August 31st 2013
Beach clean-up- Sunday 1st September
Calling all environmentally concious divers, snorkellers, sunbathers and dive professionals, we are looking for volunteers to help with a beach clean up that Jen & Lizzie of Big Blue Conservation have organised. At this time of year all sorts of rubbish gets washed ashore all the way along Sairee beach, carrier bags, everything and anything made out of plastic (really not good for marine life), wonderwoman costumes.. well not so far but it's only a matter of time! Big blue staff clean the beach every day as part of their job, but the more people we get to help out, the bigger an area we can cover. The clean up starts at 10am, and in the afternoon an underwater clean up dive will take place at a local dive site, which is FREE to anyone that participates! All you have to do is turn up at 10am for the beach clean. You can sign up for the underwater clean up in the Big Blue Shop, bin bags will be provided but bring your own marigolds!
“Fantastic instructors - great place to learn”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 August 2013- I first came to Big Blue to do some fun dives and do my rescue course. I had Carly as my Divemaster for my first fun dive and she was fantastic, she even took the time to take me to some of the dive shops and helped me pick out some equipment. I was really impressed by this and I appreciated her professional input and advice. I had a great experience with my rescue course and I truly feel that it made me a more competent and confident diver. Rod was my instructor and it was obvious that he cared about us learning the material and being successful in our course. He even took extra time to suit the course to the needs of the different people in our group. It really felt like he invested himself in teaching us and I always appreciate that in an instructor or teacher. After my rescue course I decided to stay on and do my dive master.
Whaleshark at Chumphon
So after an amazing 2 dives at sail rock on the recent full day trip, and with a fantastic atmosphere on the boat, Chumphon Pinnacle was chosed for the third dive of the day. For the first time in his bearded life, divemaster Phil must have been very popular. His spidey sense must have been doing overtime, as it turned out to be a good choice and a whaleshark decided to join the fun divers! It kindly hung around for the entire dive, allowing plenty of time for customers to take their next facebook profile pictures. So, just to summarise, Huge shoals
of big-eyed trevally, metre long pick handle barracuda, bat fish, scorpion fish, and a whaleshark. I bet you're glad you didn't get around to signing up now... !
New Look Big Blue Website Now Live!
I warned you this would happen, and now it has, the new look and feel Big Blue website has arrived! Answering all your questions about who we are, what we do, information about our dive courses, conservation courses, tech diving courses, free diving courses, dive professional training, fun diving, live aboards, accommodation, bookings, latest news... I could go on but you get the idea! Feel free to have a look around and let us know if there are any gremlins still lurking. I have the speed dial to the IT police and i'm not afraid to use it!
Swim for Sharks World Premiere
Tonight is your chance to relive the toil, sweat, pain, tears, and speedos in their full pink glory.. no it's not a divemaster challenge, it's the world premiere of the 2013 Koh Tao Swim for Sharks charity event, as filmed by Ace Marine Images. Hosted by Big Blue Conservation's very own Jen & Lizzie, it's your chance to see just how gruelling it can be to swim 3.4kms around Nang Yuan Island in pretty choppy conditions with no flippers on! The event is held every year to raise money for shark conservation projects here in Thailand, and this years event had a huge turnout of instructors, divemasters, divemasters in training, and crazy people on their holidays! The video will be showing at the Big Blue bar at 20:30(ish) and DVDs will be on sale for only 500 baht, half of which goes to the Sharks! You may want to cover your eyes whenever Simon Garrity is on screen though.. that was a spoiler alert for your own benefit.
Can't recommend this company enough
“Big Blue is #1”-5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 August 2013
After having a really bad experience with another dive school (they are in the top 10 here on trip advisor) me and my girlfriend almost decided to not bother learning to dive. How lucky we are that we found Big Blue. After a conversation with someone who was undertaking their open water, we were convinced we should try Big Blue, and we are so happy we did. We completed our open water certificate under the watchful eyes of Tosh and Martijn with 3 other students and at all times we felt we had a quality, personal experience. The dive tuution was
fantastic and following a pool session, the 4 open water dives were intresting, educational and fun and overall, we both had a great experience. So good in fact, that i went on and completed my advanced course with Big Blue and Martijn (who as an advanced instructor really stood out) and hope to one day return to Koh Tao and do more diving with them. I can't recommend this company enough, and to be honest, with so much choice on Koh Tao you would be hard pressed to find a really bad school, but their experience, attitude, proffesionalism, eco awareness, knowledge and freindliness really make Big Blue a good choice for diving. Thanks for the memories. :-)
Losing Nemo
Not the prequel to finding nemo, it's a 6 minute long animated film about industrial overfishing and was created by volunteers from all over the world. It's very thought provoking and highlights the power and political influence of the commercial fishing industry, and their frightening attempts to increase fishing quotas year on year, even at cost to the longevity of their business. The thought of a lifeless ocean is terrifying, and people need to know what's happening right now. On Koh Tao, the Thai Government works closely with Save Koh Tao- an organisation made up of all the dive schools, businesses and community groups, to educate local fishermen about conservation and sustainable fishing practises in and around the waters of Koh Tao, Koh Samui, and Koh Panghan. There's lots of work to do, but the message is getting accross. Watch the animation here
Wednesday 28th August 2013
Big Blue is off on another full day trip today, to the best dive site in the gulf of Thailand; Sail Rock. The seas are flat, the Sun is shining, and breakfast has already been wolfed down. The divemasters lucky enough to be guiding customers on this trip will be encouraging their fun divers to cross fingers, legs, toes, eyes, and anything else that can be crossed in the hope of sighting a big spotty fish we like to call a Whaleshark! Two dives at Sail Rock and one dive at Shark Island also includes lunch, chocolate cake, as much coke, water, sprite and fanta as you can manage, and THE most passionate, knowledgeable, friendly (and just plain weird- Steven) divemasters in Koh Tao... ok Thailand..... ok Asia!. Pop into the Big Blue office on Sairee beach and sign up for the next one!
“Just perfect”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 August 2013- I was last week in koh tao with 2 friends and We just wanted to try diving once , at the end we spent one week and did the advanced (deep diving) licence , it was just amazing , The cool accommodation was included, everybody was young and the instructors were great . I spent 7 days with John Who Made us dive like real divers without any "nursing", best Time of my trip in Thaïland...
5 Things You Didn't Know Sharks Do For You
1. Sharks keep the food web in check- Being the top of the food chain, they weed out weak and sick animals to keep the overall population in top health. Declining shark numbers is having an effect on the entire ocean ecosystem.
2. Sharks could help us cure diseases- Sharks get sick far less than other species. Scientists are studying the anticoagulant and antibacterial properties of their tissue with the aim of finding treatments for a number of medical conditions, such as viruses, cystic fibrosis and some forms of cancer.
