Mermaids or Aquanauts?

[MoonDoggie]

However, if you are a rampant sex tourist then sure Pattaya is probably the best place for you to do your IDC.

What a stupid comment!

 

[jdfmail]

I'm sure that both are solid choices but once again, if it were me, I would prefer to be anywhere but Pattaya to do a LONG TERM professional training internship. The diving is very mediocre and the city itself it a nightmare. Coming to Thailand or any of the diving spots around Asia for the above stated purpose, I for one would appreciate taking in the culture and beauty of the people and scenery. Pattaya certainly doesn't offer that option. Again, I'm sure both stated dive ops are quite good based on their rep I'd just recommend other options so that you can have a truly memorable experience.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

The other beautiful thing about Pattaya is that getting to other dive locales is so easy. Direct flights to Phuket and Samui through Utapao without the need to go to BKK.

Again, JD, the quality of the diving in an internship setitng is a secondary concern. The first concern is getitng the best training in the conditions most conducive to thorough, challenging training. There's lots of time built into the internships to allow people to head off for some fun dives elsewhere.

The price advantage of Pattaya over Phuket and Samui, among other places, should also be noted.

 

[surinboy]

Aquanauts....I can agree with regards to your more testing conditions perhaps producing more capable instructors. Of course this makes sense. Nevertheless, then why not go the whole hog and do IDC in the North Sea?

As for my flippant comment about sex tourists...I think it naive to consider this ignorant or stupid. I am sure that it is possible to live in Pattaya and not be a sex tourist but lets be frank Pattaya has a reputation for this kind of thing. So don't try and make out that an off the cuff remark such as this has no foundation.

I agree Khao Lak can be boring, but the six weeks I spent there doing DM training was one of the best times of my life. The diving was amazing and whilst I probably wasn't tested by the sensational visibility there are still plenty of interesting currents to keep you in check. Consequently, as a DM trainee I gained the skills that anyone would learn from a highly reputable dive centre and also, whilst building up my number of dives, learnt a lot more about the marine life that is what motivates many of us to do this training in the first place.

As for modern conveniences. Personally, I don't want them. And Pattaya gets more visitors each year than any other beach resort (5 million)?? Again, personally I don't know how that is considered a positive factor.

And that's what this really boils down to. What personally works for you. benwoodss original post was so brief that I don't know how you can read so much into what HE wants from just a couple of sentences. I was offering a different point of view which has validity. Even the stupid, ignorant comment about sex tourists.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

Surin,

The OP contacted me through our website before seeking opinions here.

As for Khao Lak, I agree six weeks would be great. Six months would not be. And many many of our students -- male and (plenty of) female from 18-62 -- come here for a minimum 4 months and enjoy their time here so much they stay for six, nine and even 18 months.

Pattaya is what you make it. It's easy to make flippant remarks that can potentially scare off people who haven't been or lived here. But words have real implicatins for us. We're well aware of Pattaya's bad image. There's no need to exacerbate it through careless remarks.

 

[Arizona]

JDF and Surin, you're both missing the OPs point. He's not planning on being here on holiday, he's coming to do a long-term, professional training internship. And, for this, Pattaya is an excellent choice, specifically for the reasons that make Pattaya less than desireable for many vacation/holiday divers.

Yes, Pattaya often has challenging currents, poor visibility and lots of others sharing the water. If you're here for a fun dive, that may turn you off. If you're trying to challenge and test yourself with an eye towrd becoming a professional instructor or divemaster, then those are pluses.

Think about rescue scenarios. The majority of rescues do not occur in flat waters with 100m visibility. They occur where the victim is stressed, whether it be through ripping currents, low viz or (inapplicable to Thailand) low temperatures. If you've trained as an instructor in only ideal conditions, what happens the first time you're out in the real world and have to face a real rescue in poor conditions. I certainly wouldn't want my instructor to be just as freaked out as me if I were a new diver in that situation.

