where is the best place in thailand to go from r/mfa to msdt?

[hiphop junkie]

i've looked at some other message boards, and have read conflicting reports about thailand - in particular koh tao.

i did my aow a year and a half ago (in greece), and next summer i want to continue with my diving education. a former instuctor of mine told me about ban's diving on koh tao - does anyone have any experience there?

i'm working in south korea until june, then want to head down to thailand and get back to diving. what will the weather/diving be like in the summer?

i'd apprecate any feedback about diving in se asia that you can give. i don't want some hurried dive school that has large classes and gets students in and out as fast as possible.

i can't wait to make the leap, and start diving full time, but i want to make sure i pick the right place. thanks alot.




ras

 

[Sea Squirt]

My instructors both worked on Koh Tao for about 6 and 4 years respectively. They eventually moved away as for a such a small island it has 28 dive schools, most of which they didn't rate highly in the saftey levels, or quality of teaching. Most of the dive sites are over dived, and have driven away much of the marine life, which is a real pity, as when I was there (many eons ago) it was teeming.

Bear in mind that June is the beginning of the monsoon in the Gulf of Thailand. HAving said that, Koh Tao is supposed to have only 30 undiveable days throughout the year, although when storms come, you can find yourself stranded on the island until the seas calm down enough for the ferries to get across to the mainland. A few years ago (and this is worst case scenario) the navy had to send some ships to "evacuate" the tourists!

That may be a little more negative than deserved! Keralucu and I learnt to dive with one instructor/ 2 students and there are no other divers in a 100km radius! Our instructors for both OW and AOW were excellent teachers, with their main objective being to produce good divers, not good bucks.

If you've got your heart set on Koh Tao, I'll get back to you after asking some Tao-experts' professional opinions on which shops to go to.

 

[hiphop junkie]

thanks for the info. i'd love it if you asked some people you knew. i don't have my heart set on koh tao (especially if it's been over dived) - thailand was just close to where i am. i'd be ok with any good spot in se asia, as long as it wasn't too dangerous for americans.

i appreciate your help.

 

[keralucu]

If you'd like more info on where Sea Squirt and I got certified (OW & AOW) and will be doing our MFA/RS/MSDT starting next weekend, you can PM either of us for more info or check out my webpage.

Look forward to hearing from you!

 

[Sea Squirt]

I'll ask around. Thailand is just about the safest place for Americans in SE Asia at the moment, so no worries!

 

[hiphop junkie]

keralucu,

i tried to PM you, but my preferences aren't set right. please let me know about the diving that you're about to get into. what's your homepage? any idea about the job market out there? the best job site that i've found (as i'm not an instructor), is divejobs.com.






i'm a damn fool. found your website. sometimes the hardest things to find are right in front of you...

 

[keralucu]

You can always email me.

For jobs check this out also.

Next week I'm doing my MFA and after that over the next few weeks hopefully finishing off Rescue Diver.

Email me and I'll give you more info, ok?

Cheers