Dolphin Dive Fremantle

This is a review of their charter boat «Concord» which I went out on as part of the completion of my rebreather course (through another shop which doesn’t have their own boat) about a month ago.
I’ll preface this by saying that I’ve heard their other big boat «Blue Destiny» is much better.
In terms of dive charters around Perth, which is a fairly active market, the trip out on the Concord was laughably bad. The quality of the dive sites was fine, nothing doing with that, and the weather on the day we went out was passable as well — nothing on their fault for that.
What was their fault, which was doing my head in, was the running and servicing of the boat. The deck is cramped without much space to move or a dry area, their tank securing straps are weak, and the amenities on the boat are a joke.
The freshwater tanks weren’t filled prior to the trip, so as soon as we were out we found that the single shower and head (for a boat that holds about 30 people) were out of commission. Same thing with the drinking water — I brought my own but with nothing for drinking, tea, or coffee, that was a bit of a laugh.
The scheduling was a bit rich as well; for a boat that supposedly leaves at 8:30, we were off the docks by 9:30, which put us back in Fremantle at 5pm — which is about 2 hours later than most comparable boats.
I wasn’t terribly impressed but as one of the busier certification shops around here, and one with a prominent storefront in Freo, I guess they can continue to run things thisaway with more of the tourist business, but I doubt I’ll be back out with them again anytime soon.
edit: I speel gud

Dolphin dive floats my boat.
For any bubble blowers– in Aus you can pretty much divide the diving world into two categories, the SSI and the PADI. I’m an SSI girl so any chance I get to check out a dive shop and see what’s on the market I’ll take it– even if re-​breathers terrify me!
This shop is cute, it’s not a massive warehouse with stock a-​plenty, but what they do have is good quality. The wetsuits range between $ 400– $ 800 (on sale) which is dear but considering how much you pay for diving expeditions, you don’t skimp on gear and a wetty is a deal breaker if it doesn’t fit well or do the job.
The range of BCDs and Regs wasn’t huge but there is an «order in» option and the guy at the shop was more than happy to chat about the facilities they offer. They also offer a range of dives and courses from intro up to advanced and refreshers. Prices are high, but standard for the industry. Extreme sports are usually extremely expensive (one way or another– medical expenses included!)
For those of you hoping to extend the life of your existing gear, in desperate need of a service, the BCD maintenance is $ 30 a pop which is great value and the reg check up starts from $ 30– not including parts which can go up to $ 100+ depending on what needs to e done. They are also happy to mix and match if you want to upgrade with existing gear so if diving’s your scene, or snorkeling, or any water based sport or hobby– check these guys out.
Great service for any water baby