Open water dive PADI in Bangkok HELP!!!

[Bowmouth]

Well you did ask, it was:-

Quite a big outfit by all accounts, maybe they just had a off day

We did take some photo's on the boat at the time because we did not think people would believe us. May be if Lord Khram starts his 'name & shame' thread I will post them up.

I am surprised.
I had some other shops on my mind but not the one you referred to in your post.

I like to think any dive-boat operator every now and then will have a "bad day" and I do believe that most boat operators will try to deliver everything that they promise their clients.
Sometimes things do go (unintentionally) wrong, even on the best boats, with the best management and best crew available. It is of-course important that lessons are learned from "bad days" and that they do not keep happening over and over again.

I do not hope anyone will start a "name & shame" thread. That will likely become a witch hunt and reflect badly on the Thai diving industry as a whole.
Anyone having a seriously bad experience on a dive tour should rather contact the shop's management and make a formal complaint immediately after their trip. I don't think clients will be ridiculed by shop management if they have a valid complaint.

 

[limbo]

Fully agrre on your name & shame thread view, Bowmouth. Not a good idea.

There are different and imho better ways to deal with 'bad day' on the boat.

 

[josh]

There are different and imho better ways to deal with 'bad day' on the boat.

Indeed. And the first step is called "growing up". We have all had bad days with different operators. If its frequently bad, you move on and don't deal with them again.

Personally (and I expect, to get stick for this) I like Aquanauts. They have a comfortable boat, some of the best on board food (the fried chicken is awesome!) and they have always lent over backwards to accomodate me. I am happy to dive with them any time I get the chance.

 

[Arizona]

The nicest boat by far. No issues with the big two from my perspective either.

 

[lord khram]

Indeed. And the first step is called "growing up". We have all had bad days with different operators. If its frequently bad, you move on and don't deal with them again.

Personally (and I expect, to get stick for this) I like Aquanauts. They have a comfortable boat, some of the best on board food (the fried chicken is awesome!) and they have always lent over backwards to accomodate me. I am happy to dive with them any time I get the chance.

Why should you get stick for diving with Aquanauts. If it fulfills your requirements, thats all that matters.

Probably name and shame is the wrong name for a thread, because to make it informative and to assist people in selecting a shop, both good and bad experiences must be posted. And indeed one persons idea of a good day doesn't necesarilly agree with anothers. But a thread with a mix of opinions/experiences would I still feel be helpfull to people intending to dive in an area for the first time. and indeed if some shops constantly get bad remarks, maybe they could learn from that and change their ways to better suit their customers. And if they dont improve, then maybe this could prevent others from being ripped off in the future.
As I have said before, its not the things that go wrong that matter, it is the way they are dealt with.
What could we call the thread?

 

[lord khram]

After reading recent posts in other threads I decided to remove the "Thank You". DevonDiver your posts have always been helpful. Time to move on...

:crying2:

 

[Apecks]

LK,

Have you ever looked at this forum?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/whine-cheeze/

 

[lord khram]

LK,

Have you ever looked at this forum?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/whine-cheeze/

No, but I will take a look later. Thanks for the advice.

 

[orangiraffe]

hi guys! thank you for all that posts. it had helped me! well...i've gone and come back from thailand. here is an update...

i took up my OW with BAN's/ Sunshine divers in thailand. don't know if you have heard of them but it was great. the academics was easily understood.

but you were right...the course fees did not include the cost of the manual. i too did not get a copy of it.

4 dives and i saw a ship wreck, stingrays, box fish, scorpion fish, lots of grouper...barracuda etc...

superb trip i had!!!

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

can you explain a bit more about the manual? Did you buy it and then sell back? Not get one at all?

And what did you pay for the course and what DID it include?