September 30th 2013
Fundiving- the reason you learned to dive!
Big Blue is well established as being a fantastic place to learn how to dive, or take your diving further with courses for anything you might be interested in, be it technical diving, conservation, freediving or recreational diving. But we are also really good at fun diving! Here's the thing, too many dive resorts around the world, and especially koh Tao neglect fun diving in favour of more lucrative dive courses. For example, most dive schools on Koh Tao only have one boat, so they have fun divers on the same boat as students doing try dives and/or open water courses. This means that the dive sites are dictated by the schedule of that particular course and may need to be very shallow with lots of sand. So the fun divers are not as free to explore the best dive sites that Koh Tao has to offer. Not at Big Blue! We have four boats, and one of them is dedicated to fun divers only, called Porponawa (difficult to translate from Thai!), we like to call it the Millenium Falcon as it's probably the fastest boat in the known universe! Getting to Chumphon pinnacle in 25 minutes (normally takes 50!) and Sail rock in an hour (normally takes two and a half!). the speed of porponawa also gives us access to Chumphon Marine Park, making us the only dive resort on Koh Tao to go there. We like variety at Big Blue so we go wherever the divemasters decide they want to go. If a fun diver wants to request a specific dive site, even better! Speaking of divemasters, we have four of them working full-time, Steven, Darren, Carly, and Phil, all unique in their own way, but all ridiculously enthusiastic about diving and marine life, and they see it as a personal challenge to show you the coolest things they can find on each and every dive. They also know every dive site like the back of their hand; they really should stop looking at their hands though! We're also going to take advantage of quiet season to get the boys at Big Blue Tech to get out looking for new dive sites. We know they're there, and we know where to look, we just have to find them, then we can take you to even more amazing dive sites- exclusive to Big Blue!
“Awesome Instructors!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 September 2013- Just had an awesome diving experience with Big Blue Diving. A big thank-you to our instructor, ANT 1 or "Big Ant" who definitely made our diving. Hubby and I found Big Blue through the recommendation of a family member. We originally planned just Open Water SSI but went on to do Advanced Adventurer SSI as we had such a blast. Ant is really knowledgeable about Marine life and passionate about Coral conservation. He made the course really fun whilst providing safe diving practices throughout. He answered our multitude of questions and gave heaps of advice about dive gear and even sites in our homeland (NZ)!. Kate the Australian DMT also accompanied our Advanced course and was a huge help under and out of the water. She is extremely knowledgeable and took great time explaining what we would be seeing and tasks to complete. Both Ant and Kate were really professional and a big laugh on the Island post diving! The water is 30 degrees, visibility is awesome and sea life plentiful! Would recommend the Advanced Course also as the deep dive, night dive and wreck dive were a real highlight.
A-Z of Koh Tao for backpackers
A- Apnea- Big Blue Freediving of course!
B- Big Blue Diving of course!
C- Chang- A delightful Thai beer that redefines the word hangover.
D- Diza bar- Don't ask, just don't ever go there... ever ever ever ever.
E- Elephants- No, that's Koh Chang.
F- er, Big Blue Freediving again?
G- Greasy spoon- Hangover food cafe.
H- Hin Gnam bay- Nice little dive site on the East coast.
I- Instructors; they're everywhere, beware of excessive dive talk and do not feed after midnight.
J- Jitson- small village inland for accommodation longer than a month- nicknamed DMT village.
K- Koh Nang Yuang- Two little Islands next to Koh Tao, great for kayaking to, but not from.
L- Lomprayah- High speed ferry to bring you to Koh Tao.
M- Massage spas- You can't come all this way and not have one!
N- NDL- Twinned with refresher courses if you are a qualified diver but have no idea what it means!
O- Opticians- In Sairee with a big sign in the window that says very precisely- 51.354% off!
P- Porponawa- The fastest boat in the universe.. didn't you read the first news story?
Q- Quinine- Ingredient in tonic water that mosquitos hate. that's the best I could do.
R- Rentals- Motorbikes- don't do it!
S- Seatran- One of the ferry companies that brings you to Koh Tao.
T- Tosh- stray Instructor that went missing- If found proceed with caution, extremely ginger.
U- Unimpeded views- Some great high up viewpoints on koh Tao for your facebook cover page.
V- Venice- I think you may have got on the wrong plane.
W- Waverunner- Big blue's longest boat!
X- Xtreme snorkeling?
Y- Yellow brick road- The road behind Big Blue that goes all the way to Mae Hadd, and back if you're feeling crrrazy.
Z- Zanzibar- Cafe in Sairee, good soup, weird bagels.
Come up with your own and post them to Big Blue facebook
September 29th 2013
Successful Beach clean up
A big thank you to everyone that participated in the beach and underwater clean up yesterday, it was, er, messy! Organised by Lizzie May at Big Blue Conservation, volunteer holiday makers, Koh Tao locals, divemaster trainees, and whichever instructors and divemasters were not working, walked along Sairee beach in the morning with marigolds and bin bags to pick up anything and everything that shouldn't be there- luckily Neil is not in the country at the moment. In the afternoon an underwater clean up was arranged, this time at Hin Wong pinnacle. Bin bags were swapped for mesh nets, and spring cleaning commenced. It always helps that for those that participated in the clean up the diving was FREE! Thanks again to everyone that volunteered, it was great to see so many people giving up their time for everyone's benefit- especially the fish! We organise monthly clean ups, so If you want to get involved, contact Big Blue Conservation, or just pop in to the Big Blue shop.
“Great diving with an amazing instructor!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 September 2013- Picking a dive shop in Koh Tao can be challenging since there are so many but after reading many reviews my friends and I decided to give Big Blue a try. So glad we did, as this was the highlight of our trip! Planned to do the SSI Open Water course and received Nat (Natalie) as our instructor. I had never dived before but her enthusiasm and love for the sport made me want to do it everyday! She is an extremely good teacher and made me feel 100% comfortable in the water at all times. We ended up having such a good time that we decided to extend our trip and complete the Advanced Adventurer course as well which I highly recommend! We got to keep Nat throughout the entire experience which is the main reason I decided to continue on. Overall I have nothing but good things to say about my entire experience at Big Blue! Koh Tao is such a great place to learn how to dive. If you go make sure to request Nat because she is amazing! She made our trip so memorable. Thanks Nat!
Killer Whale Impersonators
Amazing news from yesterday, divers from Ace Marine Images (who currently do all Big Blue's videography work) were followed by a pod of false killer whales and pilot whales yesterday! Apparently they followed the boat all the way from Liam Thien bay to Lighthouse bay on the East side of Koh Tao, and then swam underneath a group of snorkelers! The apparent highlight of such a fantastic experience was the noises heard when they used their echolocation to communicate; that distinctive clicking noise. False killer whales are protected by the CITES treaty (Convention on the International Trade on Endangeared Species) under appendix II, which includes species that "Are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with the survival of the species in the wild". Bit of a mouthfull! but good to know they are afforded some kind of protection. Lets hope these beautiful animals stick around; compared with other species, very little is known about their behaviour and mating habits in the wild, just like Big Blue instructor Luke!
September 26th 2013
Conservation Internships
How do you fancy spending a month on a tropical Island learning how to dive, getting to know the animals that reside in the ocean, and understanding the threats that they face? What if we gave you practical skills to help reduce the impacts on these ecosystems, such as coral reef biology, underwater survey training, coral nursery construction and artificial reef maintenance? How about we throw in a few diving qualifications on top? Surely you're sold now!? Whether you're on a career break, about to have a gap year, at University, or you just want to do some volunteer work abroad and improve your CV, a Conservation Internship is an opportunity not to be missed. The main objective of Big Blue Conservation is to help ensure that the island remains undisturbed by the effects of increased tourism, and also to preserve the marine life in Koh Tao for ourselves and future generations to enjoy. But in order to achieve this, we depend on dedicated and trained teams of volunteers to help construct, maintain, monitor and develop the various projects that we undertake. So if you fancy going from never having dived before to knowing how to identify sharks and grow corals, or are already involved in conservation and want to gain valuable experience and improve your CV, contact Lizzie at info@bigblueconservation.com and show your approval by "liking" Big Blue Conservation on facebook!
“Probably the best place to dive with on Koh Tao”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 September 2013- I completed my open water course here in August 2013 and was impressed from start to finish. We pre-booked our course online and were glad we did as the school is very popular, so may not always have onsite accommodation when it is busy. Our room was the AC dorm, which was a bargain and well maintained and clean. The welcome was friendly and organised. Our instructor was Ant who kept us all laughing throughout the course, but also made sure we were competent and confident with our equipment. He knew where to spot to cool stuff as well as being great at explaining the skills we needed to complete to pass the course. His enthusiasm was infectious and two of our group stayed on for the advanced course, I would have done the same had I not already had a flight booked. However I had caught the bug and did stop for a couple of fun dives whilst on KP. All in all a great place to learn in an idyllic location. PS the food and drinks at the beach front restaurant is also good!
Peanut the turtle
Meet peanut, a turtle that should probably be a lot more famous than she is. I don't think I need to explain how she got her name, but it's quite sobering to see how she got her shape. When she was small she got stuck in a plastic multipack drinks holder- I have no idea what the proper name is but we all know what they are! She was unable to free herself and if she were any other animal than a turtle she would have died, as the plastic would have cut into her as she grew, causing a fatal infection. However, because she has a shell that protects her body, most of it was able to grow, though some of her organs don't function properly. Sadly because the shell is rigid, when the plastic was removed the shell didn't just rebound back into the correct shape, so she has to live with it. Here in the waters around koh Tao, Koh Panghan and Koh Samui, we have a big problem with plastic waste finding its way into the ocean. The Hawksbill and Green turtles that inhabit the Gulf of Thailand get the plastic stuck in their throats or stomachs, and are unable to digest them, so they starve to death. Big Blue Conservation works with local Thai community groups to educate them about waste disposal, and we educate all our divers about keeping the beaches and seas clear of rubbish, and buying goods responsibly such as saying no to carrier bags and straws when buying drinks and other items. We also organise regular beach and underwater clean ups. We don't want a cashew or pistachio famous for being found in Koh Tao! If you want to get involved with conservation in Koh Tao, contact Lizzie at Big Blue Conservation on the email at the top of the page.
September 25th 2013
Just another day at the office
Ho hum, another day, another whaleshark! Big Blue instructors Rich and Nick were minding their own business this morning at Chumphon pinnacle to do dive 3 of their open water courses, when a 4m long whaleshark appeared and jolly graciously decided to keep them company! These two lucky and happy dive instructors see whalesharks quite a lot, but imagine their students, having only ever done two open water dives, and on dive 3 they see one of those bad boys! An amazing experience they won't forget in a hurry. These curious animals tend to hang around divers rather than just pass through, so if you do see one, it may be a full 30 minutes of pinching yourself! Rich had only one thing to say to his students after such an incredible encounter; "Chumphon was a good choice". Judging by their picture though neither of them seem to be too concerned about thumbelina flailing around in the background! Rich's too busy explaining to Nick that, "This whaleshark is small... the one's out there are far away".
“Excellent diving school”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 September 2013- I went to Koh tai in 21st august 2013 for open water diving certificate. People I met there were awesome, helpful and friendly. Shool is well organized and proper managed by a great bunch of professional diver. I was lucky to have Petra as my instructor. She demonstated everything in high professinal manner. Our team of 6 students enjoyed so much of her teaching style and great personality of her . I believe I made great choose to learn diving in big blue. There are many diving schools around koh tao. I strong recommend Big Blue to everyone who want to learn diving. you won regret for this wise pick.
