AQUABASE,

Awful service, bad gear and ridieculously expensive

We were going for a 2 dive on a japanese wreck outside Kuching. The guide was insisting that the conditions were perfect and that the sea was calming down. We paid an approximate 100 Euro for a 2 tank dive and 50 Euro for equipment rental as we had left our gear in another city. First of all, we had to carry the gas down to the boat. Secondly, the guide didnt have a clue about tidal water, so we had to sit and do nothing for 3 hrs waiting for the water to come in so the boat could go out. The boatman was reluctant to go because of the weather, but the guide pursued him. The gear was crap, all our BCD:s took in air and my friend's regulator was bit so you couldnt hold it securely in the mouth. We had to carry everything (tanks, weights and equipment) to the boat ourselves which was about 200m across the beach and then into the water. The water was all but calm, very choppy and the rain was pouring down. My lips were blue already before we arrived in the spot, and there was nowhere to take shelter in the tiny boat. The guide told us beforehand that she often has problems finding the rope to the surface (?!?) but we were confident that would be fine. Went down on the rope, very strong currents on surface, and viz about 10m. Once at the wreck the currents did go away though. Started following the guide, but after a while she started gesturing strongly, went away with another less experienced diver and to our opinion either went to look for the rope as she was making signs as of showing going up on the roap, paddling around with her hands in a stresful way and looking all wild. We did not understand more than that, but wanted to see more of the wreck, so we slowly looked at a little bit more of its structure as we had plenty of air and bottom time, and were confident we could navigate back to the rope. Later on going back the guide went up with the other diver. We stuck around for a bit taking pictures of the many nudi branches hanging about in the wreck, and went up after about 60 minutes. The dive had been very disturbed by the guide, we were really cold and the other diver's boyfriend who hade joined for snorkelling (why did she not tell him snorkelling would be impossible in those conditions (currents, waves and nothing to see)) was freezing terribly. The guide would not undestand why we didnt want to do a 30min surface interval in those conditions and were almost angry with us when we said we would rather only do one dive. After some talking she did however agree to take us back. Well there we again had to carry everything off the boat. Afterwards we tried to get some refunds because of the poor quality gear and the bad conditions that she should have foreseen and hence cancelled the dive. She would not admit that she had done anything wrong, and just kept telling us she offered us 2 dives but we didnt want to. We did want to dive, but not in those conditions, and she did not inform us of the conditions out there as she was fully convinced that the sea would be "very flat, no current". We werent even able to get back the 10 Euro that was for the second dive, which I felt was really silly as we paid 150 Euro in total. The wreck was nice, but the service was terrible, there was no excuse for the bad conditions and the prices were redicilous. I have never ever paid so much to do a dive anywhere in the world, and I have never ever had to carry everything myself or been let out in those conditions. I would NEVER EVER recommend this dive centre to anyone.