Ocean Pro Divers
Ocean Pro Divers
4.5
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Ko Lipe, Thailand
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
107 reviews
Excellent
86
Very good
13
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
2
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Linn
Stockholm, Sweden1 contribution
Oct 2024 • Friends
Me and my friend dived and took a diving certificate with Ben as instructor! We dived seven dives. I had never dived before and was a bit nervous but it felt so safe with Ben and all the other employees. Five were so knowledgeable and professional and made me calm then too, they were very good at finding the best places and finding rare fish. We saw lots of cool fish! Stonefish, nurseshark, turtle, seahorse, moray eel and many more! It was so cool and now we want nothing more than to dive, worth every penny 😍 food was included every day, very good food and big lovely boat with a small group of people every dive
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Written November 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian G
3 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
We had two fundives with Ocean Pro. Everything was perfectly organised - the booking, the equipment, the briefing. Had a great day with our instructor Céline - merci beaucoup!
Written June 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rene Felipe G
Santiago, Chile5 contributions
I had an amazing fun dive experience. Safe, relax and of course enjoying the beauty under the water!
Ceci, Noi and SJ are a great team, they know what they do and they reflect genuine passion for their work. Thank you!
Ceci, Noi and SJ are a great team, they know what they do and they reflect genuine passion for their work. Thank you!
Written May 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
luke5_007
Africa27 contributions
May 2011 • Solo
Took a short trip for a few days at the end of last season from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe to check out the diving. Great shop and very helpful staff when I first inquired about a few days of diving. As a dive instructor was quite happy with price for 3 days of diving and they let me keep all my equipment at the shop and even recommended a place to stay.
Out on the first day diving, the boat and everything was good until we jumped in for one of the dives in the complete wrong area and ended up swimming against a very strong current taking us 10 minutes to reach the reef even. After 5 more minutes the Instructor leading the dive had to cancel the dive as some divers were nearly low on air and the current was too strong to swim into and there was no possibility to go with it. After asking why this happened learned that the owner chose that dive site even though with the tides/currents, it was not a good option. We easily could have picked a far better site or dropped in on the opposite side of the small island for the conditions (this was stated to me by the experienced dive pros working on board the boat that day who had disagreed with the choice).
The following day I was diving with the owner's wife (Thai) who is not a qualified divemaster but a very experienced diver. We were doing a strong drift dive with a very mixed group; myself (Instructor), an advanced diver (with camera) and 2 newly qualified divers who had never dived in a current before. The dive was amazing until the dive guide began stopping in the current with no cover so the photographer could take pictures of macro life (not the best option for a strong drift dive). The guide used a reef hook to hold herself in place and everyone else had to fin hard, as there was no cover from the current, to stay with the group which in turn used a lot more air. The point of drift dives is to use the current to your advantage and I was beginning to get frustrated at spending another dive swimming into current when this time we made the right plan and the dive was briefed as a drift but did not dive our plan. As I began nearing low air I glanced at one of the newly qualified divers SPG thinking he would be low already and we were still a bit deep (18m). He was at the furthest point down current again struggling to swim hard against it to stay close to the group as the guide was hooked to the reef helping the photographer get a nudibranch photo. I saw that he had NO AIR left at the same moment he looked down and began to panic! I rushed to him giving my alternate air source and then had to get the attention of the guide to say we needed to go up. With the adrenaline of the moment and now 2 bigger guys using the last of my air he had to switch to the guide's alternate, leaving me to put up the surface marker buoy I was carrying so the boat would know where to pick us up. This situation was extremely dangerous as he ran out of air that deep and down current making it impossible for him to get to a buddy's alternate without them coming to him. It could have easily been avoided several ways. Knowing it was the customer's first drift dive and being inexperienced other than the Open Water course the guide should have checked air more often and possibly stayed a bit closer to them or focused more attention on them instead of the experienced photographer. Also if we would have gone with the current as was planned and briefed to us before the dive, the air would not have been used as quickly as it was with all the stopping. Even though as an Open Water diver you are qualified to dive on your own, this area of the world typically includes a dive guide to help show you the dive sites as well as make the dive safer for you. This couple diving likely would have never attempted this dive had it been on their own. When back on the boat the diver and the dive guide both thanked me over an over. This accident could have very easily resulted in a serious injury or death!
