The Phuket scuba diving industry took a pretty big hit during the COVID pandemic. Phuket was isolated from the outside world for almost 18 months. During the period there were times when there was no scuba diving in Phuket at all. Even our local beach dives at Kata Beach were banned for an amount of time.
The Phuket scuba diving industry is heavily reliant on international visitors and some businesses are almost 99% dependent on international divers.
It was a very tough time for scuba diving in Phuket. A lot of scuba diving instructors returned to their native countries and employment within the scuba diving was slashed. The pandemic caused a lot of businesses to close and of those that did not close, virtually all suffered heavy financial loses.
During the period Aussie Divers Phuket lost 95% of their staff with most expat staff returning home to their native countries.
The first wave of recovery
The first opening of Phuket to tourists started with the Phuket Sandbox. This saw scuba divers confined to the boundaries of Phuket. We were allowed to dive to the Racha Islands however we could not do day trips to the famous scuba diving destination of Phi Phi as that was situated in the Krabi province.
The incoming divers gave the Phuket scuba diving a much-needed psychological boost. It not only gave some separately needed financial income but also provided some hope and light at the end of the tunnel.
During that period, most scuba divers were returning expats and a lot were familiar with diving in Phuket.
Kata Beach PADI Discover Scuba Diving Victory
The 2021 – 2022 Christmas – New Year Period
The Christmas New Year period is always a busy one for Phuket. In a normal year the scuba diving boats may fill weeks in advance and even months in advance.
Although the numbers were not as high as non-pandemic years, there was a good numbers of scuba divers around. The rules were relaxed and Phuket divers were now able to travel to Phi Phi to scuba dive.
The short but busy period gave a much needed financial boost the the scuba diving industry and went part of the way to a recover to the industry. We will be looking for a better high season this year.
Mid 2022
The months proceeding may become the low season for the Phuket scuba diving industry. So far the year has been what is considered a normal low season. This can be taken as a positive as it indicates that the number of scuba divers returning to the pre-pandemic figures.
One would think that that we are through the worst of the COVID pandemic. It appears that there is now come confidence returning to international travel with most countries now opening back up to tourists without restrictions. China is the notable exception an it could be years before we see our northern neighbors return to the island.
Hopefully the upcoming 2022 – 2023 season is a good one and we can begin to leave the tough times of COVID behind us.
PADI Open Water Course Aussie Divers Good Vis
Special Thank You
We would like to thank all those that donated to our GoFundMe page and to all those that dived with us and gave financial assistance during the dark days of the pandemic. Your assistance went a long way to saving us from closure. Thank you again.
Proud owner and active PADI Gold Course Director of Aussie Divers Phuket, a professional and awarded PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Scuba Diving Centre. Member of the PADI Advisory Board for the eLearning modules 2019 and 2020.
Aussie Divers Partners with Kraken Underwater Sports in Thailand
Aussie Divers Phuket are very proud to announce their partnership with Kraken Underwater Sports in Thailand. Kraken Underwater Sports and makers the best underwater camera housings, underwater lights underwater photography accessories and tools.
This is the new model Kraken Smart Housing. This has the same insides as our the housing, but it is now larger! The lens port is also wider too so even the multi lens cameras line up (The Kraken app only supports 1 lens currently, but by end of November we will support multi lenses) The housing can fit phones up to 165x85x9.5mm. This means ALL iPhones, even the Pro Max’s including the new iPhone. We can also fit most android phones also like Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5g.
Great news everybody, you can now find our new Smart Housing app on both Apple App Store, and Google Play Store! Basic photovideo features currently but we are rapidly developing many more new and exciting features!
**PLEASE NOTE, KRAKEN NO LONGER SUPPORT DIVE+, THE KRAKEN HOUSINGS DO NOT COME WITH QR CODE TO CONNECT TO DIVE+** The only apps that are currently supported are our Kraken Sports app (AndroidIOS), Open Camera (Android), Deep Photo (IOS) and Pixel Dive Case Connector (Android)
Kraken Underwater Smart Housings
Kraken Underwater TG-6 Camera Housing: THB 24,900
Here is the brand new Kraken housing for the ever popular Olympus TG-6 camera! Made of a stunning anodized aluminum for complete safety and strength this housing will last for many years. You will have full control of the TG-6 camera, you will not lose any features once the camera is in the housing. Threaded lens port (m52) to fit a wide variety of wet lenses from wide angle to macro. The buttons are easier to use, with laser engraving to clearly see what you’re pressing. The best safety feature of all? Built in vacuum port and pump! Simply drop in your camera, latch the door and press the button. The housing will pull it’s own vacuum and indicate with a green light the housing is sealed and ready to go!
