Pro Dive Centre
Pro Dive Centre
4.5
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About
Pro Dive is a 5 star dive centre and is one of the largest dive training center's in South offering a Career Development Programme specialising in Resort Instructor Training. Not only do we provide you with the essential courses to become a SSI or Padi Instructor, but we also provide you with additional practical experience, skills and knowledge required in the daily operation of a dive centre. Pro Dive has weekly dive charters taking divers out to dive sites in and around Port Elizabeth. Pro Dive also offers Dive trips with their travel office situated in the dive centre.
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
65 reviews
Excellent
49
Very good
3
Average
3
Poor
2
Terrible
8
nomadicwriter
Oxford, UK23 contributions
Apr 2022
After a slight mix up about the reservation, the guys got together instructors and equipment and put on a PADI Bubblemaker session for our 8 year old twin boys at short notice; the boys loved the experience.
It was an exceptional effort to do this, and we were very grateful. Everyone was very friendly, courteous, and helpful. The boys got on well with their instructors, who were professional in their approach.
It was an exceptional effort to do this, and we were very grateful. Everyone was very friendly, courteous, and helpful. The boys got on well with their instructors, who were professional in their approach.
Written 4 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karyn
1 contribution
Oct 2020
My teenage daughters did their OW 1 through Pro Dive and I can highly recommend them.
The staff were professional, friendly and knowledgeable. The girls had a fabulous time under the tuition and guidance of Kayla, Steven and Tristan. The whole learning process was enjoyable and the girls can't wait to get back in the ocean where they saw beautiful coral, sharks including a Great White, stingray and dozens of species of fish.
Louis and Linda did an outstanding job of keeping us (the parents) informed and up to date at all times.
The staff were professional, friendly and knowledgeable. The girls had a fabulous time under the tuition and guidance of Kayla, Steven and Tristan. The whole learning process was enjoyable and the girls can't wait to get back in the ocean where they saw beautiful coral, sharks including a Great White, stingray and dozens of species of fish.
Louis and Linda did an outstanding job of keeping us (the parents) informed and up to date at all times.
Written 26 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenna
1 contribution
Oct 2020 • Friends
I felt very safe with my instructor (Tristan). It was a lot of fun and enjoyed every moment, especially the sea dives !
Written 26 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eunice Sigale
9 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
My snorkeling experience was so great. I really enjoyed it, Denis made sure that we all were safe and he tried his best for us to see whatever he saw underwater. On top of that he was so respectful. I strongly recommend Pro Dive to everyone for everything whether it's scuba diving lessons, snorkeling and etc. Real professionals
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bertus K
Tamarin1 contribution
Jun 2019 • Couples
My wife and I joined some friends on a Red Sea trip in June 2019. We have recently relocated to Poland, which made our visa and travel arrangements more complicated. Judy from ProDive has gone our of her way to arrange private transfers, reminders and support to make our trip most memorable. Michelle accompanied us on the trip and made sure that anything, and there was really not much, that was not perfect, got resolved very quickly.
If the Red Sea is your destination and you are looking for a hassle free, well deserved rest, I can strongly suggest ProDive PE.
If the Red Sea is your destination and you are looking for a hassle free, well deserved rest, I can strongly suggest ProDive PE.
Written 19 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Bertus,
Thank-you for taking the time to write a review on your recent trip to the Red Sea!
It is always rewarding to receive positive feedback and know that we are doing things "right". I will pass on your comments to our team and hope to have you on another one of our trips in future.
Regards
Pro Dive Team
Written 23 July 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Garry
Toronto, Canada35 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
I had a wonderful 2 weeks with Pro Dive Travel starting with the very professional Judy their travel consultant making sure every last detail was covered & any concerns.
The accommodations were more than adequate on the Sea Serpent based out of Hurghada Egypt. Staff onboard were very attentive food was good & dive guides were professionals.
The locations were varied sometimes depending on weather or wishes of the guests.
I highly recommend using Pro Dive Travel.
Garry Coburn
The accommodations were more than adequate on the Sea Serpent based out of Hurghada Egypt. Staff onboard were very attentive food was good & dive guides were professionals.
The locations were varied sometimes depending on weather or wishes of the guests.
I highly recommend using Pro Dive Travel.
Garry Coburn
Written 8 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Gary,
Thank-you for taking the time to comment on our product and services. It is very rewarding for our team to get positive feedback and we hope to have you join one of our other trips sometime in the future.
Best Regards
The Pro Dive Team
Written 9 July 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ralf F
3 contributions
Jun 2019 • Solo
i had a very good time with pro dive. service was super professionel and super friendly. best regards ralf! ;)
Written 5 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HI Ralf,
Pleased to hear that you enjoyed diving with us and look forward to having you dive with us again in future.
Regards
Pro Dive Team
Written 6 June 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Redfin
3 contributions
Apr 2019 • Friends
I've booked with 2 dive-buddies 5 days Sardine run 2nd half of April '19. Unfortunately we shared Laure's and Lena's (see beneath) experiences. I recommend to read them too. I confirm their statements.
