About Mermaids Dive Center - PADI Career Development Center

Mermaids Dive Center is a Thai/English/Danish owned and operated business in Jomtien Beach, Thailand.  Course Director Stephen Blumenthal, of Brooklyn, New York opened the Mermaids Dive Center in 1990. Mermaids was always destined for big tings when Steve became the WORLD's youngest PADI Course Director at the age of 23. Steve's ambotion to be the best in all that he did really shone through in Mermaids. Steve pushed Mermaids forward with pro-activeness, innovative diver courses and massively successful Instructor Development Programs creating the Mermaids that we have today - A PADI CDC!

In 1999 Steve and Mermaids pioneered the Scuba Diving Internship principle of all-inclusive dive progarms that are now such common place. The dive internships proved so compelling and gained such success Mermaids gained a higher status with PADI. PADI awarded Mermaids the highest possible PADI Dive status of CDC (Dive Career Deveopment Center), in recognition for Mermaids excellence towards professional diver training. Mermaids is the ONLY PADI CDC in the entire Eastern Seaboard of Thailand.

Steve sadly passed away on 14th December 2006 shocking staff and the scuba diving industry alike. Steve had become quite a name in the field and of course taught many new instructors now working around the world. You could not travel to many dive areas and have no one know him. With the backing of the family and stirling team that Steve had placed Mermaids continues as strong as ever.

Mermaids has trained thousands of PADI Open Water Divers and over 1600 PADI Dive Instructors in Thailand. Mermaids Scuba Diving Center conducts diver training courses from basic to the instructor level. All-inclusive scuba diving internships are a specialty as are operating individual IDC programs. Supervised by a PADI Course Director Russell Martin with 7 years experience in Pattaya and over 6000 dives. Russell is 1 of less than 100 Platinum PADI Course Directors in the WORLD (2 years running).

Just a few accolcades for Mermaids Dive Center:

Fully equipped PADI CDC 5 Star (Dive Instructor Development Center) for those wanting to become PADI professional diving instructors. CDC distinguishes us from the rest. We are the ONLY PADI CDC (Career Development Centre) dive center on the Eastern Seaboard - from Bangkok to Cambodia. 10 full time very experienced scuba diving instructors teaching scuba in English, French, German, Korean, Russian, Japanese, Dutch and Tha 4 fully equipped classrooms 2 fully stocked dive shops (Bangkok, and Jomtien Fully equipped service center catering for all models of equipment including Poseidon (being one of only a handful of Poseidon specialists in Thailand). Active National Geographic affiliated dive center offering the PADI National Geographic diver courses and training. - National Geographic diver program details. DPV (Drive / diver propulsion vehicles) scooters for additional fun. Over 30 sets of mostly new and very well maintained rental equipment. Nitrox and Trimix (tri-mix) diving capabilities with a superbly designed and well presented air and mixed gas filling station (helium ready). Mermaids has been awarded the Project AWARE Go-Eco award for it's contribution to environmental protection. The most specialized technical, rescue and maintenance diving facilities on the eastern seaboard. PADI Tec Rec facilities - Tec Recreational and instructor courses. (Instructor trainers on staff). Comprehensive on site service center with extremely experienced technicians. PSA Self-Sufficiency Diver Course. SSD Instructor trainer on staff. Dedicated 17 x 5 meter scuba dive training swimming pool. A factory for making custom made to measure / tailored wetsuits and lycra skins within 48 hours. One of only 2 in Thailand. Mermaids is the ONLY Pattaya dive center to privately own/lease and operate 4 dive boats daily – (own 3 - permanently lease 1). We do not allow any other companies or freelancing instruction personnel on our boats – why extend your day unnecessarily? Mermaid's doesn't believe in overcrowding one large dive boat. We have 4 boats so that all of our trips go to different destinations and divers can enjoy smaller groups, more supervision and better diving. This also gives all of our interns the chance to help in supervising dive trips. There is no substitute for the real life experience you get at Mermaid's LIA. Scuba tank filling stations to be confident of - check scuba tank filling information. All gas fills catered for - Normal air, Nitrox and Tri-mix. DSAT programs offered - DSAT Trimix - Gas Blender - Deep Tec Diver - Instructor Training in all given. Mermaids was founded, guided and steered ahead of all dive facilities in innovation by the infamous PADI course Director - Stephen Blumenthal - Mermaids continues to move forward in memory of Steve. 24/7 telephone support for interns. One of ONLY two dive shops in Thailand to offer the IAHD (International Association of Handicapped Divers) courses - we have instructors and instructor trainers as with ALL of our specialty courses. Mermaid's works with an active wheel chair using instructor (Mark became an instructor in 2004 within Mermaid's CDC Internship) building on the IAHD program allowing a very precise and accurate perspective on the sensitivities and special requirements of a handicapped diver. Mark, takes the experience over and above the perceived "simulation" experience. Mark is now a PADI Course Director – the first wheel chair using PADI Course Director in the world. Dedicated intern student lockers for all of your equipment and personal effects. (Safety deposit lockers inside the dive shop also for all dive trainees). Utilizing Draeger Technology Safety Equipment allows Mermaids to ensure that ALL Mermaid's Air passes ALL Purity Tests including Humidity. Mermaid's Air complies with the Divers breathing air requirements of the following international standards:- CGA Grade-E ( USA Standard), EN12021  (New European Standard), S4275 (British Standard), DIN3188 (German standard) & AS/NZS 2299.1 (Australian standard). Dive facilities designed specifically for scuba diving traineeships as well as all regular dive activities. The most friendly and personal service you'll find around. Fantastic team players as staff and interns - check out a few photos. A wealth of knowledge from expat businesses assisting with a smooth transition for anyone wishing to make the move working overseas to gain a dive job and  live and work abroad. Vast network of dive industry contacts for dive jobs and careers - dive job contacts in Australia, Vietnam, Egypt, Philippines, Honduras, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Cambodia, New Zealand, Seychelles, Maldives, Malaysia and Thailand (This is continuously growing). The strongest Diver jobs program in the dive internship industry. An exclusive partnership with Divers Jobs (dot com) has given Mermaids the distinct edge in finding scuba diving jobs for our trainees. Diversjobs allows Mermaids professional divers to apply for dive jobs and positions prior to going 'public'.

Mermaids can offer you safe, enjoyable and well priced scuba diving assistance in the following areas:

What ever your scuba diving requirements:

• First time diver (PADI DSD)
• Diver wishing to take PADI or other Courses
• Take a daily dive trip
• Night Dive
• Technical Dive / Technical Dive Training
• Equipment Sales
• Conservation dive (CLean Up)
• Re-fresher Courses
• Turn Professional Diver (IDC - IE - MSDT - PADI Staff)
• Thailand Live Aboard Trips

Mermaids have been safely offering dive services for almost 2 decades and shall continue to strive to offer you the very best in dive services for the next Twenty years.

Please Contact Mermaids Dive with any Scuba Diving or Local Info Inquiries.