AOW in Samui and diving Koh Tao

[dolevr]

I just came back from samui where I planned to have my AOW training and to have some dives.

From the board I got the impression that Samui International is the best shop around Samui - professional and friendly.

I contacted them before going and indeed got a lot of info via email.

I asked which dives are recommended, the costs and the recommended schedule (after giving my arrival/departure times), and they were answering emails quite fast.

Upon arriving I contacted them to arrange the course and the technical details (pick-up, dives, etc.).

At that moment the feelings changed -

- The final price (from the web and the mails, no negotiation, no discount) went up from 8,900 Baht to 9,900 Baht (they need to schedule me on a speed boat one of the two days).

- This price does not include the renting of a camera (for a day for the under water photography dive ...) of 1,200 Baht

- Etc.

I called another shop: Dive Indeep.
- They gave me the whole package: one on one instructor, dives, transfers, lunches ... for 8,400 Baht.
- I dove two days in Koh Tao, and got there with a speed boat.
- I used their camera. No extra charge.

By the way, all (or most) of the instructors in Samui are short term foreign (i.e., European) - so the quality depands on luck.

I was lucky.

Dolevr

 

[TigerShark]

Hey dolevr,

that's a pretty useful piece of info you got there.

How's the standard and service of the instructors?

Are they confident and professional?

I guess besides the price,the quality of instructors we are getting is impt too rite?

Hope you can share more with fellow divers here....

Cheers!!!

 

[dolevr]

While I was doing the AOW I met three of the instructors:

Dave, Englihman, already with Indeep about 1 year. Dave is professional and at the same time funny. He was very efficient in arranging the technical and logistic side of the training, transportation, etc. He was doing a 1-on-1 open water training to a German guy and it seemed pretty thorough.

Cara, also English, came there about 2 months ago from Cyprus and is going back to Cyprus to manage a dive shop. She did the 5 AOW dives with me, vert thorough on the details, the planning and the guidance while diving. This was also on a 1-to-1 base.

Neil, I met him only once, also from England - he was doing an OW course for a Dutch couple and they seemed to get a lot from him as well.

I hope this helps.


Dolevr

 

[TigerShark]

That's cool man.....the next time when i'm going Samui,i know who to look for.....

Thanks!!!

:cluck: