Sou-Wes Diving was established over 20 years ago and has been run as a family business for two generations. Founder Kihachiro Aratake, who discovered the Yonaguni Monument, still dives and occasionally skippers the boat, while the main business is now run by his son ‘Shorty’.
The day’s diving starts around 9am, and everyone meets at the dive shop, a 2-minute walk from Hotel Irifune, also owned by Sou-Wes. A double dive in the morning is followed by lunch back at the dive centre and another optional dive in the afternoon.
Shorty will test your skills with an easy dive first before assessing conditions at the Monument and the many other drift dives around the island.