Aquanauts CDC Pattaya, Course Director Roger Smith EXPELLED from PADI

[stevenl]

The information given to me contradicts the statements made in the OP concerning the death of a diver under the care of a PADI approved instructor and dive centre. I would be surprised if PADI was prepared to let such allegations on a public forum go uncorrected, if they are indeed false. This is important because if these details are incorrect it casts doubt on the other details given in the post.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, the OP is not himself a diver, and therefore not in a position to comment with knowledge on either instructor training or diver safety. Maybe he is, and if so he can confirm his rating and number of dives for us.

No doubt at all on the most import of information given by the OP: they were expelled and there have been issues with payments and refunds, as confirmed by the email from PADI.

 

[Spalpeen]

No doubt indeed. I dived regularly with Aquanauts as a customer and never had reason to complain, but if they screwed up and got expelled by PADI, well that's their problem.
However if a non diver - which I believe the OP to be, with an axe to grind - which I know is the case, is posting information on Scubaboard which is at best inaccurate and possibly deliberately misleading, I think that should be highlighted for the benefit of anyone following this thread. My particular issue with this OP is that a tragic death is being misused to score cheap points in a business dispute.

 

[lord khram]

The information given to me contradicts the statements made in the OP concerning the death of a diver under the care of a PADI approved instructor and dive centre. I would be surprised if PADI was prepared to let such allegations on a public forum go uncorrected, if they are indeed false. This is important because if these details are incorrect it casts doubt on the other details given in the post.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, the OP is not himself a diver, and therefore not in a position to comment with knowledge on either instructor training or diver safety. Maybe he is, and if so he can confirm his rating and number of dives for us.

Since most of the problems being discussed that resulted in these expulsions relate to unethical business practices rather than actual diving issues, your comments are really not relevant, and the op to me seems well placed from inside the company to make sound judgment.
PADI do not take such actions lightly and expulsions such as these are usually the result of repeated breaches of standards, and are subsequent to a series of warnings and or recommendations that were not heeded to. So that alone would give credibility to the op.
Regardless of diving skills I am afraid that based on what I have read from an ex member of staff and my own diving experiences of Aquanauts, I am not going to give credibility to someone who has only just joined the forum and made only 2 posts, both of which are in this thread, and would appear to have been made simply to discredit.

---------- Post added March 22nd, 2013 at 02:18 PM ----------

No doubt indeed. I dived regularly with Aquanauts as a customer and never had reason to complain, but if they screwed up and got expelled by PADI, well that's their problem.
However if a non diver - which I believe the OP to be, with an axe to grind - which I know is the case, is posting information on Scubaboard which is at best inaccurate and possibly deliberately misleading, I think that should be highlighted for the benefit of anyone following this thread. My particular issue with this OP is that a tragic death is being misused to score cheap points in a business dispute.

Aren't you the lucky one!!

i went with them only once and was met with only incompetence and a total disregard for customers safety.

 

[stevenl]

I agree with LK on this one, but don't know Aquanauts personally. I don't see a business dispute here, I see a DC and 2 members who screwed up.

 

[jamiemac]

So an instructor having passed a PADI IE succcesfully and working for another dive centre, has an accident and its the Course Director's fault?

That's a bit rich if you ask me! Nonsense!

Seems to me that it's all about Padi fees and refund policy . I'm sure PADI are fuming they aren't getting a cut.

Have you seen PADI's refund policy ? No? That's because they haven't got one, you've got no chance.

When they screw up an order or fee and owe you money, the refund is offered in books or promotional materials.

They are the masters of this type of business, seems like Aquanauts based their business model on PADI's and PADI don't like it to me

 

[Spalpeen]

First, I have clearly stated that I have no problem with PADI's expulsion of Aquanauts. It's not my concern. So let's set that aside.
Second, I'd like to state that I have no commercial interest of any kind in any dive business, and I invite anyone else posting on this thread to reveal their interests before continuing. The OP has clearly recommended certain other dive centres by name.
Third, questioning my credibility on the basis that this is the first issue upon which I have chosen is simply not acceptable.
Finally, and I keep coming back to this, my issue here is that the OP, who was a partner in Aquanauts at the time these practices were going on and is now involved in a business dispute with his former partners, is improperly making use of a tragic death in which Aquanauts were not involved to score cheap points. This is grossly disrespectful to the person who died and should not be allowed.

