One of the best thngs about tech diving in Pattaya is that it has the best weather of any Thai dive area. It’s not seasonal — so dive sites don’t close — and the waves and wind are much less severe than Koh Tao / Koh Samui.

It seems the wind is whipping things up down there again. Big Blue Tech reports: (more…)

While executives from the DSAT technical diving arm of PADI have been doing roadshows — like this recent one in Pattaya — informally describing plans to change its Tec Rec program, there have been, until now, no official word from the agency itself other than to say DSAT was considering various bits of feedback.

Today, however, in DSAT Chat, we get the first “official” acknowledgement that changes are coming. (more…)

The deep wreck explorers at Koh Tao’s MV Trident are back home after their early July expedition to the HTMS Pangan. The three-day, three-night tech liveaboard hosted tech divers from various Koh Tao schools.

Rediscovered in August 2005, the Pangan is Royal Thai Navy ship bult in Japan before World War II. Carrying ammunition and gunpowder for disposal, she reportedy sunk in a storm and fire in 1961. The wreck is about 60 nautical miles from Koh Tao. (more…)

Ayesha Cantrell, perhaps the best-known female technical dive instructor in Thailand, is giving diving in The Kingdom some more good press with a photo essay on the impressive caverns of Koh Sok National Park in the coming issue of Under Water Photography magazine.

Cantrell, who worked a number of jobs in the U.K. and abroad before discovering her diving passion, is a skilled photographer and videographer who has actively promoted tech diving — especially in Thailand and particularly for women. (more…)

Manufacturer Poseidon of Sweden and U.S. distributors Poseidon West, of West Lake Village, Calif., Poseidon Central, of Conroe, Texas, and American Divers Division, of Alexandria Bay, N.Y., have announced a voluntary recall of defective Poseidon Besea W50 Diving Wings.

The inner bladder located inside the diving wing can break, causing the wing to fail to operate as a floating/buoyancy device, which poses a drowning hazard to the user. Poseidon has received 15 reports of inner bladders breaking. No injuries have been reported.

(more…)

Inside the HTMS Pangan. (Photo: Ayesha at Big Buddha Diving via Thai Wreck Diver)

The wreck hunters at the MV Trident will sail again July 2 for the HTMS Pangan on a 3-day, 3-night tech liveaboard trip.

Rediscovered in August 2005,  the Pangan is Royal Thai Navy ship bult in Japan before World War II. Carrying ammunition and gunpowder for disposal, she reportedy sunk in a storm in 1961. Fire damage on the superstructiure indicates a fire, however. There was no loss of life.

This wreck is about 60 nautical miles from Koh Tao, an easy 6 hour run. She lies on her port side in 60 meters of clear water, the top of the wreck is at 48 meters. Length is about 60 meters, beam 10 meters and weight approximately 3,000 tons.  The Pangan is very well appointed with twin screws, lots of portholes, telegraphs and deck machinery. (more…)