ScubaDawgs
ScubaDawgs
5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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About
Scubadawgs is a Thai - European owned dive center situated on Koh Chang island in the Gulf of Thailand. We operate our own boats and organize daily diving and snorkeling trips to the National Marine Park, the HTMS Chang wreck and local reefs around Koh Chang. Scubadawgs offers the lowest prices for all PADI and RAID dive courses on Koh Chang without compromising safety or comfort. All dive courses include a free stay in our Cliff Cottage dive resort.
Ko Chang, 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.
5.0
699 reviews
Excellent
608
Very good
52
Average
20
Poor
13
Terrible
6
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Marios K
Ayia Napa, Cyprus498 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Actually as a company I would put them 5 star apart from 1 thing that all diving companies are doing wrong. They dont cancel dives and dive even with 1 meter visibility.
At 1st dive at HTMS chang wreck we split at end of dive and reunite at surface.
At 2nd dive at reef we again lost half of group, we could hear them hitting the tank but couldnt see so at the beginning of the dive we had to surface to reunite and dive again.
At 3rd dive we couldnt see our toes (to say it in a polite way and not say closer). We continuously lost but found others and that was all the dive. we couldnt see a thing.
2 dives were 2700 and 3 for 3300 thb so i took the 3 but anyway the 3rd i cant call it a dive but an opportunity to check the Reunite at the Surface if separared rule!
Safety first guys!!! Remember! Just cancel and return the money (this applies to all companies because all didn't cancel and dived).
At 1st dive at HTMS chang wreck we split at end of dive and reunite at surface.
At 2nd dive at reef we again lost half of group, we could hear them hitting the tank but couldnt see so at the beginning of the dive we had to surface to reunite and dive again.
At 3rd dive we couldnt see our toes (to say it in a polite way and not say closer). We continuously lost but found others and that was all the dive. we couldnt see a thing.
2 dives were 2700 and 3 for 3300 thb so i took the 3 but anyway the 3rd i cant call it a dive but an opportunity to check the Reunite at the Surface if separared rule!
Safety first guys!!! Remember! Just cancel and return the money (this applies to all companies because all didn't cancel and dived).
Written January 29, 2020
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.
alex K
La Rochelle, France5 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
Great day of diving and baptism for Antoine. Beautiful visibility of the wreck, a coral reef still preserved, which is becoming rare. Top organization, and far from the crowds (5 divers only), diving safety, close-knit and really nice team. A real pleasure to see Thais and Europeans working together and laughing. And thank you again for Elise’s birthday surprise. She's going to take her "retired" visa, it's decided :)
Written January 11, 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.
johnskeath
Perth, Australia1 contribution
Feb 2017 • Solo
I would recommend ScubaDawgs Diving and Snorkelling tours to beginners through to advance divers. The dive tours well organised complemented by their friendly and professional staff. I took the opportunity to complete RAID advanced diver Explorer 30 with them, my instructors Jodi and Derek were excellent, recommend learning to dive through to advanced diving courses with them. I found the dive site we visited had plenty of marine/fish life and overall stacked up better compared to other dive locations have visit in Thailand in the past.
Written March 26, 2017
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.
Dear John, thank you for describing your experiences with the Scubadawgs' dive staff.
Written March 30, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bana_zulu
Barcelona, Spain77 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
We did an Advanced open water and a nitrox course with scuba dawgs. I have seen a fair share of dive centers in Thailand and other countries, and even though our experience wasn't entirely negative, I would not choose Scuba Dawgs again.
The good stuff first:
Tim: an excellent instructor! Always good-humored even under stress, he is handling everything from dive briefings to gear setup in an extremely professional way. I would dive with him and the local Thai crew any day.
Equipment: in a very good condition.
Food: very tasty Thai dishes, nothing to complain.
The downsides:
- The shop misplaced our booking, so we didn't get picked up on the first day. The owner then went to great lengths to explain it was our fault, because we didn't confirm again 48h before the dive. We did, but his yahoo account bounced our email. While this can always happen, you would expect a dive shop to get in contact if an additional confirmation was needed, especially when the customers booked 2 courses. We were offered a 10% discount for this - after asking.
