Mermaids PADI Five Star National Geographic Dive Center

Mermaids Dive Center offers PADI National Geographic Diver Courses

Mermaids CDC (Career Development Center) Pattaya, Thailand is now an official PADI National Geographic Dive Center. National Geographic Scuba Divers are adventurers, explorers, and conservationists. They have an interest in scuba diving and underwater sciences that goes beyond that of the average diver.

In addition, PADI National Geographic (NG) divers have demonstrated skills and completed underwater tasks that broaden their awareness while scuba diving. They have increased buoyancy skill mastery beyond that required of a PADI Open Water Diver.   This is a foundation skill for specialty diving activities such as underwater Photography and Videography, and essential for reef and marine conservation also.  

Practicing marine information-gathering techniques and heightening dive navigation skills further increases a PADI NG Diver's ability to explore and take critical note of each dive site visited. The PADI NG Diver is more aware of navigation techniques with compass and also using natural navigation points.

The PADI National Geographic Diver's knowledge and skill level makes them and other National Geographic Divers true stewards and ambassadors for the underwater world.  

ADDITIONAL SKILLS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Here are some of the additional skills that will be taught and mastered during your PADI National Geographic Diver Course.

• Exploration Project: Because exploration and underwater science encompasses a wide range of physical and biological disciplines we focus on the unique and interesting aspects of the dive sites. You will note the animal life, plant life, topography, geology, human-made structures and sketch it on a slate.

• Aquatic Life Identification: Discuss, identify and record aquatic plants, invertebrate and vertebrates at a fresh water or salt water environment. Predominantly  this will be salt water but you will also learn much more than the average diver about fresh water marine life.

• Navigation Skills: Good underwater navigation is the key to enjoyable diving experiences. Precise navigation using a compass is also a fun challenge for all divers. Combining compass navigation with keen observation skills increases a your awareness and builds confidence in your diving skills. You'll learn many important skills for natural navigation also.

• Hovering & Buoyancy skills: Good buoyancy skills are very important to observing marine life while not coming into contact with any underwater creatures. Three types of hovering will be taught and mastered. Hovering horizontally helps you stop while swimming over a fragile bottom to observe and record what is below. Hovering with feet slightly elevated allow you to peer into crevices without touching the sides. Hovering with the head slightly elevated is a comfortable position for you to look at the aquatic life along a wall or piling. 

These are just a few of the exciting differences in becoming a PADI National Geographic Diver. Mermaids CDC (Career Development Center) is the first Dive Center to receive the National Geographic Dive Center designation on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. All of our instructors have been trained as National Geographic Dive Instructors to offer you the most flexibility when choosing a dive education program.  

The cost is Baht 19,900 inclusive of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual and all National Geographic Diver materials. The duration is 4 days (same as the Open Water Course) with one additional dive included for a total of 5 dives.

The PADI National Geographic Diver Crossover

If you are already a PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water Diver you can take the National Geographic Crossover program to expand and improve your skills. The crossover will involve the projects and additional dive training skills that are in the NG program but not the normal PADI O/W course.

 The cost of the PADI-NG Crossover course is Baht 6,000, all inclusive and the duration is one day with 2 dives included.