Latest News- June 2015

Monday 29th June 2015

A hairy crab that was dubbed "The Hoff" after the bare chested US actor from Baywatch when it was first found in Antarctic waters has now been given a formal scientific description and name, from now it will be officially known as Kiwa tyleri. The crab will probably always be remembered by most people as “The Hoff’ as scientists have no humour cells and are no fun to invite to dinner parties (just ask Oliver Brown our resident chemistry geek). Seriously though, the scientific community's interest in this animal is altogether more serious than one of Oli’s dinner parties because its existence raises really important questions about how life survives, evolves and spreads through deep-sea environments. "The entire belly of the crab is covered in setae that are designed to brush up and harbour bacteria on a large scale," Southampton's Dr Sven Thatje explains.

The Hoff’s (Kiwa tyleri) habitat is a sharply constrained comfort zone inside what are otherwise fiercely hostile surroundings. The creature was found on East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean, at a depth of 2,000m. The waters down there are normally about zero Celsius, and to make a living the crab must crowd around so-called hydrothermal vents. These are volcanic rock systems that draw water through cracks in the seafloor, super-heat it, load it with dissolved metals and other chemicals, and then eject it back into the ocean. Specialized bacteria are able to exploit this hot fluid, and a whole ecosystem is then built on top of them. The crab feeds by "farming" the bacteria on its setae, using comb-like mouthparts to scrape off the microbes so that it can eat them. What is more, the crab has spines on its legs that allow it to climb the chimney-like structures that are common at these hot vent sites. This means it can get into just the right position where the conditions for good food production can be maximized.

So the United States of the World that is America has just passed the law for same sex marriages. Well Done America now you can all be as miserable as the rest of us when you get married, no more hiding!

Sunday 28th June 2015

Sorry it has been a while since the last update the Rock has been super busy and is only going to get busier which means if you are wanting accommodation with us you really need to book in advance (not the night before you arrive) as the island is filling up fast, maybe we should order a job lot of hammocks, tents and lilos for the pool!

4 years ago on the 18th June 2011 Koh Tao witnessed the sinking of the HTMS Sattakut (LCI 742). This military ship was first commissioned USS LCI 351(Landing Craft Infantry) by the US Navy in 1944 and was used in 3 missions during World War 2:

Western Caroline Islands Operation which was to capture and occupy southern Palau Island, 6th September –14th October 1944.

Okinawa Gunto Operation to assault and occupy, 26th March – 14th June 1945

Iwo Jima Operation to assault and occupy, 19th February – 3rd March 1945

The ship was soon decommissioned and was transferred to the Royal Thai Navy around May 1947. It was renamed HTMS Sattakut LCI- 742 where it was used as a patrol boat and was used in the 2004 Tsunami rescues. She was given to the Thai Conservation Department who then gave it to Koh Tao in 2011. This amazing wreck is the most popular artificial reefs on Koh Tao. Sitting at 30m and the shallowest point at the coning tower being around 21m and being spitting distance from Hin Pee Wee allows for the end of a dive to be nice and shallow. This dive is a must for any advanced diver and Technical divers. Advanced Divers are not allowed to penetrate (go inside) wrecks as specialist knowledge is needed, but with specialty dives and technical courses entering and swimming around the inside is pretty cool!! Nearly every single advanced course we teach visits the wreck, and why not, it’s not every day you get to dive on a bit of history that is on our doorstep.

So the Koh Tao Festival was another success! Big Blues Unsynchronised Swimming Team received the biggest cheer of the two days despite having a smaller crowd than the opening night! Well done and thank you to all those who were involved with the dance/ foolery, the lifeguards for holding up the set and looking fine while doing it- Ehem! The laughing behind the curtain continued well into the night for those lucky people who weren’t diving the next day. Also a Massive thank you also must go to Big Blues Mr And Miss Koh Tao good job for getting up on stage. Plans for next year’s show are underway with a few interesting ideas floating around. Full Monty anyone? Star Wars the Musical?

17^th June 2015

The latest craze right now sweeping Koh Taob is UV night dives. Fluorescence is a phenomenon that occurs when we shine blue, near UV lights on the corals. Some of the corals have a certain protein that absorbs the blue light and re-emit the light in a different wavelength (colour). This causes the corals to glow in the most amazing colours like green, yellow, orange and some even pink or red. Corals that normally appear dull brown in the daytime or under white light can take on vivid rainbow hues.

Using special blue UV light torches and funky yellow visors that go over your normal mask you’ll see a magical array of psychedelic colours. With glowing coral, sponges, fish, shrimps, crabs and other sea life, you won’t be disappointed. By the way, this is not the bioluminescence that you see on some night dives, it is only visible using the blue light torches and mask filters. Divers still use normal torches so they can compare the differences. The phenomenon of coral fluorescence is still full of mystery and the reasons why certain coral fluoresce are to this date unknown, could it be that the corals are protecting themselves from sunburn and coral bleaching? Does the fluorescence help the corals with photosynthesis in dark places? Do the anemones lure food into their stinging tentacles by attracting them with the fluorescence? What is the reason that a shrimps’ pinchers shine a fluorescent yellow? How come a scorpion fish that does its utmost to blend in with its surroundings emits a bright pink colour under a UV light? Some scientist and researchers speculate that the fish could be communicating through fluorescence. It is truly fascinating and just goes to show that we still have absolutely no idea about the complexities of this ecosystem we play in every day.

