Wednesday 31st July 2013-
To Phil, Darren & Steven, Hi guys, I am on the bus to the train
station right now...I am already missing the BigBlue atmosphere, but
what I will miss the most will be diving with you. It has been a
pleasure staying with you, discovering the Koh Tao underwater world, but
I really regret not to have seen any single turtle and the
whaleshark!!!
I wish the three of you good luck for everything! I will be pleased if
you save my email address and if we could keep in touch. {so
Steven...you have discovered right now who I think are the best dive
masters...obviously among the ones I dived with} Cheers and Have fun.
Valentina
“Adventures, new friends and new skills”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 26 - I stayed in the Big Blue diving resort for almost three weeks (and I
didn't want to leave in the end even though I had to). I did the open
water diver course, the advanced and the rescue diver. Especially
the rescue diver course was really good fun and the instructor/assistant
crew was awesome. Our teacher, Irma, was not only a patient and highly
skilled professional but also a warm hearted and humorous friend.
Accompanied by her friends Martiijn and Kevin, who served as assistants
that needed to be rescued by us, we were carefully grown into
self-confident and reliable rescue divers. I really grew fond of the
whole crew and I can only emphasize what an awesome teacher Irma was.
She managed to communicate the necessary skills and knowledge and was
still capable of enabling us to have a lot of fun. After the course,
Irma is still a friend and I am very happy that I had the chance to
encounter such a special person. All in all the time on Koh Tao was
probably one of the best times of my life and I would definitely
recommend Big Blue diving to anyone. The whole staff is really friendly
and welcoming, also the diving courses are good and the diving equipment
is well-maintained.
I will really miss it! :)
Go Tao. Thailand’s southern arm flung the island of Koh Tao into the
Gulf. The island whirred and spun and skipped over the water, wave
after wave, until it landed with an effortless splash some 50 miles out
to sea. Koh Tao is a gem. The water glistens with a tropical luster.
The air smells sweet of seasalt and coconut.
And the people look
like they dove straight off the cover of GQ magazine. As far as vacation
spots go, Koh Tao is prime rib for relaxing, sunbathing, socializing
and general voyeurism. But there are two words that separate Koh Tao
from all other vacation spots: Scuba Diving. Capture Koh Tao has over 30
dive sites and operates as a haven for divers and marine
conservationists. Forests of colorful coral wrap the island up and offer
it as a gift of life, adventure, and research. I’ve often considered
the abyss as the final frontier of earth and destiny manifests in
diving. May I present Big Blue Diving? Big Blue Diving, meet your
future guppies. Big Blue Diving Resort (located on the North end of
Sairee beach) was the dive school under whom I received my Advanced Open
Waters (AOW) certification in Scuba Diving. Best idea ever. Unlike some
of the larger dive resorts that focus on the industry of diving,
turning out human product on a conveyor belt; Big Blue behaves as a
skilled community of eco-friendly divers wanting to impart their
knowledge of the sport while also inspiring respect for the ecosystems
in which they explore. It's common practice for staffers of Big Blue to
clean the beaches or discuss the reproductive processes of sea
cucumbers. Couldn't have picked a more ragtag crew of pirates to scour
the ocean floors with. Six of us did five dives under the instruction of
professional scalawag Matt ‘Old Fruit’ Waters. Quality Level: Old Fruit
expertly guided our hapless troupe with the gentle majesty of an adult
Sperm Whale, and all the subtlety of a teenage boy giggling at the
phrase ‘Sperm Whale.’ This guy knows how to dive. With extensive
military training and a bottomless abyss of diving experience, Old Fruit
made my training exactly what I needed as a guppy diver. Not once did I
ever feel unsafe. He helped us progress from being screw ups in the
pool to screw ups in the ocean. My experience with Big Blue has
motivated me to return to Koh Tao in March and complete my training with
Old Fruit Waters at Big Blue. If you're interested in diving,
conservationism, or just want a good place to stay on Koh Tao go to Big
Blue Diving.
Tuesday 30th July 2013-
Dear Jim, Big Blue Diving & Ocean Ambassadors around the world! Welcome to the biggest ecological diving family in the World. My name is Kristijan Curavic, I am a diver and the president of GUWAA (Global Under Water Awareness Association). In September 2013 we are organizing the biggest sea, lakes and rivers clean up in History. This global clean up is being organized in memory of Legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau in Partnership with Prince Albert II Foundation of Monaco, Bernie Ecclestone Formula 1 CEO, GUWAA Patron Bianca Jagger and Francois Sarano a personal friend of Cousteau and former member and diver of Calypso. This clean up will be verified by Guinness Book of World Records and together with you we will make this officially the biggest water clean up in history with more than 80 countries participating. Become a part of history with us and make your diving centre an official GUWAA supporter, representative or an agent. Please join us on 27 September 2013 (time zone variations apply) in this incredible mission to preserve, protect and clean our most important life support element ”water” which is responsible for all life on Earth. This clean up will unite all countries, continents, people around the world to come together and fight for the same cause and same dream - Ocean preservation. As a diver you are also an ambassador - you speak for the sea and all life in it. Guwaa has started systematic clean up in the whole world during 2013 and this will continue for 3 years - at one point it will come to your country to organize clean up with your diving center.
“Absolutely amazing scuba diving, great price, location and people!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 23, 2013 - Had such a great time doing my advanced open water with big blue. My
instructor Kyle Davis was so great he helped me so much with my two main
issues, equalizing pressure and buoyancy. I feel like I am now a much
improved diver! Big blue has great accommodation, food, location, and
more, everything you would want from a scuba diving trip.
