COVID - 19 Update April 2020
COVID - 19 UPDATE 2020 - In March 2020 were required to stop training divers due to lockdown measures. Leisure Centres we utilise for swimming pool in-water diver training were closed by the Government for slightly longer periods due to social distancing measures. Course Voucher Dates are normally valid for 12 months from the date of booking but due to COVID - 19 we have temporarily extended ALL unused Course Vouchers for an additional 6 months to enable customers to fully utilise any unused part or to fully reschedule Course Vouchers due to COVID - 19.
Please Note: Course Booking Vouchers will not be extended, exchanged or refunded beyond December 2021.
1 Prices and Payment
All prices are in £ sterling. We accept payment by most major credit and debit cards. Before booking and reserving a place on a course, please be aware that diving course bookings (See 3 to 9) cannot be cancelled or refunded. Under consumer law you do not have automatic cancellation rights if you are unable to attend the event/course you have booked or if you change your mind and do not wish to attend the event/course booked.
2 AVAILABILITY
All courses offered on our website, maidstonescuba.com and maidstone scuba.co.uk, are subject to availability. To book and reserve a place on any course on our Web Site, click the "Add to Basket" button shown on each course page. When you book a course by clicking the button "Book onLine Now", we will send you an e-mail confirming receipt of your deposit and containing the details of your booking and reserved dates. Course dates booked and reserved within 3 days of the start date or over public holidays are taken provisionally, subject to space availability (please note we are closed on Mondays). Dive course booking deposits are considered fully earned once the Booking Confirmation Voucher has been issued, and are therefore strictly nonrefundable.
3 BOOKINGS (Events)
Your booking represents an offer to us to purchase a course which is accepted by us when we send e-mail "Ticket" confirmation voucher to you showing that we've accepted your booking. When booking an event with Maidstone Scuba School you are reserving a place at an event conducted by the Scubaholics Dive Team and signing up to these terms and conditions. An "Open Dated" event ticket is valid for any date listed on maidstonescuba.com, in accordance with our terms and conditions of business for a 12 month period, from the date of booking. You will receive an automated email to confirm your booking and the cost associated with the event, and confirmation of your deposit payment.
By completing an event booking you are indicating you will attend an event sold by Maidstone Scuba School (Amazing Journeys Ltd) and conducted by the Scubaholics Dive Team. Places on events are booked on a first-come first-served basis. It is essential that all students pre-book places at an event.
When you book an event/course we will generate a course "Ticket" voucher with a unique reference number. Once generated, the voucher will be emailed to you and will remain in our data base and can not be canceled. If you are unable to attend the event/course you have booked or if you change your mind and do not wish to attend the event/course for any reason, you will forfeit the deposit paid for that course. N.B. See COVID - 19 update above.
The duration and location of the event will be specified in the event description for that event. Dive course booking deposits are "Event Bookings" and as such are nonrefundable. Voucher tickets can be transferred to an alternate student name, prior to the commencement of any event at no charge if required.Please note: Under consumer law you do not have automatic cancellation rights if unable to attend the event or if you change your mind and do not wish to attend the event booked (Click for Citizen Advice Information).
4 CONSENT
By viewing this site the user is deemed to consent to all terms and conditions below. *Maidstone Scuba School reserves the right at all times to vary, change, alter, amend, add to or remove any of these terms prior to the point of sale or contract. Under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) some phone calls may be recorded to ensure that conversations adhere to regulation, quality control standard and to keep track of any agreements made through a verbal exchange and for general record keeping. It is your responsibility to refer to and comply with these terms on accessing maidstonescuba.com
5 REFUNDS
Dive course booking deposits are considered fully earned once the Booking Confirmation Voucher has been issued, and are therefore strictly nonrefundable. Course vouchers can be transferred to an alternate student name, prior to the commencement of any course at no charge if required. Refunds on equipment purchased online within 30 days of purchase made will be considered at the discretion of *Maidstone Scuba School and subject to inspection on any returned items. In the event of a refund being made, *Maidstone Scuba School N.B. See COVID - 19 update above.
