Bad Experience - All 4 Diving (Phuket)

[BrandonTan]

Indeed. Even tho I have more dives and decent buoyancy, I too wouldn't descend alone, let alone his claim on an inexperienced diver.

There are too many highway bandits in Phuket dive industry, these hit-and-run dive 'professionals', some of which only has an OW when they first arrive in Phuket just a mere few months ago, and gotten all the certifications to DM or Instructor within months. This expose divers to very high risk. And that explains why one of my friend said she will only use local dive guides.

 

[stevenl]

Just take into account that on Phuket in general the instructors are more experienced than anywhere else in Thailands, a lot of them have been diving here for quite a few years. Unfortunately some don't want to pay for that, and prefer to use young, cheaper (sometimes they are even paying for the privilege) instructors.

So yes, on Phuket you'll be able to find DC's using experienced instructors who will be able to safely show you all the highlights.

 

[BrandonTan]

Indeed, I've seen good instructors when I went out diving. They were precise in a sense, teaching them in-between dives, etc. But, with whatever happened with this All 4 Diving, even if they hv good instructors, I will skip All 4 Diving completely and will advise any friends accordingly. After all, there are many dive shops in Phuket, that one lesser is not any lesser after all.

 

[Doubler]

I don't know how many threads have been on this site talking about dive accidents where " My buddy was right there hanging on the line and I went up" only to find same buddy drowned on the bottom. It matters not what the guide was doing, if his reel came loose or not, he put his client at risk by leaving her without a buddy. Also real poor, heck, non existent lost diver protocol.

 

[Edward3c]

Hi Brandon,

I've not dived Phuket, but have been to a number of locations around the world.

First thing I noticed about your scenario was you were both paying to go diving. You don't mention paying for a personal guide, what you got was the luck of the draw. Earlier this year I was on Koh Tao and for most of my dives I paid for a personal guide as I like to just float in the water and watch the life, beginning at 30m gradually working my way to the surface over about an hour.

As an OW, a diver is considered qualified and competent within the limits of the qualification. Just because the buddy was an instructor or guide doesn't absolve an OW's responsibility to dive as certified. If separated from buddy they should have surfaced, not join another group. If this had been in the UK the chances are a full blown Air & Sea rescue would have been initiated.

 

[stevenl]

Hi Brandon,

I've not dived Phuket, but have been to a number of locations around the world.

First thing I noticed about your scenario was you were both paying to go diving. You don't mention paying for a personal guide, what you got was the luck of the draw. Earlier this year I was on Koh Tao and for most of my dives I paid for a personal guide as I like to just float in the water and watch the life, beginning at 30m gradually working my way to the surface over about an hour.

As an OW, a diver is considered qualified and competent within the limits of the qualification. Just because the buddy was an instructor or guide doesn't absolve an OW's responsibility to dive as certified. If separated from buddy they should have surfaced, not join another group. If this had been in the UK the chances are a full blown Air & Sea rescue would have been initiated.

Edward, no. This was not the luck of the draw, they never should have been at that divesite. The operator tried to overcome potential problems because the divesite was not suitable for a recently certified OW diver with no previous experience in the area by sending a personal guide.
If diving with a professional a certain quality if that professional can be expected. Looking at the cause of the separation, whether Brandon or the operator's story is the full story, this should never have happened.

Yes, in the aftermath she could and maybe should, difficult to judge, have acted differently, but the root cause of the problems here are not with the diver but with the actions of the professional.

 

[Scuba Cat Diving]

Agreed with stevenl, it was the site not suitable for a new OW diver who had not been in the water for a while, I am guessing you were scheduled to go to the Racha Islands the day before, easy reef dives, but this was missed due to the wrong hotel pick up. The sites you dived are suitable for OW certified divers if they are comfortable and been diving recently.
Beyond this I dont want to comment about another dive operator.

 

[stevenl]

<snip>
Beyond this I dont want to comment about another dive operator.

Yes, I said the same earlier, but did not want to leave the OP out in the open after some comments were made that did not do justice to the local area.

Anyway, I'm with you and out of here again.

 

[Edward3c]

Edward, no. This was not the luck of the draw, they never should have been at that divesite. The operator tried to overcome potential problems because the divesite was not suitable for a recently certified OW diver with no previous experience in the area by sending a personal guide.
If diving with a professional a certain quality if that professional can be expected. Looking at the cause of the separation, whether Brandon or the operator's story is the full story, this should never have happened.

Yes, in the aftermath she could and maybe should, difficult to judge, have acted differently, but the root cause of the problems here are not with the diver but with the actions of the professional.

OK, I accept your local experience. I was working from the information supplied by the OP.

 

[BrandonTan]

Personally, my dive buddy is also my responsibility in a sense. The exact reason for buddy system is to watch over each other, not let one get lost, unless a real unfortunate sudden change that is beyond us. And for the Manager Ray, to claim that the guide Laurent was trying to secure the safety marker (LIES) is a total irresponsible shifting of responsibility. The guide didn't even bother to communicate, giving me the impression he is there just for his own free dives, or the operator just want to provide this guide a source of income for the day.

The very reason why I told Ray, as well as the guide Laurent, that OW is inexperienced, is to ensure she is at least watched. If OW dives with my group, I will not have let this happen. I am only a AOW, not a instructor yet I know what is called responsibility.

Also, I did not ask for a personal guide. I mentioned she is inexperience, as that is what we shd do, when we do our bookings, by stating our dives so the operator can access which group to assign us to. Last Nov, when we were at Phuket, I can't rem which Operator and the Instructor's name, but, when he knew OW is inexperienced, he actually hand held her. Not that we expect that, but THAT is what I called responsibility, watching over his divers.

Of my 5 trips to Phuket, this is the ONLY one that I condemn. All others, I'm actually pleased, be it local or foreign guides.