Krakn Underwater Housing Olympus TG 6
Kraken Wet Lense: THB 13,900
The KRL-02 wide wet lens is a ultra wide conversion lens. At 24mm, it has a 150 degree field of view! It is designed with a 52mm thread mount to easily mount to the lens port on your housing. Compatible with all of the Olympus TG cameras (1-5) with no adapter required. Also compatible with any other compact with a 24mm equivalent lens. Because this lens is 24mm it will match up perfectly with the Olympus tough cameras, there will be no vignetting (dark corners). With no vignetting this means you won’t have to zoom at all so you will not loose any of your wide angle. The lens is also zoom through capable. KRL-02 has 5 elements, and 5 groups. The optical glass lens has a multi layer BBAR coating for anti reflection and optical clarity. The dome is made out of an easy repairable optical grade polycarbonate. The package also includes a sturdy travel case, shade, compact neoprene dome cover, and lens cap.
Krakn Wet Lens Olympus TG 6
Kraken Underwater Light: THB 10,900
The latest edition of the Kraken Hydra 2500. This light uses a single cell battery so the light is smaller than previous models. Kraken have incorporated RGB led’s in to this light so for the creative lighting shooter this is a very hand compact tool. Powered by a single 26800 battery, with built in USB C charger. There are no extra cradles to carry. You can simply plug your USB C cable directly in to the battery. This makes it extremely easily to switch out batteries if required on back to back dives. 1500 lumen spot beam built in makes for a great night diving light for the standard diver that may want to shoot some GoPro footage with the flood beam, but switch back to the spot beam for a regular dive torch. Included ball, and ys mounts mean you can easily attach this to most any tray available on the market (and of course ours too) without needing to purchase any additional mounts. We’ve also managed to include an auto flash off feature in the light too making it the ideal focus light! With all of these features packed in to such a small package we think this will be a light that will perfect for many different divers! This light will even work with our GL01 Goodman glove, just screw it on and hop in the water!
Proud owner and active PADI Gold Course Director of Aussie Divers Phuket, a professional and awarded PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Scuba Diving Centre. Member of the PADI Advisory Board for the eLearning modules 2019 and 2020.
Aussie Divers Phuket Received 7th Consecutive PADI Award
It has been a tough few year in Phuket with COVID travel restrictions however with a lot of hard work, Aussie Divers Phuket have received their 7th consecutive Outstanding Contribution to Scuba Diving Award from PADI.
The award was presented to Owner Darren Gaspari by PADI Regional Manager Andy Auer.
Aussie Divers is extremely proud to have won the award and could not have done it without the help of their staff, Ashley Walker, Martin Ruhoff. Christer Anderson, Pechdee (Peedee) Pinaisullakakij and Guy Allen. The award was graciously accepted by the team and celebrated with a couple of icy cold Leos.
Divemaster
Even through a tough year Aussie divers were still able to teach eight professional divemaster through what was a quiet year. Aussie Divers we also able to certify new PADI Open Water students, not on in Phuket but also in bangkok and Koh Tao.
New Staff Additions
2021 also saw some new staff members arrive. Pechdee (Peedee) Pinaisullakakij aka the Aerospace Engineer did her PADI Divemaster course with Aussie Divers during the year and was immediately employed by the team. He infectious personality, professionalism and keen eye for small creatures make her a wonderful addition to the team.
Peedee Aussie Diver Phuket
Aussie Divers also welcomes Guy Allen to the team. The Tasmanian came via Koh Samui and is a very experience instructor and is also a very handy service technician.
2022
With Thailand slowly opening up to international tourism, the team of Aussie Divers are looking forward to a better year and a slow return to normal diving.
We welcome the return of our international divers and strive to provide the outstanding and professional level of customer service that I divers have come to expect.
Proud owner and active PADI Gold Course Director of Aussie Divers Phuket, a professional and awarded PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Scuba Diving Centre. Member of the PADI Advisory Board for the eLearning modules 2019 and 2020.
Having poor air consumption is not only frustrating for the diver involved, it is also frustrating for the diver’s buddy or dive group. Here are a few tips on how to improve your air consumption whilst scuba diving.
There is often as scuba diving safety rule in parts of the world (Thailand is one) when the first person is low on air then the whole group ends the dive. Therefore, if divers have paid good money to dive and the dive was cut short by someone with poor air consumption then that person can become quite unpopular.
