Hi guys-
Long time lurker, first time poster...
Planning to travel to Thailand again in May to see friends and have some fun in Bangkok and then head to Pattaya for the first time. I know May is months away and the Covid situation will (hopefully) be very different then, but I am looking for a recommendation.
I am actually going to Pattaya to go diving. (Of course I like a massage and a bar boy too!) But, can anyone recommend a dive shop in Pattaya?
Thanks in advance!
Lovechef (February 17th, 2022)
Should we assume you’ve looked at the many stories available via Google that the sea off Pattaya is best described as an open sewer?Originally Posted by pyrrhus
Armando (February 17th, 2022)
I suspect that pyrrhus is unlikely to expect to dive off-shore sites near Pattaya but well-equipped modern boats are able to transport divers to islands and dive- sites many kms away.
Diving is probably too energetic for much of the membership.
You may get more luck with Google maps, but do bear in mind that not every business shown as open is open. And vice versa.
Also bear in mind many of the islands were closed because of covid....
pyrrhus (February 14th, 2022)
Well, Pattaya isn't known for excellent diving. It has other virtues. If you are really looking into a diving holliday, I would suggest taking a liveaboard on the similan islands (Richelieu rock!).
That doesn't mean that diving in Pattaya is all that bad, just be prepared that visibility is not that great and most of the corals are gone.
There are a couple interesting wrecks (I would recommend diving the khram wreck) and the dive spots around koh Rin are great for coral life.
I normally go diving for one or maximum two days when I'm on holliday in Pattaya. I tried the following dive shops: mermaids (closed atm), adventure divers (https://pattayadivers.com) and jomtien dive center (https://jomtiendivecenter.com/). All give a good & comparable service and I would rather make my decision with which dive center I go with based on the dive sites they will visit.
Brad the Impala (February 13th, 2022), Lovechef (February 17th, 2022), Oliver2 (February 13th, 2022), pyrrhus (February 14th, 2022)
Awesome info Michaelx1992. Thank you! I have read that the close to shore waters are less than ideal, but getting out a bit and diving some wrecks sounds perfect. I did most of my training off Quepos in Costa Rica, so if visibility is past the end of my arm, I'll be good! This isn't going to be a true diving holiday, just an activity for a few mornings, so that sounds perfect. Thanks again for the recommendations!
Lovechef (February 17th, 2022)
I have heard many of the breeders chatting about their diving exploits, while swapping notes over a Singha or ten, in the breeder watering holes of Soi Buakhao. They talk of their daily exploration of a myriad of available, nearby, deep, dangerous chasms, teeming with wildlife. Some have ventured forth, never to return, their lifeless bodies discovered some days later below a hotel balcony, a suicide note, written in Thai, protruding from their wet suit. This perilous form of diving, I understand, is known as 'Muff Diving'. I've never tried it.
hahahaha 555555!
I am an experienced diver, but THIS type of diving is not for me!
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