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Scuba Diving in Pattaya, Anyone have any real feedback?


sdultra

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I too would love to go diving in Patts I would love to ride a Jet ski too. I hear far to many horror stories it puts me off because the last thing I want is my holiday ruinned over scams and con men.

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Forgetting about all the in-fighting,

The basic fact remains that for any experienced diver that has gained their dives around the world,

diving in Pattaya will hold very little interest and more than likely end in disappointment. 

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I don't know... I've done maybe 10-15 dives around Pattaya, and with the exception of one where I was really close to "feeding the fish" the whole dive (hungover, not seasick or anything), I'd say I prefer having done them to not having tried and still be left wondering if it's really as shit as people say.

 

It would be silly to go here just for diving, of course, and I would really recommend just booking a single day's outing to start with and see if you hate the low viz and relatively drab marine life. Me, I'm relatively all right with that sort of thing, but then I can spend minutes trying to get a good look at an especielly ugly goby, so maybe I'm not the best reference source here...

 

I've only gone out with Seafari. DMs have varied a lot in style, but they've all been safety conscious and the gear of theirs I've seen looked all right enough. Last time was maybe 5 months ago, though, so one never knows if they've changed much in that time. The shop is on Soi 12, near the Second Road end.

 

Speaking of diving, I was talking to this girl in a bar on Soi 6 a cople of days ago, and it was mostly pretty standard fare. Then out of the blue she asks if I like diving. So I'm like "yeah, how the hell did you guess?" Turns out she didn't, it was just that she likes it and was merely making conversation. Sometimes they really can surprise you, the little darlings.

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you have to try one near subway on beach road which is very good and they are in good quality of service.

 

Run by an australian .... I have done few times..

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you have to try one near subway on beach road which is very good and they are in good quality of service.

 

Run by an australian .... I have done few times..

 

 

Dave Wright is English. Maybe he has some Australian staff?

 

Either way I agree, Pattaya Dive Centre is one of the better shops available.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have never dived before, but am interested in taking a beginner PADI course at some point. I see comments that Pattaya is not a very cool place to dive. Where would you recommend to take a course that is preferrably not too far from Pattaya and also not too expensive? Go to Koh Samet for five days? or other ideas?

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I have never dived before, but am interested in taking a beginner PADI course at some point. I see comments that Pattaya is not a very cool place to dive. Where would you recommend to take a course that is preferrably not too far from Pattaya and also not too expensive? Go to Koh Samet for five days? or other ideas?

Call or email Neil at Realdivers ... They are in Jomtien, but it doesn't matter, he will pick you up at your hotel. Great guy (actually he and his brother both) ... I did Openwater and Advanced Openwater with them ... Really great experience.

 

Diving is not great from my experience. If you are an experienced diver and been around a bit wouldn't recommend it, but for a beginner looking to see what it's like... Great experience ... They are good guys, understand where you are coming from ... Insist on safety (don't show up hungover!) and shy away from the big Asian and Russian tourist affairs.

 

I think it's www.realdivers.com ... Give it a search.

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Yes, Real Divers are one of the 100 diving schools/clubs in or around Pattaya. But what about my question about diving location? Reading this topic, Pattaya seems to be an unexciting place to dive.

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Yes, Real Divers are one of the 100 diving schools/clubs in or around Pattaya. But what about my question about diving location? Reading this topic, Pattaya seems to be an unexciting place to dive.

You don't need exciting as a learner diver, you just need to concentrate on getting your skills right with as few distractions as possible. Personally, I could think of anything worse than spending hours a day in a classroom in Pattaya or gearing up and doing skills in a pool but people do it.

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Yes the distractionfree argument is a good point. What do you mean by your last part? That you would never sign up for a diving course in Pattaya ?

 

I think because their are too many other things he would rather be doing in Pattaya.

 

If you are just doing a beginners course then it does not really matter if its a cool place to dive, you are only learning the basics to enable you get your OW certificate. Once you attain that

level you can then look for the cooler places to dive.

 

A discover Scuba experience is an introduction to the above to see if you are ok with the underwater bit etc (many are not) but you are limited in the depth that your instructor/guide can take you, cant remember but think 12 metres, might be only 6. There is not a lot to see around patts at those depths.

 

Koh Chang has some dive centres, visibility and marine life will be better there.,

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You don't need exciting as a learner diver, you just need to concentrate on getting your skills right with as few distractions as possible. Personally, I could think of anything worse than spending hours a day in a classroom in Pattaya or gearing up and doing skills in a pool but people do it.

 

No need to. The theory can now be done by PADI E learning prior to your trip. Not sure how this is arranged, dare say it must be set up through the chosen DC.

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I think because their are too many other things he would rather be doing in Pattaya.

 

If you are just doing a beginners course then it does not really matter if its a cool place to dive, you are only learning the basics to enable you get your OW certificate. Once you attain that

level you can then look for the cooler places to dive.

 

A discover Scuba experience is an introduction to the above to see if you are ok with the underwater bit etc (many are not) but you are limited in the depth that your instructor/guide can take you, cant remember but think 12 metres, might be only 6. There is not a lot to see around patts at those depths.

 

Koh Chang has some dive centres, visibility and marine life will be better there.,

 

The vast majority of what marine life there is in Pattaya is in that sort of depth range. Most dive sites beyond that there is only sand mud and litter.

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Wow...thanks for all the comments on this thread.  I am an experienced diver and always bring my own gear.  I have been diving in Phuket now for over 6 years and every dive has something new to offer for the most part.  Whether departing form Chalong in the South of Phuket or diving the Similans more North, the diving has always been reasonably good.  The pussy however is Phuket is not at the same level as Patts, so this year I thought I would come to Patts for a week, then head over to Phuket for a week.  Since I would already have my gear with me, I was considering a day of diving in Patts, but from most of the comments and from what I have read elsewhere, it really wouldn't be worth it.

 

In any case, thanks for all who chimed in!!

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Wow...thanks for all the comments on this thread.  I am an experienced diver and always bring my own gear.  I have been diving in Phuket now for over 6 years and every dive has something new to offer for the most part.  Whether departing form Chalong in the South of Phuket or diving the Similans more North, the diving has always been reasonably good.  The pussy however is Phuket is not at the same level as Patts, so this year I thought I would come to Patts for a week, then head over to Phuket for a week.  Since I would already have my gear with me, I was considering a day of diving in Patts, but from most of the comments and from what I have read elsewhere, it really wouldn't be worth it.

 

In any case, thanks for all who chimed in!!

 

You are right, given the places you have dived, it will only lead to disappointment. Lots of better things you can spend 3000+bt on in Pattaya, if you know what I mean? :GoldenSmile1:

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I've only dived half a dozen times in Pats, went with Real Divers, good outfit.

Don't think I'll ever bother diving there again even if I was living there.

 

If you want a combination of girls and diving, can recommend Sabang in the PI's.

The diving's not "awesome", but the micro is pretty good and a lot better than Pats.

Nightlife is pretty reasonable for a small place, 5 to 6 gogo bars and a couple of disco's, FL'ers in bars.

 

Cheers

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