3. Sharks assist in keeping the carbon cycle in motion- Carbon is crucial to the cycle of life; Deep sea shark scavengers feed on dead matter at the bottom of the ocean. This helps to move carbon through the ocean.
4. Sharks inspire better design- By using biomimicry- imitating nature’s designs to solve human problems, designers have looked to sharks for improvements in the speed and efficiency of man made objects in the water. For example, Speedo has designed a range of swimsuits that imitate the grooves in shark skin to reduce friction drag, and a prototype device resembling a shark’s tail has been built to capture wave energy from the ocean and convert it into electric power!
5. Sharks boost local economies- Over the last several decades, public fascination with sharks has developed into a thriving ecotourism industry in places such as the Bahamas, South Africa and the Galápagos. According to a study recently published in the journal Oryx, shark tourism generates about US$ 314 million per year and is predicted to more than double in the next 20 years. These activities- which support businesses like boat rental and diving companies, are said to provide 10,000 jobs in 29 countries. Several studies have indicated that in these places, sharks are worth much more alive than dead.
Sunday 25th August 2013-
The hunky\Instructors at the Big Blue Tech shack went out yesterday for their yearly photoshoot all dressed up in their sidemounts & twin tanks. BSAC Instructor Trainer James modelled his brand new Poseidon Rebreather in a nice pair of kahki speedos while TDI Instructor Ian carried all James tanks around for him. The boys went to both the Sattakut Wreck & the Trident Wreck on the south side of Koh Tao for this awesome 2014 TEch Diving Calender photo spread. Can't wait to see the final results..
“A great place to learn diving” 5 of 5 stars. Reviewed on Trip Advisor -21 August 2013- Me and my friend booked an open water course with big blue and all we can say is that we've had a great time there. Instead of the free dorm they gave us a nice double room at 50 meters from the beautiful sairee beach. Our instructor Ernesto was an amazing guy and eventually we decided to do the advance course with him as well. In short I can just say that I can really recommend this place. Good diving school, nice and professional staff, and a decent restaurant/bar. The only negative thing we can say is that 6 persons in a group could be too much in some cases, but we didn't experience it in a bad way.
Poor old Big Blue Instructor Rick Rickety has been cooped up in his eagles nest for the last month after a nasty little incident resulting in a broken knee. Poor bloke has been watching all sorts of crap Koh Tao TV (Thanks Tosh) over recent days but luckily managed a trip to Koh Samui this weekend to the local bookshop to get himself some suitable reading material. So in addition to bringing back the latest issue of Asian Babes Rick also brought with him 'Deco for Divers, a Divers guide to Decompression Theory & physiology. Top reading material for a TDI Tech Instructor, BSAC Instructor, SSI Instructor, PADI Instructor and Sex Instructor!
Saturday 24th August 2013-
Teach a kid to dive, and they will love the sea for life. That is the
basic principle behind the work being carried out by New Heaven
Conservation this year to get more local kids involved with the diving
and marine conservation work happening on what will eventually be their
island. Marine Conservation for kids, Koh Tao. In August they kicked off
a 5 month program alongside the Department of Marine and Coastal
Resources and SSI Thailand, teaching the students first how to SCUBA
dive, then how to perform underwater research through the locally
designed Ecological Monitoring Program. In the final months of the
program the students will also be trained in coral restoration and
protection through various locally designed methods. The program is
completely free to all Thai or Burmese children 10-18 years old. The
goal of this program is to increase local stakeholder capacity and
involve the young generation on Koh Tao in the protection and
restoration of their local marine environment. An excellent idea &
an awesome job carried out by Chad Scott & his team at New Heaven
Conservation & Save Koh Tao.
Big Blue has a fantastic energy as soon as you get to the resort. All of
the instructors have huge smiles on their faces, and signing in was
painless and quick. We got a great 3-person room for free, which was
clean (not so much after we trekked in sand) and comfortable. The dive
sites for the SSI Open Water course were breathtaking, especially during
the third and forth dives when you're not as distracted by technique
and can appreciate the corral and life around you. The best part were
our instructors, Oli and Guy. Oli was new and in-training, but extremely
relaxed and friendly without sacrificing professionalism. One of my
friends freaked out underwater on the first dive and didn't want to
continue but Guy was so good and patient that she fought through it; she
was loving diving by the end! Highly recommend this place for Open
Water certification. Diving can be quite frightening to a newbie and you
want the best.
Well the weather hasn't been the best unfortunately & then all the
ferries on their way to Koh Tao Fecked up resulting in one late night
waiting up till 1 am for the boat to come here from the Full Moon Party
in Koh Phangan. Consequently this months Full Moon rush hasn't been
anywhere near as dramatic as last months. In fact its been quite
orderly. So orderly in fact the Techies even managed to pop out for the
afternoon for a photo shoot with professional Photographer Andy Campbell
and we even managed to give Wave runner a bit of well earned Rest &
relaxation. Keep this up I might even be able to pop out for a massage
& a manicure with WPC DM Darren Milsom who's doing his usual weekly pampering session.
Tuesday 20th August 2013-
Koh Tao isn’t ‘just’ an island; it is a shared experience of 7-11s, Scuba diving, late night dancing in the ocean, buckets of alcohol, fire dancers, and balloons filled with laughing gas. On paper, the island of Koh Tao is an 8 square mile speck of land in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s now a bright spot on the South East Asia backpacker scene along with Koh Phi Phi, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Samui. The island has become a Scuba mecca, second in the world only to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia in certifying Open Water divers. In reality, Koh Tao is something completely different. The real Koh Tao is something like this…
Hotel California. The Bermuda Triangle. Koh Tao. All three of these places share a mystical property that mesmerizes people and suspends them in a state of trance similar to a snake charmer working their craft. An article written on Travelfish by a long-term traveler neatly sums up this charm: When asked to write about life on Ko Tao from a longterm stayers point of view, all I could think about were the three biggest lies told on the island. I’ll leave you to ponder the other two but the biggest, without a doubt is, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
This phenomenon is actually so well documented that there isn’t actually anything new to say about Koh Tao, and so I am not going to try. In fact, after three weeks on the island I’m convinced that a completely new and unique experience on the island is nearly impossible. Anyone who comes to Koh Tao is going to experience one or more of the following phenomena and walk away with a set of experiences that be shared with anyone else who has ever spent a few nights on Koh Tao. The Full Moon party lasts but one night; Koh Tao is eternal. Eventually you may find a way to escape Koh Tao – to get off the island and continue your backpacking through Thailand. It will, without a doubt, be at a date later than you originally expected. When you finally leave you’ll think of returning. You’ll think of the Koh Tao Experience. You close your eyes: The sky on fire. Faces illuminated by kerosine. Memories blurred by balloons of SangSom and buckets of laughing gas. Koh Tao.
