Latest News March 2010

Sunday 14^th March 2010-

With only 7 days till the Koh Tao Festival, the finishing touches are being made to the dance routine, costumes are being made, impromptu dancing whenever a certain song comes on in the bar like a freaky flash mob dance!! I think Heather has earned a day or 2 off, she’s been dancing her little socks off, leading rehearsals, film editing, teaching diving and organizing beach clean-ups. Thank you Heather for all your hard work, we’ll do you proud.

It looks like we will all be having Weird Beards on Wednesday again as today we welcome back Hal(lvard) who has returned from his time over the pond in France. Our multi-linguist is back with us for a few months so a few beers in the bar tonight.

Speaking of the bar! Welcome to Lou who is our not so new anymore hostess with the mostest, she used to be found at places like the Fishbowl and Vibe but now we have her here at our very own Big Blue Bar. Its great to have a character behind the bar, it makes up for all of our quiet and shy staff members!!!!

Saturday 13th March 2010-

If you haven't seen Shark Water or the Oscar winning Documentary The Cove yet then get off your arse & go watch them & once you've done that watch the Animal Planet documentary Whale Wars & once you've seen all them keep your eyes open for the next big Documentary Blockbuster Sharkquest Arabia! Just when you thought things were getting better here comes a documentary about the illegal finning of grey reef sharks, lemon sharks, carpet sharks, scalloped hammerheads & Whalesharks! Please people stop this insane madness! www.sharkquestarabia.com this years must see & act documentary for all people who give a shit!

Just in case you were wondering... its 36 degrees today. Not even a breath of wind! The sky is a pallette of awesome blue, with odd tufts of pure white cotton wool balls. The sea is flatter than a pancake. The water temperature is a cockle warming 30 degrees & the clarity in the water is over 20 meters minimum everywhere! The marine life is as vast & multicultural as ever & the boats & the dive sites are practically empty. The sunsets are a rosey red & the beers are an icy cold... just in case you were wondering!

So the Bangkok protests between the Yellow shirts & the Red shirts has kicked off in Bangers this weekend & many countries have issued travel warnings advising travellers & tourists to avoid Bangkok & Thailand. Seems to have worked too! I actually saw tumbleweed rolling down the streets of Sairee Village last night, its that quiet here in Koh Tao. So what better time to stick 2 fingers up & go do some shopping & check out the latest 3D blockbuster at the IMAX cinema in this great country's capital city. What a bunch of overhyped codswallop!

Friday 12th March 2010-

12 of our dive master candidates completed their Deep Diver and Nitrox Diver course yesterday on our Full Day Trip to Sail Rock. The guys were exposed to 40m and the use of nitrox for the first time. This training is required for anyone wishing to join us on our wreck diving trips coming up next week. While Andy and Thomas were in technical diving gear for safety the students, being recreational dive master interns, were on a single cylinder. The course was combined with several different agencies which was based on the students preference. On top of the 3 great dives it was also Martins birthday which he spent celebrating at the front of the boat from seasickness. I’m sure he’ll have a repeat performance tonight for his birthday party. Happy Barf-day!

The Save Koh Tao Marine Conservation Branch and Sabai Jai Mini Magazine are running a photo contest on a bi-yearly basis, and all winners will be printed in “Sabaijai” upcoming edition and Koh Tao Calender 2011. Prizes will be awarded for winner of land and underwater with a selection of restaurant vouchers and bar drink voucher. Selection of winners will be done by local judging team.To enter you must pay the entry fee (100B), and supply a photo and photo information to Big Blue Diving in any readable format (jpeg, gif etc) in any resolution. Photos above 1mb will be ok. (Photography should be taken within the past 6 months in Koh Tao.) Individuals may enter as many times as they like. All funds raised go to the Save Koh Tao Group for future conservation projects. Good luck & Happy snapping.

"Just wanted to say a quick thanks for a brilliant time with Big Blue at Koh Tao. My Instructor was Deano & he was fantastic and if I would have had the time I would be doing my advanced open water with yourselves tomorrow. Again, thanks for a great time - already planning my next spot of diving (Red Sea probably) and if I am back in Koh Tao anytime soon I shall look you up again. Cheers, Craig Hicks."
Nice one Craig. Glad you had such a good time & look forward to seeing back on the Rock again soon.

Tuesday 9th March 2010-

If you do a google search on Diving Koh Tao, Open Water course Koh Tao, ssi shop koh tao, Advanced Course koh Tao, Divemaster Course Koh Tao, diving Thailand, best dive shop koh tao, best diveshop Thailand, fun diving koh Tao, scuba diving koh tao, diving Thailand, dive koh tao, padi dive resort koh tao, rescue diver koh tao, number 1 dive shop koh tao, tech diving koh tao, best manager koh tao, best instructors Koh Tao we come up pretty much first every time, certainly on the first page & if we didn't already then this will definitely help! ; )

‘‘The Cove,’’ a U.S. film about a controversial annual dolphin hunt at a Japanese town, won the best documentary feature at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony Sunday in Los Angeles. Directed by Louie Psihoyos, one of the world’s most prominent still photographers, the film depicts, partly through the use of hidden cameras and microphones, the capture of dolphins by local fishermen in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture. After screenings in selected countries such as Japan, Australia and the United States, the documentary provoked criticism against the hunt, while local fishermen defended it as part of a Japanese tradition, saying the practice was not bloodthirsty as they built memorials for the dolphins. Reacting to the Academy Award, fishermen in Taiji voiced anger, saying they were misleadingly described as ‘‘Japanese mafia.’’ A senior official of the local fisheries cooperative association rejected an interview, saying, ‘‘Whatever we might say, it will just help advertise the movie.’‘ Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said, ‘‘Dolphin hunting is not an illegal activity. It is necessary to respect each culture’s diet, based on an understanding of regional traditions.’‘

Full Day Trip to Sail Rock coming up on Thursday & we have a queue forming outside the dive shop with people waiting to sign up to dive the best dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. For just 3500 Bt you get to dive Sail Rock, Samran Pinnacle & Southwest Pinnacle have a cooked breakfast & the best Massaman curry Chicken on the planet all between the hours of 7 to 5! Better do some queue barging!

