Wednesday 31st January 2013-
Saw this & thought how true! " A Dive Center Posted On padi yesturday at 11.30 pm ish,...5 ads for padi pros in 5 differant locations...Ok good I thought 5 chances at a job in one go..... So I answered with CV straight away......Guess what I got back this morning...... Divers Club International Topic: No dive master/AI opening available. From: Human Resources Department - Hello Chris J, Thank you for your interest in our dive master/AI job opportunities! I regret to inform that all dive master/AI positions have been filled by our instructor course interns. In the hope that you might consider joining one of our PADI diving instructor courses or internships with inhouse job objective and priority as an alternative to Divemaster employment, I have sent you our GO PRO ACADEMY information. Not Good........IF YOU HAVE NO JOBS DON'T POST JOBS ON PADI.....If I wanted to pay for the AI/IE I would not waste my time answering ...JOB!!!!. Adverts. Sorry !!!!......RANT OVER....." Stop wasting time! Do your SSI Instructor Training & get a job Eezy Peezy! www.bigblueinstructortraining.com
Sharks are kinda scary. In the water they're faster than us, can appear from what seems like out of nowhere in an instant, and pack a pretty solid bite. It's easy to get nervous when you're in the dark ocean and unsure of who is swimming by with a toothy grin. But sharks aren't the animals you should be most afraid of. Here are some that are much more likely to cause your demise. Mosquitoes- 655,000 people killed each year, primarily in Africa, through the little buggers spreading malaria. Hippos- 2,900 people are killed by these moody mammals annually in Africa. That roly-poly exterior is just to lure you in. Deer- 130 people killed across the U.S. by deer, almost exclusively because drivers hit the deers with their cars. That saying "a deer in the headlights" came about for a reason. Bees- 53 people die each year in the U.S. because of an allergic reaction from being stung. Dogs- 30-35 people are killed each year in the U.S. Fido isn't always your best friend. Ants- 20-50 people are killed each year in Africa from ants. They may be small but dozens, hundreds, even thousands of stinging ants can really add up. Jellyfish- 20-40 people per year die in the Philippines alone from the anaphylaxis caused by the stings. Cows- 22 people are killed in the U.S. every year from these seemingly docile creatures. They're fun to pet, but getting kicked in the head by one ... not as fun. Horses- 20 people die each year thanks to our equine friends. Spiders- 6.5 people die in the U.S. every year from spider bites. Rattlesnakes- 5.5 people die from rattlesnake bites each year in the U.S., which isn't a whole lot considering how common they are in popular hiking and camping areas. Sharks-1 person is killed each year in the U.S. and fewer than six worldwide are killed by sharks. From 2006 to 2010, there were just three fatalities from shark attacks in the U.S. So if you find yourself harboring feelings of fear or even hatred of sharks, you might want to take a step back and gain a little perspective. They aren't nearly as deadly as you might think.
Saturday 26th January 2013-
Congratulations Emiko one of our many Japanese Instructors who can now bat for the other side having completed her SSI Crossover with flying colours. SSI (Scuba Schools International) is one of the oldest dive organizations in the world and still growing each day. The SSI Instructor Crossover program is designed to orient Instructors who were trained by other certification agencies to the teaching and business philosophy of SSI. At the end you will be allowed to teach and certify divers through SSI. Since you already have done your instructor training with another agency, you already know how to teach divers. Therefore our main goal during the course will be to make you knowledgeable and comfortable with SSI Programs, products and services, so that you may confidently teach SSI courses and attract members of the opposite sex!
Another busy Full Day Trip to Sail Rock today. The Gulf of Thailands number 1 Dive site according to Lonely Planets Diving & snorkeling Guide to Thailand & there aint many people who are going to sit there & disagree with that. Sail Rock is a 15m above and 35m below surface pinnacle that lies between Koh Tao and Koh Pha-ngan. Its famous for its natural underwater vertical swimthrough or chimney which divers can enter at 6 metres and exit at 18. It is also the visiting site of many larger pelagics including chevron barracuda, big schools of mackerel, jacks, trevally and tuna & apparently Saturdays are an excellent day to encounter a seasonal whale shark or manta ray here as well!
Calling out all old school Koh Taoians! Remember when Koh Tao was a little get away from it all unexplored island hideaway that no one had ever heard of. When you had to sit on a bag of coconuts to get here from the mainland on one of those once a week delivery boats. A little island with awesome weather, white sandy palm fringed bays & beaches, fabulous sunsets, unspoilt, undeveloped, virgin divesites & a place with a real close friendly bonding between the locals & us 'Farang? How when we opened Big Blue Diving, only the 2nd Diveshop on Koh Tao, people thought what pioneers we were! & now look at us! Who would have guessed that we could go from there to now - one of the largest Dive centers in the world! Well we've been offered something amazing! Anyone fancy repeating what we've just done here on Koh Tao in another undiscovered tropical island paradise with unbelievable diving right on our doorstep! Whalesharks, pygmy seahorses, turtles & dolphins A Resort, a bar, a restaurant & a diveshop in another part of Asia? The opportunity of a lifetime! A golden opportunity to partner up with one of the worlds leading Dive centers and open up Big Blue Diving....(TBA)....! Interested parties must be willing to input capital & whose aim is to supply their customers, holidaymakers divers, with an enjoyable and safe experience & memories that will last a lifetime. The business of making people happy! Serious applicants please send email to jim@bigbluediving.com
Thursday 24th January 2013-
Saw this & thought how true! " A Dive Center Posted On padi yesturday at 11.30 pm ish,...5 ads for padi pros in 5 differant locations...Ok good I thought 5 chances at a job in one go..... So I answered with CV straight away......Guess what I got back this morning...... Divers Club International Topic: No dive master/AI opening available. From: Human Resources Department - Hello Chris J, Thank you for your interest in our dive master/AI job opportunities! I regret to inform that all dive master/AI positions have been filled by our instructor course interns. In the hope that you might consider joining one of our PADI diving instructor courses or internships with inhouse job objective and priority as an alternative to Divemaster employment, I have sent you our GO PRO ACADEMY information. Not Good........IF YOU HAVE NO JOBS DON'T POST JOBS ON PADI.....If I wanted to pay for the AI/IE I would not waste my time answering ...JOB!!!!. Adverts. Sorry !!!!......RANT OVER....." Stop wasting time! Do your SSI Instructor Training & get a job Eezy Peezy! www.bigblueinstructortraining.com
“100% recommend this place” -
3 of us just finished our advanced open water with big blue last week.