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 17, 2013 - I must say that Big Blue is an absolutely great place with fantastic
people. I know that Big Blue is a perfect place if you want to take your
open water or advanced course or any other course for that matter,
because they have some really great and professional instructors. And I
know that because I took my open water and advanced with Big Blue last
year. This time around I was back to do a lot of fundiving and I
think that the Divemasters at Big Blue are truly fantastic and amazing.
If it’s possible and I think it is the Divemasters are even better than
the instructors or at least equally as good.
I had the pleasure
of diving with a couple of different Divemasters including Darren,
Becca, Carly and Steven and they are all really good at what they do. I
did most of my dives with Darren as a Divemaster and he is truly an
amazing Divemaster and a great guy and I’m really happy that I got
“stuck” with him for most of my dives. He definitely made me a better
diver even though I was pretty good to begin with and he made everyday a
new adventure. So if you want to dive with the best Divemaster in
Thailand possibly in the whole world you have to go to Koh Tao now
because Darren is leaving soon. If you are a crazy Nudibranch
lover like me you have to dive with Steven. He is the absolutely best
Nudibranch finder at Big Blue but I think Darren is pretty good as well.
My two girls Becca and Carly are always smiling, laughing and so much
fun to be around especially on the boat but they are also really great
to dive with. I can honestly say that the Divemasters Darren,
Becca, Carly and Phil made my diving and my stay at Koh Tao
unforgettable, amazing and so must more fun than I ever expected. As
I wrote earlier Big Blue is a great place with fantastic people.
Everybody is always very friendly, helpful and willing to go an extra
mile to make your stay pleasant. There is a special vibe and atmosphere
around Big Blue that is really difficult to explain but it just makes
you happy. The best regards from Stina Moellnitz, Denmark.
Thanks very much to everyone who came to help out last week when we set off for the Secret Pinnacle at Southwest to remove a large net that had become tangled in the coral. Always a sad sight but even worse when you see the immediate impact that net has when you struggle to free the trapped reef fish, & count those that didn't make it. After spending 45 minutes removing the net, only a small portion was cleared.In this day & age surely there is a better way to catch fish!
Monday 19th August 2013-
Whaleshark seen at Sothwest Pinnacle at the weekend. Not sure if it is the same one we saw at Sail Rock last week. Still waiting verification. But accrding to Eco jen our resident Marine Biologist she reckons this Whaelshark is actually pregnant. Now that woule be awesome. Apparently a pregnant Whaleshark was found dead in a net a little while ago & when it was brought out of the water they found inside 300 baby whaleshark embryos! So if this whaleshark we saw at the weekend carries on & delivers 300 Whaleshark pups to this area we might be in for some quite exciting diving in the near future.
“Superb Resort”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 15, 2013 - One of the best dive resorts you could possibly want to stay at.
Great dive sites, professional and friendly instructors, fantastic
on-site restaurant and good quality accommodation. I stayed at
Big Blue for 3 weeks and in that time did my Open Water, Advanced
Adventurer, Deep, Wreck and Nitrox diving certifications. Dave "Sqzy"
was my instructor for all of them, and was a fantastic teacher -
incredibly upbeat, entertaining and interesting whilst being
professional and helpful at all times. After training I went out on a
few fun dives and on a full day trip. The dive masters were always keen,
helpful and easy to talk to and the dive sites are all superb. The
layout of the resort is superb, with everything less than a minute's
walk away; even the nearest corner shop is literally right outside the
entrance. The on-site restaurant has a broad, well-priced menu with food
from all over the world and opens very early to very late. Almost every
diver, dive master and instructor can be found there at some point
during the day so the whole place has a really relaxed, social
atmosphere. On top of that, each evening DVDs from that day's final open
water dives are shown which gives you something to look forward to if
you're training and gives more experienced divers a look at the local
dive sites. There are various different choices when it comes to
accommodation. I chose to stay in a private room with a fan but there
are also dormitories and private rooms with and without A/C available.
The room was cleaned and made up every 2 days with clean sheets and
towels. Despite absently-mindedly leaving valuables out a couple of
times nothing ever went missing.
Did you know.... 99% of all living space on the planet is in the ocean, and humans have explored less than 10% of that space. 90% of the ocean's volume constitutes the dark cold environment we call the 'deep sea', at an average depth of 3,700m (That's over 4 times greater than the average height of land). So, by learning to dive, you have gained access to 70% of our planet. And by attempting to conserve the marine ecosystem, you are helping to maintain 99% of Earth's living space!
Saturday 17th August 2013-
Flavia Eberhard – SSI Level 3 Instructor. Flavia was introduced to freediving in 2007 as a way to get closer to the creatures of the underwater world for photography. After some years of experience she became a freediving instructor and
decided to dedicate her life to the activity. Since then, she has put
aside her previous career as a successful international model to teach
others about freediving and to follow the sport competitively.
Flavia has achieved 9 records including the current -69m Free Immersion
for Brazil, making her the deepest freediving South American woman in
the discipline. A Yoga teacher and a follower since 1996,
Flavia unites her knowledge about body and mind to provide a holistic
approach to the sport. She believes that the skills you can learn in a
freedive course will change the way you connect with yourself in your
every day’s life by being in full awareness of your body and in better
control of your emotions and your surroundings through your breathing. Together with her partner Pepe Arcos, also a
previous champion from Spain, they run Big Blue Freediving in Paradise
Island of Koh Tao, Thailand. Flavia invites you to learn about
your true potential through Freediving, For mind and body awareness
coupled with adventure check out Flavia on Koh Tao!info@bigbluefreediving.com
“Highly recommend Petra as instructor”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor- August 14, 2013- Had an amazing 6 nights at Big Blue. Decided I wanted to try my open
water course having little experience of underwater swimming and diving
etc. managed to complete all of the SSI skills except the mask removal
and clear. Was very close, actually extremely close to giving up if it
wasnt for my instructor, Petra. She was extremely patient and
understanding to my problem and lack of confidence in the skill and even
allowed for an additional 2 hours pool time, in her own time to get me
through. With small steps and repetition she got me through and I went
on to complete this as well as my advanced with Tosh, another good
instructor. All in all a great team and a lovely atmosphere at Big Blue. Thanks to Petra again. All the best, Andy ;)
Turtles are truly amazing creatures that have populated the earth for
millions of years. Whether you dive fresh or salt water, discovering a
turtle is a fun and unique experience. Let’s learn a bit more about
these aquatic animals with some fun turtle facts.