"Super duper busy" is how one person described it. "Busier than a cop in a donut shop or Earls Court during a porn convention", its just gone mental here in Koh Tao & this is just the beginning of peak season. August actually gets busier though its hard to believe at this very moment. So I can't stress this enough if you are planning on visiting Koh Tao in August & you happen to be coinciding your visit either side of the Full Moon Party than you really must book something before you get here. Unless of course you fany sleeping on the beach or resting your head down in our mozzie ravaged classrooms! Use your head! Book Ahead! Use your noggin, go get bookin! See you next month I hope!
Friday 26th July 2013-
Big Blue's going to Sail Rock TOMORROW! The weather has cleared up, and
the sun is shining again! We are all excited to be heading out to this
amazing dive site
, and it's an opportunity you definitely don't want to miss out on! Come along and do 2 outstanding dives at Sail Rock & 1 dive at the
beautiful Samran Pinnacle - one of Big Blue's best kept secrets.
Experience diving with huge schools of bat fish, spanish mackerel,
big-eyed trevally, colossal schools of barracuda...and maybe even a
whaleshark! And don't even get me started on the sublime Thai cuisine -
breakfast, lunch, unlimited soft drinks & just wait till you see the
scrumptious chocolate brownies for dessert!
“Absolutely phenomenal!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 22, 2013 - My wife and I have just started our year sabbatical and had been advised
by fellow colleagues not to bother with any other dive company, but to
go straight to Big Blue Diving. This advice turned out to be 100%
accurate. Our instructor, Rich, was incredible. As two teachers in one
of Londons top private schools, we feel very qualified to state that
Rich has a natural talent for teaching. His knowledge and delivery
thereof was second to none. His patience and ability to adapt his
teaching style to the individuals in our group reflected excellent
skills in differentiation. He made the course so exciting that we
changed plans and stayed to complete our Advanced. We were also most
fortunate to have Jeff doing his Dive Instructor training and so under
the supervision of Rich, we had excellent instruction. The price for the
courses was good and fair and the entire package is something that will
make us want to return and do other courses. We will of course be,
asking for Rich.
Right its going to be one heck of a busy day today so I've come in early to fill you in on the latest but I can't muck about it as time is of the essence so its one quick breath.... phooooooooooo &, Day after Full Moon party today, & its peak season so its officially the busiest day of the year next to the Full Moon Parties in August & New Year so maybe the 3rd busiest day of the year but still barmey busy so we got 4 Instructors meeting & greeting today, & they probably won't even get time to eat, & you thought being an Instructor was fun, & all our boats are full especially tomorrow as we have a Full Day trip planned to Sail Rock again & its sunny, hot & sunny, great viz, heaps of fish awesome diving, but no rooms, you should have booked but pop in here anyway & we'll see if there's anything we can do to help you out, which I'm sure there is as we are that helpful, & nice & professional, look forward to seeing you here soon!... and breathe!
Thursday 25th July 2013-
Our Swim for Sharks a 3.4 km charity swim around the island of Nang Yuan to raise money & awareness for Shark protection is coming up in just a couple of weeks. Last year's winner, Big Blue Instructor Nick Bufton
has been training for months and is looking forward to meeting the
challengers for the 2013 title. He is feeling pretty confident about his
swim this year too, and is hoping to win the title for most mon
ey
raised for the charity as well. In fact he's so keen to win that he has
promised to wear this fancy little number during the evening
celebrations at Maya Beach
bar. So calling all his old students, past Big Blue employees, or
anyone who just wants to see him shake his stuff in this sexy one-piece,
sponsor him for his swim!! To sponsor him contact
info@bigblueconservation.com and we will give you all the details.
“Highlight of our trip to Thailand!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 20, 2013 - Had never gone diving before, but had heard good things about it from
friends. We chose Big Blue based on reviews, and arrived to do the two
day Open Water course. We had such a good time, that we extended our
stay on Koh Tao by five days and completed the advanced course and did
fun dives too. We learned with Phil and Rich as our instructors, who
were immeasurably patient with me when I had trouble equalising on some
dives. Granted the quality of the dive school was high, the greatest
return factor was Phil and Rich, who were extremely friendly,
knowledgable about diving, and such a pleasure to be around that we went
out with them more than once after the dives :) We will be back!
Those who think that Orcas have great lives in SeaWorld are naive. In
the wild, these animals swim 80 -100 miles a day across the oceans. They
enjoy lifelong relationships in tight, close- knit family groups.
(males never leave Mum, except to mate) All this natural behaviour is
denied in SeaWorld, where they live in concrete & glass pools where
their amazingly sensitive sonar is useless. Even some of those whales
actually born as captives in SeaWorld have been separated from their
mothers when young and moved onto other centres, the equivalent of a
human child being torn from its mother and placed with strangers. The
stress caused by lack of stable family relationships and confinement is
immense. Those who support keeping these animals in captivity should
watch the documentary 'Fall from Freedom' to see the true 'backstage'
story of this industry. It does not make easy watching, but you will
never want to see a captive whale or dolphin used for human
entertainment again.
Wednesday 24th July 2013-
Lots of awards from SSI were sent out yesterday to some of our Instructors who have shone brightly over the last year or so & have been commendd for their services to Scub Diver Education, their professionalism & for the amount of students they've trained. Special mention goes to Instructors Felix, Guy, Petra, Luke, Neil, Iain, Tosh, Simon, G, Nick, Chloe who have all been awarded the very respectable Platinum Instructor Card. One more rung of the ladder guys & you'll join the exclusive Platinum Pro Membership of which we have only 1 member of staff who's reached that particular echelon. Now I wonder who that was again?