- Our instructor on the first day was David, an older guy. I would never criticize age or him being a quiet character, but we felt his dive briefings could have been better - some information we only received after asking. His course instructions were rudimentary as well. I don't know if he pitched in last minute due to the lost booking, so maybe he didn't have time to prepare.
- On the morning of the 2nd day, we were assigned a new instructor without much of an explanation. This is unusual on a course that lasts only two days, but at least we got to know Tim this way.
- Apparently another boat wasn't working, so all the people who should have been on two boats were cramped on one.
- One novice diver wanted to join a deep dive and hyperventilated while still on he surface. Tim put him back on the boat immediately. A few simple questions would have revealed that he didn't dive since his open water course one year ago, and that he couldn't even remember basic hand signals. Allowing him on a deep dive without assessing his experience beforehand is a major safety flaw, and could have ended a lot worse.
Scuba Dawgs has some great staff, but there seems to be a lack of management procedures that vary from annoying (customers not contacted for confirmation) to outright dangerous (novice diver on a deep dive). I know many dive shop owners who meet their guests in person to chat with them before or after the dives, especially after things go wrong. We haven't seen the owner once.
The good stuff first:
Tim: an excellent instructor! Always good-humored even under stress, he is handling everything from dive briefings to gear setup in an extremely professional way. I would dive with him and the local Thai crew any day.
Equipment: in a very good condition.
Food: very tasty Thai dishes, nothing to complain.
The downsides:
- The shop misplaced our booking, so we didn't get picked up on the first day. The owner then went to great lengths to explain it was our fault, because we didn't confirm again 48h before the dive. We did, but his yahoo account bounced our email. While this can always happen, you would expect a dive shop to get in contact if an additional confirmation was needed, especially when the customers booked 2 courses. We were offered a 10% discount for this - after asking.
- Our instructor on the first day was David, an older guy. I would never criticize age or him being a quiet character, but we felt his dive briefings could have been better - some information we only received after asking. His course instructions were rudimentary as well. I don't know if he pitched in last minute due to the lost booking, so maybe he didn't have time to prepare.
- On the morning of the 2nd day, we were assigned a new instructor without much of an explanation. This is unusual on a course that lasts only two days, but at least we got to know Tim this way.
- Apparently another boat wasn't working, so all the people who should have been on two boats were cramped on one.
- One novice diver wanted to join a deep dive and hyperventilated while still on he surface. Tim put him back on the boat immediately. A few simple questions would have revealed that he didn't dive since his open water course one year ago, and that he couldn't even remember basic hand signals. Allowing him on a deep dive without assessing his experience beforehand is a major safety flaw, and could have ended a lot worse.
Scuba Dawgs has some great staff, but there seems to be a lack of management procedures that vary from annoying (customers not contacted for confirmation) to outright dangerous (novice diver on a deep dive). I know many dive shop owners who meet their guests in person to chat with them before or after the dives, especially after things go wrong. We haven't seen the owner once.
Written May 7, 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.
Jennie W
Knutsford, UK48 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
There aren't many dive shops to choose from and there may be a reason for this....the local dive sites are fairly and sadly quite barren, although the wreck is interesting. I know this should not reflect on the experience of the dive shop as they have no control over sea life, but they do have control over the management and engagement of other parties, including fishermen and the marine security and protection services. Perhaps a mutual campaign and projects to teach them about marine conservation etc would encourage their participation and respect of the marine life and stop over fishing and environmental damage? During 2 dives, there was not one single thing that our dive guide Bank pointed out to us which was a shame. Otherwise, the boat was a simple affair and could do with something comfortable to sit on, also stir fried cabbage should not be classed as a "vegetarian option". It's not that difficult to do the exact same curry or soup offered with meat and do it instead with tofu or mixed veg.
Written March 16, 2017
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.