The Cove on steroids
Most people who have a passion for the ocean have heard of the Cove in Taiji, and the horrible slaughter of porpoises that goes on there every year. But have you heard of Iwate in Japan? No? it's not surprising, as many campaigners have never heard of it either. But Iwate, being only 500 miles North of the Cove, in Iwate Prefecture, is an annual slaughter of the Dall’s porpoise, in numbers that dwarf anything found at the cove. The Tsunami of 2011 destroyed much of the Dall hunting fleet, but somehow last year hunting began again in much reduced numbers. But the really depressing news is that between November 2012 and April 2013 it continues, but with the fleet of hunting ships being almost back to their pre-Tsunami numbers, killing 1,200 porpoises (pre-Tsunami deaths exceeded 9,00 per year, compared to the Cove's 1,200). A number of groups are involved in trying to stop this annual slaughter; Save Japan Dolphins, Sea Shepherd, the Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project, and the International Whaling Commission and the Animal Welfare Institute. If you want to see what you can do to help, or just want to show your support to ending these barabaric activities, contact Lizzie at Big blue Conservation.
September 24th 2013
Open All Hours
Sadly not a reference to the 1970s/80s sitcom starring Steveo & Simo, I mean Albert & Granville! But the fact that Koh Tao seems to be very slowly winding down from busy season. It's hard to tell, and you never really know how busy it's going to be, but reliable indicators include instructors and divemasters spending even longer than normal in the bar! It's also approaching the time of year when we send all our boats off to the mainland for their annual service, so they are ship-shape and Bristol fashion for December and next year. We also get all our equipment serviced, and give everything a bit of a spruce up. We are open all year round though, and can offer all sorts of dive related wonders, such as try dives, open water, advanced and rescue courses, amazing fun diving, speciality courses such as deep, wreck and nitrox, free diving courses, videography courses, tech diving courses, dive professional training- PADI, SSI and BSAC divemaster, or SSI and BSAC instructor. We even have marine conservation courses, and eco internships available. That pretty much covers every aspect of diving except SNUBA, and who'd want to do that anyway!?
“Diving certification (Open Water and Advanced SSI)”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 September 2013- I was in Koh Tao in July 2013 and got certified with Big Blue - literally one of the best decisions I could've made. I had done a discovery dive on Koh Phi Phi a week before and asked some instructors where on Koh Tao I should go for certification; Big Blue was mentioned multiple times. Thus, when I arrived on Koh Tao I immediately tracked down Big Blue and inquired about an Open Water course -- the staff was able to help me find accommodation right away and I started my course that night. My instructor was Dave (or "Squeezy" as the staff call him!) and I couldn't have asked for a better guy to train me. I was paired with 3 guys seeking just a SCUBA certification and one other also pursuing Open Water. As a result, it was just Dave, myself, and one other guy for the rest of the course. As a matter of fact, I had such a good time doing my Open Water course that I actually decided to skip my scheduled flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok in order to do my Advanced Open Water course with Dave; like I said, I couldn't have asked for a better instructor. Not only is Big Blue great for diving, there is also a great social atmosphere at the restaurant and bar once night rolls around. I HIGHLY recommend Big Blue for diving (and ask for Squeezy Dave if possible!).
Destruction of Coral Reefs Accelerating
The world's coral reefs are in rapid decline, which is extremely depressing, but pretty well documented. Yet a forthcoming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will state that the decline of the coral reefs is also accelerating. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, who is in charge of the ocean part of the report said, "Our oceans are in an unprecedented state of decline due to pollution, over-fishing and climate change. The state of the reefs is very poor and it is continuing to deteriorate. This is an eco-system that has been around for tens of millions of years and we are wiping it out within a hundred. It's quite incredible." In addition to working on the IPCC report, Professor Hoegh-Guldberg is leading by far the most comprehensive assessment of the state of the world's coral reefs, the Catlin Seaview Survey (CSS). It's initial findings demonstrate that the reefs are getting "increasingly hammered" from all sides, he said. Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand are not yet covered by the study, but Big Blue Conservation and Save Koh Tao monitor their health regularly, and are trying out different methods to make provide artificial reefs for coral to grow on. For more information on what is being done to protect the reefs on Koh Tao, and what you can do to help, contact Lizzie at Big Blue Conservation (see contacts above)
September 23rd 2013
Big Blue Professional Training
Are you sick to death of the daily grind, probably sat in a souless office with artificial lighting, artificial air and surrounded by people you are forced to get along with that, in any other universe you'd go out of your way to avoid? Ever thought about just jacking it all in, getting on a plane and doing something completely different? If you answered yes to both of those questions then you are in good company, loads of people who live on Koh Tao were in the same boat! So Why not do something about it and become a dive professional? Here at Big Blue we can train you all the way from open water diver, up to Divemaster and instructor. As a PADI or SSI divemaster you can then get paid to take qualified divers around some of the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand, and as an SSI instructor you can teach people how to dive, which can be really rewarding. Our Dive Master Training programme (DMT) can be completed in as little as three weeks, to 3 months, and We have 6 very experienced and friendly mentors that will help you through every aspect of your training. You'll also meet loads of like-minded people from all over the world going through the same experiences as you. Need any more persuading? Ok then, have a look at the weekly highlights video on our Big Blue Diving youtube channel, and then realise- that's your new office!
“Relaxed and friendly but also very professional dive company - we loved Skui and Rich!!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 September 2013- We arrived in Koh Tao already confident that we wanted to dive with Big Blue. Their previous ratings on Trip Advisor speak for themselves - but we had such a fantastic experience with them that I feel compelled to write another review! I already had my PADI Open water diving qualification - but having not used it for 5 years I was a little rusty and in dire need of a refresher course, and my boyfriend had never dived before but was really keen to learn. When we rocked up at Big Blue he was delighted to learn that he could start his open water course that evening, my refresher course was scheduled for the following afternoon. Unfortunately, their bungalow accommodation was already full so we had to look for an alternative so I couldn't comment at all on the quality of the rooms available though friends on our dive courses mentioned that the dorms were basic but sociable. After my refresher course with the jovial Dave and a couple of lovely guys, they mentioned that they were going on to do the Advanced Open Water course over the following 2 days. Comprising of 5 dives that could include 'Deep Dive', 'Navigation', 'Advanced Buoyancy', 'Night Dive', 'Underwater Photography', 'Fish Identification' and 'Wreck Diving' the price of the course was fairly similar to doing a few fun dives and since I feel I like to be challenged and learn new skills I opted to join them! Rich, my instructor, was fantastic. He had a cool, reassuring manner that really put me at ease whenever I was a little anxious. He was so positive and excited at the end of each of our dives, I got the impression that he quite enjoyed working with our little 3 man group - perhaps because none of us were prone to do anything daft! I can't rate Rich highly enough for all his encouragement! Nathan had a great experience with Skui too, she was supremely knowledgable but also really relaxed and added a fun element to the nitty-gritty of training! I laughed out loud when I found out about her system of 'beer fines' to chastise the group for saying 'flippers' and 'goggles' and making the thumbs-up sign underwater when they really meant okay! Both guys were fantastic, they hung-out with us students in the evenings and helped us fill out our diving logbooks, even joining us for a few 'cheeky beers' when the course was complete! We both gained SSI Qualifications with Big Blue - which is their preferred teaching method - but they also offer PADI courses which are a little more expensive owing to the need for you to purchase the PADI text books. The dive sites themselves we lovely, some really interesting chorals and great big shoals of fish, there are also turtles and whale sharks to be seen regularly in the area too - not by me mind you, and for that I fully blame Rich! ;P The restaurant and bar attached to Big Blue was great too. Brilliant for getting a hearty lunch before going off out on the boats - or for providing some much needed stodge when you returned! Try the pizzas if you fancy something Western, they're ace, or the BBQ grilled fish, delicious - though it does feel a little cruel chowing down on a Barracuda when you've been swimming around with them all day?! I would certainly suggest Big Blue diving to anyone visiting Koh Tao. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced veteran this dive company has something to excite everyone and enhance your learning (they also offer advanced tech diving, nitrox and skin diving if you're that way inclined!) They are reliable, all of the staff are supremely friendly and for me the huge selling point was having the security of instructors who spoke exceptional English - I would've felt seriously 'out of my depth' pardon the pun and frightened if I didn't fully understand the teaching aspect. I hope one day I'll go back to Big Blue, if not, I certainly hope you do!!!
Abbott Abolishes Climate Commission
Not satisfied with allowing the Great Barrier Reef to be dredged to provide a shipping "superhighway", Australia's incoming prime minister has now abolished the Climate Commission, a body set up in 2011 to provide information on the impacts of climate change to the Australian public. This will make it more difficult for people to get independent information on climate change that is not slanted by vested interests. It's also quite timely for this to happen, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is due to release it's latest report on the impacts of climate change, will which outline how increasing emissions of CO2 from man-made activities are continuing to warm the planet at an alarming rate. Oceans are warming, and CO2 is also making them more acidic as it dissolves into seawater. This is already having an effect on marine life ecosystems. The waters around Koh Tao contain some of the world's most amazing coral habitats, and as ocean temperatures increase they will be at risk of bleaching, which kills them. Big Blue Conservation is working closly with the Thai Government and the local community to monitor the coral reefs, but ultimately this is a global problem that will be difficult to deal with as long as politicians continue to do nothing to reduce CO2 emissions.
September 21st 2013
Recreational Rebreather
The tech shack is all excited this morning as they are due to receive their latest toy, a Poseidon MKVI rebreather. This probably means nothing to you or me but to James it's like Christmas has arrived early without having to leave any mince pies out! Rebreathers differ from normal scuba diving in that, instead of breathing air from a tank that gets steadily depleted, the rebreather has a chemical scrubber that removes the carbon dioxide from your exhaled breath. The rebreather also injects the oxygen that you used in the previous breath.... still with me? The advantages are that it enables you to stay down much longer than on a conventional dive, and there are no bubbles, so marine animals are less freaked out by your presence, making photography and videography much more interesting. The reason that James is all excited (apart from the fact that he's a geek), is that this is the first rebreather that is aimed at recreational divers, as opposed to technical divers. So simple to use in fact, that James will be able to teach you how to use it! Keep an eye on our website and Big Blue Tech's facebook page to find out more about the Poseidon rebreather course.
“Great Service And Dive Experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 September 2013- From the booking to our AOW course to our final day, we enjoyed a very pleasant stay at the Big Blue Diving Resort. I booked one of the packages for AOW + 10 fun dives and the staff was very helpful about sending me instructions for pickup and how to book transport to Koh Tao from Bangkok. I later got a middle ear injury while diving and the staff were also kind enough to allow my boyfriend use of some of my fun dives because I wasn't able to complete them. The courses themselves were as fine as could be. We had some pleasant instructors and divemasters, service was professional but friendly and the equipment also seemed to be well maintained.
The restaurant on the resort is also a highlight. It's priced mid-range but the portions are larger than other restaurants in the area. My favorite was the red curry with prawn and pineapple. One booking recommendation though is actually to not book too much at first. I had already paid for 10 fun dives but didn't get to do 5 of them and lost a bit of money on that. Plus we had to stay longer than the 7 nights free accommodation to finish the diving package so that ended up costing more too. I'd recommend booking courses and fun dives as you go along because the savings of booking everything together actually isn't that great and you'll end paying more if something like an unexpected injury happens.
Seahorses!