I arrived on Koh Tao not knowing which dive school to choose but from
looking at the amazing reviews on trip advisor I chose this one and was
not disappointed at all. I walked to the big blue 1 center which is
right on the beach and was taken through the steps and plans by one of
the instructors in the office. My instructor was Tim, who was amazing
(even with the constant beer fines). He took everybody through the 4
open water course with a friendly but professional manner and is really
brilliant at his job. The food at Big Blue 1 restaurant is excellent and
around the same price as the other beach resorts. You will get cheaper
meals further inland but they come without the awesome view. I
was also lucky enough to have John Huntington on the boat with us
teaching another student to dive, he was brilliant fun to talk to and
also helped me a lot with snorkeling trips I was planning around the
island. (I did get to see some Blacktips by the way John!). Even when
you're not diving, the instructors will help you with any questions you
may have about the island and seem happy to do so. Overall, one
of the best experiences I've had in South East Asia and I'm just annoyed
I didn't get to spend more time there. I will definitely be back to
complete further diving qualifications though! Thanks guys! Especially
Tim and John.
Its the calm before the storm what with the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party
tonight so we've donned our rubber gloves & french maids outfits
& are knee deep in soap suds & dettol water as we give the place
a damn good spring cleaning! We've cleaned out the Poonama Canal, we've
exploded the abaondoned Bikes in the car park, & we've cleared out
the equipment rooms of all the piles of debris & waste products that
have been collecting there over the years & it looks like we're
spot on ready & good to go again. All we need now is the Rush! 5...
4... 3... 2... ....
Tuesday 23rd July 2013-
Dear Jim, My wife Jenny and myself had the privilege to dive with and stay at Big Blue from the 10-18th July 2013 whilst on holiday. We want to take this opportunity to thank your staff for making us feel welcome and receiving great service during our visit. We will certainly recommend and promote Big Blue - Koh Tao to all our club members and future students as a "must dive and stay with" - destination! I managed to do 12 dives and Jenny did 4. 7 Staff members we would like to especially thank and commend are: Wibeke - Jenny did our research and booking/travel arrangements and was so impressed by the quick response and detailed information from Wibeke and also great website and that sold us on choosing Big Blue. Peter - What a lovely guy, - he was most friendly from the moment we met him on the pier in Champon and always made the time to chat to us during our stay when we saw him. He also went out of his way to try and assist us with a bag we lost in the train station in Bangkok. Phil, Carly, and Kim, - So very helpful and lovely to chat to, dived with them all once and really helped us with lots of info etc. on the island. - Lovely bunch! DARREN & STEVEN - Wow - now these two guys are magic!!!!! Wow - if I could poach them as DM's for myself - I would do so in a heartbeat! Had most of our dives with both of them and they really went out of their way to assist us, made the dives super special and all round just excellent DM's and great guys!!! All your staff above are huge assets to your operation!!! All our gratitude and greetings from South Africa and we will surely be visiting Big Blue in future! Kind regards, 7th Heaven Scuba.
“Rip snorter off a time”
Reviewed July 18, 2013
NEW - I chose big blue because off their fantastic reviews on trip advisor. I
was NOT disappointed!!! When I first arrived in Koh Tao I was whisked
away by the friendly big blue sangthew driver and taken to big blue 1.
We were then greeted by a superb Irish instructor G and given the run
through on what was going to happen next. She then arranged the sangthew
driver to take us over to big blue 2 where we were to stay (very
thoughtful as I had quite a load to carry). We gathered to go through
the induction. G was very funny and I was hoping I was going to get here
as my instructor....I did!! Yay!! Pool work and theory was informative
the next day. G's enthusiasm for her job is infectious and makes you
wan't to dive constantly :) dive 1 and 2 (aow leuk and hin ngam),on the
third day were awesome and we all started getting more confidence in the
water. Day four was fantastic, we had and early start but it was worth
getting up for! Our destination was champhon this was by far one of the
best dive spots I have been in the world. Visability was excellent and
we had an extra buddy for the day (Barney, our camera man). We saw so
many fish including a massive school of barracuda swimming along side
us. Not the big one (the whale shark) like we were all hoping, but you
have to be extremely lucky to get that chance.... Next time :) NR after
that dive it was off to Japanese gardens (dive site 4) to have some fun
with the camera and man did we have a blast!!! Brilliant instructor,
excellent cinematographer, very helpful reception staff, polite and
helpful bar and wait staff, food was lovely (though could have been
slightly cheaper), housekeepers very kind. I travelled solo so I met
some awesome people. 100% the best stay and great fun. Thank you all at
big blue for the experience and memories, I WILL return :) :) Elaine nolan
So we've had a hell of a week just gone which has completely caught us off guard. It does usually get a little busier around Full moon Party in Koh Phangan but this month has been absolutely unbeleivable. In 15 years or so On Koh Tao I've never seen it so busy. Its quieter now as the party is tomorrow night but then its all just going to completely kick off again. & will again be probably as busy as I'll ever have seen it then too! So word of warning people, if you are on your way then book ahead. Its going to be mental next week AND I can feel a Whaleshark coming on too! Full Moon Rush & Whalesharks. The ultimate recipe for success!
Saturday 20th July 2013-
So the overall UK Number One Certifying Center, Scuba Pursuits with over 50 Instructors & 18 years as the PADI top dog in the UK are defecting & joining SSI. This is huge news in the Scuba World. The reason for jumping ship & joining with SSI is... "We feel that as SSI focuses less on sales and more on enjoyment, experience and “cost free” reward and recognition for this, it is sure to be far more rewarding in the long run for everyone involved. We also feel that our students and divers will now get so much more out of this amazing and rewarding sport. After all there is absolutely no point learning to scuba dive unless you actually get the opportunities to get out there exploring and adventuring. It's about giving our divers every opportunity possible to go diving, to develop their skills and then, when they are good and ready for it, to buy equipment or complete further training. We believe the SSI system is the best way forward for SCUBApursuits, our centres, our staff, our students and in our opinion quite possibly scuba training in general." Adsolutely right Guys. & here at Big Blue we've known that for years already. SSI- definitely the future of scuba diving.
