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Okinawa Marine Leisure
How to choose the right shop
Enjoy Okinawa
Protect Okinawa
Playing in the sea, protecting Okinawa
The beautiful, clear blue ocean soothes the soul. The ocean is an essential part of any trip to Okinawa. Among them, choosing marine leisure activities such as snorkeling, diving, SUP, canoeing, etc., that allow you to fully enjoy the ocean can be exciting. Currently, there are nearly 4,000 marine shops registered in Okinawa. It is not easy to determine which of them are safe, environmentally friendly, and offer services that will make your trip to Okinawa the best memory.
So, if you are thinking of taking part in marine leisure activities in Okinawa, there are some things you should know.
One reason is that the number of marine leisure accidents during trips to Okinawa is increasing year by year.
Another thing is that the beauty of this ocean may not last forever.
And there are a lot of local people living in Okinawa.
This site provides information for those choosing marine leisure activities in Okinawa, including points to consider in terms of safety, environmental friendliness, and service . It also explains the concept of responsible tourism , so that you can develop a sense of appreciation for Okinawa's nature and people.
Before COVID-19, Okinawa was a bustling city attracting around 10 million tourists a year, but problems were beginning to emerge, including the destruction of coral reefs in popular waters, on-street parking, traffic congestion, and noise pollution that has had an impact on local communities.
Responsible tourism is about travelers being mindful of the natural environment and local communities while enjoying sightseeing. Protecting the beautiful ocean that makes people want to come back and interacting with local communities that make people want to come back will enrich the future of Okinawa and your trip.
For example, the following actions are examples of responsible tourism:
Responsible Tourism
Responsible
About
Tourism
Actions that respect and protect nature and the marine ecosystem, such as being careful not to damage coral reefs, not touching marine life, using reusable bottles and eco-bags to reduce waste, etc.
Consideration for nature
Respecting local culture and customs and being considerate of the lives of local residents, such as avoiding noise in quiet areas and being respectful when visiting sacred places that are important to residents.
Harmony with the local community
The act of choosing services, facilities, and things that value "respect for nature" and "harmony with the local community," such as eco-tours, marine tours with eco-certification, restaurants that use locally produced ingredients, and traditional souvenirs.
Ethical Choice
I imagine that most people looking at this site are either new to marine leisure activities or have only participated in them very often.
In such a situation, it must not be easy to judge what kind of safety measures a marine shop is taking and to what extent they have done something to be safe.
One of the criteria for judgment is the certification as a " Maru Yuu Supplier" (Excellent Safety Measures Marine Leisure Provider) .
Okinawa Prefecture's Marine Leisure Safety Standards Certification System "Excellent Safety Marine Leisure Providers (Maru Yuu Shoji)"In Okinawa Prefecture, the Okinawa Prefectural Public Safety Commission has a system to certify marine leisure operators who are deemed to meet the minimum safety standards required for providing marine leisure activities. These are called Excellent Safety Marine Leisure Providers (Maru Yuu Shoji).
The safety standards are as follows:
safety
Safety Measures Excellent Business
Points to consider when choosing a marine shop
Best Select
To practice responsible tourism, it is important to change your awareness and behavior while traveling, but it is also important to choose a marine shop that is environmentally friendly. So how can you tell if a shop or tour is offering an environmentally friendly tour?
Okinawa Prefecture recommends the Green Fins guidelines established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Reef-World Foundation as a standard for environmentally friendly marine leisure activities. Choosing a marine shop that has implemented these guidelines or is certified is the first step in protecting the marine environment.
environment
Green Fins Guidelines, Certified Member
Green Fins Code of Conduct for Businesses
Guidelines for Protecting Corals
You can also try participating in an eco-tour offered by a marine shop. By gaining a more in-depth knowledge rather than just looking at the ocean and coral, the tour will have more depth and will be an even more unforgettable experience.
There are many types of marine leisure activities in Okinawa Prefecture, including diving, snorkeling, SUP, kayaking, and banana boats. There are nearly 4,000 registered shops offering tours for these activities. Even for the same type of tour, the services offered and the prices vary. Choosing a shop that takes into account the services you expect and the processes before and after the tour will make your trip more enjoyable.
However, unlike restaurants, people generally don't visit marine shops very often. Choosing one can be difficult if you don't have any criteria in mind. Here, we'll look at some common problems and dissatisfaction cases that emerged from a survey of tourists and consider the criteria for choosing a shop.
service
Consider the most common problems and dissatisfaction and find the marine shop that's right for you
There are two options: meet and leave at a marine shop before and after the tour, or meet directly at the tour venue and leave there. In the former case, the shop will usually have showers and changing rooms. In the latter case, if you use a boat, some boats may not have showers or changing rooms. If you don't use a boat, some places have facilities and some don't, and in places where there are no facilities you can change in simple tents or changing ponchos.
It is important to check the website for information such as whether showers and changing rooms are available, where to meet and leave, and the tour schedule.
There was a place to change outside!
Common problems and dissatisfaction
There may be additional fees to visit more remote spots or take photographs.
In most cases, this will be listed on the website in advance or is an option that can be applied for on the day, but there have been cases where people have been informed on the day that "if you want to go to the requested location, an additional fee is required," and then when they tried to cancel, they were charged a cancellation fee.
Be sure to check carefully what is included in the price listed on the website.
On the day we were told that there would be an extra charge to go to the place we had originally requested!
If you meet directly at the event location, there will most likely be other marine shops gathered at the same location.
Make sure to check with the shop you have applied to for details on the meeting place and contact information for the day.
It was difficult to find the meeting place on the day, so our leisure time was cut short!
Depending on the tour, you may be grouped with other groups.
Be sure to check in advance what the ratio of people will be.
One-on-one and group private rental plans are also available.
There were too many people for one guide, and I felt uneasy about the lack of care!
There are many marine shops, and they come in a variety of colors.
There are many mismatches in the types of services people want and the type of people they want to be guides. Many marine shops have staff introductions on their websites, so check that information or contact them directly. It might be a good idea to compare the prices and the services offered.
Try to refine the tour you want and choose one that you think you'll enjoy more.
The guide's explanation and response were different from what I expected.
The enemy is nature. You may not always be able to see the scenery you were hoping for, or encounter the creatures you were hoping to see.
Why not have an alternative plan in case the tour doesn't run, or find something different about the scenery you were hoping for and enjoy it for what it is that day?
The weather and sea conditions were not good, so we couldn't go to the places we wanted to go and see the scenery.
Considering common problems and dissatisfaction, how to prepare and have more fun to avoid disappointment
One more step!
This is one of the most common dissatisfaction with sea leisure activities. The rocking of a boat is unique, so people who are prone to motion sickness, as well as those who are even slightly worried, should take motion sickness medication beforehand. There have also been cases where boats operated despite clearly poor sea conditions, resulting in cancellation fees or people getting seasick because they were forced to go on board. Another way to avoid trouble is to check that the operating criteria of the boat you plan to board do not deviate from the cancellation criteria of boats that generally carry tourists.
Example) Criteria for suspending passenger ship operations in the waters around Naha and Kerama (see criteria for non-scheduled shipping businesses) Wind speed of 10m/s or more Wave height of 2m or more Visibility (distance that can be seen) of 500m or less
I got seasick and couldn't enjoy it at all.
Depending on your medical history, age, or health condition, you may not be able to participate and a medical certificate may be required.
Diving in particular requires a health check, so be sure to look at the checklist (PDF) and, if you have any concerns, check with the leisure operator and prepare a medical certificate if necessary.
I was told on the day that I needed a doctor's certificate, so I couldn't participate.
Responsible tourism for a fun and considerate trip!
