DIVING / SNORKELING

Diving/Snorkeling trips and certification courses may be canceled or rescheduled due to weather conditions that are not suitable for water sports activities, such as high waves, strong winds, or storms. Dive sites are picked daily based on weather and water conditions, your safety and the safety of our staff is paramount in our operation. If your requested dive site is unavailable due to weather, we will do our best to find a suitable alternative for you. Seats on a tour are not guaranteed until a deposit is made. Just sending an email or making a phone call does not confirm your seat(s). Deposits can be made via the online shop.

Our diving instructors / dive masters / boat captain make the decision about the selection of the dive sites and/or cancellation of the diving trips. In making decisions, we regard your and our safety as the most important factor. As dive sites are variable due to weather, we cannot guarantee a particular site. A change in dive site does not qualify for a refund.

OCEAN TOURS

When the waves are/or become bigger than 2.0m (6ft), we may cancel the tour or return to the nearest port.

CERTIFICATION COURSES

If weather conditions are not suitable for confined water training and a pool is not available, we may reschedule your training session. If the water conditions are not appropriate for open water training, your training dives will be rescheduled.

Open water courses include one session of confined water, one skin dive, and no more than five dives. Any extra dives or sessions will be charged at our standard rate of $145 per day (two dives per day).

REFUND POLICY

Cancellation due to weather conditions or for mechanical reasons will carry a full refund of any deposits/payments for said activity. Decisions based on weather conditions or the safety of the boat will be made by the captain. Weather conditions that may cause cancellation are waves over 2.0m (6ft), hurricanes, typhoons, or severe weather warnings. For any circumstances that are beyond the customer’s control, an attempt to reschedule will be made and if impossible a refund will be issued.

Your bookings are considered a contract with our company. When a class or tour is scheduled, we ensure that an instructor is available to teach your course and/or reserve non-transferrable seats on a tour. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations made within 48 hours of your scheduled activity.

Refunds will not be issued for a scheduled activity due to last minute illness, a poor mood, cloudy or rainy weather, a hangover, or jet lag. If you become seasick during a trip and can not complete the number of dives booked, a refund will not be issued. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have taken necessary measures to avoid seasickness.

Cancellation fees for hotels and airlines vary. If booking an all inclusive package (hotel/diving, or hotel/airfare/diving), separate rates apply for the hotel and airfare cancellations. Please inquire for the exact policy when booking an all inclusive tour.

CANCELLATION REFUND POLICY FOR DIVING AND DIVE CLASSES:

10 days or more advance notice: full refund of all diving fees will be issued (hotel and airline charges may vary)
5-9 days advance notice: 80% refund of all diving fees (hotel and airline charges may vary)
3-4 days advance notice: 50% refund of all diving fees (most hotel and airlines fees are 0% refund by this time)
48 hours or less advance notice: 0% refund of all diving fees (most hotel and airlines fees are 0% refund by this time)

DROPPING OUT

Cancellation of Multiple Dives / Trips
Refunds are not issued for unused parts of packages or multi-dive tours.

Certification Courses
Once you have started a course, you will not be refunded for any portion of the training you do not complete. Dropping the course before it starts is subject to the above refund policy. When paying for a course, your testing and certification are not included in the course fee. You must successfully meet the requirements of your course to earn your certification. It is possible to fail a course. Failing a course does not qualify you for a refund. Your instructor will ultimately determine whether or not you can be certified. If you disagree with your instructor’s evaluation of your diving skills, you can request a reevaluation by the Training Director or another Reef Encounters Texas instructor. All students who do not earn certification in a course will be provided with an explanation of why they were not certified.

Rental/Loaned Gear Loss or Damage
Proper care for rented/loaned gear is the responsibility of the client. You will be charged full replacement cost for any lost or damaged gear. Dunking a regulator with the dust cap off will incur a $100 maintenance fee. Please be careful with the gear we loan to you. Torn mouthpieces or broken fin/mask straps are not subject to replacement fees as this is a part of normal wear and tear of the gear. Please notify the staff if there are any issues with your rental gear.