On the 1st day we couldn't go out due to weather-conditions. We were told it was not allowed to go on the water with the rubber dinghies of pro dive. Nevertheless we were pushed to get our gear prepared at 7:30 a.m. in pouring rain although dry weather was forecasted from 8:30 a.m. on. We could have prepared the gear without ruffle dry and warm the whole day long . . . but we had to get soaking wet.
The 2nd and 3rd day we went out 8h and 9h on this very uncomfortable and terribly noisy rubber dinghy all the time in the wet suites. We sighted some nice dolphins, sea lions, breathing whales, sea birds etc. but no single Sardine or other fish not to mention a bait ball. To mitigate the failure we sailed on the 3rd day after 7h to a dive side and had an underaverage dive. Nothing special down there, at least nothing for what one would spend 9h on such a boat.
One of my dive buddies and me dicided not to go on the 4th and 5th trip booked. We thought it is better Holidays to stay in the Hotel, relax and read a good book. Our 3rd dive-buddy did all the excursions. But he experienced nothing better than the days before.
Positive to mention is the office-service. They were very kind and helpful. The excursions themselves were just terrible. 5 days booked. 4 actual trys to see Sardine Run. Result: Nothing. Never again!
Michel, to my opinion your response on Laure's critic is totally improper. I am curious how you are going to mop up my comment. You are selling the expectation of an encounter with a bait ball but the likelyhood to get this is poor. Or how many were met by pro dive in the Mandela Bay e.g. in April '19? Be honest! You are selling hot air. You may name it nature. I have another word for this.
By the way: your system of exploiting young people by offering dive-education and getting labor from them is deeply disagreeable. They start at 5 a.m. and the work is done at 9 p.m. no social security or similar.
On the 1st day we couldn't go out due to weather-conditions. We were told it was not allowed to go on the water with the rubber dinghies of pro dive. Nevertheless we were pushed to get our gear prepared at 7:30 a.m. in pouring rain although dry weather was forecasted from 8:30 a.m. on. We could have prepared the gear without ruffle dry and warm the whole day long . . . but we had to get soaking wet.
The 2nd and 3rd day we went out 8h and 9h on this very uncomfortable and terribly noisy rubber dinghy all the time in the wet suites. We sighted some nice dolphins, sea lions, breathing whales, sea birds etc. but no single Sardine or other fish not to mention a bait ball. To mitigate the failure we sailed on the 3rd day after 7h to a dive side and had an underaverage dive. Nothing special down there, at least nothing for what one would spend 9h on such a boat.
One of my dive buddies and me dicided not to go on the 4th and 5th trip booked. We thought it is better Holidays to stay in the Hotel, relax and read a good book. Our 3rd dive-buddy did all the excursions. But he experienced nothing better than the days before.
Positive to mention is the office-service. They were very kind and helpful. The excursions themselves were just terrible. 5 days booked. 4 actual trys to see Sardine Run. Result: Nothing. Never again!
Michel, to my opinion your response on Laure's critic is totally improper. I am curious how you are going to mop up my comment. You are selling the expectation of an encounter with a bait ball but the likelyhood to get this is poor. Or how many were met by pro dive in the Mandela Bay e.g. in April '19? Be honest! You are selling hot air. You may name it nature. I have another word for this.
By the way: your system of exploiting young people by offering dive-education and getting labor from them is deeply disagreeable. They start at 5 a.m. and the work is done at 9 p.m. no social security or similar.
Written 11 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Karl,
As per our website (https://prodive.co.za/sardine-run/), this is the product that you signed up for:
The Sardine Run:
6 Nights/5 days out at sea looking for Sardine Run action.
After breakfast transfer to the launch site where you will kit up, load the boat (8m semi-rigid RIB) and prepare for a full day out at sea.
"A typical sardine bait ball in crystal clear conditions where dolphins, sharks, whales and sea birds are in a feeding frenzy is in fact a rare sighting. Film crews have spent weeks out at sea over the span of a couple of years in search of the perfect bait ball action to get the footage regularly seen on television. After more than 20 years experiencing the Sardine Run and our local knowledge and experience ensures the highest probability of encountering the densest displays of the Sardine Run action, where you can see penguins, seals, dolphins, whales, sharks as well as the birds on the bait balls."
Your comment: "We sighted some nice dolphins, sea lions, breathing whales, sea birds etc"
So to be honest, I am a bit confused as to why you feel that we have made empty promises when we have been transparent regarding this product from the beginning. You also attended the briefing on the first evening where we we ran through the package in detail and you have also confirmed that you got to saw everything that we promised??
The boats used for the Sardine Run are the same all along the coast of South Africa. Every-one chooses to use a rubber duck due to our sea conditions, beach launches, their manoeuvrability in the water and for divers to gain quick and easy access in and out of the water.
The Sardine Run is not your regular diving holiday and takes lots of commitment to try and experience one of the most exhilarating marine encounters ever. To ensure the best possible product we spend a full day out at sea, our boats are equipped with a camera table and extra seating for increased comfort (not standard on most boats) and we offer excursions on bad weather days.
So to answer your question...yes, we have had huge success with this product (for the last 20 years) and we have many repeat customers who come back again and again to be part of this incredible experience. Why would we get a 5 star rating from another diver who was booked on the same package this year?
