Diving in Thailand

t1mm

Hello,

Thinking of heading to Thailand next summer to do a Divemaster Internship. I have already completed the OW/AOW in Ireland where I do 90% of my diving and Rescue Diver in France.

Has anyone dived around Thailand before? If so, where would you recommend or avoid? I have been looking at "Buddha View" Dive Resort on Koh Tao; hopefully after the 2 month Divemaster certification I would be able to work as one for another month or so (not expecting to make much money - enough to eat and dive basically!)

I have heard some people say that the Andaman Sea is much better than the Gulf of Thailand but the diving is also far more seasonal.

Comments about specific dive operators and areas would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Sean

Munster10

Hi
I just moved back from Thailand, lived in BKK for 2 years. I did my Dive Rescue course with Buddha View. I always hear good reviews about that place.
I also did a dive with Asia divers. A French instructor there was very helpful. Good luck

BigDuffman

Did 2 trips to Koh Tao up to MSD. Fantastic dive island. Did all my diving with crystal dive resort http://www.crystaldive.com/ great NZ / Aussie instructors. They've 2 resorts Mae head and Sairee. Regardless of who you dive with the night life is better in Sairee but for the early morning starts on the dive boat mae head is more convenient to stay on as you can just stumble out of your resort (shack) and get on the boat.

I heard good things about http://www.kohtaobansdiving.com/bans_scuba_diving_resort.html and OK reports about asia divers. Watch what time of year you go at as some of the more OW friendly site become packed. Cool small recent intact wreck at Jap gardens and chumpon is usually good.

Also dived with small school called blue view in Pi Pi, Irish chap running it when was there a few years ago.

t1mm

Cheers for the replies lads!

Any opinions / tips about the dive sites that the dive centres go to? (I'm assuming they'd all dive around the same ones!)

beachrunner

Spent the last two years doing the same thing - doing my DM and then working. Did my DM on Koh Tao (at Big Blue) and then ended on the Andaman side in Khao Lak.
The diving in Koh Tao is not that great when compared to the Similans. It was good to do my course there, as there are thousands of divers coming through. In the end I left...mostly because there were thousands of divers, and 49 dive schools on this small island.
Khao Lak is much smaller and is really just a resort town. But I worked for Wicked Diving (the name says it all) and they had a great staff and the diving is incredible! Manta Rays and Sharks.
I also got to visit Phi Phi and Blue View divers were also a good group - didn't work there.

mosstin

t1mm wrote: »

Cheers for the replies lads!

Any opinions / tips about the dive sites that the dive centres go to? (I'm assuming they'd all dive around the same ones!)

Just completed an AOW course in Koh Tao. Can highly recommend Scuba Junction - friendly, professional, impeccable gear and cheap. Almost all of the dive centres tend to head to the same dive sites around KT, some of the more spectacular ones include SW Pinnacle and Chumphon Pinnacle.
As for the poster who'd heard good things about Ban's dive school - no idea where you got that info from. Ban's name is pretty much dirt in KT - little or no consideration for how they leave dive sites and a lax attitude with regard to training - you may find 10-12 to a group.
Avoid Ban's.

tvercetti

I am traveling to SE Asia in January and hope to do plenty of snorkeling and hopefully some diving, would people recommend having my own snorkling gear and would it be best buy them here or in Asia

kuro2k

mosstin wrote: »

Just completed an AOW course in Koh Tao. Can highly recommend Scuba Junction - friendly, professional, impeccable gear and cheap. Almost all of the dive centres tend to head to the same dive sites around KT, some of the more spectacular ones include SW Pinnacle and Chumphon Pinnacle.
As for the poster who'd heard good things about Ban's dive school - no idea where you got that info from. Ban's name is pretty much dirt in KT - little or no consideration for how they leave dive sites and a lax attitude with regard to training - you may find 10-12 to a group.
Avoid Ban's.

I disagree...... the OP wants to do a Divemaster Internship and In my opinion the best place he could do this is Bans. Yes I agree student groups are large in Bans and the school has a bad reputation with other dive school on the Island but not for the reasons you've listed. Bans is second largest dive school in the world and a PADI CDC. This is exactly the kind of environment the OP needs to have a sucessfull intership, he will experience more in one week (good and bad) diving with bans than probably any other dive school in the world.

A professional qualification is all about experience in the water, your not going to get this in a small dive school. I know people who have complete their divemaster interships in Scuba Junction and regreted it. I spent 2.5 years living on koh tao, during my time on the Island Bans had 2 large dive boats 1st with 60-80 "fun divers" 7 days a week all with different levels of experience and the 2nd full of OW dive students. 10 new OW dive courses were starting every second day. You cannot beat this kind of experience!!!!

You've just finished your AOW are you sure you are the right person to advise the OP on where he should complete his Divemaster Internship.

babouska

I've dive four out of the past 5 years in Koh Tao with Planet Scuba and I can't praise them high enough. I have got all my non professional qualifications from open water through to rescue diver including 6 specialities with these guys. I can say, having started out as a very nervous diver I found them understanding, informative and very professional, and have one of the best dive instructors I have ever met, a Mr. Bob Murphy. Unfortunately I don't have the time or the funding at the moment to go on to do my DMT and Instructor training but when I do it will be back to them.

kuro2k

babouska wrote: »

I've dive four out of the past 5 years in Koh Tao with Planet Scuba and I can't praise them high enough. I have got all my non professional qualifications from open water through to rescue diver including 6 specialities with these guys. I can say, having started out as a very nervous diver I found them understanding, informative and very professional, and have one of the best dive instructors I have ever met, a Mr. Bob Murphy. Unfortunately I don't have the time or the funding at the moment to go on to do my DMT and Instructor training but when I do it will be back to them.

OK, you dived 4 out of the past 5 year in Koh Tao with planet scuba, 6 specialities...... why did you do so many? So you don't have the funding to progress to your DMT, I wonder why? sounds to me like they gave you some great advice on your course choice!! Are you sure you really want to recommend them?

babouska

I did the specialities cos i like to hone my skills not cos they advised me to do them and i don't have the funds now cos of the way this bloody country is going and all the extra tax i have to pay

kuro2k

babouska wrote: »

I did the specialities cos i like to hone my skills not cos they advised me to do them and i don't have the funds now cos of the way this bloody country is going and all the extra tax i have to pay

I'm curious........... what specialities improved your skill??