Shark Dive Information

Contact Us
If you have any questions about the shark dive, or you wish to book a shark dive, you may reach us at the following address: dive@scubainkorea.com

Dive Dates
Except for special circumstances, all of our dives are pre-scheduled. We do NOT do them "on demand". None of our instructors reside in Busan. Please check the Home Page or the Availability/Roster Page to check the dates of upcoming dives. We offer shark dives two or three times a month all year round. We will arrange "dives on demand" for large enough groups (minimum ten divers).

Your Instructor
The shark dives are conducted by a fully insured PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer who is currently renewed and in teaching status. Your instructor is NOT employed by Busan Aquarium in any capacity.

Marine Life
Divers can expect to get up close and personal with blacktip reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, sand tiger sharks, Queensland giant (and we do mean GIANT) groupers, short-tail stingrays, spotted eagle rays and more. The inventory in the exhibit is always changing. We can't guarantee that you will see each of these animals, but you should see most of them.

Price
Certified divers: 90,000 Won (you must show proof of certification)
Non-certified divers: 110,000 Won (includes training)
* Price INCLUDES the 50,000 Won deposit. The balance is paid at the aquarium on dive day (see below re: deposit).

Price includes: aquarium admission, locker use, equipment rental, tank rental, dive instruction for non-divers, and guided shark dive. Prices are set by the aquarium. What we list on our site is what they charge for the dive. Scuba In Korea has no input on pricing policies. The aquarium does NOT typically give group discounts. We would be happy to request one on your behalf, but we can NOT authorize one ourselves, or promise that they will give you one.

Reservations will be made on a first paid basis. A 50,000 won non-refundable deposit per diver is required to make a reservation. If you wish to cancel the dive, we require 72 hours notice. If we do not receive 72 hours notice, or if you are a 'no-show' on the day of the dive, your deposit will be lost. If you give us 72 hours notice, we will apply your deposit to a future reservation. You will be allowed ONE rescheduling to be completed within six (6) months of your originally scheduled dive. Deposits will be refunded to divers in the event of a cancellation on the part of 'Scuba In Korea' or Busan Aquarium. If you pay your deposit by PayPal the difference in price between Korean won and U.S. dollars is caused by the exchange rate, currency exchange fees and PayPal service fees. We must have the payment in hand to make your reservation. For this reason, we cannot accept post-dated e-checks from PayPal. In the rare event that we need to issue a refund via PayPal, we will refund your deposit MINUS a small service fee (around $2 USD) charged by PayPal.

This policy is in effect because we have had an unacceptable number of no-shows in the past. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Refunds
Refunds will not be granted to divers who begin the program on dive day but do not finish it for any reason (other than fault on the part of Busan Aquarium or Scuba In Korea). This includes (but is not limited to) failure to complete the skills portion of the program successfully or the diver backing out of the dive for personal reasons.

Age Requirement
Busan Aquarium requires that the minimum age for shark divers be 16 years old (Western calendar). This rule supersedes certification status of those under 16 years of age.

Female Issues
We are often asked if women can dive if they are menstruating. The answer is "yes". The sharks that are in the aquarium are not particularly attracted to mammalian blood.

Size Limitation
Currently we have to limit the dive to people who are 250 lbs/ 113 kg or LESS. This is for safety reasons as well as equipment limitations. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Location
All shark dives are conducted in the 3 million liter, 5 meter deep, main tank of Busan Aquarium.

Busan Aquarium is located right on beautiful Haeundae Beach in Busan. Lockers and change rooms/showers/bathrooms are available.

Haeundae has its own subway station (on the green line). You can find a map of the Busan Subway system here (will open in a new page/tab).

Haeundae also has its own Korea National Railroad station. You can get direct service to/from Ulsan, Daegu, Daejeon and Seoul (among others). Be aware that these trains are less frequent than those coming/going from Busan Station and that there is no KTX service from Haeundae Station.

A taxi from Busan Station will cost around 15,000 Won. Be aware that traffic to Haeundae can be quite heavy, especially in the summer. If you are late because you were stuck in traffic, you will not dive and you will not receive a refund.

THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS. WE CANNOT STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A LESSON AND COME BACK TO THE ENTRANCE TO MEET YOU AND COLLECT THE DIVE FEE, PAY, AND THEN TAKE YOU BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. WE LOSE TOO MUCH TIME AND IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE DIVERS THAT DID SHOW UP ON TIME.

What You Must Bring
* Divers must provide their own swimwear (wetsuits provided by aquarium)
* A towel (there are a limited number of souvenir towels available for sale)
* Certified divers MUST present their c-cards. Non-divers must bring official picture ID.
* A camera (UW cameras are fine, but no external flash units are allowed)
* If you wear glasses, you cannot wear them under the mask. We recommend that you bring contact lenses. It's not very fun if you can't see anything.

Video and Camera Rental
The aquarium does NOT sell underwater cameras.