Written 22 May 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JIN
Bangkok, Thailand175 contributions
Apr 2019
We did 5 days Sardine run+ 1 day seal dive in Port Elizabeth. It was a memorable life time experience !! Prodive is a “Pro” they really do know what they are doing and very good at it.
Louis the owner always present to make sure everything goes well. Our skipper Garvey is very considerate to our comfort amid turbulence sea whilst strictly adhere to safety procedures. Tristan our dive leader was so dedicated to search for bait ball, his eyes were always on the surface and jumped into the ocean to check first without hesitation. Every staff are so friendly and always willing to help. You could always ask or tell them what you would like, and they never hesitate to see to it.
Why are these thing important ? I will have to explain a bit about sardine run.
Sardine run is a natural phenomenon of Sardine fishes chase by common dolphin and unify themself into a ball like shape. This also invite birds, seals, sharks and whales to come feed on the ball that’s why it’s call bait ball. We all want to see it like in the documentary. In reality, it’s not so simple they probably take a year to film that.
Diving needs a lot of luck to see what you want to see “fish do swim”. So it comes to how it is done that matters.
Being on a boat in the open sea from 8 am-5 pm everyday for 5 days is physically demanding especially when it was cold raining and windy. The staffs have to prepare for launching every morning from 6 am and clear everything after we get in. Skipper has to stand all day steering the boat, searching for action. Dive leader has to be alert all the time for action too. They never even once appear to slack, but even seemed to be more eager to see than us customer.
Sardine run is not for beginner divers, you have to be “self-sufficient” or you may be liability to others and can be very dangerous to your own safety.
Louis the owner always present to make sure everything goes well. Our skipper Garvey is very considerate to our comfort amid turbulence sea whilst strictly adhere to safety procedures. Tristan our dive leader was so dedicated to search for bait ball, his eyes were always on the surface and jumped into the ocean to check first without hesitation. Every staff are so friendly and always willing to help. You could always ask or tell them what you would like, and they never hesitate to see to it.
Why are these thing important ? I will have to explain a bit about sardine run.
Sardine run is a natural phenomenon of Sardine fishes chase by common dolphin and unify themself into a ball like shape. This also invite birds, seals, sharks and whales to come feed on the ball that’s why it’s call bait ball. We all want to see it like in the documentary. In reality, it’s not so simple they probably take a year to film that.
Diving needs a lot of luck to see what you want to see “fish do swim”. So it comes to how it is done that matters.
Being on a boat in the open sea from 8 am-5 pm everyday for 5 days is physically demanding especially when it was cold raining and windy. The staffs have to prepare for launching every morning from 6 am and clear everything after we get in. Skipper has to stand all day steering the boat, searching for action. Dive leader has to be alert all the time for action too. They never even once appear to slack, but even seemed to be more eager to see than us customer.
Sardine run is not for beginner divers, you have to be “self-sufficient” or you may be liability to others and can be very dangerous to your own safety.
Written 27 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karl S
8 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
We, me and my girlfriend, did a PADI open water course and left with mixed feelings. Sience then we have visted other dive shops and felt it might be in place with a review as it, among other things, have become apparent that our course didnt cover what other dive shops deemed basic knowledge.
Below we tried to summurized what we experienced as pros and cons during our course.
Pros: Flexible. Cheap. Efficient. Well equipped. Promt communication. Safe. Friendly.
Cons: Impersonal. Rushed. Not confidence building. Too busy.
As there are many other excellent reviews this may not reflect prodives usual courses and as is stated above many things whare very well run but we felt that our experience was not on par with the otherwise excellent reviews on tripadvisor.
Below we tried to summurized what we experienced as pros and cons during our course.
Pros: Flexible. Cheap. Efficient. Well equipped. Promt communication. Safe. Friendly.
Cons: Impersonal. Rushed. Not confidence building. Too busy.
As there are many other excellent reviews this may not reflect prodives usual courses and as is stated above many things whare very well run but we felt that our experience was not on par with the otherwise excellent reviews on tripadvisor.
Written 28 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Karl,
Thank-you for taking the time to write a review and the fact that you mentioned both the pros and cons of your experience at Pro Dive. I have chatted to the instructor and the operations manager and they have confirmed that there was bad weather approaching during your stay in Port Elizabeth. This was the reason for scheduling the dives directly after your pool training with the intention of completing your course before you left. We were well within the PADI standards and are sorry that this resulted in you feeling rushed. At the time your partner did seem happy that she was able to complete the course before leaving P.E. It does get quite tricky to run the course at our usual pace when there are time and weather constraints but will keep this in mind for all future courses.
Regards
Michelle
Written 2 April 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hallo Remigiusz Adam! Was würden Sie gerne über diese Sehenswürdigkeit erfahren?
Hallo.
Ich mochten tauchen mit Schark,Haie ich komme am 29 August in Sud Afrika - Port Elizabeth bleiben ich bis Mitwoch 5 September 2018 .Ich am 1-2 September machen Ironman und frage ich ist moglich eine tauchen machen .?Haben sie noch platz? und Vievil kostet ?
maine email remy@wp.pl
LG Remi.