“Freaking awesome!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 15, 2013 - Diving was the highlight of whole Thailand. It doesn't get any better. I
would recommend Big Blue diving to everyone. Great atmosphere, nice
food, but most important great instructors! Our instructor was Richard
(rick) and he was a really good instructor. My girlfriend (lisa) was
really nervous for the whole course and the deep dive (SSI open water
diving 18m) but he got her all relaxed and she did everything. We liked
it so much that we did the advanced adventurer course and that was even
more amazing. Big blue diving is a good combination between fun, relax, proffesional and experience. Big applause for Rick who was nice and got lisa to dive to 30m and a night dive! WE LOVED IT!
Can't stress this enough. Its the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan next week & as July is one of the busiest of the years then I absolutely have to 100% totally hands down no holds barred have to recommend booking your accommodation here in Koh Tao before you even get here. Its going to be chaos next week. & even then we can't guarantee if you've left it this late already that we will even have the accommodation that you've booked but we will do our absolute utmost to do everything we can to help you. Its going to be soooo much harder to do for those who walk in without having made a booking. For you guys we'll probably offer you a cushion to sleep on either in the classroom or on the beach, so bring your sleeping bags! Look forward to seeing you all next week... with your bookings!
Thursday 18th July 2013-
Well the Freediving seems to be really taking off here at Big Blue. Both Pepe & Flavia, our national record holders & Koh Tao's only AIDA recognised International Freediving competition judges are puffing themselves into oblivion! Making a bit of a name for themselves as well and got the Koh Tao competition a little riled up! Well that's what you get when you're the best & everyone's jealous of your success! Congratulations Pape & Flav. Awesome job guys.
“Awesome Dive Experience”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 15- I had the best days of my Thailand trip here at Big Blue Diving. I did
my Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water here. All instructors are
super friendly and helpfull, especially my instructors Kyle and Steve-O !
Thanks alot for the awesome experices and all the stuff you tought us,
you did a great job !! I stayed in the included Accomodation (4bed dorm + Fan) at Big Blue 2 which was good, not to warm in this time and very clean! The food in the restaurants at BB1 and BB2 was really good but bit more expensive than in other restaurants in the "city".
If you go to Koh Tao, go to Big Blue Diving !!
So no kidding... its extremely busy in Koh Tao. We're taking bookings & if we can find somewhere else for you if you come in having not booked anything then we'll bend over backwards to help you out. But in all honesty you really should plan ahead & book your accommodation before you get here. & I'd advise you book it at least 2-3 days before you arrive! Its just that busy here right now with the lead up to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan. Look forward to hearing from you soon either on info@bigbluediving.com or
go to our website to book direct.
Wednesday 17th July 2013-
"Big Blue Diving is a PADI Dive Resort, an SSI Diamond Instructor Training Center & a
BSAC Center of Excellence, Big Blue has 2 fantastic beachfront locations
directly on Sairee Beach. Both Resorts offer a beach side bar and
restaurant & Big Blue 2 also has a large purpose built swimming pool
for confined water skills. With over 100 rooms this dive center offers
all courses from beginner to instructor with Asia's leading certifying
Instructor Trainers Simon Garrity and Paul Tanner. Big Blue Tech is the
technical arm of this outfit offerring all things technical, including
cave trips to Khao Sok National Park & Wreck trips throughout
Thailand, Malaysia & Singapore. Big Blue Conservation offers
eco-internships and has for the last 3 years won PADI's Project Aware
Environmental Achievement Award & been awarded SSI most
environmentally friendly Dive center in Thailand. Big Blue Freediving is
run by 2 record holding Instructors who are also Koh Tao's only
recognised AIDA judges.One of the longest-established dive centres on
Koh Tao, Big Blue is also one of Koh Tao's most popular" Wikitravel!
“Incredible Instructor”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 14, 2013 - Back in the spring, a friend recommended for me to learn to dive at Big
Blue and if I could go back, I would in a heartbeat! Not only were the
facilities fantastic and easy access to everything you needed on the
island, but my favorite part by far was the instructor. Ant Silwood is
the best! He made our open water course an absolute blast! And when I
stuck around to do my advanced, it ended up being just the two of us and
it was fantastic to get to have that kind of one one one training.
While diving with Big Blue, I was even able to swim with a whale shark! I
would absolutely recommend Ant and Big Blue to anyone wanting to learn
to dive and to have a great time as well!
Looks like we might have found a wholesaler who can help us in our next big venture. Big Blue Beachwear. Keep your eyes out for our new retail store which will be opening in the Sairee Village high street & will be the only official Dive Retail Store in Sairee. Not only will it ave the best collection of masks & snorkels, Regs & BCD's, Wetsuits & rashies, fins & booties we'll alos be stocking an awesome collection of divewear from Boardies & bikinis, t-shirts & singlets, hoodies & sweats, boat coats & anoraks,caps & beanies. All we need now is a good retail name. Write into jim@bigbluediving.com with your suggestion & if we use it we'll send you a free Hoodie!
Monday 15th July 2013-
Starting another SSI ITC today. 6 more Scuba Diving Divemasters all ready to take the plunge &
become fully trained Diving professionals so that they too can travel
the world live in excotic locations & travel to & from their
office in their boardies all day! Sound like a dream come true? Well
then maybe you too should consider taking the plunge. Right now we have
opportunities for SSI Scuba professionals in the Caribbean, the
Meditteranean, The Red Sea & even here in Koh Tao. Oh yeah & while I'm about could really do with a Nanny too if anyone's interested in applying for that post as well!
