How would someone from the west rate Korea's scuba diving infrastructure?

[dhkim030203]

I don't personally know anybody that dives except my uncle who works for a salvage company, and he didn't have a lot of good things to say about the infrastructure here. Then again he's probably speaking from his old days (20+ years ago) so I don't know if I should take his word for granted.

 

[happy-diver]

I think it's magnificent!

Haenyeo - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Haenyeo - Seeing the Incredible Women Divers of Jeju Island - South Korea! - Dive O'Clock!

The Haenyeo (women divers), some in their 80s, dive to collect seaweed, shellfish and other seafood in a unique way (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO). You can still see some of these sea mermaids 'at work' and learn all about their history and culture in the Haenyeo museum on...

www.diveoclock.com

Old is good!

 

[joshua.d.vise]

In general, I would rate it as excellent, with a few caveats:

1. English (or other foreign language) resources are not always easy to come by. This is because the local diving community is really oriented towards Korean divers (as it should be, I think).
2. Rental gear is not as plentiful compared to how many dive shops and outfits there are. This is because many divers own their own stuff. This is not to say that you can't rent equipment. Rather, sometimes it may be hard to find your size, or the stuff that a shop has may be a bit worn (not to say that it is not serviced properly or taken care of...I just mean that it is a bit tired looking sometimes).
3. One aspect of Korean diving that may be a bit "behind the times" is their attitude towards preservation or sustainability. Many people dive with the intention of catching and eating things that they find. I don't think this is necessarily wrong, as Korea has a long tradition of fishing in this way (see the video above), but I think sometimes this attitude comes at the expense of the environment. I don't have a lot of experience or anecdotes about this, and there may be lots of divers working towards sustainable outcomes that I am unaware of, but it just seems to me that there are fewer efforts to consider the environment when diving than I have experienced in other locales.
4. The oceans around Korea are not the easiest waters to dive in. Visibility can be limited, currents can be strong and change quickly, and water is generally cool or cold. When combined with limited language abilities in English (or our limited ability in Korean), dive instructors are hesitant about taking divers out when they are unsure of their abilities in Korean waters. I actually think that this is a plus, as they are erring on the side of safety, but it can make finding an outfit willing to dive with you a bit tough initially.

These are just some of my opinions, and others may contradict my ideas or have other experiences to share. I hope this has been helpful.

 

[Edward3c]

I don't personally know anybody that dives except my uncle who works for a salvage company, and he didn't have a lot of good things to say about the infrastructure here. Then again he's probably speaking from his old days (20+ years ago) so I don't know if I should take his word for granted.

From what I see BSAC Korea seem to be doing OK. They are also on FB here.

Disclaimer: I am the Chair of BSAC UK.

 

[scuba_divo]

I feel like this is one of those discussions that needs a lot of caveats and terms defined. Keep in mind that diving has really only taken off in Korea in the last 10 years or so. Prior to that, there was diving but it was more of a tourist thing in Jeju and a couple other touristy places. The last ten years has seen a big increase in numbers of Korean divers and investment in little 'dive resorts' (often just small operations who have staked out the action and provide boat services for one location with a few dive sites). As the East coast is often just sandy bottom with not much vegetation, they have been consistently working on creating artificial reefs, sunken vessels and various other dive attractions.

Diving, like Chinese food, tends to adapt to the needs of the area it's in. In Thailand, there are a lot of big boats that service the tourist industry. They know that they will have a lot of divers day in and day out year round. Korea started investing in dive sites and infrastructure much more recently. They also have a lot of maritime laws (due to the conflict with North Korea) that may prohibit certain types of development. Much of the local dive trade is weekends and holidays, so the small boats and downscale operations match what the local economy will support.

That being said, I spent last summer diving Korea with Korean operators and loved it. The little boats used on the East Coast work in that context. Korea is transitioning from cheap ramshackle services to more upscale options in many tourist areas. I assume this will also happen in the scuba industry. Korea also offers two deep scuba/freediving training pools (26m and 36m respectively) and many clubs have regular pool sessions in large swimming pools to work on skills training when the weather is bad or the winter water is too cold. There's quite a bit on offer and it's growing.

 

[Centrals]

Mactan Island and Puerto Galera in Philippines have several large Korean operated dive resorts catered mainly for their own peoples.

 

[happy-diver]

I am the Chair of BSAC UK.

Mate how's Walesey goin
I remember seein his old man on the news doivin the Mary Rose fourty plus years ago
Magnificent!