1. There are approximately 300 species of turtles in
the world. The number is not exact because scientists continue to
change the classifications.
2. There are seven species of sea turtles in the ocean:
flatback, green, hawksbill, kemp’s ridley, leatherback, loggerhead and
olive ridley.
3. The leatherback is the largest of the sea turtle
species and can grow 1.8 meters (6 feet) long and weigh 680 kilograms
(1,500 pounds).
4. Kemp’s ridley is the smallest sea turtle species at
60 to 90 centimeters (24 to 35 inches) long, averaging 45 kilograms (99
pounds). Kemp’s ridley turtles are critically endangered and efforts are
being made to protect the species from extinction.
5. At room temperature, the western painted turtle can go without oxygen for 30 hours.
6. At 37 degrees Fahrenheit, the western painted turtle can live for four months without oxygen, such as during hibernation.
7. The sex of many baby turtle species is determined by
how warm the eggs are kept. Females are produced by warm temperatures,
males are from cooler temps.
8. Turtles not only see in color, they tend to prefer certain hues. Research shows red, orange and yellow are most appealing.
9. The alligator snapping turtle is the largest
freshwater turtle. These turtles, weighing 113 kilograms (250 pounds) or
more, lure prey with their tongue that resembles a wiggly worm.
10. Proclaimed the “Laziest Freshwater Turtle” by
Guinness World Records, the giant soft-shelled turtle of the Mekong
River in Cambodia spends 95 percent of its life motionless in sand.
Friday 16th August 2013-
Big shout out to the delightful British girl in the shop, our very own Miss Jessica Leigh, who is the proud winner of July's Employee of the month! Jess has been with us almost 3 years now and pretty much runs this place single handedly. She knows who's coming when they're coming who they're with what they're doing, when they're off, how much they owe when they paid when they need to pay who their Instructor is what country they're from where they're going next & who they're with physically & sexually! A diamond in the rough is our Jess. What the heck she's doing working at Big Blue is beyond me but she's here now & we aint letting her go anywhere. Which is why she's banned from forming any relationships with anyone who aint native to Koh Tao and is paid chicken feed so she'll never be able to afford to leave! Congratulations on your Employee of the Month award Jess. More dry bread & water?
“Koh Tao Love - excellent instructors, great time”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 13, 2013 - I had a very limited time in Thailand and wanted to complete the Open
Water diving course. Koh Tao was suggested by a diving friend and Big
Blue had fantastic reviews so I booked my course and accomodation. I was
not disappointed, from the first email enquiry to receiving my
certification Big Blue were amazing. They were flexible and helpful
arranging my travel within the time requirements of the course. I'm
especially thankful to instructors Tupac and Donny whose knowledge and
experience created a fun and relaxed environment to learn the skills
while having an incredible diving experience. Their passion for diving
is contagious and I can't wait to get back to complete my advanced
course.
Bracing ourselves for the pre Full Moon rush. his months Koh Phangan Full Moon Party on the 21st is the biggest one of the year & each year it just gets busier & busier. Last August 2012 there were apparently 16000 people who rocked up to party to the tunes of electronic dance music & facepainting. This month there's talk of over 20,000 people! Thats one hell of a beach party! & if you work it out you'll realise an awful lot of these people are going to be heading over to Koh Tao either before or after the party to experience the awesome Vibe Koh Tao has to offer. And with only 5000 Rooms available on Koh Tao I reckon you'd be mad to come here without booking yourself some lodgings first! info@bigbluediving.com send us an email & Wib our email queen will get back to you within minutes!
Thursday 15th August 2013-
Another amazing Full Day Trip to Sail Rock. An amazing days diving & a dive with an amazing fish! A Whaleshark! Having a relatively good spell of Whalesharks at the moment with 6 sitings around Koh Tao in the last week. Not a bad record. One a day for a week & Sundays off! If only every week could be this good. Conditions are great. Sea is flat, Divesites aren't that busy at the moment & it is really clear right now too. Just like the picture on the brochure!
“Amazing Experience, great instructors”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 10- Having never dived before I had no idea what to expect, but had a
fantastic time at Big Blue and would highly recommend doing both the
open water and advanced SSI courses. I found the open water course is
really about getting people confident underwater and getting through the
basics of scuba and my instructor Ami did a brilliant job- she
explained things at a perfect pace, made the whole process really
enjoyable when it could be a little tedious as well as making us all
really enthusiastic about marine life and everything about diving. No
one from our group planned to do the advanced, but the three of us who
didn't have flights booked all decided to neglect our budget and stay. The advanced course was amazing
and again we couldn't have had a better instructor. The advanced
involves a deep dive to 30m and a night dive, which again could have
been really nerve wrecking but Jen made us all so confident in our
ability, getting through the technicalities clearly and quickly and
helping us enjoy our dives. Genuinely couldn't have asked for better
instructors, they made the experience even better and did a great job on
getting us all hooked on diving. Also thanks to James who put up
with my crap compass skills and helped me really enjoy the navigation
and buoyancy dives, as well as spotting some whales on the boat back!
Looking forward to our new collaboration with www.backpackerbanter.com who approached me about offerring our services to their customers the Gap Year Student. What I liked about this idea was that Backpacker Banter is about doing something constructive in your year off. Travelling but gaining qualifications that will help you further your lifetime experiences , your travels & look good on your CV. ie you didn't just waste a year off travelling drinking & getting yourself into debt. What Backpacker Banter likes about Big Blue Diving is that we are the only shop to do everything all under one roof! We offer all Scuba Dive Courses from Open Water through to Divemaster and Instructor Training with Big Blue Pro, we have wreck tech & caving with Big Blue Tech, we offer eco courses & internship programmes with Big Blue Conservation, Apnea courses with Big Blue Freediving & Video internships with ACE Marine. In fact you'd be pretty hard pushed to find something we don't offer here at Big Blue Diving! No wonder Backpacker Banter want to collaborate. Smart boys!
Wednesday 14th August 2013-
Laid back and relaxed, Koh Tao is
Thailand’s hot spot when it comes to diving. Boasting many diving sites within
swimming distance of the island, not only is it one of the most popular places
to dive in the country, but it is also ideal for beginners. The island is one of the most loved places
in Asia to become a certified diver. Not only does it offer sites for every
kind of level, but it is also one of the most affordable places in the world to
learn how to dive. Home to secluded beaches and shallow shore
sites, it is the perfect place to learn, and is even more ideal if you want to
enjoy some diving with the whole family. Koh Tao boasts a huge number of diving
schools and centres that offer courses, with many hotels attached to their own
diving centre too.
