Recommendations for divemaster course in Thailand

[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...

Also in my previous reply regarding SEA I forgot to mention again, why only 30 minute dives? again this 30 / 40 minute policy seems to be the norm around here rather than giving the customer the maximum safe time under water. I am sure you will agree that a 140 bar safety margin at the end of a dive is excessive, particularly when you are no where near the DCL. Correct me if I am wrong bas it is a long time since qualifying as a diver but I thought PADI recomended ending a dive with about 50 bar??

What is that all about???

 

[lord khram]

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.

I will make one point about this statement.

I know of 2 instructors who qualified on a Pattaya internship, not mentioning the shop concerned, but neither instrucor has ever done a shore entry.

Having only dived from hard boats, how are these instructors qualified to teach a skill that they have never carried out?? Or indeed an entry and exit from a semi inflatable boat which are used in many locations around the world??

 

[Bowmouth]

....some of the most expensive.....also not very good diving compared to other locations.....poor customer service provided.....leaves a lot to be desired compared to what I have had at other locations in Thailand and around the world.

Oh Lord,
There is a very simple solution to your problem.

Do not dive in Pattaya anymore but go elsewhere.

 

[lord khram]

Oh Lord,
There is a very simple solution to your problem.

Do not dive in Pattaya anymore but go elsewhere.

Or as I have done stop using the overpriced shops and sort my own dive trips out, it really is very easy and can be done for a rellatively small cost.

But that still does not satisfy my curiosity as to why the dive shops in Pattaya are amongst the most expensive that I have experienced when operating costs in Thailand are so low, and the general standard of service offered locally is very poor compared to other locations I have visited.

 

[Bowmouth]

But that still does not satisfy my curiosity as to why the dive shops in Pattaya are amongst the most expensive...

How much (Thai baht) is the average daytrip price?

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

So, let's see if I have Lord Kham right here:

All his criticisms and experiences cited are several years old. If you booked with Mermaid's when they were still operating the Beach Road branch, that places your experience at more than 18 moths ago. You've already said your experience with Aquanauts was "several years ago."

My question, thus, is how is any of this relevant? Personnel change. Equipment changes. Heck, even corporate ownership changes, as Mermaid's shows. Is anything what you have to say helpful to someone wanting to dive in Pattaya in 2009?

I say no.

You can pull any day out of thin air over a period of 3-5 years and find a bad day. We're not perfect, nor is any other shop. We dive 363 days a year. Not everyday is going to run like clockwork.

Nonetheless, I offered you a 50% discount to try again. You don't seem interested. Instead you prefer to classify Pattaya as "overpriced' when, in fact, many areas in Thailand (other than Koh Tao) are more expensive for day trips. Phuket has been at 3,600 baht for some time. Pattaya dive shops are 2,900-3,300 and those prices were only raised to that level in October, and that was the first time in 3 years shops took an increase. (At that time we were facing record high fuel bills.)

Someone more familiar with the posters here might be able to help me, but your comments that you arrnage your own cheap diving are so familiar. There was another poster who ragged on Pattaya and said they just grabbed cheap Thai boats for 800 baht and would never use a farang shop again. Me thinks this new ID is the same guy, perhaps banned before.

Pattaya shops offer value for money. Our market is not the cheap charlie expats, but tourists who expect new gear, comfortable boats, a full hot lunch, native English speaking Instructors, DMs and DMTs, insurance, hotel pickup/return and decent classroom facilites fully stocked with all PADI materials, plus gear.

If that's not what you need/want, fine. But why don't you stop bagging on Pattaya's best dive shops when you have no recent experience actually using them.

 

[stevenl]

Phuket has been at 3,600 baht for some time.

For a 3-dive trip yes on some boats, but there are good and cheaper options, but the prices for Pattaya you mention are for 2-dive trips. And for 2-dive trips you will find cheaper prices on Phuket than in Pattaya.

 

[Arizona]

I will make one point about this statement.

I know of 2 instructors who qualified on a Pattaya internship, not mentioning the shop concerned, but neither instrucor has ever done a shore entry.

Having only dived from hard boats, how are these instructors qualified to teach a skill that they have never carried out?? Or indeed an entry and exit from a semi inflatable boat which are used in many locations around the world??

What does this have to do with the quality of diving in Pattaya? I and most would agree instructors need more well rounded experience. I never advocated the zero to hero thing, but rather training there is very good for elements such as navigation and current for divers at all levels. You can't beat the easy drive on a weekend for BKK based people. Great diving this weekend by the way.

