Iranian Dies Following Scuba Diving Accident

[koh tao]

did anyone of you guys talk to the victim himself

if not all your comments are not worth to type at all

because then nobody know what happen exactly and then its better to shut up as to talk bullshit

[Jareddiving]

You friends don't need the coordinates you idiot.. The ship is right in front of Koh Rin on the north beach!!

It's there for everyone to see.. mister bla bla.

Even if they wanted too go diving on this wreck it's too late already.. When they tried to tow it back to Pattaya it broke into large pieces.

Mermaids does have O2 on board so get your facts straight!! It's a Platinum Padi Career development center.. The highest Padi achivement for a dive center.

But no mister bla bla keeps saying that they don't have o2 on board.. you believe it yourself!!??

Anyway the accident was a snorkeling accident. He wasn't even diving!!

He would be the first person on earth getting 'the bends' by snorkeling.

Once again Pattaya one news your news reporting is one big disgrace!!

Btw Not new bla bla to you.. You dived with dive operators that didn't have any o2 on board, but still you went diving with them and are now telling other people to check if the dive boat has emergency oxygen on board!!

You are one big joke!!

the part that you say you friends want to make a dive on the new wreck is very funny!!

Well if diving in 2-4 meters of water, looking at pieces of wood is their hobby.. i wish them a nice day diving!!

Owh yeah dont forget to bring o2 and a first aid kit.. it can be dangerous on depths like that!!

[Jareddiving]

I know exactly what happened! I have seen the faces of the instructors on tv and know who they are and therefore exactly know what happend.

A accident while snorkeling.

[NotNew2You]

Mermaids does have O2 on board so get your facts straight!! It's a Platinum Padi Career development center.. The highest Padi achivement for a dive center.

Btw Not new bla bla to you.. You dived with dive operators that didn't have any o2 on board, but still you went diving with them and are now telling other people to check if the dive boat has emergency oxygen on board!!

the part that you say you friends want to make a dive on the new wreck is very funny!!

Well if diving in 2-4 meters of water, looking at pieces of wood is their hobby.. i wish them a nice day diving!!

Owh yeah dont forget to bring o2 and a first aid kit.. it can be dangerous on depths like that!!

Why are you so defensive...do you own or work for Mermaids? Are you a DMT at Mermaids and worried bad comments about their safety might bring around the police and maybe they will find out that none of their fereng staff have wps?

If you had bother to actually READ my post (you can do that can't you?), you would have seen that I said I have dived with a couple of the operators you mention and they had no O2...I said nothing about Mermaids. I do not know the status of O2 on Mermaid's boats because, as most people close to diving in Pattaya know, they are one of the least professional and friendly shops/operations in town (as well as over-priced). Therefore, me and all my diving buddies do not dive with them!

Big-frekin PADI deal...anyone in the business knows PADI is just one huge marketing pyramid in the business of selling mostly useless courses and over-priced course-books...it's noting but a scuba racket. So being a Platinum Titaniam Paladium Diamond Emerald Ruby 5-Star 10 Planet 20 Gallexy PADI rated operation means diddly-squat.

Just calm down...you sound like one of those prissy annoying know-it-all DIR (Do It In the Rear) guys. Instead of panicking...just calm down, breath slowly, and slowly assent back into the world of reality.

Edited August 31, 2008 by NotNew2You

[unomi]

I know exactly what happened! I have seen the faces of the instructors on tv and know who they are and therefore exactly know what happend.

A accident while snorkeling.

Yes, 30 yr olds having a heart attack while snorkeling is pretty common, so is dive instructors leading a group of snorkelers wearing wetsuits. 

[Crow Boy]

Some of you guys need to be reminded of the rules regarding acceptable posting standards. Abusive posts will not be accepted. I will let the two above stand because they are tit for tat but be advised the next one will earn a formal warning.

Keep to known facts ie verifiable not hearsay and lower the aggression.

Crow Boy

Moderating Team

Thai Visa

[Basil B]

NN2Y, you have made some scathing remarks regarding Pattaya dive operations not always having 100% O2 on board and their safety standards.

