Hi All

It looks like we are well and truly on our way into the cooler part of the year and it’s great to see that that hasn’t put off many of our members with boat bookings still remaining high. Last month I got my first opportunity to get out and dive from Chromodoris and I have to say it was good fun! It was also great to see some new faces, along with some of the regulars.

The past few trips have seen more sign ups than we can accommodate which does mean that some people unfortunately miss out. However, rest assured that our dive co-ordinators are keeping an eye on this to make sure that everyone has a fair opportunity to get on the boat. If you do sign up for several trips and do not make it aboard, please let us know, we are still finding our feet with the new system and don’t want people that they are not being given the opportunity to get out.

I would like to cover off on two key changes that affect day trip bookings. The first of these is the change in pricing which was discussed at the AGM and in my previous correspondence; the second is a minor change to the way we handle dive bookings.

Price Changes

As we highlighted at the AGM, the committee has been looking into operational costs and the current fee structure. As a result the decision has been made to increase the fees associated with day trips to Rottnest Island (double dive) as follows:

• Non-Student fee for a double dive will increase from $50 to $60.
• Student fee for a double dive will increase from $40 to $50.

I would like to assure you that this decision has not been made lightly but is necessary to ensure that the club remains sustainable and is able to continue to provide services to its members. The following points provide the rationale behind the price increase.

• The fees for a day trip to Rottnest have not increased for at least 12 years.
• Fuel prices have increased significantly over the past 12 years and our relocation to Woodman Point have increased the amount of fuel required for a return trip to Rottnest.
• Overhead costs including boat storage, insurances, maintenance and vehicle costs have increased significantly over the past few years.
• The increased trip costs and membership fees are still below that of other clubs and charters and are still considered to represent value for our members.
• The financial sustainability of the club relies on the trip fees.

To ensure that our student members are not disadvantaged by this increase, current students will receive free gear hire when they book onto Rottnest trips.

Upfront Booking Payment

Based on feedback and experiences to date we have made a couple of small changes to the way the booking system as summarised below.

• Payment will now be required at the time of booking.
• Confirmations will be sent out on Thursday night (unless otherwise notified) to the seven persons on the boat (1 position is the skipper). Unsuccessful persons will receive a notification indicating that they were not successful.
• Refunds will be issued within 3-5 days of the boat trip for any persons who did not receive a position on the boat or withdrew their booking before confirmations are sent out (after 6pm Thursday).

We have made these changes for a number of reasons including:

• Pre-processing payments will allow us to notify those that were unsuccessful in a more timely manner.
• Requesting payment up-front will hopefully reduce the number of people who sign up but do not respond to the confirmation (which creates more work for our dive coordinators).
• Should a member pull out of the dive after confirmations have been sent out, the onus to find a replacement will be on them. They may request a list of those that were not successful or advertise on Facebook then liaise with the dive coordinator.
• Prevent people from confirming on the Thursday night, not paying then not showing up for the dives.

Although generally a first come first serve basis, the dive coordinator will use their discretion in allocating positions on the boat in an effort to provide fair rotation of members on the boat and to recognise those that have made a significant contribution to the running of the club.

Refunds

In light of these changes I would like to clarify our current refund policy for day trips:

• A refund will be issued in the following circumstances:
  • The member did not receive an offer of a position on the boat.
  • The member withdrew their booking before the confirmations were sent out.
  • The boat trip was cancelled.
  • Any other circumstances at the discretion of the committee.
• A refund will not be issued if:
  • A member is confirmed for a dive trip but does not show up.
  • A member withdraws after confirming and is unable to find a replacement.
  • A member attends the trip but is unable to dive due to equipment failure.

We are continually looking to improve our systems to make it easier for members and volunteers alike and I welcome any suggestions or feedback that you may have via our Contacts page.

Cheers

James