It came highly recommended and we'll be sure to send our mates to the
same spot. Great food accommodation etc and the staff are really cool.
Massive thanks to Petra! (Best instructor on the island) Defiantly go to
big blue!
3 of us just finished our advanced open water with big blue last week.
It came highly recommended and we'll be sure to send our mates to the
same spot. Great food accommodation etc and the staff are really cool.
Massive thanks to Petra! (Best instructor on the island) Defiantly go to
big blue!Sharks are kinda scary. In the water they're faster than us, can appear from what seems like out of nowhere in an instant, and pack a pretty solid bite. It's easy to get nervous when you're in the dark ocean and unsure of who is swimming by with a toothy grin. But sharks aren't the animals you should be most afraid of. Here are some that are much more likely to cause your demise. Mosquitoes- 655,000 people killed each year, primarily in Africa, through the little buggers spreading malaria. Hippos- 2,900 people are killed by these moody mammals annually in Africa. That roly-poly exterior is just to lure you in. Deer- 130 people killed across the U.S. by deer, almost exclusively because drivers hit the deers with their cars. That saying "a deer in the headlights" came about for a reason. Bees- 53 people die each year in the U.S. because of an allergic reaction from being stung. Dogs- 30-35 people are killed each year in the U.S. Fido isn't always your best friend. Ants- 20-50 people are killed each year in Africa from ants. They may be small but dozens, hundreds, even thousands of stinging ants can really add up. Jellyfish- 20-40 people per year die in the Philippines alone from the anaphylaxis caused by the stings. Cows- 22 people are killed in the U.S. every year from these seemingly docile creatures. They're fun to pet, but getting kicked in the head by one ... not as fun. Horses- 20 people die each year thanks to our equine friends. Spiders- 6.5 people die in the U.S. every year from spider bites. Rattlesnakes- 5.5 people die from rattlesnake bites each year in the U.S., which isn't a whole lot considering how common they are in popular hiking and camping areas. Sharks-1 person is killed each year in the U.S. and fewer than six worldwide are killed by sharks. From 2006 to 2010, there were just three fatalities from shark attacks in the U.S. So if you find yourself harboring feelings of fear or even hatred of sharks, you might want to take a step back and gain a little perspective. They aren't nearly as deadly as you might think.
Saturday 26th January 2013-
Congratulations Emiko one of our many Japanese Instructors who can now bat for the other side having completed her SSI Crossover with flying colours. SSI (Scuba Schools International) is one of the oldest dive organizations in the world and still growing each day. The SSI Instructor Crossover program is designed to orient Instructors who were trained by other certification agencies to the teaching and business philosophy of SSI. At the end you will be allowed to teach and certify divers through SSI. Since you already have done your instructor training with another agency, you already know how to teach divers. Therefore our main goal during the course will be to make you knowledgeable and comfortable with SSI Programs, products and services, so that you may confidently teach SSI courses and attract members of the opposite sex!
Another busy Full Day Trip to Sail Rock today. The Gulf of Thailands number 1 Dive site according to Lonely Planets Diving & snorkeling Guide to Thailand & there aint many people who are going to sit there & disagree with that. Sail Rock is a 15m above and 35m below surface pinnacle that lies between Koh Tao and Koh Pha-ngan. Its famous for its natural underwater vertical swimthrough or chimney which divers can enter at 6 metres and exit at 18. It is also the visiting site of many larger pelagics including chevron barracuda, big schools of mackerel, jacks, trevally and tuna & apparently Saturdays are an excellent day to encounter a seasonal whale shark or manta ray here as well!
“big blue and koh tao”
- Absolutely amazing !! The staff, especially AMI my open water
instructor...she was incredibly calm, funny, knowledgable and averall
fantastic.We had only small groups, just 3 in ours, I felt confortable,
completely safe and at ease( and I was really nervous!!) and Ami made
the whole 'learning to dive' experience completly awsome!! They even
filmed us on the last dive, (the one where we all qualified as open
water divers) edited so well that it will make me smile always , a
treasured memory. definitely hooked now though, will be back for
more.Cant rate it higher....the best dive school in Koh Tao, staff,
accommadation, beaches, boats and dive sites ALL Fantastic.
