Aquanauts CDC Pattaya, Course Director Roger Smith EXPELLED from PADI

[Ex-Aquanaut]

Spalpeen -- or should we call you by its definition: "troublemaker"? -- the 100% pass rate was a sham. From the PADI complaint:

1. Offering an online “guarantee” that Aquanauts will pay for a second Instructor Exam should students fail the first one, then forcing all underperforming students to either sign a guarantee waiver or fail the IDC.

Here’s is a truly vile case of fraud and deception, one students won’t encounter until they are a day away from going to the Instructor Exam.
As shown on screenshot Exhibit III-1-c-1.1, Smith claims to offer a guarantee that his teaching methods are so good, IDC candidates will pass the Instructor Exam the first time. If they don’t, Aquanauts, he claims, will pay for part or all of a second exam.
Since 2007, when this “guarantee” was initiated, no one has ever cashed it in, however. The reason? Anyone who stood a chance of failing an I.E. was given an ultimatum: Sign a guarantee waiver or fail the IDC. Smith refuses to send them to the IDC with his support to protect Aquanauts’ much-touted “100% pass rate” since 2007.

The guarantee waiver is attached to this thread.
View attachment Guarantee waiver.doc

 

[Spalpeen]

Spalpeen -- or should we call you by its definition: "troublemaker"? -- the 100% pass rate was a sham. From the PADI complaint:

1. Offering an online “guarantee” that Aquanauts will pay for a second Instructor Exam should students fail the first one, then forcing all underperforming students to either sign a guarantee waiver or fail the IDC.

Here’s is a truly vile case of fraud and deception, one students won’t encounter until they are a day away from going to the Instructor Exam.
As shown on screenshot Exhibit III-1-c-1.1, Smith claims to offer a guarantee that his teaching methods are so good, IDC candidates will pass the Instructor Exam the first time. If they don’t, Aquanauts, he claims, will pay for part or all of a second exam.
Since 2007, when this “guarantee” was initiated, no one has ever cashed it in, however. The reason? Anyone who stood a chance of failing an I.E. was given an ultimatum: Sign a guarantee waiver or fail the IDC. Smith refuses to send them to the IDC with his support to protect Aquanauts’ much-touted “100% pass rate” since 2007.

The guarantee waiver is attached to this thread.
View attachment 150647

I spent about 120 days on the boat, the equivalent of four continuous months, over the course of five years. I knew all of the interns, good and bad, personally. How many days did you spend on the boat? How many of the interns did you know personally? Do you stand by your claim that the diver who died was female and struck by a speedboat?
Are you a diver? If not, what is your competence to comment on Scubaboard about standards of diver training?
Simple enough questions.

 

[stevenl]

I spent about 120 days on the boat, the equivalent of four continuous months, over the course of five years. I knew all of the interns, good and bad, personally. How many days did you spend on the boat? How many of the interns did you know personally? Do you stand by your claim that the diver who died was female and struck by a speedboat?
Are you a diver? If not, what is your competence to comment on Scubaboard about standards of diver training?
Simple enough questions.

Not relevant whatsoever.

 

[Edward3c]

I spent about 120 days on the boat, the equivalent of four continuous months, over the course of five years. I knew all of the interns, good and bad, personally. How many days did you spend on the boat? How many of the interns did you know personally? Do you stand by your claim that the diver who died was female and struck by a speedboat?
Are you a diver? If not, what is your competence to comment on Scubaboard about standards of diver training?
Simple enough questions.

The more you rant on about how good it all was, the less I believe you.

 

[Spalpeen]

The more you rant on about how good it all was, the less I believe you.

If I wasn't very satisfied with the experience on the boat is it likely that I would go back 120 times? Or is it that you are accusing me of straight out lying about spending so many days on the boat? If that's the case I can easily refer you to a long list of divers and instructors that I dived with over the years.

 

[Quero]

I do believe that Spalpeen was a satisfied customer. In fact, I believe I've seen reviews he's posted elsewhere in the past about his satisfaction. But getting personal and questioning the motives and character of either Spalpeen for offering a counterpoint in the discussion or the OP for posting the evidence in the first place will never help us understand the basic issues behind PADIs decision to expel both the dive center and its Course Director.

