It does clear up a bit around christmas time but generally yeah it is normal.
Divemaster course
- Thread starter penguintom
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OP
penguintom
Contributor
This is exactly why I dont have the confidence in these shops to do my courses in Pattaya, if this is normal visibility (5m) why without exception have all the shops I have dived with told me to expect more, ranging up to 25m.
Do they think telling lies to people inspires confidence in customers and encourages repeat business? Because I think from what I have seen over the last few weeks, this will be my first and last attempt at diving in Pattaya, despite being a frequent visitor to the area.
Bowmouth
Contributor
I think it's a sales-pitch.
One of the first things divers will ask when booking dive-trips are questions about the vis (and whalesharks
).Sometimes they do get 25 mtr vis (even though most of the time it's much less) and they may say something like " you may have up to 20+ mtr vis at this site" to get you ready to book and collect your money.
I think they often really want you to have a great day with good vis (and a whaleshark
) but it just doesn't happen all that often (in Pattaya).lord khram
Contributor
I think its just lies, and its typical of Pattaya shops, as I said before in all my years diving around Pattaya I have found anything close to 10m viz or above to be extremely rare, I have probably experienced this 3 or 4 times out of hundreds of dives. From what he said above Apecks seems to agree.
And as for whalesharks, even Pattaya shops dont exagerate that much.
And as for whalesharks, even Pattaya shops dont exagerate that much.
lord khram
Contributor
I think that sounds like a fair idea to me, the UK has far better diving than Pattaya, the options are endless, but obviously we are more dependant on the weather. And in my experience standards of training and facilities are far superior to those on offer in Pattaya. And costs comparable or cheaper.
I am back in the UK myself at the moment and have just come back from a weeks diving in the Scilly Isles, we were lucky to have perfect weather conditions, and the diving was superb.
The experience of only one of these days diving is far more significant to me than all the hundreds of dives I have done in Pattaya.
Although I have seen one on the hardeep just the once :shocked2:
lord khram
Contributor
LK - You are more than welcome, PM me if you ever fancy it.
Ask around as I was not the only one out there that day.
From memory it was roughly around this time of year when the water tempreture drops off a bit.
It should not be too much of a suprise as i have seen them a few times in Koh Chang, which really is not too far away.
lord khram
Contributor
OP
penguintom
Contributor
I have just arrived back in the UK and would like to now tell about my diving experiences in Pattaya over the last few weeks, and my reasons for deciding not to further my diver training during my stay there.
As some do, I am not going to start naming individual shops, if the people concerned subscribe to this forum, no doubt they will know who I am referring to.
I have stayed in Pattaya a number of times in the past, but this is the first time I decided to try the diving, I was led to believe before the diving conditions were far from the best in Thailand, but I didnt realise how poor they actually were, also I dismissed a lot of what I have read on here about the shops as mindless ranting, only to my cost to find out afterwards how close to the truth a lot of it actually is. During my stay I actually visited 5 shops and was most disapointed with my experience at all of them, before i finally gave up on my original ideas.
1) The first shop I visited, I didn't actually go diving with them, I was in the shop just asking some questions such as costs and what I got in return, to be asked 'I hope you are not wasting my *********g time, do you want to go diving or not? Consequently I left.
2) Next I actually booked 2 days diving and whilst in the shop everything was fine, all were friendly, and promissed great things, when I actually got to the boat things were completely different. The female 'instructor' all of a sudden became far too important to actually speak to the customers, I was completely left to my own devices, to the point where people were entering the water and I actually had to ask who i was diving with? No boat/safety briefings, and was generally treated like I was just an inconvenience to the staff who were on their own personal day out. Same sort of procedure both days.
3) Next shop, thankfully I booked only one day, turned up at the shop in the morning, only to have what I think were a series of trainee instructors, being quite rude, suggesting I was being lazy for not helping to load their equipment into a truck. I was unaware that I had paid for a days diving to be treated like a sherpa, what is wrong with each individuall diver carrying their own equipment? But some of them seemed far too important to be doing that. When on the boat, prety much as the last lot, I was just treated as an inconvenience to their own jollies.
4) The next shop I have mentioned briefly previously on this thread, about the drunk instructor and shop owner and their 30 minute dives.
They promissed pristine reefs and 25m+ visibility, explaining that they charge a little more than most shops because they provide a better service. I explained that I had dived in the area recently and had not seen anything like good diving conditions, to be told 'they take you to the wrong places' we give you a great service, a luxury lunch, excellent boat etc etc. They offered a discount for a 3 day booking, with the promise of a refund for 2 days if was not entirely satisfied with the first day.
The first day was actually quite good, I was looked after by a really friendly guide, only us two diving and a few snorklers on the boat, did two good dives, despite the viz being much less than promissed it was an enjoyable days diving. But the promised luxury lunch, nice as it was turned out to be fried rice that can be brought on the street for about 30baht.
Unfortunately the next day the dive guide I had previously was not there, dont think he worked for the shop, just looked after divers on odd days for something to do. he was replaced with the drunken spectacle of the shops instructor that I described earlier on this thread. The luxury lunch turned into the most vile sandwich i have ever had that still had the 49baht price ticket on it. Had the instructor put as much effort into his job as he did begging for tips, he might actually get some sattisfied customers who would tip without being badgered into it. The rest I have described previously.
