Koh Tao - Dive center and DM courses

[RobKzoo]

Hey all,
This is a great thread. I am in the same boat as Iain and am looking to continue my training and go from adv open water to instructor. I have heard good things about Crystal (an instructor on my last trip trained there) but I have also been searching around and am keeping my options open.

From what I have pieced together Crystal seems to have the best deal from a price perspective. All of the information everyone is posting on here is very helpful, and any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to make my way out there January 2011.

 

[ayeshacantrell]

As you rightly pointed out - it closed down !

 

[jamiemac]

Id recommend Crystal from the big schools, as they have a good program running for Dm training also the CD there Matt is professional as they come.

If you meet Matt pretend your a Liverpool supporter for an even better deal.

 

[vdonick]

so i may have been exaggerating about amount of divers budda view etc have in the water but on numerous occasions while working as a videographer i have seen for a fact 2 of budda views boats at chumpon and even at twins with ALOT of divers on board....so if definately happens and also with bans, on top of dropping anchors at divesites and smashing the coral....and yes i have seen this with my own eyes and filmed it in progress.

anyway, totally off topic so apologies to everyone.

 

[jamiemac]

so i may have been exaggerating about amount of divers budda view etc have in the water but on numerous occasions while working as a videographer i have seen for a fact 2 of budda views boats at chumpon and even at twins with ALOT of divers on board....so if definately happens and also with bans, on top of dropping anchors at divesites and smashing the coral....and yes i have seen this with my own eyes and filmed it in progress.

anyway, totally off topic so apologies to everyone.

I like it when one of the 'big boats' arrives at a site when you're diving. You hear the boat pull up, the plop, plop,plop of divers entering , and 30mins later they're still plopping in!

One of our vidiots, Chap, made a ' Bad Diving Practices ' film, quite amazing but it wasn't really welcomed by the dive operators seeing as each clip ended with the divers' mask strap with the dive centre name on it

Funny that

Might be off topic too, sorry

 

[lord khram]

Might be off topic too, sorry

Off topic again, but did you manage your dive this weekend?

 

[jamiemac]

Off topic again, but did you manage your dive this weekend?

Yes I did!

Dived one of the Mulberry wrecks , very shallow, but 3 degrees temp and the current made it challenging.

Mind you, two guys were in wetsuits, tough blokes. Great day out. Went with the Met Police Diving Club.

Next trip is to the Moldavia in 48m, then Scapa Flow in June. This enforced UK trip isn't working out too bad.

 

[lord khram]

Yes I did!

Dived one of the Mulberry wrecks , very shallow, but 3 degrees temp and the current made it challenging.

Mind you, two guys were in wetsuits, tough blokes. Great day out. Went with the Met Police Diving Club.

Next trip is to the Moldavia in 48m, then Scapa Flow in June. This enforced UK trip isn't working out too bad.

Glad you enjoyed
The Moldavia is a great dive but must plan it around slack water and sometime the oportinity to dive is a short one, particularly on spring tides. Done it several times myself.
And you cant fail to enjoy Scapa.
Real wreck dives. Thats one of the few things I miss about living in Thailand.

 

[Law5Guy]

One of our vidiots, Chap, made a ' Bad Diving Practices ' film, quite amazing but it wasn't really welcomed by the dive operators seeing as each clip ended with the divers' mask strap with the dive centre name on it

Is this film online anywhere. youtube? we wanna watch!

 

[Law5Guy]

Anyone on Koh Tao know what happened to Taa Toh Divers? Seems that they have closed the dive shop, but the hotel part is still open as Freedom Beach Resort.

Scuba Diving Koh Tao Thailand | Choose your Dive Center from a great variety.

Well... looks like I found the answer from a post at tripadvisor:


TAATOH LAGOON. THE BIG CHANGE .
gone are the lovely beach restaurant , the friendly dive shop and the rustic looking dive equipment shack, this is what made people like me to always come back there to live and dive, asking for more. dont take it as a bad thing it is just that when you get used to something and it is suddenly taken away form you nostalgia is most certainly due to kick in ! if you didnot know it before you wont miss it i guess. (personaly i am crying my eyes out!!! )


what's gone what's new. from a family resort to a buisiness venture - Review of Freedom Beach Resort, Ko Tao, Thailand - TripAdvisor

So... what to do next time on Turtle Island?