They are one of the cutest things in the ocean, and luckily for us they live all over the Gulf of Thailand. Seahorses are pretty rare, so they are very high on the list of any divemaster's animals to look out for during a dive. Sadly they are now endangered because of habitat destruction and overfishing. They are also sought after to be used in Chinese medicine, with an estimated 20 million being caught and sold for this purpose every year. So the Save Koh Tao marine branch has organised a presentation on the local seahorse population, so as to educate divers and locals on how to protect them. The presentation will be given by Dr. Tse-Lynn Loh tomorrow (22nd September) at 18:30, at the Government health office (2nd floor) in Mae haad (where the pier is). Big Blue Conservation will be there, and so should you!
September 20th 2013
September Full moon Party
Well it's that time of the month again, Koh Panghan's full moon party was in full swing last night, and even though the weather wasn't amazing you can guarantee all sorts of craziness occurred. Today at Big Blue we will receive some of the casualties that managed to make their way out of there, still dazed and covered in paint and day-glo shorts and singlets (that's vest in English!). But tomorrow will be busy busy busy across the whole of Koh Tao, and our instructors will be braced to teach a lot of spaced out people how to dive! We have a range of accommodation for people diving, from nice cheap dormatories, to bungalows, all the way up to air an conditioned villa. Some of the dorms are free on the days that you dive, and all the other accommodation is heavily discounted for the days you dive too. One bit of advice, book ahead.. in fact that's such a useful piece of advice i'll say it again.. BOOK AHEAD!! Just go on the big blue website, have a look around, decide on the accommodation you'd like and the type of course you'd like to do, and we'll reserve your room and be expecting you with smiles aplenty! We teach PADI, SSI, BSAC and TDI courses, and our fun diving is easily the best on Koh Tao. So have a look at our trip adviser reviews and get on over here!
“Great diving experience with great instructor!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 September 2013- If you're heading to Koh Tao, diving is a must and Big Blue is the spot. My friends and I are really happy we went here. Your instructor can make or break your experience, and Nat made ours so awesome. We were pretty nervous about taking the open water course, but Nat made the whole experience so fun that we decided to continue on to get our advanced certification with her, as well! Best decision for sure. If you're thinking about diving, definitely go with Big Blue and request Natalie W (Nat).
Dredging the Great Barrier Reef
Pretty sad news from Australia, only 24 hours in as prime minister, Tony Abbott has allowed dredging to go ahead in order to create Australia's newest shipping highway, Abbott point, better known as the Great Barrier Reef! Completely disregarding the World Heritage Classification or UNESCO protection, dredging company Rinehart is removing 3 MILLION cubic meters of the worlds most diverse, largest living organism and ecosystem, only to build the largest coal export terminal. We are going to lose one of the worlds truly precious gems to a temporary and damaging "solution". The Great Barrier Reef will no longer exist because of Abbott's desire for CSG export income. This is something that we are seriously concerned about at Big Blue and Big Blue Conservtation. If you care about the oceans, please get the word out about it to this to show your support for saving natures gift to the world. Wake UP Australia, and spread the word.
September 18th 2013
Certificate of Tech-cellence (See what I did there..)
If you were planning on heading down to Big Blue Tech to have a word with the boys about something or other, you may want to bring some grease, as James's head has swelled and is currently blocking the door! The reason, a fantastic email that one of his students sent to TDI as feedback from the Intro to Tech course she recently completed at Big Blue, that TDI then made into a very swish looking certificate of excellence. Asked about the certificate, James, 43, said "I barely even remember her because of all the medication i'm on, but I do remember she was very weird, but I must have done something right".. ok he didn't really say that! He actually said "It's really nice to be recognised for doing a job I love, by both my student and the training agency- TDI. Technical diving is a passion of mine, and another good thing about teaching it is that I get to meet all sorts of interesting people with different backgrounds from all over the world, so i'm very chuffed to receive the certificate". He's about as down to earth as it gets our James, his head is definitely the same misshapen mess it always was, he's not on any medication that we know of, and he's not (quite) 43! What he is, is a very experienced and accomplished TDI technical dive instructor, who will have you laughing as much as learning, in the waters around Koh Tao and Khao Sok National Park. So if you don't know what technical diving is, would like to find out more, or already know that you want to sign up for some very challenging fun, go to the tech shack and talk to James and Ian.
“Incredible place to learn to dive”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 September 2013- Big Blue offer the perfect blend of reassuring professionalism and easy goingness that make for such a brilliant place to learn to dive with. Our wonderful instructor Chloe made us feel in safe hands the entire way whilst still gradually instilling a confidence over the course of the Open Water and Advanced courses that meant I couldn't wait to get back in the water every time we went out on the boat! I'd definitely recommend doing the Advanced course too, the night dive was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and the five extra dives with dive computer and compass just generally make you feel so much more ready to take on the underwater world!
Blackfish Documentary
A very powerful and emotive documentary, Blackfish focuses on the captivity of the killer whale Tilikum, kept at Seaworld in the US, who was involved in the deaths of three individuals. The film scrutinises the consequences of keeping such large and intelligent animals in captivity, and begins with coverage of Tilikum's capture in 1983 off the coast of Iceland, showing how he was harassed by fellow captive whales and left in dark tanks for hours. Incidents that the film argues, contributed to the whale's aggression. If you are in any way passionate about the ocean, and conservation of the marine life it contains, Blackfish is a must see film. Big Blue Conservation will be showing a screening of Blackfish at the Big Blue Conservation lab (date and time to be confirmed), but be warned, you'll probably need to bring some own kleenex. It would actually be great to get the local residents of Koh Tao involved in this and have Thai subtitles for the film... something for Save Koh Tao to arrange! You can view the trailer here.
September 16th 2013
Fundiving- the reason you learned to dive!
Big Blue is well established as being a fantastic place to learn how to dive, or take your diving further with courses for anything you might be interested in, be it technical diving, conservation, freediving or recreational diving. But we are also really good at fun diving! Here's the thing, too many dive resorts around the world, and especially koh Tao neglect fun diving in favour of more lucrative dive courses. For example, most dive schools on Koh Tao only have one boat, so they have fun divers on the same boat as students doing try dives and/or open water courses. This means that the dive sites are dictated by the schedule of that particular course and may need to be very shallow with lots of sand. So the fun divers are not as free to explore the best dive sites that Koh Tao has to offer. Not at Big Blue! We have four boats, and one of them is dedicated to fun divers only, called Porponawa (difficult to translate from Thai!), we like to call it the Millenium Falcon as it's probably the fastest boat in the known universe! Getting to Chumphon pinnacle in 25 minutes (normally takes 50!) and Sail rock in an hour (normally takes two and a half!). the speed of porponawa also gives us access to Chumphon Marine Park, making us the only dive resort on Koh Tao to go there. We like variety at Big Blue so we go wherever the divemasters decide they want to go. If a fun diver wants to request a specific dive site, even better! Speaking of divemasters, we have four of them working full-time, Steven, Darren, Carly, and Phil, all unique in their own way, but all ridiculously enthusiastic about diving and marine life, and they see it as a personal challenge to show you the coolest things they can find on each and every dive. They also know every dive site like the back of their hand; they really should stop looking at their hands though! We're also going to take advantage of quiet season to get the boys at Big Blue Tech to get out looking for new dive sites. We know they're there, and we know where to look, we just have to find them, then we can take you to even more amazing dive sites- exclusive to Big Blue!
“Awesome Instructors!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 September 2013- Just had an awesome diving experience with Big Blue Diving. A big thank-you to our instructor, ANT 1 or "Big Ant" who definitely made our diving. Hubby and I found Big Blue through the recommendation of a family member. We originally planned just Open Water SSI but went on to do Advanced Adventurer SSI as we had such a blast. Ant is really knowledgeable about Marine life and passionate about Coral conservation. He made the course really fun whilst providing safe diving practices throughout. He answered our multitude of questions and gave heaps of advice about dive gear and even sites in our homeland (NZ)!. Kate the Australian DMT also accompanied our Advanced course and was a huge help under and out of the water. She is extremely knowledgeable and took great time explaining what we would be seeing and tasks to complete. Both Ant and Kate were really professional and a big laugh on the Island post diving! The water is 30 degrees, visibility is awesome and sea life plentiful! Would recommend the Advanced Course also as the deep dive, night dive and wreck dive were a real highlight.
A-Z of Koh Tao for backpackers
A- Apnea- Big Blue Freediving of course!
B- Big Blue Diving of course!
C- Chang- A delightful Thai beer that redefines the word hangover.
D- Diza bar- Don't ask, just don't ever go there... ever ever ever ever.
E- Elephants- No, that's Koh Chang.
F- er, Big Blue Freediving again?
G- Greasy spoon- Hangover food cafe.
H- Hin Gnam bay- Nice little dive site on the East coast.
I- Instructors; they're everywhere, beware of excessive dive talk and do not feed after midnight.
J- Jitson- small village inland for accommodation longer than a month- nicknamed DMT village.
K- Koh Nang Yuang- Two little Islands next to Koh Tao, great for kayaking to, but not from.
L- Lomprayah- High speed ferry to bring you to Koh Tao.
M- Massage spas- You can't come all this way and not have one!
N- NDL- Twinned with refresher courses if you are a qualified diver but have no idea what it means!
O- Opticians- In Sairee with a big sign in the window that says very precisely- 51.354% off!
P- Porponawa- The fastest boat in the universe.. didn't you read the first news story?
Q- Quinine- Ingredient in tonic water that mosquitos hate. that's the best I could do.
R- Rentals- Motorbikes- don't do it!
S- Seatran- One of the ferry companies that brings you to Koh Tao.
T- Tosh- stray Instructor that went missing- If found proceed with caution, extremely ginger.
U- Unimpeded views- Some great high up viewpoints on koh Tao for your facebook cover page.
V- Venice- I think you may have got on the wrong plane.
W- Waverunner- Big blue's longest boat!
X- Xtreme snorkeling?
Y- Yellow brick road- The road behind Big Blue that goes all the way to Mae Hadd, and back if you're feeling crrrazy.
Z- Zanzibar- Cafe in Sairee, good soup, weird bagels.
Come up with your own and post them to Big Blue facebook
September 29th 2013
Successful Beach clean up
A big thank you to everyone that participated in the beach and underwater clean up yesterday, it was, er, messy! Organised by Lizzie May at Big Blue Conservation, volunteer holiday makers, Koh Tao locals, divemaster trainees, and whichever instructors and divemasters were not working, walked along Sairee beach in the morning with marigolds and bin bags to pick up anything and everything that shouldn't be there- luckily Neil is not in the country at the moment. In the afternoon an underwater clean up was arranged, this time at Hin Wong pinnacle. Bin bags were swapped for mesh nets, and spring cleaning commenced. It always helps that for those that participated in the clean up the diving was FREE! Thanks again to everyone that volunteered, it was great to see so many people giving up their time for everyone's benefit- especially the fish! We organise monthly clean ups, so If you want to get involved, contact Big Blue Conservation, or just pop in to the Big Blue shop.
“Great diving with an amazing instructor!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 September 2013- Picking a dive shop in Koh Tao can be challenging since there are so many but after reading many reviews my friends and I decided to give Big Blue a try. So glad we did, as this was the highlight of our trip! Planned to do the SSI Open Water course and received Nat (Natalie) as our instructor. I had never dived before but her enthusiasm and love for the sport made me want to do it everyday! She is an extremely good teacher and made me feel 100% comfortable in the water at all times. We ended up having such a good time that we decided to extend our trip and complete the Advanced Adventurer course as well which I highly recommend! We got to keep Nat throughout the entire experience which is the main reason I decided to continue on. Overall I have nothing but good things to say about my entire experience at Big Blue! Koh Tao is such a great place to learn how to dive. If you go make sure to request Nat because she is amazing! She made our trip so memorable. Thanks Nat!
