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Learn-in-Asia Sitemap

The sitemap for Mermaids Dive Center below will guide you effortlessly to all of the important pages within this web from the scuba diving internship offers,  a days diving or snorkeling in a destination of your choice in Thailand, live-aboard scuba dive trips, tourism articles in Thailand, taxi transfers between Pattaya and Bangkok and the photo gallery for example. Please do take a moment to look through the links as it will make the navigation of this web site much easier - it really is quite comprehensive.

Scuba Diving Internship Packages and related pages

• The Internship Home Page - A list of the scuba diving internship and trainee programs that we offer in Pattaya, Thailand.

• The Master Scuba Diver Internship - A scuba diving internship for the recreational diver. This gives up to PADI Rescue Diver rating with 5 specialty dive courses making the intern the highest non-professional scuba diving ranking of Master Scuba Diver.

• The Dive Master Internship - The first rank on the PADI professional dive ladder. This professional dive traineeship program takes you all the way from your current dive status or PADI open water diver to Divemaster. Also included are 5 specialty dive courses. Go-pro with PADI.

• Divemaster - Instructor Internship - This is for those that are already dive masters but require more than just a regular IDC and IE. This will make you highly employable in the dive industry.

• The OWSI (Open Water Scuba Instructor) Internship - Become a first class highly employable PADI Scuba Dive Instructor with this fully inclusive internship. Our active dive job placement program will set you out into your scuba diving career fully prepared.

  • Instructor Schedule - Month to month loose schedule to becoming and Open Water Scuba Diving instructor.

  • Gold & Platinum Diving Life Up Grade Packages - Upgrades including ERDI, PSAI Self-sufficiency diver course and Full-Face Communication Courses, DSAT Gas Blender Training, DSAT Deep Diver Course, ASSET Technician Training, Dolphin Re-breather Diver and Advanced Tri-Mix Diver.

• PADI MSDT (Master Scuba Diver Trainer) and PADI Staff Instructor Internships - Some new instructors feel it necessary to increase their chance of dive jobs and a solid scuba career to continue a little further with added dive teaching experience...

• Technical Diving Package No# 1 - The Tec 1 scuba diving internship course will get you making staged decompression dives to 45 metres using air and Nitrox. Ideal for the avid ship wreck diver.

• Technical diving Package No# 2 - The Tec 2 will take you diving air, Nitrox and tri-mix (trimix) gas blends. Dive interns will be diving staged decompression dives to 55 metres on air and Nitrox, mixed gases and staged decompression dives to 90 metres using tri-mix.

• ASSET (Association of Scuba Service Engineers and Technicians) - Internship course designed for the dive instructor that wishes to be as qualified in the dive store as in the water training.

  • Aims and benefits - Aims of the ASSET course and benefits to the members.

  • Standards - ASSET standards and IDEST approval.

  • DITC (Dive Industry Technician Course) - Scuba dive technician internship.

  • Scuba Cylinder Testing Technicians Course -  The course outlines all the current regulations to test DOT approved scuba diving cylinders which represent the majority of all cylinders, found in South East Asia together with information on the latest European Standards regarding cylinder testing.

  • Scuba Engineer Assessment - Are you a good scuba service technician?

  • Technician Training Packages Outlined - ASSET, Nitrox, cylinder testing technician course packages and prices.

• Ex-Army - Forces Re-Settlement Dive Training - We have had many ex-forces join us for scuba diving training to begin a new career in diving.

• Military diver and Commercial diver cross over to PADI - PADI Guidelines on crossovers.

• *One Off* - The ERD (Emergency Response Diver) program - Mermaids had the opportunity to train emergency response divers with the use of FFM Full-face mask underwater communications and tether usage. Blacked out masks and serious stress tests - character building to say the least! PERT (Professional Emergency Response Team) - (team #2) (team #3 4 and 5)

• Become a handicapped scuba diving instructor *NEW* - disabled divers course.

