Anyone trained at Mermaids in Thailand?

I'm tempted by the offer at learn-in-asia.com re a six-monthscuba
diving instructor internship. What troubles me is that they want 30%
deposit up front.

Has anyone ever trained at Mermaids in Pattaya and, if so, was it
worth the money?

DiveChuck wrote:
>
> I'm tempted by the offer at learn-in-asia.com re a six-monthscuba
> diving instructor internship. What troubles me is that they want 30%
> deposit up front.
>
> Has anyone ever trained at Mermaids in Pattaya and, if so, was it
> worth the money?

You will find more interesting diving in your local YMCA swimming pool
than within 200k of Pattaya. While there IS one 'wreck,' it is just a
small fishing boat that sits in about 15 feet of water with the top of
it exposed. The rest of the diving in Pattaya is sand. Flat sand. There
are a few fish... at times... but if you make one dive in Pattaya,
you've made them all. The dive shop may well be legit (which is unlikely
being it's in one of Thailand's largest scam areas) but you will get a
lot better diving either further south in the Gulf of Thailand at Koh
Tao (and there are dozens of good dive ops there) or on the Andaman Sea
side, diving Hing Deang or Hin Muang, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, or a host of
other places. PLEASE... do NOT associate Pattaya with diving. People go
to Pattaya for sex, not surf.

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com
Six years, one month, three weeks, three days, 1 hour, 46 minutes and 6
seconds. 67412 cigarettes not smoked, saving $18,538.36. Time used for a
better purpose: 33 weeks, 3 days, 1 hour, 40 minutes.




--
"The voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new horizons, but in seeing
with new eyes." - Marcel Proust

Steve Kramer <steve@seatraveler.com> wrote:

> You will find more interesting diving in your local YMCA swimming pool
> than within 200k of Pattaya. While there IS one 'wreck,' it is just a
> small fishing boat that sits in about 15 feet of water with the top of
> it exposed. The rest of the diving in Pattaya is sand. Flat sand. There
> are a few fish... at times... but if you make one dive in Pattaya,
> you've made them all.

Come on it is not THAT bad I have done a couple there and though
certanly they were not great I have been to worse places, Guam for one.

If you have to be in Pattaya anyway and do not have time to go further
south it is better than staying dry.

> The dive shop may well be legit (which is unlikely
> being it's in one of Thailand's largest scam areas)

It is legit and a well run one too

> but you will get a
> lot better diving either further south in the Gulf of Thailand at Koh
> Tao (and there are dozens of good dive ops there) or on the Andaman Sea
> side, diving Hing Deang or Hin Muang, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, or a host of
> other places. PLEASE... do NOT associate Pattaya with diving. People go
> to Pattaya for sex, not surf.


--
>replace spamblock with my family name to e-mail me

Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:

> Why would one "have to be" in Pattaya?

Some of us have to go there for work.
I have conections in the fabric buseness


--
>replace spamblock with my family name to e-mail me

In article <1glxsle.l8canj1vie1ivN%warm-water-diver@spamblock.net>,
Jerome Meekings <warm-water-diver@spamblock.net> wrote:

€ Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
€
€ > Why would one "have to be" in Pattaya?
€
€ Some of us have to go there for work.
€ I have conections in the fabric buseness

I see. Thanks.

Alan

I dove with Mermaid. Steve (the owner) and his crew are good people.
With that said, Pattaya Bay is not a very good place to go diving.
Not all that much to see, and the water pollution is fairly bad. If
it is just the certification you are after, go for it. Don't worry
about getting ripped off for your deposit. If you want a better
diving location, try Phuket (I liked it a lot) or Samui (havent't been
there myself, but heard good things.)