Dear Jennie, thank you for you encouraging words. I have asked our cooks to be more creative regarding the vegetarian food we provide. Unfortunately we do not have any
control over the management and engagement of other parties, including fishermen and the marine security and protection services. The Marine Park is a protected area and there are coral growing projects, but cleaning up is done by the dive centers on KC and not by the Marine Park Department
Written March 30, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tarzanjay
2 contributions
Aug 2016
Unfortunately we had a bad experience with the ScubaDawgs and I strongly advise to choose another company such as BB Divers. Initially they seemed really nice but showed their real face after the dive. Myself and my partner had a baby on board and weren't sure if we could do both dives together. We had friends with us that wanted to snorkel and would look after the baby in turns. However, they became seasick and couldn't stay on the boat and needed to go into the water. Therefore, one of us had to stay with our baby while the other dived. In the end, both of us did only one dive instead of two. Having anticipated that such an event might occur, I asked beforehand if we would get the second dive refunded. David, one of the instructors, said yes. But when we returned, he told me really harshly that we won't get our money back. We had some disagreements and in the end he wouldn't let me speak and walked away. I was completely taken aback and shocked by his change of manner and aggressive posturing. We complained by email and got told that they have better things to do than care about us.
I had a nice and safe dive with Jodi the nice instructor. They roll out the grumpy "dawg" when its time to snatch your money! What is sad is that they don't seem to care at all, all they want is to keep their money. Having run a dive shop my partner was in disbelieve how rude they treated us. It is not the lost money I care about but the way they conveyed their message and spinned facts around in their favour to justify keeping the money. Clearly the customer's satisfaction is not their priority! Don't get hooked by their cheaper rates. They will find a way to ping you hard. It cost us US$70 for one shallow fun dive.
I had a nice and safe dive with Jodi the nice instructor. They roll out the grumpy "dawg" when its time to snatch your money! What is sad is that they don't seem to care at all, all they want is to keep their money. Having run a dive shop my partner was in disbelieve how rude they treated us. It is not the lost money I care about but the way they conveyed their message and spinned facts around in their favour to justify keeping the money. Clearly the customer's satisfaction is not their priority! Don't get hooked by their cheaper rates. They will find a way to ping you hard. It cost us US$70 for one shallow fun dive.
Written August 2, 2016
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.
You set the tone when you wrote in your email confirming your booking: "Having run a couple of dive centers it pains me to spend that much for a couple of shallow dives". This while we have the most competitive prices for diving on Koh Chang. Yet we have a very good reputation on Tripadvisor and elsewhere.
Without hesitation we fully refund people if they can't do their dive(s) for health reasons, weather circumstances, mechanical failure etc. etc.
It's not true that David promised you a refund beforehand (but the mere question confirms that you already thought about doing only one dive). David replied that a partial refund could be considered (by the owner). When the boat was back on the pier, David contacted me, explained the situation, and I decided not to give you any refund.
The reason for refusing you a refund is not because we are 'money snatchers' but because you lied to us and you insulted our staff.
When you booked, you insisted that a 'refresher' for your wife was not necessary:
"Experience: Nil (no refresher needed… I can keep an eye on her)
Last dive: 2.5 years ago"
But once on the boat you (being an instructor yourself) didn't keep an eye on your wife at all. Instead you expected one of our instructors to do all the work (refresher) for free.
In your email asking for a refund, you write that you "purposely didn’t get involved so as not to undermine your instructors".
You can’t have it both ways: either you 'keep an eye on her' or you pay us to do a refresher.
We think it was irresponsible of you to take a one year old baby on a dive boat in rough weather, trying to have people you met in a guest house the day before to take care of your baby while you dive and then demand a refund when that plan fails.
Written August 10, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ben H
Canterbury, UK6 contributions
Jun 2017 • Solo
ScubaDawgs are top notch, I did my Advanced Open Water, Nitrox speciality as well as several fun dives with them this June.
They are by far the best outfit I have dived with so far, it wasn't the price, the boat or the equipment, which were all good. It was the staff.
I dived with Lom, Bank and completed my courses with Paul, these guys and the boat crews are really good, there knowledge, encouraging friendly manner and well conveyed, concise teaching skills really stood apart from other dive outfits I've spent time with.
I visited the National park, HTMS Chang and several other dives site's with them and was also lucky enough to see and photograph a whale shark!
They are by far the best outfit I have dived with so far, it wasn't the price, the boat or the equipment, which were all good. It was the staff.
I dived with Lom, Bank and completed my courses with Paul, these guys and the boat crews are really good, there knowledge, encouraging friendly manner and well conveyed, concise teaching skills really stood apart from other dive outfits I've spent time with.