NN2Y please name the dive operations that you state carry no O2 & you conceder their dive opperations to be unsafe.

Naming names is not necessary for the point I made...my recommendation to check with the operator before booking a trip is all that is necessary. I will just say that a couple of the operators you mention I have dived with and they did not have medical O2 on board.

I will stand by my comments about the general lack of safety standards of most operators/boats in Pattaya (and most of SE Asia). Just a few weeks ago...a boat caught fire and sank (forget the name)...in fact, my friends who have the GPS coordinates for the "new wreck" wanted to do a dive today to go and investigate it

I only mentioned one dive center, anyway how did you "know" there was no oxygen on board, did they tell you? did you go looking for it?

For many years now every Mermaids boat I have been on either had Oxygen on board or it was humped on with the dive gear for that days diving, their boat briefings alway invite Certified rescue divers to familiarize themselves with the O2 equipment on board.

BB

[Kerryd]

A accident while snorkeling.

Yes, 30 yr olds having a heart attack while snorkeling is pretty common,

Personally, I think the mention of heart attack was probably in error. More likely asphyxiation. If he was snorkeling, dove (snorkle tube fills with water) and tried to take a breath (maybe not even realising his tube was under water), he'd get nothing but water.

If I recall correctly, most drowning victims have less than a tablespoon (teaspoon ?) of water in their lungs. Ever had some liquid "go down the wrong tube" and end up in a coughing fit ?

Imagine that while underwater. You try to breath and get water. You start coughing. You instinctively try to suck in air, but you are underwater. Your epiglotis (that little flap way down your throat that directs air one way, and liquids/solids the other way), prevents anymore water from entering your lungs. Your run out of air (having burnt off most of the oxygen in your lungs already before trying to take that fatal breath). You black out and die.

And once again we have another "fine" example of our local media organizations muddling things up enough that days later we still don't know what really happened.

[Jareddiving]

Name one dive operator that i have mentioned that doesn't have o2 on board??

Just one;)

We can pay a visit to their boat and you can see for yourself.

Not new bla bla to you, you could be a news reporter of Pattaya one news!!

Btw how was the dive on the new wreck?? I hope they had the correct coordinates!!

Because for your friends that are Course directors and familiar with Pattaya's dive operators it must be really hard to find Koh Rin.

And compared to you i know i lot more..

Have a nice day in your own little fantasyland!!

Bla di bla bla bla

[Jareddiving]

Also, i don't work for Mermaids and couldn't care less if you send the police there.. UP TO YOU!!!

And Dmt.. I have passed that level long long time ago;)

[NotNew2You]

I only mentioned one dive center, anyway how did you "know" there was no oxygen on board, did they tell you? did you go looking for it?

For many years now every Mermaids boat I have been on either had Oxygen on board or it was humped on with the dive gear for that days diving, their boat briefings alway invite Certified rescue divers to familiarize themselves with the O2 equipment on board.

If it was not you, then it was someone else in a post who listed 4-5 operators and claimed they all had emergency medical O2 on board. I have dived with a couple of the operations that were mentioned and they did not have O2 on board at that time (this is over a 4-5 year period...I can't remember specific dates for specific boats). For this reason, I don't want to name names as now they may carry it. That is why I just recommended that people ask about it before booking their trips...what was the situation in the past may have changed and the past is the past.

I hope I did clarify that regarding the O2 issue, I was not referring to Mermaids (either past or present). I do stand by my other comments about their operation, however. They may be one of the biggest operations, with a nice website and all, but many local divers don't like to dive with them.

[Pushit]

And the Pattaya Decompression/Recompression chamber complete with competent operator and physician is where... Bends diagnosed by who?

Cowboys

[NotNew2You]

And the Pattaya Decompression/Recompression chamber complete with competent operator and physician is where... Bends diagnosed by who?

I believe Bangkok Pattaya hospital has a chamber...but don't quote me.

I know there is one at the navel base in Satahip about 45 minutes down the highway from Patters.

[Jareddiving]

There is a chamber in Bangkok Pattaya hospital and there is one at the naval base in Sattahip.

