DiveHQ
A common source of pricing trouble at a dive centre is inconsistency rather than the price itself: a quote sent by message that does not match the price board, a package nobody can explain at checkout, a nitrox fill that was never charged. This guide is about a price structure your staff can apply the same way every time.
It contains no market prices. What you charge depends on your costs, your location and your competitors. The figures below are round numbers to show the structure, not recommendations.
Single dives and packages
Dives are usually sold in two ways: a single-dive price, and packages that lower the price per dive as the number of dives goes up. Packages reward guests who stay longer and let you quote a week of diving in one line. For each package, decide:
- Size. For example, 5 and 10 dives. More steps make the list harder to read and to apply at checkout.
- What counts. Whether the package covers any dive, or only standard boat dives, with night dives and distant sites charged on top.
- Who can use it. One diver only, or shared between people on the same booking.
- How long it lasts. Within one stay, or within a set period.
- Unused dives. Whether they are refunded, credited or lost. Put this in writing before the guest pays.
- Mixed dives. How the package applies when a guest does some ordinary dives and some with a surcharge. One fair rule is to apply the package to the most expensive dives first, so the guest gets the most from it.
| Item | Price (USD, example only) | Charged per | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single boat dive | 60 | Dive | Cylinder and weights included |
| 5-dive package | 275 | Package | 55 per dive |
| 10-dive package | 500 | Package | 50 per dive |
| Night dive surcharge | 20 | Dive | Added to a single dive or a package dive |
| Distant site surcharge | 30 | Dive | Applies to named sites only |
| Nitrox fill | 10 | Cylinder | Nitrox certification checked first |
| Full equipment rental | 30 | Day | BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask and fins |
| Marine park fee | Set by the park | Diver per day | Passed on at cost |
What to include and what to charge separately
Anything included in the dive price is paid for by every diver, including those who do not use it. Anything charged separately is one more line to explain. Decide each item deliberately and write the decision down, so every member of staff quotes it the same way.
| Item | Points to consider |
|---|---|
| Cylinders and weights | Charging for these separately can look like a hidden fee when guests compare your dive price with another centre's. |
| Equipment rental | Charge per day or per dive, per item or as a full set. A full-set price is quicker to quote; per-item prices are fairer to divers who bring some of their own kit. |
| Nitrox | Charge per fill, or offer a nitrox price for the whole package. Check the diver's nitrox certification before the first fill. |
| Marine park, reef or conservation fees | Set by the authority, not by you. Show them as a separate line at cost, so guests see where the money goes and you can update the line when the fee changes. |
| Distant sites | A boat surcharge covers the extra fuel and time. Name the sites it applies to, so staff do not decide case by case. |
| Night dives | A surcharge covers smaller groups, torches and extra crew time. |
| Taxes and service charges | Decide whether prices are shown inclusive or exclusive, and use the same basis on the website, the price board, quotes and invoices. |
Deposits and cancellation terms
A deposit secures the booking and covers some of your costs if the guest cancels. Whatever terms you choose, state them before the guest pays:
- The deposit, as a fixed amount or a percentage, and when it is due.
- When the balance is due: before arrival, on arrival or at checkout.
- What happens to the deposit if the guest cancels, and up to what date a cancellation is refunded in full or in part.
- What happens if you cancel for weather or safety: a refund, a credit or another day.
- What happens if a diver cannot dive for medical reasons, including a physician's evaluation that was not ready in time. The diver medical questionnaire guide explains how to avoid that.
- How the deposit appears on the final invoice, so it is credited against the total and never charged twice.
One price list for quotes and invoices
Keep one price list as the single source for every price your staff quote or charge. When the website says one thing, the price board another and a spreadsheet a third, quotes and invoices disagree and guests notice.
- Give every item a name, a price, a unit (per dive, per day, per package) and whether tax is included.
- Give each item one name only. “Boat dive”, “morning dive” and “2-tank trip” for the same thing make it hard to check an invoice against a quote.
- Quote from the list and keep the prices on the quote. If you change prices later, a guest quoted last month should still pay what they were quoted.
- Invoice from the same list, using what the guest actually did: dives logged, days rented, fills made.
- Limit who can change prices, and record when each change was made.
Dive centre price list template
Columns for item, category, unit, price, currency, tax treatment and notes, with example rows in USD to replace with your own prices.
Review prices each season
Set a date each year, before bookings open for your main season, to review the list. Look at:
- Costs that have changed: fuel, wages, compressor servicing, equipment replacement, insurance and park fees.
- Items that rarely sell, which may be priced wrongly or not worth listing.
- Surcharges and extras that staff regularly waive, which may mean guests do not understand them or the charge is not worth keeping.
- Package sizes compared with how long your guests usually stay.
- Quotes already sent for the coming season, which should be honoured at the quoted price.
Choose a date for the new prices to take effect. Update the website, the price board and your booking records together on that date, and tell staff in advance which bookings the change applies to.