Our customers love it!

"It was a great experience! The place is great and the staff were very nice. I hope to go back there again sometime soon. Many thanks for your excellent service."
Fausto Gamberelli (Marine Conservation, Thailand)

"Nick called me today having just qualified as a PADI Instructor! He is over the moon and has really enjoyed his time in Dahab. My thanks to you for the professional but also relaxed approach and to the dive team for making his time there so enjoyable and productive. Please pass on my thanks and best wishes to Steve and the dive team.

Nick will definitely go back as planned in the New Year to take up further mentoring etc. and I shall be recommending Gap Year Diver to friends and colleagues with teenage and student children looking for similar gap year experiences and qualifications.

Thanks again and seasons greetings".
Phil (parent of son who went to Dahab)

"I went with GYD after simply "googling" the term "dive instructor course". At the time I was a lowly Advanced Open Water Diver and perhaps slightly cautious about going with some random company I had just found on the internet...but I couldn't have been more wrong! Ben was incredibly helpful in setting me up for the trip. The dive centre was awesome and all the staff were very professional. The house was pretty funky too! Can't really say enough nice things...its all about the IDC party at Blue Beach and a 'mankini'.... 'nough said! Best 3 months of my life so far".
Robert Hamilton (Dahab)

"My trip to Fiji completely changed my life".
Ben Swatton (Fiji)

"Just wanted to say thank you for the best experience of my life! I felt very well looked after and comfortable all of the time and the house is amazing - it made it so easy to meet new people and was really sociable! I'm looking into coming back next summer and i'll definately be in touch with you if I do! Thanks again".
Tom Cusworth (Dahab)

"Yeah everything is going great. Settled in well and am loving the diving. All the guys at the dive centre are a good laugh and 15 weeks I fear is going to fly by. Thanks for everything!"
Mike Kavanagh (Dahab)

"Had a fantastic time, really a perfect way to end my gap year. Would thoroughly recommend the Instructor course and the Egypt trip to others".
Harry Salisbury (Dahab)

"Hi there. I haven't made a trip with you guys yet but I just had to say that excel spead sheet on financing your trip is awesome. It really has showed me that I can make my trip possible because now I actually know what I earn after everything goes in then out again!! I am now in the process of planning a trip for the instructor course in 2010 sometime! Thank you for the little helpfull link!!!!"
Mike (prosepctive customer)

Thinking of going scuba diving in Belize? Want to avoid the annoying crowds of noisy tourists? This is the place for you. Rustic, undisturbed setting, lovely easy going people and by simply showing up you are making a positive contribution to a very good cause. Plus, they have plenty of beer & rum at Frank’s Caye to help fuel the evening game of cards or, if you prefer, a lazing afternoon of reading in the hammock. Here’s the typical day: 6.30am wake up, grab a coffee, grab your kit & dive. 8ish, big yummy breakfast of tortilla, eggs & beans prepared by jolly Molly, 11.30am, 2nd morning dive. 12.30pm – 2.30pm eat more, read, sleep in hammock then afternoon dive and then maybe a beer? So, as you can tell it’s a pretty high stress atmosphere!!! Thanks
Isabel (Belize)

"Having a great time but will get back to you when we return. Diving fab, accommodation great and staff couldnt do more for us. Fantastic!"
Kat and Dan (Dahab)

"Just thought i'd send you a quick email to tell you what a fantastic time i had in Egypt! I felt welcomed and included in as soon as i got there and everyone was so friendly and easy going. Living in the house was great fun, it was nice having everyone together but your own space too, and we made full use of the BBQ! The dive center was great, very professional and a great help throughout my divemaster, diving itself was awesome and i was so proud to be able to guide customers around the sites while i was training. The staff at the dive center were so fun and helpful like if you wanted to do an activity they would help you organise it straight away at a local price and most the time they would join in too. The egyptian staff were extremely useful for shopping as they would get things for half the tourist price! I met so many good friends out there and Dahab was such a friendly place i was sad to leave. Thanks for making it quick and painless to book and the whole trip was well organised. I had a great time!"
Louise Love (Dahab)

Here’s the highlights…..string of pearl on night dives, massive goliath grouper, morays, trying to paddle on a dug out dory at Cotton Tree lodge, ginormous iguanas in trees, crazy caves & lovely corals…..byeeeee & thanks, it’s been so much fun
Emma (Belize)

"Brilliant people, wicked diving...what more could you ask for!?"
Holly Sprules (Dahab)

"The Gap Year Diver team were really helpful with organising my trip and everything was made really easy for me. It was my first time away from home for more than just a weeks holiday but the staff made me feel at home really quickly and I made some great friends. I had an amazing time diving, meeting new people and living a completely different style of life. I would recommend it to anyone and would definately advise a week away seeing other parts of egypt too. the whole trip was a great experience and more than worthwhile".
Julie Turner (Dahab)