[NotNew2You]

There is a chamber in Bangkok Pattaya hospital and there is one at the naval base in Sattahip.

Stop copying my posts...isn't there a rule about stalking on the TV forums...or maybe you just need to learn to type faster

[subseasteve]

Why is it the dive guids fault, those who do the course are supposed to be competent to dive safe AND also ensure they're dive fascitly is safe, instead of pointing the finger at the dive operators around the place why not point it at the source of the problem...THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION PADI SSI instruction is a joke. That is where the problem is. Allo those instruction companies are interested in is pumping through the numbers of poorly informed trusting customers, to make more money. Most of these so called instructor have only just finished they're course them selves with only the minimum experience to get certification, which is also designed to get them through fast to make money.......Do you think if there was a diving school that failed students would get business??

[subseasteve]

Yea there will be a chamber close to Rayong soon too, along with treatment fascitlies. Some kind of sports complex with spa and sauna gym etc and treatment chamber for divers and sports people wanting to heal injuries and build then selves up fast. I was talking to the Thai guy opening it soon. Should be interesting, all those hot old rich Thai birds going to beautify themselves in his chamber.

[NotNew2You]

Should be interesting, all those hot old rich Thai birds going to beautify themselves in his chamber.

I hope it's extra-large...as some of those old rich Kungyings and Tham-puyings have some fiercesomely big hairdos

[Apecks]

SOURCE: Pattaya One News: August 29th 2008

Iranian dies following Scuba Diving Accident.

There was drama at the Bali Hai Port located at the south-end of Pattaya Beach on Friday when an Iranian Tourist was transported from Larn Island in a critical condition following a Scuba Diving accident in the waters off nearby Sark Island.

Mr. Ali aged 30 was part of a 5 man expedition and is thought to have suffered from Decompression Sickness also known as "The Bends" after a rapid ascent to the surface following a dive.

CPR was administered by Dive Masters at the scene and Mr. Ali was rushed to Hospital, however despite the best efforts of the Dive Masters and Medical Staff, Mr. Ali could not be revived and was pronounced dead moments after arriving at Hospital.

This report appears to be extremely inaccurate. I have very reliable information from people at the scene that:-

The Iranian tourist was snorkeling not scuba diving.

There was obviously no instance of DCS as the guy was not breathing compressed air.

The guy was wearing both a wet suit and life jacket at the time of the incident and was in waist deep water.

The tourists were observed for a period of 1/2 prior to the incident and appeared to be comfortable in the water with no signs of distress.

CPR was administered by some 4+ EPR instructors that were on the boat taking part in a diving trip en route to Koh Sark and continued until arrival at hospital.

No statement from the witness closest to the incident has been received (A fellow Iranian tourist also snorkeling in the area) so all accounts prior to the rescuers at present are hearsay.

Due to the victims religious beliefs no autopsy was carried out so the cause of death other than drowning or health problems cannot be ruled out.

A very sad incident but unfounded conclusions should not be drawn.

[wuggiman]

Agreed...Pattaya has the worst operators and boats in Thailand...none of them to my knowledge carry medical O2 tanks on board. He would not have died of the "bends" if he was not breathing. More than likely drowned as he was not breathing. Bends you would get somewhat later from either diving too deep or long or from a too rapid assent.

Not sure who you have dived with in PTY, but as far as i know most operators have at least one source of O2 on their boats. Do however agree with rest of your post

[Scott]

My condolences to the family and friends of the victim.

[plasticpig]

Condolences to the family and friends.

Not related to the above snorkeling accident. but

Can anyone tell us how many accidents have happened in pattaya

Involving scuba diving centers, over the last say 5 years.

I just cant remember reading about any?

So safety seams to be good for these operators?

Or are accidents/near miss incidents not reported?

What first aid training due operators have?

Anyone like to tell us.?

Edited September 4, 2008 by plasticpig

[britmaveric]

Only one I recall lady being clipped by a speedboat - went between two dive buoys a few years back. Propeller took half her head off when she was coming back up.

