Pattaya Vs. Phuket

[Arizona]

Glad to see you and Apecks getting some technical dive training.

My opinion is that the quality of the technical training is more dependent upon the specific instructor and less dependent upon the dive shop or cert agency.

Will the two of you be ready to come along next April on a deep wreck diving trip with me on the MV Trident?

John

John,

Always good to dive with you. April sounds good. I am in Pattaya late June to early August. Will you be back in the area?

@Apecks, I am just starting the KRs. Looking fwd to the training. I think we met on Danny's boat a while back. Let's plan on meeting up for a dive or two.

 

[lord khram]

You mjss the point Surinboy. It is quite clear in your post:



Because you operate on a limited seasonal basis does not necessarily mean that other DC's who are geared to operate throughout the year are not capable of conducting decent and thorough DM courses at the drop of a hat.

Why be so suspicious of those DCs (who are in a totally different situation than you are in) and can readily offer pro courses? Does not say much for the Diving Industry as a whole in Thailand, does it?

I quite agree Ringo, and all too often on here I see people getting all defensive because somones opinion differs to their own, and as is the case here it usually is the 'proffesionals' that do it. Which again leads me to think, what have they got to hide? I dont recall saying at any point surinboys DC was not fully functional, maybe he could enlighten us.
Instead of just going on the defensive, to me some DC's would do well to listen to their customers / potential customers thoughts, rather than just posting in the manner that they appear to think themselves are the best and are doing everything 100% right to suit all divers. Even the best are never perfect and can still improve, if they want to of course.
But at the end of the day, what do customers opinions matter to those who already know everything?

 

[surinboy]

I dont recall saying at any point surinboys DC was not fully functional, maybe he could enlighten us.

A fully functional dive center who specializes in diver education should most certainly be able to accommodate you, even at a couple of days notice.

I dont really have the time to go into a full analysis of Ringo's lousy deconstruction of my last post; where a fairly innocuous couple of paragraphs giving my own personal advice (FWIW) for the original poster equates to a scathing attack on the entirety of Thailand's dive industry.

Nor am I particularly inclined to entertain Khrams usual goading where he can post whatever he likes at will without risk because (unless I am mistaken) his livelihood does not depend on diving. I have seen this before with his continued attacks on certain Pattaya dive centres where it is only they who have anything tangible to lose.

Anyway, let me briefly explain what I was attempting to post initially (for anyone who might be interested)....

There are perhaps 300 dive centres in Thailand. Of these I reckon that at least half would not be able to create a Divemaster package (at short notice) that I would recommend. Therefore I think I can validly suggest that many dive centres in Thailand could not present a high quality Divemaster course at a moment's notice.

I did not suggest that Ringo's excellent dive centre would not be able to conjure an amazing 2-3 week Divemaster internship within 48 hours, I merely suggested that the prospective intern might like to take a closer look at any dive centre that was selling such an internship. At that point the the prospective candidate might think 'Wow Phuket Scuba Club (or whoever) really have their s*#t together I really want to do their course' or might think 'Oh my God. Phuket Scuba Club (or whoever) suck ass. How can you possibly train to be a Divemaster in a fortnight? I'm going elsewhere'

There are plenty of dive centres around the world who only offer longer Divemaster Internships on a more formal schedule and we happen to be one of them. Personally, I think that this is (in general) a more effective way to do this course and yes it is absolutely more viable for a smaller dive centre to conduct their Divemaster training this way.

I have not been posting on SB for sometime and now I understand why. I had hoped to contribute to this general discussion without being drawn into one of these petty tit for tats where wild insinuations are thrown around.

Enjoy your diving.

 

[lord khram]

Nor am I particularly inclined to entertain Khrams usual goading where he can post whatever he likes at will without risk because (unless I am mistaken) his livelihood does not depend on diving.

