Recommendations for divemaster course in Thailand

[lord khram]

Hi,

I am planning to go to Thailand for some time and want to do 2 courses.

PADI rescue diver
PADI dive master

I'd like to do the dive master course as an internship of approx 2 months. I was thinking of doing this in K Tao. I'm looking to do this on a budget i.e. cheap board and food etc

Does anyone have any recommendations for places other than K Tao where I might do my courses? Also any recommendations of dive shops?

Cheers

John

Personnaly I would recommend the Andaman coast in South Thailand or Koh Chang, but check the seasons to get the best from the diving.
If you want good nightlife, then maybe you could consider Pattaya, but this in not really a serious dive destination, the diving is year round but for want of a better expression the diving in this area is crap.
depends if you are serious about the diving or the nightlife?

 

[Arizona]

I agree on a few points, but Pattaya IMO is excellent for training a DM or instructor as it is serious diving with low vis and current at times and offers several descent wrecks. If you want great vis, calm waters and less night life you will do better elsewhere.

 

[BigBlueTech]

working for your DM course is just another way companies who can't hire decent DM's get business done.

Also if you want to go with Aquanaughts Pattaya there's someone selling a DM package on here he couldn't finish and was refused refund. I think he's looking to sell his "shop credit" for quite a discount.

 

[lord khram]

working for your DM course is just another way companies who can't hire decent DM's get business done.

Also if you want to go with Aquanaughts Pattaya there's someone selling a DM package on here he couldn't finish and was refused refund. I think he's looking to sell his "shop credit" for quite a discount.

That unfortunately seems to be the policy of all the dive shops in Pattaya 'NO REFUNDS'.
In my experience even when the shop is at fault refunds are out of the question, I have experienced this on a number of occasions, and given the high cost of diving in Pattaya, I think service from most shops should be greatly improved.

eg.1) Albeit a few years ago I went with Aquanauts for my first experience of diving in Pattaya, the on board compressor broke down at Koh Rin, I declined to take up the second dive at Hat Nuan as I was offered a cylinder containing little over 100 bar. I was later told 'NO REFUNDS' you had the chance to do a second dive.

eg.2) I booked with Mermaids on the promise of diving Koh Rin and another coral dive. once on the boat I was told 'sorry we are doing 2 dives on the Khram today'. having been out of the water for nearly a year I considered this to be not a suitable dive for me and declined to dive. Again 'NO REFUNDS'.

eg.3) Last year I booked a multi day dive package with Dive south East Asia, pay for 4 days up front and get the 5th free on the promise of different dive sites every day, after 3 days of doing 10 metre / 30 minute dives at Koh Sak and Koh Khrok ending most dives with about 140 bar in my cylinder???? I complained and was told they had to cater for snorkelling customers. That night I went to the shop and asked the extremely drunk owner when do you go to Koh rin? 'Why do you want to go there it's crap'. Well how about the Khram? I asked. If you want to go there you must pay extra!!! I then asked where are you going tomorrow, 'we havent got a trip tomorrow, no customers', in his drunken stupour he obviously forgot that I had already paid for 5 days diving. To then be told very agressively 'NO REFUNDS'. How surprising.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

Ah, I see Lord Khram continues his campaign against diving in Pattaya. Since he mentioned us by name, I'd like to offer our view:

1) I cannot recall any point in the past several years when our compressor has broken on the boat.

2) We have nearly 100 tanks on board at any one time and it is extremely unlikely that there would be no spares completely full.

3) It's even more unlikely L.K. was told what he claims. Our policy in a situation where a customer cannot do a second dive is to offer him a dive on another day. If yuo'd like to come into the shop, we'd be happy LK to take you out again at half-price.

I'm not here to stick up for Mermaid's or SEA, but it does seem to me it would have behooved The Lord to ask on dive day where the boat he was getting on was going. MM uses up to 4 boats a day and did for a long time do the far islands every day.

In the case of SEA, I'd think he might have gotten the schedule before booking multiple days.

or maybe that's just me...

 

[Arizona]

And to call Pattaya diving not serious! My experiences on Mermaid's and Aquanauts has always been very good. I am looking fwd to diving the Hardeep this weekend, but on a smaller Thai boat.

 

[Bowmouth]

I suggest Lord Khram starts a Pattaya DC "Grudges & Bashing" thread. He seems to be qualified enough to do so...

 

[Arizona]

Lord vs. Pattaya how classic I can see the lightening coming already.

 

[lord khram]

Ah, I see Lord Khram continues his campaign against diving in Pattaya. Since he mentioned us by name, I'd like to offer our view:

1) I cannot recall any point in the past several years when our compressor has broken on the boat.

2) We have nearly 100 tanks on board at any one time and it is extremely unlikely that there would be no spares completely full.

3) It's even more unlikely L.K. was told what he claims. Our policy in a situation where a customer cannot do a second dive is to offer him a dive on another day. If yuo'd like to come into the shop, we'd be happy LK to take you out again at half-price.

I'm not here to stick up for Mermaid's or SEA, but it does seem to me it would have behooved The Lord to ask on dive day where the boat he was getting on was going. MM uses up to 4 boats a day and did for a long time do the far islands every day.

In the case of SEA, I'd think he might have gotten the schedule before booking multiple days.

or maybe that's just me...

1) Like I said it was a number of years ago, I can check in my dive log and let you know the date. I will do this as soon as I get chance. If you wish I can make further comments about the day that I am sure you may not want to be made public.
2) The day in question the boat was extremely busy, and was no where near 100 cylinders on board.
3) I re state that I was told no refunds. in any case an alternative day was no use to me at the time as I had other plans for my time and would have been unable to fit it in.

With regard to the other 2 shops, I booked to dive at Koh Rin and another coral dive in Mermaids beach road shop who I believe is now independent, was collected from my hotel and taken to a boat, only after sailing for a while it became apparent we were not going to where I had the previous day been told. At this point I raised the question. I was not given a choice of boats, but under normal circumstances I would expect to be given what I was promissed at the point of sale, and not feel the need to question this again on the morning of the dive before boarding the boat to which I was taken.
As stated in my original point about SEA, again at the point of sale I was promissed different dives every day at the point of sale, why should it be necessary to query this again, as I had no prefference where the diving took place as long as i got the variety as promissed.

I am sure if you read my original statement again I am sure you will agree that this is what I had booked, if not I appologise and hope this clarifies my point.

 

[lord khram]

I suggest Lord Khram starts a Pattaya DC "Grudges & Bashing" thread. He seems to be qualified enough to do so...

I am not specifically trying to bash Pattaya diving, but having dived all over the world it rates amongst some of the most expensive that I have experienced, also not very good diving compared to other locations, and over the years have become fed up with the poor customer service provided around pattaya in return for the high prices charged.
It may be excellent in terms of doing an internship / IDC, but in my experience purely as a diving customer, my experiences leave a lot to be desired compared to what I have had at other locations in Thailand and around the world.