Term Conditions
Thank you for choosing Academy of Scuba for your diver training. Victoria hosts some of the best temperate water dive sites in the world, and at Academy of Scuba you will be trained by some of the top dive professionals in the country.
Terms and Conditions include: Retail; Booking Conditions; Refund & Cancellation Policy; Course Conditions Please take the time to read, and if you need any clarification, please do not hesitate to ask our staff. Academy of Scuba reserves the right to change these conditions from time to time and make changes to our services or any promotion or charges relating to the services at any time.
Terms and Conditions
Retail:
Academy of Scuba offers a 30 Day no-questions-asked exchange policy. Academy of Scuba is not required to provide a refund if you change your mind.
But you can choose a refund or exchange if an item has a major problem. This is when the item:
– has a problem that would have stopped someone from buying the item if they had known about it;
– is unsafe;
– is significantly different from the sample or description;
– doesn’t do what we said it would, or what you asked for and can’t be easily fixed.
If the problem is not major, we will repair the item within a reasonable time. If it is not repaired in a reasonable time you can choose a refund or replacement.
Please keep your proof of purchase – e.g. your receipt – and bring it along with the item.
Cancellation Policy
• For cancellations notified 30 days or more prior to activity start date Academy of Scuba will provide a full refund minus a 10% booking fee;
• For cancellations notified more than 10 days (but less than 30 days) prior to activity start date Academy of Scuba will provide a 50% refund;
• For cancellations notified less than 10 days prior to activity start date there will be no refund offered.
• If you do not attend at the agreed date, time and place you may not be entitled to any refund. We reserve the right, when necessary, to alter routes, vehicles/vessels and times.
Bookings Policy
– Minimum numbers are required for all trips and courses. Academy of Scuba will endeavour to meet our required minimum numbers, if however, we do not meet minimum numbers you will be offered a full refund or an alternative date.
– If an activity or course is cancelled for any reason including for safety reasons or unsuitable weather conditions, this will be at the discretion of the dive instructor and/or divemaster. We will endeavor to notify you as soon as possible; you will be offered full refund, or an alternative date.
– All divers certified and uncertified will be required to complete and sign a Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement, RSTC Medical Statement, as well as a Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding. Failure to complete these forms will result in you not being able to take part in any diving activities.
– If you are a certified diver you will be required to produce your certification card prior to the activity / course commencing. Failure to do so will result in you not being able to take part in any diving activities. If you have lost your certification card, please contact us prior to booking.
– If it has been over 12 months since your last dive, we may request you complete a SCUBA Refresher prior to your trip or course. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Dive Course Specific Policy
You have 12 months from start date of original course booked to complete your course.
Refunds on courses follow our standard cancellation and bookings policy as outlined above minus any consumables that have been supplied prior the commencement of the course e.g. E-learning pass, text books etc. Consumable costs are as follows:
Open Water – $250
Advanced & Rescue – $200
Specialties – $150
All students completing PADI Open Water Diver course MUST obtain an Australian Standard AS4005.1 Diving Medical PRIOR to commencement of the course. All students completing any other PADI courses must complete a RSTC Medical Statement prior to booking. Any student who answers YES to having ANY of the medical conditions on the RSTC Medical Statement MUST obtain an Australian Standard AS4005.1 Diving Medical PRIOR to commencement of the course. Please note there are many diving doctors in Melbourne. To find a diving doctor near you via South Pacific Underwater Medical Society (SPUMS) website at www.spums.org.au
Academy of Scuba require Open Water students to have a diving medical as it may uncover conditions or issues you may not be aware of, for example ear, nose and throat, or lung function issues, which could expose you to risk of serious injury or death while diving. Australian Standard AS4005.1 and SPUMS both recommend a diving medical be completed.