Many beginners head to Mango Bay for their
first dive, as it’s a shoreline dive that you can access simply by paddling
across its gently sloping shelf from the beach. Japanese Gardens is also an
ideal site for beginners, ranging from two to 12 metres deep and offering
sights of plate and staghorn coral. There are plenty of new and thrilling
sights waiting below the waters of the Gulf of Thailand here, so it is the
ideal destination for experienced divers. Head to Green Rock and you will find
rock formations with swim throughs, caves and chinks, which you can drift
across on the sea current. The site offers glimpses of blue spotted rays, titan
trigger fish and parrot fish breeding. Sail Rock is one of the most known dive
destinations in Koh Tao, and although it is suitable for divers of any level,
its vertical swim through provides the perfect thrill for the more advanced.
Referred to as ‘The Chimney’, this swim through starts deep into the water at
18 metres. The site gives you the chance to glimpse batfish, barracuda and the
occasional whale shark. One of the great aspects of diving in Koh
Tao is that it offers ideal conditions for 11 months of the year, so you
should easily be able to find a time when there are cheap flights to Thailand.
November is the only time to avoid visiting the island for diving, as it is
when the sea becomes choppy, and visibility is considerably reduced. That said,
November in Koh Tao still offers a better standard of diving in comparison to
many sites across the world. The island is home to a huge number of dive
operators, who offer courses and trips as well as equipment hire. The standard
price for a beginners course will usually include the hiring of any necessary
equipment, and diving trips will also offer a price based on the hire of
equipment.
Whether you are travelling on a budget or
you are just looking for somewhere exotic to learn how to dive, Koh Tao is the
ideal place to start your watery love for scuba diving. Filled with beginners
shore-side dive sites and shallow nursery areas, it is the perfect place for
parents who want to introduce their children to the sport. This needn’t put off
the more seasoned divers however, as the area also offers some incredible and
challenging places to dive and take in some spectacular underwater scenes.
Tuesday 13th August 2013-
On the cusp of going live with our brand new look website! Very exciting times. Well it is for me at least who's spent literally the past 3 months going over the whole production of things. Not that we don't like this existing site we just feel its time that we got modernised & updated the look & feel of the site a little. So going live in just a few days time & hoping to get some positive feedback from you all wink wink nudge nudge. Never realised how nervous I'd be about displaying my work for millions to see. Now I know what it must feel like to be a naked woman! You know putting my wares on show!
“If Carlsberg did dive schools...”
Reviewed on trip Advisor August 9, 2013 - On the recommendation of a friend I decided to do my open water with big
blue. My group was under the watchful eyes of Rich, Phillipe and dmt
Alex. These guys are excellent at what they do, they make you feel at ease throughout and have a laugh all along the way. The
open water course itself was brilliant and fun and the dive sites
around koh tao are apparently some of the best in the world! Once I'd the o/w done, with the diving addiction well and truly caught i proceeded to do the advanced adventurer course. Again,
under the tuition of Rich (who should stick to the fins rather than the
two wheels) I had a brilliant time, highlights were the night dive
where we encountered a swimming turtle, and the wreck dive where we
explored a ww2 ship that had been sunk there for divers to play with. I
cannot recommend big blue diving enough, they are a very professional
outfit when it comes to diving, and their accommodation, restaurant and
drinking facilities are top notch too.
What an outstanding turnout we had this year at Swim For Sharks 2013! 55 people joined us for the 3.4km swim around Koh Nang Yuan! The morning started off with shark conservation lectures from Fin Free Thailand, followed by a presentation by our very own Eco Jen at Big Blue. Braving strong currents and ocean waves, Simone Borghesi finished the swim in 1st place in less than 60 minutes. Big Blue’s Nick Bufton finished 2nd (3 minutes behind) and 3rd place went to Luke from Simple Life. Doing all the girls proud was Natalia Biskupska who arrived 4th place. Anyone swimming behind Simon Garrity would have been mesmerized by his hot pink Speedos, winning him the prize of best fancy dress. And in last place was our youngest swimmer of 10 years Kailash Cook who completed the route with his father Nathan Cook (wearing a rather flamboyant flower-power rash vest). Some swimmers were lucky enough to see some Black tips reef sharks on their swim! The fun didn’t stop there, as we all ventured down to Maya Beach Bar for the evening events. If you’re wondering why everyone is sporting a fin-like Mohawk, then you missed out! ‘Shave’ For Sharks raised a substantial amount of money by sponsoring their friends to have their hair shaved into a Mohican. T-shirt sales continued throughout the day, as DJ Darren Milsom, John Huntington, The Yeti, Johnny English, DJ Oli, DJ Chamber & DJ Kingsize got everyone raving on the beach. We’ve collected & counted all the money we raised throughout the day, and it’s come in over 130,000 baht! (More than last year!!), with Jim Donaldson winning the prize for the biggest personal donation. Anyone who hasn’t handed in their sponsorship money, please come by Big Blue, or email info@bigblueconservation.com .
The whole event was filmed by ACE Marine Images, and a DVD of this years Swim For Sharks will be ready in a couple days! To buy your copy, get in contact with us! Its only 500 baht. Each year we are amazed by the event’s success, but it’s all thanks to the people who participated in the swim, helpers on the longtails, organizers who helped prepare the event, ACE videographers, Big Blue and Maya Bar staff, DMT’s, divemasters, instructors for their support, and of course Big Blue Conservation’s Eco Jennifer Matthews who has been running Swim For Sharks for 4 years
Monday 12th August 2013-
We just can't stop getting printed this month! Another article on Koh Tao this time in London Town's Time Out Magazine with a feature about Diving gadgets. Written when our own SSI Instructor Trainer Tosh was the writers Instructor, though unfortunately he was working at another shop at that time but as we all know he has seen the light since those days of immaturity & prepubescence & came & joined us at Big Blue & hasn't looked back since now spearheading Asia's largest SSI Instructor Training Center. Keep your eyes out for this issue of Time Out Explorer- Asia's Top 50 Short Breaks.
“Happy to be in the water again”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 7, 2013 - I had been to Koh Tao a number of times and had done my open water and
advanced certification here as well, but not at Big Blue. As I had a bad
experience diving elsewhere in the world I had gone back to my initial
shop to see if they would be able to help me get over my fear for
diving. Unfortunately they were short on dive-masters and could only
offer me a refresher course with a group. We then went to Big Blue
and told the same story again. In stead of the big group they offered a
1-on-1 refresher at no extra cost. I had all the time in the world to do
my skills and get familiar with the diving again. The next day we did a
fun dive, and since they had remembered my initial issues, they had
made sure that me and my friend were the only two diving with one dive
master, so in case I needed more time, that would not be a problem. I am
happy to say that at the end of the 2 days I felt comfortable in the
water again, thanks to the patience shown by the Big Blue staff!