[PhilHarries]

Maybe on the way you can pick up Phil Harries and we can drink a nice cup of coffee.

By the way Phil Harries where did i mention that all diveoperators in pattaya are good??

There are a few really good ones.. As well as good diveboats.

Okay, point taken, as for the coffee anyplace except Ratsfcuks.

I made one call to clarify what had happened and it appears that the guy was snorkling not diving and had a heart attack not the bends.

And you believed them...pretty unusual for a 30 year old male to have a heart attack while snorkeling...or at any time!

Unusual, but not unknown for a 30 year old to have a heart attack, the timing/location is merely part of life's lottery. But as usual the Pattaya Thainglish press haven't a clue what they are writing about and seem to be following their usual line of make it up as you go along.

[MEGALITHIC]

Condolences to the family and friends.

Not related to the above snorkeling accident. but

Can anyone tell us how many accidents have happened in pattaya

Involving scuba diving centers, over the last say 5 years.

I just cant remember reading about any?

So safety seams to be good for these operators?

Or are accidents/near miss incidents not reported?

What first aid training due operators have?

Anyone like to tell us.?

If he was only snorkelling then it’s possible that he died from a heart attack. Unless there’s an autopsy done we’ll never know for sure and we can only speculate.

Regarding the reporting, or non-reporting, of scuba accidents/fatalities in Thailand.

I can’t comment on Pattaya because I was only briefly involved/employed in the scuba industry there about seven years ago and, therefore, aren’t really qualified to give an informed opinion in that regard. However, having worked as an instructor for approximately six years in Phuket I can, without hesitation, report on a number of scuba accidents/fatalities that occurred during my time there.

These were accidents/fatalities that were, for the most part the result of incompetence, stupidity, greed and lack of proper leadership. Accidents/fatalities which, had they occurred in parts of the world where proper regulatory bodies are in place, would have seen the instructors gaoled and the operators out of business. Sadly, because these accidents/fatalities occurred in Thailand, they were swept under the carpet with little recourse for the families of the victims.

1. A PADI instructor, whilst in the employ of one of Phuket’s more high profile live aboard operators, during an advanced open water course night dive, lost a student in an underwater cave on Phi Phi Don Island. I read the report of the accident a few days later and the instructor actually stated, in his pre dive brief, that, “if the conditions were okay, we’d go into a cave”. The cave entrance was at the bottom of a wall; depth approximately fifteen meters. The group arrived at the entrance which only had low headroom. Apparently the instructor decided, due to there being lots of stirred up silt at the entrance, to abandon the idea of entering the cave. Unfortunately, the student wasn’t fully aware of this decision and as the group, and the instructor, moved off along the wall, the student entered the cave where he became disoriented and panicked. A few minutes later, the instructor realized that his student was missing. A search into the night failed to locate the missing student. The following day, the body was recovered from the narrow, blind cave. Apparently there was still plenty of air in the cylinder. The instructor, in question, continued working for the same dive operator for some time after this accident/fatality occurred.

2. During a daytrip, with another of Phuket’s most established dive operators, a diver, who was feeling the effects of sea sickness during a descent, was sent back to the dive vessel on his own and went missing.

Apparently he was a reasonably experienced diver but was feeling the effects of sea sickness due to the choppy, monsoonal seas and during the descent down the anchor line, indicated to the divemaster/instructor he wanted to abort. The divemaster/instructor made the decision to send him back to the boat alone. After that, the story becomes sketchy but it appears, from conversations I had with Thai boat boys some time later that the diver was exhausted and weak and drifted under the entry/exit platform at the stern of the vessel. With the rising and dropping of the swell, he was knocked unconscious by the entry/exit platform and drifted to the sea bed. When it was discovered the diver was not onboard, a search was conducted without success. The following day, one of the owners of this dive operation organized a search of the dive site and the body was eventually recovered.