Killer Whale Impersonators
Amazing news from yesterday, divers from Ace Marine Images (who currently do all Big Blue's videography work) were followed by a pod of false killer whales and pilot whales yesterday! Apparently they followed the boat all the way from Liam Thien bay to Lighthouse bay on the East side of Koh Tao, and then swam underneath a group of snorkelers! The apparent highlight of such a fantastic experience was the noises heard when they used their echolocation to communicate; that distinctive clicking noise. False killer whales are protected by the CITES treaty (Convention on the International Trade on Endangeared Species) under appendix II, which includes species that "Are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with the survival of the species in the wild". Bit of a mouthfull! but good to know they are afforded some kind of protection. Lets hope these beautiful animals stick around; compared with other species, very little is known about their behaviour and mating habits in the wild, just like Big Blue instructor Luke!
September 26th 2013
Conservation Internships
How do you fancy spending a month on a tropical Island learning how to dive, getting to know the animals that reside in the ocean, and understanding the threats that they face? What if we gave you practical skills to help reduce the impacts on these ecosystems, such as coral reef biology, underwater survey training, coral nursery construction and artificial reef maintenance? How about we throw in a few diving qualifications on top? Surely you're sold now!? Whether you're on a career break, about to have a gap year, at University, or you just want to do some volunteer work abroad and improve your CV, a Conservation Internship is an opportunity not to be missed. The main objective of Big Blue Conservation is to help ensure that the island remains undisturbed by the effects of increased tourism, and also to preserve the marine life in Koh Tao for ourselves and future generations to enjoy. But in order to achieve this, we depend on dedicated and trained teams of volunteers to help construct, maintain, monitor and develop the various projects that we undertake. So if you fancy going from never having dived before to knowing how to identify sharks and grow corals, or are already involved in conservation and want to gain valuable experience and improve your CV, contact Lizzie at info@bigblueconservation.com and show your approval by "liking" Big Blue Conservation on facebook!
“Probably the best place to dive with on Koh Tao”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 September 2013- I completed my open water course here in August 2013 and was impressed from start to finish. We pre-booked our course online and were glad we did as the school is very popular, so may not always have onsite accommodation when it is busy. Our room was the AC dorm, which was a bargain and well maintained and clean. The welcome was friendly and organised. Our instructor was Ant who kept us all laughing throughout the course, but also made sure we were competent and confident with our equipment. He knew where to spot to cool stuff as well as being great at explaining the skills we needed to complete to pass the course. His enthusiasm was infectious and two of our group stayed on for the advanced course, I would have done the same had I not already had a flight booked. However I had caught the bug and did stop for a couple of fun dives whilst on KP. All in all a great place to learn in an idyllic location. PS the food and drinks at the beach front restaurant is also good!
Peanut the turtle
Meet peanut, a turtle that should probably be a lot more famous than she is. I don't think I need to explain how she got her name, but it's quite sobering to see how she got her shape. When she was small she got stuck in a plastic multipack drinks holder- I have no idea what the proper name is but we all know what they are! She was unable to free herself and if she were any other animal than a turtle she would have died, as the plastic would have cut into her as she grew, causing a fatal infection. However, because she has a shell that protects her body, most of it was able to grow, though some of her organs don't function properly. Sadly because the shell is rigid, when the plastic was removed the shell didn't just rebound back into the correct shape, so she has to live with it. Here in the waters around koh Tao, Koh Panghan and Koh Samui, we have a big problem with plastic waste finding its way into the ocean. The Hawksbill and Green turtles that inhabit the Gulf of Thailand get the plastic stuck in their throats or stomachs, and are unable to digest them, so they starve to death. Big Blue Conservation works with local Thai community groups to educate them about waste disposal, and we educate all our divers about keeping the beaches and seas clear of rubbish, and buying goods responsibly such as saying no to carrier bags and straws when buying drinks and other items. We also organise regular beach and underwater clean ups. We don't want a cashew or pistachio famous for being found in Koh Tao! If you want to get involved with conservation in Koh Tao, contact Lizzie at Big Blue Conservation on the email at the top of the page.
September 25th 2013
Just another day at the office
Ho hum, another day, another whaleshark! Big Blue instructors Rich and Nick were minding their own business this morning at Chumphon pinnacle to do dive 3 of their open water courses, when a 4m long whaleshark appeared and jolly graciously decided to keep them company! These two lucky and happy dive instructors see whalesharks quite a lot, but imagine their students, having only ever done two open water dives, and on dive 3 they see one of those bad boys! An amazing experience they won't forget in a hurry. These curious animals tend to hang around divers rather than just pass through, so if you do see one, it may be a full 30 minutes of pinching yourself! Rich had only one thing to say to his students after such an incredible encounter; "Chumphon was a good choice". Judging by their picture though neither of them seem to be too concerned about thumbelina flailing around in the background! Rich's too busy explaining to Nick that, "This whaleshark is small... the one's out there are far away".
“Excellent diving school”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 September 2013- I went to Koh tai in 21st august 2013 for open water diving certificate. People I met there were awesome, helpful and friendly. Shool is well organized and proper managed by a great bunch of professional diver. I was lucky to have Petra as my instructor. She demonstated everything in high professinal manner. Our team of 6 students enjoyed so much of her teaching style and great personality of her . I believe I made great choose to learn diving in big blue. There are many diving schools around koh tao. I strong recommend Big Blue to everyone who want to learn diving. you won regret for this wise pick.
The Cove on steroids
Most people who have a passion for the ocean have heard of the Cove in Taiji, and the horrible slaughter of porpoises that goes on there every year. But have you heard of Iwate in Japan? No? it's not surprising, as many campaigners have never heard of it either. But Iwate, being only 500 miles North of the Cove, in Iwate Prefecture, is an annual slaughter of the Dall’s porpoise, in numbers that dwarf anything found at the cove. The Tsunami of 2011 destroyed much of the Dall hunting fleet, but somehow last year hunting began again in much reduced numbers. But the really depressing news is that between November 2012 and April 2013 it continues, but with the fleet of hunting ships being almost back to their pre-Tsunami numbers, killing 1,200 porpoises (pre-Tsunami deaths exceeded 9,00 per year, compared to the Cove's 1,200). A number of groups are involved in trying to stop this annual slaughter; Save Japan Dolphins, Sea Shepherd, the Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project, and the International Whaling Commission and the Animal Welfare Institute. If you want to see what you can do to help, or just want to show your support to ending these barabaric activities, contact Lizzie at Big blue Conservation.
September 24th 2013
Open All Hours
Sadly not a reference to the 1970s/80s sitcom starring Steveo & Simo, I mean Albert & Granville! But the fact that Koh Tao seems to be very slowly winding down from busy season. It's hard to tell, and you never really know how busy it's going to be, but reliable indicators include instructors and divemasters spending even longer than normal in the bar! It's also approaching the time of year when we send all our boats off to the mainland for their annual service, so they are ship-shape and Bristol fashion for December and next year. We also get all our equipment serviced, and give everything a bit of a spruce up. We are open all year round though, and can offer all sorts of dive related wonders, such as try dives, open water, advanced and rescue courses, amazing fun diving, speciality courses such as deep, wreck and nitrox, free diving courses, videography courses, tech diving courses, dive professional training- PADI, SSI and BSAC divemaster, or SSI and BSAC instructor. We even have marine conservation courses, and eco internships available. That pretty much covers every aspect of diving except SNUBA, and who'd want to do that anyway!?
“Diving certification (Open Water and Advanced SSI)”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 September 2013- I was in Koh Tao in July 2013 and got certified with Big Blue - literally one of the best decisions I could've made. I had done a discovery dive on Koh Phi Phi a week before and asked some instructors where on Koh Tao I should go for certification; Big Blue was mentioned multiple times. Thus, when I arrived on Koh Tao I immediately tracked down Big Blue and inquired about an Open Water course -- the staff was able to help me find accommodation right away and I started my course that night. My instructor was Dave (or "Squeezy" as the staff call him!) and I couldn't have asked for a better guy to train me. I was paired with 3 guys seeking just a SCUBA certification and one other also pursuing Open Water. As a result, it was just Dave, myself, and one other guy for the rest of the course. As a matter of fact, I had such a good time doing my Open Water course that I actually decided to skip my scheduled flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok in order to do my Advanced Open Water course with Dave; like I said, I couldn't have asked for a better instructor. Not only is Big Blue great for diving, there is also a great social atmosphere at the restaurant and bar once night rolls around. I HIGHLY recommend Big Blue for diving (and ask for Squeezy Dave if possible!).
Destruction of Coral Reefs Accelerating
The world's coral reefs are in rapid decline, which is extremely depressing, but pretty well documented. Yet a forthcoming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will state that the decline of the coral reefs is also accelerating. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, who is in charge of the ocean part of the report said, "Our oceans are in an unprecedented state of decline due to pollution, over-fishing and climate change. The state of the reefs is very poor and it is continuing to deteriorate. This is an eco-system that has been around for tens of millions of years and we are wiping it out within a hundred. It's quite incredible." In addition to working on the IPCC report, Professor Hoegh-Guldberg is leading by far the most comprehensive assessment of the state of the world's coral reefs, the Catlin Seaview Survey (CSS). It's initial findings demonstrate that the reefs are getting "increasingly hammered" from all sides, he said. Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand are not yet covered by the study, but Big Blue Conservation and Save Koh Tao monitor their health regularly, and are trying out different methods to make provide artificial reefs for coral to grow on. For more information on what is being done to protect the reefs on Koh Tao, and what you can do to help, contact Lizzie at Big Blue Conservation (see contacts above)
September 23rd 2013
Big Blue Professional Training
Are you sick to death of the daily grind, probably sat in a souless office with artificial lighting, artificial air and surrounded by people you are forced to get along with that, in any other universe you'd go out of your way to avoid? Ever thought about just jacking it all in, getting on a plane and doing something completely different? If you answered yes to both of those questions then you are in good company, loads of people who live on Koh Tao were in the same boat! So Why not do something about it and become a dive professional? Here at Big Blue we can train you all the way from open water diver, up to Divemaster and instructor. As a PADI or SSI divemaster you can then get paid to take qualified divers around some of the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand, and as an SSI instructor you can teach people how to dive, which can be really rewarding. Our Dive Master Training programme (DMT) can be completed in as little as three weeks, to 3 months, and We have 6 very experienced and friendly mentors that will help you through every aspect of your training. You'll also meet loads of like-minded people from all over the world going through the same experiences as you. Need any more persuading? Ok then, have a look at the weekly highlights video on our Big Blue Diving youtube channel, and then realise- that's your new office!
