Effective Date: May 3, 2026 | Last Updated: October 2, 2026 (amendment effective October 2, 2026 · Revision history)
These terms govern the use of Badapong ("the App") provided by Browniebase ("we" or "operator").
By using the App, you agree to these terms.
1. Service Overview
Badapong is a service providing underwater visibility grades (A~E), ocean weather forecasts, and external tour booking links
for divers, snorkelers, freedivers, and beach swimmers. It also shows users the lessons, tours and other offerings posted by partners
(dive shops, surf shops and other businesses) and forwards users' applications to them.
In transactions between partners and users, the Operator is a mail-order brokerage intermediary under the Korean Act on the Consumer
Protection in Electronic Commerce, etc. (the "E-Commerce Act") and is not a party to the mail-order sale.
⚠ Safety Notice: The grades and forecasts provided by Badapong are advisory information only.
Always verify on-site conditions before entering the water and follow guidance from qualified instructors or guides.
The App's safety warnings (typhoon, rough sea, heavy rain, sea fog, lightning, swell, rip current, etc.) do not replace official government weather advisories;
official advisories and instructions from on-site lifeguards or authorities always take precedence.
We are not liable for accidents resulting from reliance on Badapong information.
2. Anonymous Use
Badapong is usable anonymously without sign-up.
An anonymous identifier is auto-generated on first launch for syncing favorites and preferences.
Anonymous users can access all forecast features for free.
3. Data Accuracy and Disclaimer
Badapong aggregates data from reputable ocean weather models including ECMWF, NOAA, and Open-Meteo to compute grades.
However, due to the inherent nature of natural phenomena, we cannot guarantee 100% forecast accuracy.
Actual ocean conditions may change rapidly with time and location.
Diving and snorkeling are inherently risk-bearing activities.
Grades are based on objective data; appropriate conditions vary by individual skill, equipment, and fitness.
We are not liable for damages resulting from forecast errors, third-party data provider failures, or user misjudgment.
The App's safety warnings (typhoon, rough sea, heavy rain, sea fog, lightning, swell, rip current, etc.) are
our own estimates based on ocean weather models and do not replace official weather advisories
issued by government meteorological authorities. We do not warrant that the warning features will identify
every hazardous condition or operate without error; temporary failures in data collection or processing
may cause specific warnings not to be displayed.
The service and all information are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE", without warranties
of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental,
special, or consequential damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, the service,
except for damages caused by our willful misconduct or gross negligence.
4. External Services (Klook Tour Booking)
Badapong provides links to the Klook platform for dive and snorkel tour bookings.
When you tap a "Book" button, you are redirected to the external Klook website, after which Klook's terms and policies apply.
We do not directly manage Klook's payment, refund, or tour operation, and may receive affiliate commission.
4-2. Meetups and Chat (Listing Service)
The "Meetups" feature publishes meetup listings posted by users or partners (dive shops, surf shops and other businesses)
and provides a chat space for participants. It is an information listing and connection service.
As a mail-order brokerage intermediary, the Operator is not a party to any meetup, lesson or tour transaction.
Hosting, running and safety of a meetup, and the collection, payment and refund of any participation fee, take place between the host
(partner or individual) and the participants. The Operator does not collect fees or process payments inside the app.
Prices, inclusions and cancellation/refund policies shown on a partner listing are set and written by the partner;
the Operator neither sets nor guarantees them. Check the partner's cancellation/refund policy before applying.
The partner bears the responsibilities of a mail-order seller under the E-Commerce Act for its transactions, including withdrawal of
offers and refunds; please request refunds directly from the partner. Where a partner's policy is less favourable to users than the law,
the law prevails.
The forecast grade shown on a listing is reference information as described in Section 3. The Operator bears no cost arising
from cancellations or changes caused by grade changes.
Meetups hosted by individuals have no guide. Participants judge their own experience, gear and on-site conditions.
"Business", "Certified" and "Insured" badges only reflect documents verified by the Operator and do not guarantee service quality
or compensation in case of an accident. Badges may be removed without notice upon expiry or re-verification.
Users may report or block others in chat. The Operator may review reports and delete messages or restrict use.
Abuse, harassment, sexual content, spam, fraud and conduct endangering safety are prohibited.
Chat messages are deleted about 30 days after the meetup ends.
4-3. Partners and Membership
Partners are businesses (dive shops, freediving shops, surf shops, etc.) that register their shop in the partner portal themselves and complete business verification.
Partners may publish courses, sessions (dated listings), tours and news in the app and on their web shop page.
The partner membership is a fee for using the partner portal for a fixed 12-month term, applied per shop
(business registration number). There is no limit on the number of posts during the term, no balance, count or point concept, and it cannot be
transferred between accounts or redeemed for cash.
Without an active membership, courses, sessions, tours and news are not shown in the app or on the web shop page.
For 30 days after expiry, existing posts remain visible as a grace period; paying again during this period keeps them visible.
Posts are never deleted, so they reappear once you pay.
The membership does not auto-renew. While a paid membership is active it cannot be purchased again; it can be purchased after it expires.
Session times cannot be changed after publishing. To change a time, the listing must be cancelled and published again.
The time of a session that already has applicants may not be changed under any circumstances.
Cancellation/refund policy and transaction responsibility. When publishing a course, session or tour, the partner must set
and enter its own cancellation/refund policy (refund rules by time of cancellation, handling when the partner cancels for its own reasons or
bad weather, how to request cancellation, and when and how refunds are made); a listing cannot be published without it. The partner sets
this policy in compliance with applicable law, including the E-Commerce Act (withdrawal of offers, etc.) and the Act on the Regulation of
Terms and Conditions, and honours it as published. The Operator does not set or apply cancellation/refund rules on the partner's behalf.
