Scuba Diving and Liveaboards Phuket, Thailand

John Cronin and Ralph Erickson founded in 1966. The two friends met one evening, over a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label, and started to pursue their dream to create a Scuba certification agency that was different than the one that had certified Ralph. They were concerned about the professionalism of the current agencies.

John and Ralph knew there had to be a way to make it easier and safer for people to take their first breaths under water.

John wanted “professional” to appear in the name, and Ralph came up with “association of Diving Instructors” after a few more drinks was born.

Professional Association of Diving Instructors

It started from small beginnings, in a basement in a suburb of Chicago, based solely in the USA but grown massively over the years and is today a multi-national association of scuba diving professionals. is the world’s largest organization for recreational diver training and education.

It is estimated that 7 out of 10 recreational scuba divers are trained and certified by Instructors using educational materials and program standards.

is represented in over 175 countries and territories.   Over 130,000 individual Members operate worldwide and there is a global network of more than 6000 Dive Center’s and Resorts.

presently certify close to 1,000,000 divers annually around the globe. As at today they only require 108,600 more to hit  20 million certifications of recreational divers, this is a massive achievement, if you are lucky enough to be the 20 millionth there is a great prize up for grabs.

Scuba Cat Diving gained our first trip adviser report in November 2009, now nearly two years later we are amazed by how much this site has grown.

More and more customers that are booking with us either by the shop or by the internet, are telling me that they have read Trip Advisor reports and the customer testimonials to help them make their decision for their holiday.

Trip Advisor has become a valuable resource helping people make decisions about which hotel to stay at, the activities to choose whilst they are in Phuket, and most importantly for us which dive center choose.

Every Scuba Cat report is genuine, Real customers who have used our Dive Centre here in Phuket to provide their diving for them, write all the reviews on there.

At Scuba Cat Diving you can expect a quality service, provided by an award winning team, in relaxed and friendly surroundings, we like to ensure our guests get the most out of their holiday, no matter what diving experience they have.

We want our customers to come back again and again and recommend us to their friends and family.

Sarah Kench, owner of Scuba Cat Diving is originally from the England. Having spent many years diving in the UK before moving to Thailand 7 years ago, she realises the importance of safety in Diving but not forgetting the fun! She spends her time making sure everyone receives relaxed, uncrowded and enjoyable diving, whether it be their first or hundredth dive! She is now a Course Director, you never know where you will find her next: in the office answering emails, teaching a IDC, or with the Scuba Kittens – the next generation of divers!

Initially when people start diving on reefs they are appreciative of the beauty of the corals and marine life that inhabit the area. However, once you become familiar with the reef the finer details of the eco-system and relationships of the organisms become more apparent.

"The reef"

There are many different types of relationships that we see on every dive probably without even realizing it. One of the most famous relationships is the symbiotic one between Clownfish and the Anemone. The clownfish has a protective mucus on the body, which enables it to shelter in the tentacles of the anemone without being stung. The presence of the clownfish helps to defend the anemone, particularly from polyp eating fish. The Clownfish, also known as Anemone fish, of which there are varies species, keep the anemone clean by eating morsels that are left over from fish as well as eating parasitic critters and algae, for example, copepods, isopods and zooplankton. They also aid water circulation within the anemone as it swims amongst the tentacles. The fecal matter from the Clownfish acts as nutrients for the host anemone.

"Anemone"

The Anemone fish is an all year breeder. The nest for the eggs is found very close to the host anemone on the reef in nooks and crannies, so the eggs are protected from predators. At any one time there are between 100 and 1000 eggs laid and external fertilization takes place. Spawning normally occurs on a full moon. It is the role of the male to protect the eggs, which hatch within 4 to 5 days often 2 hours after dusk.

"Nemo"

The anemone can host many fish. If multiple fish are present then there is a distinct hierarchy with the dominant fish being the largest and most aggressive female. Should there be a reason this fish leaves the anemone, for example, death, then the largest male will turn into a female. Clownfish are hermaphrodites and are born male. Within a multiple colony there is only one breeding pair.

"Hello"

The main predator of the clownfish unfortunately is man. They are harvested for the aquarium trade.  A clownfish in the wild can live between 6 and 10 years, but this is reduced once the fish is placed in captivity. One of the most common mistakes is placing the fish in the wrong anemone. They are only ten anemones that can accommodate the fish. So, it really beneficial for the fish to stay in the natural environment.

"Look at me!"

Anemone fish can be found in the warmer waters of the following regions NW Australia, SE Asia, Japan, Pacific, and Indo Malaysia region. Surprisingly, they are not found in the Caribbean.  There are varies species of clownfish include Clarkson, Skunk, Tomato, Saddle, Yellow and False to name a few.

"Skunk Anemone Fish"

If you would like to expand your knowledge of marine relationships then why not take the Underwater Naturalist Specialty course.

Scuba Diving is a sport and  as with the majority of sports there are safety guidelines and it is important to follow these to eliminate risk.

Here are a few considerations for safe diving.

" Safe Diving Practices"

always teach the fundamentals at Openwater Diver level. These include dealing with buddy separation and DCI.  Should you be separated from your buddy then the rule is that you should search for no more than one minute and surface safely. Hopefully, you will be reunited at the surface as your buddy should be doing the same. The key thing here is not to continue to dive alone. If for any reason your buddy does not surface, it could mean that he/she may be in difficulties and if  this is the case then time is of essence if a rescue has to take place.