“Best dive school hands down”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 11, 2013 -Big blue diving was my best experience in Thailand. I originally planned
to only get my open water dive certification however I was so impressed
with the quality of my Instructors Rick and G, the great dive
facilities and sites, that I stayed on to do my advanced open water
course with Rick. Another way I know big blue diving is the best diving
resort is, I became very ill due to a bug going around the island.I had
to miss a day of diving but I was not charged for it nor was there any
hassles with scheduling me in the next day. They also scheduled a night
dive on an off day so I would have 24 hours between the end of my course
and the time I started flying home. I would recommend big blue diving
to anyone who goes to Thailand.
Nick took out another 5 of our Burmese staff to complete their Advanced Divers Course yesterday with a Deep dive to 30 meters, a dive on the wreck & then top it all off with a Night dive followed by an aperitif down the bar! Working hard to get all our boys trained up to be proper divers. Nick took them for their Open Water too last year. To them Nick is God! To us he's still Sid the Sloth from the Ice Age movies!
Saturday 13th July 2013-
Official!
Koh Tao has now been voted Asia's very best Island! Known it all along but now its officially official! We've beaten all sorts of exotic spots teeming with islands throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, even other local hotspots here in Thailand! Sun soaked beaches, Golden Sands, crystal clear waters, Palm fringed bays,teeming marine life, bronzed bikini clad babes, Charles Atlas styled hunks, first class cuisine, awesome beach front bars, blood red sunsets, excellent vibe & Asia's Best Dive Shop- Big Blue Diving... on Asia's best Island.
“Big blue is where it's at!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 11, 2013 - I was really anxious about diving but signed up for my open water anyway
and I am so glad I did because it was the most amazing experience of my
life!! I was nervous to go under and had problems with equalizing my
ears which made me panic a bit however the instructors there Lisa and
John were extremely patient and helped me throughout the dives. I would
recommend this school to anyone visiting koh Tao as the trainers are
really friendly and make the experience one to remember alot of fun
stuff and u make friends with them!! Great stuff guys awesome job fully
enjoyed it and look forward to diving again!!
So its all guns blazing! Big Blue Freedivers are Freediving with their students. Big Blue BSAC, Thailands largest BSAC Dive Center, has just finished another Ocean Diver Course. Big Blue Tech are out diving the deepest depths around Koh Tao. Big Blue Conservation are planning for our big event coming up next month the Swim for Sharks Charity Swim. Big Blue Pro is cleaning the boards & sweeping the floor in preparation for their next Instructor Training Course & Big Blues Best Divemaster in the World, Steven, is busy turning the cogs in the machine that makes Big Blue everyone's favourite Dive Center. Hope it stays like this till Monday, I'm having tomorrow off!
Thursday 11th July 2013-
It's that time of year again! Time to show you
dedication to Sharks and put your body to the test! The Swim for Sharks
is a Koh Tao wide charity event to raise money and awareness for shark
conservation in Thailand. Last year was so successful
that we have made even bigger plans this year, with shark DNA sampling
and tagging training, the big swim around Koh Nang Yuan, and the evening
Big Bite Festival at Maya bar with some awesome live music and DJs.
Come and join us for the shark conservation talk, the swim, shave your
head like a shark fin, or just celebrate your love for sharks! Join us
on August 10th!
And here is the sponsor form for those of you doing
the swim, bring it back with you on the day, with the sponsorship, in
order to enter into the swim! Cheers and Save our Sharks!
“Diving”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 9, 2013 - I have nothing but good things to say about Big Blue. From being met at
the boat, to made to feel welcome, to having Donny (assisted by John)
teach me to dive. I booked to do just the Open Water but went on to do
my Advanced. Donny was exceptional - experienced, knowledgeable, calm
and made diving so enjoyable, fun and opened my eyes to a whole new
world. He treated everyone individually and respected that people move
along at different paces but kept us together as a group also. I doubt I
could have had a better instructor as a total beginner and a nervous -
but also excited- one at that! And he was also just a genuinely nice
friendly guy on top of that - even if he is Aussie! Definitely recommend Big Blue - am hoping to get back and futher my diving and enjoy the island more.
Just signed off a whole bunch of Divemasters in Training who are now fully certified Diving professionals all earning a crust in the underwater world. In fact signed off so many we've practically found ourselves with very few other Divemaster Interns remaining. So if you are looking to become a consummate diving professional or are having a Gap year & want to do something worthwhile before University then get in touch & ask us about our Divemaster Internship options with either PADI, SSI or BSAC. Courses start every day and take between 4-6 weeks to complete. Look forward to making you a professional beach bum soon!
Wednesday 10th July 2013-
Big Blue Freediving has just started their AIDA Level One Beginner Course today with 2 students who are looking to dive down to a depth of 20 meters on just 1 breath & learn to do it in just 2 days! No sweat. Then they'll be signing up for their Level 2 Course which takes a day longer & will get you down to a depth of 30 meters! Then... they'll be signing up for the Level 3 Course which takes 4 days total & by the end will be able to dive down to a maximum depth of 40 meters on just 1 breath! How Freaking cool is that! Courses start every day with our Breathold Instructors Flavia & Pepe both of whom are International Record Holders, National Champions & AIDA Competition Judges so these guys really know their stuff! For more info contact us or write to these guys directly on info@bigbluefreediving.com
“Exceptional Experience at Big Blue!”-
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 8, 2013- I arrived at Big Blue the first week in July and wasn't quite sure what
to expect. Immediately upon arrival myself and the other new arrivals
received a warm welcome form Rick (who would later be my instructor for
the Open Water course).