Friday 25th January 2013-
- Absolutely amazing !! The staff, especially AMI my open water
instructor...she was incredibly calm, funny, knowledgable and averall
fantastic.We had only small groups, just 3 in ours, I felt confortable,
completely safe and at ease( and I was really nervous!!) and Ami made
the whole 'learning to dive' experience completly awsome!! They even
filmed us on the last dive, (the one where we all qualified as open
water divers) edited so well that it will make me smile always , a
treasured memory. definitely hooked now though, will be back for
more.Cant rate it higher....the best dive school in Koh Tao, staff,
accommadation, beaches, boats and dive sites ALL Fantastic. 
Calling out all old school Koh Taoians! Remember when Koh Tao was a little get away from it all unexplored island hideaway that no one had ever heard of. When you had to sit on a bag of coconuts to get here from the mainland on one of those once a week delivery boats. A little island with awesome weather, white sandy palm fringed bays & beaches, fabulous sunsets, unspoilt, undeveloped, virgin divesites & a place with a real close friendly bonding between the locals & us 'Farang? How when we opened Big Blue Diving, only the 2nd Diveshop on Koh Tao, people thought what pioneers we were! & now look at us! Who would have guessed that we could go from there to now - one of the largest Dive centers in the world! Well we've been offered something amazing! Anyone fancy repeating what we've just done here on Koh Tao in another undiscovered tropical island paradise with unbelievable diving right on our doorstep! Whalesharks, pygmy seahorses, turtles & dolphins A Resort, a bar, a restaurant & a diveshop in another part of Asia? The opportunity of a lifetime! A golden opportunity to partner up with one of the worlds leading Dive centers and open up Big Blue Diving....(TBA)....! Interested parties must be willing to input capital & whose aim is to supply their customers, holidaymakers divers, with an enjoyable and safe experience & memories that will last a lifetime. The business of making people happy! Serious applicants please send email to jim@bigbluediving.com
“More than I ever imagined”-
I came to Koh Tao after traveling through southern Thailand. Big blue
was highly recommended by many of the travelers I had met. When I
arrived at the island, I found them and the resort was very
professional. Super kind people gave me the run down for the course and I
was hooked. I booked for the open water dive course, which consists of 4
open water dives and a pool day (learning). I loved every minute of it.
I was lucky enough to have the best instructor I could asked for, her
name is Petra. She is a rock star... So knowledgeable, safe and funny.
When I was given my open water card, I decided to stay for the advanced
diver course, which Petra was also teaching. I can tell you that 4 dives
just doesn't cut it, you will want to stay there for much longer. The
ascended course took the group to a wreck from WWII, chumphon pinnacle
and other areas to navigate. I would not have traded this experience for
anything. Thank you Big Blue diving and most of all THANK YOU PETRA!!!
.... For you are the best. Can't wait to come back for more diving next
year.
I came to Koh Tao after traveling through southern Thailand. Big blue
was highly recommended by many of the travelers I had met. When I
arrived at the island, I found them and the resort was very
professional. Super kind people gave me the run down for the course and I
was hooked. I booked for the open water dive course, which consists of 4
open water dives and a pool day (learning). I loved every minute of it.
I was lucky enough to have the best instructor I could asked for, her
name is Petra. She is a rock star... So knowledgeable, safe and funny.
When I was given my open water card, I decided to stay for the advanced
diver course, which Petra was also teaching. I can tell you that 4 dives
just doesn't cut it, you will want to stay there for much longer. The
ascended course took the group to a wreck from WWII, chumphon pinnacle
and other areas to navigate. I would not have traded this experience for
anything. Thank you Big Blue diving and most of all THANK YOU PETRA!!!
.... For you are the best. Can't wait to come back for more diving next
year. Thursday 24th January 2013-
Did you know that absolutely every instructor candidate we've had over the last year is working. From NZ to Caymans but mostly in Thailand. To give you an idea, we have crossed over 20 instructors on Koh Phi Phi this year. They are all working at dive shops now on Phi Phi apart from one who got sacked for being crap and breaking standards. We have taught around 20 SSI ITC's on Koh Tao and over 20 Crossovers this year & every one is working apart from 2 who now live in Bangkok working for Microsoft. Right now we have a 2 person ITC & a 1 person crossover with a polish guy today & then a japanese lady tomorrow & we'll tell you when they get their first paid jobs. I should think it will be a few days after they get there SSI number. Unless they have a negative attitude and think the world owes them a living, which is covered in the X over or ITC, so they should come out of it being realistic. ie Just because you go to UNI doesn't mean you get a 100,000 pound a year job. You still have to work your way up and work hard. Same Same in diving. Some people become instructor and think that's it. These are normally the people who can't make a living in the "real" world and think dive instructing is an easy job. Sitting on beaches, drinking cocktails and diving once a day and getting paid loads of money. You need to pick where you do your instructor course. Just saw this post from a dive center . "Congrats to all our candidates who passed the PADI IE. The first batch of 2013 is a really good one. Best of success to all in your career as diving instructors" That sounds like thanks for your money good bye and good luck. Pick one that will help you find work. www.bigblueinstructortraining.com They might even help you with the ladies!
Tuesday 22nd January 2013-
Whaleshark! Again. They just keep on coming! This one was a very friendly one too & decided to hang around during our surface interval & spent the majority of the time at the surface so we could all go snorkeling with it! Not a bad start to the week. and everyone on the trip got to see it underwater scuba diving with it & snorkelling on the surface with it aswell! Memory of a lifetime for just 1600 Bt! How's that for a bargain!
“Highlight of my trip!”
