BSAC Japan dive centres
DIVE CENTRE : Dive Service Jamming LOCATION : Nago City , Okinawa ! www . jamming-dive . net THE DIVE TEAM SAYS …
“ We are located in the northern part of Okinawa . You can dive with a dedicated guide to see limestone sea caves among stunning topography , wrecks , and coral reefs from our boat , or if you prefer , we can go diving from the shore .”
DIVE CENTRE : Diving Services Sea Friend LOCATION : Tokashiki Island , Okinawa
! www . seafriend . jp / en THE DIVE TEAM SAYS …
“ Based amid the beautiful and clear waters known as ‘ Kerama Blue ’, our dive team arranges boat dives up to three times a day , to a variety of local sites around the island , returning to the island after each dive . Each of our four dive boats can cater for a dive group of a particular level .”
DIVE CENTRE : Dive Estivant LOCATION : Kume Island , Okinawa ! www . dive-estivant . com THE DIVE TEAM SAYS …
“ We have a view of the beautiful aqua blue seas and white sand beach that is the most popular attraction in Kume island . We will cater to your desired diving style from our spacious purpose-built hard boat , including the chance to do a black water dive , to see weird and wonderful creatures of the night .”
DIVE CENTRE : Marine Station Dogashima LOCATION : Nishi-Izu , Shizuoka ! www . ms-dogashima . com THE DIVE TEAM SAYS …
“ Our shop is relatively close to Tokyo . You can enjoy cavern diving at Dogoshima on the coast and dive in very rare underwater hot springs .”
DIVE CENTRE : LM Marine LOCATION : Hiroshima City , Hiroshima ! www . lm-marine . lei-mauria . com THE DIVE TEAM SAYS …
“ Our shop has a 38-year history . With us you can wreck dive a very rare second world war wreck of the Japanese Battleship Mutsu .”
At the Centre
Some 3,000 new Ocean Divers graduate every year from BSAC Japan dive centres , Hosakawa san estimates , and many progress through the grades . In 2022 this resulted in 1,566 new Sports Divers , 139 Dive Leaders , 80 Dive Directors and 47 new instructors . In 2022 , 1,933 Skill Development Course attendances were logged . There ’ s a lot going on .
The population of Japan is around 126 million . People tend to live in cities : 28 per cent live in the Tokyo area and a further 12 per cent live around Osaka . BSAC Japan has 90 shops or centres . Following the population , 25 are in the Tokyo metropolitan area and 15 in the Osaka area ; there are 20 more in smaller cities . Then in the diving hotspots , there are about 20 around Okinawa ; seven in Izu ; and three in Wakayama . There are instructors and members who belong to BSAC through these dive shops and also members who are freelance instructors .
Green sea turtle , Okinawa
Reef scene in Okinawa
Centres in major cities such as Tokyo carry out initial training in a pool , just like in the UK . Open water training takes place in the ocean ; dive centres run commercial trips and courses for their divers to gain further experience and qualifications . The introduction of BSAC eLearning has been welcomed .
Many of the urban dive centres only offer dive trips to their students . But BSAC dive centres along the coast of Okinawa , Izu and the Kii Peninsula , for example , offer beach dives and boat dives to divers from any agency .
Japan ’ s underwater hotspots
Before you ask , wreck diving is not as popular in Japan as it is in the UK , says Eugene . The demographic of the diving community , young and a with a higher proportion of women , means that experience of beauty and wildlife is preferred over rusty metal , he explains .
The waters in Okinawa are beautifully
PHOTO © OCVB PHOTO © OCVB
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