3. An inexperienced diver suffered a heart attack during a dive on one of Phuket’s popular day trip dive sites.

I have firsthand knowledge of this because it was a student that I had trained. At the time the accident/fatality occurred I was running my own business. I was sitting in my dive shop when a local Phuket Thai Police Lieutenant came to see me. Apparently, the student that I had trained had suffered a heart attack whilst on a dive with the same company that he’d completed the PADI open water course with some nine months earlier. He was in his mid forties and, since then, he’d done no diving. It appears that the heart attack had been induced through over exertion caused by diving out of a long tail boat.

I explained to the Police Officer that, even though the victim had completed his training with me, I had no involvement with his death. The dive operator in question was one of the more notorious on Phuket, at the time, and was well known for the dubious practices of its’ owner. To me, it appeared that it was purely an exercise in deflecting responsibility for what had occurred. The bottom line was that an open water diver, who hadn’t dived for nine months and was in an age risk category, should not have been diving out of a long tail boat.

In all of this situations negligence, to some degree was involved:

· The incompetent instructor who blatantly disregarded course training standards

· The lazy divemaster/instructor who failed to assist an incapacitated diver safely back to the dive boat.

· The greedy dive operator who decided to send a novice diver, with an age risk, on a physically demanding dive trip.

In all of the above situations there was a blatant disregard for safety and duty of care.

As I stated earlier, in countries where the threat of penalties and/or compensation, for proven negligence, are in force, individuals and companies are held to higher standards of compliance and accountability.

The above mentioned situations were a contributing factor to why I made a permanent departure from the scuba industry in Thailand seven years ago.

I was a PADI instructor for eight years. IMO there’s a number deficiencies with the PADI training regime.

Because its’ performance based its’ subjective and therefore, open to abuse. One instructors idea of what is a competent and confident performance of a skill can be markedly different to another’s.

I had firsthand experience of this when I was given two students who’d been trained by another instructor. It was supposed to be their final training dive. Their buoyancy skills were almost non- existent and they were in a near panic state when doing mask removal and replacement. After a number of extra hours spent in the pool, and two extra training dives they were able to pass the course. That instructor has since gone on to become a PADI course director.

PADI’s main motivation is to make a profit. If it wasn’t then it wouldn’t be so easy to become an instructor, would it? A diver with one hundred shore dives ( including all course training dives), in tropical water, and twelve months experience only can become an instructor. To my way of thinking, this is totally inadequate when it comes to being responsible for peoples’ health and safety.

Because it becomes so easy to get an instructor qualification you end up with an oversupply; in other words, a glut. This is nowhere more self evident than here in Thailand. The reality is though that dive shops are just selling a dream. The dream is far from real though because the glut means that the wages being paid are “peanuts”. This of course suits PADI but not the individual. Loosening entry requirements means higher participation and higher participation means higher revenues. If you tighten up on the instructor course entry requirements then it’s the reverse isn’t it? Fewer instructors’ being qualified meaning a drop in revenue for PADI. This would actually create a positive for the instructors though because if there are fewer instructors about it would mean that people might have to form a queue for courses. Dive shops could charge more for courses and, therefore, instructors could make real world wages. But, it doesn’t happen that way does it?

For that reason alone you’ve got to wonder about the caliber of person that would want to work in an industry that pays what is effectively sub standard wages. What’s the average scuba instructors pay these days? Forty thousand baht a month? Would anyone with any real capability want to work for such a low wage?

Therein lays the rub in Thailand unfortunately; lower caliber people working in an industry that pays sub standard wages. If you’re not in it for the money then what are you in for? For those out there that don’t understand this I’ll spell it out; professionalism also means getting paid for competence. How can you be an effective instructor if you are hung over? How can a dive master carry out a rescue in adverse conditions if you’re overweight and smoke?

On a final note:

A number of years ago I did a high level PADI course (Draeger rebreather) with Pattaya’s most well known PADI diver training center. The first training dive was to be conducted on the Hardeep Wreck. The instructor decided to include a fun diver who wanted to do a long nitrox dive on a twin set. When I ventured that a long dive would take me into decompression mode, and therefore put me in breach of course training standards, I was told “no problems, you can have a pony bottle with one hundred per cent oxygen for doing deco stops on the way up”. The fun diver used up his twin set in no time at all. The instructor ascended with the fun diver and I was left on my own to do a blue water deco because the dive boat had detached its’ anchor line from the wreck.

