SINGAPORE: As demand for scuba diving among Singaporeans grows following the reopening of borders, the cost of dive trips is also going up.
Mr Ricky Koh from the Scuba Schools International, a worldwide organisation that certifies dive centres, said that April is the start of the diving season.
Going by the number of sales at a dive show that was held here last week, the demand for diving trips this year will outstrip that of last year’s, he added.
Mr Koh, the area manager for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, expects demand to surpass pre-pandemic levels by about 30 per cent. In 2019, he estimated that there were about 10,000 new divers in Singapore.
Popular diving spots in the region include Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Mr Jimmy Choo, chief trainer at dive centre Red Scuba, said the number of students who have enrolled at his centre has increased by almost 50 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic period.
He believes it is the post-COVID-19 effect.
“They want to go on an adventure, because the whole Earth, three quarters (of it) is covered by water, so they want to see another part of the world to appreciate nature. That’s why more people want to enroll in scuba diving,” he said.
HIGHER COSTS
Costs this year have also risen by about 15 to 20 per cent compared with last year, said Mr Koh.
This is not because of dive centres looking to make higher profits, but due to higher cost of living, he noted.
“For example, the dive centres, when they organise trips, the boat ride, the ferry ride, they need to pump petrol, they need to use diesel for their compressors, all these things … the cost of goods is increasing, so definitely they need to add that on,” he said.
The costs have, however, not dimmed the appetite for diving, with people spending more time on their trips, Mr Choo said.
“I can see that they want to spend more days instead of just over the weekend or a long weekend. They are more ready to apply for leave like in between, before and after their long weekend, so they can stay there for about six days to appreciate nature better,” he said.
PUTTING A STRAIN ON THE INDUSTRY
While the increased demand may be good for business, it is putting a strain on the industry.
“Most islands or most dive centres have a shortage of dive professionals. So a lot of the time the instructors are working doubly hard, spending more time in the water,” said Mr Koh.
But safety remains a top priority. Signups for dive trips are always capped to ensure ample supervision and guidance.
Among those contributing to the demand for diving trips this year is Mr Vedant Sandhu, who is new to the scene. He went to the Philippines for his first dive trip last weekend.
“I wanted to go for a dive for the longest time. I really enjoy being in the water and I feel very calm in the water,” he told CNA before he went on his first dive.
“I want to go and see underwater sea creatures,” he added.