Well it has been a busy few months over at Dive Tribe headquarters and the reason is we have purchased a new boat and have had to do a total refurbishment from top to bottom.

This means stripping the wood and replacing it and repainting and packing the outside.
We have also stripped the engine and replaced many parts and re plumbed the water systems to ensure she runs smoothly.

All the electrics were stripped out of the boat and the whole thing has been totally rewired and now has new gauges in the captains cabin and downstairs on the engine compartment which allows us to keep a constant check and have shut off capability where ever we are on the boat.
All the frame work and sliding battery cases have been custom fabricated and will help our engineers have easy access to all of the engine. 
The great thing about building this ourselves is that we can add all of the features we require to make life easier in the future.
The boat has also had a complete refurbishment of the seating areas and we have installed a full entertainments system, flat screens, sound system etc through out the boat.

As the boat is geared toward marine conservation we have a research room at the forward cabin which is air conditioned and will contain 3 LCD monitors a pilots and an observers seat to control our new 5ft ROV. 
An ROV ?  
Yes thats right Dive Tribe have acquired a full research ROV and will begin training those interested in marine research how to launch and pilot this system around the Gulf of Thailand.
Along with the ROV comes other goodies, our mooring buoy drilling system will be on board, this includes compressor, lines, drill head and all the other equipment we use to insure reefs against anchor damage and a new place has been located to begin to our conservation work. 
Also on board will be a small lab including microscopes, magnifiers, refrigeration storage, hand held drilling equipment, host of large air bags and other tech equipment which will help our team and others that dive with us to work on their specialised projects.
 

Dive Tribe also have a compressor onboard and will be able to pump air and Nitrox for those that require it. 
We will be keeping the numbers limited on the boat which will avoid the often seen overcrowding on a lot of the boats we see. A full medical cabinet and oxygen is onboard along with intercom system and a recall system for divers has been installed for our divers safety. We are currently looking into prop guards as another safety precaution.

As you can imagine this has come at some expense and we have to thank one of our key sponsors Dragon Capital for helping us finance part of the boat payment. Also thanks has to go to my team Sasithorn Mills, Wesley Copely, Steve Reinhold, and Mark Blackburn for hours they have put into working on the boat and also investment and believing that Pattaya really needs a diving organisation that puts marine conservation over profit first. 

Recently a few have asked if we are a not for profit organisation, and this we are not. 
We have never intimated that we are such and through out our social media and websites there is no suggestion we have made these claims.          
Dive Tribe is a business ! We are in the business of marine conservation and research first and foremost and as we need funds to pump into this venture we therefore also train individuals or groups from PADI Open Water all the way to TDi wreck and technical diving including having our own rebreathers and rebreather instructor on board.
We took a business approach to marine conservation in Thailand for the simple reason that setting up a not for profit organisation was costly and timely and as an organisation we believed transactions are much more transparent using the simple business route.

Indeed with out having used a business model we would not have been able to install moorings, begin shark tagging and also data collection of our reefs as the support from surrounding dive centres has been lack lustre. It is those that have dived and trained with us and supported us that have made marine conservation and research possible in Pattaya and for that we thank you !

So the adventure starts now !!! Our boat will be launched shortly and we invite you all to simply dive with us or become part of the team and help us with marine conservation.
If you would like to support our work and our boat we would welcome any kind donation at our link here.