This years Swim for sharks was an even bigger success than we had even anticipated with an incredible 135000 Bt raised by our Eco arm Big Blue Conservation & most notably our very own Green Queen & in House Marine Biologist Jennifer Matthews. Jen started off the day with a very informative lecture on Sharks & their reproductive cycles & then almost 70 people came along for the extremely challenging 3.4 km swim (in bloody big waves ) around Nang Yuan Island. The winner this year was a stranger to us! A weary traveller who just happened to be here at the right time & whipped the favourites (Nick Bufton) ass by 3 minutes. After the exhausting & gruelling swim around Nang Yuan it was free Barbie & music from our very own DJ's Mix Masters DJ DM Dazza Milsom & legendary Las Vegas Inked celebrity Mr John Huntington. AN awesome night, & a lot of money raised. Thanks again to all those who contributed & especially Eco Jen. Those sharks owe you a debt of gratitude!
Friday 9th August 2013-
So its the biggest day of the year for our Green Queens Eco Jen & her trusty Steed Lizzie May. Its our annual Swim for Sharks a 3.4 Kilometer swim around Nang Yuan Island all in the name of charity- to raise money for shark conservation projects here in Thailand & hopefully & especially here in Koh Tao. Last year we raised over 100000 Bt. This year we hope to double that as the main party will be held at Koh Tao's Number One Party Venue - Maya Bar. So bring your cheque books & heaps of cash & lets raise some money to help increase the awareness of shark conservation here in Koh Tao & increase the numbers of Black Tips, White Tips, Bull Sharks, Grey Reefs, Leopard Sharks & Whale Sharks that are all native to our Koh Tao waters.
“Best Dive Centre on Koh Tao”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 6, 2013 - It's my second diving holiday with Big Blue and it equalled the first.
What makes this diving company different from the rest is the staff. The
are knowledgeable, friendly and their enthusiasm for diving is
contagious. I completed 26 fun dives over the 10 days and the following
staff need particular mention. 1. Steven- His direct observational
commentary during briefings is spot on. He says what others wouldn't
dare try to get away with but some how he does. He was very welcoming
and his enthusiasm for tiny marine life is unequalled. He is also a
moral mentor towards DMTs guiding them in their diving journey such as 2.
Laura. Laura led me on the majority of dives and is a credit to her
mentor and a fab dive master in the making. Give her a job.3.
James-His in depth knowledge of wreck diving led to a lively and thought
provoking discussion. The tech shack is definately worth checking out! 4.
Nick- made me feel welcome from day 1 both in the shop and on the
boats. Always free to offer advice and help. A credit to Big Blue.
THANKS BB for another fab holiday!
"German Expat Rescued From 9-Hour Sea Drift"- (7 August) A German expat has been rescued after he was forced to spend 9 hours drifting in the sea off Koh Tao Island. The 47 year old German, identified simply by officials as ′Sasha′, is believed to have fallen off the ferry boat on his way to the island, which situated near the coast of Chumpon province in southern Thailand. The ferry crew told our correspondent they saw the German smoking on the side of the boat around 02.00 on the previous night. They could not locate him once the boat reached the island, they said, so they realised that he must have fallen overboard and immediately alerted the rescue teams. Mr. Sasha was eventually found 10 kilometres away from the shore, close to Koh Mattra and Koh Kalok islands. He said he had been swimming for around 9 hours as he waited for the help to arrive. Officials said Mr. Sasha was very exhausted but had sustained no injury. According to his friends, Mr. Sasha is originally from Berlin and has settled in Surat Thani province for 10 years now, where he has been running his hotel business. Mr. Sasha′s friends also told our correspondent that, fortunately, he has been a very talented swimmer. By Khaosod Online- Moral of this story- Stop Smoking!
Thursday 8th August 2013-
Just awesome to see Lia Barrett being featured on CNN over some awesome photos shes taken over the years but specifically this very unique photo shoot of professional Free divers going about every day type of roles underwater, like sitting supping on a coffee or taking a stroll through the park with a background of reef sharks swimming round. Lia first came to us at Big Blue as a very talented photographer looking to make a name for herself by collating a portfolio of underwater shots & in exchange for some photos we could use ourselves we offerred her as much diving as she wanted. Since then she's done numerous liveaboards with our friends in Komodo, Indonesia Wicked Diving & has become quite a big Underwater Photographey celebrity. Congrats Lia. So happy to see you hit the big time. All the best from your friends at Big Blue.
“CRACKING TIME”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 4, 2013 - Just left koh tao weeping, I would have loved to stay on and do an
advanced but alas no time. Big blue was recommended by practically
everyone and it lived up to expectations. My friend and i stayed in
separate dorms due to it being so busy but what can ya do if you dont
plan in advance. the fan rooms were actually fine temperature wise as
there was a nice bit if sea breeze that would come rrrrolling through.
Can I please fully endorse one special man by the name of GUY BANNISTER
he is a top fella and was a great instructor. Our group had such a good
time so thank you Guy and thank you big blue. I'll definitely be back.
Terrraaaaah
Volunteers joined forces with Big Blue Conservation to do a shark survey around Koh Tao this morning. The survey was conducted around Shark Bay. Volunteers from Big Blue and ACE Marine Images counted, photographed, and documented their findings with Jen and Lizzie of Big Blue Conservation. The information collected will be included with other surveys conducted around Koh Tao. Surveys and other shark programs have been made possible by donations from the annual Swim for Sharks with Big Blue Conservation and the kind efforts of volunteers. We hope our recordings and documentation will be helpful in the future efforts of shark conservation. Contact Big Blue Conservation for more information.
Wednesday 7th August 2013-
Another bit of shameless self promotion but hey when you're this good its hard not to blow your own trumpet! More editorial on Big Blue this time featuring our very own Big Blue Tech Manager James Foleherherereh. Big Blue Tech offers everything you can think of when it comes to Tech diving from the run of the mill Tech Courses with TDI, SDI, BSAC, PADI & SSI and Sidemount courses, Cave Diving, Wreck Diving & Tech Liveaboards as far afield as Singapore to dive some of the legendary World War 2 Sunken treasures in that area. In addition James is also our BSAC chap about to be BSAC Instructor Trainer & consequently one of the highest trained Diving Professionals in the world with an unpronounceable surname. James Forleherereh. James Folererereh. James Fohelererer. Oh Feck it! Tech James!