You are quite right my livelihood is not dependant on diving, infact I have not worked at all for several years since I sold my business. It's great.
But I am a diver and as I have said earlier some DC'S would do well to listen more to their customers opinions, concerns and requirements. If you follow the threads on here over recent weeks there have been several raising concerns about poor service. But before you go again I, and the others, am not saying all are bad.
But as I have said earlier I have retired early in life, I have plenty of time on my hands, plenty of money and I love diving.
If I could get what I wanted from diving I would go much more, and go with a DC rather than having to organise my own trips from speedboats etc. So those of you that are dependant on diving for your livelihood would maybe actually make some money from me again. Simple equation in business that I always applied. Provide your customers with what they want, on time, in a courteous and professional manner at a fair price, then you stand a good chance of prospering. It worked for me.

 

[ITSCUBA]

hi bermudablue,

have you considered the similan islands? it is generally accepted that the similan islands and nearlby islands offer the best diving in thailand. the similans are easily reached from khao lak which is only an hour or so north from phuket. there are many dive shops and some offer very good dive master courses. try checking out siam adventure divers, sea dragon and big blue.

january to march is considered the best time to dive the similans with very high chances of seeing some big stuff, especially manta rays at koh bon.

anyway, hope this helps

itscuba

 

[Batfish]

Phuket - access to the best diving, varied nightlife, plenty to do and see if not diving. You'll need a vehicle - Phuket is a big island. If you get a moped and ride around you'll be able to find rooms to rent by the month. Patong has the most nightlife, Karon and Kata are quieter although a lot of dive people live around Kata and there are a few bars that are common hangouts like Leks and Mee Bar... not that I hang out.. just go home to the family. Sea Fun, Dive Asia, Scuba Cat would be able to do a quality DM course, all have their own day trip boats. In high season all will have plenty of students and courses going on. Best to get here and take a few days to look around, go visit the dive shops, decide if you like them, decide if you like Phuket.. if not, it's just a quick flight to Pattaya

Enjoy your trip
Jamie, Phuket

 

[mase]

But as I have said earlier I have retired early in life, I have plenty of time on my hands, plenty of money and I love diving.

Curious, if, as you say you love diving, don't have to work and have money, why would you locate in Pattaya, which according to most threads on this board and your own opinion, ostensibly has the worst diving in Thailand?

 

[funrecdiver]

Nor am I particularly inclined to entertain Khrams usual goading where he can post whatever he likes at will without risk because (unless I am mistaken) his livelihood does not depend on diving.

In reply, I find the opinions of dive center customers who do not work in the diving industry more reliable and objective (and conflict-of-interest free) that the opinions of people who work in the industry and have a financial interest at heart.

If dives centers have "something to lose" as surinboy mentions to LK, and they surely do, then the proper response is to provide superior customer service to their customers.

As a recreational diver who loves to learn and improve my diving skills, I actually find the constant bashing of LK by dive center operators much more distasteful than LK's constant reminders of his bad experiences with dive centers.

Freedom of speech and expression goes both ways. Let's move past the negative comments about other's perspectives, stay focused on the topics (not personalities) and enjoy the freedom of expression on both sides, regardless of if we agree with the views of others or not.

And please, stop bashing customers who have bad experiences. Work to improve your service quality. Experience in customer service shows that the most difficult customers are the ones who become the most loyal customers, after you win their trust and confidence. When you lose the trust and confidence of a customer, it takes a great deal of work to get it back. Trying to discredit the unhappy customer is not a recommended method of customer service in any book on customer service I have read or any class attended.

 

[stevenl]

So those of you that are dependant on diving for your livelihood would maybe actually make some money from me again.

Sure, come on this direction.

 

[lord khram]

Curious, if, as you say you love diving, don't have to work and have money, why would you locate in Pattaya, which according to most threads on this board and your own opinion, ostensibly has the worst diving in Thailand?

Quite simply, my whole life is not centred around diving, having said that, I do love diving, but also I have many other interests and things going on.
I equally loved diving in the UK before I relocated to Thailand. There I grew up and lived all my life as far away from the sea as you probably can get.
Living next to the best dive locations is not a prerequisite to love diving. If that were the case indeed I probably would not be living in Thailand at all.
And for the record I dont live in Pattaya.