 

[lord khram]

First, I have clearly stated that I have no problem with PADI's expulsion of Aquanauts. It's not my concern. So let's set that aside.
Second, I'd like to state that I have no commercial interest of any kind in any dive business, and I invite anyone else posting on this thread to reveal their interests before continuing. The OP has clearly recommended certain other dive centres by name.
Third, questioning my credibility on the basis that this is the first issue upon which I have chosen is simply not acceptable.
Finally, and I keep coming back to this, my issue here is that the OP, who was a partner in Aquanauts at the time these practices were going on and is now involved in a business dispute with his former partners, is improperly making use of a tragic death in which Aquanauts were not involved to score cheap points. This is grossly disrespectful to the person who died and should not be allowed.

I agree to a point in what you are saying, yes the op quite clearly has an axe to grind, that is clearly obvious from what he has written, and he makes no attempt to disguise that. Most people reading this will bear that in mind, and 'self moderate' the comments before making their own judgments. But the simple facts are that there has to be predominantly truth in what is written or PADI would not have acted as they did, and the op would be most foolish in posting such accusations on an open forum if they were not true. As far as my own experiences dictate, the expulsion of Aquanauts from PADI has been a long time coming. Good riddance to by far the worst dive op I have ever had the misfortune to come into contact with.

I would also add that I have no interest in any dive shop, and do not work in the diving industry, never have and never will on either count.

 

[DevonDiver]

... my issue here is that the OP, who was a partner in Aquanauts at the time these practice

If Aquanauts were expelled from PADI and persist in advertising/displaying PADI/IRRA membership materials, then I think it is fair that public warning is given.

It's also fair to debate the reasons for the expulsion. If the QA action were taken for business, rather than safety, reasons - then that may have a direct bearing on how the expulsion may be perceived and how future customers may judge the merits of the dive center concerned.

There's a vast difference between a center that offers a shoddy refund policy for instructor training/zero-to-hero courses, compared with a center that has a dubious safety record IMHO.

I'm guessing Aquanauts won't be offering PADI IDC's any more. Done and dusted...and off the table. Should divers go there for fun diving or recreational courses? That'd depend on the safety aspect, I think. It'd be good if the (alleged) safety issue were categorically explained also...and then laid to rest.

 

[lord khram]

If Aquanauts were expelled from PADI and persist in advertising/displaying PADI/IRRA membership materials, then I think it is fair that public warning is given.

It's also fair to debate the reasons for the expulsion. If the QA action were taken for business, rather than safety, reasons - then that may have a direct bearing on how the expulsion may be perceived and how future customers may judge the merits of the dive center concerned.

There's a vast difference between a center that offers a shoddy refund policy for instructor training/zero-to-hero courses, compared with a center that has a dubious safety record IMHO.

I'm guessing Aquanauts won't be offering PADI IDC's any more. Done and dusted...and off the table. Should divers go there for fun diving or recreational courses? That'd depend on the safety aspect, I think. It'd be good if the (alleged) safety issue were categorically explained also...and then laid to rest.

I agree entirely with what you are saying here, of course a days diving has no bearing on what happens behind the scenes of IDC internships, untill those same unscupulous practices are applied to other parts of their business.

Purely as a diver my experience having recieved, on the day something that never even came close to what was promissed and paid for, and indeed what is taken for granted at any professionally run dive centre. To then be met with this same dogmatic no refunds policy, not even a 'sorry we got it wrong today', only an attitude of we already have your money, you had a day on the boat, now F**k off. Sorry, but that past experience of my own coupled with recent events leaves me unable to give any positive feedback or recomendation at all, I see no reason to believe things have changed during the ensu'ing years.

 

[Spalpeen]

No doubt LK is a very experienced diver and had a bad experience on his one visit to Aquanauts. My own experience was that out of almost 300 dives to date I did about 120 days/240 dives over five years from the Aquanauts boat. Now you may find it hard to believe that I'm someone who complains readily, but in all that time I never had serious cause for complaint. I think that the fact that (as far as I know) they had a 100% first time pass rate for anyone who stayed the distance and sat the IE says a lot about the quality of training given. A thing that struck me was that virtually every newly qualified instructor said to me afterwards that the PADI IE was far easier than the trial runs Aquanauts put them through.
As for refunds, there were a few occasions when I had put my name down for a day but had to cancel. The answer was always "No problem, see you whenever you can make it".
....Still, all water under the keel now.