There are several places in Patong that are frequented by Scuba Cat Diving  Instructors and customers. Perhaps you want to come and join us after diving.

COYOTE

 

Coyote is a perfect place to meet up and have a few sundowners while watching the sunset over Patong Bay.

This popular bar and restaurant is found above Starbucks next to the Ban Thai Hotel. It has a lovely outside area as well as the air conditioned inside.

Coyote serves Mexican and Southwest US cuisine including the ever popular dishes such as quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, burgers, ribs and steaks to mention a few.

The bar is renowned for the extensive list of exotic margaritas, over 75 to choose from. If you want to indulge in fruit juices just ask for a virgin margarita..delicious! Happy hour is offered from 11am to closing time.

The décor is traditional Mexican with many of the artifacts being imported to give the authentic feel. The restaurant can cater for parties.There is also a special VIP room available for private events and parties. There are 2 American pool tables inside. Coyote offers good value, pleasant atmosphere and welcomes families.

The American chef, Matt  is extremely helpful and will cater for people with dietary requirements.

CHICAGO STEAK HOUSE

 

Chicago Steak House is situated above Coyote.

This luxurious, intimate restaurant with it’s rich mahogany and crimson leather booths offers great value. The restaurant offers finest quality imported lamb and beef. The beef is Australian grain fed dry aged Aberdeen Angus. With every main course there are different styles of potato, gravy and steak sauces to compliment. There is also a fantastic salad bar to accompany the meal.

The restaurant offers an extensive wine and cocktail list. The food is prepared by an American chef to the highest standard. He also offers a Chef’s special that starts at 295 baht.

Eat and drink whilst listening to the sounds of the big band era. All in all an experience not to missed.

MOLLY MALONE’S

 

Molly Malones, locally known as Molly’s, has become an institution in Patong being frequented by locals and tourists alike. It opened it’s doors on the Beach Road in Patong in 1999.

 

 

The Irish management have imported a huge amount of different beers and stouts including Guiness, Kilkenny, Heinken and Magners cider. The food on offer is traditional pub grub and Thai food. Beware… the portions are large.

Mollys is open from 10am till late, but you can buy an early bird breakfast at 99 baht from 9am to 12. The pub has 3 main areas, outside where you can watch the world go by, inside with the air conditioning and large flat screens that broadcast all major sports events and finally the dedicated pool hall.

One of the main attractions of Mollys is the live music that starts at 10pm every night. The versatile classic rock band has become a legend with an extensive selection of songs from the 70’s to the present day. They will even do requests. Molly Malones is also family friendly and welcomes children.

SCRUFFY MURPHY’S

 

Scruffy Murphy’s is the sister bar to Molly Malones. It is conveniently situated in the heart of Patong’s night life in Bangla Road.

The range of imported beers and stouts including Guiness, Kilkenny and Magners cider reflects the Irishness of the bar. The bar has many flat screens placed around the walls of the pub, which broadcast all the major sporting events from around the world. There is a small seating area outside which faces directly onto Bangla Road, a great place to “people watch”. Scruffy Murphy has an excellent range of pub grub and Thai food. It’s guaranteed that you won’t go hungry as the portions are huge. A 99baht breakfast is also on offer. Scruffys also offer a 99 baht happy hour on draught pints and cocktail specials as well as double vodka red bull everyday at 99 baht. There is a resident band that plays every night from 10pm.

This is a great pub with a great atmosphere.

Friday….

The IE starts I have Finlay on the table, the Shark Project Aware mascot, (I had kinda stolen it during the IDC), the surroundings were beautiful it was the first time I had ever done an exam with flowers on the table and a table cloth, time and effort had gone in to making this a nice place to do the exams.

There were some speeches and some motivational stuff then we were given our folders with our skills for the next couple of days, I don’t really get that excited about things but when I saw the skills I had to present I really could of jumped in the air and shouted YESSSSSSSSS

Knowledge Development Presentation

• Dive Master Manual, Knowledge Review Chapter 5 Q8

Confined water teaching presentation

• Demonstrate Rescue Breathing Using Pocket Mask only

Open Water Teaching Presentation

• Mask removal and replace
• Knot Tying Sheet Bend
• Rescue Demonstration Mouth to mouth

And 5 skills from the skill circuit.

First exam

OPEN BOOK STANDARDS

Question one, I knew the answer, and didn’t need to look it up, but I did anyway just to make sure many of the answers were like this, still I reminded myself not to assume I was right and double checked. I finished handed in my paper and got told take 10 have a break then come back, so off I went had a drink (coffee) then came back.