Monday 8th March 2010-

"After rocking up to Ko Tao four English sisters with four heavy backpacks wandered down the beach looking for a dive school. After a sweaty walk we stumbled upon Big Blue Diving Resort. The place had a buzz about it and we were very happy to be offered a welcome drink to quench our thirst! Jim came to meet and greet us and straight away we felt at home! There was a story behind why we wanted to learn to dive as our dad had been a diving instructor and growing up we would love to hear his diving stories. This was going to be a different experience to his stories of diving in the North Sea. Jim explained the courses and we were introduced to our PADI Open Water Dive instructor Nick. We all had the most amazing experience after completing the 3 day open water course and we had caught the diving bug so what better way to continue by completing our Advanced Open Water Course..Night dive, deep dive, sharks (well one sister saw them!) trigger fish.... Bring it on! We've been introduced to a whole new world and now our travelling will revolve around diving! We'll be back to Big Blue in the near future to do our rescue course and sure our dive master.... Thank you Big Blue and especially Nick for being a fab instructor!" Sian Maddocks, one quarter of the Maddocks clan!

So we have now revamped our 200 Bt fan rooms with a new cement walls instead of wood & have replaced each bed with a brand new metal framed bed! Its definitely about time as I think we've had these rooms since the dawn of man so we are very excited to be opening them back up for business again as of tomorrow. Just 200 Bt for an individual fan room with your own bathroom. Not bad at all. Not as good as our free accommodation we offer in our Air Con dormitories with hot water shower, but still, not bad!

Norway has dramatically increased the quota of mike whale that its whalers are allowed to catch this year. They announced their quota for 2010 would be 1286 whales- 45% more than 2009! Last year they killed 484 whales, the lowest taken in the commercial whale hunt in a decade. Conservationists say this was due to a lack of demand for whale meat & that they were surprised the quota has been increased. Such a huge quota defies logic & any pretence of claims of sound management. This is nothing more than the empty rattling of harpoons & it is clear these quotas are being set more for political show than anything else! If you are Norwegian, do something!! Stop the slaughter of whales in your country & boycott whale meat... & greedy self centred politicians!

Saturday 6th March 2010-

The brave among us this morning all got up before the crack of dawn to do a bit of sunrise diving at Chumphon Pinnacle. Nothing like being up before the fishies! I had no idea we had so many nutters staying with us who could manage to get up that early on their holiday, but obviously we do as more than 30 people signed up to be the first people to dive Koh Tao's best divesite today. Crazy cats!

Soup is off! An advert showing real footage of a dying finned shark has been shown on Chinese TV. The ad was made by Wild Aid & Shark Savers as part of a campaign to halt the demand for shark fin soup. It shows Chinese basketball star Yao Ming in a restaurant pushing away a bowl of soup after seeing the shark die. Well played China! Now if only other countries would follow suit the world would be a far better place!

"Oh My God i had so much fun doing my Open water with you in Feb 2010 - so much so i am planning my next adventure back over your way to do my advanced :) Thank you for making my holiday so awesome - especially Deano & Sonia :) Miss you guys x- Emma Lovejoy" Thanks Emma. Look forward to having you back here for your Advanced...and Rescue... & Divemaster perhaps?

Thursday 5th March 2010-

Eagle Ray in Confined Water!? Imagine that! Most dive shops on this Island offer the first day of the Open Water Course in a swimming pool! Lots of phlegm, pubes, chewed off fingernails, discarded plasters & some pools on the island you even see dollops of man milk! But if you are wise & really want to get the most out of your dive course then I highly recommend doing your confined water training in the sea! Like we do! & if you keep fingers crossed you might see an Eagle Ray too. Or a Turtle. Or a Seahorse!

"Hi Jim, Thanks for all your help. I've just arrived back in England (sadly) after a fantastic holiday in Thailand and wanted to thank Big Blue for a great diving experience! My instructor, Nick, was brilliant and we had some great dives. Please pass on my thanks. Sorry not to have met you. I hope to come back some day soon!Kind regards, Belinda" Cheers for that Belinda & thanks for the email! Next time I hope to meet you too, if I can tear myself away from my computer!

Young love! Simo & his lady friend Jodie, & Erik & his lady friend Beccy, have all gone off for a busman's holiday together to the Philippines! You'd think that when you work 365 days a year diving in the ocean you might be more inclined to do something a little different. But so into their scuba diving this lot that they have all gone east for a scuba orgy! Lucky lucky bar stewards!

February 2010 Daily Diary

Monday 22^nd February 2010-

Well the island is still crazy busy so please make sure if you are coming over to do some diving or take a diving course that you please book on-line as the rooms are getting hard to find, soon we will be dusting out the tents ready for the full moon rush.

SSI is ever on the increase with two new Dive Control Specialist Trainees having their course orientation today Christian and Greg and also Jen who is our new PADI Divemaster trainee. The trainee programme is growing by the day, its creates an awesome social and working environment as they prepare to become diving professionals. Welcome to the team guys.

Its official Beccy and Erik are a facebook couple, Paul is officially going to be a facebook Daddy, Deano is a facebook orangutan taff! Anyone would think we have a slight addiction to facebook!

Rehearsals for the festival are going wild, after only 2 practices we have pretty much got the moves already. Heather our choreographer extraordinaire has been working us all hard. I think everyone in Koh Tao could hear her “ and booty bounce and booty bounce….” From the top of Pauls roof the other night.

