What should a dive centre in Australia run on?
Australian diving runs from big Outer Reef day boats out of Cairns and Port Douglas to Ningaloo's seasonal whale sharks and cold-water shore dives in the south. Most of it carries a mix of certified divers, first-timers and snorkellers on the same trip. DiveOps keeps every one of them, and the records behind them, in one login.
The short answer
DiveOps is dive centre software that fits Australian day-boat and shore operators: it checks each diver's certification and medical before the boat, plans who goes on which boat, keeps the site for every trip, and runs bookings, gear, payroll and Australian-dollar payments, with a 24/7 WhatsApp AI front desk.
(opens full size in a new tab)Outer Reef day boats from Cairns, Port Douglas and the Whitsundays
A Great Barrier Reef day boat out of Cairns, Port Douglas or Airlie Beach can carry certified divers, introductory divers, course students and snorkellers on the same trip, and wreck boats run out to the SS Yongala off Townsville. Who is on the boat, in which group and with which guide changes right up to departure.
DiveOps builds each boat's trip sheet from the bookings: drag groups onto boats, and the capacity maths and kit sizes are worked out for the whole crew. Publish once and the crew, the shop and the wall screen all see the same plan.
Headcounts, medicals and the Queensland code
In Queensland, recreational diving operators work under the Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2024, approved under the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011. It gives practical guidance on matters such as headcounts on the vessel, medical fitness and supervision.
DiveOps keeps the records that sit behind those checks in one place. Divers fill in their medical form on their phone before they arrive, a checked certification records who checked it and when, and staff certificates and insurance warn you before they lapse. Diver Watch, switched on with us on request, counts each diver into the water and back out. DiveOps does not make a centre compliant; it keeps the records together so they are there when asked for.
Ningaloo, the south coast and the seasons
Away from the reef, the calendar changes. Ningaloo's whale shark season off Exmouth and Coral Bay runs roughly March to July, New South Wales has grey nurse sharks at Fish Rock and Julian Rocks, and South Australia and Victoria offer leafy seadragons and pier and bay diving in water that drops to the mid-teens in winter. The tropical north stays in the mid to high 20s for much of the year.
DiveOps lets a centre plan the season once: a year of dive-site pairings with a weather fallback for each day, live weather and tide for your exact spot, and seasonal specials sold as dated trips with their own spaces and price.
Backpackers, travellers and a 24/7 WhatsApp front desk
Many Australian centres train working-holiday backpackers and travellers from the UK, Europe and Asia, who message from a hostel at night, in their own language. DiveOps' WhatsApp AI answers on your centre's own number through the official Meta Business API, replies in under 2 minutes, handles around 92% of routine questions itself and sends your booking link. A person at the centre takes over any chat that needs one.
Hostels and travel agents can have their own booking link and QR code, so every diver they send is tracked and you pay commission only on divers who book.
Australian dollars, payroll and the books
Bookings, the shop till, payroll and reports run in Australian dollars, with tax worked out at the till. Card payments go through your own Stripe account, which can mean card fees up to 20% lower than a typical terminal (never guaranteed; it depends on your current processor), and centres get roughly 8 hours a week of admin back.
DiveOps is one plan with every feature, priced by the number of divers you run through the year. Book a demo and see it set up against your own boats, courses and crew.
Questions, answered.
Does DiveOps work for a reef day boat with divers and snorkellers on the same trip?
Yes. Everyone is booked against the trip, grouped by guide or instructor, and the trip sheet works out capacity and kit sizes per boat. The crew, the shop and the wall screen see the same plan.
Does DiveOps make us compliant with the Queensland code of practice?
No software can do that for you. DiveOps keeps the records behind the checks in one place: medical forms, certification checks with who checked them and when, staff certificates with expiry warnings, and Diver Watch headcounts where it is switched on.
Can hostels and travel agents send us divers?
Yes. Each partner gets their own booking link and QR code, every booking they send is tracked, and you pay their commission only on divers who book.
How much does DiveOps cost for a centre in Australia?
One plan with every feature, priced by the number of divers you run through the year. The pricing page has the details, or book a demo for a figure against your own numbers.
Sources
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