"Buddies"

Decompression sickness and illness can occur, but it is highly unlikely. There are certain things that you can do to minimize the risk. One of the major causes of DCS is dehydration, so drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Diving itself is a dehydrator as is the loss of fluid from the body due to sweating.   It is always useful to carry a supply of rehydration salts to aid rehydration.  Also be aware of how much alcohol has been consumed the night before a dive and do not consume alcohol prior to a dive or between dives.  If you decide to snorkel between dives or immediately after diving then stay on the surface as micro bubbles are in your system and duck diving is like having a “mini” dive.  The micro bubbles can be forced into the tissue. The other recommendations are that you do not exercise or have a hot shower immediately afterwards as again this can force micro bubbles into the tissues.  Always remember that flying after diving has time guidelines from 12 hours for a single dive and 18 hours for multiple dives.  To help eliminate nitrogen in the body it is recommended that a safety stop should be done for a minimum of 3 minutes at 5metres. It is important to be a SAFE diver..slowly ascend from every dive!!

Many dives are conducted from boats, which gives rise to certain safety issues.  Divers surfacing should have signaling devices, so that moving boats can see that there are divers below. The most common is the SMB (surface marker buoy) The SMB is normally deployed on the safety stop at 5m. The SMB is sometimes known as a safety sausage and is generally orange in colour. There are two types commonly used, the self sealing and the open ended.  It is not necessary to have a forest of SMBs when surfacing, but be close to the person who has it just in case a boat does pass by.  Also watch your depth while you are doing your safety stop. Try and maintain 5m and not go shallower. Remember, a boat can pass over you at 5m, but at 3m if you don’t have a signaling device, you may be on a collision course.  Engine noise direction is impossible to determine. However, if the noise is getting louder it is approaching you, quieter it is moving away.  Wait to surface once you know that it is safe to do so.

"SMB"

If you see your boat underwater should you swim to towards it? The answer is no. Always surface to the side or at the back of the boat and do deploy the SMB. It is important for the crew to see you. If it is a live boat and the boat constantly moves to pick up divers you do not want to be under the boat if the propellers are engaged.

There a variety of signaling devices on the market including strobes, mirrors to name a couple. However, it is highly recommended that as a diver you should have two devices with you, audible and visible. The audible could be something as simple as a whistle that can be attached to the BCD.  It is also advisable to carry a cutting tool should entanglement happen. The most common  is a small dive knife that again can be attached to the BCD. If you do get entangled remain calm and systematically free yourself with the help of your buddy. Try not to turn around as you may make the situation worse.

"Whistle"

Diving is a very safe sport but there is no room for half measures when it comes to safety. The guidelines are there minimize risk and should be followed at all times.

I suppose at this point I realized what a debt of gratitude I owed to my colleagues from Scuba Cat.  All the late night chat about releasing Nitrogen from our body or how to treat someone with shock had paid off.  The classroom hours with Christophe had been difficult, yet we were sure that our time hadn’t been wasted. In the saloon downstairs some people were being given good news. For others you could see disappointment.

"Waiting........"

When Jim called us down, call it fate or luck but the other group of ScubaCat 4 were being told their results at the same time. We would learn our fate at the same time.

And then the tears started – before we even knew how we had done as a group. All my own self interest was secondary as I found myself looking across at my colleagues.

Mikko smiling – that’s one. Corey passed – two. Alban being told in French by Christophe – as Jim did not speak French – three in. Gerd smiling as he shook hands, we had four out of four so far. Bruce was in tears – but had a huge smile. 5 down three to go. I was next – 6 in, and look at Christian and Alfredo. They were on cloud 9. We had done it. All 8 had passed. Hugs, smiles and tears as we shared in our individual and group feelings.

Out the corner of my eye I saw Bruce go over to shake hands with Christophe after he was given his OWSI certificate.  Much later over a coffee – and it WAS coffee he shared what he had said.

8 individuals turned up in Patong two weeks ago sharing a dream. Scuba Cat Diving made it reality for every one of us. And they added that this was as much their moment to share as ours.

"The life..........."

We had passed and become what we dreamed of becoming – Instructors.  The next few days were spent becoming Specialist Instructors, although I think the socializing was just as important. Hugs from ALL the ScubaCat  team every day.\

By the time we left to head home, the group were deciding what to do next and we’ve gone our separate ways.  Perhaps one day they will have this medium to tell their story.

"New Instructors"

For Bruce and I we are now living our dream. Dive Instructors in Fujairah, near Dubai. We couldn’t settle back in Scotland and we took an offer to run a 5* Center as our first job. Look up adventuredivers.ae to see what we are doing. Are we loving it – YES. Would we change anything – NO. Do we have the best office in the world – YOU bet we do.

"New Life"

This is a little of my journey with ScubaCat. I cannot say how much the support we had, – and still have from them has helped. Bruce wrote to and commended them, look for the “Certificate of Excellence” on the wall. Its not the only one, but it shows that the ScubaCat way IS THE BEST WAY. They don’t teach you how to be a Dive Instructor. They help you become a GOOD Dive Instructor and there is a huge difference.  Some IDCs teach you how to pass the IE. ScubaCat teach give you the knowledge, the skills and the abilities to pass the IE well. And that’s the ScubaCat way.

"Thanks Bruce"

Sarah, Christophe,  Christoph, Gerry, Andreas – and ALL the team are there when YOU need THEM. Their skills are to bring the best out in YOU. Platinum Course Director is the highest accolade – Scuba Cat Diving has many awards. If you want to be a Course Director follow the way that they do it at Scuba Cat Diving.

If you want to be an Open Water Scuba Instructor and  run a small dive center – speak to Sarah. She runs a Dive Center with the IDC centre.

"Scuba Cat Diving"

As Bruce said to – ” – The way the world learns to dive, Scuba Cat Diving– The way should encourage ALL centers to work”

Thanks again Ceri for sharing this with us………………