Scuba Diving In Pattaya For Beginners

By Tara Daniels


Thailand is best known as a holiday destination for the hustle and bustle of Bangkok with its crowded streets and twenty four hour party atmosphere. If you want to escape the noise of the city and immerse yourself in the ocean, you need only travel around seventy kilometers to the coast. There you find sandy beaches and the chance to go scuba diving in Pattaya where there are many diving centers offering daily dives and packages.

You do not have to be super fit to try this sport, but a reputable center will ask you to fill out a medical form before taking you in the water. Certain conditions such as a bad heart, asthma and any ear problems mean this sport is not safe for you. Also women who are pregnant should not dive as it may harm the unborn child.

The majority of people have no problem passing the medical and can go with an instructor for a "try dive" or "intro". You should choose a center with a good reputation which has professional instructors. There is very little danger associated with diving as long as safety standards set down by professional bodies are adhered to.

In Pattaya many centers are part of the PADI organization which is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. A PADI qualification is recognized around the globe and anyone who wishes can study for the Open Water Certificate. This is the first rung on the ladder following on from the Discover Scuba. An Open Water course will normally take about four days to complete. If you wish to take this course be sure to book a long enough vacation.

During your course you will be able to visit some of the dive sites where there are pretty corals and many fish to be seen. The most popular are the Samaesan Coral Islands or the sites which are known locally as "Far Islands". The visibility under the water ranges from five to fifteen meters depending on location. The currents can also be very strong so it is vital to stay with your instructor and do exactly as they tell you.

There are several popular shipwrecks to visit. Despite being a quite recent wreck, the HTMS Khram already has a lot of flora and fauna. Both the wrecks of the Petchburi Bremen, a freighter, and the Hardeep, a cargo ship, are popular with guests. The Hardeep was sunk intact and laying in just 28 meters of water it makes it possible to swim the whole ship inside.

Along with the pretty corals it is likely that you will spot barracuda and a host of other brightly colored fish. Divers who have previously dived in the Red Sea might find some of the sites disappointing and the visibility considerably less than in Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, but for first time divers the experience will be quite stunning.

Scuba diving in Pattaya makes an excellent break from the constant party that is Thailand. The peace and calm under the water soothes away any stress as you float along. There is plenty to see and you will have great stories to tell the folks back home.




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