He briefly explained how things worked at
the resort, costs, options, accommodations, etc. and handed out
necessary paperwork. From start to finish, every instructor I came into
contact with at Big Blue was a consumate professional. I quickly
realized that Rick was a stellar instructor: patient, outgoing, and
exceptionally good at explaining the basic physiology of diving. At
no point did I ever *not* feel comfortable in the water with any of the
instructors; quite the opposite in fact. I found it to be an extremely
relaxing, serene experience. The only thing stopping me from immediately
signing up for the advanced course with Rick (which my entire group of 5
other individuals did) was my tight timeline and itinerary which had my
leaving Koh Tao the day after completing the Open Water certification. All
in all, Big Blue (1 & 2) was generally clean, staff friendly,
service good. The word "easy-going" immediately comes to mind when I
think of one word to summarize the atmosphere at Big Blue. The food at
the restaurant was good, the beer cold, and the environment extremely
warm and welcoming. I cannot speak to the accommodations specifically as
I stayed elsewhere on Koh Tao but all of my group-mates had nothing but
good things to say about the free-or-nearly-free lodging provided. The
only thing to be conscientious about if you come to Koh Tao (as with
any other small tropical island) is that 24hr bugs (i.e. stomach
viruses) seem to go around quite frequently. However, such is the nature
of the beast and this is in no way a reflection upon Big Blue...just
remember to bring some traveler's meds and hand sanitizer! Regards and Happy Travels, Tom Bailli.
No Bull sharks were spotted at Sail Rock yesterday I'm sorry to say despite all the hype. Shame but not to worry I'm sure they'll be there soon. However it was awesome conditions so everyone had a great day diving in 30+meter visibility. Our next Full Day Trip is in a couple of days off to the Chumphon Marine Park which is definitely one of the best places to go diving as there's no one else who dives there, just us, & last time we went got to dive with a Whaleshark & came across a brand new sunken Fishing boat which was cool. Come in or send us an email for more info on this & all our other Full Day Trips. English Breakfast, Thai Buffet Lunch, 3 dives & Chocolate brownies for everyone!
Tuesday 9th July 2013-
So the rumour mill on Koh Tao is telling us that the Bull Sharks are back at Sail Rock. So like intrepid explorers & frontline journalists on the hunt for a story we've gone to Sail Rock today to check out the rumours for ourselves. Fingers crossed the rumours are true & they come from a fairly reliable source & of course Bull Sharks at Sail Rock is where they are often do congregate & usually at this time of year so by adding it all up we're definitely hoping that that 2 + 2 = 4: Not 22! Watch this space & I'll tell you how maths is tomorrow!
“Open water Dive course”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 6, 2013 - We made our booking online without knowing what to expect from Big Blue,
and were amazed by how well we were treated. Free pick up from the
ferry terminal on arrival was great, as the initial experience on the
island can be a little over whelming.
All the staff were very
friendly and always willing to help out. We did our open water course
with Chris Cherry, who is a very confident, relaxed instructor. My
girlfriend was a little nervous going into the course, but was made to
feel comfortable immediately. She enjoyed it so much, that we stayed and
did the advanced course too :) I would recommend going to Big Blue
no matter what experience level you are, as there is something on offer
for everyone - no matter your age. Big Blue has made us re-think our future travel destinations just so we can dive.
So we've recommended by a big marketing guru to pull in all our brands and redesign the logos so they stay in synch with each other which is of course blindingly obvious but apparently being this close to the action we've kind of been a little blind to it. So we're undergoing a bit of a font stlye change for our different outfits within Big Blue. So of course our main get up is Big Blue Diving. Then our eco arm is called Big Blue Conservation. Our Apnea guys run Big Blue Freediving. SSI Instructor Trainers Tosh & Simo head up Big Blue Instructor Training. James & Ian organise our wreck, cave, tech & specialties through Big Blue Tech Thailand & also Big Blue BSAC. Then on the West Coast over in Khao Lak we also have Big Blue Diving Khao Lak of which our biggest business is Big Blue Liveaboards. So synching them all together... you've pretty much got the Best Dive Center in Thailand!
Monday 8th July 2013-
There's a thousand reasons as to why one should learn to dive. The feeling of weightlessness, the exhilaration, the exploration, to visit wrecks, to quote PADI- Meet people, go places & do things, but of course the biggest reason to dive is to see up close & personal all the many sea creatures there are to see in their natural environment & see to them with your own eyes! We were lucky enough to see a Whaleshark at Chumphon Marine Park yesterday which of course is the dream of every diver but how about this photo taken off Western Australia of a Whaleshark & then off in the distance a Whale! Now that takes some beating! Imagine swimming & photographing the biggest fish in the sea then along comes the biggest animal in the world! Amazing! Awesome photo. Congratulations Australia, you lucky buggers!
“Great first diving experience with Chloe”
Reviewed July 5, 2013 - I did my Open Water Diver at Big Blue with Chloe as an instructor who
was really great at easily explaining things, especially for non-native
English speakers. As she immediately sensed that I was pretty scared in
the beginning, she took extra care of me and made me feel safe all the
time! She prepared us very well for the adventure and great
experience-she always payed attention to the specific problems everyone
in our group had and made sure everyone felt comfortable! For me it was
one of the greatest experiences and I would definitely recommend and go
back to diving with Chloe at Big Blue!