I was in Thailand for 3 weeks in December 2012. I spent a week in Koh
Tao at Big Blue over Christmas. It was the best experience. I completed
the SSI Open Water Course and the Advanced Adventurer course. Having
never dived before, this was the best place to be introduced to it!
Daisy was my instructor and she was amazing. She is so knowledgeable,
patient and fun! I heard that all of the other diving instructors were
amazing, but I still believe my group had the best one ;-). (Sorry to
everyone else! ) Big Blue Resort was so great to stay at as well. The
accommodation was clean and well maintained. I met so many people and
ended up hanging out with them for most of my time there. It was so fun
to be there over Christmas with so many beach parties happening.
Definitely the best place to learn to dive and to have a great time!! I
hope I can go back again for some more diving!
I was in Thailand for 3 weeks in December 2012. I spent a week in Koh
Tao at Big Blue over Christmas. It was the best experience. I completed
the SSI Open Water Course and the Advanced Adventurer course. Having
never dived before, this was the best place to be introduced to it!
Daisy was my instructor and she was amazing. She is so knowledgeable,
patient and fun! I heard that all of the other diving instructors were
amazing, but I still believe my group had the best one ;-). (Sorry to
everyone else! ) Big Blue Resort was so great to stay at as well. The
accommodation was clean and well maintained. I met so many people and
ended up hanging out with them for most of my time there. It was so fun
to be there over Christmas with so many beach parties happening.
Definitely the best place to learn to dive and to have a great time!! I
hope I can go back again for some more diving!
HONOLULU —An amazing video was captured last Friday of a dolphin reaching out to a human for help. It happened during a manta ray dive experience off the Big Island's Kona International Airport. The group of snorkelers and divers heard a loud squeal and a bottlenose dolphin swam right into the dive spot. As it approached, diver Keller Laros saw it had a fishing line wrapped around its pectoral fin. The amazing part of this video -- to watch as this dolphin simply rolls over and patiently lets Laros get to work. "i was trying to unwrap it, I got the line fishing hook out of the pectoral fin. There was a line coming out of his mouth. But, the line wrapped around his pectoral fin. Was so tight and he had cuts both front and aft," said Laros. "I was worried if I tugged on it, it might hurt him more. I was able to cut the fishing line and unwrap it." Laros got the fishing hook out and snipped the fishing line by the dolphin's mouth. Others tried to get more fishing line out but the dolphin swam away and the group never saw the dolphin again. "I've had bottlenose dolphins approach me a lot of times and they are really smart animals," said Laros. "They way he came right up and pushed himself into me there was no question this dolphin was there for help."
Monday 14th January 2013-
This photo was taken by Peri Paleracio, in the Philippines. The whale shark was found by a scuba diver, still alive and trying to swim. Its pectoral and ventral fins were cut
off by poachers who sell shark fins at a premium for the Chinese
delicacy, shark fin soup. Locals, with the help of local government,
pulled the still-struggling shark to shore where it died the next day.
Here a local woman mourns its miserable fate. This photo was named "most compelling image" of 2010 in honor of the UN's International Year of Biodiversity.This is not just something caused by Chinese fishermen, it is a global problem. Shark Fin soup is sold all over the world, even in the UK. Please support the fight against shark finning.
* Spread the word.
* Share photos and stories such as this.
* Sign petitions. This one is petitioning the UN for a worldwide ban on shark finning: http://
* Write to local restaurants serving the dish: Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation have a celebrity-signed template letter and map listing restaurants in the UK selling shark fin soup. Find them here: http://www.bite-back.com/
Most of these things can be done with such minimal effort, just a few seconds, or few minutes, of your time. Collectively our voices DO make a difference. Countries and cities have successfully implemented bans on the sale of shark fin products as a result of individuals coming together to make a stink about it.
“Learning to dive”
I came to Big Blue after doing quite a bit of research because there are
so many dive schools to choose from. I was not disappointed. I was
lucky to get Guy as my instructor, he took a group with no knowledge of
diving and within days we felt like pro's. I've extended my stay on Koh
Tao to go further with Guy and diving in the advance diving course. As
for the resort, it's right on the beach. Many schools are farther into
the town. They have good food and a bar for a few beers during happy
hour after diving. I stayed in the free accommodation that you get with
the courses but they have all types if you aren't on a budget like I
was.
I came to Big Blue after doing quite a bit of research because there are
so many dive schools to choose from. I was not disappointed. I was
lucky to get Guy as my instructor, he took a group with no knowledge of
diving and within days we felt like pro's. I've extended my stay on Koh
Tao to go further with Guy and diving in the advance diving course. As
for the resort, it's right on the beach. Many schools are farther into
the town. They have good food and a bar for a few beers during happy
hour after diving. I stayed in the free accommodation that you get with
the courses but they have all types if you aren't on a budget like I
was.
First Full day trip to Sail Rock has gone off without a hitch, as is always the case. The boat is full. everyone on it is an experienced diver so not a single course on it which is rare so its going to be an awesome day out. Cooked breakfast on the way out then first dive at Sail Rock. Morning tea & crumpets during the surface interval followed by a second dive at Sail Rock. Then its a Thai buffet banquet for lunch while we head back to Koh Tao to do one of our lesser known dive sites but a very popular spot for the fishermen Samran Pinnacle then its chocolate cake & back to Big Blue by 5pm for a couple of refreshing beers at the bar just in time for sunset! What a day!