5) After speaking to someone in a bar I decided to have one last go at another shop he suggested. I went and made the booking, got all the usual promises and assurances. Next day I sat at the hotel reception waiting to be collected, after my collection time had been passed by 30minutes, I tried to call the shop, no answer, waited another 30 minutes, still no collection. At this point I decided to walk to the shop and see what was going on, only to be told trips cancelled today, cant afford to run a boat for 1 customer.
I made them aware of my disatisfaction at the way I had been treated, to be told why should we call you, its your responsibility to find out what's going on! at this point I requested my money back to be told no refunds you will have to come another day when we have some customers. I asked when that might be to be told you must come here in the afternoon to see if we have a trip tomorrow.
I said that was not acceptable and said I wanted a refund or I was going to the Tourist Police, at this point he reluctantly refunded my money.
The above result in my decision to now do my rescue and DM course back here in the UK, I must say for about the same price it is available in Pattaya, but from what I have seen recently will be conducted in a far more professional manner.
Next time I go to Thailand I shall do some diving, but it most certainly will not be in pattaya, if anyone has some suggestions of the best places, they would be much appreciated.
As a close, if any of these shops read my post, I think the prices I paid are amongst the highest I have ever paid for a days diving, and the service / diving conditions amongst the poorest. If you actually put some effort into giving your customers a good day out, this may compensate for the not so good diving conditions and you may even get some repeat business.
As some do, I am not going to start naming individual shops, if the people concerned subscribe to this forum, no doubt they will know who I am referring to.
I have stayed in Pattaya a number of times in the past, but this is the first time I decided to try the diving, I was led to believe before the diving conditions were far from the best in Thailand, but I didnt realise how poor they actually were, also I dismissed a lot of what I have read on here about the shops as mindless ranting, only to my cost to find out afterwards how close to the truth a lot of it actually is. During my stay I actually visited 5 shops and was most disapointed with my experience at all of them, before i finally gave up on my original ideas.
1) The first shop I visited, I didn't actually go diving with them, I was in the shop just asking some questions such as costs and what I got in return, to be asked 'I hope you are not wasting my *********g time, do you want to go diving or not? Consequently I left.
2) Next I actually booked 2 days diving and whilst in the shop everything was fine, all were friendly, and promissed great things, when I actually got to the boat things were completely different. The female 'instructor' all of a sudden became far too important to actually speak to the customers, I was completely left to my own devices, to the point where people were entering the water and I actually had to ask who i was diving with? No boat/safety briefings, and was generally treated like I was just an inconvenience to the staff who were on their own personal day out. Same sort of procedure both days.
3) Next shop, thankfully I booked only one day, turned up at the shop in the morning, only to have what I think were a series of trainee instructors, being quite rude, suggesting I was being lazy for not helping to load their equipment into a truck. I was unaware that I had paid for a days diving to be treated like a sherpa, what is wrong with each individuall diver carrying their own equipment? But some of them seemed far too important to be doing that. When on the boat, prety much as the last lot, I was just treated as an inconvenience to their own jollies.
4) The next shop I have mentioned briefly previously on this thread, about the drunk instructor and shop owner and their 30 minute dives.
They promissed pristine reefs and 25m+ visibility, explaining that they charge a little more than most shops because they provide a better service. I explained that I had dived in the area recently and had not seen anything like good diving conditions, to be told 'they take you to the wrong places' we give you a great service, a luxury lunch, excellent boat etc etc. They offered a discount for a 3 day booking, with the promise of a refund for 2 days if was not entirely satisfied with the first day.
The first day was actually quite good, I was looked after by a really friendly guide, only us two diving and a few snorklers on the boat, did two good dives, despite the viz being much less than promissed it was an enjoyable days diving. But the promised luxury lunch, nice as it was turned out to be fried rice that can be brought on the street for about 30baht.
Unfortunately the next day the dive guide I had previously was not there, dont think he worked for the shop, just looked after divers on odd days for something to do. he was replaced with the drunken spectacle of the shops instructor that I described earlier on this thread. The luxury lunch turned into the most vile sandwich i have ever had that still had the 49baht price ticket on it. Had the instructor put as much effort into his job as he did begging for tips, he might actually get some sattisfied customers who would tip without being badgered into it. The rest I have described previously.
5) After speaking to someone in a bar I decided to have one last go at another shop he suggested. I went and made the booking, got all the usual promises and assurances. Next day I sat at the hotel reception waiting to be collected, after my collection time had been passed by 30minutes, I tried to call the shop, no answer, waited another 30 minutes, still no collection. At this point I decided to walk to the shop and see what was going on, only to be told trips cancelled today, cant afford to run a boat for 1 customer.
I made them aware of my disatisfaction at the way I had been treated, to be told why should we call you, its your responsibility to find out what's going on! at this point I requested my money back to be told no refunds you will have to come another day when we have some customers. I asked when that might be to be told you must come here in the afternoon to see if we have a trip tomorrow.
I said that was not acceptable and said I wanted a refund or I was going to the Tourist Police, at this point he reluctantly refunded my money.
The above result in my decision to now do my rescue and DM course back here in the UK, I must say for about the same price it is available in Pattaya, but from what I have seen recently will be conducted in a far more professional manner.
Next time I go to Thailand I shall do some diving, but it most certainly will not be in pattaya, if anyone has some suggestions of the best places, they would be much appreciated.
As a close, if any of these shops read my post, I think the prices I paid are amongst the highest I have ever paid for a days diving, and the service / diving conditions amongst the poorest. If you actually put some effort into giving your customers a good day out, this may compensate for the not so good diving conditions and you may even get some repeat business.
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