Saturday 13th February 2010-

The PADI big wigs are here on Koh Tao this week launching their new fashion accessory the PADI Bikini! & they managed to rustle up about 10 of their Bee-atches together to do some beachside bikini modelling & even persuaded our Emily to join the party. It all started very tame with the usual hand on hip poses but before too long the girls were showering each other down with frothy bubblebath & running around with no clothes on. It was every mans dream fantasy & the perfect advert for the new PADI bikini! Every Diveshop should recommend the all new see through PADI bikini! Comes with 10 wet near naked PADI Dive Instructors!

Our team of techies are still wandering around the best divespots in Thailand. They've now finished their Liveaboard trip on the MV Pawara as it cruised through the Similan & Surin Islands & have checked out some of the sites in & around Ao Nang in Krabi Province & are off to the Khao Sok National Park to do a few more caves & really explore the depths of some of these fresh water lakes. After all that quality diving I reckon these guys should be just about able to dive Japanese Gardens or Mango Bay on just 1 tank of air when they get back!

Japanese officials have reacted angrily to an attack on one of its whaling ships by Sea Shepherd anti-whaling activists in the Antarctic. The group threw butyric acid - made from rancid butter - at the ship. Japan has six whaling vessels in the Antarctic, which is allowed under the rules of international whaling. Whalers and activists regularly clash during the whale-hunting season. The latest clash reportedly lasted for several hours and involved two Sea Shepherd vessels and four whaling ships. In a statement on its website, Sea Shepherd said it had fired warning flares when three of the whalers attempted to destroy one of its helicopters with a water cannon. The group said it then launched a small boat from its ship, the Steve Irwin, and "annoyed the harpoon vessels with rotten butter bomb attacks". It said the substance, which it has used on previous occasions, was unpleasant but harmless. Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said the group had prevented any whaling from taking place for the past week. "Our goal now is to make it two weeks and then three weeks. We will not tolerate the death of a single whale," he said. Right on!

Thursday 11th February 2010

"Hi everyone at Big Blue! Thank you for making our stay at Koh Tao so absolutely fantastic! A special thanks to Erik and Søren for teaching us how to dive and to Andy, Steven and Aila for showing us around afterwards. Big Blue really is an amazing place with nice people, nice food, nice diving, nice everything. Apparently even the bottle coolers are nice and very popular among the monkeys in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Hope to see you all next year for our DMT's. All the best Michael and Gitte" Thanks so much for taking the time to write in. We really appreciate it & look forward to seeing you both again next year for your DM courses!

After the unbelievable success of Grease last year, which was choreographed and performed by the Big Blue Crew, a few other dive shops have decided they want to give it a go. So preparations for this year’s Koh Tao Festival have begun. Our very own Green Queen Heathers’ head is about to burst with ideas for this years act. Secret meetings have been held and rehearsals are about to begin. Watch out Koh Tao this year is going to be a Thriller! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

Absolutely disgusted to see how many people throw their cigarette butts into the sea on their way over on the ferries & catamarans to Koh Tao! In the space of a 2 hour boat journey I must have witnessed over 30 cigarettes flicked into the sea with no regard for the environment! From the uneducated locals I probably wouldn't have been so surprised but to see it from supposedly educated westerners was dispicable. Every cigarette butt thrown into the sea is enough to kill a turtle! Save our turtles put your cigarettes butts in the bins! Or even better put your cigarettes in there too!

Saturday 6th February 2010-

Competitive freedivers, William Winram and Pierre Frolla, deliberately set out to dispel the myths surrounding sharks when they decided to embark on their daring underwater adventures. The pair dived without cages or any other protection devices, coming face-to-face with the sharks wearing nothing more than a wetsuit. The great white shark is known for its size, often exceeding 20ft in length. The best-selling novel Jaws and subsequent Steven Spielberg movie helped perpetrate the image of the great white as a man-eater. In reality, humans are not appropriate prey for the sharks, who feed on dolphins, porpoises, whale carcasses and seals... & pizza!

Canada fancies a Big Mac & he's taking all the tech divers with him! Our Techies are off on another trip to the Khao Sok Marine Park for some more cave diving & then following it up with another Liveaboard trip aboard the MV Pawara, probably the nicest boat operating in the Similans & Surin Islands.There is a lot of gear to take with them and because there's so many of them, Canada, Andy Cav, Helen, Yvonne, Thomas & Duncan, they are really having to streamline their equipment this time. So the boys have binned the boardies for speedos & the girls aren't packing their bikini tops. Shame they got to take a bed pan for Andy Cav tho or they could have really have reduced their weight!

URGENT: Buoyancy World will be going down on the 7th of Feb. That's right, the day we thought might never arrive finally has. This Sunday, the 7th we will be using the car ferry to place the Buoyancy World Structures down to the site just north of Twins. It doesn't leave much time for planning, but since we have already gone over this last fall it should not be too much trouble. Remember, it is not the 7th that we need lots of divers, it will be the 8th-10th that we want lots of skilled volunteers. We hope you can make it!

Friday 5th February 2010-

The churning rumour mill that operates with such aplomb here in Koh Tao is telling us that there were 2 Blue Whales hanging out around Koh Nang Yuan Island last month. In fact there is even Video footage of a Blue Whale out in the distance & I'm all for encouraging positive rumours so lets jump this band wagon & help spread the word! Everyone help tell everyone else! There are 2 Blue Whales at Koh Tao right now! And a whaleshark, & a school of Bullsharks... and a swordfish... and a hammerhead... a sealion...a jellied eel. These rumour mills will only go so far.

