CanadianSushi
Registered
Hey everyone!
I don't know if this has been discussed before, but it seems that most of the previous threads have disappeared off the forum since the big server crash. Anyway, I just got back from diving in Izu the past two weekends. Did some dives in Osezaki and then another couple in Futo, on the other side of the peninsula. We dove IOP and Wakinohama.
It seems that just about all the dive shops in the area have a pretty standard price for fun dives -- a little expensive in my books. 12,600 yen seems to be par for the course. I have a dive buddy who always goes with a small, mom & pop shop that charges a few thousand less and has really cheap accommodations to boot (2000 yen a night I believe). Unfortunately, they don't seem to be terribly receptive to new (read: foreign) clientelle :shakehead so when we tried to book with him for last weekend, we were given the cold shoulder and told "no" and "maybe next month." In addition, even if we WERE able to get in with them, there's no guarantee that they won't be busy and all booked up. It sucks to have to scrub a scuba trip because your fave LDS is all booked up. As a result, we ended up diving with Papalagi Divers, which wasn't so cheap.
My question to you all is -- do you know of any inexpensive outfits on Izu that you can recommend. My Japanese is passable enough to speak on the phone or make reservations -- so that part doesn't bother me... Although, if they have any English-speaking staff, that would be an added bonus.
But my main concerns are: getting a dive shop that:
1) costs less than 12,600 for 2 beach dives, and...
2) has access to inexpensive overnight accommodations (of any kind).
Ideally, I'd like to develop a relationship with one or two companies that would help me grow over time. I live about 3.5 hours away from Izu by car and my goal is to do at least one dive a month. I'm not a terribly experienced diver yet (got my OW card in April and have logged 14 dives to date) so it would be nice to have a DM or guide that will help out when/where needed but my ideal goal would be to get to the point where I could dive (with a buddy) but without a guide. In other words, a company that would eventually allow me to rent just the tank (as I own all my other gear). I think companies like Jester (http://www.izu.co.jp/~jester/) do allow you to do just that... But I know nothing about them. It's always good to get personal recommendations from other divers.
Anyway, please and thank you for everyone's help!
I don't know if this has been discussed before, but it seems that most of the previous threads have disappeared off the forum since the big server crash. Anyway, I just got back from diving in Izu the past two weekends. Did some dives in Osezaki and then another couple in Futo, on the other side of the peninsula. We dove IOP and Wakinohama.
It seems that just about all the dive shops in the area have a pretty standard price for fun dives -- a little expensive in my books. 12,600 yen seems to be par for the course. I have a dive buddy who always goes with a small, mom & pop shop that charges a few thousand less and has really cheap accommodations to boot (2000 yen a night I believe). Unfortunately, they don't seem to be terribly receptive to new (read: foreign) clientelle :shakehead so when we tried to book with him for last weekend, we were given the cold shoulder and told "no" and "maybe next month." In addition, even if we WERE able to get in with them, there's no guarantee that they won't be busy and all booked up. It sucks to have to scrub a scuba trip because your fave LDS is all booked up. As a result, we ended up diving with Papalagi Divers, which wasn't so cheap.
My question to you all is -- do you know of any inexpensive outfits on Izu that you can recommend. My Japanese is passable enough to speak on the phone or make reservations -- so that part doesn't bother me... Although, if they have any English-speaking staff, that would be an added bonus.
But my main concerns are: getting a dive shop that:
1) costs less than 12,600 for 2 beach dives, and...
2) has access to inexpensive overnight accommodations (of any kind).
Ideally, I'd like to develop a relationship with one or two companies that would help me grow over time. I live about 3.5 hours away from Izu by car and my goal is to do at least one dive a month. I'm not a terribly experienced diver yet (got my OW card in April and have logged 14 dives to date) so it would be nice to have a DM or guide that will help out when/where needed but my ideal goal would be to get to the point where I could dive (with a buddy) but without a guide. In other words, a company that would eventually allow me to rent just the tank (as I own all my other gear). I think companies like Jester (http://www.izu.co.jp/~jester/) do allow you to do just that... But I know nothing about them. It's always good to get personal recommendations from other divers.
Anyway, please and thank you for everyone's help!