• Scuba diving resort operation specialist and dive business management training *NEW* - Dive jobs and resort management broken down into 8 modules to ensure maximum employability in a dive resort environment.

  • Ex-Army and current forces testimonials - Military personnel dive experiences with LIA / Mermaids.

• PHOTOS of the INTERNS IDC's and the IE's (Instructor exams) through Mermaids CDC Pattaya Thailand - The "Diving Life" program:

  • 2005 - IDC - January 2005 - IDC - February 2005 - IDC - May 2005 - IDC - June 2005 - IDC - July 2005 - IDC - August 2005 - IDC - September 2005 - IDC - October 2005 - IDC - December 2005 - 100% pass rate for 2005 with 89 candidates).

  • 2006 - IDC - January 2006 - IDC - March 2006 - IDC - April 2006 - IDC - May 2006 - IDC - June 2006 - IDC - July - 2006 - August 2006 - IDC - September 2006 - November 2006 - December 2006

  • 2007 - IDC - January 2007 - IDC March 2007 - IDC April 2007 - IDC May 2007 - IDC June 2007 - IDC July 2007 - IDC August 2007 - IDC September 2007 - IDC November 2007 - IDC December 2007

  • 2008 - IDC Dec/Jan 2008 - IDC Feb 2008 - IDC March 2008 - IDC April 2008 - May 2008

• Photos of interns (TESTIMONIALS) - all of the dive intern pictures since January 2004. You can see the mix of interns that we have and also I shall be updating with testimonials as soon as I can.

• New Course Directors - Mark Slingo and Desi make PADI Course Directors through the Mermaids system.

• Scuba Diving Career Development Loans - Financial Aid for divers from Great Britain wishing to become a career professional diver. Mermaids try to make entering the scuba diving industry as easy for all as possible.

Check out the overall PHOTO gallery here

Internship related Pages - Important

• FAQ Section - *In-Depth* Frequently Asked Questions about the scuba diving Internship programs, the facilities and Thailand in general. Info on air flights, living expenses, education costs, dive insurance policies, health care, the internship accommodation and much more...

• Day to day expenses - The cost of living in Pattaya, Thailand. Motorbike rental, food, transport and entertainment etc - an overview.

• List of Equipment Supplied with the Internships - All of the dive equipment supplied is for the intern to keep after scuba training.

• Pictures and details of the Accommodation with the Internships - Pictures and details of the intern / trainee accommodation / lodgings in Thailand. Accommodation upgrades are available for couples if required.

  • Upgrade Apartments - Interns upgrade accommodation.

• Training Facilities - The PADI CDC (Career Development Center) facilities that we use to train our interns.

• Training Sites - What makes Chonburi, Rayong, Pattaya in Thailand such a great scuba diving training area?

• BSAC, CMAS, SSI, and SAA Scuba Diver - PADI Crossover equivalent scuba courses.

• Scuba Intern Mentor Program - How we handle so many scuba diving interns at any one time.

• Stuart McCash - an average intern with 'dive' and ambition.

• A Typical Day - The typical length of the diving day.

• Downloads - Downloads outlining the dive internships (and more) that can be printed out in brochure format.

• References - References of past and present dive interns. We can provide a list of students that can be contacted also for references if required.

• Free PADI Divemaster Course - The truth behind some unscrupulous dive industry marketing.

• Stephen Blumenthal - Our late resident PADI Course Director - The direction of the internships was led by Steve...

• Stephen Burton - Our resident Technical Director and ASSET trainer.

• Scuba Dive Training Internship Checklist - Questions to ask your scuba dive training center about their internships.

• Diver medical check - check that you are in good health for scuba diving training here.

• One-to-One dive instruction - on request for divers that require this.

• Divers Jobs partnership with Mermaids to create Diving Employment Service...

• Education visa from Laos - Gain a Student Visa from Vientiane Laos.