" Thank you Jim and the whole team at Big Blue for making it the best holiday ever. We couldn't have asked for anything more! Special thanks to Sonia and Andy, best instructors in the world! See you very soon!! Salome, Anoinette & Albert." Thanks guys. Glad you had such a good time & happy to hear you'll be coming back. See you all again soon!

Following the almighty success of our afternoon double dive to Chumphon Pinnacle yesterday, today we follow up with another ingenius idea right out of left field! An afternoon dive at Southwest Pinnacle followed by a little light relief at Shark Island. Should be awesome. No one will expect us, not even the fishes! Fundivers only no courses! Serious diving! Serious fun! Think I've heard that SSImewhere before!

Thursday 4th February 2010-

Rumour has it the BBC Wildlife Documentary team are on their way to Koh Tao to film the Bull sharks at Chumpon Pinnacle. Apparently Chumphon Pinnacle is the only known divesite in the world where divers can swim amid the sharks without getting attacked & eaten! Sounds a little scarey to be honest so in true Big Blue style we've decided to launch a sweepstake to see who will be the first one in the team to get nibbled! My money is on Big Paul! On a Bullsharks menu I'm sure the succulent looking Paul would come just below a tenderloin New Zealand Steak but above an English Dime Bar! Crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. A little bit like an armadillo!

France has added its voice to calls for a ban on the global trade in bluefin tuna, the numbers of which have dwindled through overfishing. France wants a ban after an 18-month delay to allow scientists time to study the data on tuna stocks. The bluefin tuna trade might be curbed at world conservation talks in March. France is among the Mediterranean countries that fish bluefin tuna for export to Japan, the main market. France's tiny neighbour Monaco is leading the push to get bluefin tuna added to the list compiled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). Italy has also backed the call. "There is still powerful international lobbying from a big country, which has allies" - a veiled reference to Japan, which takes about 80% of the bluefin tuna catch from the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Conservationists say bluefin numbers have fallen to about 15% of their pre-industrial fishing levels. Stop eating Sushi! Eat Beef!

Whaleshark at White Rock yesterday! Which is exactly why we have organised 2 dives this afternoon to Chumphon Pinnacle. The Whaleshark whisperererer has been reliably informed that the Whaleshark has moved on to pastures new & will be spending a few days at its holiday retreat to the north, Chumphon Pinnacle! For a Whaleshark the thought of a belly full of krill & a nice relaxing Pilotfish wash & Remora rub down & diver Jacuzzi is just what the Fish Doctor ordered. & we'll be the only ones there to witness it! Guaranteed whaleshark dive or your money back! ( Just don't tell anyone!) Now why would you dive with anyone else?

Tuesday 2nd February 2010

Sometimes its great to get off the island and do something different, and a trip up to Bangkok to see Avatar was the perfect excuse. Did I mention we went to see Avatar....in 3D.....on the IMAX cinema screen...in 3D?! The only possible opportunity for four full time instructors to leave Koh Tao all at the same time had to around the Full Moon lull, definitely before the Full Moon rush so we absolutely made the most of it.

Step 1 - Stay somewhere other than Khao San Road
I've nothing against Khao San, its been the ruin of many a poor man, and Lord, occasionally I've been one. This time, baby, we wanted to be bulletproof so we stayed in the 'grown-up' part of BKK instead, which is Suk 11, apparently. Top Tip: Take your passport even if you're not leaving the country - Damn you Officious Hostel Woman! Bangkok's second 'Coolest Bar' Cheap Charlie's is right on the corner, just down the road from The Pickled Liver Real British Pub. First night - got drunk, pretended to punch each other.

Step 2 - Eat no Thai food at all
Off Siam/MBK for shopping and eating. Starbucks in the morning, then MacDonalds an hour later, followed by Siam Paragon Food Court and Vietnamese Pho, followed by MacDonalds just 'cos it was there, followed by... You get the idea. Its amazing what you miss when you live most of the year on a tropical island - apparently we mostly miss junk food.

Step 3 - Watch Avatar in 3D at the IMAX
Couple of hours to kill so we went bowling (I won, easily. Nick, you suck), drank 2 Towers of Singha and watched as Big Paul walked out still wearing his bowling shoes (curious? Find out why, soon). Then, the main event. Loaded up with more beer, BBQ Doritos, sweet AND salted popcorn and whatever else we could carry we picked up our enormous 3D specs and took our seats. I'm told the movie is fantastic but by then I was fairly smashed so I really can't offer an opinion. Seemed like I had fun, though.

Step 4 - Go to a proper indoor Nightclub
After being refused entry for wearing shorts, going all the way back to the hotel to change into jeans and trainers, I finally persuaded the doormen to accept the 900 baht! cover charge and let me in to 'Bangkok's coolest club' - Q bar. (Big Paul was fine, he was wearing stolen bowling shoes!). In our defense, Hed Kandi were playing live, so how bad could it be? Well, if watching middle aged men dance like your dad at a wedding in casual jeans and business shirts is 'cool' then I need to leave Koh Tao more. They did seem to be doing rather well with the young ladies however, can't think why. I was ALMOST missing Lotus Bar. Much piss taking ensued, Jodie got drunk, again. I was the epitome of sobriety.

Step 5 - Do something completely different
Off to Siam Park City then. 900 baht gives you unlimited access to the world's second largest rollercoaster, the world's biggest wave pool, a park the size of three Koh Tao's filled with amazing rides, an entire water park and.... NO QUEUES! After a few hours of riding rollercoasters again and again (no queues!) we hired speedos and a fifties women's bathing cossie for Jodes and ran to play on the water slides - brilliant.

Step 6 - Buy an appropriate souvenir
What says 'We had a great time while you were all working' better than a laser engraved block of plastic with our four grinning mugs captured inside it in glorious 3D. Best 1000 baht we ever spent in MBK...

