Unfortunately a slight rant follows. But I feel it is very justified. (For the record I have lived in Japan for 6 years, speak good Japanese (日本語能力試験1級 and have experience dealing with the Japanese so I am not a fresh, clueless gaijin).
I have long avoiding diving in Japan because of all the negative stories I heard. But finally I took the plunge a couple of weeks ago and went diving in Wakayama Prefecture in Kansai.
Unfortunately diving in Japan is ridiculous. Somehow the Japanese have managed to kill the whole spirit of diving as only they could. Not only is it over-priced, but almost all diving shops never dive longer than 40 minutes. (If you ask why, they will tell you it is dangerous to do so.. "We don't do decompression diving, longer than 40 minutes is dangerous. Do you even have a licence?"). I eventually found a place that would let me do 50-60 minute dives after phoning over 15 dive shops. Most just said "muri" (impossible).
To make matters worse, unfortunately in my experience the Japanese make some of the worst divers I have ever seen as well. I headed out in Wakayama with a group of ten Japanese divers in two groups.
All the Japaneses divers had very little awareness. It was really sad. Clambering all over the reef, lying on it, touching it, breaking it with no clue. Even the instructor with 5000 dives wasn't much better. It really annoyed me. They had no buoyancy control whatsoever but all had DSLR cameras and cases. (many $000's worth of gear). They silted up the bottom and kicked half the things that they'd photographed when moving onto the next thing to see. It may be a cultural difference but it didn't impress me to say the least. I was saddened. Please tell me that this isn't common?? I haven't dived with that many Japanese but so far has all been this way... Anyone with more experience care to comment?
I should add that as individuals all these people were really friendly and nice people. Afterwards we all had a good time filling in the logs and joking around, so it was nothing personal at all. But their diving....omg.
(I have heard that Okinawa is different though and much more laid back. Don't know if it is true or not... )
I really hope my experiences are an exception rather than a rule, but I was taken aback frankly... :depressed:
It has taken the enthusiasm out of diving here for me a little. There is some good news though...
I am flying to the Philippines on Saturday for two weeks of diving.
I have long avoiding diving in Japan because of all the negative stories I heard. But finally I took the plunge a couple of weeks ago and went diving in Wakayama Prefecture in Kansai.
Unfortunately diving in Japan is ridiculous. Somehow the Japanese have managed to kill the whole spirit of diving as only they could. Not only is it over-priced, but almost all diving shops never dive longer than 40 minutes. (If you ask why, they will tell you it is dangerous to do so.. "We don't do decompression diving, longer than 40 minutes is dangerous. Do you even have a licence?"). I eventually found a place that would let me do 50-60 minute dives after phoning over 15 dive shops. Most just said "muri" (impossible).
To make matters worse, unfortunately in my experience the Japanese make some of the worst divers I have ever seen as well. I headed out in Wakayama with a group of ten Japanese divers in two groups.
All the Japaneses divers had very little awareness. It was really sad. Clambering all over the reef, lying on it, touching it, breaking it with no clue. Even the instructor with 5000 dives wasn't much better. It really annoyed me. They had no buoyancy control whatsoever but all had DSLR cameras and cases. (many $000's worth of gear). They silted up the bottom and kicked half the things that they'd photographed when moving onto the next thing to see. It may be a cultural difference but it didn't impress me to say the least. I was saddened. Please tell me that this isn't common?? I haven't dived with that many Japanese but so far has all been this way... Anyone with more experience care to comment?
I should add that as individuals all these people were really friendly and nice people. Afterwards we all had a good time filling in the logs and joking around, so it was nothing personal at all. But their diving....omg.
(I have heard that Okinawa is different though and much more laid back. Don't know if it is true or not... )
I really hope my experiences are an exception rather than a rule, but I was taken aback frankly... :depressed:
It has taken the enthusiasm out of diving here for me a little. There is some good news though...
I am flying to the Philippines on Saturday for two weeks of diving.