Can anyone recommend diveshops in Pattaya?

[DivingJimi]

Hi there!

Im planning to go to Thailand for a IDC course and I was wondering if anyone have experience from dive-shops in pattaya or any other they can recommend?

For instance I am curious about these diveshops:

http://www.pjscuba.com/

http://aquanautsdive.com/

http://www.mermaiddive.com/

Have anyone of you heard something good or bad about them?
Are the instructors good? is the quality good?
Thankful for any information you might have.
- Jimi

 

[andibk]

DivingJimi
I have been living in Pattaya for the last 9 years teaching divng. You might want to consider a shop callled Neptune Dive Center which was opened about 2 years ago. They are able to arrange PADI idc's for you. Also available are all courses through American Nitrox Divers International. I am able to teach from basic open water, open water instructor courses to full trimix instructor courses. We do have alot of technical equipment for sale and rent. This shop is the only shop in town that offers Inspiration and Azimuth rebreather courses. Also available are DPV courses using Farallong DPV's. Awesome units not like the small apollo units. We are also the only shop in town that offers Cavern courses through full cave courses.

I do know all the instructors from Mermaids which are a bunch of nice guys. Aquanauts I taught them all of there technical courses. Peter is a super guy, I haven't seen him around lately but I will have to give him a call and see what he has been up to.

Bruce

 

[DivingJimi]

Hi Bruce!

Yeah I read a few of your other posts and as I understand it you are the course director and owner of neptune, right? Or was it another one?
That sounds really interesting though especially the cavern course, maybe I will check in to that.
But the thing is the dive-centers I mentioned, I saw on their homepages that they offer a full IDC-course from OWD to the IE with lodging for 6 months, at least 100 dives, your own gear and every fees and all for 5000 USD. I would only need to pay for the trip and food so that is what I am saving up for right now.
If you say that the guys at Mermaid are nice I will consider them if the quality of the lessons are good.

I have heard from a friend though that the waters around Pattaya isn´t that nice compared to other places in Thailand because the water is almost black and you can´t see much. Is that true? or what do you have to say about it?

Really thankful for any advice or tips you might offer!
I truly appreciate it! Thanks!

Jimi

 

[andibk]

DivingJimi,
I am not the owner of Neptune Dive Center, just a Instructor Trainer working there. Freddy Kruyt is the owner. If you tell me exactly what you would like to do as far as courses and a package deal let me know and I will speak to the owner and see if we can do for you.
As far as the waters they are getting better. They put in some type of water plant and it is alot better then before. The vis is normally around 10 meters or so. There alot of good sites it is just a matter of knowing a good DM or instructor to take you. I was just in Mexico last week doing some cave diving and the vis there was awesome, could see forever. To bad it wasn't like that here.
Looks like I will have two more cavern courses next week.

Bruce

 

[dayupha]

Dear Jimmy,

I run the P J Scuba aoperation.

Many of the operations in Pattaya are of a very high standard indeed certainly the three that you mentioned and also Neptune.

Here at PJ though we pride ourselves on our bery personal and attentive training.

If you'd like to know more about the "entire" package and what we can do with it then please feel free to mail me peter@pjscuba.com

We give concessions to those who have some diving experience and discounts to those who do or don't but are nice guys