Recommendations for divemaster course in Thailand

[lord khram]

Yes...I'm looking at it myself.

Sounds pretty good, but how's the diving around Pattaya? I heard it wasn't all that good.

Yes the diving around Pattaya is generally not great.
There are a few dives in the area that are ok, but if you are travelling a long way to dive, there are much better options to be had in Thailand.
Koh Chang as someone has suggested is a personal favourite of mine I am infact there at the moment for a few weeks. However check on the time of year first, through the summer (may - sept) there are really big rainfalls. During this time the diving is generally far from its best.
Without question the best of the diving in thailand is to be found in South Thailand in the Andaman sea.

 

[DivingScool.com]

Yes the diving around Pattaya is generally not great.
There are a few dives in the area that are ok, but if you are travelling a long way to dive, there are much better options to be had in Thailand.
Koh Chang as someone has suggested is a personal favourite of mine I am infact there at the moment for a few weeks. However check on the time of year first, through the summer (may - sept) there are really big rainfalls. During this time the diving is generally far from its best.
Without question the best of the diving in thailand is to be found in South Thailand in the Andaman sea.

Correct, although you have to see June and September as the months with the worst conditions. In general the diving in the months of July and August can be surprisingly good! Most of the time you will have a shower in the late afternoon or during the night. We've trained divemaster before during the rainy season, which definitely improved their navigation skills ;-) and we have a lot of personal time for you as a student!!

 

[harang]

John,

If you can do not make a choice until you get here. Look around a bit and consider the season as well. There are many good options, but in the end you want to be somewhere you will enjoy the most.

I do think doing your rescue course in limited vis is ideal. If you can get your EFR cert out of the way or its equivalent that will help you prepare.

Good luck,

Arizona

Very good advice....that's exactly what I'm going to do. Although, it should be said... not everybody would like the surrounding in Pattaya. It's very touristic plus there's a lot of overfished area's in Pattaya.

 

[Arizona]

Agreed! For me it is easy access from Bangkok and reasonably good diving. Keep an open mind and have fun while looking around. If you can, dive all over Thailand.

 

[SF Diver MT]

Hi,

I live in San Francisco and got my OW in Koh Tao (at a shotty dive shop) and my AOW in Monterey, CA.

From March 1 through May 1, 2011, I am planning on obtaining my DM rating plus a Professional HD Underwater Videographer Internship. I will be completing both through Gap Year Thailand Scuba Diving Internships: Thailand Gap Year Internships, Koh Tao | Scuba diving internships

We will be getting our PADI certification and diving off of Scuba Junction's dive boats.

Has anyone completed or heard anything about the Gap Internship program or Scuba Junction Dive shop, and can attest to it's pros/cons?

We will be finding our own housing since there are nicer/cheaper options on Koh Tao than what is packaged with the diving. Can anyone share a recommendation for a three month rental on Koh Tao?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Apecks]

Mermaids in Jomtien nr Pattaya run a good divemaster course. Plenty of interns and instructors so you will never fall behind schedule or be waiting for a boat

 

[lord khram]

Mermaids in Jomtien nr Pattaya run a good divemaster course. Plenty of interns and instructors so you will never fall behind schedule or be waiting for a boat

OMG!!!!! Has Pattaya moved across to the western gulf whilst I have been in Koh Chang?
Has it all fit on Koh Tao ok or is some of the city still in Chonburi province.
How things can change in only a few weeks?? Amazing!!!

 

[jamiemac]

OMG!!!!! Has Pattaya moved across to the western gulf whilst I have been in Koh Chang?
Has it all fit on Koh Tao ok or is some of the city still in Chonburi province.
How things can change in only a few weeks?? Amazing!!!

The good old thread hi-jack never ceases to amaze, LK, but that one was a bit blatant

Scuba Junction and Gap Year will be fine, groups will be small and you'll get all the attention you need.

You'll have to look about for accommodation, but there's something to fit all budgets. personally I think it would be good if divers found their own digs and let the dive centre concentrate on diving, but that's only a dream on Koh Tao

 

[funrecdiver]

Hey!

I just found this web forum and am also looking for DM training in Thailand. I'm semi-retired, living in Thailand for the past few years and think of diving as "fun" so that is why I selected the username funrecdiver.

Frankly speaking, I really appreciated this thread. I read all the posts, including the bickering and strong opinions, and found them all useful and think the strong opinions about location, visibility, refunds, skills, customer service and more reflect the passion people have for such a great sport. I thought all the posts were very good.

OBTW, I've just completed my AOW in Pattaya and agree the visibility is terrible this time of year; but that simply peaked my interest in learning about tides, currents and visibility factors. I spent hours researching this topic, something I might not have done in great visibility. This underscores what many have said here, that all diving experiences are important and great lessons can be learned even from the worst conditions and experiences.

Also, I found doing the navigation and search/rescue courses really great in low visibility. These courses are really fun and I don't think I would enjoy them as much in great diving conditions. I plan to do more of the same in low viz conditions.

Regarding one of the subtopics of this thread, I have found the DC I have been dealing with in Pattaya to be very honest with high quality instructors. I cannot imagine they would try to cheat me if we had planned a trip to one place and had to change at the last minute. We would reschedule for another day, which is fine with me. If I was really worried about getting a refund, I would only agree to pay on the morning of the dive when the boat is confirmed to be going to where it was supposed to go.

On training: One of my observations is that it is not possible to name the "best divemaster training" in Thailand (or anywhere) because each one of us has different lifestyles, needs, requirements and concerns. So far, I have enjoyed my training and diving in Pattaya, but I am also looking forward to other sites and centers in Thailand as well. After all, different locations have different conditions, centers, and people, and all of these help create knowledge, confidence and friendships.

In closing, I'm looking to buy some good second hand gear, so please PM if you have any of these items for sale (great shape and great price of course!): (1) Suunato Gekko or Vyper or D4, (2) a good quality BCD with integrated weight system (like the Mares Vector1000), size medium and (3) perhaps some great smooth regs with Suunato guages.

Thanks again for a very informative thread.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

Hi, Come by our shop and we may be able to set you up with some second-hand gear of your liking.