Over the years I have heard a lot of excuses to why someone’s air consumption is high, often I tend to disagree with the excuse. Having been in the industry for quite a while, I am of the belief that divers of all shapes and sizes, of all different levels of experience have good and bad air consumption.
I have seen divers finish their PADI Open Water Course have amazingly good air consumption and I have seen divers with 100’s of dives with poor air consumption. I have seen 150kg men be the best on air in a group and seen a 60kg woman end the dive early.
Here are my thoughts on air consumption and how you can improve yours.
Does Size Matter?
I have heard it a lot before “ I am a big guy and use a lot of air.”
Naturally sizes does influence how much air you would consume. The lung capacity and need for oxygen of a 150cm 12 year girl and 180 cm mature male are going to be different. All things being equal the mature male will consume more air.
However, the question of air consumption is not about who consumes more air, it is about how a diver consumes their air from a 12 (80cf) scuba cylinder.
During my time as a dive shop owner I have employed many people, of those one was a 190cm instructor and one a 202cm male instructor. Both only ever used 12 litre tanks and both virtually always ended the dive with the most air left of their group of divers.
They are not the two biggest guys I have met over the years with good air consumption. Yes their lungs are bigger than a small girl or woman and yes they do need more oxygen that those smaller people however can they make a 12 litre scuba cylinder last a long time? Absolutely…..
I am the truly believe that everyone can have good at air consumption. Here are a few tips.
Body and Arm Movement
Without a doubt, the highest consumers of air I have seen over the years, all move way too much in the water.
I have a simply saying; “the more you move the oxygen your body needs, the only way you can get that oxygen is to breath and the more you breath the more air you use. The more air you breath the shorter the dive.
More moving = more oxygen required = more breathing = a shorter dive
There are two main areas of excessive underwater movement I have seen.
The first one is arm movement, so many divers either use their arms for added propulsion or regain buoyancy. Neither should be required, leg and fin movement and good breathing control is all you need. There is a very simple formula I like to use. If you just your legs to move whilst under water the you will us X amount of energy, if you use both legs (X energy) and your arms (X energy) you are using twice as much energy which needs twice and much oxygen and you use twice as much air.
The other is simply too much movement, swimming from one point to another and back again. While it is swimming from here to there and doing some loops, it all adds to air consumption and while you are having fun you can shorten the dive for you and your dive buddies.
Good fins can help improve air consumption
Buy a Good Pair of Fins
I recall doing my PADI Open Water and PADI Advance Open Water Courses together quite a number of years ago. In my first days of the courses I remember having poor air consumption. The dive centre I was at had some thin, cheap and nasty rental fins. This had me kicking quite a lot to just to move.
My instructor at the time recommended I by my own fins. I did and purchased a Mares Volos. With those fins I noticed an immediate improvement in air consumption. At the time I believed at the time my air consumption improved by 30% just by changing fins.
You fins provide all your thrust for propulsion. The more work you fins do the less you have to do with your legs and there for less body movement and less air use.
Now I use Scubapro Jet fins that have excellent thrust and barely have any leg movement for propulsion.
I truly believe that by the end of your PADI Open Water Course all divers should own at least own mask and fins.
Breathing Control
All divers understand that the rate that you breath (breaths per minute) is ultimately what defines how much air that you consume. They understand that the slower they breath the less air they use and in part that is correct.
However one of the biggest errors I see is divers exhaling too quickly. The diver breaths in slowly however exhales the lot very rapidly. Here is an example.
If your inhalation takes 5 seconds and you exhale in 1 second, you will take 10 breaths a minute.
If you inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for the same 5 seconds you will take 6 breathes a minute. That is a 40% improvement in your air consumption.
The best person I knew on air (Kath Ridley) spoke to me about aiming for 7 seconds in a 9 seconds out. This is a phenomenal task and something I have never been able to do. However, if you could you would take less than 4 breaths a minute.
A technique that I saw used effectively once was told to me when I was a young instructor. I could not get a student use less air. A more seasoned instructor said. “That’s simple, just get him to breathe through his nose”. As you would know, it is difficult to breath out through your nose with a scuba mask on. This slows the exhale process. My student did that on the next dive with amazing results.
Good Buoyancy Can Improve Air Consumption
Buoyancy, Balance and Trim
Poor buoyancy, balance and trim all contribute to excessive body movement and poor air consumption. Out of the three, overwaiting is the biggest issue. The number of divers that I see diving overweighted is quite high.
When diving you should weightless and require very little movement and your adjustment of air in and out of you BCD should be very little.
If you do not feel like you are weightless and you are constantly adding and taking air from your BCD then you most have poor buoyancy, balance or trim and would consume mor air.