There was more, obviously, so much more, but as the old saying goes... What happens in BangkoK (and can possibly get you sacked, arrested or mercilessly mocked by your friends), stays in Bangkok.

January 2010

Saturday 30th January 2010-

Yvonne, Helen, Duncan & Thomas are all starting their Tech Courses today with Canada & his protege Andy Cav. For the next 3 weeks our Tech Students will be diving deeply, through caves, on wrecks, lugging heavy equipment around, not smiling in photos, wearing black, wolf whistling at pretty girls, hoicking up their genitals, parading around on the boat in their speedo's, extending the Tech Shack while revealing their workman's bums, relentlessly working out for short periods of time & urinating on each other at night. Nothing new for Helen & Yvonne then but I do hope Duncan & Thomas will be alright!

Its our monthly beach & underwater clean up today & we have at least 30 people all coming out with us this afternoon for free to pick up some rubbish & other flotsam & jetsam from Maehaad. SO far there are only 10 schools participating which puts the majority of dive shops on Koh Tao to shame! Still we're doing our thing & that's all that counts. & our Big Blue Green Queen this year is none other than everyones favourite happy person Heather Keeler who is organising todays event. Free Diving & free Beer for everyone who participates! Now if that aint a reason to pick up trash then I don't know what is!

To ensure that whale sharks are not harmed by tourism or boating activities, please follow the guidelines below to ensure good whale shark etiquette:
♦ Do not touch, ride or chase a whale shark – a 100,000 Thai Baht fine can be imposed by the KohTao fisheries department!
♦ When diving, remain off the ocean floor to avoid disturbing reef fish spawning aggregations.
♦ Remain at least 3 meters away from the whale shark at all times.
♦ Do not block the whale shark’s path.
♦ When your DM or Instructor tells you to leave the water, please pay attention and get in the boat as
quickly as possible. Please follow all instructions of the DM
♦ Relax and let the whale shark approach you. It’s only curious!
Violating these guidelines can ruin the trip for everyone. Big Blue Diving reserves the right to deny any violator further participation in any dive or snorkel trip without compensation. You have been warned!

Friday 29th January 2010-

Whaleshark at White Rock again & again & again! In fact its getting pretty hard to see all the small fishies with the ruddy great big Whaleshark getting in the way all the time! Still I guess when the whaleshark is here it means Trevor the Titan Triggerfish & Wally the Napoleon Wrasse get a day off. We really should start charging extra for our whale shark dives. I think a beer for the manager would be a good start!

Hi Jim, Claudine and I have now left Koh Tao, just wanted to share our Big Blue experience with you. First day I dived with Emma. She was very professional, very knowledgable and we had two great dives at Chumphon Pinnacle and White Rock. On the following morning I dived with Andy. On the first dive I had some difficulties (my camera floated off and I had some trouble equalising at ~22m) but Andy was great and we continued the dive once I had equalised. Andy's considerable diving experience was also helpful as he was able to answer a number of questions about Similan liveaboards. Overall I was very impressed with the Big Blue DMs and would gladly recommend Big Blue to other divers. Claudine did her Open Water license: I know that her Instructor Roslyn is very new to Big Blue but she was fantastic. I was a little apprehensive before starting the course but her obvious experience; her commitment to diver safety and her enthusiasm for diving made the whole process a lot of fun (and I felt I was in good hands with Roslyn and Greg - trainee). I just wanted to make sure that you (and Roslyn) knew how appreciative I am. Thanks for all your help, Claudine & James.

Long term Koh Tao Dive Medic Steve Reed makes an appearance today at Big Blue by starting a DAN O2 Provider course for 5 of our promising DMT's ready and waiting for some C.P.R and some O2 handling. This course is a must for all semi serious divers & essential for those of us who work in the Dive Industry. Its not the CPR or the first aid or even the O2 handling that is so important. Its the art of being able to put on a rubber glove in an invitingly provocative manner!

Thursday 28th January 2010-

"Hi Jim, I would just like to say thank you so much for my fantastic diving holiday with you, the island is beautiful,as is the people and of course the diving. I did my open and advanced courses with Deano who is an excellent instructor and and a credit to your diving school. i am planning to do my rescue course next which i reckon i will be coming back to you to do in about september, after that i really fancy doing the divemaster course but have to look at the time factor involved as to where i do it. It maybe in Australia cos i am going that way in september so we shall see. But once again thank you and i hope to see you all again very soon. Kev" You're welcome Kev. Glad you had a good time & look forward to seeing you here for the Rescue & DM Training.

Submarine – available for immediate sale! The G-150 is a new high-tech small two-man submarine with an operational depth of 50m, designed for one pilot and one passenger. This superbly constructed submarine has all the components you would expect & the main control options are on a joystick control, positioned so that both crew members can operate the submarine. Main pressure hull constructed from carbon steel, hot zinc sprayed and finished with an epoxy paint system. The pressure vessel is torispherical in configuration, with a volume of 1500L. Comes with Air conditioning / heater / dehumidifier unit & surround sound super woofer! Submarine weight 3.6 tons. Selling Price: US$ 496,000. Think we'll get one for our Advanced Courses!

Simo, Jodie, Paul & Nick have all gone up to Bangkok for a couple of days to stretch their legs while its quietened down just before things go ballistic next week with the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party rush. Of course they claim they have some important things to take care of in the big smoke but we all know its because they are all dying to go stuff their faces with Big Macs & Whoppers & of course to see Avatar in 3D. Clever kids our Big Blue Instructors!

Wednesday 27th January 2010-

Love is most definitely in the air again! There are relationships blossoming all over the resort! Emily B, now known as Emily PP, is back with her tech hunk, Craig from Canadia. He obviously heard about her recent exploits & wanted to come back & mark his territory again! Kate won the sweepstake with the most accurate 'they'll be back together within the month' guess, but everyone knew that anyway so she only one 5bt! & our other blossoming bosom buddies who of course nobody knows about are Ron Burgundy & Veronica Corningstone! She really does love her root vegetables!