I was involved with a deep specialty at Rong Kong and it was very nice. The Hardeep was also good today. But as others have stated move on.

The price is going to be less than other areas in Thailand IMO. Make some connections and you may even get better deals than you have in past.

 

[Bowmouth]

For a 3-dive trip yes on some boats, but there are good and cheaper options, but the prices for Pattaya you mention are for 2-dive trips. And for 2-dive trips you will find cheaper prices on Phuket than in Pattaya.

Currently most day-trip prices are between 2800 (Racha Yai - 2 dives) and 3600 Baht (Phi Phi - two dives) depending on destination and number of dives.
There are a few shops that will offer somewhat cheaper day-trips if you book a trip on their own day-trip boat.

 

[lord khram]

So, let's see if I have Lord Kham right here:

All his criticisms and experiences cited are several years old. If you booked with Mermaid's when they were still operating the Beach Road branch, that places your experience at more than 18 moths ago. You've already said your experience with Aquanauts was "several years ago."

My question, thus, is how is any of this relevant? Personnel change. Equipment changes. Heck, even corporate ownership changes, as Mermaid's shows. Is anything what you have to say helpful to someone wanting to dive in Pattaya in 2009?

I say no.

You can pull any day out of thin air over a period of 3-5 years and find a bad day. We're not perfect, nor is any other shop. We dive 363 days a year. Not everyday is going to run like clockwork.

Nonetheless, I offered you a 50% discount to try again. You don't seem interested. Instead you prefer to classify Pattaya as "overpriced' when, in fact, many areas in Thailand (other than Koh Tao) are more expensive for day trips. Phuket has been at 3,600 baht for some time. Pattaya dive shops are 2,900-3,300 and those prices were only raised to that level in October, and that was the first time in 3 years shops took an increase. (At that time we were facing record high fuel bills.)

Someone more familiar with the posters here might be able to help me, but your comments that you arrnage your own cheap diving are so familiar. There was another poster who ragged on Pattaya and said they just grabbed cheap Thai boats for 800 baht and would never use a farang shop again. Me thinks this new ID is the same guy, perhaps banned before.

Pattaya shops offer value for money. Our market is not the cheap charlie expats, but tourists who expect new gear, comfortable boats, a full hot lunch, native English speaking Instructors, DMs and DMTs, insurance, hotel pickup/return and decent classroom facilites fully stocked with all PADI materials, plus gear.

If that's not what you need/want, fine. But why don't you stop bagging on Pattaya's best dive shops when you have no recent experience actually using them.

I must put the record straight about many incorrect statements in this post from Aquanauts.
Yes as I have previously stated the 3 examples I used are over a number of years which encompass my very first pattaya dive through to the very last. Indeed my issue with Aquanauts was between 9-11-02 & 25-11-02, yes as you correctly point out my issue with mermaids beach road was 2 years ago, albeit now a different name this shop is still under the same ownership, and my last issue with SEA was in November 2008. this has been done to demonstrate the ongoing poor service received by divers in this area and this continued policy of no refunds exercised by the pattaya shops even when they are at fault and do not provide their customer with the dives as agreed at point of sale. This is something I have become very fed up with.
Nothing is plucked out of thin air these are all actual experiences, i can indeed quote many more.
Yes I note the high fuel prices that the shops cited for the price increases last year, however fuel is now cheaper than it has been for many years, can we expect a comparable reduction in the near future?
I have in December been diving in Vietnam, the cost was roughly one third of a days diving in pattaya, equipment and the service were excellent.
I book many dives in the UK where operating and fuel costs are amongst the highest in the world, and a 2 dive day usually costs about half of a pattaya dive, albeit this does not include kit hire.
Koh Tao and Koh Chang are significantly cheaper than Pattaya, I cannot comment about the Andaman as I have only ever done live aboards. Also I have never had reason to complain at any other location in Thailand.
I am not an expat.
I have never been a member of this forum before.
I am not a Cheap Charlie. I merely expect to be supplied with what I have paid for, is that being unreasonable?
I do not wish to book my own boats/dive trips, but myself and a number of friends have started to do this as we have come to the conclusion that this is the only way we are going to get the diving we want in this area.
I am sorry you seem to have taken this personnaly, but I am only voicing my concerns and the concerns of my friend about the contempt we have all been treated with over the years by Pattaya dive shops.