“Big Blue Diving Open Water”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor August 1, 2013 - Came to Koh Tao back in April and couldn't have been more happy with my
choice in Big Blue. It came with numerous recommendations from friends
met along the way and I wasn't disappointed. The instructors were
incredibly knowledgeable and a lot of fun, always there to help you and
they help to create a fun and infectious atmosphere when on the course
and dives. Our instructor was Iain who is a top bloke, pushed us through
the skills and learning quickly efficiently - definitely ask for Iain
if you can! look out for the Scottish accent - was great to hear about
how he became an instructor and why he chooses to live & work on Koh
Tao. was always up for a beer after the diving. Big Blue threw in
free accommodation for my 4 day open water SSI course which was a great
bonus and I was very happy with the dorm, 1 minute walk from the sea
and the bar/restaurant. Thoroughly enjoyed the course and was very very
close to staying on for the advanced course along with my group, however
couldn't stretch the budget! Until next time. A definite highlight of
my trip to south east asia and was made even better by the video that
you have the chance to watch and buy after your 3rd and 4th dives on the
final day. Will always be able to watch and remember those fantastic
days on Koh Tao.
The lead up to our big hosted event of the year the Round Nang Yuan Island Swim for Sharks is going like clock work, or should I say "Its going swimmingly!" Lots of people signing up with sponsorship forms to raise money to help save the sharks from the horrendous butchery of shark finning.Last year we raised over 100000 Bt this year we hope to double that! Its going to be an awesome day with a Shark Awareness lecture in the morning then its the 3.4 km swim around Nang Yuan then in the evening we're hosting a party at Koh Tao's liveliest Beach Venue Maya Bar, with a Free Bar-B-Q, International DJ's, & a sponsored Shave for Sharks. Its going to be an awesome night & we hope to see you there.
Tuesday 6th August 2013-
Another day another magazine article on Big Blue Diving Koh Tao in another one of the worlds leading Dive Magazines. This time its the UK's largest circulating Scuba Diver Magazine with a nice article on Asia's largest BSAC Center Big Blue Diving, & a lot of talk about our Eco activities with our very own in house Marine Biologist Green Queen Dr. Jennifer Matthews PhD. One Eco activity she's very proud of organising is Koh Tao's extremely popular swim for sharks a 3.4 Km swim around the Island of Nang Yuan which coincidentally happens to be taking place this coming Saturday the 10th August. Want to get involved & raise money for Shark Awareness & protection then look no further. Come join in the Swim & help us save some sharks & then you can read all about it in our next big Magazine featured editorial.
“Faceplanting Fantastic - Thanks Rich!!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 31, 2013 - No words to express our love for Big Blue! We came to Koh Tao undecided
on whether to dive or not and we couldn't be more glad that we did, if
you're looking for an unforgettable experience then choose BIG BLUE..
the best dive school on the island. The whole place and courses
is absolutely faultless. We came to Ko Tao at the end of our travels and
did both the Open Water Course and squeezed in the Advance with 2 days
to spare to get home, we never wanted to leave!! Our instructor was Rich
who was an absolutely amazing instructor... professional, patient,
knows his stuff and at the same time such a laugh and made the whole
experience unforgettable for us! Even after attempting a triple front
off the top of the boat with a painful face plant he made me laugh!! -
proudly its making the Christmas video haha!! We strongly suggest you
request Rich if you want an unforgettable diving experience! It was
definitely the highlight of our trip. THANKYOUUUU RICH AND BIG BLUE FOR AN AWESOME 6 DAYS!! WE WILL BE BACK! Mia & Craig x
Have you met anyone lately who has said: “I just have so much time on my hands, and I get to relax whenever I want!” Not likely. It seems like everyone has a jam-packed schedule, a never-ending list of obligations and not much time to devote to themselves. It can feel nearly impossible to step away – but you should. And when you do, diving provides one of the best ways to not only escape the everyday grind, but to shake off the stresses of life. Psychologists and health care professionals frequently point out the possible benefits of simply taking time off. Studies have shown that a restful, relaxing break from daily stresses may enhance the body’s ability to heal, enhance creativity and may even increase motivation and productivity. Enjoying some of that free time in nature only enriches the effects – and what better way to enjoy nature than by diving? With every descent beneath the waves, you reap multiple benefits: Physical exercise, Natural light, Calming sounds, Close contact with nature. Diving provides an exceptional opportunity to really interact with and be immersed in the natural world. While there’s plenty to think about during a dive, it’s all directed toward the cause of an experience you love. A diving vacation could be just the thing you need to recharge your batteries. So if you fancy a holiday of a lifetime why don't you get in touch?
Monday 5th August 2013-
Happy to be picking up the phone & answering the question "Should I book before I get to Koh Tao?' The answer is of course yes! If August is anything like July then thats a 100% yes! Unless of course you want to spend your first night sleeping on the beach or on the cushions in some f the restaurants or classrooms of some of the Dive shops. Not a great way to spend the night unless of course you fancy being ravaged by mosquitoes all night! Use your head & Book a bed! Call us on 077456415 or better email us on info@bigbluediving.com
“Counting down the days until I return!”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 30, 2013 - No words can express my love for this place. I recently completed my
dive master training after having done my open water, advanced, EFR and
rescue courses all at big blue. I was fortunate enough to have Tim as my
instructor earlier in the year for OW and AAOW…upon my return to the
island, in May, I was so pleased to see he was my instructor for both
EFR and rescue! Every instructor there is truly amazing at what they do
and Tim instructed in the perfect way that worked for me. He introduced
me to the other instructors and really helped to make me feel at home
and welcome. During my DMT I had 6 brilliant mentors, all of whom would
help in any way they could. The full time dive masters were also
fantastic role models and really helped to show myself and all the other
DMTs the ins and outs of being a good dive master. The tech boys are
one in a million, and were good enough to put up with me sitting in the
tech shack for many hours on many occasions, boring them with
meaningless stories and terrible jokes. The genuine highlights of my
time there were the assists! Seeing the DM’s and instructors deals with
all manner of situations in relaxed, confident and professional manners
is really inspirational. The DMT challenge really put me through my
(drinking) paces and I have Simmo to thank for making it such a fun
night! (from what I remember that is). Dive at this school and you will
not regret it for a second. All the instructors and DMs take the time to
get to know their students and customers personally and won’t give up
ANYONE. Upon completion of open water, I can guarantee the thought of
continuing onto advanced will be playing on your mind. DO IT. Everything
is better below 18meters! Once you do the advanced, you will be hooked.
And it is safe to say, there are far worse things to be obsessed with.
Obviously diving is the main attraction of this beautiful place, but in
the evenings the bar is always buzzing, great food in the restaurant and
once a week beer pong is held. Get involved! it is a great way to meet
other people- especially if you are backpackers! Living on this island
for 3months simply wasn’t long enough, so I will be back next year for
the entire summer. Sorry guys, not got rid of me that quickly. Just read
all of the other reviews and it speaks for its self…there is no place
better than Big Blue. Happy diving!! Missing you all like mad. Alice
Think you'll be happy to know that the weather has become beautiful & sunny again! All those English people wandering around the place in their jumpers & overcoats last week moaning about how cold wet & windy it was are now wandering round in the singlets & subnurnt sleeves moaning about how hot it is!. God Bless 'em! Forecast is good too so it looks like the bad weather is over now for a while & we'll be hearing heaps more posh people whinging about the heat! Pip Pip!