They call me the Whaleshark whisperer! I think it was only Saturday I bet you all, my Mothers Aunt we'd be diving with a Whaleshark within the week! & lo & behold having spent the first dive swimming among the hordes of sharks we have at Chumphon Pinnacle right now we then spent the rest of the morning diving with a two meter long Whaleshark! Whisper whisper whisper whaleshark whisper whisper! He says he'll be here tomorrow too!

Its hair & make up time this afternoon with this year's 2010 Staff photo. I've asked the entire dive team to turn up sporting this years latest Big Blue Fashion accessory the 2010 Big Blue Divecrew T-Shirt. I'm not sure why. Surely these photos would be a lot more marketable if I asked the ladies to turn up in their Bikinis & the Tech team to turn up in their Speedos! The rest of us could have brought our Mankini's! Come on lads don't pretend like you haven't got your own pair! Everybody say Chesticles!

Sunday 24th January 2010-

Gradually turning this place into a No Smoking dive center. We have turned another! Join the No Smoking Gang, cos we're really cool! Over recent years this once untrendy group is now flourishing with members. So many in fact that the smokers are now way outnumbered by the non smokers. Rick, Sonia, Barry, Jim, Jodie, Canada, Yvonne, Simon, Soren have all given up the evil Nicotine. Dean, Emily, Pierre, Kelli, Dennis, Andy Hat, Emma & Erik never started. Leaving the malodorous Duncan, Paul, Colin, Helen & Beccy festering in their own toxic cloud. Filthy peasants! Beer Fine!

Congratulations Swapey Potter, Thomas Weasley, & Tina Granger our newest PADI Instructors. Having another 100% pass rate our brand new Instructors are off to drink the night away down the local somewhere. Luckily Traitor boy, (almost Course Director Guillaume Froisgras), & his trusty steed, (new Master Instructor Deano Valleyo) were there guiding them through it all over the last few days & will be there on hand to show them how its done tonight as well. Congratulations Swapey, Thomas & Tina. I look forward to utilising your new found skills over the next few weeks & months. : )

Nice to have Professional Photographer Martin diving with us this week. Its our annual professional Photographer week. Free diving in exchange for a multitude of photos I can use for publicity purposes. So if you are out diving with us this week & some scruffy looking Eastern European starts taking snaps of you in your swimmers don't be alarmed. It just means you might be seen in either our brochures or website or some travel & dive magazines & articles that we'll be featured in later this year. Not some gentlemans Bikini Magazine or Swedish FHM... well not unless you want to., after all we do have contacts, eh Erik! Dive with us... we'll make you famous!

Saturday 23rd January 2010-

Well the nails have been trimmed down to nothing & the knee trembling is increasing steadily & the nerves are shot to pieces but I'm sure they'll all pass with flying colours! Our 3 little wizards- Swapey Potter, Ron Thomas & Tina Granger have all passed their Instructor Wizard Development Course & are as we speak sitting their Instructor exams right now. I don't know why our Big Blue Divemasters get so worried during the IE. Its Easy guys! I reckon most of you can do it with your eyes closed, your hands tied behind your back, & sitting on a broomstick... hovering!

Our Big Blue reporter out in the Field Mr Barry Covill found this little snippet of interesting information. Fifty Years ago today on 23 January, 1960, the bathyscaphe Trieste propelled Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh to the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench, which at more than 10,900m (35,800ft) down is the deepest spot in the ocean. They were the first - and even now, the only - humans to have experienced these depths. With the vessel creaking and groaning under an immense 1,100 bars of pressure - the equivalent of having several dozen jumbo jets piled on top of you, the explorers stayed at the bottom for 20 minutes before their windows started cracking & they began their risky ascent back to the surface. Crazy Mother Fathers! Sounds like the sort of thing Big Blue Tech might start attempting! Happy Anniversary Jacques & Don & great fieldwork Barry!

Another very successful mornings double dive at Chumphon Pinnacle! Always a popular trip with our divers especially with Chumphon being as impressive as it is right now with 20+ meter visiibility, & the enormous amount & variety of sharks that we have there. There's Bull Sharks, Black tips Grey Reefs there's more than likely a couple of white tips though they are a little more sensitive to the divers bubbles & I bet my mothers Aunt there'll be a whaleshark spotted there within the next week. So if you want to experience our Big Blue Shark Safari & come dive the whaleshark with us then you better step in line! Next Shark Safari double dive at Chumphon Pinnacle leaves this Monday afternoon. Get your tickets here!

Thursday 21st January 2010-

Sorry for not having found the time to fill you in on all the latest shannigans that have been happening here over the last few days. I took a day off which turned into a day & a half & then the next day went down with Man flu & we all know how serious that can be! But I'm back & its time to fill you in on whats been happening for the last few days. Barry left back for Khao Lak. Dan & Kymmie left to go on a Liveaboard in Khao Lak. Soren is back from Khao Lak. Canada & co spent their time in Khao Lak in their skimpies. Sonia is in Samui. Emma is away & everyone is enormously hung over after last nights snorkel test! So all pretty much the same as normal! Anyone fancy a pint?

Haven't had the best of weather lately here in this part of Asia in whats known as the Golden Triangle. Its not exactly been pissing down, well not on this side anyway, but apparently its been really pissing down on Koh Pee Pee. In the middle of the night as well! Imagine that! Wake up in the middle of the night to find out its pissing down on you! Most unpleasant! I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink if it was showering down on me! And if it was Golden Showering down on me I'd probably have to go sleep in the bathroom! & if I woke up in the middle of the night & found the extremely inebbriated Andy Cav pissing down on you mistaking you for the toilet I'd probably leave immediately! Never a dull moment at Big Blue Tech, eh Emily!