"I love Dahab! It is such a chilled out place! The people are friendly and easy going and the staff are great. Diving was amazing! Just fab...don't want to leave!"
Briony Blair (Dahab)

"Dahab was an amazing choice for my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Residential, I gained new skills in diving fulfilling the requirements for that section of the award. The diving out there is just incredible, the people are friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Barely had to worry about anything even transfers were arranged, was definitely the best trip I have been on".
Franchesca Ganesh (Dahab)

"I wanted to go travelling on my own, but I didnt have the guts to just turn up in Bangkok and then go 'er... now what?!' Knowing that there was going to be someone there to meet me, knowing that I had somewhere to stay, and also just having someone to introduce me was all that I needed really. Also, they've got me into diving, which I personally believe is the best thing since bread itself was invented, so I'd recommend it to anyone who I can get to stand still long enough! Sorry to quote dirty dancing, but I had the time of my life!"
Nicole (Thailand)

"Enjoyed Dahab very much - it is a great place to relax and dive. I have successfully learned to dive and the tuition was very thorough and professional. There was also plenty to do in the evenings and I can't wait to do some more diving in the future".
Hilary James (Dahab)

Thank you for a wonderful time. I want to spend hours and hours on the reef observing all the life. I’ve been given a taste and the feeling of more is strong! I’ll be back. Colin & Polly thank you for the instruction, I felt so safe at all times and learnt so much in such a short time, you were great. April & Bryan, yoga every morning was a real treat, if relaxing in a hammock after a days diving wasn’t enough! Loved hearing about life underwater, the coral, the reef creatures and the fish. Keep up the great science work. I’m already trying to plan a return, thanks
David (Belize)

"I had always wanted to take a gap year as I am a keen traveler and wanted a break before starting uni. I chose GYD as they offered good value for money, a personal experience and I was looking to combine my travels with some quality diving as well as gaining a qualification at the same time. The diving was great, Dahab was great and the people were amazing! I had a personal experience with high quality dive training as well as a great time!"
Clare Buchanan (Dahab)

"The staff were friendly and professional and the accommodation was clean and comfortable. Koh Tao is a beautiful island with clear waters full of life, good food and lots of great bars! Will definitely be going back! Thank you again for helping me organise this trip at such short notice"
Daniel (Thailand)

"Thank you so much for the support you provided whilst our son, Oli, was in Dahab. Once everyone arrived and diving started he had the most amazing time and I would recommend your company to anyone on their gap year - in fact I have! He loved the tour around Egypt and the whole package was just fantastic".
Feedback from a parent who's son went to Dahab

"Thanks you so much for the email and the lovely pics - glad to know that Hugh is enjoying himself. We hardly hear from him - everytime we call he is either busy or about to go out with his new pals! Stephen and I recognise this as a sign he is having a ball! Once again thanks for all you help. Lina."
Feedback from a parent who's son went to Dahab

My experience of Gap Year Diver was nothing short of Brilliant! Everything about my trip was amazing. Dahab is a really fun place. The staff were friendly and eager to help, and the dive team down at the dive centre really made the trip - they were professional and really knew their stuff. Above all they were a really good laugh! Of course, the thing that I really went for was the diving. This was so much better than I could have imagined. There's so many different places to dive, and so much to see, that it made my trip to Eygpt a very memorable one! I have, and will, be reccomending GYD to my friends. I'll be back!
Chris Hall (Dahab)

"The diving was spectacular and the Gap Year Diver staff were incredibly experienced and professional"
John Labram (Dahab)

"I've had an unforgettable two months in Costa Rica. The pace of life, gorgeous beaches and other travelers in Quepos made my stay there a lot of fun; my Spanish has gone from zero to conversational with just 5 weeks of classes; and the diving, while slightly murky at the coastal sites, was great offshore, esp at Isla de Cañ o. I used the extra couple of weeks I had left at the end to travel around Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua with friends from London - loads of fun".
Joe Falter (Costa Rica)

Thanks for your email. Yes - things are going really well out here, and I'm having a fantastic time. Everyone has been extremely friendly and supportive, the diving is unbelievable, and i'll be very sorry to leave I'm sure! Polly is awesome, and has really looked after us.
Sanjay (Belize)

"I would just like to thank you for all the stuff you have helped me with, it's paradise here, enjoying it so much that I am having doubts about going back. Diving is great and the staff are a blast!"
Damien (Thailand)

"All is good here...I absolutely love Quepos! I have met so many amazing people and I really enjoy the relaxed pace of life. The Spanish and diving are going very well, it's hard with so much studying but I'm really enjoying learning more and more everyday! I haven't seen a shark yet, but I'm sure by the time I leave I will. So many dives have been for training so when I get round to doing some recreational dives I am sure I will see so much more. Hopefully this week or next, I will be going on a trip to Isla de Cano, where apparently they see 2--30 sharks a dive! I am really excited and looking forward to it! Thank you for putting together such a trip of a lifetime! Hasta Luego!"
Hazel Waterman (Costa Rica)