Misc Pages

• Awards for Mermaids Dive - PADI award for recognition of Diver acquisition. US Navy league award for sponsor for many years..

• Swim with the Dolphins in Chantaburi, Thailand

• Scuba diving with Sharks - Pattaya Aquarium and Sealife center.

• 2007 Michael Nichols Treasure Hunt - Underwater Treasure...

Regular Scuba Diving Pages

• Pattaya Dive Sites Overview - Scuba diving and snorkeling sites in Pattaya - near and far islands.

• Shipwrecks in Pattaya - Overview of the Hardeep, the Bremen and a link to the HMS Krarm ship wrecks in Pattaya and Sattahip, Thailand.

• The Khram Shipwreck Pattaya - Pattaya's great penetrable ship wrecks here allow for superb wreck specialty training. (A days diving on the Khram - A night dive on the Khram shipwreck).

• The HTMS Kut (RTN Kood) Pattaya, Thailand Ship Wreck - Sunk 17th September 2006 to celebrate the King's accession to the throne and also lay a second artificial reef in Pattaya.

• Pattaya Dive Training summed up - What makes Chonburi, Rayong, Pattaya in Thailand such a great scuba diving training area?

• PADI Scuba Diving Courses - From Discover Scuba, Open water Course, Advanced Course, EFR (Medical Course), Rescue Diver, Specialty Courses and PADI Nitrox.

• PADI E-Learning Online Diver course - Learn the Open Water Academics prior to arrival at your dive destination.

• Costs - Prices for scuba diving courses and days diving around the Pattaya, Thailand area.

• Holiday Diving Suggestions - Coming to Pattaya for a holiday or vacation? A diver already or you wish to learn - check out some Pattaya diving and training suggestions. (complete dive packages).

• Technical Diving (Just some of the DSAT programs offered)

  • DSAT Tec Deep Basic Distinctive Specialty Diver Course

  • DSAT Deep Tec divers program

  • DSAT Gas Blender Course

  • DSAT Tri-mix divers program

  • *NEW* Discover Cavern Diving program (Apr 2006)

• ANDI Cave Diving Courses - explore dive caverns and caves with the ANDI set of cave diver and cavern diver courses.

• DAN Divers Alert Network Courses - a new suite of courses on the medical side of scuba diving.

  • DAN - Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries

  • *NEW* DAN - On-site Neurological Assessment for Divers

  • *NEW* DAN - Automated External Defibrillators

  • *NEW* DAN - First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries

  • *NEW* DAN - First Aid - Level 1 - Emergency Life Support

• Dive Course Information - A breakdown scuba courses - very detailed with downloadable and printable versions. The scuba diving courses covered are:

  • PADI DSD (Discover Scuba Diving) - 1 day experience into diving

  • PADI Open Water Course

  • PADI Advanced Open Water Course

    • PADI Underwater Photography Specialty Divers Course

    • PADI Deep Diver Specialty Course

    • PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty Course

    • PADI Wreck Diver Specialty Course

    • PADI Nitrox Specialty Diver Course

    • PADI Night Diver Specialty Course

    • PADI Underwater Hunter Diver Course

    • PADI Search and Recovery Specialty Course

    • PADI Underwater Naturalist Specialty Course

    • PADI Multilevel Diver Specialty Course

    • PADI Equipment Specialist Course

    • PADI Drift diver course

    • PADI Peak performance buoyancy diver course

    • *NEW* PADI Digital Underwater Photo specialty course (Feb 2006)

  • PADI Rescue Diver Course

  • PADI Divemaster Course

  • Instructor Prerequisite and crossover courses

  • Full Face Mask Dive Course & Self-sufficiency diver course

  • *NEW* PADI Advanced Search and Recovery Diver Course

  • *NEW* PADI Dry suit scuba diving course

• Scuba Service - Scuba tank and equipment repair and service facility. Prices outlined.

• Nitrox Diving - An Explanation in to the basics of diving with enriched dive gases.

