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wylies99

Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!
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Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:06 am Post subject: Scuba diving in Korea |
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Does anyone do it here? Any tips for getting started? Thanks. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 2:15 am Post subject: Re: Scuba diving in Korea |
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wylies99 wrote: |
Does anyone do it here? Any tips for getting started? Thanks. |
www.scubainkorea.com should get you started. If you need more specific info, PM me. |
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wylies99

Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:24 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. |
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Nicolia
Joined: 09 May 2007
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:03 am Post subject: scuba |
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the mayfield hotel new gimpo airport has a scuba tank. from memory it's about 300usd for an open water course. let me know if you sign up... quite fancy doing it myself but don't want to do it alone. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: Re: scuba |
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Nicolia wrote: |
the mayfield hotel new gimpo airport has a scuba tank. from memory it's about 300usd for an open water course. let me know if you sign up... quite fancy doing it myself but don't want to do it alone. |
Make sure you are getting the complete course for that price. If it is Brian Stuart, he only offers the classroom and confined water portion of the course. He will then give you a referral to do the four open water course dives elsewhere (which you will have to pay extra for). It is NOT a scam. He states this clearly on his web site.
BTW, I have heard (but cannot confirm) that some Korean shops offer open water (beginner level) courses at crazy low prices. You can do the whole course for the low price, but when you finish, they will charge you a very high "licensing fee" to get the actual card. None of the foreign-run clubs/shops that I know of do this, but always make sure that your course price includes the whole course, AND YOUR C-CARD.
Last edited by diver on Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:13 am; edited 1 time in total |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: Re: scuba |
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Double post. |
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Crockpot2001
Joined: 01 Jul 2007
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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Another option might be to take the PADI course online as far as it will allow, then go to Thailand or other place with the second protion of the class and get the certification. We were just in Ko Lanta near Phuket and took the whole thing in 3.5 days with no stress. It was a bit pricey at nearly $500 each but we did open water sections in AMAZING conditions and my wife and I had the instructor to ourselves the entire time. $500 inluded everything, even food. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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Crockpot2001 wrote: |
Another option might be to take the PADI course online as far as it will allow, then go to Thailand or other place with the second protion of the class and get the certification. We were just in Ko Lanta near Phuket and took the whole thing in 3.5 days with no stress. It was a bit pricey at nearly $500 each but we did open water sections in AMAZING conditions and my wife and I had the instructor to ourselves the entire time. $500 inluded everything, even food. |
That is another way to do it as well. For those in Korea, it is a great option. If you can complete as much as possible in Korea (theory or theory and confined water) then you get straight into the ocean dives when you get to your vacation destination.
The pros are that you don't waste any time in a classroom on your vacation.
The cons are that unless you plan to do all your diving in pristine tropical conditions (and some people do just that), learning to dive in Thailand doesn't always prepare you for the harder conditions elsewhere. If you learn to dive in Korean waters, you will be pretty well prepared to dive just abut anywhere in the world. This is why I find people who learned to dive in the UK or New Zealand (amongst other places with colder, darker water) to be some of the best divers I have ever met. |
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mnhnhyouh

Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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There is a German guy teaching out of Seogweipo on Jeju Island. I have dived with him while he was taking classes, and he is a good instructor.
There is some reasonable diving on the south coast of Jeju, though the water can be a tad murky and the currents strong. .
h |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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mnhnhyouh wrote: |
There is a German guy teaching out of Seogweipo on Jeju Island. I have dived with him while he was taking classes, and he is a good instructor.
There is some reasonable diving on the south coast of Jeju, though the water can be a tad murky and the currents strong. .
h |
Ralf is the most experienced foreign instructor in Korea. He runs Big Blue 33. www.bigblue33.co.kr
The diving in Jeju is great. |
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Crockpot2001
Joined: 01 Jul 2007
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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diver wrote: |
mnhnhyouh wrote: |
There is a German guy teaching out of Seogweipo on Jeju Island. I have dived with him while he was taking classes, and he is a good instructor.
There is some reasonable diving on the south coast of Jeju, though the water can be a tad murky and the currents strong. .
h |
Ralf is the most experienced foreign instructor in Korea. He runs Big Blue 33. www.bigblue33.co.kr
The diving in Jeju is great. |
Question: How different is NAUI from PADI and is there reciprocity? We just got PADI certified. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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Crockpot2001 wrote: |
diver wrote: |
mnhnhyouh wrote: |
There is a German guy teaching out of Seogweipo on Jeju Island. I have dived with him while he was taking classes, and he is a good instructor.
There is some reasonable diving on the south coast of Jeju, though the water can be a tad murky and the currents strong. .
h |
Ralf is the most experienced foreign instructor in Korea. He runs Big Blue 33. www.bigblue33.co.kr
The diving in Jeju is great. |
Question: How different is NAUI from PADI and is there reciprocity? We just got PADI certified. |
They are both accepted world-wide. PADI is the biggest diver certification agency in the world, I believe NAUI is the second biggest. You can show either of those cards aywhere. |
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Crockpot2001
Joined: 01 Jul 2007
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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diver wrote: |
Crockpot2001 wrote: |
diver wrote: |
mnhnhyouh wrote: |
There is a German guy teaching out of Seogweipo on Jeju Island. I have dived with him while he was taking classes, and he is a good instructor.
There is some reasonable diving on the south coast of Jeju, though the water can be a tad murky and the currents strong. .
h |
Ralf is the most experienced foreign instructor in Korea. He runs Big Blue 33. www.bigblue33.co.kr
The diving in Jeju is great. |
Question: How different is NAUI from PADI and is there reciprocity? We just got PADI certified. |
They are both accepted world-wide. PADI is the biggest diver certification agency in the world, I believe NAUI is the second biggest. You can show either of those cards aywhere. |
Fantastic! I'm looking forward to some local diving.
Last edited by Crockpot2001 on Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Suwon Fish
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Location: Hongdae
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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diver wrote: |
mnhnhyouh wrote: |
There is a German guy teaching out of Seogweipo on Jeju Island. I have dived with him while he was taking classes, and he is a good instructor.
There is some reasonable diving on the south coast of Jeju, though the water can be a tad murky and the currents strong. .
h |
Ralf is the most experienced foreign instructor in Korea. He runs Big Blue 33. www.bigblue33.co.kr
The diving in Jeju is great. |
I have been to Jeju several times, always using Ralf's services.
He is an outstanding guy, and without a doubt is the most experienced Instructor and runs the best outfit in Korea.
The diving is more than reasonable, it is semi tropical and is FAR better than any other diving available in Korea. |
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Lostone7

Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Location: SE Asia
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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If your near Pusan there are a couple of good Korean outfits. One is very fluent in English and has and does teach the class in English. He is PADI
However, If you are a diver I am always looking for dive buddies!
I am NAUI and have ALL of my own gear here in Pusan
PM me if your around this way. |
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