Everything else about this dive center was good other than the incident mentioned above and they went out of their way to do a night dive for me that evening and gave me a large discount afterwards on all my diving because of what happened. If you are an inexperienced diver be wary of who your guide is, possibly requesting anyone else working there as they are all qualified professionals. The owner's Thai wife is a great guide for experienced divers but not capable of providing safe supervised diving for beginners.
Out on the first day diving, the boat and everything was good until we jumped in for one of the dives in the complete wrong area and ended up swimming against a very strong current taking us 10 minutes to reach the reef even. After 5 more minutes the Instructor leading the dive had to cancel the dive as some divers were nearly low on air and the current was too strong to swim into and there was no possibility to go with it. After asking why this happened learned that the owner chose that dive site even though with the tides/currents, it was not a good option. We easily could have picked a far better site or dropped in on the opposite side of the small island for the conditions (this was stated to me by the experienced dive pros working on board the boat that day who had disagreed with the choice).
The following day I was diving with the owner's wife (Thai) who is not a qualified divemaster but a very experienced diver. We were doing a strong drift dive with a very mixed group; myself (Instructor), an advanced diver (with camera) and 2 newly qualified divers who had never dived in a current before. The dive was amazing until the dive guide began stopping in the current with no cover so the photographer could take pictures of macro life (not the best option for a strong drift dive). The guide used a reef hook to hold herself in place and everyone else had to fin hard, as there was no cover from the current, to stay with the group which in turn used a lot more air. The point of drift dives is to use the current to your advantage and I was beginning to get frustrated at spending another dive swimming into current when this time we made the right plan and the dive was briefed as a drift but did not dive our plan. As I began nearing low air I glanced at one of the newly qualified divers SPG thinking he would be low already and we were still a bit deep (18m). He was at the furthest point down current again struggling to swim hard against it to stay close to the group as the guide was hooked to the reef helping the photographer get a nudibranch photo. I saw that he had NO AIR left at the same moment he looked down and began to panic! I rushed to him giving my alternate air source and then had to get the attention of the guide to say we needed to go up. With the adrenaline of the moment and now 2 bigger guys using the last of my air he had to switch to the guide's alternate, leaving me to put up the surface marker buoy I was carrying so the boat would know where to pick us up. This situation was extremely dangerous as he ran out of air that deep and down current making it impossible for him to get to a buddy's alternate without them coming to him. It could have easily been avoided several ways. Knowing it was the customer's first drift dive and being inexperienced other than the Open Water course the guide should have checked air more often and possibly stayed a bit closer to them or focused more attention on them instead of the experienced photographer. Also if we would have gone with the current as was planned and briefed to us before the dive, the air would not have been used as quickly as it was with all the stopping. Even though as an Open Water diver you are qualified to dive on your own, this area of the world typically includes a dive guide to help show you the dive sites as well as make the dive safer for you. This couple diving likely would have never attempted this dive had it been on their own. When back on the boat the diver and the dive guide both thanked me over an over. This accident could have very easily resulted in a serious injury or death!
Everything else about this dive center was good other than the incident mentioned above and they went out of their way to do a night dive for me that evening and gave me a large discount afterwards on all my diving because of what happened. If you are an inexperienced diver be wary of who your guide is, possibly requesting anyone else working there as they are all qualified professionals. The owner's Thai wife is a great guide for experienced divers but not capable of providing safe supervised diving for beginners.
Written April 20, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ao G
Portland, OR63 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
Unlike others who already finished all the diving online courses and exams, I went in with zero diving background and I got my diving certificate with Ocean Pro within 4 days. One day of studying diving materials, 4 hours of pool session, and two days open water dive trainings. The instructor, Michael, is very experienced and conscientious with all the diving trainings before you go to the real open water to experience the amazing underwater world. If you are looking for a short trip in Sarasota and also are interested in getting your certificate with a zero diving background, Ocean Pro Dive Shop surly is your ideal choice! The shop is only about 2 miles away from Siesta Key Beach as well as the downtown of Sarasota. You will be diving in Bradenton or Spanish Rocks for you open water dives. Once you are really getting into the underwater world, you life would always be different.
