What should a dive centre in Japan run on?

Okinawa: the Keramas, Ishigaki and the outer islands

The Kerama Islands, about 40 km west of Naha, became Keramashoto National Park on 5 March 2014, and most of the park is ocean: coral reefs, clear water and humpback whales in winter. Boats run out from Naha and from the islands themselves. Further south, Miyako, Ishigaki and Yonaguni each have their own seasons and their own visitors.

DiveOps builds each boat's trip sheet from the bookings and groups divers by guide, so every guide knows who they are leading before the boat leaves. Plan a year of dive-site pairings with a weather fallback for each day, which matters in typhoon season, with live weather and tide for your exact spot.

Okinawa's notification rule and the diver list

Under Okinawa's water safety ordinance, diving businesses are among the marine leisure trades that must notify the Prefectural Public Safety Commission, and the prefectural police publish the list of businesses that have done so. Operating without notifying carries a penalty.

DiveOps keeps a list of every diver on every trip with the guide who led them, each diver's certification, a medical form filled in on the phone before they arrive and a checked certification that records who checked it and when. DiveOps does not make a centre compliant; it keeps the records together so they are there when asked for.

Izu, the mainland and every agency

On the mainland, the Izu Peninsula is the weekend shore and boat diving ground for Tokyo, with water from the mid-teens in winter to the mid-20s in late summer. DiveOps runs shore entries, boat trips and pool sessions in the same daily plan.

Course progress is tracked to instructor sign-off whichever agency you teach under, from SSI and PADI to NAUI and others. Rental gear and cylinders are logged against each diver with servicing reminders.

A WhatsApp front desk for visitors from abroad

Most Japanese divers book by phone, web form or LINE, and DiveOps does not answer on LINE. Visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Europe and the US often use WhatsApp, and message at night their time. For them, DiveOps' WhatsApp AI answers on your centre's own number through the official Meta Business API, in the diver's language, replies in under 2 minutes, handles around 92% of routine questions itself and sends your booking link. A person at the centre confirms every booking and can take over any chat.

Your currency, card payments and one plan

DiveOps runs each centre in one currency, set when you join. You can price in US dollars or euros today; if you price in yen, ask about it on your demo. 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). Staff rosters, payroll, the shop till, reports and double-entry books sit in the same login, 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 guides, boats and sites.