I visited the National park, HTMS Chang and several other dives site's with them and was also lucky enough to see and photograph a whale shark!
Written June 27, 2017
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.
Thank you for taking the time to write such an excellent review
Written August 9, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
npbffb
Skodsborg, Denmark62 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
I was diving with scubadawgs on two different occasions on my holiday and with two different instructors. Both of them very easy going nice and helpful. You get picked up at your hotel and brought back afterwards. I was already having my wreck specialty and had the luck to dive in a small group that all was aloud to do penetrating dives on the htms Chang. And after 4 great dives inside the htms Chang I can proudly recommend to dive the wreck more than one time. The dive gear is average and worked flawlessly. You pay a little extra if you need computer and touch which is normal all over the world.
It was all a good experience among nice and serious divers, diving with the scubadawgs and I would definitely dive with them again.
It was all a good experience among nice and serious divers, diving with the scubadawgs and I would definitely dive with them again.
Written May 17, 2017
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.
Thank you for your review
Written August 9, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
candicep906
Umhlanga, South Africa77 contributions
Apr 2017
Really enjoyed our day out with Scuba Dawgs. We were a group of 11 (3 adults, 8 teens on a school trip) we were snorkeling while everyone was diving on the boat. This wasn't a problem at all and we felt very included and well informed about all the places we visited (3 different spots in total) Everyone was very helpful and friendly and the information was fantastic on safety and points of interests( marine life, name of the islands etc)
The food for lunch was delicious and catered for our vegetarians as well.
Would really recommend this company!! The free taxi to and from our accommodation at Cliff Cottage was also a plus ! Thanks for a special day out:)
The food for lunch was delicious and catered for our vegetarians as well.
Would really recommend this company!! The free taxi to and from our accommodation at Cliff Cottage was also a plus ! Thanks for a special day out:)
Written April 12, 2017
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.
Thank you for your review
Written August 9, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jakob B
Copenhagen, Denmark250 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
Very good diving company. ScubaDawgs offer both RAID and PADI courses, as well as general dive trips.
Communications with the company was good, and booking was easy.
Pickup and return to hotel anywhere on the west side of Koh Chang is included in the tour price, and so is lunch, water, tea/coffee, soda and cookies.
Only drawback was a bit of confusing as to who would dive with who - but this was quickly solved.
I would dive with ScubaDawgs again any day.
Communications with the company was good, and booking was easy.
Pickup and return to hotel anywhere on the west side of Koh Chang is included in the tour price, and so is lunch, water, tea/coffee, soda and cookies.
Only drawback was a bit of confusing as to who would dive with who - but this was quickly solved.
I would dive with ScubaDawgs again any day.
Written March 12, 2017
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.
Hello Jakob, thanks a lot for your kind words.
Written March 30, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I will have 4 people in the middle and late April, how much does it cost to snorkel
Written March 21, 2019
Good morning,
Thank you for your interest in snorkeling with the Scubadawgs, we organize snorkel trips every day.
This full day program costs 900 Baht per person. Children up to 12 years old 450 Baht per child. These prices include pick-up and drop-off at your hotel (west coast only), all necessary snorkel equipment, life jackets, refreshments, lunch buffet, snacks and fruit and insurance on the boat. The Marine Park entry fee is 200 baht per person for snorkelers and passengers and is NOT included in our prices. The entry fees are collected by the Park Rangers in the park. There is no entry fee on days that we snorkel above the HTMS Chang wreck and local reefs.
If you book for 4 people we can give you 10% discount.
Written March 23, 2019
Hello ,at 17 of December i want to book for two person a diving trip . How much it will cost please ? Is there availability?
Written December 15, 2018
Hello. We will be at koh Chang on 16/5 with total 10 people. May I ask how long does the trip take? How many places does the trip go and how much is it?
Written April 25, 2018
Good morning,
Thank you for your interest in diving or snorkeling with the Scubadawgs.
Thank you for your interest in snorkeling with the Scubadawgs, we organize snorkel trips every day.