Doing the PADI Peak Performance Course your buoyancy, balance and trim and hopefully reduce your air consumption.
One thing I noticed when I was travelling back a forth from Australia to Thailand to dive (every three or four months), was that my first days diving was always a difficult day. Feeling my way, getting my buoyancy right all increased my air consumption.
By day two I was more relaxed and better on air and by day three I was totally at ease and was back into the swing of diving.
I have heard many instructors say “just relax” and often that is easier said than done. Sometimes it just takes time there is no substitute for just getting out there and diving. The more you dive the more you relax and the less air you will consume.
Proud owner and active PADI Gold Course Director of Aussie Divers Phuket, a professional and awarded PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Scuba Diving Centre. Member of the PADI Advisory Board for the eLearning modules 2019 and 2020.
Is scuba diving Phuket Thailand and becoming a PADI Divemaster you dream come true? Here at Aussie Divers Phuket we offer unique PADI Divemaster Internships of up to 4 weeks to turn your dreams into reality. This could be the start of a whole new life for you as a PADI Professional! It’s both challenging and rewarding and you’ll be leading the life you always dreamed of. Imagine your office being on a beach, your daily commute being on a boat heading towards dive sites and your work being underwater – it’s all possible here in Phuket!
Take one of our affordable Divemaster programs and you’ll learn how to become a professional PADI Divemaster while making awesome dives and discovering the beauty of Phuket. It’s a life changing experience, an incredible opportunity and it will look great on your CV!
PADI DIVEMASTER OPTIONS WITH AUSSIE DIVERS PHUKET
We understand that not everyone who wants to become a PADI Divemaster has the same experience levels, or the same budgets, so we have two different options for becoming a PADI Divemaster in Thailand.
1. PADI Divemaster in 14 days.
This option is available to PADI Divemaster candidates who already have 60 logged dives (the minimum number of dives needed to qualify as a PADI Divemaster and completed the PADI online learning. Please contact us to obtain further details regarding the entry requirements for this option.
PRICE: 25,000 THB
Note: additional charges may apply if additional days required to complete DM skills
2. PADI Divemaster Internship over 3-4 weeks.
The Aussie Divers internship option is a unique ‘hands-on’ experience where you will be assisting our team of experienced Instructors with full courses from start to finish. We will assign you one of our experienced instructors to act as your personal ‘mentor’ throughout the whole divemaster program. This ‘mentor’ will assist you in developing your theory in the classroom and your skills in the pool, along with guiding you through the rest of the divemaster course.
This option will give you an insight into how a dive centre runs ‘behind the scenes’ and we’ll make sure that you make enough dives during your internship to ensure you have the required 60 logged dives by the time you complete your internship.
PRICE: 35,000 THB
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
To enrol on the PADI Divemaster course you need to be 18 years old, be a certified Rescue Diver with EFR certification in the last 24 months and have 40 logged dives. If you don’t have all of these it’s not a problem. We can start your program based on whatever level you are now and get you up to entry level while you are here in Phuket.
You also need to be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months
Living on Phuket offers great value for money: While you are here you’ll find that living costs are low. There are plenty of cheap local places to eat out – and the food is incredible!
We also can offer great packages with accommodation at our Chalong training centre included, please ask us about what we can offer.
Phuket is a safe destination and the people here are extremely friendly and helpful. It’s the perfect island for single travellers.
Be prepared for an experience of a lifetime, awesome diving and a lot of fun!
We only ask that you pay for the following required materials and the PADI membership fee:
The PADI Divemaster Digital Crew pack (THB 6,000) is required for each student & includes the following material’s: Divemaster online eLearning, PADI Discover Scuba Diving Cue Card (PDF), Divemaster slates (PDF), PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving, PADI ReActivate eLearning, eRDPML eLearning, Divemaster Application.
The PADI Divemaster In-water Slate Crew pack (THB 3,500) is also required for each student & includes the following material’s: PADI Instructor Manual, PADI Discover Scuba Diving Cue Card, Divemaster slates, Professional Training Logbook
PADI Divemaster Application Fee: Currently AU$ 220
WHAT CAN I DO AS A PADI DIVEMASTER?
As a certified PADI Divemaster you will be able to:
Supervise both training and non-training-related activities by planning, organizing and directing dives
Accompany PADI Scuba Divers subsequent dives
Accompany student divers during the Adventures In diving dives or specialty courses
Conduct subsequent Discover Scuba Diving dives
Assist PADI Instructor during the training sessions for any PADI Diver course
Conduct the PADI Skin Diver course and PADI Discover Snorkelling program
Conduct the PADI Discover Local Diving experience
Conduct the PADI Scuba review program
You can also complete a short qualification and become a PADI Discover Scuba Diving Leader which will allow you to independently conduct the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program.