[0Mix1up]

the fact that being able to swim strongly is not a condition to dive

is a JOKE

but really not, because it cost lives

[APMann]

Condolences to the family and friends.

Not related to the above snorkeling accident. but

Can anyone tell us how many accidents have happened in pattaya

Involving scuba diving centers, over the last say 5 years.

I just cant remember reading about any?

So safety seams to be good for these operators?

Or are accidents/near miss incidents not reported?

What first aid training due operators have?

Anyone like to tell us.?

If he was only snorkelling then it's possible that he died from a heart attack. Unless there's an autopsy done we'll never know for sure and we can only speculate.

Regarding the reporting, or non-reporting, of scuba accidents/fatalities in Thailand.

I can't comment on Pattaya because I was only briefly involved/employed in the scuba industry there about seven years ago and, therefore, aren't really qualified to give an informed opinion in that regard. However, having worked as an instructor for approximately six years in Phuket I can, without hesitation, report on a number of scuba accidents/fatalities that occurred during my time there.

These were accidents/fatalities that were, for the most part the result of incompetence, stupidity, greed and lack of proper leadership. Accidents/fatalities which, had they occurred in parts of the world where proper regulatory bodies are in place, would have seen the instructors gaoled and the operators out of business. Sadly, because these accidents/fatalities occurred in Thailand, they were swept under the carpet with little recourse for the families of the victims.

1. A PADI instructor, whilst in the employ of one of Phuket's more high profile live aboard operators, during an advanced open water course night dive, lost a student in an underwater cave on Phi Phi Don Island. I read the report of the accident a few days later and the instructor actually stated, in his pre dive brief, that, "if the conditions were okay, we'd go into a cave". The cave entrance was at the bottom of a wall; depth approximately fifteen meters. The group arrived at the entrance which only had low headroom. Apparently the instructor decided, due to there being lots of stirred up silt at the entrance, to abandon the idea of entering the cave. Unfortunately, the student wasn't fully aware of this decision and as the group, and the instructor, moved off along the wall, the student entered the cave where he became disoriented and panicked. A few minutes later, the instructor realized that his student was missing. A search into the night failed to locate the missing student. The following day, the body was recovered from the narrow, blind cave. Apparently there was still plenty of air in the cylinder. The instructor, in question, continued working for the same dive operator for some time after this accident/fatality occurred.

2. During a daytrip, with another of Phuket's most established dive operators, a diver, who was feeling the effects of sea sickness during a descent, was sent back to the dive vessel on his own and went missing.

Apparently he was a reasonably experienced diver but was feeling the effects of sea sickness due to the choppy, monsoonal seas and during the descent down the anchor line, indicated to the divemaster/instructor he wanted to abort. The divemaster/instructor made the decision to send him back to the boat alone. After that, the story becomes sketchy but it appears, from conversations I had with Thai boat boys some time later that the diver was exhausted and weak and drifted under the entry/exit platform at the stern of the vessel. With the rising and dropping of the swell, he was knocked unconscious by the entry/exit platform and drifted to the sea bed. When it was discovered the diver was not onboard, a search was conducted without success. The following day, one of the owners of this dive operation organized a search of the dive site and the body was eventually recovered.

3. An inexperienced diver suffered a heart attack during a dive on one of Phuket's popular day trip dive sites.

I have firsthand knowledge of this because it was a student that I had trained. At the time the accident/fatality occurred I was running my own business. I was sitting in my dive shop when a local Phuket Thai Police Lieutenant came to see me. Apparently, the student that I had trained had suffered a heart attack whilst on a dive with the same company that he'd completed the PADI open water course with some nine months earlier. He was in his mid forties and, since then, he'd done no diving. It appears that the heart attack had been induced through over exertion caused by diving out of a long tail boat.

