Over the past 20 years, Carolina Dive Center has organized dive travel to most of the world’s dive destinations. We are going to have fun and do everything possible to make sure you have an amazing vacation.
We want to convey the seriousness of the sport, travel, and what to expect from our trips.
By purchasing our trips, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions listed below. These are subject to change and will be updated here, on our website. After you have made a deposit on a trip, we will email you a Personal Services Contract to review and electronically sign. This is to just ensure everyone is protected if something does go wrong. We respect that you are investing in your dive vacation.
General Travel Information
Passports
For trips leaving the country, you must have a passport on you during the trip. Your passport must also be valid for at least 6 months after the trip return date. If you’re not an American citizen, some destinations additionally require visas.
Travel Protection Plans
Carolina Dive Center and all our travelers are held accountable to all service providers we use. This includes, but is not limited to, hotels, resorts, liveaboard, onsite transportation, and dive operations. All these service providers have their own policies and terms for cancelations refunds that we have no control over.
Therefore, we strongly recommend purchasing a Travel Protection Plan. So much so that in your trip application, we ask that you sign off saying you are choosing not to purchase it. While we cannot tell you which company to use, many of our travelers choose Dive Assure.
Carolina Dive Center always recommends having dive insurance. We ask that you have an active plan during your travels, that you have the information or card on you during the trip, and that you provide us with a copy of that information. This insurance covers some items that are not generally covered by regular health insurance. For example, a trip to the decompression chamber, because of a diving injury, will be covered under dive insurance but not health insurance. This, as well as the international coverage, is why we recommend dive insurance.
Please read over each provider’s policies and choose the one that meets your diving needs the best.
We are both entering this contract with the intention of you paying for and receiving an amazing trip! If you have any questions about anything below, please feel free to call us! We’re here to make sure your vacation is safe and enjoyable!
Personal Services Contract/Trip Agreement
Carolina Dive Center asks that everyone have a signed Personal Services/Trip Agreement on file for each trip.
This ensures that you have done your due diligence before the trip and that we have the proper information needed in case something was to happen during the trip. The things you will be responsible for electronically signing off on include,
-a Medical Statement Form,
-a Liability Waiver,
-Trip Payment Terms,
-Cancelation Policy, and
-Refreshing your dive skills if necessary.
Non-refundable payment plans
Most of our trips involve a payment plan, with an initial deposit. All these payments are non-refundable, which is why we suggest a Trip Protection Plan. The initial deposit can be made with Credit Card. For all other payments the preferred payments methods are check or Venmo. We do not mark up trips to cover Credit Card processing fees. Therefore all payments made via credit card are subject to a 4% Credit Card processing fee.
Chargeback claims
By signing up for trips through Carolina Dive Center, you are also agreeing to not make any chargeback claims.
Airlines
Each trip’s itinerary is different, and your trip leaders will let you know when and where you are expected to arrive and depart. We will ask you to forward us your flight itinerary so we can arrange airport transfers from the airport to dive destination.
This means that you are responsible for driving or flying to your trip’s meeting location and for contacting your trip leaders if a flight gets delayed or changed. This also means you are responsible for knowing and being held to the airline’s policies. We cannot be held accountable for any canceled flights or the airline’s refusal to issue refunds.
Hotels/Resorts
Carolina Dive Center will act as the intermediary agent between you and the hotel, resort, or liveaboard we use. However, each destination will have its own policies that will supersede our policies. You will be responsible for making sure you understand these terms.
Dive Operations
Carolina Dive Center makes arrangements with the dive operations based on the occupancy and registration of the group. Therefore, last-minute additions or single-member changes may change fees before the dive.
While Carolina Dive Center is the intermediary agent to arrange the trips with the dive operation, it is ultimately up to the dive operation to say if we dive, where we dive, and who dives. Dive operations also have their own policies that you will be responsible for knowing. As well as waivers you may have to sign before diving.
Carolina Dive Center trusts the dive operations we use and their judgment on weather and diver’s abilities. If a divemaster or leader believes your diving skills are so marginal as to compromise your safety and refuses to let you dive, we will stand behind that decision.
Preparing for a trip
Carolina Dive Center believes the more prepared you are, the fewer problems you will run into and the more fun you will have! This includes not only your equipment but your skills as well.
For your dive equipment, if you are bringing your own make sure you are familiar with the equipment and that it has been serviced or tested before your trip.
For your diving skills, if it has been several years since your last dive, we recommend signing up for a refresher!
As we get closer to our trip, you will receive multiple communications. These usually include:
- Trip Emails to re-validate flights, share travel documents, and communicate any forms/waivers the resorts need completed prior to the trip;
- A meet and greet to review all the trips logistics; and
- We also set up a WHATSAP group for communications and picture sharing during our trips.
We Want To Make Sure You Have The Best Dive Vacation Possible
Thank you for staying knowledgeable about our travel policies and how to dive safely. Again, if you have any questions please let us, or your trip leader, know!
We have a history of over 20 years of running great dive trips and we expect yours to be no different!
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