 

[lord khram]

I spent about 120 days on the boat, the equivalent of four continuous months, over the course of five years. I knew all of the interns, good and bad, personally. How many days did you spend on the boat? How many of the interns did you know personally? Do you stand by your claim that the diver who died was female and struck by a speedboat?
Are you a diver? If not, what is your competence to comment on Scubaboard about standards of diver training?
Simple enough questions.

I dare say you did have a good time diving with Aquanauts, or you wouldn't have gone back so many times, but what are you comparing your experiences against? By your own earlier statements the majority (over 80%) of your diving has been with this same op. Also the vast majority of their interns will have done all or most of their diving with the one dive op, this in my mind is a big failing of these zero to hero courses.
As I said in an earlier post, most of us can read more into things than what is actually written, and whilst I would value any divers opinions, a diver with a broader experience level would more likely post a more balanced view.

 

[Spalpeen]

Not relevant whatsoever.

Very relevant indeed. Most Scubaboard readers would assume that anyone posting on this forum would have some knowledge of scuba diving. You may not be aware that the person posting as 'Aquanauts Pattaya' is a non-diving businessman who was a part owner of Aquanauts during the years that the improper refund policy was in effect, and would therefore have shared in any ill gotten gains generated.
.I genuinely don't know what the issue is between him and his former business partners, but getting back to your relevancy point, I think it's important to distinguish between a concerned member of the diving community and a disgruntled non-diving businessman.

---------- Post added March 23rd, 2013 at 07:09 AM ----------

I dare say you did have a good time diving with Aquanauts, or you wouldn't have gone back so many times, but what are you comparing your experiences against? By your own earlier statements the majority (over 80%) of your diving has been with this same op. Also the vast majority of their interns will have done all or most of their diving with the one dive op, this in my mind is a big failing of these zero to hero courses.
As I said in an earlier post, most of us can read more into things than what is actually written, and whilst I would value any divers opinions, a diver with a broader experience level would more likely post a more balanced view.

Fair comment, but obviously since I live in Pattaya that's where I'm going to do most of my diving. The other local operators all dive the same sites and offer more or less the same service. Many of the local instructors move around between operators so if I tried another operator I'd just be jumping in on the same sites, with the same guys, off a different boat.
I tend to agree with what you say about zero-to-hero instructor training. If PADI required a minimum level of experience for anyone setting out on an instructors course it would reduce the number of complete beginners who sign up only to find that diving is not for them.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

a part owner of Aquanauts during the years that the improper refund policy was in effect, and would therefore have shared in any ill gotten gains generated.

Our friend has a fair point, with the above snippet. I did share in the "ill-gotten gains." While there is a long history on several continents of "whistleblower" lawsuits and claims I could refer you to, let me simply post below what I wrote to PADI in my original complaint.

Finally, I must admit I am culpable in this false advertising in that I was the one who physically made changes to the websites and maintained them. However, as noted, I’m not a PADI member, I’m a very minor owner in the company and Smith is the founder and managing director. Thus, I was in many ways just an employee who was doing what he was told. The decisions behind these allegations came from Smith and he always had the final word and decision. ...

So is this complaint self-serving? Yes. Hypocritical? Maybe so. In need of remedy? Absolutely. No matter what you think of me or my role in all of this, these allegations are true, can be proved beyond the documentation provided here and absolutely must be addressed.

 

[stevenl]

Very relevant indeed. Most Scubaboard readers would assume that anyone posting on this forum would have some knowledge of scuba diving. You may not be aware that the person posting as 'Aquanauts Pattaya' is a non-diving businessman who was a part owner of Aquanauts during the years that the improper refund policy was in effect, and would therefore have shared in any ill gotten gains generated.
.I genuinely don't know what the issue is between him and his former business partners, but getting back to your relevancy point, I think it's important to distinguish between a concerned member of the diving community and a disgruntled non-diving businessman.

Whatever his reasons for posting, they were expelled from PADI. And you can try to deflect, that does not change this single and most important fact of the OP. Whether he dives or not, whether there were issues between him and one of the expelled members has really no relevance on the expulsion.