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Current and
Ex-Military Testimonials
First of all, on behalf of the
sailors onboard USS RUSSELL (DDG-59) I would like to send out an underemphasized
THANK YOU to Steve and his crew of finely tuned diving machines! Mermaids
Dive
Center
made many dreams become reality for over 20 young men and women by attempting
and completing an overwhelming request. After contacting Mermaids via email, we
coordinated some arrangements to get some diving experience for my shipmates and
I while in port Thailand. Mermaids Dive
Center
is unbelievably REMARKABLE! They are a
relatively small dive center with the most knowledgeable, courteous and
understanding personnel. Not everyday is there a request to get 20-25 people
Dive Certified within a 4-5 day period with those people working 3 different
shifts. I have no doubt that this task was painstakingly difficult (working WELL
outside of normal business hours), yet Mermaids staff remained focused on safety
and comprehension, but maintained a fun-loving outlook for everyone. The
experience that I, myself, endured shall stay instilled that I may remember the
great times that I had with new friends; whether it was the boat facilities, the
smiles on everyone’s faces, the encounters in the land of buoyancy or the
wonderful food that we were blessed to have between dives. I will recommend
Mermaids to ANYONE who asks, whether is would be a grandmother of 85 years young
or my son. Thank you very much to Steve, Russ, Tom and the rest of the Mermaids
crew for one of the most unforgettable adventures of my lifetime.
Mermaids
Dive Center
…our hats are off to you!
Russell A. Ross CTT1(SW)
LIFE
AFTER RETIREMENT
I retired after 25 years in the U.S. Army that decision was a scary one so many unknowns. Fortunately I found myself in Pattaya Thailand with a lot of free time on my hands. I had my future road map narrowed down to teaching English or scuba diving. Needless to say teaching English just seemed like way to much work so I set out to the local dive shops to do some enquiring.
Know as an aviation safety officer I’ve spent the majority of my military career watching soldiers and doing risk assessments looking at all aspects of an operation to ensure its success and safety. I haven’t spent much time in the water since my youth and the time I did spend was on the Mississippi river, I had no ocean experience. I have some disabilities from my service time, and felt unsure of my physical capabilities. Well, after several days of looking around I found the dive shop that fit into my comfort zone. This was my first encounter with really good staff. I explained all my concerns to the guys and I knew after that they would take good care of
me. I ended up enrolling in the open water course and continued with Mermaids Dive Center through to instructor. I plan on returning there to continue my scuba education, you just couldn’t ask for a better group of people or learning
environment. No matter what your plans are: swimming, snorkeling, scuba, or just wanting to ride the boat and watch to see if it’s for you, you will find it to be relaxing and someone will be there to answer your questions. I found scuba diving to be enjoyable hobby for several reasons, I was exercising, seeing something new the underwater world, and meeting people from all over the world. The friendships made and the good times had by all during these days made me realize that scuba diving is enjoyed by all.
CWO Kevin L. Wagand ( U.S. Army, Retired)
Recently,
myself and several of the guys from my ship got basic scuba certified by the
Mermaids
Dive
Center in Pattaya Beach, Thailand. The experience was amazing.
The instructors took the time to make sure everyone was comfortable and
had the basic understanding required before we ever jumped into the water.
Once in the water they went over every skill as long as needed to ensure
that everyone was comfortable and had successfully completed it.
Along
with being excellent dive instructors / teachers, they made the experience very enjoyable. Whether it was the great lunches, joking around on the boat, or just
taking an interest in getting to know us all, they went out of their way to make
the experience incredibly fun. They
knew that we had an odd schedule being on a US Navy Warship, and they adjusted
theirs, so that everyone who wanted to get certified would have the opportunity.
I can't say enough good things about my experience with Mermaids.
John
Plant STG2(SW)
I
enjoyed the fact that they were very friendly and always willing to answer
questions. Kat was very helpful in
the final stages of getting qualified. Without her help, I don't think I would
know as much as I do now. I have been able to complete 12 dives since the
certification and owe all of my experiences to the Divemasters and Instructors
at Mermaids.
Chris
Jackson EN2(SW)
Just
a quick note to tell you Thanks again for the Top Shelf service your shop
provided us while in Thailand. Please pass on to your entire crew our many thanks. Jenny, Alex, and
Dave were great on our Hardeep dives Sun, and the crew Friday was top notch.
MERMAIDS
ROCKS IN PATTAYA!!!
Best
wishes on your continued business success,
Regards,
Marvin
Thiele
Okinawa
Japan
The instructors of
Mermaids
Dive Center provided an exciting and stimulating experience. Their evident expertise and
ability to instill proper technique in students provided an extreme level of
comfort. I send my many thanks to them, and look forward to many dives in the
future.
Chris Kooken STG3
The instructors at Mermaids
Dive Center were very helpful in making sure that all the students were
comfortable and I felt very safe knowing that there was more than one instructor
looking out for my safety. They also took us to different dive sites to give us
a different feel in all types of water currents. I would recommend Mermaids Dive
Center to anyone who will be in that area.
Vaughn
Rogers DC2
Mermaids
Dive
Center offered a relaxing day-diving experience that was extremely affordable!
The employees were courteous and helpful making the entire experience the
way a pleasure dive should be: Pleasurable!
Robert Burke ENS
Peter,
I
just wanted to thank you and your staff there at Mermaids. This was simply
an awesome experience and I can't thank you enough. Hopefully I will get
the chance again one day to come and dive with Mermaids again. Thanks
again
Zane
AZ1(AW)
Zane F. Garrison
HSL-37 DET 1/USS Chafee Air Department LPO
garrisza@ddg90.navy.mil
zane.garrison@navy.mil
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