Booking Terms and Conditions – Day Tours
Please read and understand these Terms and Conditions prior to booking your tour. By booking a tour with Dive Ningaloo you agree on your own behalf, and on behalf of any others you are booking for, to accept these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions override all other terms and conditions previously provided to you and are available via our website at all times. These Terms and Conditions apply to all bookings made with Dive Ningaloo whether in person, over the phone or via our website.
Dive Ningaloo offers professional service to small diving groups. Small groups is defined as maximum 15 scuba divers onboard the boat. During school holidays only, due to high demand, Dive Ningaloo takes a maximum of 20 scuba divers at one time so that more visitors can experience the Ningaloo. On the Navy Pier dive we take a maximum of 17 divers.
Dive Ningaloo reserves the right to change and choose the diving destination on the day. This is something we try not to do and would only do this to improve your diving experience on the day. Things that affect site choice are usually weather and visibility.
On the day of your tour all passengers will be required to sign a waiver/ liability release, you can request a copy of this waiver prior to your tour.
By booking on any of Dive Ningaloo’s tours, you agree to accept the following terms and conditions:
Diving Booking Conditions
A minimum 20% non-refundable deposit is required to book any tour. This is a booking fee. All dives must be paid for in full, 7 days prior to departure.
It is up to you, the customer to inform Dive Ningaloo about any medical conditions/medication or any other reason that may affect you diving or exclude you from diving, at the time of booking.
You as a customer acknowledge that you must produce a dive certification card on the day, and that a NO CARD – NO DIVING rule applies. If you do not have a diving card, you the customer, must inform Dive Ningaloo prior to your tour so that you can be checked online. No checks can be done on the day.
If you are an open water diver certification level, you must be able to demonstrate that you have dived in the last 12 months or logged a minimum of 30 or more dives, otherwise you can attend a pool refresher with one of our Dive Masters. If you are of greater experience you may be asked at the discretion of Dive Ningaloo to have a refresher dive, depending on the amount of time past.
As the customer you are responsible for safe diving practices during your diving with Dive Ningaloo and also after diving, for example; not exceeding NDLs, surfacing with 50 bar minimum, and also no flying for 24 hours after diving. Please refer the PADI safe diving statement of understanding.
Dive Ningaloo reserve the right to change and choose the diving destination on the day. This is something we try not to do and would only do so to improve your diving experience on the day. Visibility on the Ningaloo Reef is an average of 5-15m and 3-8m at the Navy Pier, although it can be better at times. We try to find the best spots, but clearer water is not always there. If the visibility is less than 3m we will cancel the tour and give you the option to reschedule or receive a full refund.
Customers must acknowledge that any diving equipment used or borrowed is your responsibility, and you are financially accountable for any loss or damage through carelessness, e.g. not attaching your cylinder to the boat and it falls over, dropping your weight belt on equipment and damaging it. You the customer, authorise Dive Ningaloo to charge you to cover any loss or damages to equipment borrowed or hired.
Please note, minimum numbers are required to run a tour, if these numbers are not reached customers will be offered to reschedule to another day, or given a full refund.
Dive Ningaloo are not responsible for any personal loss, damages to equipment, injury or seasickness.
Navy Pier Specific Booking Conditions
Please note that all of the above diving conditions apply in addition to conditions listed below for diving the Exmouth Navy Pier.
The Exmouth Navy Pier is a Defence Restricted Area and therefore national security measures apply. Directions given by Defence representatives or Dive Ningaloo staff are to be followed without question.
Divers must bring $50 on the day of their tour (cash or card accepted) to pay the Surcharge for diving on a Defence base. This Surcharge applies to everyone booking on the navy pier. No payment of Surcharge = no diving.
This Surcharge is to cover the Commonwealth licence fee charged by the Commonwealth to Dive Ningaloo for access to and use of the Navy Pier. Credit Card is accepted but cash is preferred.
Divers MUST produce an original copy of photographic ID in order to enter the base. This can only include the original document of a valid passport or a photographic Australian driving licence. No other forms of ID are accepted and you will be refused entry if you do not have appropriate ID on you on the day. Any minor’s (under 18) will need to provide ID at the time of booking, in order for us to seek approval from Defence. ID for a minor can also include a student card. Approval for a minor cannot be sought on the day of the tour and usually requires 3 days notice.
The Navy Pier is an intermediate level dive site due to currents, underwater structures and the entry and exit to the water. If you have not dived within the specified time, or do not feel confident to conduct an intermediate level dive then a refresher dive in the pool or an open water dive onboard our dive boat prior to diving the pier is required to assess your level and refresh skills. Divers enter the water via a giant stride, maximum height 3m. Divers must be able to climb up a 3m 20 degree stairway in full equipment (minus fins) in order to exit the water. If you are physically unable to do this, you cannot dive the Exmouth Navy Pier as you will unable to exit the water.
From time to time dives will be conducted from the beach. Divers must be able to exit the water wearing full SCUBA gear and walk back to the trailer, approximately 150m.
Diving times at the pier vary from day to day depending on tides. Dive Ningaloo has no control over tide times or weather conditions. Divers MUST stick to the advised dive time at all costs, if you overstay your dive time this has serious consequences due to currents. A double dive at the Navy Pier is only possible if our schedule is adhered to, a 30 minute surface interval is the maximum time allowed and the second dive must be made on time. Of you are late entering the water, this time is taken off the dive time. The navy pier is a shore dive and therefore no rescue tender is available to collect divers who drift away from the pier structure. There will be a fee at the discretion of the trip leader, if dive time is overstayed and this causes safety problems, rescue is required, or it affects the running schedule of the day and disturbance to other customers. Customers authorise Dive Ningaloo to charge them for these fees.
If we are unable to do a morning dive due to conditions and an afternoon dive is an option, you will be scheduled on to that dive instead. Make sure you leave the full day available, as no refunds will be given if you can’t make the afternoon dive. If you are booked onto a double dive and we are only able to do a single dive that day due to tides, you will be refunded the difference between the double and single price.
There is no smoking allowed at any time during the entire Navy Pier tour, this is enforced by the Department of Defence and is due to fuel lines running along the pier structure.
Dive Courses Specific Booking Conditions
Dive Ningaloo runs courses on demand. We require a minimum of 2 people to run any course. All fees must be paid in full prior to starting the course.
Please allow sufficient time to complete your course as we may need to change 1 or 2 days due to weather conditions or not reaching minimum numbers on our boat. It is rare for this to happen, but time must be allowed in case.
There are no refunds for courses if you cancel less than 7 days before your course or if you are unable to complete the course. Dive Ningaloo will only offer a refund on a course if we are unable to complete the course for you within 7 days of starting.
If we are unable to do a day of your course due to bad weather, Dive Ningaloo will move you to the next available day instead.
All other booking terms and conditions apply.
Cancellation Policy
A 20% non refundable deposit is required to book any tour. You must pay for your tour in full, 7 days before departure. If you cancel your tour more than 7 days from departure the deposit is retained to cover administration and banking costs. There will be no refunds or make-up tours if you cancel your tour less than 7 days before departure. Or if you fail to join your tour at the agreed pick up location and at the specified time.
You can reschedule your tour at any time up to 72 hours before your tour departs, if availability allows and at the discretion of management. More than one reschedule will not be permitted.
