Expatriate Forums in Abu Dhabi (UAE)

HT · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject: Scuba Diving

Are there any:

1. Keen scuba divers
2. Rusty scuba divers who want to get back into diving
3. Wannabe scuba divers?

I love scuba diving and the weekend trips associated with it. I've only been here 3 weeks and it would be nice to have a regular dive buddy or a group of people to go diving with. Unfortunately there is a waitlist to join "The Club" so I guess I'll just have to find some divers or get you lot into diving.

I'm a PADI divemaster so if you're rusty, I'll be glad to run a scuba review session for free.

staraquarius · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:23 pm Post subject:

Hey diver,

I'm a manager/PADI Master Instructor at Ocean Diving Center, Beach Rotana Hotel, Abu Dhabi. We have a group of regulars who come diving with us, and quite a few of them just drop by to chat. We arrange local day trips, extended weekend trips, and international trips also.

Come over and join us!! When you get to Beach Rotana, go to Beach Club, at the entrance tell them you're just going to the dive center so they don't charge you entry fee. We are located on the other side of the pool, by the beach, right next to the tennis courts.

Hope to see you soon!

NL24 · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 4:04 pm Post subject:

hey, it sounds interesting. I know nothing about diving yet am very interested. Would there be free lessons for a beginner?

staraquarius · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject:

Free lesson? Sorry, ahm, no....

We do offer Discover Scuba Diving though, which is meant for those who haven't tried and not too sure about going for a license. It's theory, pool, and a dive for 400Dhs. Should you decide to go for a course after, we'll deduct the 400 from the course fee.

HT · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:45 pm Post subject:

Unless I'm willing to modify my drysuit to fit my leg cast, I can't dive for 6 more weeks Sad

staraquarius · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:59 am Post subject:

oops, that's not good! i guess no dancing over the new years for you then, matey!

HT · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:17 pm Post subject:

gentlejitsuka · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject: Diving

Out of interest - how much does it cost on average to dive in AD? I've seen such a range - from about a tenner ($20) here in Manila to $50 in Micronesia.. not that it can quash the diving bug though...

HT · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:10 pm Post subject:

before I did my leg in, I went to Fujairah and did a double boat dive for about 80 USD with my own gear.

HT · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:39 pm Post subject:

Ok I took a visit down to the dive center at the Rotanna.

To be perfectly honest I wasn't impressed.

I have money, I have equipment, I have experience, I wanted to go diving. Sounds like a pretty good customer walking through the door?

Guess what? I didn't go diving. Bad weather, boat full? I can't remember, but I do remember leaving my contact details and telling the girl to contact me. Well that was weeks ago, and still I sit at work deciding where I can go diving OUTSIDE Abu Dhabi because that's the second dive center in Abu Dhabi that hasn't got the message that I want to dive.

I don't know what's wrong with customer service staff in this country. The only people that seem to want to take my money are taxi drivers, trolley boys, and my watchman, obviously these dive centers don't want my business.

I mean, if a customer walks into a dive center and says I want to go diving, how hard is it to put him on the next trip?