Saturday 12th January 2013- 
If you are dreaming of life changing adventures...are you ready for the
life changing consequences? If you are, then get out there and live your
dream! So many unhappy people out there living a hum drum existence prostituting themselves for some big corporation or even small company doing something they just don't want to be doing. Why? Make 2013 the year you change your life & do something you want to do! Get a job on the beach! Save an endangered species like the whale or shark! Photograph mind blowing creatures & historical wrecks & artifacts. See with your own eyes things you never believed possible. Educate people. But for gods sake do something life changing this year. This is your life. Your one shot at it. You owe it to yourself. Live your dream & start by sending me an email! info@bigbluediving.com I promise you this. You will not regret one minute of it!
“Big Blue was incredible!”
Doing my Open Water Course (and the upgrade to an Advanced Adventurer
the day after OW finished) at Big Blue was one of the best experiences
of my life and certainly of my 3 months travel! Even though we were out
of season, we spotted both whale shark and turtle twice - I went
straight in and booked my next course. Ben was the best instructor
anyone could ask for and he got our team down to 30 meters like a dream,
despite of whatever concern one might have had. I had quite a struggle
with equalizing in the beginning, but Ben gave me all the time I needed
and got me safely down independently from my group - I was truly
grateful! I think that I can speak for anyone in our 6 man group
when I say that we all loved having Ben as our instructor and that we
would recommend him very much!
Doing my Open Water Course (and the upgrade to an Advanced Adventurer
the day after OW finished) at Big Blue was one of the best experiences
of my life and certainly of my 3 months travel! Even though we were out
of season, we spotted both whale shark and turtle twice - I went
straight in and booked my next course. Ben was the best instructor
anyone could ask for and he got our team down to 30 meters like a dream,
despite of whatever concern one might have had. I had quite a struggle
with equalizing in the beginning, but Ben gave me all the time I needed
and got me safely down independently from my group - I was truly
grateful! I think that I can speak for anyone in our 6 man group
when I say that we all loved having Ben as our instructor and that we
would recommend him very much! Friday 11th January 2013-
Without question I think one of the best things about Big Blue Diving is the fact that it has 2 resorts within a couple of hundred meters of each other! Big Blue 1 is unquestionably the whole heartbeat & pulse of the operation. Its been there since the year dot & offers rooms- AC dorms, fan rooms, beach bungalows & AC rooms on site. It has an awesome Bar & Restaurant with a great atmosphere especially at sunset & at night & is the center of operations when it comes to the diving. You arrive here & you leave from here. Big Blue 2 is now 1 year old. Has a 3 storey building with 21 rooms offerring AC dorms fan rooms & AC rooms as well as bungalows Fan & AC, & a purpose built Divers swimming pool. The restaurant & Bar are also located on the beach & it also has a spa. With this kind of set up the place has a lot of appeal but its the staff that make it the legendary place that it is & when you put all 3 together the Staff, Big Blue 1 & Big Blue 2 you've got one of the best places in the world. Certainly the best place on Koh Tao. Lots of love, Jim Donaldson. General Manager, Partner, Scuba Instructor & one of the luckiest people in the world!
“Best time of my trip in Asia”
I found myself constantly saying almost everyday that it was the best
day of my life. There are loads of dive shops in Koh Tao and it is a
little overwhelming when deciding which to choose from... So just take
my advice and dive with big blue! I went around the island and visited a
few different shops that had this kind of "we could care less" if you
dive with us or not attitude. Being the high season and around Xmas all
the shops have tons of new clients coming in everyday with questions
& at big blue they seemed to be the only place that was actually
happy to have me and wanted me there. I signed up for the open water
corse totally pumped but when it came to actually getting in the water I
was quite freaked. It felt so unnatural I was really apprehensive
about just breathing underwater. BUT since I had the best dive
instructor EVER daisy was there to help me every step of the way. She
had so much knowledge and experience and really made me feel relaxed and
at ease underwater. I ended up totally having a blast during every dive
we went on and I went on to take the advanced open water course.
Everything about big blue felt just right. Kinda a summer camp vibe
around the whole place. It was a great way to meet new friends and an
awesome place to learn how to dive. Daisy was so patient and
understanding and answered every question we had (and we had a lot). In a
place like Koh Tao you can feel like you might just get rushed through
the course and spit back out but daisy & big blue made me feel like I
actually learned a bit about diving and the world underneath me. I def
recommend it to anyone interested in diving while in SE Asia :) thank
you so much Daisy I miss you xoxo !!! Can't wait to take my knowledge and dive in Bali and all over the world!
I found myself constantly saying almost everyday that it was the best
day of my life. There are loads of dive shops in Koh Tao and it is a
little overwhelming when deciding which to choose from... So just take
my advice and dive with big blue! I went around the island and visited a
few different shops that had this kind of "we could care less" if you
dive with us or not attitude. Being the high season and around Xmas all
the shops have tons of new clients coming in everyday with questions
& at big blue they seemed to be the only place that was actually
happy to have me and wanted me there. I signed up for the open water
corse totally pumped but when it came to actually getting in the water I
was quite freaked. It felt so unnatural I was really apprehensive
about just breathing underwater. BUT since I had the best dive
instructor EVER daisy was there to help me every step of the way. She
had so much knowledge and experience and really made me feel relaxed and
at ease underwater. I ended up totally having a blast during every dive
we went on and I went on to take the advanced open water course.
