What is TSD's diving safety record?

23 years of operation, 1,000+ trainees through our internship program, zero diving fatalities, zero permanent injuries, three minor decompression sickness cases (all fully recovered).

Is there a recompression chamber nearby?

The nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Cebu City, 4 hours by boat plus ambulance. We have used it three times in 23 years.

Do I need dive insurance?

Yes, all trainees must have personal dive accident insurance. We recommend DAN World (USD 99/year). We don't enrol you in the program without proof of insurance.

Diving safety at Thresher Shark Divers

We’ve been operating internships for 23 years with zero serious dive incidents. Here’s what makes that possible, in detail. Read this if you’re a parent funding your kid’s gap year, or you’re over 40 and considering this seriously.

Our record

23 years of operation
1,000+ trainees through our internship program
Zero diving fatalities
Zero permanent injuries
Three minor decompression sickness cases in 23 years (all fully recovered)
One non-dive medical evacuation (appendicitis, unrelated to diving)

What we do

Maximum 4 trainees per instructor. Industry standard is up to 8. We chose 4 because supervision quality matters.
Pre-dive medical screening. Every trainee fills out a PADI medical questionnaire. Any “yes” answer requires doctor sign-off before training.
Conservative dive profiles. We dive within recreational limits unless you’re on the Tec track. Mandatory safety stops on every dive.
Oxygen on every boat. Two oxygen kits per boat, full first aid kit, AED on the larger boat.
EFR-trained crew. Every divemaster and boat captain has current CPR/first aid.
Daily safety briefings. Sea conditions, currents, marine life, recall signals.
We pause when it’s not safe. Typhoon season, bad currents, medical concerns — we cancel dives. Cohorts are scheduled with weather buffer days built in.

If something goes wrong

On-island clinic. Basic first aid, doctor available.
Recompression chamber. Cebu City has a hyperbaric chamber, 4 hours by boat + ambulance. We’ve used it three times in 23 years.
Helicopter evacuation. Available if needed (insurance covers).
DAN World membership required. All trainees must have DAN World insurance (USD 99/year). We don’t enrol you without proof.

Insurance

TSD carries full liability insurance covering training operations.
Trainees must hold personal dive accident insurance (DAN World or equivalent, ~USD 99/year).
We strongly recommend trip travel insurance separately.

For parents

If you’re funding your child’s internship and want to talk through safety in detail, Andrea will personally call you. Email internships@thresherdivers.com to arrange.

FAQ

What if I get decompression sickness?: We treat on-site with oxygen first, then evacuate to Cebu chamber if needed. We’ve had three minor cases in 23 years, all recovered fully. Your DAN World insurance covers chamber and evacuation costs.
What if a typhoon comes through?: We follow Philippine Coast Guard guidance. Diving is paused. The dive house is built to typhoon code. We have generators and stocked supplies.
What if I get injured outside diving (motorbike, food poisoning)?: On-island clinic for minor things. Cebu City for major. Trip travel insurance covers this.
Is the boat seaworthy?: Two boats, both registered with the Philippine Coast Guard, annual inspection. Captains are trained mariners with 10+ years’ experience.