect the skin against coral and rock cuts and abrasions. Most centres have only a limited range of wetsuits - so we recommend you take your own.
Airlines and equipment
In general all scuba diving equipment must be carried within the weight allowance permitted by the airline (usually 20kg short haul and 40kg long haul), however most airlines make an extra allowance for diving equipment within reasonable limits providing you show your certification card on check-in and pack your diving equipment separately. Depth gauges and computers can be affected by low pressure so carry in hand luggage. Dive knives can be carried in your main luggage and pony tanks also ( empty with valves open and available for inspection ). Cameras and video equipment seal shut tight in the low pressure of the hold, so carry them in hand luggage if possible. If the equipment is too bulky for hand luggage ensure that it is properly packed, fully insured and can withstand zero temperatures. Chemical Oxygen Generators are prohibited onboard aircraft.
Certificates and Log Books
Except for beginner courses only, divers presenting internationally recognised diving certificates e.g., PADI, NAUI, BSAC, CMAS, SSI will be allowed to dive. Diving associations do recognise each others certification and thus, for example if you have a BSAC certificate you will be able to dive at a PADI centre and vice versa. However, generally a centre will only update log books of those organisations to which it is affiliated. In many resorts divers will be requested to undertake a short orientation dive to learn about local conditions etc. - this may be your first contracted dive. You must present your diving certificate(s), log book and current medical certificate to the dive centre before being permitted to dive.
Dive Sportif cannot accept responsibility if you are refused diving because you have forgotten any of these or because of incorrect or false documentation. No refunds will be provided in these circumstances.
Children
In most countries the minimum age at which children are allowed to dive is 12 years. However, in some destinations it may be older. Please check before making a booking for any passenger under 18 years.
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FINANCIAL SECURITY
Sportif's holidays and flights are ATOL protected
by the Civil Aviation Authority