And speaking of big penises...Barnacles have the longest penis in relation to body size of any animal: the organ is ten times its height! As adults barnacles cement themselves to rocks & are unable to move. The barnacle unfurls its long penis which roves around to find a partner, leading to jousting matches between neighbouring male barnacles! Learn something new everyday!

Saturday 16th January 2010-

FYI- heads up all you party people the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party is on again at the end of this month & if you are thinking of going & coming to Koh Tao after then you absolutely MUST book ahead for your accommodation. The island is already busy & its just going to get busier especially either side of Full Moon. Last month we had people sleeping in the bars restaurants & classrooms because there was no accommodation left anywhere on Koh Tao & the end of this month will be very similar so be smart & book your accommodation & diving with us now! & don't come crying to me if you get here & there's nothing available! You have been warned!

It looks like Canada & the boys & Emily have been scaring the Bejeezus out of the divers on the Pawara Liveaboard this week as they cruise the Similans & Surin Islands by parading around the place in nothing but their speedos! I don't care what country you are from. Its not a laughing matter! Speedos are a criminal offence & wearers should be prosecuted! On the other hand if Emily is wandering around in nothing but speedos we'll let her off the hook! But the rest of you boys... you should be ashamed, scaring everyone like that! Its just not cricket!

If you have seen the movie The Cove then you are aware of the Dolphin drive hunts that take place in Taiji every year with over 2000 dolphins from a number of species either being sold to the aquarium industry or slaughtered in an inhumane practice that leaves The Cove's waters red with blood. The Taiji Dolphin Action Group has been formed to help support those people who are on the very frontlines, visiting Taiji, talking with locals and documenting the slaughter. The Groups goals are amongst other things, to educate those who want to know more about what happens there especially the cruelty and the dangers of Mercury poisoning risked by consuming dolphin meat, empowering the Taiji Visit Program i.e helping anyone observe and protest in Taiji, Japan. Facilitate ideas that will lead to and end of the killings not only in Taiji but in all of Japan - Taiji is just the tip of the iceberg.

Friday 15th January 2010-

Despite the fact he's now left us to work at another big Dive Center here in Koh Tao we just can't help bringing him up here on our blog. A bit like bile! Congratulations Guillaume whose application for Course Director has finally been accepted by PADI! Not just G but Jeff from Choppers has also been accepted. Congratulations the pair of you! & what better way to celebrate the birth of these CD twins than going down to Choppers Bar to give the boys a good old fashioned Course Director snorkel Test! Caught the boys totally off guard! & then followed by some nice French Champagne... what fun! Congratulations gents on your promotions! God save the rest of us!

"Hello Jim,This is just a short email to thank the team at Big Blue and especially Alan Swap for taking care of us and making our stay in Koh Tao very enjoyable. It was really nice being back at where we first learnt to dive in 2004. Thanks again and we hope to see you at some point in the near future. Cheers,Daren and Gemma".
You are welcome guys. Glad you had such a good time again & hope to see you back here before another 5 years is up!

Meanwhile we have 5 of our students training to be Instructors right now. Ole & Mike are ding their SSI Crossovers with SSImon right now & Swapey,Tina & Thomas are demonstrating why doing their DM course with us at Big Blue is holding them in good stead with their PADI Instructor Development Course. Soon they'll all be little baby Instructors banging on the door looking for work. Shouldn't be too much of a problem either. The island is still busy & we are still needing more Instructors. So if there's so much work going around right now, why doesn't everyone become an Instructor?

Wednesday 13th January 2010-

Wasn't expecting to wake up to a Twister this morning but lo & behold... a Twister! It's an awesome sight & looks all the more cooler when its out to sea as the surface of the water gets all stirred up & then gets sucked up into the vortex, while everything outside of the vortex remains calm! Thank you Mother nature. A splendid thing to witness just before you go out for your mornings diving!

So the Team descriptions have been updated on our website if you care to have a look. Not sure if everyone is going to flattered with their personality description or their photo, but its not been made to flatter its been written so that our prospective customers can check out who they might be diving with while they stay with us here. Crikey. Hope I don't put anyone off!

Got to hand it to Yvonne & Erik who have both managed to get all their students so far this year to go on from their Open Water & continue their diving experience by completing the Advanced Course as aswell! & what a great thing to do especially with all these sharks around for the deep dive & the hunting barracuda's on the night dives! With a few swim thru's to start the course off to fine tune their students buoyancy control its not really a surprise to see so many of our newbie divers continue their education its just great to see such a high amount from 1 Instructor, let alone 2! Excellent work guys! You deserve a pay rise! You won't get one but you deserve it!

Tuesday 12th January 2010-

With it being so incredibly busy here in Koh Tao in recent days & because so many of our full timers are indisposed with other diving activities I just haven't had a moment to get on the computer & fill you in on the news here at Big Blue. Well I guess first things first! Happy Birthday Michael. The proud owner of Big Blue Diving turns 21 today! Right Michael! That would make you about 6 when you established this place then! I never was very good at Maths! Happy Birthday Michael & look forward to the round of Birthday drinks you are going to buy us all tonight!

Congratulations Canada & the team at Big Blue Tech! It appears we have won the award from TDI (Tech Diving International) & SDI (Scuba Diving International) for the most amount of certifications in 2009! Not really surprising bearing in mind the sort of adventures you get upto as a student diver with Big Blue Tech. Having just spent 4 days diving the caves & the sunken village in Khao Sok, & now the new wreck in Khao Lak & then the Big Blue Liveaboard in the Similans & Surin Islands & then the islands off Krabi & Phuket & then back here to find the caves in the Angthong Marine Park I think they deserve the award! Should have won it for most originality at least! Can you name one other dive shop that does what we do at Big Blue Tech? No I didn't think so! Guess that's why we've certified more SDI & TDI certs than anyone else! Big smile! Big pat on the back! Big Canadian!

