That old Pattaya question again...

[huskychemist]

Or would you prefer...

"We at Aquanuts feel our program is horrible, so use xy-dive shop instead."???

I'd rather they toot their own horn. I'm an adult. I can figure out what to believe and what not to believe.

And I enjoy diving Pattaya.

Happy Diving.

Lowell

 

[limbo]

I agree Limbo but I dont think that this sort of "information" is needed on a public forum. Wow!!!:no

You're fully right Ringo! I'm with Kim and you on this.

 

[Geoff_H]

You're fully right Ringo! I'm with Kim and you on this.

Same question to you. Is it the information that you disagree with or the source?

 

[limbo]

The source.

The way they go about their posting is indeed "we are the best" and in the past they slagged off their direct competitors, without adding any other value to the board other than blatant advertising.

Now they're not slagging off their main competitor but come with 2nd hand information about other competitors, some even unconfirmed.

Why not just say what you can do rather than resort to what others apparently can't do?

 

[Geoff_H]

Would you be happy if a customer or local diver in Pattaya posted similar information?

 

[Kim]

Would you be happy if a customer or local diver in Pattaya posted similar information?

Why? Are you planning to make a sock-puppet to prove your point?

Look Geoff - if that was what was happening, and real customers were posting first hand truthful accounts of disparities between the various alternatives in Pattaya, it would be a completely different story. But that's simply NOT what is happening.

What's happening is quite obviously that one company is attempting to discredit everyone else. How would a normal customer ever know the sort of information - numbers of courses run etc etc - that's being posted here? It's one thing expecting a few references, and quite another disclosing the supposed history of someone else's business - whether it's correct or not........which I have NO idea about.

That's outrageous really.

I have absolutely NO affiliation with any business in Thailand. I have never met anyone posting to this thread. I'm beginning to wonder......can you say the same?

I do totally agree with limbo's last comments though. It's fine to say...."We're really good at what we do.......Come to us we can help you."
What totally sucks IMO - and the reason I wouldn't even consider these people anymore after today - is this nasty necessity to run others out of the equation by suggesting that they don't train enough people to be competent, or worthy of consideration. It's underhand........it's shallow. And I still stand by my original comment that anyone with only 25 dives is probably not in a great position to be the judge of very much....whether it's how to teach others (I'm actually a teacher), where to learn how to teach, or even whether in the end they'll really stick it out.
Don't get me wrong - I think the ambition to want to do it is fabulous. I think that a well motivated person will easily put in the time, effort, and expense to become truly professional, and a good instructor.

But to be frank......a company that brags about how many instructors they've *made* out of people who didn't have any experience at all to start with frightens me stupid. How many dropped out? Did they all make it? Do they all have jobs? So many questions.....

Sorry. I like my intructors well done in a slow oven - not quick fried like a fast food snack.

You see Geoff.... As you pointed out earlier we can say what we want here within the rules. All of the above is simply MY POV. Take it or leave it.

Tell me though........have you got a dog in this fight? Have you been to Pattaya?

 

[Geoff_H]

Sure Kim - you have your right to a view as well. I may even share some of your concerns about so-called instructor factories, although I have never seen the results first hand so I reserve judgement.

Have you ever seen anyone who has done their IDC at Mermaids, Aquanauts or similar shops?

I don't have any "dogs in this fight" - I've never been to Pattaya nor have I ever dived in Thailand. Thanks for the insinuations though, just because I hold a different view to you.

Have you ever heard of attacking the argument rather than the person/people making the argument? You might want to try it sometime!

 

[Kim]

No problem. I'm not attacking you, I just wanted to know if you had any hidden affiliations as I really can't completely understand why you are defending Aquanauts in the way you are. I completely accept that it's just a point of view if you say so.

As per the argument. Like I said....... I'm really slightly confused by the fact that you apparently think that the Aquanauts post was OK.....and not just nasty swipes at others. You call it straightforward. I see a straightforward attack on everyone else.....the amount of their training, the quality of their training, the cost of their training etc etc.
It's very straightforward.

I have no problem at all with people blowing their own trumpets.......it's advertising. It's when they start to do it by slagging others that my hackles rise. For me that was quite clearly the case here. So what if another company only trains a few intructors? Why does that mean that the training is less worthwhile, less up to date etc? That was CLEARLY the insinuation.

 

[Kim]

.....nor have I ever dived in Thailand.

You should sometime. From Japan it's quite easy....and it's awesome!

 

[Geoff_H]

You should sometime. From Japan it's quite easy....and it's awesome!

I've been there a few times, but only with my non diving ex. Snorkelled around Phuket and some of the islands (Phi Phi etc) but never really seen any coral to compare with the Phillipines, Indonesia and Micronesia. I will get to dive there one day but there are plenty of closer places to Japan first!

I don't have any problem with dive shops saying why they think they are the best, even if that means pointing out why they are better than their competitors and citing examples they think are relevant. If they make false accusations they're very likely to get called out.

If that happens - fine - but I don't think they should be slated for simply stating their position and view openly and letting everyone judge for themselves in the full knowledge of any potential underlying agendas.