6 ALL SCUBA DIVING COURSES
All course bookings and diver training is fulfilled and provided by and in association with The Scubaholics Dive Team. Diving Courses provided on a 'Inclusive’ basis shall be based on the prescribed limitations detailed on any accompanying information sheet, and shall be strictly subject to any additional terms and conditions imposed by The Scubaholics Dive Team. All entry courses include full scuba equipment, but you are required to bring:
- Swim Suit & Towel
- Mask, Fins, Neoprene Boots & Snorkel (full Scuba equipment is provided).
- Packed lunch
- Pound Coin for lockers
Students are responsible for equipment issued to them for diving courses. Any lost or damaged equipment will be charged for at normal retail price. If a student chooses to utilise their own equipment whilst taking part in any course, they are responsible to make certain that the equipment being used is in good order and has been serviced within the last 6 months in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. *Maidstone Scuba School will not be held responsible for loss or damage to students own equipment.
- Course prices include a pre-set (allocated on booking) schedule of theory (class time), pool time (confined water training) and/or open water dives at set times and on specified dates. The dates and time for your course will be provisionally detailed at the time of booking and the provisional course date and time will be detailed on your invoice. Any additional instruction necessary can be provided at additional cost. The theory segment of your PADI course is based on home study. Review sessions with an instructor are designed to answer questions, and review key points, NOT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR INDEPENDENT HOME STUDY. Your home study MUST be completed (Including ALL 5 Knowledge Reviews) BEFORE attending the theory session.
- Example:- If you book a full 'PADI Open Water Course' it will consist of home study (typically 2 to 4 days) with manual and DVD (and optional online training). This is followed by theory instruction and up to 6 hours of confined water (pool) training (The review session is designed to answer questions, and review key points, Your home study MUST be completed (Including ALL 5 Knowledge Reviews) BEFORE attending the theory session. These sessions will be booked and charged for at a specific time and on set dates (inc. within the course fee). This training will be followed by 4 open water dives in accordance with PADI standards of typically 20 minutes each. Again, these training dives will be booked and charged for at specific time and on pre-set dates (inc. within the course fee on full Open Water Course only). Referral courses follow the same time format but exclude the cost of the open water dives that are handled by the referring dive centre. Enrolling on a course does not guarantee that a student will pass or complete the course (achieve mastery). To pass the course students must achieve 'mastery' of each element of the course before moving on to the next section or module.
- The instructor in accordance with PADI standards will determine mastery. If, in the opinion of the instructor, the student fails to achieve mastery during the time period allocated and charged for on any particular course or requests/requires additional class, pool or open water training instruction outside the pe-set scheduled for the particular course booked then this can be provided at additional cost. For full details of time allocations included in your chosen course, please contact *Maidstone Scuba School on 01622 754280. All courses are run in accordance with our terms and conditions of business. We reserve the right to reschedule any course if the required minimum of 3 students per course has not been reached. Students shall be responsible for the safe keeping and return of all equipment loaned or provided during courses. Lost equipment is chargeable at list price. All courses, course materials and account balances must be paid in full prior to certification.
- "Open dated" course booking and or course vouchers are valid for 12 months only from date of payment. It is the students sole responsibility to select available course dates (on www.maidstonescuba.com ) and utilise the open dated voucher/s within the validity period of each voucher.
*Maidstone Scuba School N.B. See COVID - 19 update above.
7 PROFESSIONAL LEVEL SCUBA DIVING COURSES
Professional level courses such as Divemaster and Instructor courses may be undertaken as a group internship or as a series of practical training exercises. Professional level course do not include equipment. As a diving professional you will be expected to own your own equipment and diving cylinder. If necessary equipment can be provided for professional level courses at our normal hire rates.
8 Course Dates & Timing
All available course dates are published on our web site www.maidstonescuba.com N.B. See COVID - 19 update above.
9 COURSE CANCELATION AND OR *RESCHEDULING - IMPORTANT!
Rescheduling of dates is permitted subject to availability. Open dated course booking/course ticket vouchers are valid for 12 months from date of payment and are strictly non-refundable. It is the students sole responsibility to select available course dates (on www.maidstonescuba.com N.B. See COVID - 19 update above.
10 Age Restrictions on PADI Courses
Please note that most PADI courses carry age restrictions. Please feel free to contact us on 01622 754280 if you are unsure of any prerequisites applying to PADI courses.