I explained to the Police Officer that, even though the victim had completed his training with me, I had no involvement with his death. The dive operator in question was one of the more notorious on Phuket, at the time, and was well known for the dubious practices of its' owner. To me, it appeared that it was purely an exercise in deflecting responsibility for what had occurred. The bottom line was that an open water diver, who hadn't dived for nine months and was in an age risk category, should not have been diving out of a long tail boat.

In all of this situations negligence, to some degree was involved:

· The incompetent instructor who blatantly disregarded course training standards

· The lazy divemaster/instructor who failed to assist an incapacitated diver safely back to the dive boat.

· The greedy dive operator who decided to send a novice diver, with an age risk, on a physically demanding dive trip.

In all of the above situations there was a blatant disregard for safety and duty of care.

As I stated earlier, in countries where the threat of penalties and/or compensation, for proven negligence, are in force, individuals and companies are held to higher standards of compliance and accountability.

The above mentioned situations were a contributing factor to why I made a permanent departure from the scuba industry in Thailand seven years ago.

I was a PADI instructor for eight years. IMO there's a number deficiencies with the PADI training regime.

Because its' performance based its' subjective and therefore, open to abuse. One instructors idea of what is a competent and confident performance of a skill can be markedly different to another's.

I had firsthand experience of this when I was given two students who'd been trained by another instructor. It was supposed to be their final training dive. Their buoyancy skills were almost non- existent and they were in a near panic state when doing mask removal and replacement. After a number of extra hours spent in the pool, and two extra training dives they were able to pass the course. That instructor has since gone on to become a PADI course director.

PADI's main motivation is to make a profit. If it wasn't then it wouldn't be so easy to become an instructor, would it? A diver with one hundred shore dives ( including all course training dives), in tropical water, and twelve months experience only can become an instructor. To my way of thinking, this is totally inadequate when it comes to being responsible for peoples' health and safety.

Because it becomes so easy to get an instructor qualification you end up with an oversupply; in other words, a glut. This is nowhere more self evident than here in Thailand. The reality is though that dive shops are just selling a dream. The dream is far from real though because the glut means that the wages being paid are "peanuts". This of course suits PADI but not the individual. Loosening entry requirements means higher participation and higher participation means higher revenues. If you tighten up on the instructor course entry requirements then it's the reverse isn't it? Fewer instructors' being qualified meaning a drop in revenue for PADI. This would actually create a positive for the instructors though because if there are fewer instructors about it would mean that people might have to form a queue for courses. Dive shops could charge more for courses and, therefore, instructors could make real world wages. But, it doesn't happen that way does it?

For that reason alone you've got to wonder about the caliber of person that would want to work in an industry that pays what is effectively sub standard wages. What's the average scuba instructors pay these days? Forty thousand baht a month? Would anyone with any real capability want to work for such a low wage?

Therein lays the rub in Thailand unfortunately; lower caliber people working in an industry that pays sub standard wages. If you're not in it for the money then what are you in for? For those out there that don't understand this I'll spell it out; professionalism also means getting paid for competence. How can you be an effective instructor if you are hung over? How can a dive master carry out a rescue in adverse conditions if you're overweight and smoke?

On a final note:

A number of years ago I did a high level PADI course (Draeger rebreather) with Pattaya's most well known PADI diver training center. The first training dive was to be conducted on the Hardeep Wreck. The instructor decided to include a fun diver who wanted to do a long nitrox dive on a twin set. When I ventured that a long dive would take me into decompression mode, and therefore put me in breach of course training standards, I was told "no problems, you can have a pony bottle with one hundred per cent oxygen for doing deco stops on the way up". The fun diver used up his twin set in no time at all. The instructor ascended with the fun diver and I was left on my own to do a blue water deco because the dive boat had detached its' anchor line from the wreck.

Excellent post. I would love to see one written by someone with the same in-depth experience of Pattaya diving. Some of the dive masters and student dive masters I have been out with from Pattaya's most famous dive training centre have been shockingly incompetent. In fact I refused to continue diving with one recently as he was so hopeless - couldn't maintain buoyancy, did swimming movements underwater and continually kicked up sand when we went to look at something. He had about 20 dives under his (evidently incorrectly weighted) belt.