No refunds will be offered for any student changing their mind about a course unless they are deemed medically unfit to dive by a diving doctor, or;
– After completing the Open Water theory and pool sessions, should you decide you do not like SCUBA diving, and do not wish to continue, you will be refunded all monies paid except the $250 deposit. The only provisos are that you make us aware of this on the day of your pool session. Please note that you must complete the theory and pool sessions to be eligible for this.
Course Transfer Policy
From time to time students are unable to complete courses for various reasons beyond the control of Academy of Scuba. Academy of Scuba will endeavour to accommodate customers finishing unused portions of a course at minimal costs.
PLEASE NOTE- DEPOSITS ON COURSES AS OUTLINED ABOVE ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Course cancellation after commencement: – No refund, but if possible, Academy of Scuba will transfer you to another course on a later date. To cancel boat dives on courses we will need 24 hours’ notice. If another boat dive needs to be booked to complete the course, and 24 hours’ notice was not given, the additional boat dive(s) must be paid for by the student. This is because Academy of Scuba will have already been invoiced for the unused dives. Please ask staff if you need any more information.
Course transfer fee: –
We allocate staff to our courses according to the number of students that are booked on. Transferring interferes with our logistics and inconveniences other customers if we then fall below our minimum number to conduct courses.
Transfer after course commencement – $100
Transfer within 10 days of commencement- 50% of your course fee
Transfer before 10 days of commencement- $100.
Cancellation within 10 days of commencement- NO REFUND.
Important Note: Check with your instructor or the shop for any amendments to the course schedule at the beginning of your course. Please call your instructor or the store as soon as possible if you are running late or need to reschedule/transfer (see refund policy above).
In the interests of health and safety, any student found to be unfit (ill or hungover) on training days will have their course postponed and will incur a $100 transfer fee. If a student is found to not understand the course content for language barrier reasons, please be aware that your instructor reserves the right to stop your course and suggest a different method of course delivery, which may include private tuition. Failure to understand course content can lead to dangerous situations for students and staff members involved.
Due to circumstances beyond the control of Academy of Scuba we may need to postpone the course you are booked in for. This is usually due to students transferring to other courses, weather, or if the instructor falls ill or is otherwise unable to make the course. We will obviously try everything we can to make this a last resort, but if this happens, we will reschedule you to the closest possible convenient date on which the booked-on course is conducted again, and there will be no charge.
Insurance:
All passengers are strongly advised to purchase a comprehensive Travel Insurance policy, Dive Insurance Policy or have any other insurance policy that covers:
• Trip Cancellation
• Lost/damaged personal belongings or equipment, due to any reason, and
• Evacuation and Medical cover for Scuba Diving
Note: In a medical emergency, any evacuation, vessel relocation or medical expenses are the financial responsibility of that passenger.
Gift Voucher Policy
Gift cards and vouchers are treated as cash and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. Gift Cards/Vouchers may only be used for purchases in Academy of Scuba and cannot be returned or exchanged for cash. Gift Vouchers cannot be used to purchase gift vouchers. Gift Vouchers must be used within 12 months of purchase.
Points System
We´ve created a Points System for you to save money on every underwater adventure and every purchase you make with us. LEARN MORE HERE.
Student Agreement
You’ve paid your deposit / course fee; you have your manuals and now you need to complete a few things before coming to the first day/night of your course:
• All courses must be paid for in full by or on the course start date.
• Read your course manual and / or eLearning
• Answer all relevant knowledge reviews prior to your theory session. Check with staff if you do not know which ones to do. Failure to do so will result in transferring your course as this is unfair to other students who have taken the time to complete their work. A course transfer fee applies.
• For Open Water Diver Course students, please make sure you watch the Open Water Diver DVD if you have the course textbook.
• A dive medical must be obtained for all Open Water Diver students and for some students after completing the medical statement. Please ask staff if you are unsure about this.
• All courses require you to have your own mask, snorkel, boots and fins at minimum. To receive the full benefit of other courses additional pieces of equipment may need to be purchased.
• You agree to give Academy of Scuba the opportunity to provide you with the best possible equipment suitable to fulfil your diving needs on your course.