Aquanauts Dive Center, Scuba Internships Thailand Aquanauts Dive False advertising, broken promises, Anti-american, ripoff scam Pattaya, Internet
Where to begin? I went to Aquanauts after doing a shite load of research and choosing this company over Mermaids (more expensive) and companies in Mexico, Bali and other places. I went on ScubaBoard.com and asked questions. One of the owners who trolls Scubaboard was quick to answer and shamelessly self promote.
That should have been enough warning. But needless to say I decided to come down after all the fancy words, slick website and barrage of emails. Another warning I over looked.
First thing I noticed when I arrived in Pattaya... is this place is no paradise, grimy, dirty, nasty little place. The shop is like any other, but ok, I just spent a shite load of money to get here and lets make the best of it.
The diving sucks,, its not what you think of when traveling to "paradise", but of course they sell the shitty viz as a Great Training Opportunity.
Right from the beginning I felt lost and left out, maybe because I am not one of the English blokes who seem to get preferential treatment here, Americans seem to be very disliked in this part of the world including by the staff, and hey by the way I am Canadian but still suffered.
Anyhow, PADI training is based on an 8th grade reading level as it is.. And the instructors took it down a notch.. In fact, there was a co-student that could barely read.. And guess what you cant fail the I.D.C because they practically give you the answers. I found it amazing the amount of PADI bashing from the owners, who live from this agency.
On the boat your free labor.. No wait I paid a ton of money to be here and I get to do your work for you, under the disguise of "training".
Students gave a rats a*s about quality training.. Its basically I pay you give me my certification. And Aquanauts obliges.. in that aspect they are quite good.
On many occasions the other students came in hungover from the constant drinking and prostitute parties they have, and not once were any of them counseled on the issue, much less punished.
If your a woman planning on attending this program be prepared for a shite load of sexual harassment, crude jokes and overall inferior treatment. And it guess worse from the locals.
I lost a lot of respect for the scuba diving profession as a whole, I guess I shouldn't take it out on the industry because I went to a shite school. But I did.. If anyone reads this be warned, there are a tone of places in the world to do your training.
If your coming to Thailand to visit,, Im sure your experience will be better than mine. But if your coming to Thailand to dive and more importantly train with Aquanauts.. you my friend will then be very sorry.. Caveat Emptor
4 Updates & Rebuttals
diverdan
Maine,United States of America
leave Aquanauts alone
#5Consumer Suggestion
Tue, December 14, 2010
Dudes I went to AquaNauts back in summer of 2008 and graduated. You cant blame the school for what the students do on their time off. I know I kicked it hard when I was in Pattaya. And yes on occasion I showed up hung-over for training. But so What!
Yes pattaya is known for its sex buisness. dah, why else would you come down here. At Aquanauts we blazed it on some good weed everynight and had a good time so what? The staff was cool on us coming in a bit hung over. .I never hurt anyone. course smoking weed before you dive and work is bad i say this because im not stupid, If yuor a chick yeah you get shafted down here a bit, what do you expect its like a shovanistic country and the thai people just look at girls like sex objekts. and like the part about only us brits get good treatment yeah no one likes americans so what.
Its ignorant to think that the staff should be your mother and father down here you come down and do what you want too. Smoke weed, have crazy sex parties. that is all up to you. as soon as the boat docked we blazed up the staff was cool cause its our time not for them to say anyting to us. The staff has nothing to do with what you do on yoru time. They are even nice enough to givbe you time off if your too stoned or hung over the next day so what.
Give it abreak and leave aquanauts alone. this is a good school and losers like this complaining guy need some serius atitude adjuostments.
Aquanauts Dive Centre
Pattaya,Internet,
Thailand
Redundant Comment. See Original.
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, December 13, 2010
This anonymous user has posted this same thing twice. You can read our reply at the other posting.
divefordollars
washington,Massachusetts,
United States of America
Aquanauts was OK, but now you Suck
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, November 27, 2010
I came across this review online and was shocked to see the reaction the owner had to an honest consumer complaint. I have personal knowledge of your company having attended your school and used your services in the past.
It was completely wrong for you to try and blame Kalebs Parents for your shoddy service and broken promises.
You never answered any of the complaints Kaleb posted, I have been on Scuba Board and your company does shamelessly self promote. You sir, do troll the site and sell your shoddy wares there.
You don't mention how unpleasant Pattaya really is. You don't mention that a fair amount of your students do go there for the Sex industry.. Diving Second.
And Kaleb is correct if your a woman you will be treated with disrespect. you're in a sexist, female unfriendly country and given Pattayas sex industry, the locals think all foreigners are either buying or selling sex.
The diving sux but that is not your fault. I have been on your boat getting high off the alcohol breath of your students, who come in hungover and s**t tired for diving. You don't care because you already have their money.
Kaleb's parents had legitimate complaints, that PADI found in your favor is no surprise.. Hello!! you sell a ton of s**t for them. Do you think they were about to cut off their own nose. Come on Aquanauts for real.
Why not mention the other complaints you have had in the past including police reports from former students.
Your attempt at misdirecting and not answering the complaints posted by a former student only shows that the complaints are legitimate and true. And you trying to disparage persons who are not even complaining on this site, simply show you to be immature, unprofessional and a "CAD"
Aquanauts Dive Centre
Pattaya,Internet,
Thailand
Revisionist History - Read his initial reaction
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, November 25, 2010
It's unfortunate to see Kaleb writing this here, as it seems there's a bit of revisionist history making going on. When Kaleb completed his training with us, he actually wrote a glowing review and provided a photo to accompany it.
He's the except from the article and the link to his full writeup, in his own words:
Aquanauts is a shop I would recommend to any diver who is looking for a once in a life experience. Whether it be the dive sites you visit on a daily basis, the high quality of training you will receive while diving with these elite divers, or the experiences you will have while in their area, Aquanauts is by far the shop to go to.
So, why should be singing a different tune? Blame Mommy and Daddy.
Kaleb also had his mother and father join Aquanauts. They were not well-liked, did not get along with others and did not do well on their courses. Although they completed their training, they did not do well.
Instead of taking responsibility for their own action, they filed a complaint with PADI, alleging all sorts of things. Following an investigation, PADI Asia-Pacific on Nov. 23, 2010 shut the case, siding entirely with Aquanauts.
Their sour experience has obviously moved Kaleb to rethink his glowing recommendation. The words speak for themselves, however. Read them on our site and decide for yourself.