Buadhai
Contributor
I don't mean to pry or to sound flippant, but why do you want to go to Pattaya?
How Bad Is Marine Life In Pattaya Diving?
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lord khram
Contributor
Without doubt, yes. I live not too far from Pattaya and dive sometimes, simply because it is nearby. Diving from Phuket is far superior. I have quoted a number of times, a saying I was told when I first came to Thailand. ''A bad days diving in the Andaman Sea is better than a good day in the Gulf of Thailand''. How true my last 15 years have proved that to be.
Scuba Diving - Off Pattaya - April 22, 2014 - Wonderful Diving with Mermaids !!!
My daughter and son-in-law are living in Bangkok with our 4 little Grandchildren. We wanted to take a quick trip to the beach and I wanted to dive. We hired a driver to take us for an overnighter. Only a couple of hours South and we found both. Stayed at an inexpensive really clean and friendly place in Jomtien Beach - ate at the places that locals ate at. We were treated so friendly - better than guest - more like we were friends.
Look at my my videos on YT - drmoynihan
Published on May 5, 2014
Grandma Debbie, Daughter Rachel, and the children stayed at Jomtien Beach Thailand and played in the Ocean (Gulf of Thailand) while Son-in-law Philip and I (William) went Scuba Diving with Mermaid Scuba !!! They were a wonderful outfit did everything they had promised and more. 50 foot visibility (they called it 30ft/10meter, but we in the murky waters of the Pacific NW would consider it 50ft), 87 degree (Fahrenheit) water and we were diving off Mermaid 4 with PADI Instructor Tyler. They picked us up at our motel at 8:00am, drove us to their shop, geared us up, drove us with a van (and 10 others) to their Thai Junk (90ft) and we were off for about a 1 1/2 hour ride to our first dive at Koh Rinn (Island). Philip had not been diving in 5 years so Tyler gave him a refresher. Then we went off and saw lots of beautiful exciting things like fluorescent blue coral, puffer fish, rays, scorpion fish (deadly sting), angel fish, and all kind of other fish and coral. After our first dive we ate lunch as we were on our way to our next stop more than an hour away, North Rock - a desert island surrounded by beauties under the sea. After the 2 dives we took a relaxing boat ride in. They brought us back to our motel about 5:00pm. Thank you Mermaid Scuba Divers! Oh, and the Girls and children really really had fun on the beach as well (90 to 90 degree water!!!!).
I want to thank all of you that referred me to Mermaids. They responded to each e-mail and phone call (unlike some others). On our flight home to the USA we sat next to a guy who took a live-a-board trip in Phuket. He had only 1 meter of vis on some of the trip. Terrible guides and safety procedure. Food that made some people sick. Fancy boat and no extra weights for people who were underweighted. Someday (maybe next trip or whenever) we will dive Phuket. But if I am in Bangkok and only have a day or so, I will not hesitate to dive with Mermaids at Phuket. They did not take us out to the Near Island, but the Far Islands - All day - 2 hours out to 1st dive - 2 hours+ to the next dive - couple hours in. And we just enjoyed the whole cruise, diving, eating, and just hanging out with our new friends from Mermaids. Oh - there were a number of repeat customers on our cruise as well. Thailand again in February 2015 !!!!
---------- Post added May 17th, 2014 at 10:25 PM ----------
Hello Russ,
I still log my dives - only have over 500. As a matter of fact I just went diving today. Vis 6-8ft and temp 57 F. I was spearing lingcods - actually I should more accurately say I was chasing lingcods. Tons of other fish I could have brought home - but mostly I'm just enjoying the dives. If you look at YT - "drmoynihan" you will find "201305-10 - 004 South Jetty 4to3to4,4&5 CrabFriends,Wm" and you will understand what we dive in Oregon - and we love it !!!
I have been diving in beautiful clear water in Southern Japan and the Red Sea, so I'm not pretending that our dive around the Far Islands was like those - but I don't care.
To whoever is reading this - Do not let anyone talk you out of diving anywhere you get a chance. If I'd listened to all the negatives about diving Pattaya (actually we would rather say "Jomtien Beach" so our friends in Bangkok don't think we are up to naughty stuff) we would have never had the great time that we did with Mermaids. Yes, I'd like to go to Phuket, Tahiti, Solomon Island, Indonesia, etc. But I'd also go back to Pattaya. Oh, and John (Lord Khram) - you are right - go with Mermaids to the Far Island - we even went to the island(s) you mentioned - Koh Rin & North Rock.
What is the diving like when we go back in February? Maybe we can meet up in Bangkok and have a couple of Leos or Singhas. Or drive down together for a day of diving.
My daughter and son-in-law are living in Bangkok with our 4 little Grandchildren. We wanted to take a quick trip to the beach and I wanted to dive. We hired a driver to take us for an overnighter. Only a couple of hours South and we found both. Stayed at an inexpensive really clean and friendly place in Jomtien Beach - ate at the places that locals ate at. We were treated so friendly - better than guest - more like we were friends.
Look at my my videos on YT - drmoynihan
Published on May 5, 2014
Grandma Debbie, Daughter Rachel, and the children stayed at Jomtien Beach Thailand and played in the Ocean (Gulf of Thailand) while Son-in-law Philip and I (William) went Scuba Diving with Mermaid Scuba !!! They were a wonderful outfit did everything they had promised and more. 50 foot visibility (they called it 30ft/10meter, but we in the murky waters of the Pacific NW would consider it 50ft), 87 degree (Fahrenheit) water and we were diving off Mermaid 4 with PADI Instructor Tyler. They picked us up at our motel at 8:00am, drove us to their shop, geared us up, drove us with a van (and 10 others) to their Thai Junk (90ft) and we were off for about a 1 1/2 hour ride to our first dive at Koh Rinn (Island). Philip had not been diving in 5 years so Tyler gave him a refresher. Then we went off and saw lots of beautiful exciting things like fluorescent blue coral, puffer fish, rays, scorpion fish (deadly sting), angel fish, and all kind of other fish and coral. After our first dive we ate lunch as we were on our way to our next stop more than an hour away, North Rock - a desert island surrounded by beauties under the sea. After the 2 dives we took a relaxing boat ride in. They brought us back to our motel about 5:00pm. Thank you Mermaid Scuba Divers! Oh, and the Girls and children really really had fun on the beach as well (90 to 90 degree water!!!!).