Everything about big blue felt just right. Kinda a summer camp vibe
around the whole place. It was a great way to meet new friends and an
awesome place to learn how to dive. Daisy was so patient and
understanding and answered every question we had (and we had a lot). In a
place like Koh Tao you can feel like you might just get rushed through
the course and spit back out but daisy & big blue made me feel like I
actually learned a bit about diving and the world underneath me. I def
recommend it to anyone interested in diving while in SE Asia :) thank
you so much Daisy I miss you xoxo !!! Can't wait to take my knowledge and dive in Bali and all over the world! Wednesday 9th January 2013-
Enjoying just the most tremendous sunsets here in Koh Tao right now. The beach is completely full of people with their cameras snapping away under a blood red sky! And while the weather is this good there's a big demand for Night Dives right now too, so we're pretty much night diving every night right now. And who wouldn't want to go out on a boat with this sunset to enjoy just before you arrive at your divesite for your night dive. Awesome sunsets, calm seas, warm tropical waters, great company & an hours dive checking out the teeming marine life Koh Tao has to offer at night.
“My most memorable week ever :)”
I planned on spending a few days on koh tao to do my open water course
but ended up staying for 10 and this was largely down to big blue
diving. koh tao has a unique vibe unlike anywhere i have been whilst
traveling and big blue diving made my time here even better. i
originally signed up to just do the open water course which was both
cheap, recommended and came with free accommodation in very decent dorms
(although upgrades are also available). My instructor daisy was
absolutely brilliant, both in her teaching manner and helping me out
personally with sorting out a room which i initially had a problem with
and she went out of her way to sort this out despite it not being her
job at all. She was very patient with all of us and we all felt like we
had learned loads in our group, both in the lessons and the dives, we
couldnt have asked for a better instructor. The accommodation, bar and
restaurant is right on the beach which is perfect. As to the diving
itself, the dives were great and the service and quality provided by big
blue for each dive was excellent. I had such a great time that I
decided to progress onto my advanced course, again with daisy which did
not disappoint and daisy was equally fantastic on this course despite
working long hours and teaching us 6 days in a row right up to christmas
eve. the night dive and the wreck dive on this course were worth the
money alone and you get a discount for the advanced course if you did
the open water with them which makes it dirt cheap. i had the most
amazing week and would immediately return to big blue if i ever get the
chance to go back to koh tao. thanks to daisy and everyone else at big
blue that made my christmas and the rest of our groups so special we
won't forget it!
I planned on spending a few days on koh tao to do my open water course
but ended up staying for 10 and this was largely down to big blue
diving. koh tao has a unique vibe unlike anywhere i have been whilst
traveling and big blue diving made my time here even better. i
originally signed up to just do the open water course which was both
cheap, recommended and came with free accommodation in very decent dorms
(although upgrades are also available). My instructor daisy was
absolutely brilliant, both in her teaching manner and helping me out
personally with sorting out a room which i initially had a problem with
and she went out of her way to sort this out despite it not being her
job at all. She was very patient with all of us and we all felt like we
had learned loads in our group, both in the lessons and the dives, we
couldnt have asked for a better instructor. The accommodation, bar and
restaurant is right on the beach which is perfect. As to the diving
itself, the dives were great and the service and quality provided by big
blue for each dive was excellent. I had such a great time that I
decided to progress onto my advanced course, again with daisy which did
not disappoint and daisy was equally fantastic on this course despite
working long hours and teaching us 6 days in a row right up to christmas
eve. the night dive and the wreck dive on this course were worth the
money alone and you get a discount for the advanced course if you did
the open water with them which makes it dirt cheap. i had the most
amazing week and would immediately return to big blue if i ever get the
chance to go back to koh tao. thanks to daisy and everyone else at big
blue that made my christmas and the rest of our groups so special we
won't forget it! Tuesday 8th January 2013-
“Big Blue Rocks!!!”
I went to Koh Tao to dive and randomly ended up at Big Blue when I was
shafted by another motel/resort there. In short, I was so glad I went
there. I wanted to complete my open water licence, which I did. The
instructors are awesome. I had an instructor called "Irish G". Irish had
been diving and instructing for over 16 years. She was cool, calm and
totally a pro at her job. I always felt safe and she is MAJOR FUN! We
only had 4 people in our dive crew which was awesome to have such a
small crew. "Irish G" - totally made our crew feel confident and we all
decided that we would then do our advanced if we could do the course
with her. We completed our Advanced diving with a night dive,
navigation, and a wreck dive as well as two other dives to just over
30m. I now am fully already planning my next dive trip - I am thinking
Big Blue may be hard to beat as far as friendly service and beauriful
surroundings go? I met loads of great crew and everyone was so
friendly. There was time for divinga and also time for a party, which
Koh Tao does well. It was really hard to leave. Thanks big Blue and
Thanks "Irish G" for such an awesome time!! Will be back for sure!! Reece From Australia
Monday 7th January 2013-
I went to Koh Tao to dive and randomly ended up at Big Blue when I was
shafted by another motel/resort there. In short, I was so glad I went
there. I wanted to complete my open water licence, which I did. The
instructors are awesome. I had an instructor called "Irish G". Irish had
been diving and instructing for over 16 years. She was cool, calm and
totally a pro at her job. I always felt safe and she is MAJOR FUN! We
only had 4 people in our dive crew which was awesome to have such a
small crew. "Irish G" - totally made our crew feel confident and we all
decided that we would then do our advanced if we could do the course
with her. We completed our Advanced diving with a night dive,
navigation, and a wreck dive as well as two other dives to just over
30m. I now am fully already planning my next dive trip - I am thinking
Big Blue may be hard to beat as far as friendly service and beauriful
surroundings go? I met loads of great crew and everyone was so
friendly. There was time for divinga and also time for a party, which
Koh Tao does well. It was really hard to leave. Thanks big Blue and
Thanks "Irish G" for such an awesome time!! Will be back for sure!! Reece From Australia 
Employment Opportunity in Paradise! Big Blue Diving is looking for a Full Time receptionist at Big Blue 2 to start ASAP! Duties include check ins & check outs, cashier, & can talk diving. Perks office on the beach, free diving on your days off 20% food & drinks discounts at the Restaurant. Thai or Westerner. Must speak English! Great place to work. Great location. Awesome team & really handsome Boss!