Anyone looking at changing their career direction I would highly recommend looking at becomming a PADI Divemaster. You will need to be a Rescue Diver to start your Divemaster training which of course means you will need to have done your Open Water & Advanced Courses too but having completed all them it can take you as little time as just 1 month to complete your Divemaster Training. And once you've done that then you can put your CV out & get work any exotic location in the world and lead people diving. If you did want to go further then the next step is your Instructor Course. Only another months worth of training & you're able to teach people how to dive. Truely can there be a more satisfying way to earn a living?
Saturday 6th July 2013-
Amazing how much business gets generated by just one Whaleshark. By advertising the fact we dived with a Whaleshark the increase in diver numbers is up about 20% the following day. And that's just with us alone. If every Dive center on Koh Tao experiences that increase in numbers then we're talking millions of baht for just 1 sighting! Thats over 30,000 USD. That's way more than the fisherman would get for slaughtering a Whaleshark & selling it off for chopped fins. & don't forget of course that the divers way as opposed to the fishermans way, the creature is still alive. So it can make another 30,000 USD the next day, & the next day & the next day, forever & ever & ever or at least till it croaks! Killing Whalesharks- obviously a stupid mans game!
“Great Experience”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 4, - Just did my Open Water Diving course with Big Blue, it was the best
experience of my trip. My instructor, G was really helpful, I had a lot
of trouble with my ears (due to a bad cold), she was so patient and did
everything she could to get me down and she did. Good value for money,
didn't feel unsafe at any point would highly reccommend it here.
We're just going boat crazy! Bought ourselves another boat! This one is just a longtail used to shuttle our divers to the boats from the beach. But wow what a beauty! She's bigger than a lot of dive boats here! Licensed to carry 40 people with or without their clothes on. This should make waiting time alot less. Big Blue Diving- always looking for ways to maximise your Dive time!
Friday 5th July 2013-
Its like I speak Whaleshark! Yesterday predicted a Whaleshark. Today dive with a Whaleshark! The biggest fish in the sea! Not this one though. This one was just a baby. This was the smallest biggest fish in the sea! An awesome experience diving with Whalesharks & a regular occurrence here in Koh Tao. Most likely dive sites to see Whalesharks are Chumphon Pinnacle, Southwest Pinnacle, Sail Rock & lately we've seen a few around the island of Nang Yuan. If you want to know when our next whaleshark sighting will be then just ask Jim- the Whaleshark whisperer.
“fun diving on koh tao”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 4, 2013 - Booked off the internet a fun dive package of 16 in total dives during
an 8 day period in June for the sum of 11,000 baht (£234) Was duly
picked up at the ferry terminal and taken to the beach front dive centre
which was full of divers and many people chilling out .Greeted by very
friendly staff and they gave me keys to various lodging options nearby I
chose a seperate fan room with plenty of space and a hot shower which
was 600 baht (£12)a night if I was diving .The whole period spent with
Big Blue was so good and professional that I wouldn't hesitate to
recommend them to friends. There were dive boats going out many times a
day and night with different levels of diving skills so everyone was
catered for There was an on site bar and restaurant and at night a
scrumptious barbeque wwhich included Barracuda ,squid ,red snapper
,steaks and kebabs all for around 300-400 baht This is a PADI resort and
the dive masters and instructors spoke many languages so many thanks
for a good time to a very honest outfit who also are eco friendly
Redesigning our website at the moment to make it look more updated, funky & user friendly. Having a blast doing it all too but think we need a spot of help with some reviews that aren't just on Trip Advisor. Wink wink nudge nudge! Also going to be redesigning a few new T-shirts & are looking for a good catchy slogan if any of you creative people out there have got anything. We've been using Live & Let Dive & Scuba Nirvana since the yeat dot but just can't help feeling we can come up with something better. Anyone?
Thursday 4th July 2013-
In this time of hardship, global financial crisis & high unemployment isn't it nice to know that here in Koh Tao we're desperate for new recruits! We got so much work coming up for Scuba Diving Professionals. Not only is it high season any day now which will mean I'llbe ringing round every night for Freelance Instructors to start courses the following day I'm also going to be looking for a fixed German speaking Instructor. Know of anyone? On top of that our Big Blue Conservation team are looking for a new recruit so I need someone there who's passionate about the environment & wants to join us in saving the world, organising fund raising events, beach & coral clean ups & monitoring our artificial reefs. And I'm also looking for a retail store manager. Someone who knows all about diving, equipment has excellent administrative skills & creative sales ideas. If you think any of these jobs has your name written on it then I'd highly recommend getting in touch with me ASAP. I'll be advertising on the PADI & SSI websites soon so here's your chance to get in with your application & CV's before the crowds. Its a hard life but someones got to do it. Why not you? Please address all applications to jim@bigbluediving.com
“Best dives, best trip, best instructor!! Must do!!!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor June 28, 2013- I came to koh Tao with a friend as we'd heard all about the diving! On
arrival we didn't really know which company was best! We had a couple of
recommendations from people on the boat on the way for Big Blue and
thought we'd go for it!! As we were both beginners we were a little
nervous but there's no need!! Our instructor G was just incredible!! She
taught us everything we needed to know and more and the diving
experience we had was just top! If you're looking for an amazing diving
experience I'd look no further than Big Blue and G!!! Amazing time, want
to do it all again! TEAM G!!!!
Enjoying the diving at the moment. Not typical for this time of year either. We should be powering through 2 meter swells & visibility less than 10 meters & traipsing down to the pier in town for our daily departures. Instead we're experiencing 20+ viz, relatively flat seas, still leaving from the beach here & all sorts of awesome underwater creatures. Wouldn't be surprised if we bump into a Whaleshark within the next couple of days. Stay tuned. Watch this space!
