SNOWDIVING ReviewOne-on-one coaching and a stay at a luxury dive hostel

SNOWDIVING is located on Fuxing Road, about a 6-minute scooter ride from Baishawei Ferry Terminal.

The venue offers a range of Diving in Xiaoliuqiu services, including introductory dives for those without certification, certification courses, and Fun Dive trips for certified divers. They can also help guests book scooters, ferry tickets, and accommodation, ensuring every visitor to Xiaoliuqiu can fully enjoy the ocean.

Upon arriving at the SNOWDIVING venue, you're greeted by a hand-painted mural at the entrance, a fusion of skiing and ocean imagery that encourages exploration of the world's wonders.

The public area by the entrance neatly displays all the Diving in Xiaoliuqiu gear. Adjacent to it, the washroom area features five showers and two toilets, a generous number that minimizes waiting. Guests staying overnight can also use the en-suite bathrooms in their rooms.

The common area provides guests with a water dispenser and refrigerator, while the two independent classrooms ensure focused learning without interruptions from people coming and going.

Additionally, the cozy lounge area features sofas and beanbags for divers to relax. The venue's cat, Xiao Ju, is incredibly friendly and will even come over for pets!

SNOWDIVING has four backpacker rooms on the second floor, each with six beds. Every room includes a wet/dry bathroom. The beds are spacious, deep, and tall, so you won't feel cramped. The extra-large mattresses are incredibly comfortable, and everyone who tries the pillows raves about them — some guests even want to buy them!

Each bed comes with an electronic locker, and when you draw the curtain, a small fan circulates the air conditioning, completely solving the stuffy bed problem often found in backpacker hostels. It's a thoughtful design.

SNOWDIVING is a dive venue that truly cares about the environment, providing ocean-friendly body wash and shampoo, along with clean towels for divers. They even offer Panasonic negative ion hair dryers, which are quick and gentle on your hair. These thoughtful touches show that SNOWDIVING invests heavily in providing a premium experience.

After the lesson, we headed to Shanfu Fishing Harbor for our Diving in Xiaoliuqiu experience. SNOWDIVING's policy is one instructor per guest, ensuring every student's safety.

May's instructor first checked her ability to clear her mask, equalize ear pressure, and clear her mouth in waist-deep water by the shore. Only after confirming her comfort and safety did they venture into deeper waters.

Diving in Xiaoliuqiu truly lives up to its reputation as a premier spot in Taiwan. During my experience, I encountered not only countless Nemo clownfish but also the famous Xiaoliuqiu sea turtles—and more than just one! Watching them munch on seaweed was incredibly therapeutic.

As May was immersed in the stunning underwater scenery, Coach Xiao Q instantly transformed into her personal photographer, capturing photos and videos of her alongside the sea turtles with incredible dedication, snapping away without hesitation!

He had even asked beforehand what kind of shots she wanted, and was able to adjust camera settings and review photos directly underwater, which truly showed his professionalism!

Beyond underwater photography, the instructor also took excellent care of the students. Since Diving in Xiaoliuqiu is shore-based, you have to walk into the water yourself, and carrying all the gear while battling incoming waves is incredibly challenging. But the instructor almost always walked ahead of May, helping to block the waves and allowing her to hold onto him. Once she couldn't touch the bottom, they began their descent to explore the unique underwater scenery.

On the way back, we picked up some discarded plastic bottles from the ocean to do our part in protecting the marine environment, hoping that the waters of Xiaoliuqiu will remain this beautiful forever!

After completing this relaxing Diving in Xiaoliuqiu, SNOWDIVING presented us with an exclusive Xiaoliuqiu postcard. They uploaded all the photos to cloud storage, and we received them that very evening. The sheer volume of professional-quality photos created unforgettable memories of this underwater journey.

The entire Diving in Xiaoliuqiu course spans three days and two nights, led by instructors Kevin and Ah-Wei.

Day one includes confined water training and academics, followed by open water sessions and a written exam on day two. The final day is dedicated to open ocean dives. SNOWDIVING maintains a strict instructor-to-student ratio of no more than 1:3, ensuring that first-timers like Tony receive personalized attention throughout the course.

The first day of Diving in Xiaoliuqiu focuses on calm water, with basic underwater skills taught in the morning and classroom instruction in the afternoon.

The instructor first introduces all the equipment, including cylinder codes and the names and uses of accessories. This isn't just a quick run-through; the instructor interacts with students to ensure everyone understands each piece of equipment before moving on.

Tony realized that the preparatory work for scuba diving cannot be taken lightly, as every step is closely linked to underwater safety.

After learning how to assemble our gear and getting fully prepped, we headed to today's calm water training site—Dafu Fishing Harbor—to begin our day of Diving in Xiaoliuqiu.

You might be wondering if calm water training isn't usually done in a pool. It is, but the SNOWDIVING instructor found a natural classroom that allows direct ocean entry from the start, which is a major draw for learning to dive here!

Before Diving in Xiaoliuqiu, two instructors build rapport with us and explain each step in detail, which gave Tony, who was originally afraid of the ocean, a strong sense of security once we got in the water.

The first day's lesson focused on familiarizing us with basic equipment operation, including regulator clearing, mask clearing, buoyancy control, and donning and doffing gear underwater. This allowed students to master the fundamental skills of scuba diving.

During breaks or after a session, the instructors immediately point out any issues encountered underwater, and they thoughtfully provide ginger tea and energy drinks, paying close attention to the students' physical condition. The assistants even bring delicious turtle-shaped pastries. These small details show SNOWDIVING's dedication, which Tony deeply appreciates.

After gathering at 8 AM on the second day, we headed back to Dafu Fishing Harbor for today's open water session. Though I could feel my body's fatigue, it didn't dampen my excitement for the upcoming lessons.

Today's focus was putting yesterday's theory into practice, including advanced courses like neutral buoyancy control, controlled emergency swimming ascent (CESA), and scenario simulations.

Tony found neutral buoyancy control to be the most challenging aspect of Diving in Xiaoliuqiu. It requires precise weighting and slow, even breathing to overcome buoyancy and gracefully experience the ocean's weightless mysteries.

During the CESA practice, Tony had a memorable moment: he struggled to complete the final step of the CESA technique due to strong waves. However, Coach Kevin remained patient and steadfast in his guidance, and Tony eventually mastered it.

After two days of intensive PADI Diving in Xiaoliuqiu courses, Tony and his two partners had much better control over their buoyancy. Today, they moved to Shanfu Fishing Harbor for their final day of open water training.

They geared up with practiced ease, smoothly completing the five steps for descent. With Coach Kevin's countdown of "5, 4, 3, 2, 1," they successfully submerged, then flattened out and swam forward, gliding alongside schools of fish. It was then that they truly experienced the captivating, mysterious allure of scuba diving.