Koh Chang Diving.

[Shurup]

I'm on Koh Chang with a GF, want to do wreck diving here as well as my GF will be taking AOW (I'm a DM).

Any DC on the island teach SSI courses? My GF has and already read my PADI books so no need to pay extra for another set of books.

If SSI isn't available, any shops here can be recommended?

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[mrtoad]

From my recollection

Diving Scool in Bang Bao offers SSI - but I am not entirely sure. We have never used them.

Scandinavian, Sea and Sun, BB , Dive Adventure and Whitesand Dive Center are good options and have a good reputation, and we have used them for our clients.

[Shurup]

A lot of folks have mentioned BB divers, will try them. Thanks.

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[daveyravey]

Scubadawgs Divecentre are a new centre on the island. They have just become 5 star PADI

so they are doing great and have the lowest prices on the island.

I dive regularly with them and assure you that they won't be beaten on price or quality.

I am an ex PADI instructor and i now work as a commercial diver, so i assure you i know

a good divecentre when i recommend one. I have over 4000 logged dives.

Mr Toad is quite correct that BB divers are good but he seems to have an issue with Scubadawgs as he is

friends with the owners of some of the others he recommends. Truth be told i don't even think he is a diver himself

so how the hell he recommends i don't know. If you chose BB you also made a good choice.

Edited June 15, 2013 by daveyravey

[Shurup]

Thanks daveyravey, you're the second who recommended me Dawgs but I already went diving with white sand DC, Mark is the owner (?) and a good guy and now I left the island. Visibility was shit so I only went for a few days. Mark offered me the best deal on both my GFs AOW and on my own dives, Scandinavian, BB and a few others were a tad more on everything (1500-3000 baht more) and a few shops were complete rip off.

I will keep dawgs in mind the next time I'm on the island.

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[mrtoad]

Scubadawgs Divecentre are a new centre on the island. They have just become 5 star PADI

so they are doing great and have the lowest prices on the island.

I dive regularly with them and assure you that they won't be beaten on price or quality.

I am an ex PADI instructor and i now work as a commercial diver, so i assure you i know

a good divecentre when i recommend one. I have over 4000 logged dives.

Mr Toad is quite correct that BB divers are good but he seems to have an issue with Scubadawgs as he is

friends with the owners of some of the others he recommends. Truth be told i don't even think he is a diver himself

so how the hell he recommends i don't know. If you chose BB you also made a good choice.

I have no issue with Dawgs, of course you are entitled your opinions. I purchase PADI courses for my clients, which I made clear in my previous statement, and you probably know that, as you seem to think you know me. it seems it is you that has the problem. I suspect maybe you are the owner of aforementioned company. As a purchaser, we have done our homework. In the end, there is plenty of choice on the island, and yes I do know some of the owners, although that's to be expected as I live on the island. Given that in the past 3 years that around 300 of my clients have used several of the providers I have mentioned, with good feedback then I am perfectly entitled to comment, and when I say purchase, this is business to business. We have since September 2011 used Scandanavian, and we are very pleased with them as a provider. Edited June 17, 2013 by mrtoad

[daveyravey]

Scubadawgs Divecentre are a new centre on the island. They have just become 5 star PADI

so they are doing great and have the lowest prices on the island.

I dive regularly with them and assure you that they won't be beaten on price or quality.

I am an ex PADI instructor and i now work as a commercial diver, so i assure you i know

a good divecentre when i recommend one. I have over 4000 logged dives.

Mr Toad is quite correct that BB divers are good but he seems to have an issue with Scubadawgs as he is

friends with the owners of some of the others he recommends. Truth be told i don't even think he is a diver himself

so how the hell he recommends i don't know. If you chose BB you also made a good choice.

I have no issue with Dawgs, of course you are entitled your opinions. I purchase PADI courses for my clients, which I made clear in my previous statement, and you probably know that, as you seem to think you know me. it seems it is you that has the problem. I suspect maybe you are the owner of aforementioned company. As a purchaser, we have done our homework. In the end, there is plenty of choice on the island, and yes I do know some of the owners, although that's to be expected as I live on the island. Given that in the past 3 years that around 300 of my clients have used several of the providers I have mentioned, with good feedback then I am perfectly entitled to comment, and when I say purchase, this is business to business. We have since September 2011 used Scandanavian, and we are very pleased with them as a provider.