"Dahab is now my home. After completing my instructor course in Dahab I found work as a freelance instructor - it's great! The sun, diving, people and social life have really turned my life around and i love it! I still return to Holland each year for about 4 months to see the kids, but I'm always anxious to get back out here and dive. See you next time"
Paul Verner (Dahab)

"Yeh its realy cool, definitely made the right decision doing this and thanks for all the help. The place is gorgeous, it's cheap to live and the diving is amazing, we saw a whale shark today, absolutely stunning! Once again, thanks for all the help." – Warren
Warren (Thailand)

"I had such an amazing time!! I hope more students are able to enjoy the same experience in such a special place"
Jenny Tough (Venezuela)

"The experience has been the best of my life! It's taught me things I would never have learnt back home, and it has allowed me to meet new friends, many of whom I'll know for the rest of my life! I also had the chance to to do the traineeship which gave me great leadership skills, so a big thank you for such an unforgettable experience and working opportunity!"
Kyle Wall (Bahamas)

"I thorougly enjoyed my trip to Venezuela and would highly recommend it to anyone who wanted to dive, travel and learn Spanish. I am now a fully qualified Divemaster and I have had the opportunity to see so much of Venezuela in a much less intrusive manner than I think I would have done if I had travelled alone a tourist. thank you very much again for all your help!
Emily Irving-Swift (Venezuela)

"The programame was perfectly balanced. In other words, the academic programme was rigerous enough to challenge me, but not so rigerous that I didn't have enough time to enjoy Quepos and Manuel Antonio"
John Taylor (Costa Rica)

"The experience I have had has exceeded all my expectations. I have met people and had experiences I could not have imagined before I came to Fiji. I enjoyed it so much during the first phase that I decided to come back for the second!"
Laura Elvin (Fiji)

"I absolutely loved my time in Quepos! The jungle setting of the language school, squirrel monkeys eating bananas out of my hands, exquisite diving, local friends and my teacher (Dmitri), made this a very memorable trip"
Peter Walsh (Costa Rica)

"I had been to Sharm el Sheikh before and expected Dahab to be similar, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found this sleepy part of the world! The great thing about Dahab was the relaxed atmosphere - I found myself rarely knowing what day it was!"
John Labram (Dahab)

"I had an excellent time, the accomodation was comfortable and well located near the dive school. The Ecological Marine Project that I participated in was taught profesionally by Chad. The whole experience has led me to carry on voluteering with Reef Check Australia and I am even moving to Cairns so i can fit it around my job! I also cant wait to go back and help out Dev and Chad again in the future. My diving also improved greatly.

The team made a point of introducing themselves and the environment was so relaxed and friendly. After a few days I felt like I had been there for a long time!

The training I received during my time volunteering now enables me to collect data identifying 'indicator' species, different corals and their classification and diseases as well as various measuring and survey techniques on coral reefs. I am now able to practice this volunteering on the 'Great Barrier Reef'!"
Debbie (Thailand)

"I'd highly recommend this placement for any diver (current or prospective), or any student of biological sciences and ecology. I learnt a lot, had a really good time, and I hope that I contributed to the conservation effort."
James (Thailand)

"After travelling to Thailand for the first time, I was very amazed at how welcoming everyone in Koh Tao was. At the dive school, the location from where the marine conservation project is carried out, it felt like being adopted into their 'family' right from day one. This all made me feel very much like at home. From the activities that were involved in the project I learned so much, that it has made me become more confident and experienced as a scientist as well as a diver. Having never done any diving prior to my arriving in Thailand, I decided to extend my stay in Koh Tao and learn more in depth-diving and to continue helping further with the marine conservation project as well as all other activities organised by the dive school throughout the week.

Out of the three parts of the marine conservation program: maintaining the biorock (artificial coral reef), mid-water nursery, data collection of the reefs and other activities such as the beach clean ups (on land as well as under water), I was most impressed by laying hands on maintaining the Biorock, an artificial reef. Everything was carried out underwater, so that we could put to practice our diving experience......Fantastic combination of diving and its practical usage in marine conservation, something I can most certainly apply in my future life and that can help in the practical application side of my studies....

I would like to thank everyone who made this unique, instructive and very joyful opportunity possible and I would like to recommend it to anyone from all ages to all types of backgrounds. Thanks."
Gina (Thailand)

"I am pretty settled in now and the course is going really well! Looked at the bio rock, coral nursery and done quite a few dives already and enjoyed them all.The vis is also getting better! I think this place is definitely better than at Sairee - very chilled. Have the weekend off now, so will relax and catch some sun!!"
Chloe (Thailand)

"I am having a blast and I dont want to leave!!!!!!!!"
Ariel (Thailand)