“Relaxed and friendly but also very professional dive company - we loved Skui and Rich!!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 September 2013- We arrived in Koh Tao already confident that we wanted to dive with Big Blue. Their previous ratings on Trip Advisor speak for themselves - but we had such a fantastic experience with them that I feel compelled to write another review! I already had my PADI Open water diving qualification - but having not used it for 5 years I was a little rusty and in dire need of a refresher course, and my boyfriend had never dived before but was really keen to learn. When we rocked up at Big Blue he was delighted to learn that he could start his open water course that evening, my refresher course was scheduled for the following afternoon. Unfortunately, their bungalow accommodation was already full so we had to look for an alternative so I couldn't comment at all on the quality of the rooms available though friends on our dive courses mentioned that the dorms were basic but sociable. After my refresher course with the jovial Dave and a couple of lovely guys, they mentioned that they were going on to do the Advanced Open Water course over the following 2 days. Comprising of 5 dives that could include 'Deep Dive', 'Navigation', 'Advanced Buoyancy', 'Night Dive', 'Underwater Photography', 'Fish Identification' and 'Wreck Diving' the price of the course was fairly similar to doing a few fun dives and since I feel I like to be challenged and learn new skills I opted to join them! Rich, my instructor, was fantastic. He had a cool, reassuring manner that really put me at ease whenever I was a little anxious. He was so positive and excited at the end of each of our dives, I got the impression that he quite enjoyed working with our little 3 man group - perhaps because none of us were prone to do anything daft! I can't rate Rich highly enough for all his encouragement! Nathan had a great experience with Skui too, she was supremely knowledgable but also really relaxed and added a fun element to the nitty-gritty of training! I laughed out loud when I found out about her system of 'beer fines' to chastise the group for saying 'flippers' and 'goggles' and making the thumbs-up sign underwater when they really meant okay! Both guys were fantastic, they hung-out with us students in the evenings and helped us fill out our diving logbooks, even joining us for a few 'cheeky beers' when the course was complete! We both gained SSI Qualifications with Big Blue - which is their preferred teaching method - but they also offer PADI courses which are a little more expensive owing to the need for you to purchase the PADI text books. The dive sites themselves we lovely, some really interesting chorals and great big shoals of fish, there are also turtles and whale sharks to be seen regularly in the area too - not by me mind you, and for that I fully blame Rich! ;P The restaurant and bar attached to Big Blue was great too. Brilliant for getting a hearty lunch before going off out on the boats - or for providing some much needed stodge when you returned! Try the pizzas if you fancy something Western, they're ace, or the BBQ grilled fish, delicious - though it does feel a little cruel chowing down on a Barracuda when you've been swimming around with them all day?! I would certainly suggest Big Blue diving to anyone visiting Koh Tao. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced veteran this dive company has something to excite everyone and enhance your learning (they also offer advanced tech diving, nitrox and skin diving if you're that way inclined!) They are reliable, all of the staff are supremely friendly and for me the huge selling point was having the security of instructors who spoke exceptional English - I would've felt seriously 'out of my depth' pardon the pun and frightened if I didn't fully understand the teaching aspect. I hope one day I'll go back to Big Blue, if not, I certainly hope you do!!!
Abbott Abolishes Climate Commission
Not satisfied with allowing the Great Barrier Reef to be dredged to provide a shipping "superhighway", Australia's incoming prime minister has now abolished the Climate Commission, a body set up in 2011 to provide information on the impacts of climate change to the Australian public. This will make it more difficult for people to get independent information on climate change that is not slanted by vested interests. It's also quite timely for this to happen, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is due to release it's latest report on the impacts of climate change, will which outline how increasing emissions of CO2 from man-made activities are continuing to warm the planet at an alarming rate. Oceans are warming, and CO2 is also making them more acidic as it dissolves into seawater. This is already having an effect on marine life ecosystems. The waters around Koh Tao contain some of the world's most amazing coral habitats, and as ocean temperatures increase they will be at risk of bleaching, which kills them. Big Blue Conservation is working closly with the Thai Government and the local community to monitor the coral reefs, but ultimately this is a global problem that will be difficult to deal with as long as politicians continue to do nothing to reduce CO2 emissions.
September 21st 2013
Recreational Rebreather
The tech shack is all excited this morning as they are due to receive their latest toy, a Poseidon MKVI rebreather. This probably means nothing to you or me but to James it's like Christmas has arrived early without having to leave any mince pies out! Rebreathers differ from normal scuba diving in that, instead of breathing air from a tank that gets steadily depleted, the rebreather has a chemical scrubber that removes the carbon dioxide from your exhaled breath. The rebreather also injects the oxygen that you used in the previous breath.... still with me? The advantages are that it enables you to stay down much longer than on a conventional dive, and there are no bubbles, so marine animals are less freaked out by your presence, making photography and videography much more interesting. The reason that James is all excited (apart from the fact that he's a geek), is that this is the first rebreather that is aimed at recreational divers, as opposed to technical divers. So simple to use in fact, that James will be able to teach you how to use it! Keep an eye on our website and Big Blue Tech's facebook page to find out more about the Poseidon rebreather course.
“Great Service And Dive Experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 September 2013- From the booking to our AOW course to our final day, we enjoyed a very pleasant stay at the Big Blue Diving Resort. I booked one of the packages for AOW + 10 fun dives and the staff was very helpful about sending me instructions for pickup and how to book transport to Koh Tao from Bangkok. I later got a middle ear injury while diving and the staff were also kind enough to allow my boyfriend use of some of my fun dives because I wasn't able to complete them. The courses themselves were as fine as could be. We had some pleasant instructors and divemasters, service was professional but friendly and the equipment also seemed to be well maintained.
The restaurant on the resort is also a highlight. It's priced mid-range but the portions are larger than other restaurants in the area. My favorite was the red curry with prawn and pineapple. One booking recommendation though is actually to not book too much at first. I had already paid for 10 fun dives but didn't get to do 5 of them and lost a bit of money on that. Plus we had to stay longer than the 7 nights free accommodation to finish the diving package so that ended up costing more too. I'd recommend booking courses and fun dives as you go along because the savings of booking everything together actually isn't that great and you'll end paying more if something like an unexpected injury happens.
Seahorses!
They are one of the cutest things in the ocean, and luckily for us they live all over the Gulf of Thailand. Seahorses are pretty rare, so they are very high on the list of any divemaster's animals to look out for during a dive. Sadly they are now endangered because of habitat destruction and overfishing. They are also sought after to be used in Chinese medicine, with an estimated 20 million being caught and sold for this purpose every year. So the Save Koh Tao marine branch has organised a presentation on the local seahorse population, so as to educate divers and locals on how to protect them. The presentation will be given by Dr. Tse-Lynn Loh tomorrow (22nd September) at 18:30, at the Government health office (2nd floor) in Mae haad (where the pier is). Big Blue Conservation will be there, and so should you!
September 20th 2013
September Full moon Party
Well it's that time of the month again, Koh Panghan's full moon party was in full swing last night, and even though the weather wasn't amazing you can guarantee all sorts of craziness occurred. Today at Big Blue we will receive some of the casualties that managed to make their way out of there, still dazed and covered in paint and day-glo shorts and singlets (that's vest in English!). But tomorrow will be busy busy busy across the whole of Koh Tao, and our instructors will be braced to teach a lot of spaced out people how to dive! We have a range of accommodation for people diving, from nice cheap dormatories, to bungalows, all the way up to air an conditioned villa. Some of the dorms are free on the days that you dive, and all the other accommodation is heavily discounted for the days you dive too. One bit of advice, book ahead.. in fact that's such a useful piece of advice i'll say it again.. BOOK AHEAD!! Just go on the big blue website, have a look around, decide on the accommodation you'd like and the type of course you'd like to do, and we'll reserve your room and be expecting you with smiles aplenty! We teach PADI, SSI, BSAC and TDI courses, and our fun diving is easily the best on Koh Tao. So have a look at our trip adviser reviews and get on over here!
“Great diving experience with great instructor!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 September 2013- If you're heading to Koh Tao, diving is a must and Big Blue is the spot. My friends and I are really happy we went here. Your instructor can make or break your experience, and Nat made ours so awesome. We were pretty nervous about taking the open water course, but Nat made the whole experience so fun that we decided to continue on to get our advanced certification with her, as well! Best decision for sure. If you're thinking about diving, definitely go with Big Blue and request Natalie W (Nat).
Dredging the Great Barrier Reef
Pretty sad news from Australia, only 24 hours in as prime minister, Tony Abbott has allowed dredging to go ahead in order to create Australia's newest shipping highway, Abbott point, better known as the Great Barrier Reef! Completely disregarding the World Heritage Classification or UNESCO protection, dredging company Rinehart is removing 3 MILLION cubic meters of the worlds most diverse, largest living organism and ecosystem, only to build the largest coal export terminal. We are going to lose one of the worlds truly precious gems to a temporary and damaging "solution". The Great Barrier Reef will no longer exist because of Abbott's desire for CSG export income. This is something that we are seriously concerned about at Big Blue and Big Blue Conservtation. If you care about the oceans, please get the word out about it to this to show your support for saving natures gift to the world. Wake UP Australia, and spread the word.
September 18th 2013
Certificate of Tech-cellence (See what I did there..)
If you were planning on heading down to Big Blue Tech to have a word with the boys about something or other, you may want to bring some grease, as James's head has swelled and is currently blocking the door! The reason, a fantastic email that one of his students sent to TDI as feedback from the Intro to Tech course she recently completed at Big Blue, that TDI then made into a very swish looking certificate of excellence. Asked about the certificate, James, 43, said "I barely even remember her because of all the medication i'm on, but I do remember she was very weird, but I must have done something right".. ok he didn't really say that! He actually said "It's really nice to be recognised for doing a job I love, by both my student and the training agency- TDI. Technical diving is a passion of mine, and another good thing about teaching it is that I get to meet all sorts of interesting people with different backgrounds from all over the world, so i'm very chuffed to receive the certificate". He's about as down to earth as it gets our James, his head is definitely the same misshapen mess it always was, he's not on any medication that we know of, and he's not (quite) 43! What he is, is a very experienced and accomplished TDI technical dive instructor, who will have you laughing as much as learning, in the waters around Koh Tao and Khao Sok National Park. So if you don't know what technical diving is, would like to find out more, or already know that you want to sign up for some very challenging fun, go to the tech shack and talk to James and Ian.
“Incredible place to learn to dive”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 September 2013- Big Blue offer the perfect blend of reassuring professionalism and easy goingness that make for such a brilliant place to learn to dive with. Our wonderful instructor Chloe made us feel in safe hands the entire way whilst still gradually instilling a confidence over the course of the Open Water and Advanced courses that meant I couldn't wait to get back in the water every time we went out on the boat! I'd definitely recommend doing the Advanced course too, the night dive was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and the five extra dives with dive computer and compass just generally make you feel so much more ready to take on the underwater world!
Blackfish Documentary
A very powerful and emotive documentary, Blackfish focuses on the captivity of the killer whale Tilikum, kept at Seaworld in the US, who was involved in the deaths of three individuals. The film scrutinises the consequences of keeping such large and intelligent animals in captivity, and begins with coverage of Tilikum's capture in 1983 off the coast of Iceland, showing how he was harassed by fellow captive whales and left in dark tanks for hours. Incidents that the film argues, contributed to the whale's aggression. If you are in any way passionate about the ocean, and conservation of the marine life it contains, Blackfish is a must see film. Big Blue Conservation will be showing a screening of Blackfish at the Big Blue Conservation lab (date and time to be confirmed), but be warned, you'll probably need to bring some own kleenex. It would actually be great to get the local residents of Koh Tao involved in this and have Thai subtitles for the film... something for Save Koh Tao to arrange! You can view the trailer here.
September 16th 2013
Big Blue Freediving Review
It's always good to read about the experiences of people who visit Koh Tao, and hear what they think of this beautiful island some of us are lucky enough to call home. With the ease at which people can now publish to a wide audience via online blogs, It seems to be getting more and more common that they want to share their experiences. It's even better when the person doing the travel writing happens to visit Big Blue, go freediving with our instructors Pepe and Flavia, and have a great time! Chris quit his job in the UK, went travelling around the world seeking surfing and adventure, and found Big Blue along the way. His account of his time progressing through the SSI freediving courses is up on his blog at backpackerbanter.com, and it's really interesting and informative. You can read it here.