MR TOAD i assure you im not the owner of Scubadawgs, Im just a customer and a friend of the owner.

. My only concern is that you mentioned every other divecentre on Koh Chang but Scubadawgs.

Scubadawgs is now 5 star Padi rated and almost 20% cheaper than all the others you mention.

their boat and facilities are topclass so why didnt you mention them?

If you want to give advice, give good advice and unbiased advice.

Yes you can offer advice but maybe you should mention that you are a non diver first and your information is

based on other peoples opinions. Then readers can decide.

My opinions are based on being an ex PADI dive instructor, and being a commercial diver. I know which divecentres are

good and which ones are not so good. I even offered praise for bb divers because they are good but a little more expensive.

Edited June 18, 2013 by daveyravey

[mrtoad]

Scubadawgs Divecentre are a new centre on the island. They have just become 5 star PADI

so they are doing great and have the lowest prices on the island.

I dive regularly with them and assure you that they won't be beaten on price or quality.

I am an ex PADI instructor and i now work as a commercial diver, so i assure you i know

a good divecentre when i recommend one. I have over 4000 logged dives.

Mr Toad is quite correct that BB divers are good but he seems to have an issue with Scubadawgs as he is

friends with the owners of some of the others he recommends. Truth be told i don't even think he is a diver himself

so how the hell he recommends i don't know. If you chose BB you also made a good choice.

I have no issue with Dawgs, of course you are entitled your opinions. I purchase PADI courses for my clients, which I made clear in my previous statement, and you probably know that, as you seem to think you know me. it seems it is you that has the problem. I suspect maybe you are the owner of aforementioned company. As a purchaser, we have done our homework. In the end, there is plenty of choice on the island, and yes I do know some of the owners, although that's to be expected as I live on the island. Given that in the past 3 years that around 300 of my clients have used several of the providers I have mentioned, with good feedback then I am perfectly entitled to comment, and when I say purchase, this is business to business. We have since September 2011 used Scandanavian, and we are very pleased with them as a provider.

MR TOAD i assure you im not the owner of Scubadawgs, Im just a customer and a friend of the owner.

. My only concern is that you mentioned every other divecentre on Koh Chang but Scubadawgs.

Scubadawgs is now 5 star Padi rated and almost 20% cheaper than all the others you mention.

their boat and facilities are topclass so why didnt you mention them?

If you want to give advice, give good advice and unbiased advice.

Yes you can offer advice but maybe you should mention that you are a non diver first and your information is

based on other peoples opinions. Then readers can decide.

My opinions are based on being an ex PADI dive instructor, and being a commercial diver. I know which divecentres are

good and which ones are not so good. I even offered praise for bb divers because they are good but a little more expensive.

I clearly stated I am a purchaser, I can not and will not recommend a centre that we have not used in the past. I am not pulling wool over anyone's eyes. There are a number of other centres on the island as well, as you should know who I have not mentioned.We carefully chose Centres as we have specific criteria for companies that we engage with. We have, BTW used Scandanavian for the last two years exclusively as they are able to deliver a good standard of safety. They may be a little more expensive, however the service has been first class. You are trying to discredit my earlier post, which I think was fairly balanced. Your advice is biased as well isn't it? No need to really go on much more, as people can make their own decisions. If you think that as I am not a diver, then I am not entitled to an opinion then that's really pretty ridiculous. Note, some of my clients have been Instructors, dive masters etc. we have purchased a lot of diving courses over the last three years, and I am hardly biased when I have given around 4 different Centres a recommendation. It is my responsibility to check out Centres and ensure that good practice and standards are consistent, I also do speak business to business with a number of the Centres. You have generally only ever put one centre forward or Koh Chang in all of your postings. As it is, the OP went with WDC and was happy, good for him, they are small, but Mark is a good guy and knows Koh Chang very well. I have no personal or financial interest in any of the Centres, and of course I know these people as I actually live and work on the island. That's my final say on this, enjoy your diving. I am sure come the high season your mate will be very busy in his second season of operation. Edited June 18, 2013 by mrtoad

[sbk]

Post revealing another members personal information removed. Suggest you drop the personal stuff now.