This full day program costs 900 Baht per person. This price includes pick-up and drop-off at your hotel (west coast only), all necessary snorkel equipment, refreshments, lunch buffet, snacks and fruit on the boat and insurance. Marine park entry fees 400 Baht for divers and 200 baht for snorkelers and passengers are NOT included and are collected by the Park Rangers in the park. There is no entry fee on days that we snorkel above the HTMS Chang wreck and local reefs.
We will pick you up between 8 and 8.45 am, depending on where you stay on Koh Chang (west coast only)
It will take around an hour an 20 minutes to get to the Marine Park, upon arrival you can snorkel for an hour in a safe environment. The boat will then drive to the floating pier of Koh Rang and lunch buffet will be served. After that you can relax on the boat, go for a walk on the beach or snorkel in the bay.
Then the boat will go to another small island where you can snorkel for another hour.
On days that we do not go to the National Marine Park, we visit the HTMS Chang wreck and local reefs. It takes only 30 minutes to reach those reefs. There is no entree fee. Our boats are never crowded and there is plenty of space to relax or sunbathe.
The main difference between snorkeling in the Marine Park or at local sites is that the Marine Park can be quite busy and local sites are always quiet because the big snorkel boats don't go there.
In the Marine Park you snorkel around very small islands, at local sites you snorkel mainly in open water.
Payments in cash Thai Baht, €, US $ or bank transfer. Also Paypal or credit card (+3%). Payment must be made in full before boarding the boat.
If you want to go snorkeling with 10 people I can give your a special group discount to 7,200 Baht in total for 10 people.
If you want to book, please email me your full names, the name of your hotel/resort and room number
Please let me know if you need further information
with best regards, Rene
Written May 8, 2018
Hi,
we would like to do a half day snorkelling trip 2 adults and 2 children (6,8). Our hotel is in Klong Prao.
How much is it and what is included?
Written August 27, 2017
Good evening.
Thank you for your interest in a snorkeling adventure with the Scubadawgs. We use cozy wooden boats that take around an hour and minutes to go from the Bang Bao pier to the National Marine Park. The distance is the reason why we can't do half day trips. Our normal schedule starts with a pick up around 8.20 am and a drop off around 4.30 pm. Please let me know if you are interested. With regards
Written August 27, 2017
Your ad only talks about scuba trips. Do you take people out on snorkeling trips also? I am coming there in mid February so am trying to get things set up.
Written October 3, 2016
Good evening,
Just as our name says "ScubaDawgs Diving and Snorkeling Tours" we organize daily dive- and snorkel trips to the Marine Park and local sites. You are very welcome to join on one of our boats and explore the amazing underwater world around Koh Chang island. with kind regards,
Written October 3, 2016
Good evening,
You do not need to book in advance. Just let us know when you are on Koh Chang in which hotel you are staying. Do you want to come and dive with us?
best regards, Rene
Written September 12, 2016
We come (3 people) to the hotel Sea View Resort & Spa and the 13 April 2016 really want to dive with you (5 days) - or your transfer to and from our hotel is possible? :) Regards Joanna Wloczewska.
Written March 15, 2016
Good morning Joanna,
Thank you for your interest in diving with the ScubaDawgs
Pick-up and drop-off service is included in our prices.
with best regards, René
Written March 17, 2016
What is the recommended budget accommodation nearby? We (my bf and I) want to go for daily trips with ScubaDawgs for a few days, so something not far from the diving center would be ideal.
Thanks!
Written September 5, 2015
Hello Weronika,
The ScubaDawgs company also owns a resort called Cliff Cottage Resort. We offer special discounts for people who go diving with us. We have bungalows with spectacular views on top of the cliff and chalets overlooking Bang Bao Baywhere our 3 diving boats are moored.
with best regards,René
Written September 5, 2015
kan dere fortelle meg litt om prisene deres ? :)
Written August 16, 2015
Gokväll Christer,
Sorry for the late reply. At the moment our fun dives cost 2500 Baht for 2 dives including pickup at your hotel and a 4 course lunch aboard our boats, a snorkeling trip cost 800 Baht. A PADI Open water course is 13000 Baht. A RAID course is 12000 Baht, including a free stay in a basic room in our resort Cliff Cottage Resort.
Written September 6, 2015
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