We are interested in what you have to say...if you have a question you think should be included here, please let me know directly at kristin@exmouthdiving.com.au- 26th March 2007
You can drive (rental cars are available in all major centres), catch the Greyhound/Pioneer bus or fly Skywest into Learmonth, Exmouth's airport. A shuttle service runs from the airport into Exmouth or you can hire a car (we can book this for you). Contact your travel agent for travel arrangements/flight information. Our travel agent, Kim Muir can help, too - contact her on Kim.Muir@flightcentre.com.au Fly/Stay packages can also be arranged - contact Warren on holidays@visitwa.com.au and tell him you are diving with us!
Avis, the Pot Shot Resort (Eurocar), Allen's Car Hire & Budget all have agencies in Exmouth for hire cars - please contact them directly for bookings. There is a shuttle service between Learmonth and Coral Bay. Bookings are essential - please let us know and we can book this for you.
We can usually
accommodate divers with only a day or two's notice. We suggest you book our full
day tours (both Coral Bay & Exmouth) at least 3 or 4 days ahead. Dive
courses need to be booked a couple of days before the start date. If you are
joining an Open Water Course, you need to have your medical completed before the
course begins. We can email the correct form to you. Seasonal tours, such as the
manta rays, need to be booked 3 or 4 days in advance usually. Whale Shark
Adventures should be booked as soon as you know the dates you will be here. If
you are considering coming to either Coral Bay or Exmouth during or near the
Australian school holiday periods you need to book everything well in advance.
We will always try our best to get you on your desired tour whenever you contact
us!
Unfortunately there is no perfect answer for this one. Both locations offer superb access to the Ningaloo Reef and because they are separated by over 150kms, the marine life and reef structures are quite diverse.
If you don't dive and don't have a car, Coral Bay may be the way to go as some awesome snorkelling is right off the main beach in town. Divers will love the massive hard coral formations and the attendant fishes, turtles, rays, sharks and critters that call them home. Snorkellers are also welcome on our daily tours and can experience some sites that are simply magnificent and unreachable from shore. We have manta rays almost all year round and offer tours for both snorkellers and divers to encounter these graceful beings. Learning to dive in Coral Bay is a great introduction to the underwater world as conditions are usually very mild and there is never a shortage of things to see.
Exmouth also offers excellent opportunities for snorkellers - though you will either need a car to reach the west side of the cape or you will need to join one of the organized tours to the snorkelling beaches. Divers are treated to a tremendously diverse range of diving - from gentle, shallow dives to deep and drift diving for the more experienced. Doing your dive courses in Exmouth gives you the opportunity to experience a wide range of conditions and reef structures.
Try to plan to have time to spend in each location - you won't be disappointed and the range of life at each area is stunning.
Our water temperatures stay pleasant all year round. In the summer months (November - June) we dive in 3mm suits in temperatures ranging from 24C - 28C. In winter (July - November) we dive in two 3mm suits or 5mm suits in water from 20C - 23C.
Unfortunately this is an impossible one to answer! Our viz is mostly quite good (10m+), can be exceptional (25m+) or can be not so good (<5m). Viz will change with winds, tides and weather patterns - viz at some sites can clear up in a matter of hours. Our crew will do their best to drop you in the best water on the day.
We provide all of the equipment you will need and drinking water on board. On some tours lunch/refreshments will also be included - ask at the time of booking. You need only bring personal items, c-card and logbook.
YES!! No card, no dive. For those who wish to dive the Pier (Exmouth) you must also show your log book - no exceptions!
You can also show your logbook with your training dives properly logged and signed by the instructor.
If you have lost your card, or it has been stolen, you can contact your training centre (ie the dive centre you did your course with) or training agency (ie PADI, NAUI etc) and request that they either send or fax you confirmation of certification. You may have them fax us directly on +61 08 99 49 16 80 and we will hold it for you. Contact them early as they usually require two days to process and are closed on the weekends and holidays. Replacement cards are also available from your training agency for a fee.
If you have simply left your card behind you can also contact the training agency for a confirmation (it must be in writing). You can also have some one else find your card and fax us a photocopy.
If none of the above work for you and you still want to dive, you can join a Discover Scuba Diving experience in which you will always be with an instructor, will go through some basic theory and some basic skills in the pool before you get in the ocean. The maximum depth limit for these experiences is 12m. Or you can do another Open Water Course.
We run our PADI Open Water Courses every Tuesday and Friday from Exmouth; Saturdays from Coral Bay. This course is designed to introduce you to scuba diving and to have you reach certification at the end of the course. When you are certified you will be able to dive anywhere in the world to a maximum depth of 18m in conditions as good as, or better, than those you trained in. This means you can go on liveaboards and other dive charters, dive with another certified diver without an instructor or divemaster and continue your diving adventure with the PADI Advanced Course and Specialties.
Your Open Water Course is designed with three specific parts: Theory, Confined Water Dives (usually the pool), and Open Water Dives (we include 4 boat dives on the Ninglaoo Reef). Days 1 - 3 usually work with theory in the morning, then a break for lunch and the afternoon spent on your confined water dives. The theory includes videos and discussion of the various aspects of diving - your open water manual is a great resource for you to use for both prereading the chapter to be covered and for review. It is during this time that your instructor will also introduce the various pieces of equipment you will be using and you will begin to get comfortable with them. Days 4 - 5 include 2 open water (ocean) dives each and this is also the time to put your dive tables to practical use!
We run the PADI Open Water Course at your speed and we are happy to spend extra time with any student who feels they need more practice on anything. We have 9 full time instructors on staff year round - they are experienced with all kinds of students and also know the area extremely well - this means you will get to see some amazing stuff during your training dives!
We can cater for virtually any language. This course is great fun and most of the students we get on our courses end up keeping in touch during their travels and also end up making great friends and dive buddies!
Our dive packages can be
tailored so you do the dives you want to do - they can include seasonal tours,
courses, dives and combinations. Please contact us directly for more
information.
Do 6 - 10 eligible dives with us and receive a 10% discount; 11+ eligible dives receives 15%
discount. All discounts apply to our regular prices and exclude
Whale Shark Adventures and courses.
Whenever you can!! Both of our Ningaloo Reef locations have great Turtles, Dolphins, Sharks, Rays, Dugongs & 100's of species of Reef & Pelagic Fishes all year round. The diving is excellent throughout the year. The calmest afternoons are in the summer; in the winter months we can get some wind and swell, but it rarely means missing a day's diving! Below is a partial list of our more seasonal visitors in each area:
Exmouth:
Coral Bay: