Many divers always feel like they want to or need to take a full speciality course, in order to improve skills in the water, or because they want to be able to do certain dives at certain debths. Such as Deep Diver or Enriched air Diver. If you buy one PADI Speciality at Mermaids Dive Center or any of our shops in Pattaya, Bangkok, you will get the second at half price. So you can do two Specialities and save money – whilst improving and expanding your diving possibilities.

You gotta have it!! Buy a Pinnacle Aquatics Merino Lined Vest and get 30% off the retail price, in the month of March only!! This will make you feel nice and cumfy as well as protect you from the cold water back home.

Experience an exicting trip to the Bremen wreck, with almost perfect conditions required this is an exciting opportunity to dive the rarely visited shipwreck date to be advised as soon as we get the new Tide Charts

The Mermaids March BBQ was a huge hit again with countless sausages, burgers and food being eaten. We started this one slightly earlier than normal and everyone gathered outside Mermaids Jomtien at 5pm to start the evening’s festivities.

Normally held on the 15th of every month, this BBQ was changed to Wednesday 11th March to give the Selby Sub Aqua club who were diving with us for a week the chance to experience a typical night’s entertainment – Mermaids style. A warm welcome to the guys who included Barry “the boss”, Frank, Sharon, Ryan, Rachel, Ian and his lovely tanned wife, George, Steve, Matthew and John.

Joining us for their first but not last Mermaids BBQ were our new students Andy “H2o” Hawthorne, Richard Linney, Ben Levy, Robbie and a slight tired Mariusz Ellward (who had just arrived the day before) Welcome to Mermaids guys.

Diving in general was the topic of conversation throughout the night but as always something has to stand out! The all time record has been set for the person who can eat the most at one BBQ – 7 sausages and 3 burgers!!! We have random reports of who the mysterious person is but will they own up? Is this a phantom BBQ eater who lives nearby? We are monitoring the lead on the boat as surely a weight belt is going to increase slightly!

Many thanks to the BBQmeister – Vlad, you were outstanding as usual. For making the salads and food, thanks to Malai, Jan, Rich, London and all the other people for helping – you know who you are!
Which leaves us with the following questions we hope will be answered before our next “Songkran Special BBQ” on the 15th April. Will the mysterious BBQ eater own up? Will the record be beaten?

Mermaids Dive Center Clean Up crew once again made their difference to the local aquatic environment with this month’s underwater and beach cleanup taking place at Hat Nuan. Hat Nuan is one of Pattaya’s near islands with a beautiful beach and an uncompleted underwater restaurant popular with divers and snorkelers.

As always we were fully organised with our clean up kits consisting of work gloves, mesh bags, trash bags, scissors, lift bags and lots of enthusiasm.

Following the objectives set out for the day, 23 cleaners taking part over 2 dives collected 20 bags of trash estimating to weigh about 300kgs. The trash consisted mainly of plastic bags, rope, beverage bottles – glass and plastic, a lot of fishing line and nets, building material and the age old favourite car parts. Conditions were not as expected but our brave cleaners carried on with their quest.

All items are always carefully checked before removal to see if there are any living fish inside. An empty glass bottle may be home to an Octopus as well as doubling up as an artificial eco system. On this cleanup a crab trapped in an abandoned fishing net was safely removed by Jon and Joycey which was released back into the ocean safe and sound.

The most unusual items found on the day were a deck chair and lots of items of clothing and shoes in all various shapes and sizes, including a Power Rangers T Shirt.

Jon Sussman, main organiser for the day said “As ambassadors for the underwater world, it is our responsibility to take care of our reef systems, marine life and beaches”

Thanks to all the people who took part and join us for the next clean up on the 22nd April 2009, a very special day in the Project AWARE calendar – Dive into Earth Day.

Mermaids celebrates all new Instructors with dinner and festivities as usual on March 22nd 2009

Mermaids Dive Center Clean Up crew once again made their difference to the local aquatic environment with this month’s underwater and beach cleanup taking place at Hat Nuan. Hat Nuan is one of Pattaya’s near islands with a beautiful beach and an uncompleted underwater restaurant popular with divers and snorkelers.

As always we were fully organised with our clean up kits consisting of work gloves, mesh bags, trash bags, scissors, lift bags and lots of enthusiasm.

Following the objectives set out for the day, 23 cleaners taking part over 2 dives collected 20 bags of trash estimating to weigh about 300kgs. The trash consisted mainly of plastic bags, rope, beverage bottles – glass and plastic, a lot of fishing line and nets, building material and the age old favourite car parts. Conditions were not as expected but our brave cleaners carried on with their quest.

All items are always carefully checked before removal to see if there are any living fish inside. An empty glass bottle may be home to an Octopus as well as doubling up as an artificial eco system. On this cleanup a crab trapped in an abandoned fishing net was safely removed by Jon and Joycey which was released back into the ocean safe and sound.

The most unusual items found on the day were a deck chair and lots of items of clothing and shoes in all various shapes and sizes, including a Power Rangers T Shirt.

Jon Sussman, main organiser for the day said “As ambassadors for the underwater world, it is our responsibility to take care of our reef systems, marine life and beaches”

Thanks to all the people who took part and join us for the next clean up on the 22nd April 2009, a very special day in the Project AWARE calendar – Dive into Earth Day.

The US Navy League held a Bingo night on Friday 27th March 2009 to raise funds for the Chonburi School of the Deaf. Mermaids Dive Center, a Community Affiliate member joined this fantastic event to support this worthwhile cause. The bingoers included Sheena, Desi, Henry, Jon, Vicky, Barry, Will, Iain and Candice.

A Thai style buffet was provided in the entry fee along with the first Bingo ticket. After the rules were explained to us, we all set our hearts on winning the uncut ruby which was the main prize and also the last game! Desi got us all organized (genius) and we all bought tickets for every game and a lot of us came close to winning the beginning prizes but seemed destined not to. Even the ever charming Vicky had no luck.

Will was the first to win a prize which included a huge white Teddy Bear. We were all so chuffed with this and immediately set about plotting plans to take Teddy and put him in the Khram wreck. All 9 of us made a pact we would all do it together at a determined date! Teddy then made our group up to 10 with his own bingo card to take part. Iain and Will then decided to take Teddy on the dive the next day down to the Hardeep (see Nak Dam Nam YOGI in action).

The prize for a fridge came up and this saw Vicky, Sheena and Jon all with 1 number left to win it. Vicky needed 44, Sheena 54 and Jon 64. After much waiting for just one of our 1 numbers to come up, the prize was won by someone else. Jon begged the MC to draw 1 more number to see which one of us would have won it. 54 came out and Sheena jumped out of her chair shouting yes, yes, excited that she had won the prize (then realised she hadn’t) Sorry Henry, close but no cigar on this one.

A special prize of Winnie the Pooh teddy bear came up and as we had been so lucky with Teddy, Barry decided to buy more tickets to get this one too – Winnie was earmarked for the Hardeep Wreck. To our surprise and with some harmless jostling we won it after a standoff with World Gems (thank you guys, we love you)! Our group was up to 11 now well 12 if you count the random French guy that Candice befriended and convinced to join the best table in the place!! Again, plans were made for Winnie and the 9 of us again would embark on another expedition to place Winnie.

We didn’t win the Ruby but we all had a great night and looking forward to the next one in May. Who said bingo was for geriatrics????

London International Dive Show, one of Europes biggest scuba diving shows, with lots of special offers on trips, education and scuba diving equipment.