CLUB MEMBERSHIP POLICY

TTDC Policy-005 Club Membership Policy

This page explains the terms, benefits, safety requirements and participation conditions for Tasmania Tech & Dive Centre club membership.

For assistance
Tasmania Tech & Dive Centre | info@tastechdive.com.au

 

Quick Summary

  • TTDC club membership is $100 per year.
  • Membership gives members access to eligible club boat dive opportunities, subject to availability, conditions, suitability and safety requirements.
  • Club boat dives are recreational club diver activities and are not guided dives, training dives, instructional dives or commercial guided dive services unless TTDC expressly states otherwise for a specific activity.
  • Club boat dive payments are a fuel, vessel and operating cost-share arrangement only.
  • Members must hold suitable dive insurance, such as DAN or equivalent dive accident and emergency assistance cover, before joining any club boat dive.
  • Suitably licensed and experienced members may operate a TTDC vessel for club boat dives only with prior TTDC approval and subject to safety, insurance, legal and operational requirements.
  • Members may receive first look access to selected promotions, retail discounts, training opportunities and dive holidays.
  • Members may receive discounted air fills and access to nitrox and trimix gas blending services where available and where all certification, cylinder and safety requirements are met.
  • Membership benefits are subject to safety, availability, weather, staffing, vessel, gas, supplier and operational limits.
  • Nothing in this policy limits any rights a member may have under Australian Consumer Law.

Membership Fee and Term

TTDC club membership is offered at a fee of $100 per year. 

Membership fees are payable in advance. Membership is personal to the member and cannot be transferred to another person, business, booking, course, trip or account unless TTDC agrees in writing.

Membership fees are generally not refundable once the membership period has started, except where required by Australian Consumer Law or where TTDC otherwise agrees.

 

Membership Benefits

Current financial members may receive access to selected TTDC club benefits during the membership year, including:

  • access to eligible TTDC club boat dive opportunities;
  • first look access to selected promotional offers;
  • first look access to selected discounted retail offers;
  • first look access to selected training opportunities;
  • first look access to selected dive holidays or travel opportunities;
  • discounted air fills, where available;
  • access to gas blending services, including nitrox and trimix, where available and where all requirements are met; and
  • other member benefits TTDC may offer from time to time.

Membership benefits may change throughout the year and may be varied, suspended, withdrawn or replaced at TTDC’s discretion. TTDC will aim to communicate material changes clearly and fairly.

 

Club Boat Dives

TTDC club boat dives are intended to help suitably qualified club members access recreational diving opportunities with other club divers.

Unless TTDC expressly states otherwise for a particular activity, club boat dives are not guided dives, training dives, instructional dives, supervised commercial dive tours or dive leadership services. Members participate as certified recreational divers within their own training, certification, experience, equipment and personal limits.

Any amount paid for a club boat dive is a contribution toward fuel, vessel use, launch, recovery, maintenance, operating costs, administration or other shared trip costs. It is not a fee for in-water guiding, instruction, supervision or professional dive leadership unless TTDC expressly identifies that service separately.

Participation is subject to:

  • vessel availability;
  • weather and sea conditions;
  • minimum numbers;
  • staffing and operational requirements;
  • safety requirements;
  • member suitability;
  • certification and experience requirements;
  • equipment suitability;
  • medical fitness;
  • insurance requirements; and
  • any applicable booking terms.

TTDC may refuse, cancel or restrict participation where it considers that a member, site, plan, equipment, gas, weather, vessel, medical condition or other circumstance presents an unacceptable safety or operational risk.

 

Vessel Operation by Club Members

Suitably licensed and experienced club members may be permitted to operate a TTDC vessel for club boat dive activities, but only with TTDC’s prior approval.

The member must hold the relevant current boat licence, have appropriate vessel-handling experience for the planned location and conditions, and comply with all TTDC vessel procedures, marine safety requirements, insurance conditions and trip-specific directions.

TTDC may refuse or withdraw approval at any time for safety, operational, legal, insurance or competency reasons.

