Anybody dived Korea since the 2015 laws came into effect?

[joshua.d.vise]

Hi all!
I was told we can get a South Korea dedicated sub-forum if we can get a dozen or so people to message "The Chairman" and request it. If you have a spare moment, please send this person a message expressing your interest in getting our own sub-forum in the Regions/Asia section of the community. Cheers!

 

[scuba_divo]

Korea to regulate Scuba...

Here's the thread on that.

I should say that after diving several times in Korea, I have seen no evidence of the laws being put into action. I have not been asked to buy insurance (I have DAN, but they haven’t asked). I haven’t seen evidence of too many safety boats, or anything else discussed in the post about the law shared above.

 

[skippy311]

I dived Daejin Scuba Resort this weekend. There's a scuba park with three sunken fishing trawlers that you can wreck dive down to 28m. There is also an area with coral beds around 18m.

I'll have to give this dive a go. Am a diver with CMAS/KUA.

 

[skippy311]

Another vote for a Korea-specific sub-forum!

As a retirement project I am researching diving equipment companies around the world still engaged in the business of making traditional fins, masks and snorkels. A recent eBay acquisition was a Korean-made diving mask that came in an old-fashioned cardboard box displaying the manufacturer's products on one side:
View attachment 551548I've conducted several exhaustive online searches resulting in many sightings of the Daihan diving masks pictured centre in the second and third rows above. These masks are currently on sale on a number of Korean online marketing sites.

The other products illustrated have proved highly elusive, however, in particular the fins top left and centre. I've noticed nevertheless from various websites that they are used by Haenyeo divers on Jeju Island, e.g.
View attachment 551554
View attachment 551552

Can anyone shed any light on the Korean company manufacturing this basic gear? Here is the firm's logo:
View attachment 551559
I am puzzled by the dearth of information online about the company and its products. If it's any help, the mask is embossed with the English words:

DAI HAN SKIN DIVING MASK
MADE IN KOREA
MARINE SPORTS GORAE OVER THE SEA.

The top of the mask box is overprinted with the words "DAIHAN DIVING MASK" in English and "대한 황대 수경" in Korean. Although my knowledge of the Korean language is virtually nil, I was able to figure out that "GORAE" was a transliteration of the Korean "고래", meaning "whale" and presumably a reference to the firm's logo.

Will look into it and get back to you soon.

 

[David Wilson]

Will look into it and get back to you soon.

Thanks! Every little bit of information helps.

 

[scuba_divo]

Update: So, the 2015 laws stated:

Divers must apply for diving permits to the authorities 14 days in advance including names of all participants ( see below)​

Every diver must pay 12.000 Won per day for insurance ()​

Divers (regardless of their training status) can only enter the water in the company of an authorized safety diver ()​

A group of divers must have 1 authorized safety diver for every 5 divers ()​

If more than 5 divers are diving from a boat, a second safety boat must be present at the dive site ()​

Dive shop staff have to attend yearly safety training with a government authority ()​

​

Having dived in Korea since 2019, only some of the provisions seem to reflect the reality on the ground.
I have joined dive excursions a couple days before they were scheduled to happen without any problems (14 days ). There is often a signup sheet on the day of the dive that includes name, date of birth, Ph #, emergency contact #, etc.

I have not been charged 12,000W for insurance, at least they have not clearly marked that (they may have just bumped up their all-inclusive prices) (12,000W insurance ).

It does seem common (even required) for divers to dive with a professional (Instructor, guide, etc.) (Authorized safety diver). All my dives do seem to have complied with the 1:5 ratio ().

I've been on boats with more than 5 divers and there was no second safety boat ().

(Edit) @skippy311 indicated "Instructors need to attend a safety briefing workshop with the K.Gov" (See below)

 

[skippy311]

"Dive shop staff have to attend yearly safety training with a government authority ()"
Instructors need to attend a safety briefing workshop with the K.Gov.