CENTREFOCUS
The dive centre is a treasure trove of diving memorabilia
and ‘ experience ’ dives in the sea for those who have never dived before . Those who visit for just an experience of scuba are well looked after ; they dive without fins and are escorted around by at least two staff divers . There is plenty of opportunity for them to get a great Instagram photo or video clip to take away as a souvenir . Overseas diving visitors mainly come from South- East Asia , but also include US military personnel from bases in Korea .
What is the local diving like ?
The underwater life is an interesting mixture of temperate and tropical species . Local shore and boat dives include sights such as colourful soft coral gardens populated with many species of sub-tropical and
( increasingly ) tropical fish ; impressive shoals of horse mackerel swimming over the sandy sea floor ; and the very Instagramable opportunity to hug a local stone guardian . These characteristic solid stone figures are often associated with the island ’ s shamanic traditions and you find them on guard topside throughout the island . There is also a local artificial reef project to visit , where corals are grown on concrete tripod structures . The dive crew also organises trips abroad : on the latest in November 2022 , 10 divers visited Cebu in the Philippines , a mere four and a half hour flight away . Yoonseok ’ s ambition is for Coba Dive to be a role model for the best BSAC Korea has to offer , and from what I have seen that is exactly what he has achieved . �
BSAC Korea
As BSAC comes up to its 70th anniversary , BSAC Korea is celebrating nearly 30 years . In that time , 34 BSAC Korea centres have been established in South Korea and some 700 instructors have qualified . Two hundred instructors , including four National Instructors , remain registered , offering training and diving via dive centres , which provide a mixture of training , club diving , and diving gas and retail sales to an engaged BSAC community . BSAC Korea training is based on the Diver Training Programme , with dedicated support materials , and some local modifications to both the names of grades ( Advanced Diver becomes Dive Director , and Theory and Practical Instructors are known as Club Instructors ) and Skill Development Course ( SDC ) content . The climate in Korea is more extreme than in the UK , with hotter summers and colder winters , when temperatures regularly fall below zero and allow for the ice diving SDC to be run in a wintery lake near Seoul . Sea diving is possible all year round , although the typhoon season with 40 ° C heat and 100 % humidity falls in June , July and August . Marine environments range from the less dived murky waters of the West Sea , to the readily accessible , blue waters of the East Sea . The warm waters of Jeju Island in the far south can reach 29 ° C in summer and the rocky scenery there provides some of the best diving Korea has to offer . The area hosts a mix of temperate and tropical life and is a haven for macro photography . Another island destination is Ulleung , a volcanic island 75 miles off the east coast , which boasts dramatic volcanic cliffs and rock formations , primeval forests , and crystal clear waters for snorkelling and diving . BSAC Korea www . bsac . co . kr /
28 The Coba Dive team says an nyŏng ha-se yo ( that ’ s hello )