With due respect to the other centers and CDs in southern Thailand, I think its fair to say that Pattaya consistently, 11 times a year, produces some of the highest quality instructors that pass the IE in Thailand and Southeast Asia. While they, of course, can never go on the record and say so in a forum such as this, PADI examiners, at each and every IE, tell the assembled candidates that they love coming to Pattaya because of the standard and level of preparedness of the students.

Note that Aquanauts has not had anyone fail an IE since June 2007 and has certified more than 70 instructors in that time.

As for the comment that only "rampant sex tourists" would enjoy Pattaya, you're simply being petty (and ignorant) Surinboy. Yes, if that's what you're into, then there's lots on offer, but Pattaya gets more total visitors (Thais and foreigners) than any other beach resort, nearly 5 million last year. There are more than a dozen tourist attractions, including a terrific aqarium, tropical gardens, zoos, museums and cultural sites. Families and young children are common sights and the city is host to FIVE 5-star resorts.

If it were what you claim, none of that would be true.

The red light scene is easily ignored and, for someone staying in one location for 6 months or longer, then remote locations like Khao Lak, while lovely, are impractical and even boring. If you're going to stay long-term, you want modern conveniences like shopping, theaters, bowling, gyms and a wide vareity of restaurant cuisines. The area is host to two recompression chambers, two world-class hospitals and offers all the enjoyment of tropical beach living and the comforts of an urban beach resort.

Is Pattay for everyone? No. But is it as bad as many on this forum from the southern regions like to claim? Certainly not.

Well put! This is why I enjoy diving and teaching divers in Pattaya so much. I personally would rather work with a DM that has trained extensively in Pattaya conditions than just in calm holiday like conditions. Good training can be found in many places, but you have to find something that works for you. I selected Samui for example, initially because I wanted to be in a place my non diving wife would be comfortable. I feel my diving post DM training in Pattaya has made me a much better diver and really helped prepare me to become an instructor. I can't wait to teach a course in vis over 10-12m Getting 5-7m is not uncommon in Pattaya.

 

[TimA]

or are a rampant sex tourist then sure Pattaya is probably the best place for you to do your IDC.

Pattaya has had a bad rap since the days of soldiers on leave from the VietNam War and the bases at Sattahip. There are other places in Thailand that share these similarities but I won't mention them because this is not about bashing Thailand. Millions of tourist (with children) go to Pattaya every year. Some of the best well established hotels and restaurants are in Pattaya. Its easy to get to new dive sites opening up in Cambodia, Vietnam. Pattaya is the place where scuba got started in Thailand. Navy SEALs used to train and teach their Thai counterparts there during the Viet Nam War. That was an ignorant remark to make about Pattaya when that place has so much history behind it.

 

[surinboy]

Fair enough Aquanauts....if he contacted you then you know more about his requirements than I do.

As for the other stuff...Wow! I really learnt something. Fxxk the Whale Sharks and Mantas over the Andaman side. I need to get my self over to Pattaya and hang out with some vets.

Enjoy your diving

 

[TimA]

Fair enough Aquanauts....if he contacted you then you know more about his requirements than I do.

As for the other stuff...Wow! I really learnt something. Fxxk the Whale Sharks and Mantas over the Andaman side. I need to get my self over to Pattaya and hang out with some vets.

Enjoy your diving

One minute promoting sex tourism, the next minute using profanity on a webboard.
For someone trying to make a living in Thailand (like other people other places in Thailand) maybe you should try to see the bigger picture
and avoid the negative aspects of Thailand in general. This is about diving is it not!
Ignorance is Bliss!



Surf and Dive Charters to North Sumatra, Simeulue, and Banyak Islands.
IOAdventures Thai Diving to Richelieu Rock, Tachai and Surin Island

 

[adamtodd]

I agree with Surinboy. Pattaya is a nightmare of a city. It is true it has a lot of history behind it, but that doesn't mean it isn't a nightmare of a city.

What brings in more tourists over there? Diving or Sex Tourism....?
Don't think it is diving....