Want to thank Mr Hans Ulrich, PADI Regional Manager, & Mr Mark Spiers, PADI's Regional Managers' Manager for taking the time to come in & meet with all our Big Blue Instructors to answer a few of questions & to give us a heads up on the way things will be changing for the better this coming year! Unfortunately the boys forgot the number 1 rule in Scuba Diving- Buy your Instructors beer- but I guess we can't hold that against them! Thanks Hans & Mark & look forward to the enormous amount of free PADI merchandise you promised us!

Thursday 7th January 2010-

Un-fluffing-believeable! As if killing hundreds of Whales each year for scientific reasons isn't bad enough now the Cetacious mass murders are trying to drown our friends at Sea Shepherd by ramming their boat & leaving the crew onboard to die in the freezing cold arctic waters. Why does the world not do something about it? How can we let these butchers get away with what they do. They slaughter the whales, they murder the dolphins what the flippin crikey is going on! Stop this insane slaughter & tell the Japanese that they're selfish slaughter is just not acceptable in this day & age, & if you haven't yet then do so now! Support Sea Shepherd & stop the whale killing at http://www.seashepherd.org/support-us/ & take action & stop the insane slaughter of dolphins in Japan at http://www.takepart.com/thecove. Jipanese winkers!

Welcome back Dan & Kymmie! On their way to the Land Down Under our sweet little lovebirds just couldn't avoid popping in to say hello & stay for a couple of weeks of fun, & sun. & judging by the size & colour of them... not a bad idea! Our poor little pie eaters have been slaving away in deepest darkest Kent collecting their shekels for their mammoth trip around Australia for 3 months before returning home again for a wedding & then finally back again to Koh Tao again to live out the rest of their days as Jims Bitches! Welcome back guys & cheers for the hangover!

Good luck Swappey, Tina & Thomas- 3 of our Big Blue DM's all studying hard to become PADI Scuba Instructors. This week they start their gruelling 3 week training with new Bans (almost) Course Director Guillaume Baguette Boy Froigras & his trusty sidekick Orangatan Taff (TM) Deano! 3 weeks of lectures, exams, presentations, demonstrations, 3 course dinners & excessive amounts of drinking. Sounds like 39000 Bt well spent if you ask me; except for the traitorous Frenchman ; ) Good luck guys! You'll breeze this!

Tuesday 5th January 2010-

Following in the footsteps of our Neighbours & Home & Away celebrities from last year we kick start 2010 with another top celebrity this time a topless glamour model from Sweden who has graced many magazine covers including FHM & Playboy! Welcome to Big Blue Linda Djurberg! This most attractive Swedish model is right now prancing around the deck on the restaurant & the poor thing forgot to bring her bikini top with her, and to make matters worse she grazed a nail on the coral. Thankfully though DM Duncan was at hand to give her first aid so was able to get her to lie down on her back while he attended to her needs! Its all work work work for our Big Blue DM's!

Well its been crazy busy so far this year but it is finally starting to quieten down now. Our Full Mooners have partied their little speedos off & are now quite happy to be taking it easy while they learn the ins & outs of Scuba Diving. We almost ran out of Instructors, tanks, weights, regs & BCD's but luckily our DM team have managed to juggle things around & to the unsuspecting eye everything looks perfect. Especially with the well endowed Linda Djurberg sitting topless in the restaurant!

Baby whale shark! Less than 1 meter and a half long & probably not older than a month. How cute! Its made all the guys & girls go oooh! though some customers were a little confused to hear after the dive that that was the biggest species of fish in the sea & can grow upto 20 meters! One chap thought it was a large barracuda! Bless! Now... lets get back to the lady in the restaurant!

Sunday 3rd January 2010-

Wishing you all a very happy though slightly belated New Year! Its just got so busy lately that i haven't had time to write! (sounds like an email to my mum). But due to the Full MOOn Party in Koh Phangan falling on the 31st December 2009 and with over 20000 people all in Koh Phangan you can imagine how busy Koh Tao is right now. Busier than a builder in Pakistan!

Hi Jim, Just a quick note to say thank you for another wonderful experience in Koh Tao. The whole "Craig Lilleyman fiasco" was a headache I'm sure but you guys were so accomodating (much more than some other places would be I'm sure). Also please give kudos to the gentleman who was working the dive shop in the morning on New Years Day (didn't get his name but he had glasses). He was incredibly nice and helped to get everything sorted out correctly. Big Blue is quickly becoming my favorite place in Thailand (and perhaps my favorite place anywhere!) I'll be back soon. Cheers
J Zeiler.
-Thanks Jay Z. Lovely to meet you & look forward to seeing you back here on your next holiday!

Todays the day Canada & his team are venturing off on their Countrywide Thailand Dive Trip.Today they leave for the Khao Sok Area, to find some more caves somewhere within 5 big lakes there in the National Park. Then they are off to Khao Lak to dive the coastal wrecks there, a new one just near Taplamu pier Then they are off on our Khao Lak Liveaboard to the Similans & Surin Islands & Richeleieu Rock in search of a 10,000 dollar ring dropped there. Thenthey are off to Sra Keow Cave – 200m deep pool near Phuket in the middle of the jungle, then the Trang area in Song Hong (really in the middle of the jungle) for some more caves and even a day trip in Krabi & then back to Koh Tao & head straight off to the ANg Thong Marine PArk on our Big Blue Sailboat for a spot of cave hunting! Not a bad way to start the New Year! Have a good trip guys & we'll see you in 3 weeks!