A Students who recently completed the PADI rescue diver course in May 2016 with Sean from Phuket Dive Tours recently wrote :

Wow, these guys puts you through your paces. Having completed the Open Water and Advanced Open Water with William in December 2015, we returned to Phuket to do the rescue Diver Course as this company is so great. Communication with David was excellent and he was happy to accommodate whatever was easiest for us.

We stayed right next to the Chalong shop and often wandered in just for a chat during our stay, and to feed him with Branston Pickle, Galaxy and Curry Pot Noodle (hint hint if you are visiting from the UK). We were even given lifts to the beach from his staff, they are all so nice! Bill and Boom, although their English is not fantastic, seemed to have a sort of chuckle brothers thing going on.

So, on rescue diver course Sean was fantastic and is a very experienced rescue diver and taught us more than just the PADI requirements, including tips he has learnt himself over the years and even made sure we knew how to clean our regulators. Sean made sure we were capable of self rescue before even attempting rescue of others.

He recognised that I didn’t like the water in my eyes too much, so made sure that I wouldn’t bolt to the surface when my mask came off. Once in the sea, he took the regulator from my mouth and whipped off my mask wanting to make sure I didn’t panic but of course I was fine. I’m glad that he tested our responses as much as he could, after all who wants to be rescued by a panicky rescue diver?

Sean put us through the paces with the full rescue scenario, including the LONG swim back to shore and CPR on the sand. It was tough. It makes me so much more confident knowing I was capable of the rescue scenario and could do it if I had to. I won’t lie and say this was an easy course, it certainly helped that I was already a trained first aider. But it was one of the most rewarding courses I have done, and I would recommend it to anyone, even if it is just to build your own confidence in the water. Just don’t bolt to the surface!

On our last night we decided to travel back down to Kata Beach and done a nice wee night dive with William, as chilled and laid back as always. William is fun to dive with, he is informative and gives a detailed briefing yet he is a good laugh. He knew where 2 seahorses lived and took us to see them, such beautiful little creatures. William has a great sense of respect for the ocean and it’s inhabitants, and is very clear that you shouldn’t take anything but pictures or leave anything but bubbles.

I fell in love with scuba diving in Phuket, and these guys go above and beyond to make it the best experience you can have. I have learned so much from them, and would come back a million times over to dive with them!! xxx