I want to thank all of you that referred me to Mermaids. They responded to each e-mail and phone call (unlike some others). On our flight home to the USA we sat next to a guy who took a live-a-board trip in Phuket. He had only 1 meter of vis on some of the trip. Terrible guides and safety procedure. Food that made some people sick. Fancy boat and no extra weights for people who were underweighted. Someday (maybe next trip or whenever) we will dive Phuket. But if I am in Bangkok and only have a day or so, I will not hesitate to dive with Mermaids at Phuket. They did not take us out to the Near Island, but the Far Islands - All day - 2 hours out to 1st dive - 2 hours+ to the next dive - couple hours in. And we just enjoyed the whole cruise, diving, eating, and just hanging out with our new friends from Mermaids. Oh - there were a number of repeat customers on our cruise as well. Thailand again in February 2015 !!!!
---------- Post added May 17th, 2014 at 10:25 PM ----------
Hello Russ,
I still log my dives - only have over 500.
As a matter of fact I just went diving today. Vis 6-8ft and temp 57 F. I was spearing lingcods - actually I should more accurately say I was chasing lingcods. Tons of other fish I could have brought home - but mostly I'm just enjoying the dives. If you look at YT - "drmoynihan" you will find "201305-10 - 004 South Jetty 4to3to4,4&5 CrabFriends,Wm" and you will understand what we dive in Oregon - and we love it !!!I have been diving in beautiful clear water in Southern Japan and the Red Sea, so I'm not pretending that our dive around the Far Islands was like those - but I don't care.
To whoever is reading this - Do not let anyone talk you out of diving anywhere you get a chance. If I'd listened to all the negatives about diving Pattaya (actually we would rather say "Jomtien Beach" so our friends in Bangkok don't think we are up to naughty stuff) we would have never had the great time that we did with Mermaids. Yes, I'd like to go to Phuket, Tahiti, Solomon Island, Indonesia, etc. But I'd also go back to Pattaya. Oh, and John (Lord Khram) - you are right - go with Mermaids to the Far Island - we even went to the island(s) you mentioned - Koh Rin & North Rock.
What is the diving like when we go back in February? Maybe we can meet up in Bangkok and have a couple of Leos or Singhas. Or drive down together for a day of diving.
You Tube Videos -
Scuba Diving - Off Pattaya - April 22, 2014 - Wonderful Diving with Mermaids !!!
My daughter and son-in-law are living in Bangkok with our 4 little Grandchildren. We wanted to take a quick trip to the beach and I wanted to dive. We hired a driver to take us for an overnighter. Only a couple of hours South and we found both. Stayed at an inexpensive really clean and friendly place in Jomtien Beach - ate at the places that locals ate at. We were treated so friendly - better than guest - more like we were friends.
Look at my my videos on YT - drmoynihan
Thailand 2014 04 22 ScubaMovie+ - YouTube
Thailand 2014 04 22 Scuba & Jomtiem Beach Slides - YouTube
Scuba Diving - Off Pattaya - April 22, 2014 - Wonderful Diving with Mermaids !!!
My daughter and son-in-law are living in Bangkok with our 4 little Grandchildren. We wanted to take a quick trip to the beach and I wanted to dive. We hired a driver to take us for an overnighter. Only a couple of hours South and we found both. Stayed at an inexpensive really clean and friendly place in Jomtien Beach - ate at the places that locals ate at. We were treated so friendly - better than guest - more like we were friends.
Look at my my videos on YT - drmoynihan
Thailand 2014 04 22 ScubaMovie+ - YouTube
Thailand 2014 04 22 Scuba & Jomtiem Beach Slides - YouTube
Buadhai
Contributor
Talk about having an axe to grind.....
lord khram
Contributor
Are you sure it was Ko Rin Island and Koh Rin North Rock you were diving? Usually takes around 90 min's travelling to Rin and North Rock is only a few hundred metres and a few minutes boat ride from the main Island, so a further 2 hrs travelling would to me suggest somewhere different to North Rock? I don't remember mentioning Ko Rin, it's just Ko Rin North Rock I personally like to dive, two very different dive sites although very close together.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your days diving, but one thing that may be worth bearing in mind is that chances are the 'staff' who were taking care of you were IDC trainees on internship courses, due to the nature of how they operate these courses there is a constant turnover of 'staff', hope you are as lucky again next time. Years ago I have dived with Mermaid myself quite a few times, had both good and bad experiences, the final straw with Mermaids for me was the time they simply failed to collect me from my hotel, then had the cheek to refuse me a refund! All years ago, and now they have been under new ownership for several years. Having said that I don't recall recommending them to you or anyone else?
The diving in February will generally be not too different, diving around this area is pretty consistent all year round, the main difference you will notice in February is a few degrees less in water temperature, I have known it go as low as 26c in the winter!!
on my last dive in Pattaya at the last moment it was changed from far islands to near islands, all the major operator did, because of the wind....which wind?? I didn't see any. But they were low on customer and far islands need more diesel.
The spots were crowded, visibility zero because before you already 20 not so good diver kicked up the sand and there was almost zero animal life.
Extremely bad.
So near islands....not worth it.
wrack OK
far islands I haven't been there for a while
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