Second Exam

DIVE THEORY

I finished with a lot of time to spare, I did not go back and check my answers I find that when I do that I end up doubting my original answer and getting it wrong so last box ticked and I handed it in I waited while they marked it finally ….. Congratulations you passed I had scored high on all of them lowest mark was 85% I scored 95% on standards too.

Relief now all I had too do was prepare for the next day,

I went back to the classroom with Roy and Marc and prepared for the next day’s class room presentation, and our slates for the pool.

Saturday

Confined Water

Red team (that was us) were first in the pool, I was relieved I wanted this over with, I swore that if I screwed up on the skill circuit I was just going to grab a load of weights and not come up ever, no way was I going to go back to Big Vin and say I failed, it was going fine until I did remove equipment and replace, I missed a release and yes the examiner saw it… now with Vin that would have been a 1… shiiiiit still just keep going.

Confined Water Presentation :  Mouth to pocket mask. I did my demonstration then had the students do it, 1st mistake pocket mask upside down spotted and corrected in about 5 seconds flat, second student dunked the head, I saw it coming next thing I know I was given the cut and skill over.. Fastest cut of the day … I knew that was a pass…

Scores were 4.8, and 23/25 not perfect but high.

Back to the hotel (Kata Beach Resort) ….

Knowledge Development presentation

I went second out of our group. This was not my best subject, lots to remember and lots of places to get it horribly wrong, but Sarah and Sean had done their jobs well Point by point I hit the critical attributes , Passed second highest marks…..4.6

That was it for Saturday that left Sunday, I knew that the game wasn’t over there was still time to screw up.

Open Water

Sunday again we were first in but first time to do an awesome briefing, this is where it matters almost more than in the water, while nobody wants a bad score it can happen, but a good briefing and de-briefing can save the day, I wanted points on my side just in case, I had been prepared well during the IDC by Sarah and Sean now all I had to do was apply it , briefing went well so as I swam out to the dive site I was hopeful but still mindful that almost anything could go wrong. One of my team mates was talking about skills, I told her shh you know it don’t wind yourself up, yeah but… no shh I started singing she joined in and chilled we got to the patch of sand laughing dropped the line in and were as ready as we could be.

 

Rescue Scenario

All was going well then a release on my victims BCD wouldn’t release; damn I missed a breath, immediately gave two breaths, no prompting and carried on….

Score 5

 Under water

I had dived this site and knew how much space wasn’t there, I swear it’s the teeniest patch of sand you have ever seen especially with 5 of you in it and skills to do.

People took their goes then it was my turn, 1st guy fumbled with his mask, cut redo…

Remember … damn he did it again… redo oh crap this isn’t good and again, stress levels are going up, am I wasting time? Have I nailed it? I could almost see it falling apart right here… stop breath focus, briefing was good just get this guy done and move on…job done, next one mask replace upside down… stop redo… remember… he got it right second time…. Up to the surface back to the beach

Swimming back I knew in my heart I had done enough, but I had to sit on the excitement I still had the de-brief to do. Stress levels around me got higher, I stopped listening I needed to focus on my de-brief I wanted a 5 that mask thing was bothering me.

On shore, I wrote up my debrief. De kitted and packed my gear…then it was time

I listened to the others then gave mine…. Well done Ivan you passed 4.8

That night I got a text message from BIG VIN… a man of few words, he did not disappoint ….”Well done mate welcome to the club”. Praise indeed.

IE Over and I passed it was the 25th of March 2012 and I had been at this since mid way through January. Final Hurdle the IE Party at Molly Malones………….

I stayed in Phuket until May team teaching and guiding, I also took some Speciality Instructor Certification with Scuba Cat.

It’s been one hell of a journey, and many people to say thank you too.

So I’ll just say thank you to every one that has added to the experience and knowledge I have acquired, ALL the Instructors and Dive Masters at Scuba Cat.

To Big Vin, for giving me all those 1’s and for sharing his knowledge…  If you ever want to become a DM I really don’t think you could ask for a better Instructor anywhere in the world.

Little Vince, For showing me more about how to help the qualified instructors during my Divemaster training, from setting up bouylines to accounting.

Kiwi, for being a mine of information and having time to answer even the dumbest of questions.

To Sarah and Sean for giving us hell and preparing us to go through the IE with the highest scores.

To my partner Cameo, for making it possible for me to be here and keeping our world running at home.

And to my Dive Buddy, Patience that sat and helped me go through all the e-mails and number crunching at the beginning and had faith in me during my journey.