The Dives

Year-round training in Hamamatsu

The Dives is a dive center in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, handling just about everything scuba-related under one roof — lessons, fun diving and equipment sales. It's a PADI Dive Center with 2 PADI instructors on staff, and instruction is delivered in Japanese.

What sets the place apart is the heated on-site pool, with a maximum depth of 4m. That means skills practice doesn't hinge on the weather or the season — a real advantage for anyone starting out, or for divers who want to shake off the rust before a trip. There's an on-site classroom too, plus air conditioning, a retail shop and parking.

Female instructors are always on-site, so female customers can use the facility with peace of mind. Rental covers the full kit — BCD, regulator, dive computer, mask and snorkel, open-heel fins, boots, compass, gauges, flashlight, camera, 5mm wetsuit and drysuit — and scooters (DPV) are available to rent as well.