“Excellent experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 September 2013- Just finished the advanced course at big blue Koh Tao and it was perfect. We had a small group of 6 with two highly experienced instructors, Ant and Stevo. They were so nice and professional. Had a much better experience than a different club I used last year here in the island when I did my open waters. Thank you guys for a wonderful experience!
Turtles May See the World in Super Slo Mo
Did you ever wonder why, when you try and swat a fly, nine times out of ten it evades you? Researchers at university College Dublin also wondered this recently, and concluded that it's because the fly sees you like Neo in the Matrix sees the bullets coming towards him- in slow motion! It's all because of how much information the brain takes in per second. For small insects like a fly, they process a huge amount of information per second and need to react to that information quickly to avoid being eaten. Whilst leatherback turtles primarily eat slow moving jellyfish, and also have slow metabolisms, so they don't need to invest in high-speed visual processing equipment (evolutionarily speaking- not Dixons!). We see Greenback turtles and Hawkesbill turtles all the time here on Koh Tao, with the most common dive site for seeing them being White Rock (two seen at the same time recently on a SSI Advanced Adventurer night dive!). As long as people dive responsibly and watch them from a distance, they are quite happy to carry on foraging away for food without a care in the world. Who knew that they're actually pretending to be in the matrix!
September 15th 2013
Picture worth a thousand words
Meet Big Blue's head divemaster Steven DeVelters. We love him dearly. Thought to be in his mid-thirties (or forties), a little bit mangy- I don't know why but he's not showing off. Also said to be distantly related to Charles bronson by blood and Burt Reynolds by marriage. Universally loved by his colleagues and his fun diver customers, he'll do anything for you; he once rang me to to tell me that "your lost wallet has been found on Sairee beach and handed in. There's no money in it but two condoms- who the hell do you think you are?"- typically bizarre of any conversation with him. He organises all five of our dive boats- Banzai, Waverunner, Ao Meung, Big Blue and Porponawa (the exclusive fun diver only boat). He decides when they go out, which divesites they go to, and how many regulators, masks, tanks, weights and weight belts will be needed. He also whips the other divemasters into shape (along with a few instructors from time to time). It may all be getting to him a little bit but decide for yourselves. Have a look at the photo below, do you think he left a fork in the knife draw or forgot to record Montel Williams? We'll put this photo up on our Big Blue facebook page, and would like you to comment on what you think he's thinking or saying. Personally, I think he was remembering that it's Charles Manson that he's related to, not Bronson!
“Great Dive Resort + Awesome Instructors (PETRA)”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 September 2013- My boyfriend and I recently completed the Open Water course at Big Blue and our only regret is that we couldn't stay for the advanced course. We had an amazing time staying at/diving with Big Blue and learning from our awesome instructor Petra. We stayed at Big Blue while we were diving - our accommodations were pretty basic, but they were free every night we dived so no complaints. The diving experience was awesome. Petra was a phenomenal instructor and we felt completely comfortable diving with her. Her pre-dive training more than prepared us for our first open water dive and we loved the experience. Great Job Big Blue and Petra!
Ugliest fish in the ocean?
Here on Koh Tao, it almost goes without saying that we're really lucky in having such a huge amount of variety in terms of marine life, right on our doorstep. The animals that inhabit the Gulf of Thailand are as varied as they are abundant. What catches your eye when diving, and what you find beautiful are obviously very subjective; I could sit and watch razor fish do their weird synchronised vertical dance for hours, but I'll not even give a second glance to Nudibranchs- the divemaster's favourite. It's probably fair to say that most people find triggerfish pretty unattractive. But in the ugly stakes, I don't think there's anything in the waters around Koh Samui, Koh panghan or Koh Tao that could compare with the blobfish (see photo below- you can't miss it!) It's been given the unofficial title of world's ugliest animal by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, recently announced at a science-themed comedy night at the science festival in the UK. It's all a bit tongue in cheek (no offence blob fish!), but it has a more serious aim, which is to highlight threatened species- even if they are aesthetically challenged, rather than the cute and cuddly species that usually draw attention such as pandas. It all falls on deaf ears to Big Blue Conservation's head honcho Lizzie though, as in her eyes everything in the ocean is beautiful!
September 14th 2013
Spring Cleaning
In the ever changing landscape of social networks like MyFace and SpaceBook it can be quite easy to get left behind. Not us, though! Here at Big Blue we're doing some late summer, early autumn, pre-winter spring-cleaning of our online accounts so that they're are all shiny and user friendly! It's called "brand alignment" apparently. As well as emails, snail mail, and phonecalls, you can also stay in touch with us on:
- Facebook - our biggest network, for all the latest student photos, diving videos, full day trips, and of course not forgetting the regular updates of "which style dress Simon Garrity is wearing in this photo?"
- Twitter - Follow @BigBlueDivingKT for regular updates on diving conditions, local weather, news & features, all in 140 characters or less!
- Google+ - For those not on Facebook who still like to stay in touch, or for those fancy people on both Facebook and G+, we'll be posting the latest videos, pictures, and news direct to the Big Blue page.
So get liking, following, and adding us to circles. Keep an eye out in the very near future as we'll be running some contests to get your hands on some much sought-after Big Blue merchandise!
“Best Dive Team On Koh Tao!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 September 2013- This place is AWESOME. You have half a million options of shops to dive with on koh tao, and these guys are by far the best. Great equipment, comfy boats, cheap open water courses, cheap dives, great food, fire spinning every night, knowledgeable staff, better than anything I coulda asked for. For me what really makes a dive shop are the people who lead you. Since all the divesites will be the same no matter what company you book with, having skilled divemasters who know how to find hidden sea creatures, know the names of EVERYTHING in the sea, know the animals swimming patterns (we saw a WHALE SHARK today. TWICE. Only because our divemaster knew the way they swim, we were able to get up close to the majestic animal.), and are cheerful, fun and funny people. This place has all that in spades. Special shout out to James who knew a ton about whale sharks and steven who's a funny, practical, and smart dive guide.
More good news for sharks
Following recent news that a number of Hong Kong airlines have banned the import of shark fins, now the Hong Kong Government has joined in! They have announced a ban on shark fin soup at Government sponsored events in order to "set a good example". They have also banned Government employees from consuming shark fin soup at functions hosted outside of Government! Now considering that Hong Kong is the global hub of shark fin imports, this is a big deal! Big Blue Conservation will be watching events closely to see what else gives in the coming months. In the meantime we'll continue to educate all our fun divers and students, and dive professional trainees about conservation and being a responsible diver that also sets a good example.
September 12th 2013
Whaleshark at Chumphon Pinnacle!
It's all gone a bit whaleshark crazy here at Big Blue. We haven't seen a whaleshark in a couple of weeks, and then one appeared on the Sail rock full day trip 2 days ago, and another one at Chumphon pinnacle yesterday morning, thus proving the point that whalesharks are like buses.. you wait around and nothing, then 2 come along! Lots of happy instructors, divemasters and instructors here at the moment, which is especially tormenting for the people that didn't sign up for the boat and missed it! See, sitting on the beach drinking mojitos and reading the latest Dan Brown book about how the Vikings built the ark out of lego (and therefore also invented lego) is not all it's cracked up to be.. Get out diving! You can sign up for the fun diving boat in the Big Blue office, we go out twice a day- 2 dives in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, and we go to the best dive sites in and around Koh Tao; Chumphon pinnacle, Sail rock, White rock, Samran pinnacle, Green rock, Chumphon Marine Park, the Trident and Sattakut wrecks, and please feel free to request a dive site with a day or two's notice, and we'll make it happen.
“Is that a Shark ?!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 September 2013- Well i´m home.. :( Just got back from Thailand where i spent a few weeks. One of which was really good spent on Kho Tao learning and diving with Big Blue. It was a really nice and interesting experience. All the instructors are nice and helpful (and they really appreciate it if you wave to them all the time :P). You get to chose from a variety of languages but English is the most used language and they all speak it perfectly. Petra, our instructor, really had a knack for teaching. Real funny girl that transforms into a real siren when underwater. All in all a very pleasant experience that i would repeat. I´m actually thinking of taking some months off and joining the Dive Master program over there.. If you´re wondering what with the title well.. if you are among the really lucky ones, you could get to see a big freakin´ whale shark during your training. Speaking of.. also doing the Advanced Open Water is a must. THERE you get to see and learn the really cool stuff. Safe diving.
Reduction in shark fin imports
Big news on the fight against shark finning, a number of airlines and shipping companies in Hong Kong have caved in to pressure from campaigners to ban the import of shark fins on any of their flights and ships! Emirates, Quantas and Air New Zealand have agreed to a total ban, whilst Cathay Pacific has said it will only carry shark fins from sustainable sources (sounds a little dubious). Two major shipping lines have also announced they will no longer carry shark fins. Hong Kong is a global hub for the trade, previously importing roughly half of the world's harvest of fins. The ban has already seen imports reduce by 30%! The fight continues and we'll only be satisfied until that figure is up to 100% But it's definitely progress. Big Blue Conservation will continue to work with the Thai Government, local fishermen and other organisations to reduce finning and educate the simple fact that sharks are worth way way more to their economy alive in the form of tourist dollars.
September 11th 2013
Big Blue Youtube Channel
Did you know that Big Blue Diving has it's own youtube channel? Well now you do! It's your chance to see what our instructors, divemasters and customers see every day diving around Koh Tao. Groupers, trevally, turtles, barracuda, batfish, mantis shrimp, scorpion fish, trigger fish, crocodile fish, whalesharks, the odd pilot whale and minke whale... I could go on but it's much better to see these beautiful animals than talk about them! We work closely with Ace Marine images to film open water courses, promotional events, Big Blue Conservation projects, and big events such as the swim for sharks charity extravaganza. So every day they get great footage of the best that the Gulf of Thailand has to offer. Recently a sailfish was spotted (I also saw one a couple of months ago actually jump out of the water), and there were rumours yesterday of bull sharks being back at Sail rock- i'll believe it when we get photographic evidence! Anyway, have a look at youtube and then book your flight tickets.. we'll pick you up from the pier! http://www.youtube.com/user/BigBlueDiving (p.s. It's a clown triggerfish in the photo!)
“Great experience with Big Blue”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 September 2013- On recommendation of a friend, my boyfriend and I completed our Open Water diving course here in August 2013 and feel we hit on a real winner- Instructors: all very friendly and all either were English or spoke perfect English. They obviously cater for a number of different nationalities, allowing for people to get the best instruction possible. Neil, our instructor, was very thorough and as a result I felt very comfortable in the water. He also made the dives fun and enjoyable and clearly loved his job and diving, which bred enthusiasm in the group! - Group sizes: very small, with a maximum of 6 people per instructor. - Location: great spot on the well appointed Sairee Beach. Plenty of dining/drinking spots on the beach and in the village too, all within 5 mins walk of BB. - Rooms: reduced price when diving with the company. Very basic room, with no A/C but at £6 a night for a double room this seemed very reasonable.
- Free transfer from ferry to site upon arrival.
Mid-Ocean Recycling
How do you rid the ocean of all the plastic that has been dumped since plastic was invented? Well one possible answer seems to have come from nowhere, with clogs on! A Dutch student- Boyan Slat, has come up with the ingenious but simple idea of having a floating boom tethered to the sea bed, that would suck in any plastic that floats by, whilst allowing plankton and fish to pass harmlessely through it. The plastic would be periodically removed for recycling and the machine would even be self sufficient by harnessing energy from the Sun and waves. Pretty clever stuff eh. Marine animals die when they either get caught in plastic, or eat it. On koh Tao we have occassionally found dead turtles with plastic in their throats, which is both sad and frustrating. Big Blue Conservation organises regular beach and underwater clean ups, but it is a never ending job, so anything that could (excuse the pun) turn the tide against plastic is very welcome.