“Advanced adventurer course”-
This was my second time diving with Big Blue and they have lost none of
the quality that I experienced the first time around. The accommodation
was remarkable for the price you pay and I was right in the beach so
could take advantage of the excellent nightlife. The dives were
excellent and the instructor, Petra, was very patient with our course
where you could see her obvious frustration with some of our course
members. She maintained an air of positivity and enthusiasm that was
quite infectious and all that attended the course thoroughly enjoyed the
dives, especially the night dive and the dive onto a wreck. All
in all, I have had a wonderful time and will not hesitate to dive with
Big Blue in the future. A big thanks to all that made this trip so
memorable.
This was my second time diving with Big Blue and they have lost none of
the quality that I experienced the first time around. The accommodation
was remarkable for the price you pay and I was right in the beach so
could take advantage of the excellent nightlife. The dives were
excellent and the instructor, Petra, was very patient with our course
where you could see her obvious frustration with some of our course
members. She maintained an air of positivity and enthusiasm that was
quite infectious and all that attended the course thoroughly enjoyed the
dives, especially the night dive and the dive onto a wreck. All
in all, I have had a wonderful time and will not hesitate to dive with
Big Blue in the future. A big thanks to all that made this trip so
memorable. Sunday 6th January 2013-
“Loved it all!”
- I knew that diving was one thing I was going to do on my trip, but I had no idea I would love diving and Koh Tao so much! I
chose big blue as it came highly recommended in my guide book, and I am
so glad I did. As soon as I arrived I got a warm greeting by the staff
and my instructor, and got settled in at Big Blue 2, in one of the
dorms. Nice yet pretty basic, but a great deal as it is free on the days
that you dive! And steps from a quiet area of the beach. I started
my SSI Open Water that night with Steve, a seasoned professional. He was
a great teacher, made sure that everyone was always very comfortable
with all the drills, and got us excited for our open water dives. There
were a lot of people on the boat other than our group, but despite being
a bit crowded there was a great atmosphere. I decided that since I was
there, I might as well do the advanced course, and that is when I really
got hooked. We had 5 amazing dives with Skui, with the night dive
definitely being a highlight! Still not wanting to leave, I did an
afternoon of fun dives at 2 great dive sites with divemaster Chris, who
was super excited to show us cool aquatic wildlife. Amazing dives, awesome instructors, and all around incredibly friendly people made Big Blue one of my favourite places visited!
- I knew that diving was one thing I was going to do on my trip, but I had no idea I would love diving and Koh Tao so much! I
chose big blue as it came highly recommended in my guide book, and I am
so glad I did. As soon as I arrived I got a warm greeting by the staff
and my instructor, and got settled in at Big Blue 2, in one of the
dorms. Nice yet pretty basic, but a great deal as it is free on the days
that you dive! And steps from a quiet area of the beach. I started
my SSI Open Water that night with Steve, a seasoned professional. He was
a great teacher, made sure that everyone was always very comfortable
with all the drills, and got us excited for our open water dives. There
were a lot of people on the boat other than our group, but despite being
a bit crowded there was a great atmosphere. I decided that since I was
there, I might as well do the advanced course, and that is when I really
got hooked. We had 5 amazing dives with Skui, with the night dive
definitely being a highlight! Still not wanting to leave, I did an
afternoon of fun dives at 2 great dive sites with divemaster Chris, who
was super excited to show us cool aquatic wildlife. Amazing dives, awesome instructors, and all around incredibly friendly people made Big Blue one of my favourite places visited! Friday 4th January 2013-
We decided as its a new year why not start this year off with our very own TECHTASTIC JANUARY SALE. For January only anyone who books an INTRO TO TECH Course we will give you a massive 30% Discount taking the price from 10,000 Baht down to 7,000 Baht. This will still be a 3 day course and will teach you all the foundation skills needed to progress in Tech whilst still looking cool as a cucumber. All you need is to be Advanced Open Water Diver. So grab a bargain whilst its hot off the press. The Tech Shack xwww.bigbluetech.net
“Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, A Standing Ovation...Big Blue Deserves It!”
Here's another A+ review to add to the masses: I thought that I
would maybe dive once or twice while on Koh Tao. I ended up diving 12
times in 5 days. I already had my open water when I arrived at Big Blue,
but got a refresher with James (who was great!), and couldn't pull
myself away from the water after that. I had the pleasure of diving with
several different Dive masters, all of them were wonderful. Pal told us
tons of great diving stories on the boat on the way out to the dive
site; Danny was extremely nice and conscientious; Carly was awesome and
realized I was using less air than the rest of the group so she switched
me mid-dive to another group so I could have more time- Thank you
Carly! Marc was wonderful; Chupa and Andre (sorry if I misspelled your
names) were very patient and so much fun to dive with. Last but not
least, Phil was spectacular. He makes an effort to really show you the
dive site. We were always looking under rocks and crevices to check out
the animals that he spotted. One of the dive spots we went on got a
little hairy at one point because of the current, but Phil handled it
very well and made sure we all got on the boat safe. The great
thing about any of these guys is that at the end of the day, they are
more than likely to sit down and have a beer with you and tell you
diving stories no matter what your level of diving is. Their enthusiasm
is infectious, and while I wasn't able to get my advanced with them due
to time constraints, they have inspired me to continue with my dive
training here in the states. The atmosphere on the boats and at
their restaurant lends itself easily to making new friends and meeting
new people. I walked in to the resort alone, but came out knowing much
of the staff and people that I had been diving with consistently. Thank you guys! I genuinely had a great time with all of you and hope to be back some day soon. TLDR: Big Blue is awesome and you should go diving with them.
