PADI, diving and Instructor Development (IDC)

PADI Member Forum 2011 Koh Samui and Koh Tao

Over the last couple of days it was PADI meeting mayhem! After the recent PADI Course Director update on Koh Tao on Monday during the daytime, I went to the Member Forum update that same evening and yesterday I went to the same member Forum on Samui at the Kandaburi Resort in Chaweng and a third may be luring around the corner in the first week of March during my IDC on Koh Lanta starting this Saturday!

Welcome to the Samui Member Forum

Some 20 people showed up, much to Tony Andrew's relieve, since the the updates he conducted in Phuket, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao where much bigger events, Samui gave him a quiet and relaxed evening! Attendee numbers ranged from over 100 to 60 in the other locations.

Tony Andrews and myself at the Samui Forum

Tony Andrew is the new Regional manager for region 26 or better known to us as Thailand. Last year during October there was a change of guard and Hans Ullrich, the big Dutch guy, who was RM (regional manager) for the last 7 years in Thailand moved on to Queensland in Australia.

Tony, who was the previously filling the RM shoes in Indonesia came over to Thailand following up Hans' legacy and he's doing fine, considering what a big bite Thailand is compared to all other regions in Asia pacific.

The Koh Tao update was attended by around 100 PADI members it and was the biggest Member Forum I ever attended! It was also one of the most informal updates or Forum that I've been to and Tony had a tough job but handled it well getting the attention from everyone at the right moments. Nice side note was that Colin Melrose gave moral support!

Looking forward to 2011, the start has been a lot better than the same period in 2010!

Camille