Thailand is home to three of the top 50 dive sites in the world-CNN

[Buadhai]

When I was young and full of adventure I never did much guided diving. Now I'm fat, old and lazy and find that I prefer the leisurely comfort of having a good knowledgable guide. But, has as been said, it's a matter of personal preference. After all, you're out for a good time, not to prove something, right?

 

[lord khram]

I am with vladimir 100%. The pleasure for me is discovering things for myself, A thorough briefing on a site is sufficient for my requirements, then leave me to do the dive at my own pace and to my own agenda. Also I dislike diving in groups which is often the case with a guide. Yes a guide may well be able to point out certain things that they can find due to their familiarity with a dive site, but also on many occasions I have seen things that others have not by doing my own thing and maybe straying from the guided route.
For those that enjoy guided dives an experienced and professional dive guide is well worth having, but I have also had numerous 'guided' dives ruined by inexperienced and / or disinterested diveguides.
Ultimately we all have our own requirements from our dives and personally unless it is to comply with things such as marine park regulations I will not generally dive with a guide, and certainly will not book with an operator that tells me guided dives are compulsory.

 

[supergaijin]

Guided diving with us is not compulsory but demonstrating proficiency in dive planning and execution is. Many tropical reefs are actually very similar if you break it down:
This is a easy shallow dive with nice coral,
this is a drift dive on a wall,
this is a current dive on a corner for pelagics,
this is a macro hunt etc.

other spots are not so clear-cut.

For experienced divers, guides can be a mixed blessing- as long as there is good communication up front there shouldn't be a problem and if the dive center does not allow unguided diving, look to the next one that does..... but be prepared for an assessment of skills and knowledge. We ask for example for a check dive for all divers coming to us in the Maldives- it's some basic skills, a simple Q & A, and then a comfortable shallow dive along a tropical reef. If you're happy and we're happy that you'll respect our rules regarding safety and respect for the reef... go for it, I encourage it.

 

[lord khram]

For experienced divers, guides can be a mixed blessing- as long as there is good communication up front there shouldn't be a problem and if the dive center does not allow unguided diving, look to the next one that does..... but be prepared for an assessment of skills and knowledge. We ask for example for a check dive for all divers coming to us in the Maldives- it's some basic skills, a simple Q & A, and then a comfortable shallow dive along a tropical reef. If you're happy and we're happy that you'll respect our rules regarding safety and respect for the reef... go for it, I encourage it.

And this is exactly the sort of thing to what I was refering in my last post. Why as a matter of course should you insist on a check dive? I was always under the opinion that your diving qualifications and your log book were there to demonstrate your general competence as a diver? If this is not sufficient I feel this would bring the whole certification system into question!
Yes I would agree for instance, a diver on an open water certificate with a low number of dives and / or infrequent dives, it would be prudent of any dive centre to insist on a check dive / review. But such instances are not always the case, and common sense on the part of dive centres should determine when such checks are necessary, rather than it being normal practice.

 

[Quero]

LK, a check dive isn't necessary as long as you are using all of your own facilities, equipment, boat, emergency medical materials and so on. When you contract with a dive operator to use its facilities, boats, equipment, medical materials, etc., the contract may stipulate that you meet certain requirements, among which a check dive. If you don't like the terms of the operator's contract, don't enter into it. Simple as that! But don't be miffed if you are refused service because you won't comply with the terms.

 

[stevenl]

And this is exactly the sort of thing to what I was refering in my last post. Why as a matter of course should you insist on a check dive? I was always under the opinion that your diving qualifications and your log book were there to demonstrate your general competence as a diver? If this is not sufficient I feel this would bring the whole certification system into question!
Yes I would agree for instance, a diver on an open water certificate with a low number of dives and / or infrequent dives, it would be prudent of any dive centre to insist on a check dive / review. But such instances are not always the case, and common sense on the part of dive centres should determine when such checks are necessary, rather than it being normal practice.

Yes, but in these cases common sense requires that somebody in the diveshop knows what they are talking about

 

[Taliena]

I never done a checkdive. What is it? You must clear your mask while sitting on the ground?
If they ask for my highest certificate, I show in warm waters my icediving and drysuit, and if they look with some questions, then I have some other certificates. No problems.

 

[mase]

How did this thread morph from "Best dive sites" into a discussion on "Guided diving?" I wish I could change the subject so effortlessly when my kids ask me for money

 

[Quero]

LOL, sometimes that happens. Probably everything that needed to be said about the opening post had already been said, so when Taliena said that there was nothing good about his/her trip, including the dive guides, we all just went down that interesting path...

Having said that, you introduce yet another branching of the topic--kids and money! I admit to being one of the 60% of parents surveyed by Forbes who contribute to their non-student offprings' financial support (and I have three of those). I know for sure, for example, that my daughter only gets to dive if I'm paying for it!

 

[bruges00]

In the Andaman Sea, Richelieu Rock and Elephant Head Rock made the cut, while in the Gulf, Japanese Garden at Koh Nang Yuan was listed.

Into the deep: World

happy to know that, although i'm still a rather unexperienced and new diver, i have already seen two of these top 50 during my 4d/4n cruise to the similans

i also loved shark point (where we went with marcia!) during the day trip to phi-phi/shark point

---------- Post added May 6th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ----------

ah, we also had a great dive at tachai pinnacles