Our Travel Policies

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. Also, based on the trip, you are also agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of the travel agency, resort, liveaboard, or other entity, which supersedes our Terms and Conditions.

Welcome Divers!

We are so glad you are interested in traveling with us! While we plan on having an immense amount of fun, we must tackle the more serious side of travel. Through our policies, we want to convey the seriousness of the sport, travel, and what to expect from our trips. Then, we can get to the fun!

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!

Traveling with Sound Dive Center

Sound Dive Center asks that everyone has an updated trip agreement and medical questionairre 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 were to happen during the trip. The things you will be responsible for signing off on include, but are not limited to, purchasing dive insurance, purchasing a Travel Protection Plan, completing a Medical Statement Form, 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, mentioned below.

Chargeback Claims

By signing up for trips through Sound Dive Center, you are also agreeing to not make any chargeback claims.

Airlines

Each trip’s itinerary is different, and your trip leader will let you know when and where you are expected to arrive and depart. Sound Dive Center does not make your travel arrangements to get to and from the primary destination.

This means that you are responsible for driving or flying to your trip’s meeting location and for contacting your trip leader 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

Sound 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

Sound 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 Sound Dive Center was 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.

Sound 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.

General Travel Information

Passports

For trips leaving the country, you must have a valid passport on you during the trip. Your passport must also be good 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

Sound 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. While we cannot tell you which company to use, the gold standard would be a plan that covers a cancelation for any reason. If you have questions about Travel Protection Plans, we recommend contacting DAN, DiveAssure, or World Nomads.

Traveling as a Diver

Dive Insurance

Sound 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.

Sound Dive Center recommends DAN or DiveAssure. Please read over each provider’s policies and choose the one that meets your diving needs the best.

Preparing for a trip

Sound 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. Generally, we advise getting your equipment serviced once a year.

For your diving skills, if it has been several years since your last dive, we recommend signing up for a refresher course! If you are not quite as rusty, you can pay to dive our pool on your own. If you just had your equipment serviced, or are buying new equipment, the fee is waived because we want to make sure you are 100% comfortable with your set up before you travel.

Thank you

Thank you for staying knowledgeable about our travel policies and how to dive safely. Again, if you have any questions please let us know!

Sound Dive Center staff!