Scuba In Korea has both a digital still camera and an underwater video camera for rent.
- Camera fee: 20,000 Won
- Video fee: 40,000 Won

If you rent the still camera, your photos will be uploaded after the dive and you will be sent the link to where you can download them.

If you rent the video, we will produce a DVD for you and mail it to an address that you provide.

Cameras and videos are rented on a first-come first-served basis.

Time and Duration
THE EXPERIENCE WILL TAKE FROM 3.5 to 6.5 HOURS. PLEASE ALLOW FOR THIS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR TRAVEL PLANS. - We never really know how long training will take.

Dives will be conducted in two groups of five divers. We will do our best to keep your group together, but this may not always be possible.

SATURDAY
MORNING: The Saturday group will meet at the entrance to the aquarium at 11:30am.
Don't book a return train before 7pm.

SUNDAY
MORNING: The Sunday group will meet at the entrance to the aquarium at 9:30 am.
Don't book a return train before 5pm.

Please be at the entrance to the aquarium at, or before, the indicated start time.
If you are not present at the scheduled time, you will be considered a no-show and will not dive. You will not receive a refund. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS. WE CANNOT STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A LESSON AND COME BACK TO THE ENTRANCE TO MEET YOU AND COLLECT THE DIVE FEE, PAY, AND THEN TAKE YOU BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. WE LOSE TOO MUCH TIME AND IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE DIVERS THAT DID SHOW UP ON TIME.


Parking
THE EXPERIENCE WILL TAKE FROM 3.5 to 6.5 HOURS. PLEASE ALLOW FOR THIS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR TRAVEL PLANS. - We never really know how long training will take.

Shark dive customers get three hours of free parking at the aquarium. Each half hour after that costs 1,000 won.

Training
Training for non-certified divers will be conducted on site by an experienced, English-speaking, professional dive instructor. Training is conducted in water shallow enough to stand up in. Training will be conducted at a pace that is comfortable for the divers. Non-divers will participate in either the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program or the NAUI Try Scuba Diving program. Neither of these programs are dive certification programs. They are experience programs only. You will NOT be certified to scuba dive upon completion of your shark dive experience.

Make A Reservation
Check the web-site for availability.

Reservations will be made on a first paid basis. A 50,000 won non-refundable deposit is required to make a reservation. If you wish to cancel the dive, we require 72 hours notice. If we do not receive 72 hours notice, or if you are a 'no-show' on the day of the dive, your deposit will be lost. If you give us 72 hours notice, we will apply your deposit to a future reservation. Deposits will be refunded to divers in the event of a cancellation on the part of 'Scuba In Korea' or Busan Aquarium.
This policy is in effect because we have had an unacceptable number of no-shows in the past. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

For U.S. Military Personnel: You probably do not have Korean bank accounts, but that should not be a problem. Go to a Korean bank and they will transfer the money for you. You should bring your ID and a passport. If there is a problem, email us (dive@scubainkorea.com) and we'll work something out. We now have a PayPal option on the 'Make a Reservation' page that you can use.

Reservations cannot be made until the deposit is paid - you MUST pay first and then send the mail. Any email that cannot be matched to a deposit in our account will be deleted. We willnot accept any reservation request that includes a promise to pay later.

Step 1 - Make payment
Step 2 - Send email with reservation information

To make a reservation, please go here.

Medical Issues
If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, we require that you consult with a doctor before diving with us. Please present a permission slip signed by your doctor. If you need a copy of the medical guidelines that your doctor should follow, please email us and we will provide you with a copy. If you arrive with any of these conditions, and without a doctor's note, YOU WILL NOT DIVE.

• Do you currently have an ear infection?
• Do you have a history of ear disease, hearing loss or problems with balance?
• Do you have a history of ear or sinus surgery?
• Are you currently suffering from a cold, congestion, sinusitis or bronchitis?
• Do you have a history of respiratory problems, severe attacks of hayfever or allergies or lung disease?
• Have you had a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) or history of chest surgery?
• Do you have active asthma or history of emphysema or tuberculosis?
• Are you currently taking medication that carries a warning about any impairment of your physical or mental abilities?
• Do you have behavioral health, mental or psychological problems or a nervous system disorder?
• Are you, or could you be, pregnant?
• Do you have a history of colostomy?
• Do you have a history of heart disease or heart attack, heart surgery or blood vessel surgery?
• Do you have a history of high blood pressure, angina, or take medication to control blood pressure?
• Are you over 45 and have a family history of heart attack or stroke?
• Do you have a history of bleeding or other blood disorders?
• Do you have a history of diabetes?
• Do you have a history of seizures, blackouts or fainting, convulsions or epilepsy or take medications to prevent them?
• Do you have a history of back, arm or leg problems following an injury, fracture or surgery?
• Do you have a history of fear of closed or open spaces or panic attacks (claustrophobia or agoraphobia)?