Latest News- October 2015

Monday 26^th October 2015

The other night SSI Thailand came to Big Blue Diving for it annual awards ceremony. Big Blue Diving's own Simon Garrity who has strutted himself up the SSI ladder in neon pink speedos to the heady heights of International Training Director and Training and Business Development for East Thailand (ooooooh-la-la) was back on the microphone to present the awards.

There were some huge awards given out to both the instructors and the dive school itself.

Big Blue Diving was awarded the prestigious President's Club Award for our significant contribution to the diving industry. 

We were awarded the Diamond Dive Centre Award for 2015 for having the highest amount of diving certiciation throughout thr whole of the SSI rschools and resorts across the world.

Not too shabby hey?

Many of our instructors have hit some milestones and have wholeheartedly earned the grandeur and acknowledgement for their achievement

Iain Goodfellow- over 200 lifetime professional certifications

Tim Morrish- Instructor Trainer rating

Nick Bufton- Platinum Pro 5000 and Master Instructor with Over 1350 Lifetime Certifications

Germaine McGuire- Platinum Pro 5000 and Master Instructor

Neil Draycott- Excellence in Snorkelling and Skin Diving

Luke White- over 1300 lifetime certs

Sonia Scott- Master Instructor

Steven Taylor- 60% Continuing Education in 2014

Plus many more instructor who have the highest certifications and the largest amount of students that go on from open water to advanced, including Ernesto, Denja, Alex and Ant.

Big Blue Diving has some of SSI's most senior and most qualified instructors. We are very proud of this fact and the proof is in the comments and reviews we receive from our students and guests on a day to day basis. The whole dive team work their hardest to guarantee you have the best time while your here and more importantly you leave here being the best and safest diver you can be. We are all a big family here working alongside each other daily, but really if you do what you love doing everyday it's not really work now is it!

The work that goes in behind the scenes to make sure the operation runs smoothly is down to the Manager Steve-o and the team of Divemasters. Even though they DMs cannot get instructor awards, we all feel that we have quite possibly the best and most hard working Divemasters on Koh Tao. Their passion and pride is quite obvious once you have had a day diving with them. So yes a big well done for the instructors and their achievements but also a very big, huge, massive well done needs to go to our Divemasters- Nick, Steph, Sunna, Steve, Angel and the Geordie Steven.

And while I'm at it, I can't leave without mentioning the boat and land staff who fill hundreds and hundreds of tanks for us, the drive us around the dive sites of Koh Tao every day, rain or shine. Always smiling and always ever vigilant to the safety of our guests and other divers in and under the water.

Having worked here for a number of years now with some of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure (and misfortune) to meet, I hand on heart have to say I couldn't wish to work for a better dive school. (And I have worked at a few!)

Wednesday 14th October 2015

Massive congratulations are in order to the Flying Trapeze who raised over 160,000 baht for the Koh Tao Rescue Team. Over 400 of Koh Taos finest turned up to show their support for the event. 

Flying High Jai Kennedy flew through the air in his prissy man tights and dazzled us all with his flexibility doing the splits nearly 10 metre above us, and what a lovely sight it was (said no-one except Ruth). 9 volunteers from various dive schools on Koh Tao joined in the show, flying upside down and being caught at the other end. Gemma who runs the Trapeze put on a great show and a huge round of applause should go her way for teaching these guys everything in just one month.

One of our lovely guests really has fallen in love with the water! Ivana arrived only to do her Open Water certification but has now stayed on and completed her Advanced, Deep and Nitrox Specialties, React Right First Aid and if that wasn’t enough she is now a Level 2 Freediver. She just can’t get enough after finishing university she will be heading back to complete the Divemaster training with us. Now that is dedication for you, well done Ivana!

Some of our lovely spoilt mentors are off with our DMTs to Khao Lak for the first Big Blue liveaboard of the season, they will be off exploring the delights of the Similan and Surin Islands and making the most of the McDonalds which is situated conveniently right opposite the Big Blue Khao Lak office, oh the joys of the mainland! Have a great time and we will look forward to seeing the pictures when you get back!

Friday 9th October 2015

Unless you have been on another planet or your from a weird country you may have noticed that the world is going crazy for the Rugby World Cup which is being played in England. We have a large variety of staff from all over the place and the last few weeks have been interesting. Our Saaaf Aflikan instructor was abused for his team losing to Japan of all teams, and unfortunately for some of us English people we also lost a few too many games to get that far through, but with the groups as they were it was always going to be interesting. Lucky we only have one welsh and one kiwi here so it's been ok. But needless to say we haven't heard the end of it!! So now we aren't into it anymore we can all get back to work and the best thing for all of you coming over here is that every single one of our English instructors can get out of our (swimming) pool so no dramas there.

It has been a busy few weeks to say the least, Rick has taken on Jai to be his new Donnie in the Tech shack, Raqel has been holding her breathe below the waves with her freedivers and the rest of us have been teaching people how to blow bubbles. The weather is hot, the sea is (mostly) flat and the beers are cold. What more could you want. Whether it's recreational diving, technical diving or freediving (it's not free you still have to pay!) we can cater to everyone.

Now changing the subject completely. Koh Tao is a great community to live in, and when the Koh Tao Rescue team asked how we could raise some money for them to help with medical supplies and training new volunteers the Flying Trapeze said they would put on a show. There will be raffles and big prizes, games, and drinks and chances to donate to a very good and much need volunteer service. 

It's not all diving on Koh Tao and our very own Jai Jai Jai Jai Jai Jai Kennedy has been secretly nipping into the tech shack to put on his sexy 'man' tights and has been swinging about like a fairy hoping that a big burly man on the other end will catch him. Now Jai is no stranger to the Trapeze as he wowed us all not so long ago with his antics a inter dive shop trapeze challenge/ DMT social. 

Getting top marks he has decided to be he face of Big Blue Diving. Now I have abused him a bit for his tight wearing ways, I can talk about it seriously. The Rescue Team on Koh Tao are unbelievable they are all volunteers who will drop what the are doing to go to the aid of someone who has had an accident. Far too many people on holiday are having motorbike accidents and ATV accidents thinking they are Evil Kenival and not thinking about what blind corners and sand could mean. The majority of the call outs are from bikes. So please if you do come to Koh Tao please be careful on the roads if you do rent a bike, and don't learn here if you have never ridden one before. But any way we will all get to see Jai up high, trying to fly and not die or else we'll sigh and have cry....Go Jai!!!