My girlfriend and I just dived with the Eaglehawk Dive Centre, was the best dive experience I have ever had. We were keen to dive with the seals and they were able to tailor the dive to suit us. They are probably geared up for more experienced divers, but provided us with a guide at an extra cost. Mick and Karen are the real deal though, both scientists and really knowledgable and experienced, just check out their YouTube channel. Diving with the seals will be the highlight of our trip, and tasmania is bloody incredible! Highly recommend.
My partner, father in law and I were recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable, the boat ride is worth the trip and the dives are freaking amazing. The kelp forests (with bonus seal), the snorkeling with seals and the caves were a dream come true. Back at the shop, hot showers, tea and cake were an unexpected surprise. I work in a busy dive shop in Sydney and was really happy with the whole experience.
My partner and I had a great time diving at Eaglehawk for three days. Karen and Mick were friendly, professional and the atmosphere at the dive centre was relaxed.It is clear they take great care of their equipment and safety is a very high priority. They have staggering knowledge of the local environment, both in terms of the marine life and conditions. The dive sites are accessible and have some really interesting creatures, though it is a world away from tropical diving and pretty cold after a while!Thank you guys for a great time.
I really was looking forward to diving with Eaglehawk Dive Centre... Can only advise you to reconsider your visit to this attraction.Booked a two drive trip several weeks ago as part of a birthday present. Received confirmation emails and instructed to turn up at 8:30 am. We also paid a deposit to guarantee our booking. Drove down to Port Arthur the preceeding night. Arrived as instructed and staff greeted us by name as clearly they were expecting us.We were then told that our two dives were now scheduled for later in the afternoon as a 'club dive' had now taken our spot. Staff member tried to tell us that they had sent a message which was an absolute lie. Why would they greet us by name if our dive was not until the afternoon. Clearly they were expecting us. It would appear to us that they were corrupted by the additional income of the club dive over their obligation to us.We then asked for a refund which was begrudgingly given. Not even so much as an apology. Birthday gift ruined. Wasted hours of our time, not to mention fuel and accommodation costs. All for naught. Thankyou Eaglehawk Dive Centre. Thanks
Before I booked a dive with the Eaglehawk Dive Centre I read the reviews and after meeting the staff I can not understand why OzBee would rate them as unfriendly? I found the staff to be extremely friendly, professional, & very experienced divers. In fact they went out of their way to make us welcome. I would recommend the dive centre to anyone wishing to experience the amazing world of diving.
I went to Eaglehawk to dive the kelp forests and also the weedy seadragons. I only had 2 double boat dives booked, and fortunately the weather gods were on my side :-) Karen and Mick are extremely knowledgeable people and very experienced in the dive industry and more so the history of the dive sites and the marine life. I am sure I could learn so much from Karen! Both Karen and Mick were very well versed with photographers and their equipment - thank you!! I wish I did more dives with the kelp forests - could spend ages there! Plus the beautiful Weedy Seadragons, they are so much more colourful then the weedy's we get on the South coast of Australia!The diving itself was around 15 degrees Celsius, so for anyone who reads this, i would suggest you are prepared for cooler water diving, ie being comfortable in your dive gear / weights required / hoods etc. If you are not, it may not make for an enjoyable trip. I was in a drysuit (would recommend) however there were certainly people diving in 7mm wetsuits / semidry. I stayed 2 nights at the divers lodge, which again was great, great cooking facilities available, 2 ensuited bunk rooms, easy access to the dive center. Would certainly stay there again. Tip if you are staying at the lodge, in Eaglehawk there is limited grocery outlets, would recommend if you are heading through Sorrel to go the grocery store there.The day started with kitting up your gear at the dive center, putting it on the boat, dive staff would drive you down to the boat ramp and then off you went. Once we got back to the ramp, dive staff would be there to pick you up back to the dive centre / lodge and then rinsing off your gear. Was very well organised.Thank you so much - I really enjoyed my time there and I would love to come back particularly during winter.
Since 1995 I have dived a few places around the world both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In Dec 2011 I discovered Eaglehawk Dive Centre when I dived for a week with them and a further week in Jan 2012. I returned to dive with them again this year in March 2013. Karen, Mick, Cain and now the new team member Jess run a very dedicated dive Operation. Their skills & passion for good & safe diving shine through like the sun does on the Kelp Forest where I've personally seen the Leafy Dragon. The team can accommodate a whole spectrum of divers from new (or novice) right through to fairly technical Nitrox and Twin-Set experienced divers. Their friendly, welcoming and inclusive approach to those wishing to enter to world of diving is second to none. Value for money it compares very favourably with any live-aboard or day boat diving operation. My thanks goes to this Dive Centre for the good work it does.
I'll never forget my diving with seals here! Friendly staff, very personal service. I was diving mid-week, so the group was very small. I'd recommend it to everyone!
When we turned up for our weeks' diving unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side. It happens. There was a 2-3m swell and we had to entertain ourselves for 2 days while the weather calmed down. I would expect any decent operation to always put the safety first.Once it did all I can say is WOW! We had 4 amazing days of weather and managed to see everything we were keen on. Diving with fur seals twice, getting up close and personal with weedy sea dragons for those portfolio shots. Exploring the skull cove cavern. The dive shop team were always extremely helpful, accommodating, resourceful and professional while we were there; both with us and the other divers on the boat.I have a few thousand dives under my belt, have taught BSAC and PADI in temperate and tropical conditions. I really appreciate a well run centre when I dive with one. Mick is a fantastic host on the boat and will educate you on the local marine life. Karen's vast knowledge of Marine biology is fascinating and educational... the afternoon cake is well worth a mention too!!For those people out there that expect conditions to be perfect on the one day they have booked something, please be realistic. Allow a few days for your trip, be flexible with your diving dates. There is so much to do in Tasmania rain, shine or swell, whether you visit the Coal River Valley wineries or walking along the coastline paths. It is well worth the wait!Highly recommended!
We did six dives with Eaglehawk Dive Centre and were absolutely blown away by the experience. Mick and Karen are passionate about what they do and are incredibly experienced divers.We were advised about necessary gear and able to hire it, as well as being able to store it there for an extra day which we thought was very kind. Not to mention cake and a catch up, post dive.The boat ride out to the sites can be quite an adventure in itself and the exposed cliffs are just stunning. The water is cold, sure, but the visibility is fantastic, and we were lucky enough to see octopus, weedy sea dragon, sharks and the giant kelp forest as well as diving with seals and at Cathedral Cave. We couldn't believe how lucky we were!Diving in Tasmanian waters is different to tropical environments. If you need your hand held, gear set up and broken down before and after each dive, it might not be your cup of tea. If you're an independent diver, a cup of warming soup is provided between dives and the rewards are great.We're still smiling from the experience and would love to dive with Eaglehawk Dive Centre again.