Seafari Diving Center

Seafari Dive Centre has been a staple of the Pattaya diving scene since 1980. Situated just two minutes from Pattaya Beach Road behind Mike's Mall, the centre offers an accessible base for divers looking to explore the Gulf of Thailand. Its long-standing presence in the region is built on decades of local knowledge and a focus on safety and professional standards.

The centre serves a diverse community of local residents, expatriates, and international travellers. Whether you are looking to complete your first Open Water Diver certification or are a technical diver seeking deep, challenging sites, the facility is equipped to handle a wide range of experience levels.

As a PADI 5 Star IDC centre, Seafari provides professional instruction across the entire PADI curriculum. The team is international and multilingual, offering guidance in both English and French to accommodate a global clientele.

The centre's expertise extends into professional training, hosting Instructor Development Courses (IDC) for those looking to progress in their diving careers. This high level of accreditation ensures that both recreational and professional students benefit from a structured, high-standard learning environment.

The course catalogue at Seafari is comprehensive, covering every stage of the PADI progression. Beginners can start with Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver courses, moving through to Advanced Open Water Diver and Rescue Diver certifications.

For those looking to specialise, the centre offers several PADI specialties including Deep Diver, Wreck Diver, Navigation, and Perfect Buoyancy. They also provide dedicated training for Sidemount diving and underwater photography. Professional divers can pursue Divemaster or complete the full IDC programme to become instructors.

The centre is equipped with high-quality kit for divers. They are UKAS and IDEST accredited for the maintenance of diving equipment according to ISO/IEC 17024:2012 standards, ensuring that regulators and other life-support components are serviced to rigorous specifications.

For those looking to extend their bottom time or dive deeper, Nitrox and Trimix are available on-site. The facility is set up to support both recreational Nitrox users and technical divers requiring specialized gas blends.

The reefs around Pattaya are home to a diverse array of marine life. You will regularly encounter sea turtles (Cheloniidae), including hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), grazing on seagrass meadows or resting on the reef. Schools of fish, including jack (Carangidae) and fusilier (Caesio), often move in large numbers around the pinnacles and wrecks.

Macro enthusiasts will find plenty to explore among the corals and rubble. The area is known for nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani), seahorses (Hippocampus kuda), and various species of shrimp (Caridea) and crabs (Brachyura). You may also spot octopus (Octopus vulgaris), pipefish, and gobies (Gobiidae) tucked into the reef structure.

For those seeking larger animals, bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium) are frequently seen resting under ledges or amongst the rocks. Depending on the site and conditions, it is possible to encounter stingrays (Batoidea), blue spot stingrays, and even occasional sightings of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) or dolphins.

Diving in this region is subject to varying conditions depending on the specific site. Many of the wreck and technical sites are subject to moderate to strong currents, and some locations, such as Hin Chalam, are known for particularly heavy current flow.

Sea conditions are generally calmest between November and April, which is also the preferred window for many of the local wreck dives. Tides can affect the experience, and low tide is often preferred for certain shallower wreck sites to improve access and visibility.