Open water dive PADI in Bangkok HELP!!!

[stevenl]

Probably requires too many man hours.

Well, they have to keep their DMT's at work as well

 

[Zippsy]

9500 baht for the course and 4 nights accomodation? ummm.... wow. I just did the conversion. That is cheap by Singapore standards, doing only shore dives off Changi beach, hotel not included. I would definitely avoid that shop. Then again, I'd avoid shops that "loan or repurchase" books now too.

 

[katdiver]

I did hear of one shop there doing the lot for 8,500 baht. Sounds like too much supply for the demand. Here I came across a couple who got their TDA CMAS 1* for 8,000 baht each. All they had to do was show up with log books with about 6 or 7 dives (all intro dives they later admitted to me), do a three dive day trip down to Phi Phi with their instructor and hey presto, certification!
I was really dismayed when I took them out on a guided dive to see what little skills they had.

 

[DevonDiver]

9500 baht for the course and 4 nights accomodation? ummm.... wow. I just did the conversion. That is cheap by Singapore standards, doing only shore dives off Changi beach, hotel not included. I would definitely avoid that shop. Then again, I'd avoid shops that "loan or repurchase" books now too.

That is about the average price for Koh Tao.... there are a LOT of dive shops there...so inter-shop competition has done the consumer a big favor and driven prices very low to the profit margin. As a lot of the customers are back-packers on a limited budget (and, sometimes, not that much common sense) the dross schools drop their prices to attract trade...thus forcing the better schools to be competative in terms of price and drop their charges also.

It is a sucky situation for the good schools.... but, the consumer is too blame for not considering that cheaper is not always better.

The shop mentioned by the OP (Davy Jones Locker) is a very well run school, with a good resort and nice new pool. If my memory serves me right...and nothing changed since I left the island....they are 5* IDC...and a BSAC School of Excellence.

 

[Bowmouth]

It is a sucky situation for the good schools.... but, the consumer is too blame for not considering that cheaper is not always better.

Imo all the diveshop owners on Koh Tao should stick their heads together and agree on a reasonable fixed price for dive courses. It benefits nobody to go for ultra-cheap; not the diveshops, not their employees and not the customers either.
I doubt if it will ever happen though. Selling ultra cheap courses seems to be for some dive operators the only way to get customers in their shops....

 

[DevonDiver]

Imo all the diveshop owners on Koh Tao should stick their heads together and agree on a reasonable fixed price for dive courses. It benefits nobody to go for ultra-cheap; not the diveshops, not their employees and not the customers either.
I doubt if it will ever happen though. Selling ultra cheap courses seems to be for some dive operators the only way to get customers in their shops....

It has been tried already. There was a (now defunct) Dive Operators Club on Tao... but sadly some of the dross schools would always break the agreements and lower prices.

Talk to any of the decent managers on Tao and they will tell you that prices need to be raised....and that this will improve standards for customers and staff alike. Sadly, the retail economics mean they cannot.

 

[Bowmouth]

It has been tried already. There was a (now defunct) Dive Operators Club on Tao... but sadly some of the dross schools would always break the agreements and lower prices.

In the past in Phuket we had a DOCT (the "Dive Operators Club of Thailand" was actually started in Phuket). This club started off quite successfully but after a couple of years it all ended unfortunately in tears.
I find it unreal that a group of people with the same goal and business interests seem to be unable to work together and stick to some (solid) agreements which ultimately will help the whole of the industry.

Look what we have today: day-trip dive operators that slash each-others throats and send extremely ugly emails about one another to all dive shops on the island......

And then there is the TDA which imo is more interested in establishing a firm base for the CMAS system rather than serving the industry as a whole....

 

[lord khram]

Hi Quero,

That's a disgrace and very much in contrast to the ethical rules of PADI, imho. I heard similar rumors.

Dive shops breaking standard, I dont believe that for one minute. lol

 

[lord khram]

I did hear of one shop there doing the lot for 8,500 baht. Sounds like too much supply for the demand. Here I came across a couple who got their TDA CMAS 1* for 8,000 baht each. All they had to do was show up with log books with about 6 or 7 dives (all intro dives they later admitted to me), do a three dive day trip down to Phi Phi with their instructor and hey presto, certification!
I was really dismayed when I took them out on a guided dive to see what little skills they had.

I must agree, I have witnessed this type of thing myself all too often. 'certified' divers, basically incapable of many basic skills.

 

[lord khram]

Lots of shady stuff regarding cheap courses and materials. It just shows that cetners (like ours) that follow rules and standards to the letter are disadvantaged by scofflaw shops. Just glad I don't have to compete on K.T. Frankly, 9500 with a room for 4 nights and a legitimate book (personally) wouldn't be worth my time.

LOL