Wednesday 3rd July 2013-
A little while ago we had a few boat problems so ended up renting a boat for a couple of months. So impressed were we with it that we've now gone ahead & bought it outright! So ladies & gentlemen if you'd be kind enough to put your hands together & join us in welcoming MV Waverunner to the fleet of Big Blue boats. She's 28 meters long with an interior saloon, large upstairs outside shaded area, large dive deck, steel throughout & can manage a capacity of 35 divers no problem! She's got another Dive centers nae written all over her for the moment but we'll get that rubbed out as soon as I can find the Tipex!
“Welcoming Dive Shop with Excellent Dive Instructors”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor June 29, 2013 - From the moment we wondered into Big Blue (on a word of mouth
recommendation during the ferry from Koh Samui) we felt at home and at
ease. The front desk accomadations worked hard to find us a room during a
sold out weekend and got us into the open water diving course
immediately. From the beginning, our instructor, Kyle, was easy going,
insightful, knowledgeable, and willing to work with all comfort levels. Kyle
guided us through the open water course from beginnng to end taking
time to assist each group member as needed. The pace of the course was
perfect, and we feel prepared to take on further dives in and outside of
Koh Tao. All the instructers seemed great at Big Blue, but if you do
choose to dive with them definitely request Kyle as your instructor!
So coming into high season here on Koh Tao now & by the look of things we could be in for quite a busy one. So I'm giving fair warning now for those who haven't yet booked anything to step it up & get something locked in. Its the time of year when we get people sleeping on the beaches cos there's no accommodation available! And according to the word on the Media street Bangkok is reckoned to be the most visited city in the world this year over taking London & Paris & the number of visitors expected on Koh Tao is going up 15% on last year! And last year was very busy so this year its going to go nuts! Like I said... better get something locked in!
Tuesday 2nd July 2013-
Tis the season to have babies tra la la la la la la la la!. Congratulations to Jim- Il Duce, Tor one of our touts, & Takeshi & Naomi, Owners of Big Blue Diving Khao Lak & Mihoko BB Diving Marketing Manager in Japan who have all over the last month been dropping sprogs like there's no tomorrow! 3 girls & a boy. Must have been something in the water 9 months ago! Either that or scuba diving makes you super fruity!
“Amazing”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor June 26, 2013 - There are sooo many dive schools to choose from on Koh Toa we really
struggled to pick without knowing anything about them really but as soon
as we saw the trip advisor results we decided to stay here. It was a
really good decision. We stayed in a 4 bed dorm which yes wasn't the
most amazing 5* accom we have ever had but we are in Thailand and it was
free?! Also our dive instructor Steveo was amazing he was so patient
and was really proud of us when we mastered a skill under water which
was really nice. He helped us whenever we needed it and stayed around on
an evening for drinks and we all went out for a meal. The course made
me feel really safe for when we did our first dive on the OW course and
it was amazing! The sites that they take you too are absolutely
spectacular and the fish and sealife is amazing. Sometimes the
visability isnt amazing but they tried to change to the sites that were
the best. We have nothing to complain about and we stayed on to do the
advanced course too we enjoyed itthat much. Big love to steveo he was
amazing and really made me feel safe when I was nervous. Thankyou Big
Blue!!
So its been a while but its as if nothing has changed. The sun is still shining, the sea is still flat. The whalesharks are still frolicking. Simo & Tosh are still doing their Instructor Training courses. The Instructors are teaching the students & the Divemasters are leading the certified divers. The AC rooms, fan rooms bungalows & dorms are all pretty much full. The shop girls are still accepting payments and the bar & restaurant are still serving 5 star cuisine. Its as if I never went away for 2 months to Bangkok to have another baby... except for the sleepless nights, & baby bile down my shoulder! Thanks everyone for taking such great care of the place for me while I been away. Especially to Tosh, Guy & Jess who've done an awesome job. So good in fact that I think I might bugger off for another month or 2! See ya suckers!
By 1999, as Koh Tao was beginning to get a mention in the Rough Guides & Lonely Planets, we expanded a little & opened Big Blue Diving Resort on Sairee Beach. Big Blue Diving Resort comprised of 5 Beachside fan bungalows as well as over 20 fan rooms all with en suite bathrooms & another 10 Air Conditioned rooms. Our own Big Blue Restaurant & Beach Bar quickly became a favourite with guests & locals alike with its ambient al fresco style dining quite literally on the waters edge & an amazing seat when it came to enjoying some of the worlds best sunsets at one of the islands most popular beachside bars.
Then in 2003 we opened Big Blue Diving Khao Lak, on the West Coast of Thailand in the sleepy seaside resort town about an hour north of Phuket. Here we originally offered Full Day trips to the Similans and within the year we were also offering Liveaboard cruises onboard our own private Liveaboard MV Hallelujah, as well as faster daily speedboat services to the Similan & Surin Islands including the legendary Koh Bon (Manta Rays) Koh Tachai (Leopard Sharks) & Thailands Number 1 Dive Site - Richelieu Rock (Whalesharks).
In 2007 we opened Big Blue Tech- our Technical Diving division of Big Blue Diving specialising in Wrecks, Tech, Depth, Nitrox, Trimix, Rebreathers, Caves, & Side mount diving. With excursions around Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & the Phillipines, Big Blue Tech fast became one of Thailands leading Tech, Wreck & Cave Diving Operators.
Last year -2012 - we were (& still are) very proud to be opening our second Beach front resort also on Sairee Beach, Big Blue II. A little more upmarket than our original resort Big Blue II offers Air Conditioned Bungalows on the beach, Private AC & Fan rooms & 4 bed air con & fan dormitories with ocean views, a purpose built divers pool, & another excellent Beach side Restaurant & Bar. From here we also offer the accommodation at Koh Tao's legendary backpacker beachside bungalows Pranee Bungalows & Mama O'Chais.