• PSAI Unique Courses - The only facility in ASIA to offer these combined courses - PSAI Self Sufficiency Diver Course and PSAI Full-Face Mask Communication Diver Courses.

• IANTD Instructor Trainer for Thailand - Steve Burton (Technical Director) made Thailand's exclusive IT for IANTD.

Liveaboard Dive Boats

• Live Aboard Dive Trips - Dive trips made to the Similan Islands from Phuket in the Andaman Sea on a live-aboard style scuba diving boat.

  • The Boat - The Really Wicked Witch Dive Boat that we use to dive the Similan Islands.

  • The Boat technical Information - The technical specifications of the Really Wicked Witch dive boat.

  • The Schedule - Schedule of boat departures and the dive trip cost.

    • Friends Dive Trips (Dive trips for buddies and interns).

      • Friends Trip report March 2004  - I have detailed many of the "friends Live-aboard" dive trips that I have run. the March 2004 Trip I decided to make public to show what fun we have.

      • Friends Trip October 2004 - Another wonderful Phuket, Similan and Surin island live aboard dive trip.

      • Friends Trip August 2004 - Puerto Gallera, Sabang - the Philippines.

      • Friends Trip March 2005 - Similan and Surin islands trip - interesting to compare with other trips after the December 2004 Tsunami.

      • Friends Trip May 2005 - The Similans Islands at the end of the season for a friends trip with 13 Dive interns on the boat.

      • Friends Trip November 2005 - Similans and Surin Island trip with buddies, interns and instructors - all friends of course. Photos of the dive sites and the attendees.

      • Friends Trip May 2006 - Similans Islands out of season - great diving with NO other dive boats or divers for the entire trip!

      • Friends Trip November 2006 - Similans trip and a stay on Phuket/ Phi Phi.

      • Friends Trip Phi Phi Thailand, Feb 2007

      • Friends Similans Live Aboard - 2008 Similans islands live aboard trip for Mermaids. (Similans Pictures page 1, Similans Photos page 2.

• The Chok Suree - The second Similans live-aboard boat.

  • The Chok Suree - Schedule and prices.

• Khao Lak Similans Service - Speed boat service from Khao Lak (Kao Lak), Thailand to the Similan and Surin Islands and the Boonsung Tin dredger ship wreck. Day and over night dive trips available. Great dive service for diving the Similans day trips and live-aboards. 

Pattaya Coral Reef Clean Ups and diving environmental projects:

• Hardeep Ship Wreck Samesan - Marker Buoy Project

• Scuba diving interns assisting the Tsunami victims - Tsunami clean up efforts.

• Reef Clean Up - PADI's big clean up day.

• Earth Day - Program involving all environmentally aware subjects.

• Project Aware - Go Eco Clean Up Project.

• Pattaya Beach Clean Up.

• Pattaya Clean Up - Kueng Badaan.

• Pattaya Clean Up - Kueng Badaan Continued.

• Coral Reef Check - Coral reef survey. Study of the corals and marine life over a transect line.

• Coral Reef Check Eco Diver Course - learn to study corals marine life and collect data.

• PADI International Reef Cleanup Day - Koh Sak, Pattaya, Thailand. PADI International Clean up day is celebrated as a divers attack on garbage annually. Of course Mermaids Dive Center make coral reef cleanups more frequently than this.

• Net entangled on the HTMS Khram Ship Wreck - Mermaids Divers release the ship from danger.

• Chantaburi Thailand Reef Clean - Beach and Reef clean up in Chanterburi province.

• Koh Sak - Reef Clean Up.