Saturday 3rd August 2013-
Don't
miss out on the event of the year!!Only one week left until the Swim
for Sharks!! The whole Swim for Sharks event is centred on involving the
local community in active shark conservation and awareness. We came up
with the event 4 years ago, and we donated our proceeds to Project
AWARE, whose shark conservation action included driving interest in the
recent CITES meeting. Due to the success of
our event, we have been able in subsequent years to fund local
projects, including a release program in Pattaya by Dive Tribe last
year. As part of this project, Dive Tribe visit local restaurants and
hotels and buy any captive sharks, which they then tagged and released
in March this year. And as for us on Koh Tao, we set out to investigate
the shark trade in local areas, including Koh Tao, Koh Samui and
Chumphon. In general, we found no real trade in shark products and
although a small number of sharks were turning up in markets and in
restaurants, these where thought to have been caught on the Andaman
coast, instead of in Koh Tao's waters as we feared. That said, we
actually have very little information about the health of our shark
populations and so we began the which using volunteer snorkelers we
survey our reef shark populations. After hearing about what we were
doing, the local fishermen wanted to get involved, and now we have a
program started with them where if they accidentally catch sharks or
rays, they bring to us where we have a tank to record and photograph
them safely, then release back to the reef they were taken from. The
information gathering is where we hope to expand on next, using Rototags
to tag individual sharks, collect DNA samples for a global DNA database
coordinated by Johanne Mourier of French Polynesia University. As well
we want to teach the tagging techniques to the fishermen, so that they
can perform the tagging themselves, putting less stress on the sharks
during transportation. We want to also help increase awareness and
education on shark conservation among divers and tourists in general, in
a hope that people will not buy shark products, especially whilst
visiting Thailand. Our event entails a sponsored swim, which last year
had 73 participants. The swim is approximately 3.4 km long, around the
island of Koh Nang Yuan. As well as this, we have an evening festival
with local bands and international DJs, where the fundraising continues
and the head shaving starts (it seems we have begun a tradition in
shaving for sharks - many people raise money to shave a fin-like Mohawk
into their heads!). Last year we raised a fantastic 127,000 baht, and
this year we hope to raise more. We have decided to contribute the money
raised to various charities:
15% to SSI Mission Deep Blue anti-finning campaign in Costa Rica
15% to ECOOCEAN Whaleshark Monitoring Programme
20% to Fin Free Thailand (www.finfree.org)
50% to the Koh Tao Shark Project.
If you would like to help us raise money for these very worthy
charities, and support the shark conservation work they do then come
along and help. If you would like to do the swim, you can get sponsored
by your friends and family. You don’t have to be Michael Phelps to
participate, you can even wear fins and a mask if you would like! But if
you want to really go for the win, you can and we have a serious
competitor race starting 5 minutes before the fun swim.
There are 4 prizes donated by Shark Skin as well this year, and these will go to:
• 1st back from the competitive race
• 1st back with fins
• Person who raises the most sponsorship
• Swimmer with the best fancy dress
If you just want to come and support then that’s fine too, come along
to our evening event at Maya Beach Club from 6pm, wehere there is a free
BBQ and International DJs playing until the early hours. The
fundraising continues here too with the head shaving and drink
promotions!
If you're reading this from somewhere other than Koh
Tao, then don't fear, you can still get involved! Organis your own Swim
for Sharks and get in contact with us how to transfer any money you
raise. Or ifg you want to donate then fantastic!! Just go to our booking
website here and enter how much you would like to donate, then in the
comments section specify that it is for the Swim for Sharks.
Thanks and hopefully see you on August 10th!
Thursday 1st August 2013-
Congratulations to our in House Instructor Trainers Simon Garrity & Paul 'Tosh' Tanner for maintaining their 100% record when it comes to new Scuba Diving Instructors! 7 SSI Instructor candidates & 7 brand new fully certified SSI Instructors today! And apparently every single Instructor they have ever certified is actually still working in the Dive business which means that not only are these candidates happy with their career choices but that all of them have been able to get work in Diving! Says alot about SSI. The fastest growing Scuba organisation in the world with jobs available in almost every country you can imagine. Sun, sea, scuba, Best job in the World? You bet your ass!
“Best Diving Experience”
Reviewed on Trip Advisor July 29, 2013 - A friend and I didn't have a diving course booked when we arrived in Koh
Tao but we saw great reviews so we thought we'd give Big Blue a go.
Arrived at 4pm and were signed up for the 5pm Open Water certification
that day. I can say that this was one of the best experiences of my
life. Our instructor Guy was FANTASTIC! After the four dives we had time
to spare and were excited to take on the Advance certification over the
next two days (5 specialised dives to be certified in). The Open Water
was great but it was just a taste of what you can see & explore on
the Advance course. I would recommend it to anyone if you have the time.
Overall an awesome experience at Big Blue diving and very professional.
A picture postcard beach on one of Thailand's most popular tourist islands is now the focus of frantic efforts to staunch a tide of oil sweeping ashore. Where pleasure seekers would normally relax on pristine white sand, sandwiched between two lush green headlands, now white-coated cleanup crew smeared with crude oil from the shallow waters. Goblets of oil lie along the beach, a thin sheen covers much of the wet sand and oil-drenched booms lie like giant black snakes along the shoreline. The sea is a rust red color and the odor of fuel hangs heavy in the air. Not even a brisk onshore wind can keep the smell away. For the past four days crude has been washing up here and cleanup crews have been dealing with it the best way they can - pumping it into holding tanks, containing it with booms, even mopping it up with absorbent pads. Ao Prao beach on the island of Koh Samet is the main impact zone of the 50,000 liters of oil spilled during a faulty transfer operation between a tanker and a seabed pipeline on Saturday. About 600 soldiers, volunteers and workers from PTT Global Chemical, the partially state-owned oil giant that has claimed responsibility for the spill, are involved in the cleanup. A PTT spokesman says that 70% of the oil has been dealt with. The remaining crude will be "90% clear by Friday or Sunday at the latest.
There are plenty of new and thrilling
sights waiting below the waters of the Gulf of Thailand here, so it is the
ideal destination for experienced divers. Head to Green Rock and you will find
rock formations with swim throughs, caves and chinks, which you can drift
across on the sea current. The site offers glimpses of blue spotted rays, titan
trigger fish and parrot fish breeding.
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