Fees and deposits are collected and refunded by the partner directly; the Operator neither collects them nor processes payments.
For transactions with users who apply through the app or the web shop page, the partner agrees to bear the responsibilities of a
mail-order seller under Articles 12 to 15, 17 and 18 of the E-Commerce Act (providing transaction terms, confirming applications,
supply, withdrawal of offers and refunds, etc.), and the Operator informs users of this.
The partner cooperates without delay when the Operator requests fact-finding under Section 4-4 regarding a dispute with a user.
Phone number display. A business-verified owner account may choose to display a phone number it entered in the portal in the
app and on the web shop page. This is optional, can be turned off at any time, and is disabled automatically when business verification lapses.
Required registrations. Partners must hold every business registration or filing required by applicable law
(including Korea's Underwater Leisure Activities Act and Water Leisure Safety Act) before publishing listings, and remain solely
responsible for obtaining and maintaining them. The Operator does not verify licences beyond business registration; partners confirm
this in the portal before their first listing. The Operator may remove listings and suspend accounts found to be operating without
a required registration.
One shop (business) account per business registration number. Instructors do not have separate accounts; they are added
under Instructors in the partner portal, and their certifications are verified through the shop account.
Accounts may not be transferred, lent or shared. A later account attempting verification with the same registration number is rejected,
and the Operator may suspend accounts found to be transferred or shared.
Free trial. A shop account may publish within the same scope as the annual membership, with no limit on the
number or dates of posts, for 30 days from the date business verification is completed (180 days for shops that complete
verification by 31 October 2026). The free trial is available once per shop (business). We notify you by app notification
7 days and 1 day before the trial ends, and no payment is charged automatically when it ends.
(This clause replaces the former "free pilot until 31 December 2026" that applied before 21 September 2026.)
Membership payment and refunds. The membership is purchased in the partner portal; the displayed amount is the final
price including VAT. It starts immediately upon approval of payment and expires after 12 months (the period from payment to the end
of service never exceeds 12 months). If you pay during the free trial, the trial ends at the time of payment and the membership begins.
A full refund is given within 7 days of payment if nothing has been published during that time
(right of withdrawal under the Korean E-Commerce Act, Article 17).
Otherwise the partner may terminate at any time and receives a pro-rated refund for the remaining term. No penalty applies.
Refunds are returned to the original payment method within 3–5 business days. Send requests with the order number to
support@browniebase.com.
For card payments the card sales slip serves as the tax invoice; a separate tax invoice is issued on request with a business registration number.
The Operator may restrict publishing or suspend a partner that repeatedly cancels meetups with participants, posts false information,
or does not honour its published cancellation/refund policy.
4-4. Complaints and Disputes about Partner Transactions
Users may submit complaints or disputes about transactions with a partner through the in-app inquiry menu or to
support@browniebase.com.
The Operator informs the user of the progress within 3 business days and of the findings or proposed resolution
within 10 business days of receipt.
To the extent necessary to resolve a dispute, the Operator may verify facts with the partner and the user, and may provide the partner's
identity information and application records to the user or to a consumer dispute mediation body.
As the Operator is not a party to the transaction, it does not refund participation fees on the partner's behalf. Users may apply for
relief or mediation to the Korea Consumer Agency (dial 1372 in Korea) or another consumer dispute mediation body.
5. User Obligations
Use the App for personal, non-commercial purposes only.
Do not reproduce, redistribute, or reverse-engineer the App or its data without authorization.
Recognize that safety information is advisory and follow on-site guidance and qualified instructors during actual activities.
6. Operator Rights and Obligations
We strive to provide stable service but temporary outages or maintenance may occur.
We may modify terms or features with prior notice for service improvement.
We may restrict service access in case of terms violation or abuse.
7. Intellectual Property
The Badapong app, design, logo, and code are intellectual property of the operator.
Rights to user-generated content (spot reviews, visit condition reports, nearby service tips, etc.) belong to the user, while we retain a non-exclusive license to display and distribute such content for service purposes, and to use it in de-identified, aggregated form for service quality improvement, including forecast accuracy validation and calibration.
User-generated content may be reported by other users; content that accumulates reports or is deemed inappropriate may be hidden or removed without prior notice.
8. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea. Lawsuits between the Operator and users shall be brought before the court
having jurisdiction under the Korean Civil Procedure Act. Lawsuits between the Operator and partners (businesses) shall be brought before the
court with jurisdiction over the Operator's location as the court of first instance.
9. Changes to Terms
These terms may be updated to reflect changes in law or services. Material changes will be notified in advance via in-app announcement or this page.
Supplementary Provisions · Revision History
Amended and effective October 2, 2026. Section 1 (intermediary notice), Section 4-2 (not a party; cancellation/refund policy notice),
Section 4-3 (the Operator's "standard cancellation policy" removed; partners now set and enter their own cancellation/refund policy and bear
transaction responsibility), new Section 4-4 (complaints and disputes about partner transactions), Section 8 (jurisdiction).
Because this change removes the standard policy and adds partner policy display and a dispute procedure, it is not unfavourable to users
and takes effect on the date of posting.
Transitional provision. For sessions applied for before this amendment took effect, the cancellation/refund terms shown at the
time of application continue to apply.