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Frequently asked questions....

 
1.) What is included in a dive course?
 2.) Is this a school ? Will there be a test ?
 3.) When are dive courses starting ?
 4.) Why is Bali such a great place to learn to dive?
 5.) Shall I choose PADI or SSI ?
 6.) How old you have to be to take the course?
 7.) How active or physically fit do you have to be to take a
    dive certification course?
 8.) How healthy I have to be to learn diving? How healthy do you      have to be to pass the medical exam?
 9.) What kinds of medical conditions would prevent you
     from taking a dive course?
10.) What is the difference between PADI and SSI?
11.) What does completing the certification course entitle
      me to do?
12.) What can I do with the dive certifikation?
13.) What kinds of advanced certification are there?
14.) How soon after beeing certificated can I take the
     advanced course?
15.) Which languages are available for dive courses?
16.) What is the refund policy if I decide that diving is
     not for me?
17.) I don;t have four days to spend taking a dive course,
     what options do I have?
18.) I have a question which is not listed here – what can I do?

 ...AND THE ANSWERS!

 1.) What is included in a dive course? Each dive course, no matter which school, will combine two days of classroom and pool instruction. In the classroom you will be taught the terminology and concepts that are necessary to be a safe diver. In the pool you will become familiar with the dive equipment and it’s use, as well as practice the techniques you will use in the ocean, but in a safe, controlled, and enclosed environment.

 2.) Is this a school ? Will there be a test ?
Yes, a scuba certification course is a class, it is essential that students gain the knowledge and learn the proper techniques needed to enjoy diving safely. There is both written and a series of skills tests given during the course, and to become certified students must past both, and nearly all do.

 3.) When are dive courses starting ?
Each day. Individually.

 4.) Why is Bali such a great place to learn to dive?
We can think of a number of reasons that Bali is a great place to learn to dive. Here are just a few: Bali has a lot of  interesting dive sites like the famous ship wrecks starting at 4 meters depth, Manta point, shark cave. Coming together of 2 oceans (Indian + Pacific Ocean) which bring Bali a wide variety of underwater flora + fauna. Also above the water Bali has a lot to offer like volcanoes, rice fields, temples and a lot of friendly people.

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5.) Shall I choose PADI or SSI ?
Difficult to answer. PADI is a little more expensive than SSI. SSI is directly issuing the dive certification. With PADI you will first get the temporary card and 3 months later the original one. We are offering courses from both dive organizations.

 6.) How old do you have to be to take the course?
In Bali you must be 8 years old to start a course like (PADI Bubblemaker or PADI Sealteam or SSI Scuba Ranger) or 10 years old to do the PADI Junior Open Water Diver

 7. ) How active or physically fit do you have to be to take a dive certification course?
Fitness helps make diving much more comfortable and easy. However, peak or elite levels of physical fitness are not required. The minimum is to be able to swim 200 meters and tread water for 10 minutes. Improving your fitness will make you a more effective, and therefore safer diver. If you can increase your daily level of exercise in the weeks prior to taking the course you will enjoy the course more.

 8.) How healthy I have to be to learn diving? How healthy do you have to be to pass the medical exam?
Most reasonably healthy persons pass the medical and can learn diving. A medical check up is recommended.
 
 9.) What kinds of medical conditions would prevent you from taking a dive course?
We are not doctors, and cannot explain all the medical terminology. Generally, any medical condition that may be aggravated by the exercise or underwater environment of diving to the point where it impairs your health or a The best review of medical problems make diving unsafe we have found online is at the NAUI website (www.naui.com).

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10.) What is the difference between PADI and SSI?
     Both are american dive sport associations. Both instruct on RSTC (Recreational Scuba Diving Training Council) standards and have a mutual agreement and both are worldwide established. Please watch: www.padi.com or www.ssiaust.com

11.) What proportion of dive course students does not complete the course? Why do they fail?
In most dive schools less than 10% of the students do not pass the course. The reasons vary but typically one or more of the following are involved.

1. The students never become comfortable underwater, despite the encouragement and support of the instructor and class.
2. The student does not take the time to learn the material during the course.

The student has a medical condition that prevents them from passing the medical exam.

12.) What kinds of advanced certification are there?
The next course after basic certification is the advanced certification. The intent of the course is to give you additional skills and knowledge that will make you a more skilled and capable diver.
This course is usually a guided self-study course that combines reading and discussions with actual diving. There is a range of topics to choose from, many of which will make you a better and safer diver. These topics include underwater navigation, deep diving, night diving, and underwater naturalist. Five dives are typically required to complete this course.
Following advanced certification there are further courses, ranging from dive master all the way up to dive instructor. One of the dive schools is starting these courses each week, email us and we can send you a schedule of these courses if you are interested.

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13.) What does completing the certification course entitle me
to do ?
Successfully completing the course earns you a dive certification card, which entitles you to scuba dive worldwide. With the card you can take a dive vacation, buy dive gear, and fill your tanks at dive shops, and pursue advanced dive courses.

14.) How soon after being certified can I take the advanced course?
You can take the course immediately after completing the course. In fact, in Cairns all the dive schools offer a 6-day dive course that includes both the basic and advanced certification.

15.) Which languages are available for dive courses?
Our instructors are from Germany and Austria, so our mothertongue is German. But we also offer English, Indonesian and other languages on request (for example Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian).

16.) What is the refund policy if I decide that diving is not for me?
We will refund the money for the course part which hasn’t been done. If you have done a PADI course, you can also ask for the PADI Referral form, so you can finish the course in another place within 6 months.

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17.) I don’t have four days to spend taking a dive course, what options do I have?
You actually have two different options. The first is taking the classroom and pool portion of your dive course at home, then doing the dive portions of your course at Tulamben. This would save you two days on your holiday for other activities. The cost of referral courses is a bit less than the full course, but then you still need to pay for your course/pool work at home. The second option is to do what is called an introductory scuba dive. An introductory dive (or many of them) will not lead towards your dive certification, but it will get you a scuba experience.
An introductory dive is a highly supervised, limited depth scuba dive. The dive will be preceded by an instruction session where you will learn the basic techniques and skills. There will never be more than four introductory divers assigned to a single dive instructor. Depth is limited for an added safety margin. The upside to the depth limit is that the most abundant and colorful reef life is seen in the uppermost 10 meters anyway.

18.) .) I have a question which is not listed here – what can I do?
Send it to us by email or fax and we will be happy to send you a personal reply.

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   Yours,
            Tauch Terminal Bali Dive Team

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