Here's another A+ review to add to the masses: I thought that I
would maybe dive once or twice while on Koh Tao. I ended up diving 12
times in 5 days. I already had my open water when I arrived at Big Blue,
but got a refresher with James (who was great!), and couldn't pull
myself away from the water after that. I had the pleasure of diving with
several different Dive masters, all of them were wonderful. Pal told us
tons of great diving stories on the boat on the way out to the dive
site; Danny was extremely nice and conscientious; Carly was awesome and
realized I was using less air than the rest of the group so she switched
me mid-dive to another group so I could have more time- Thank you
Carly! Marc was wonderful; Chupa and Andre (sorry if I misspelled your
names) were very patient and so much fun to dive with. Last but not
least, Phil was spectacular. He makes an effort to really show you the
dive site. We were always looking under rocks and crevices to check out
the animals that he spotted. One of the dive spots we went on got a
little hairy at one point because of the current, but Phil handled it
very well and made sure we all got on the boat safe. The great
thing about any of these guys is that at the end of the day, they are
more than likely to sit down and have a beer with you and tell you
diving stories no matter what your level of diving is. Their enthusiasm
is infectious, and while I wasn't able to get my advanced with them due
to time constraints, they have inspired me to continue with my dive
training here in the states. The atmosphere on the boats and at
their restaurant lends itself easily to making new friends and meeting
new people. I walked in to the resort alone, but came out knowing much
of the staff and people that I had been diving with consistently. Thank you guys! I genuinely had a great time with all of you and hope to be back some day soon. TLDR: Big Blue is awesome and you should go diving with them. 
Ok ... welll... blimey crikey... Its been a little busy. Not just us but the whole of Koh Tao! In fact there's been so many arrivals here in Koh Tao over the last few days especially from Koh Phangan that I do believe this island has been slightly submerged underwater a little more than usual! There was still people walking around looking for rooms at 10 o'clock last night which must have been slightly unnerving for them. Tis a little less stressful today I'm pleased to inform you & there are a few more rooms coming available even as we speak but I do highly recommend booking yourselves in before you arrive on Koh Tao in future. I'd also recommend booking your boats too! A lot of our bookings weren't able to get to Koh Tao cos the ferries here were full. Book online www.lomprayah.com or www.seatrandiscovery.com once you've made your booking with us & then let us know which boat you are on & I'll organise a free taxi to pick you up at the pier when you get here! That should clear a few headaches for you.
“Loved it all!”
I knew that diving was one thing I was going to do on my trip, but I had no idea I would love diving and Koh Tao so much! I
chose big blue as it came highly recommended in my guide book, and I am
so glad I did. As soon as I arrived I got a warm greeting by the staff
and my instructor, and got settled in at Big Blue 2, in one of the
dorms. Nice yet pretty basic, but a great deal as it is free on the days
that you dive! And steps from a quiet area of the beach.
I knew that diving was one thing I was going to do on my trip, but I had no idea I would love diving and Koh Tao so much! I
chose big blue as it came highly recommended in my guide book, and I am
so glad I did. As soon as I arrived I got a warm greeting by the staff
and my instructor, and got settled in at Big Blue 2, in one of the
dorms. Nice yet pretty basic, but a great deal as it is free on the days
that you dive! And steps from a quiet area of the beach.
I started
my SSI Open Water that night with Steve, a seasoned professional. He was
a great teacher, made sure that everyone was always very comfortable
with all the drills, and got us excited for our open water dives. There
were a lot of people on the boat other than our group, but despite being
a bit crowded there was a great atmosphere. I decided that since I was
there, I might as well do the advanced course, and that is when I really
got hooked. We had 5 amazing dives with Skui, with the night dive
definitely being a highlight! Still not wanting to leave, I did an
afternoon of fun dives at 2 great dive sites with divemaster Chris, who
was super excited to show us cool aquatic wildlife. Amazing dives, awesome instructors, and all around incredibly friendly people made Big Blue one of my favourite places visited!
Three days into the New Year & I'm afraid we've only seen 1 Whaleshark so far! Just a little disappointing considering we saw over 20 last month but you know... mustn't grumble. Plenty more fish in the sea! & still not an entirely bad batting average all things considered. 33.3% to be exact. If we can keep up these averages then we will end up with over 100 Whalesharks throughout the whole year! Almost as many as we dived with in 2012!
Three days into the New Year & I'm afraid we've only seen 1 Whaleshark so far! Just a little disappointing considering we saw over 20 last month but you know... mustn't grumble. Plenty more fish in the sea! & still not an entirely bad batting average all things considered. 33.3% to be exact. If we can keep up these averages then we will end up with over 100 Whalesharks throughout the whole year! Almost as many as we dived with in 2012!