- Seal Team & Bubble Maker programs, from age 8 to 10
- Discover Scuba (Try Dives), from age 10 up (no upper age limit)
- Open Water & Scuba Diver courses, from age 10 up (no upper age limit)
- Advanced Open Water Diver Course, from age 12 up (no upper age limit)
- Rescue Diver Course, from age 12 up (no upper age limit)
- Wreck Diver Course, from age 15 up (no upper age limit)
- Deep Diver Course, from age 15 up (no upper age limit)
- Search & Recovery Course, from age 12 up (no upper age limit)
- Night Diver Course, from age 12 up (no upper age limit)
- Enriched Air (Nitrox) Course, from age 15 up (no upper age limit)
- Multilevel Diver Course, from age 12 up (no upper age limit)
- Ice Diver Course, from age 18 up (no upper age limit)
- Professional level courses (Divemaster & above), from age 18 up (no upper age limit)
12 Course Bundles
Course Bundles provide students with the opportunity to purchase two or more PADI courses at a discount. By completing a Course Bundle booking you are indicating you will attend 2 or more events sold by Maidstone Scuba School and conducted by the Scubaholics Dive Team. A deposit of 30% is chargeable for each course in the Course Bundle. Any bundle discount applicable will be refunded back to the customers payment card. Course Bundles are required to be paid in full four weeks prior to the start date of the first course within the bundle, unless agreed otherwise by *Maidstone Scuba School. It is the students sole responsibility to select available course dates (on www.maidstonescuba.com ) and utilise the open dated voucher/s within the validity period of each voucher. Course Bundle Booking Deposits are considered fully earned once the Booking Confirmation Voucher has been issued, and are therefore strictly nonrefundable. Course vouchers can be transferred to an alternate student name, prior to the commencement of the course at no charge if required.
12 SECURITY DEPOSITS - SCUBA EQUIPMENT
All *Maidstone Scuba School PADI recreational diving courses include the provision of FREE Scuba equipment throughout the course. Course scuba equipment will be issued to each student on the first day of the course or course weekend and must be returned, cleaned, on the last day of the course/ course weekend or course section.
13 COURSE DEPOSITS
The book now pay balance later facility takes a part payment of 30% of the full course fee at the point of booking and selecting your course dates. The balance due will showi on your Course Booking Confirmation Voucher. Booking deposits are administered in full at the point of booking and are non refundable. Dive course booking deposits are considered fully earned once the Booking Confirmation Voucher has been issued, and are therefore strictly nonrefundable (See 3 above). Course vouchers can be transferred to an alternate student name, prior to the commencement of the course at no charge if required.
14 COPYRIGHT
All material contained in and published on maidstonescuba.com is copyright and is intended for the personal and non-commercial use of the user. The content of this site is protected by copyright pursuant to English and European Union copyright laws, international conventions and other copyright laws. The user is specifically prohibited from modifying, publishing, transmitting, selling, participating in the transfer or sale or reproducing, creating derivative works from, distributing, performing, displaying or in any way exploiting any of the materials on this site or the software or materials relating thereto in whole or in part. The user may download or copy material for personal use only but the copyright therein shall be maintained in *Maidstone Scuba School. Links to are not permitted, except with prior written consent.
15 WARRANTY
*Maidstone Scuba School excludes any warranty, express or implied as to the quality, accuracy, timeliness, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose of the material on maidstonescuba.com and will not be liable for any claims, penalties, loss, damages or expenses arising from the use or the inability to use material on maidstonescuba.com, or from any unauthorised access or alteration of same. *Maidstone Scuba School makes no warranty that the contents of the maidstonescuba.com website is compatible with all computer systems and browsers.
16 APPLICABLE LAW
These terms and conditions shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with English Law. The Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any claim, dispute or other matter arising therefrom. Dive course booking deposits are "Event Bookings" and as such are nonrefundable. Under consumer law you do not have automatic cancellation rights if you are unable to attend the event booked or if you change your mind and do not wish to attend the event booked.
17 *Maidstone Scuba School
Maidstone Scuba School is the trading name of *Amazing Journeys Limited. When you purchase a course through Maidstone Scuba School, please be aware that in addition to these terms, you may be subject to terms and conditions of our third party agents. All Maidstone Scuba School courses, Try Dives & Scuba Reviews are conducted by and in association with the Scubaholics Dive Team.