• 2008 Earth Day - Reef Clean Up on Koh Kleung Baadan

Scuba Diving Sabang, Puerto Gallera, Philippines:

• Scuba Diving Sabang - The Philippines:

  • Scuba Diving Sites in Sabang - Sabang Dive Sites

  • The August 2004 "friends Trip" to Sabang - August 2004 Philippine "Friends Trip"

  • Photos on land and underwater - Philippines critters and Sabang, Philippines topside (taken by Jeremiah)

• The Sabang Inn:

  • The Scuba Diving Resort - Sabang, Philippine Scuba Diving Resort

  • The Sabang Inn Accommodation - The resort lodgings / rooms

  • Special "Learn-in-Asia" packages - 5 and 10 day dive holiday packages

• The Philippines.

  • Trains, planes and automobiles - Getting to the Philippines and Sabang

  • The Island hosting Puerto Gallera - Oriental Mindoro

  • Philippines travel - hints, tips and notes

  • The Filipinos - History & People

  • The local cuisine - Philippine Food (It's not just Spanish food cooked badly by the English!).

  • Tagalog - say a few Filipino words

Diving Miscellaneous

• *Must See!* - Photos - Check out pictures of the interns and the diving that we experience here in Pattaya. Photos are thanks to the dive trainee Lee featuring many of the guys and gals here amongst many other photographers since... We cover the Diving, nightlife, Thai New Year, Holiday trips - unique Dive Courses there is a lot to see - and all current.
• Cylinders - Scuba Diving Cylinder Information for your safety.
• Poseidon Equipment - The Poseidon range of scuba diving regulators featured here - ideal for technical divers.
• Glossary - List of scuba diving terminology and the meaning.
• PADI Dive Structure - The PADI Scuba Diving course structure from recreational diver to professional diving level.
• Treasure Hunt 2004 - The interns and divers battle it out for big treasure prizes.
• Hyperbaric Chamber Tours - Mermaids has regular visits to Sattahip Recompression Chamber for extended knowledge.
• Technical Diving Articles - Steve Burton writes interestingly about tech (tek) diving.
  • (Article 2) - The pain principal - Oxygen Management
  • (Article 3) - The pain principal - Nitrogen, Helium and other hard drugs of the deep

General Miscellaneous

• Bangkok - Pattaya Hotel or Airport Taxi Transfers - Taxi and minibus transfer details between Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand. A car service open to all - divers or not. (Clean and affordable transport).
• TEFL courses Thailand - Take the TEFL (teaching English as a Foreign Language) in Thailand.

• About Thailand - Information about Thailand generally from the Flag, climate to the Monarchy and the language.

• News about Thai waters - Updated when ever the news on Thai waters comes in - usually bi-daily.

• Motorbikes in Pattaya / Bangkok - Thailand

• Female traveler - A female interns travels of South East Asia.

• The number one guesthouse in Bangkok - Great room rates, internet, pool and restaurant.

• Holidays for the disabled in Thailand - Gain some advice on buying a motorbike in Thailand.

• Pattaya football team - we should really stick to diving!

• Scuba Diving Thailand articles written by P J (Peter from P J Scuba)

• PADI Professional conduct to gain dive work - the key elements to gaining dive jobs and a career within the dive industry.

• List of Thai Consulates - Thai Embassies world wide.

• Brief overview of the Songkran - The Thai New Year celebration.

• Relocate abroad - A brief writing of relocating abroad. Moving and working abroad, overseas - starting a new life in tropical paradise seems to be a highly sought after goal. (A career in diving is attractive too:-).

• Sailing Charters - Sail boat and catamaran voyages around the Gulf of Thailand. The boats can be chartered for the day or you can join one of our special live-aboard trips. Prices subject to change.

• Charter Cruising Party Boat - Private hire or charter live-aboard boat for anyone wishing to use the live-aboard facilities. Well equipped for scuba diving, snorkeling, island hoping, cruising, over night, long haul, deepsea (deep sea) fishing and general party boat was proudly launched in December 2003.

• Superb House for Rent in Pattaya Thailand - 3 bedroom holiday accommodation at extremely good prices.

LIA - Scuba Diving tuition - we take YOUR dive education seriously. Begin your scuba career on the right fin.