Written June 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vy T
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam22 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
I did my Open water course with Ceci; I've never dived before and was a little nervous about the whole idea but Ceci was an amazing instructor and made me feel at ease instantly. She is always very encouraging and patient, pay a lot of attention to details to make sure I understand both the theory and can practice the skills needed very well. The other instructors/divemasters are also very experienced and friendly and fun to be around. The boat was spacious, delicious lunch, briefing and safety checks are done well. Dave, Noi, Rebecca, Tik, and especially Ceci, thanks a lot for the great experience, I hope to visit and dive with you again. À bientôt!!
Written April 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dkny_y2d
Johor Bahru, Malaysia336 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
Compare the rest of the divers, i would suggest that in terms of experience they know the best. Diving with the most experience dive centre can increase your confidence and also you'll be able to enjoy the total diving experience. We have been through several operators in that island. Most of it may offer attractive price, but they do not care about the safety of the divers. Several dive center were empty at that point of time we visited which means we could not got more information about the diving. Which disappointed us. Where as Ocean Pro divers will explain to you everythings from the beginning.
We were transfer to a bigger ship that can accommodate up to 16 divers. With not more than 1 dive guide per diver they can focus on the divers safety.
Dive site in Koh Lipe compare to the rest were so so. Nothing much interesting if you been through several famous dive spot within the SEA region. But The soft corals that koh lipe have - stone henge really impress me. full of soft corals along the reef.
Ocean pro divers do provide meals on board. they'll be doing 2 dives and lunch will be on board. Third dive will be optional mostly dive along the pattaya beach area. Service was great and brieding was clear.
Thanks to Noi, Tik and CC that lead us through the dive site.
We were transfer to a bigger ship that can accommodate up to 16 divers. With not more than 1 dive guide per diver they can focus on the divers safety.
Dive site in Koh Lipe compare to the rest were so so. Nothing much interesting if you been through several famous dive spot within the SEA region. But The soft corals that koh lipe have - stone henge really impress me. full of soft corals along the reef.
Ocean pro divers do provide meals on board. they'll be doing 2 dives and lunch will be on board. Third dive will be optional mostly dive along the pattaya beach area. Service was great and brieding was clear.
Thanks to Noi, Tik and CC that lead us through the dive site.
Written April 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Syahrizal S
Malaysia50 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
Back to dive with ocean pro and we were satisfied with the service rendered by the team especially cecile the gorgeous and noi. site we were informed in advance the condition etc. yes we'll be back
Written December 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KenixSokYee
Penang Island, Malaysia47 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
Dived with Ocean Pro Divers with a group of friends during the low season. They are located right on the beach and we did 5 fun dives with them over two days at a very reasonable price. The equipment we used was well maintained and the food was amazing. Cecile and Noi who guided us was attentive and display good knowledge of the marine lives and the dive sites. Ask them anything and they will be glad to help you out, plus give you some useful tips! The weather was great and we had lots of fun despite the 'low season'.
Written June 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Love_Woo_Woo
London, UK8 contributions
We love Ocean pro. They are very professional. All equipments are well maintained. My dive master (Noi) took us to see small little things which we would never spot like shrimps, crabs, nudi.
I have not dived for 2 years, she took me to set up my own gear and spent time with me to brief on safety. When I went in water, i was struggling on bcd and weight. She helped me out. Ocean pro set small group for safety reason (4-5 per one dive master) so we didn't feel like we were left behind. They also keep telling us 'Do not stand or damage reef and mind the fins'. Seems they care the marine life.
One great service - They helps out on baby sitter without any charge! We have 16 months old baby with us. We was thinking to swap dive between me and my husband but they offered to look after him. All staffs seem to like baby genuinely. It was very special service. We are pleased with Ocean pro. We will definitely come back again!
I have not dived for 2 years, she took me to set up my own gear and spent time with me to brief on safety. When I went in water, i was struggling on bcd and weight. She helped me out. Ocean pro set small group for safety reason (4-5 per one dive master) so we didn't feel like we were left behind. They also keep telling us 'Do not stand or damage reef and mind the fins'. Seems they care the marine life.
One great service - They helps out on baby sitter without any charge! We have 16 months old baby with us. We was thinking to swap dive between me and my husband but they offered to look after him. All staffs seem to like baby genuinely. It was very special service. We are pleased with Ocean pro. We will definitely come back again!
Written April 20, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo, bieten sie auch ein deutschsprachigen Tauchkurs an?
Written February 25, 2019
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