18 APPLICATION OF CONDITION
Notwithstanding anything which may be contained in any purchase booking, order or other document of the buyer, diving courses are supplied subject to these conditions alone. No variations of them will apply unless expressly agreed by both parties in writing and signed on their behalf.
19 ACQUISION OF GOODS BY *MAIDSTONE SCUBA SCHOOL
Goods and services shall only be accepted after approval and acceptance by *Maidstone Scuba School of a written quotation (not estimate) from the supplier with a confirmed cost and delivery date.
20 DISCREPANCY
The buyer will inspect the goods on arrival and if they do not correspond in nature to the goods ordered, will give the seller written notification of any discrepancy within 7 days of the despatch, failing which the buyer shall be deemed to have accepted the goods.
21 DESCRIPTIONS
The photographs, dimensions, specifications and type numbers detailed on Maidstone scuba.com and elsewhere are shown only as a guide.
22 PRICE
*Maidstone Scuba School reserves the right to vary any price advertised on maidstonescuba.com or elsewhere as occasion demands. Courses are supplied, subject to availability, at the price prevailing as at the date of acceptance by *Maidstone Scuba School of any booking placed by the buyer.
23 SPECIFICATION
PADI courses described on http://www.maidstonescuba.com/ and http://www.maidstonescuba.co.uk/ elsewhere are subjected to a continuing process of change and development and *Maidstone Scuba School therefore reserves the right to alter specifications without notice any time. All descriptions, illustrations, specifications and course timing is approximate and is only intended to present a general guideline. It is therefore agreed by the Buyer that the course supplied may not comply in all respects with the description on maidstonescuba.com or elsewhere. We take every effort to ensure accurate information, however course specifications, photographs and illustrations are subject to change. *Maidstone Scuba School shall not be liable for any loss or damage resulting from inaccurate information on maidstonescuba.com or elsewhere.
24 COPY INFORMATION
We will provide you with detailed information of all training provided and dives conducted by *Maidstone Scuba School and or The Scubaholics Dive Team, including dive log information such as dive time, equipment used, ending pressure groups, weight used, dive location and (referral courses) your medical statement etc. plus full payment (transaction) details at time of booking. Later requested copies of any dive log or transaction information may be subject to a retrieval charge. If, after 6 months, you do not undertake further training or diving activity with *Maidstone Scuba School, your file will be archived and any copy documentation required from our archive may be subject to an administration fee.
25 Try Dives
Try Dives (PADI Discover Scuba), include all skills from module one of the PADI Open Water Diver Course. If having enrolled on a try dive, you subsequently book the PADI Open Water Diver Course on the same day as your Try Dive, Scubaholics Dive Team will refund the cost in full of the Try Dive against the cost of the PADI Open Water Diver Course.
26 FORCE MAJEURE
If delivery is delayed by any cause beyond the reasonable control of the *Maidstone Scuba School, a reasonable extension of time for delivery shall be granted.
27 DIVE CLUB TRIPS & DIVING HOLIDAYS
When you purchase a diving holiday or dive club trip please be aware that, in addition to these terms, you will be subject to the terms and conditions of our third party agents. Dive Club trips and diving holidays booked through *Maidstone Scuba School are generally booked as 'group trips' and as such are subject to minimum numbers. As Dive Club trips are based on group bookings with minimum numbers, it is imperative that you understand that such holidays cannot be cancelled or refunded. We strongly recomend that medical and contingency insurance is taken out when booking.
- Accommodation is based on shared rooms (usually twin or triple) or cabins (liveaboard) unless a single supplement fee has been paid. Liveaboard cabins normally take 2 to 4 people.
- If an option to pay by instalments is provided and you fail to pay an instalment or due payment on time or attempt to withdraw or cancel your place NO refund of deposit will be applicable and any instalments paid to that point shall be forfeit. In such cases, we will retain your deposit and any instalments paid to date in order to cover our fees and any adjustment in the overall group rate due to the reduced group size, along with any fees and losses incurred by ourselves and our third party agents.
- We regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations to you are prevented or affected as a result of "force majeure". In these Booking Conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the principal of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, actual or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.
If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid by any court having competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms and Conditions, which shall remain in full force and effect. No waiver of any of these Terms and Conditions shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or any other term or condition.