September 10th 2013
Big Blue Tech Photoshoot
What's the point in sitting in the tech shack all day servicing equipment and making it look all shiny, if you're not going to show it off once in a while? So, with that in mind, James Foleheleher- the only man I know that can fall asleep standing up, and Ian Jordan- the only man I know that could probably make me fall asleep standing up, decided to grab their fanciest twinsets and head to Chumphon pinnacle and the Sattakut wreck for a photoshoot. Filmed by divemaster Andy in his sidemount set up, and Big Blue Conservations's Lizzie filming Andy (this is getting confusing now), they set about bringing sexy back with all manner of underwater moves and poses that would put Derek Zoolander to shame. If you've never heard of technical diving, it's a form of scuba diving that allows you to go beyond the recreational depth limit of 40m, and also trains you to go into decompression. This opens up the doors to learn proper procedures for wreck diving and cave diving. Big Blue Tech teaches TDI and BSAC courses, for any kind of technical diving that you wish to pursue. You just have to put up with a pair of underwater posers that can't turn right!
“Big Blue- Scuba Nirvana!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 September 2013- Stayed and dived with Big Blue at the end of August- i already had my PADI OW and Adventure Diver and my boyfriend wanted to complete his, the plan being to do some fun dives together once he was done. I ended up being welcomed into his group, who had all decided to stay on to do their Advanced and fulfil the remaining dives i needed to also receive my Advanced. Rich, our instructor was great- really enthusiastic and so helpful as well as generally being a lot of fun. We did some brilliant dives, including the night dive and deep dive which were some of our faves. The vibe at Big Blue is so chilled, matching that of the whole of Koh Tao- my favourite Thai island. This is my second trip here and Koh Tao will always be a place i want to return to, with Big Blue being added to that. You can really see how people get sucked in and want to stay here, much like instructor Rich...go and find out for yourself: Accommodation is brill and discounted on dive days so great for budgeting...the courses are really reasonably priced too and worth every penny. The staff are all super friendly and you'll fall in love with the Big Blue dogs who seem to love being walloped with a flip flop! And to top it all off, the sunsets here are the most beautiful, and can be enjoyed after an awesome day of diving with Big Blue x x x
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 September 2013- Stayed and dived with Big Blue at the end of August- i already had my PADI OW and Adventure Diver and my boyfriend wanted to complete his, the plan being to do some fun dives together once he was done. I ended up being welcomed into his group, who had all decided to stay on to do their Advanced and fulfil the remaining dives i needed to also receive my Advanced. Rich, our instructor was great- really enthusiastic and so helpful as well as generally being a lot of fun. We did some brilliant dives, including the night dive and deep dive which were some of our faves. The vibe at Big Blue is so chilled, matching that of the whole of Koh Tao- my favourite Thai island. This is my second trip here and Koh Tao will always be a place i want to return to, with Big Blue being added to that. You can really see how people get sucked in and want to stay here, much like instructor Rich...go and find out for yourself: Accommodation is brill and discounted on dive days so great for budgeting...the courses are really reasonably priced too and worth every penny. The staff are all super friendly and you'll fall in love with the Big Blue dogs who seem to love being walloped with a flip flop! And to top it all off, the sunsets here are the most beautiful, and can be enjoyed after an awesome day of diving with Big Blue x x x
Deep Oceans Are Out of This World
The Gulf of Thailand is pretty shallow as far as oceans are concerned. If you were to travel from Suratthani or Chumphon, to Koh Samui or Koh Tao, it doesn't get any deeper than 55 metres, and the average depth would be more like 25-30 metres. That's perfect for recreational diving, and the deeper bits are perfect for technical divers. Any deeper than 55m and you'd have to travel quite far East into the South China Sea, there 80 metres is possible. Now compare these depths to the deep open ocean. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 3,339m, the Titanic sits at 3,784m! The deepest point of the entire ocean is the Marianas Trench, lying 10,911km deep! Pretty mind blowing stuff, and definitely a little bit beyond even the craziest scuba diver. But these numbers are nothing when we start to look up into the sky. The deepest ocean in the solar system is thought to be on Jupiter's moon Europa. Are you sitting down?... good. Do you have a friend with smelling salts at the ready? ok ok- covered in a thick sheet of ice at the surface, it's thought to be 99 kilometres deep! Now considering we've only been to the deepest point in our ocean twice, i'd say there's a little bit more exploring to do out there!
September 9th 2013
Mermaid School
Who would have thought that holding your breath would be so popular!? Pepe and Flavia at Big Blue Freediving are rushed off their flippers at the moment, teaching SSI and AIDA freediving courses. It's actually quite incredible to think that, if you walked in off the street (or yellow brick road behind Big Blue!) and had never dived or even snorkelled before, within 2 days Pepe and Flavia will have you diving down to 20m on a single breath of air! That's what you can achieve on the SSI level 1 course. If that seems a bit much, you can do a discover freediving session, which is very similar to level 1 but without the depth. Once you've got the basics you can progress on to level 2, which focuses on relaxation (ommmmmmmmm!) and conserving oxygen in order to go even deeper, until you get to level 3; 40 blooming metres! All SSI Freediving courses include theory sessions on relaxation and breath-holding techniques, as well as advanced techniques for equalising your ears, and Pepe and Flavia are record holders in their respective countries so you are in very experienced and capable hands. Just don't bet that you can hold your breath longer than them!
Who would have thought that holding your breath would be so popular!? Pepe and Flavia at Big Blue Freediving are rushed off their flippers at the moment, teaching SSI and AIDA freediving courses. It's actually quite incredible to think that, if you walked in off the street (or yellow brick road behind Big Blue!) and had never dived or even snorkelled before, within 2 days Pepe and Flavia will have you diving down to 20m on a single breath of air! That's what you can achieve on the SSI level 1 course. If that seems a bit much, you can do a discover freediving session, which is very similar to level 1 but without the depth. Once you've got the basics you can progress on to level 2, which focuses on relaxation (ommmmmmmmm!) and conserving oxygen in order to go even deeper, until you get to level 3; 40 blooming metres! All SSI Freediving courses include theory sessions on relaxation and breath-holding techniques, as well as advanced techniques for equalising your ears, and Pepe and Flavia are record holders in their respective countries so you are in very experienced and capable hands. Just don't bet that you can hold your breath longer than them!
“Great course, fantastic diving, brilliant people!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 September 2013- I undertook my SSI Open Water Course with Big Blue and it really was the highlight of my time in Thailand. Our instructor G took the course at the pace we required and created a great learning environment and really made the 4 day course incredibly good fun and very interesting. The resort, restaurant and bar were a great place to relax after a days diving and the accommodation was great value. All in all, I can't recommend Big Blue enough to anyone looking to dive in Thailand!
Naked Gills!
Wrongly called sea slugs, Nudibranchs are very common within the Gulf of Thailand, and can be seen on every dive site in Koh Tao. But that doesn't mean they are by any means dull. They are some of the most colouful creatures on Earth, which dictates whether they blend in to their surroundings, or display aposematic coloration; bright and distinctive colouring to warn potential predators that they taste horrible or are poisenous! They live all over the world from Antarctica to the tropics, but are most commonly found in warm shallow reefs- in other words, everywhere in Koh Tao! Ask any divemaster on Koh Panghan, Koh Samui or Koh Tao about nudibranchs and they'll start reeling off latin names- "oh yes, they are soft bodied marine gastropod molluscs, with the name coming from the Latin nudus- meaning naked, and the Greek brankhia- meaning gills!" You may or may not fall asleep before they finish talking.... ok maybe that's just Steven DeVelter! But divemasters definitely see it as a challenge to get their eye in to find the smallest ones possible, or look for a previously unseen species. One final fact, nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, and have sex organs for both sexes, but cannot fertilise themselves- and you thought you were weird!
Wrongly called sea slugs, Nudibranchs are very common within the Gulf of Thailand, and can be seen on every dive site in Koh Tao. But that doesn't mean they are by any means dull. They are some of the most colouful creatures on Earth, which dictates whether they blend in to their surroundings, or display aposematic coloration; bright and distinctive colouring to warn potential predators that they taste horrible or are poisenous! They live all over the world from Antarctica to the tropics, but are most commonly found in warm shallow reefs- in other words, everywhere in Koh Tao! Ask any divemaster on Koh Panghan, Koh Samui or Koh Tao about nudibranchs and they'll start reeling off latin names- "oh yes, they are soft bodied marine gastropod molluscs, with the name coming from the Latin nudus- meaning naked, and the Greek brankhia- meaning gills!" You may or may not fall asleep before they finish talking.... ok maybe that's just Steven DeVelter! But divemasters definitely see it as a challenge to get their eye in to find the smallest ones possible, or look for a previously unseen species. One final fact, nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, and have sex organs for both sexes, but cannot fertilise themselves- and you thought you were weird!
September 8th 2013
Responsible Diving Campaign
Big Blue Conservation's head honcho Lizzie has launched a campaign to encourage responsible diving practices, I would say accross koh Tao but it also applies to any dive site in the world! How often have you been diving and seen someone who's buoyancy is so bad that they bang into rocks or even coral, or they know perfectly well how to dive but just have a complete disregard for the damage they are doing to the marine life. This campaign is all about reminding those who should know better, and also educating those who just didn't realise how bad it is. Big Blue Conservation has been working closely with SSI, Save Koh Tao, and the Thai Government to create a number of artificial reefs around Koh Tao. These are structures that are deliberately placed underwater to allow marine life to grow on them, and can be steel bars, concrete, or even a whole ship! Over time, organisms such as coral and sponges will cover the material, which has a knock on effect; small animals will move in, followed by larger predators. Hey presto, a whole eco system! So please pass the message on that it's really not a good idea to touch anything underwater, and if you see anyone do it, please have a word with them. We need to preserve these beautiful dive sites so that they can still be enjoyed in the future.
“Exceeded my high expectations”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 September 2013- These guys (and ladies) are simply the best. We completed our PADI Rescue course with Tim and had a terrific time. More importantly, we learned a lot-highly recommend this course to all divers. And if you must take it, Tim teaches both PADI and SSI (and his own extensive skill review) and is the best dive instructor either of us have had coming from three different backgrounds between the two of us. After class, we did four days of fun diving (including the full day trip to sail rock) with Phil and Steven-with-a-v. The diving is beautiful, but it wouldn't be the same without this team of amazing dive masters and their fantastic support team. They are fun, animated, communicate beautifully under water, have a great eye for the small stuff, and are full of bad jokes. We had the absolute best time! We also stayed at Big Blue 1 and loved it. Highly recommended (as long as you aren't high maintenance). This place has a great atmosphere. Very hard to leave!
Sairee Beach Jellyfish? Graveyard
Ever walked along Sairee beach in the morning to go out diving and wondered what those squishy jellyfish-like creatures are? They're pretty hard to miss, especially the smell by the afternoon! although people think they are jellyfish, they're actually called salps! These multicellular organisms are the fastest producing animal in the ocean. They live in deep ocean water, coming up to the surface at night to graze on plankton. Salps form large chains in the water, recycling and transporting carbon to the deep sea in their fast-sinking fecal pellets! Pushed to shore by wind and sea currents, they appear in enormous numbers with the annual plankton bloom. Next time you see these squishy creatures, blow them a carbon-loaded kiss- whilst holding your nose!
