Open water diver course completion in Thailand?

[english haze]

My wife and I are about to start our diving experience with a 2 day open water referral course here at home and then completing the open water dives in southern Thailand at the end of November around the Similan islands area. Can anyone recommend a good dive school to book with for the open water dives to complete our certification?

Thanks,

Paul & Catherine

 

[Valthai]

Hello english_haze,

Where will you stay? Phuket? Phi Phi?
I can recommand on Phuket Island : Sea fun et Sea World Dive Team (Patong) Marina Divers (Kata)
http://www.seaworld-phuket.com
http://www.seafundivers.com/
http://www.marinadivers.com/

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hi English Haze

How about doing your Thailand dive course with Dive The World?

 

[plonske]

My wife and I are about to start our diving experience with a 2 day open water referral course here at home and then completing the open water dives in southern Thailand at the end of November around the Similan islands area. Can anyone recommend a good dive school to book with for the open water dives to complete our certification?

Thanks,

Paul & Catherine

Maybe a suggestion in Patong, All 4 Diving...or CoralGrandDivers one off the biggest divecompagny in Thailand, they teaching in quality not quantity!

Cheers,

 

[stevenl]

I would recommend to finish the course shorebased, and do a liveaboard to the Similans after you have finished the course.

You will see it is also possible to finish the course on a liveaboard, but with the exercises I find it much better to finish the course shorebased.

 

[Quero]

I would recommend to finish the course shorebased, and do a liveaboard to the Similans after you have finished the course.

You will see it is also possible to finish the course on a liveaboard, but with the exercises I find it much better to finish the course shorebased.

Sound advice since you say you wish to be "around the Similan islands area". The implication is that you will not be on Phuket, but rather at/near Khao Lak. SB Member Similandiver is based out of Khao Lak, so you might ask him how referrals typically work there. Here on Phuket we generally take referral students on daytrip boat dives to sites appropriate to Open Water training, although shore diving is an option.

Regardless of whether you will be around Khao Lak or on Phuket, stay landbased for the first couple of days to finish off your OW cert, and then hop on a LOB from Khao Lak for some great diving you will never forget.

 

[smartecosse]

Maybe a suggestion in Patong, All 4 Diving...or CoralGrandDivers one off the biggest divecompagny in Thailand, they teaching in quality not quantity!

Cheers,

so explain to me how if they are "one of the biggest dive companies" that they teach in quality not quantity??

It may be quantity and quality at the same time.

But they can't be one of the biggest and not have quantity.

 

[Batfish]

Give my regards to Crawley! My home town, must be honest and say I don't miss it.

 

[bertwoodward]

phuket pro dive is a good bet. i did a certification course with them a few years back. they also organised a live aboard tour for me. richard & megumi are friendly & laid back. they'll pick you up from the neighbouring villages


Diving Phuket PADI courses Similan Liveaboards - Phuket Pro Dive

have fun!
bert w.

 

[english haze]

Thanks for all the responses.

We will definitely complete the course from a shore based excursion rather than a live aboard to start with.

We are looking around Ao Nang and Krabi for dives at Phi Phi for starters then see how we get on before deciding where to go after that. We might stay in that area and take the five dives for the advanced course while we're there.

Thanks again.

Paul & Catherine