I’m a dive instructor in Belgium, so I visit a lot of those dive locations every year. Most of these dive locations have a location on Google Maps, but only limited information. So as a Local Guides I find it my duty to add as much information as possible. You cannot add all the information you want as a diver to Google Maps yet, except if you use your review, photos and videos. For example answering questions like: can you fill your tanks, how deep can you go, what’s to see here, what difficulty is the dive location and so on. So by adding some reviews, photos and videos you can add that information very easily.
The other way around, I also use the same information from other Local Guides to find the best locations to visit and go diving. If I don’t know the location yet, I can see if it would be a good idea to take beginners or not.
One of the topics I like to talk about too is accessibility, because I think that is a really good way for people to find information if and how they can visit locations. Also adding some photos of the ramps, signs etc.
Hello @ndsmyter have you seen this post by @Nick-Hobgood ? He suggests to create a separate category for diving sites, and I fully agree with that, so I have included that post as an example of my more general suggestion to ‘loosen the rules’ on what can listed on maps. In the lists you provide, I notice that most POIs have diving club, water sport, tourist attraction, etc as category, so with a separate category we could definitely adapt those.
By the way: as you have added De Pinte as location… are you aware that the 2nd European Meet-up is taking place in Ghent this year (07-10 June)? As you live really close to Ghent, you could easily join 1 or more days if you are interested to meet other local guides (from 9 different countries up to now, including 4 Level 10 LGs and 1 Connect Moderator).
Good post @ndsmyter and thanks for the reference @JanVanHaver . Your suggestions for additional information on dive sites would be a huge benefit to divers especially new ones. The sites could summarize the entry points and the general profile of the near shore. This information will allow for proper dive planning and avoid having new and inexperienced divers take risks where the sites are more technical and better suited for advanced divers.
I have removed the Dutch language tag from your post because your post is not written in the Dutch language. You can read more about language tags here How do I find posts in my preferred language?