WHY CHOOSE AUSSIE DIVERS PHUKET?
Our goal is to prepare you for working in the industry – not just gaining a certification. Your Aussie DIvers scuba diving training will be invaluable, teach you how to deal with real-life situations and you’ll leave Phuket proud of your achievements and ready for the life you have been dreaming of as a confident and capable PADI Divemaster!
Our team of Instructors are all experienced PADI Professionals who are not just passionate divers but also enthusiastic and engaging trainers. To ensure you receive the best experience possible you’ll learn from different Instructors and Divemasters, as well as being assigned a mentor.
Here at Aussie Divers in Phuket we are more than just a dive centre – you’ll feel like part of the family. We’ll ensure you have awesome dives, receive exceptional training and have a lot of fun. We are also price competitive as we believe that diving should be accessible by all – that’s why Our PADI Divemaster Internships in Phuket are priced at 35,000 Thai Baht for up to 4 weeks of professional training and epic diving!
If you’d like to join us for your PADI Divemaster Internship in Phuket contact us today to make a booking or for more information.
Come and enjoy the beauty of diving in Phuket with us – we are looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the Aussie Divers PADI Pro family!
Proud owner and active PADI Gold Course Director of Aussie Divers Phuket, a professional and awarded PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Scuba Diving Centre. Member of the PADI Advisory Board for the eLearning modules 2019 and 2020.
Are you planning to go scuba diving in Thailand? Thinking about taking your PADI Advanced Open Water Course in Thailand? Here’s why scuba diving in Phuket must be on your list!
Scuba diving in Phuket is everything you would expect from diving in Thailand – beautiful coral reefs, an abundance of fish and stunning underwater scenery. With a range of dive sites to explore, taking your PADI Advanced Open Water in Phuket gives you the chance to explore deeper (up to 30 metres) and see even more.
If you are Open Water certified this is your chance to enhance your skills, practice your techniques and experience some of the best scuba diving in Thailand.
Here are some of the highlights of diving in Phuket
1. Take your PADI Advanced Open Water in Phuket and develop your skills and build your confidence underwater. During your Advanced Open Water you’ll make 5 dives over 2 – 3 days with one of our experienced instructors. You can rest assured that you’ll be well looked after and you’ll complete the course feeling more capable and with a whole new skill set.
2.Choose Your Dives. You’ll need to make an underwater navigation dive and a deep dive; the other 3 are your choice. We have ideal conditions for numerous options including (for all divers over 10 years old): Boat Diver, Digital Underwater Photography, AWARE Fish ID, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist, Project AWARE Shark Conservation, Underwater Navigator.
Divers over 12 years old can also choose from: Deep Diver, Drift Diver, Night Diver, Search and Recovery Dive, Wreck Diver and Rescue Diver!
3. No Studying During Your Stay – unless you want to! Take your PADI Advanced Open Water in Phuket with Aussie Divers and we’ll make sure that your trip includes minimal class time and maximum diving time! The Advanced Open Water Course is less intensive than your PADI Open Water and we believe in making it even more enjoyable by offering you the chance to study from home with an online manual before you arrive – ask us for more info. If you choose to study the theory here in Phuket you can do so in comfort in our air-conditioned dive center.
4. Not Just a Standard Package. All of our Advanced Open Water Courses in Phuket include everything you need to become PADI Advanced Open Water certified here in Thailand. There are no hidden extras and you can choose the type of program that suits your needs (and budget) the best!
Day Trip Diving In Phuket, Thailand
When scuba diving in Phuket you'll be embarking on what is referred to as 'Day Trip Scuba Diving', day trips will take you to one or many of the Islands around Phuket that house our outstanding reefs & wrecks. Because these Islands are typically one to two hours from Phuket mainland (Chalong Pier) by boat it works out much better if you do multiple dives while you are out there. Day trip diving in Phuket, Thailand will usually see you doing two or three dives per day, which is awesome because you get to see a multitude of different dive sites, marine life and scenery for a relatively low price, plus we get you back home in time for dinner.
Day trip diving in Phuket is suitable for divers of all levels, whether experienced, new, or total beginners, including Discover Scuba Divers, we have many options for day trip divers, including Phi Phi Island, Racha Noi & Racha Yai and the King Cruiser Wreck. Basically it is just a matter of deciding which day trip and dive sites best suit your level of diving comfort and then contact Aussie Divers to book it.
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