Gold Coast Learn to Dive – Open Water Certification Course

lack of ethics, empathy, and commitment to accessibility

I am deeply disappointed with how Gold Coast Dive Centre & MTC handled my husband's enrollment and the treatment he received. He has spent nearly his entire life in a wheelchair, which means he is not new to managing his condition or seeking inclusive environments—he is someone with experience and independence. From the very beginning, my husband clearly informed the centre that he uses a wheelchair, and it was the general manager herself — Gen Manager/Student Officer/Trainer & Assessor — who gave him specific instructions on how to proceed with the booking. They were fully informed, yet they accepted his enrollment knowing his situation, which he communicated days before the course started. At no point was he warned that his condition would prevent him from being certified. If the course required exclusive physical skills — such as, for example, entering the water standing from the boat — this should have been communicated clearly before accepting payment. Instead, he was welcomed into the course, creating a completely reasonable expectation. It was during the second class that he was told he would not be able to be certified due to not meeting certain "physical skills." Moreover, the facility lacks accessible toilets, adequate transport, and trained staff to support individuals with mobility challenges, which reveals an overall lack of preparedness to serve students with disabilities. This was not only frustrating but emotionally distressing. To be told he could not continue — after being accepted, paying, and making the effort to attend — left him with a deep sense of injustice. It was a discouraging experience, especially for someone who lives his life with dignity and autonomy despite physical limitations. When we raised our concerns, instead of offering a fair and respectful solution, the response was to shift the blame to my husband — ignoring the clear, prior communication. They claimed he enrolled without disclosing anything, which is simply not true. He was transparent from the beginning, and that can be proven. The offer of a whale-watching tour does not compensate for the lack of inclusion, poor management, and emotional harm caused. This experience reveals a lack of ethics, empathy, and commitment to accessibility. Others deserve to know what happened before trusting this institution with their time, money, and wellbeing. 📍Gold Coast Dive Centre & MTC – RTO No: 40864 | CRICOS Provider No: 03464K – 2/54-56 Paradise Avenue, Miami QLD 4220 – Tel: (07) 55 720 511

Response from the operator: Dear Liliana, your husband was advised on day 1 of the situation ,here below is the response we provide to you and to your husband. Responded on 12 th of June Dear Liliana, Thank you for your feedback — we truly value responses like yours, as they help us improve the way we communicate and operate. However, I would like to respectfully clarify the sequence of events regarding your husband’s booking. After initially enquiring about the course, he mentioned he would speak with his friends and get back to us. Shortly thereafter, we received a booking from him directly. As you kindly confirmed during our conversation, this was done independently and without disclosing his condition in the booking form. Please understand that we receive many bookings daily, and without specific information—such as medical or accessibility needs—it becomes difficult to provide the tailored support required. When your husband arrived, we did not turn him away. As I explained to you, our intention was to avoid any appearance of discrimination. We fully respect his determination, and in fact, he told us on Saturday morning: “I would like to try. If it doesn’t happen, at least I tried.” We did our best to support him in this endeavour. I assigned additional staff over two days to accommodate his needs and to give him every possible opportunity to participate, because had we said “no,” you may have perceived that as discriminatory as well. It is therefore unfair and incorrect to say we did not care about your husband. On the contrary, we made significant efforts to assist him and treat him with respect. One thing I clearly remember that you mentioned to me, why you did not say NO to him, that should be your position as husband wife not mine. We have already offered a fair and respectful solution, which unfortunately has not been accepted. Thank you again for your time, and we sincerely wish you and your husband all the best moving forward. Below is my respectful response to Fabio. Responded on 12 th of June Dear Fabio, I hope this message finds you well. Thank you for your email and for your commitment to completing the course. I truly understand how important this goal is for you, and I want to reassure you that I would never wish to take this opportunity away from you. From our first conversation, I explained that successful completion of all required SSI skills is necessary for certification, as per the guidance provided by the SSI Senior Instructor Trainer. As I also mentioned during our phone call and on your first training day, certification can only be granted once all performance requirements are met — not as a guarantee at the start. After this discussion, you expressed your willingness to try and understood that if the skills could not be safely and fully completed, it would be okay. We fully supported your decision and did our best to accommodate you during the pool sessions. However, our instructor has encountered significant challenges, particularly related to buoyancy control. This presents a serious safety concern — especially in emergency situations where a controlled ascent is required. Without sufficient buoyancy, relying solely on the inflator button may cause a rapid, uncontrolled ascent, which can be extremely dangerous. Please know that our priority is always your safety. We deeply respect your determination and courage, but at this time we have been advised not to do the dive 3 & 4. We are happy to give you a voucher for your group including yourself to come and do While Watching. NOTE we need to know in advance when you are coming, to assist you, While Watching it starts at the end of July . Note we’re here to help however we can. Best Regards Maria

via Tripadvisor

Great experience

The instructors, Diego and Karolina were very knowledgeable, professional and fun. Their standard of client care was of the highest order and they both went over and above to make sure everything and everyone was taken care of. Safety was always paramount, and teaching seemed second nature to them. The rest of the team were also fantastic, making for a memorable, fun and educational course.

via Tripadvisor

More than recommended ✨✨✨

The most amazing Dive Center, with great teachers! My experience with Jonny, Diego, Indo and Heitor was more than I expected. Will definitely come back for more!!

via Tripadvisor

Professional, Friendly and Knowledgeable

The course was professionally run, the facilities were great, the trainers were knowledgeable and you really learned they key skills required. I had no prior diving experience before attending this course and as someone in my 60's, I was somewhat apprehensive about doing the course. I would highly recommend the crew at the Gold Coast Dive Centre to anyone who would like to take up Scuba Diving.

via Tripadvisor

Open Water Certification Course!

I purchased the Open Water Dive Course (for two) as a gift to my brother for his 21st Birthday. Purchasing, booking and all correspondence from Groupon and GC Dive Centre was clear and easy. Day 1 we arrived at 6:45am to begin a day of theory and prac. There’s a canteen at the pool, but I wish I packed a few extra snacks as it was a longer day than anticipated; finishing at around 4:30pm! Day 2 & 3 we spent diving (Tweed River and Wave Break Island) and applying what we had learnt in the ocean. This was an amazing experience and has left both my brother and I eager to move forward with our new hobby and book some more dives now that we are officially certified! Overall, I cannot recommend this dive centre enough, but particularly the team and our instructors (Jonny, Joaquin, Helena & Diego). Everyone was seriously just so positive and patient. An excellent experience generally speaking but made even better by everyone that had a part to play during our 3 day course. A memory I hope to have for many more years to come. Thank you GCDC, cya soon! 👌🏼

via Tripadvisor