September 7th 2013
Specialities anyone?
If you're already a qualified diver, you may be wondering what you can do to get the most out of your diving. If you weren't, i'm going to tell you anyway! Here at Big Blue, we teach a number of PADI and SSI speciality courses that are designed to give you the knowledge and practical experience to safely take your diving to new levels- literally! With the deep speciality, you will be qualified to dive to 40 metres (and understand what it means to get narced a little better!). This potentially opens up access to a lot of dive sites around the world, and will make you a much more conciencious diver. The Nitrox speciality enables you to stay much longer at a given depth compared with breathing bog standard air, as the tank you breathe from is "enriched" with a higher precentage of oxygen, therefore lowering the amount of nitrogen- it all becomes clear on the course! The wreck speciality teaches you techniques for navigating around shipwrecks, such as how to safely use a guideline, how to communicate in low visibility, and crutially, how to make your way back to the boat!- easily one of the most fun courses you can do. But if you've really got your head screwed on, you'll do the deep, wreck & nitrox courses combined. There's a big discount if you do all three at once, and in 3 days time you'll be able to go fun diving on Koh Tao's very own shipwreck the HTMS Sattakut, and watch all the other divers surface while you enjoy the rest of your nitrox!
“Got a new family on Koh Tao”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 September 2013- Adventure started in Bangkok when I went in the big blue office on koh San rd. I spoke to a wonderful Thai woman called Lin who was so helpful. She then booked me up to head to koh Tao. She also helped a friend of mine sort transport for other places too so very helpful. The guys down at big blue are very cool. Almost makes you want to go get a tattoo and a Mohawk (the Thai guys are always cutting each other hair at big blue so you maybe able to request one on site). For my open water course I had Rich who is one cool guy who clearly loves what he's doing and is always wanting to help. As well as teaching me about diving he also taught me how to do
a gainer (running backflip) off a boat. So don't expect just to learn how to dive on this trip. For my advanced which I originally didn't plan to do but loved it here at big blue so much I stayed on I had Kevin. (Ask Kevin how to say aluminium, really funny if you're English as he is American) Kevin was awesome. He took us on our night dive and his bright blue and purple shorts were easy to spot amongst the hunting barracudas and turtles we saw. Again you could see Kevin like rich really loves what he does and wants to help you any way he can. To be honest I'm pretty sure that all the instructors are amazing at big blue. But with rich and Kevin you can expect to do some stupid stuff like doing a horse and jockey race at 15metres with your buddy, read again if you didn't believe me. If you want to know anything about diving or koh Tao or anything really about travelling. Don't use lonely planet or rough guides. These guys know everything and its not what you know it's who you know. Really enjoyed my time at big blue and iv made some really good friends here who I hope to meet again. Maybe at 30metres.
17 Facts about Whalesharks
1. it's the worlds largest fish, growing to over 12.65 meters (40 ft)
2. weighs over 30 metric tons (66,000 lb)
3. eats mostly plankton
4. is a filter-feeder, sucking water in through it’s mouth then pushing it out through the gills.
5. gives birth to live young
6. lives to over 70 years
7. reaches sexual maturity at 30
8. is found in tropical and warm oceans
9. has pale yellow or white stripes and dots in a checker pattern all over it’s grey back
10. is docile and at times playful with divers
11. likes to live alone, groups have very rarely been seen
12. lives in open water
13. usually swims and feeds near the top of the water
14. has thick skin, up to 4 inches (10 cm) thick
15. swims slowly at about 3 mph (5 kph)
16. has a really big mouth, up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wide with 10 filter pads and around 350 rows of tiny teeth
17. it can be quite an invigourating experience to dive with one................................. !!!!!!!
September 5th 2013
Big Blue Tech
The boys at Big Blue Tech are out teaching day three of TDI intro to tech today. The three day course teaches the core skills required of technical divers, allowing them to progress on to more demanding TDI courses; advanced nitrox and decompression procedures. They will be working on kit configurations, dive planning, and emergency skills, and will also need- and get, lots of buoyancy practice, as this is initially very challenging compared with the feel of recreational diving equipment. Lets also not forget the final "hell" dive, where the students are put under pressure with gas loss scenarios and entanglement issues! Very testing on the student, great fun for the teacher! So if you want to challenge yourself, have a lot of fun, and learn valuable new skills that will also benefit you in your recreational diving, and you don't miind being taught by a Northerner, contact James and Ian at Big Blue Tech.
“Simply awesome”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 September 2013- I came to Koh Tao for an open water diving course and mainly because of the lonely planet decided to go here. The vibe of the resort and on the boats is really great and the instructors are very good at what they do. My instructor was Rich and he was really good at getting the most fun out of every dive. I ended up staying two days longer to do my advanced as well and have no regrets. Especially the night dive was great fun (got to see a turtle swim right over us).
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 September 2013- I came to Koh Tao for an open water diving course and mainly because of the lonely planet decided to go here. The vibe of the resort and on the boats is really great and the instructors are very good at what they do. My instructor was Rich and he was really good at getting the most fun out of every dive. I ended up staying two days longer to do my advanced as well and have no regrets. Especially the night dive was great fun (got to see a turtle swim right over us).
Koh Panghan Airport
Construction of an airport on Koh Panghan- Thailand's fifth-largest island, has stepped up a pace, with developers announcing their aim to complete the project by 2014. Historically it was always difficult and time consuming travelling to Koh Samui, Koh Panghan and Koh Tao, with fishing boats being the only method of transport. Then slow ferries came along which made the journey slightly less agonising, but it wasn't until the Lomprayah, Songserm & Seatran ferries, and the airport at koh Samui came along that access to these beautiful Islands became more comfortable. The airport at Koh Panghan will have a knock on effect for Koh Tao, making it much easier for people to travel from Bangkok to the Gulf of Thailand. The only thing that will be missing is the train tunnel from Koh Tao to the mainland!
September 4th 2013
SSI Dive Professional Training
Ever wondered how people become diving instructors? Big Blue instructors are a real mixed bag. Some came on holiday and never went home, some were looking for something different to the usual 9 to 5 and knew exactly what they wanted to do. But they all have one thing in common. They're all on the run from the authorities.. no, that wasn't it! They all instantly fell in love with diving and get real satisfaction from seeing students progress from their first breathes underwater in a pool, to diving to 18 or 30 metres in the ocean. Top it all off with the incredible marine life that Koh Tao has to offer at dives sites such as Chumphon pinnacle, Sail Rock, Twins and White Rock, and that stuffy souless office surrounded by endless paperwork will quickly become a distant memory. As an SSI platinum instructor training facility, Big Blue offers a full range of instructor qualifications including specialities, all run by Simon Garrity and Paul "Tosh" Tanner, who between them have almost 30 years experience in the diving industry! If you want to find out more, have a chat with Simon or Tosh at info@bigblueinstructortraining.com
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 September 2013- I just completed my SSI Open Water and Advanced courses with Big Blue and had an amazing time. Thanks to my instructors Martijn, Ant (2), and Tosh. All three were great - really knowledgeable, experienced, and fun. Big Blue is definitely a big dive school, but that didn't detract from my experience in the slightest. I had a bit of a panic attack on the night dive of my Advanced course when my mask slipped off my head during the descent. Although Ant handled the situation extremely well, I was too freaked out to continue the dive and developed something of a mask phobia. So Ant arranged for me to dive one-on-one with Martijn, my Open Water instructor, to practice some mask skills. Martijn was great at making me feel comfortable and helping me get over my fear. I did another night dive for fun that same night. My instructors at Big Blue cared that I learned the requisite skills to truly enjoy and want to continue diving. They didn't just slap me with a certification and send me on my way. I can't imagine having a better experience with another dive school. Thanks, Big Blue!
Scorchio!
Looks like now is an even more perfect than normal time to come to Koh Tao. After an uncharacteristic May & June with intermittent rain and wind, July and August have been consistently hot and sunny, and September is looking like being more of the same. Diving-wise, conditions could not be more perfect. The laws of physics would have to be broken to make the sea any flatter than it is currently, and visibility on the dive sites is absolutely stunning; up to 30m at Chumphon pinnacle. The Gulf of Thailand is a lovely 30 degrees centigrade, so if you don't live here and haven't acclimatised (i.e. turned into a big local wuss), then you'll find it like getting into a warm bath! So if you're at home in Europe or America enjoying the Sun, it won't last much longer! So get yourself to Thailand and make your way down to Turtle island to work on those t-shirt, singlet, bikini and shorts tan lines!
Looks like now is an even more perfect than normal time to come to Koh Tao. After an uncharacteristic May & June with intermittent rain and wind, July and August have been consistently hot and sunny, and September is looking like being more of the same. Diving-wise, conditions could not be more perfect. The laws of physics would have to be broken to make the sea any flatter than it is currently, and visibility on the dive sites is absolutely stunning; up to 30m at Chumphon pinnacle. The Gulf of Thailand is a lovely 30 degrees centigrade, so if you don't live here and haven't acclimatised (i.e. turned into a big local wuss), then you'll find it like getting into a warm bath! So if you're at home in Europe or America enjoying the Sun, it won't last much longer! So get yourself to Thailand and make your way down to Turtle island to work on those t-shirt, singlet, bikini and shorts tan lines!
Big Blue Facebook
The Big Blue facebook page is a fantastic way for us to keep you updated on what we're up to. We regularly post about the latest activities and courses at Big Blue Tech, Big Blue Freediving, and Big Blue Conservation. We also put up any cool pictures taken by fun divers, and let you know when the next full day trip or beach clean up is happening. But we want more people to get involved and "like" us. So, while stocks last, if you're a fun diver, doing a try dive, or complete any course with us, you can claim a freebie in the form of a very handy key chain, or an environmentally sensible bag for life! All you have to do is show us that you have "liked" us on Facebook... They look cool, they're free, practical, and help the environment, so what are you waiting for!?
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 August 2013- We did the open water course and felt very comfortable from the beginnig. We were only 5 students in our group and had two awesome and very competent instructors (ask for Elena and Nick, aka as "Mr. Bean" or "Nick Carter") with whom we had lots of great laughs and fun! The dives were just awesome and the visibility was perfect so that we saw swarms of colorful fish and beautiful reefs. In a nutshell, it's a must do and I can totally recommend it to everyone! Our entire group was so amazed as we all went straight on to do the advanced course, after having enjoyed our open water diploma with a couple of well deserved beers! ;)
Plastic waste
If you go anywhere in Thailand, you'll quickly notice how readily any shop will place your purchase in a plastic bag, or give you a straw for your drink. This is a big big problem on Koh Tao, if that plastic gets into the ocean, it kills. Turtles and birds have been found dead because they swallow plastic and their digestive system gets blocked. Dive resorts all over Koh Tao are constantly having to remove them from Sairee beach as they wash ashore or are left after a days sunbathing or evening of partying. So please help to reduce the use of plastic. The next time you go to any shop, especially a 7-11, either have your own re-useable bag with you, or refuse a carrier bag, and say no to a straw!!
If you go anywhere in Thailand, you'll quickly notice how readily any shop will place your purchase in a plastic bag, or give you a straw for your drink. This is a big big problem on Koh Tao, if that plastic gets into the ocean, it kills. Turtles and birds have been found dead because they swallow plastic and their digestive system gets blocked. Dive resorts all over Koh Tao are constantly having to remove them from Sairee beach as they wash ashore or are left after a days sunbathing or evening of partying. So please help to reduce the use of plastic. The next time you go to any shop, especially a 7-11, either have your own re-useable bag with you, or refuse a carrier bag, and say no to a straw!!
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