Permission for a member to operate a vessel does not change the nature of the activity. Club boat dives remain recreational club diver activities and cost-share arrangements unless TTDC expressly states otherwise in writing.

 

Dive Insurance Requirement

Members must hold suitable current dive insurance before participating in any TTDC club boat dive. This may include DAN or equivalent dive accident, emergency assistance, evacuation and treatment insurance appropriate to the member’s diving activities.

It is the member’s responsibility to ensure their insurance is current, suitable for the type of diving undertaken, valid for the location of the dive, and sufficient for their personal needs. TTDC may request evidence of current insurance before accepting a member onto a club boat dive.

DAN membership and dive accident insurance may be separate products. Members are responsible for understanding what their insurance does and does not cover.

A member who cannot provide evidence of suitable current dive insurance may be refused participation in club boat dives.

 

Diver Responsibility and Buddy Diving

Club boat dives rely on members taking personal responsibility for safe recreational diving. Each member must:

  • dive within their certification, training, experience and personal limits;
  • maintain suitable dive insurance;
  • maintain medical fitness to dive;
  • bring and use suitable equipment;
  • plan and conduct their dive with their buddy;
  • monitor gas, depth, time, decompression status, conditions and navigation;
  • carry suitable signalling equipment;
  • follow vessel, safety and emergency briefings;
  • comply with all directions given by TTDC staff, the vessel operator or the appointed trip organiser;
  • avoid diving if unwell, fatigued, impaired, underprepared or uncomfortable with the conditions; and
  • end the dive if they or their buddy are not comfortable continuing.

Members are responsible for selecting suitable buddies and ensuring the planned dive is appropriate for both divers.

 

Promotional, Retail, Training and Dive Holiday Access

Members may receive first look access to selected TTDC promotions, discounted retail offers, training opportunities and dive holidays. First look access means TTDC may notify members or make selected opportunities available to members before they are promoted more broadly.

First look access does not guarantee availability, reserved stock, course placement, trip placement, travel availability, pricing, discount amount or acceptance onto any course, dive or holiday.

Retail discounts and promotions may exclude special-order items, already discounted items, consignment items, servicing, freight, gas, hire equipment, gift cards, third-party products or any other item nominated by TTDC.

Training and dive holiday participation remains subject to the relevant booking terms, course prerequisites, certification requirements, medical requirements, payment terms, travel terms, insurance requirements and safety requirements.

 

Discounted Air Fills

Current financial members may receive discounted air fills where TTDC offers this benefit. Discounted air fills are subject to compressor availability, staff availability, gas quality controls, cylinder suitability and TTDC filling procedures.

Cylinders must be in current test, suitable for the intended fill, correctly marked and presented in safe condition. TTDC may refuse to fill any cylinder that is out of test, damaged, contaminated, incorrectly marked, unsuitable, unsafe or otherwise non-compliant.

Discounted air fills are for the member’s own diving use unless TTDC agrees otherwise. Discounts cannot be exchanged for cash or applied retrospectively unless TTDC expressly agrees.

 

Access to Gas Blending Services

Current financial members may receive access to TTDC gas blending services, including nitrox and trimix, where available. Gas blending access is subject to staff availability, gas availability, equipment availability, cylinder suitability, safety controls and operational approval.

Members must hold appropriate certification and competence for the gas requested and the dive being planned. TTDC may request evidence of certification, experience or dive planning suitability before providing gas blending services.

Members are responsible for confirming that any requested gas mixture is suitable for their training, certification, equipment, planned depth, planned dive profile and personal dive plan.

All nitrox, trimix and other mixed-gas fills must be analysed, verified, labelled and recorded in accordance with TTDC procedures. Members must personally verify the gas mixture before use where required by TTDC procedures, training standards or accepted diving practice.

TTDC may refuse to provide gas blending services where it considers the request unsafe, unsuitable, unsupported by certification, inconsistent with the member’s planned dive, or otherwise outside TTDC’s operational limits.

 

Member Responsibilities

Members must:

  • provide accurate contact, certification, medical, insurance and emergency contact information when requested;
  • keep their diving certifications, experience, insurance and medical information current and accurate;
  • comply with TTDC policies, procedures, briefings, booking terms and staff directions;
  • dive within their training, certification, experience, equipment and personal limits;
  • use safe and suitable equipment;
  • behave respectfully toward staff, contractors, members, customers and other participants;
  • comply with all applicable safety requirements for club boat dives, training, gas fills and travel activities;
  • promptly advise TTDC of any medical, fitness, equipment, insurance or safety issue that may affect participation; and
  • not misuse membership benefits or attempt to transfer benefits to another person without approval.

Medical, Certification and Safety Requirements

Membership does not remove or reduce any requirement to meet medical, certification, waiver, prerequisite, equipment, insurance or safety requirements for a dive, course, trip, gas fill or activity.

TTDC may require members to complete waivers, medical questionnaires, booking forms, acknowledgement forms or other documents before participation in club activities, training, boat dives or dive holidays.

TTDC may refuse, suspend or cancel participation where a member does not meet the required medical, certification, insurance, safety, conduct or operational requirements.

 

Booking, Cancellation and Refund Terms

Bookings made by members for club boat dives, training, travel, gas services or other activities are subject to the relevant TTDC booking, cancellation, refund and reservation terms.

Where a member cancels, fails to attend, arrives late, is medically unfit, does not meet prerequisites, does not hold suitable insurance, does not complete required documents or is unable to participate for safety reasons, refunds or credits may not be available to the extent permitted by law.

If TTDC cancels or materially changes a club boat dive due to weather, safety, vessel availability, operational needs or insufficient numbers, TTDC may offer rescheduling, store credit or a refund, depending on the circumstances and any applicable law.

Nothing in this policy limits any rights a member may have under Australian Consumer Law.

 

Suspension or Cancellation of Membership

TTDC may suspend or cancel membership where a member:

  • behaves unsafely, dishonestly, abusively or disruptively;
  • fails to follow TTDC instructions, policies or procedures;
  • misuses membership benefits;
  • provides false or misleading information;
  • fails to meet safety, medical, certification, insurance or conduct requirements;
  • causes risk to themselves, staff, other divers, customers or TTDC operations; or
  • otherwise acts in a way that TTDC reasonably considers inconsistent with safe and respectful club participation.

Where practical, TTDC may give the member an opportunity to respond before cancelling membership. However, TTDC may act immediately where required for safety, legal, operational or conduct reasons.

 

Changes to Membership Benefits

TTDC may change membership benefits, pricing, eligibility, inclusions, exclusions or access conditions from time to time. Any changes will apply prospectively unless otherwise required by law.

Operational availability may be affected by weather, safety, staffing, vessel availability, equipment availability, gas supply, supplier arrangements, legal requirements or other circumstances outside TTDC’s control.

 

Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in this policy limits, excludes or modifies any rights a member may have under Australian Consumer Law or any other law that cannot be excluded.

If a service or benefit fails to meet a consumer guarantee, the member may be entitled to a remedy under Australian Consumer Law depending on the circumstances.

 

Related Policies and Documents

Members are required to read, accept and comply with the following TTDC policies, where applicable:

·        TTDC Policy-001 Privacy Policy;

·        TTDC Policy-002 Returns, Refunds and Exchanges Policy;

·        TTDC Policy-003 Shipping Policy;

·        TTDC Policy-004 Terms of Trade; and

·        TTDC Policy-005 Club Membership Policy.

If there is any inconsistency between this policy and an activity-specific document, TTDC may apply the activity-specific requirements to the extent needed for safety, legal, insurance or operational reasons.

 

How to Request Help

If you have questions about TTDC club membership, benefits, club boat dives, insurance requirements, bookings, gas fills, training opportunities, dive holidays or your membership status, please contact:

Tasmania Tech & Dive Centre
Email: info@tastechdive.com.au

When contacting TTDC, please include your name, membership details, booking details if applicable, and a brief description of your request.