Big Blue Conservation offers UV night dives now and are available on request with our Divemasters. You do need to be an advanced diver to do UV night dives. You will be in for a treat and be blown away!!

Friday 12th June 2015

It's getting close now. The site for the annual Save Koh Tao Festival is under construction, with stalls made from palm tree leaves and coconuts, marine animals made from recycled materials, the traditional floating jellyfish lights. Our rehearsals for the big show are well underway with nightly practices on the beach with the sun setting and a beer in the hand, without giving too much away it will involve water, jumping, dancing, dunking and shower caps! Have you guessed it? Yes we will be Big Blue's Unsynchronised Swimming Team! Costumes and props have been prepared by our DMTs, music is being mixed and edited by our videographer Barry aka Barrycuda, and the steps have been hilariously choreographed by our very own Jacqui.

The festival on 18th- 19th June is a celebration of Koh Tao and help promote awareness to conserve our environment. Full days of activities such as cycling tours, underwater and land clean ups, giant clam rehoming and baby turtle releasing, there are exhibitions and workshops on sustainable living. This 2 day festival has been running for 12 years now and we are very proud to say we have given performances for the last 6 festivals kicking it all of was Grease which led the way for other dive shops to join in, needless to say we were always the best, of course. If you are around the area be sure to come over as these two days are great. The site is opposite Big Blue so you won't have to walk very far.

We also come together as a community and have meetings with local business operators. Koh Tao is not just about diving so we work together to help keep all aspects of the islands activities running smoothly. A little bit of education goes a long way. Educating local fishermen how destructive and dangerous the nets are to divers and the reefs. Simply avoiding actual dive sites and fishing legally in other places. We respect that the island was inhabited by fishermen first and it is a joint effort to work together so everyone is happy. SAVE KOH TAO

Latest News- May 2015

Saturday 30th May 2015

First time traveller? First time coming to Thailand? Going away travelling for the first time without the comfort of those package tours you do in Europe can be scary. It makes you grow a pair and learn to stand on your own two feet. Go with it, that's what travelling is all about, meeting people, and learning from mistakes, seeing new cultures and how other people live. Don't be a tourist who only eat in western KFC and McDonalds and won't try street meat because they are street vendors and there may be a few critters scampering around the floor. These are some of the best meals you may have and possibly the cheapest. Chicken on a stick with sticky rice, yum! Noodle soup, OMG! Instead be a traveller, who is open to the delights of what the world has to offer and experience it.

I have just come back from a visa run in Malaysia and it got me thinking about my very first time in Thailand. Here are a few useful tips to help you get started, and then once you get to Koh Tao and come to see us at Big Blue whether you are learning to do or are already certified we can all share our stories with a nice cold beer on the beach watching the sun go down.

When you book the tickets for the bus or train sometimes paying for a slightly more expensive one pays off. If you scrimp on things chances are so will they. Make sure all your valuables are on your body on the seat with you and not in your backpack in the hold underneath. Just go with the flow, they do this every day, if they tell you to wait and that another bus will pick you up, it will. Don't get nervous.

Be cautious of the food by the road where you stop for a toilet break, while thai food is amazing and 9 times out of 10 you won't have any issues, just think about the items of food you are going to buy. Rice and noodles that have been left standing for a while won't do you any harm, but when picking meat use your brain. You are going to be sat on a bus for another couple of hours so maybe just pick the veggies to save the risk of getting a dodgy tummy in a confined space and no direct access to a toilet!

Speaking of toilets...Take some toilet paper with you just in case. (it goes in the bin over here not down the toilet as they don’t have the same sewerage system we have, only put in the toilet what comes out of you.) While the bum gun is a probably one of the best inventions of all times and all hotels and hostels have them. Be aware that the road side stops have squat toilets that they don't all have bum guns or paper just a bucket and scoop. If you are scared by this hose don't be, it will change your life, and you will want to install one when you get home. The very first time you step up on the porcelain squat thrown can be daunting but again go with the flow. And a word of advice ladies, if you are going for pee face the wall, that way your jet stream goes down the hole and doesn't just get splashed up all over your flip flops (it only took me 5 years to work that bit out, for years I was using those pelvic floor muscles to control the speed which just made things worse!) number 2s however face away from the wall and aim into the hole not the flat part, you don't to use the scoop to help with the log flume!!

Make sure you have the right currency or cash with you that you can change just in case your cards don't work in the ATMs. No matter how many times you have told your bank that you are travelling, the one time when you will desperately need the ATM is the time they won't give you money, having cash makes those first 24 hours so much easier and the worries of how you are going to pay for your room, water and food are gone.

Don't lose you departure card, keep it with your passport to avoid any headaches and borders or airports, also take some copies of your passport just in case.

Use some common sense and don't lose bus or ferry tickets! They will charge you again!

The stories you will have to share with just getting from one place to another make up the whole experience of going travelling. What seems like a nightmare situation at the time will turn out to be the funniest thing that ever happened when you are sat in a bar sharing your stories with fellow travellers. Just remember TIT! This Is Thailand! Enjoy and happy travels, now let's do some #REALDIVING

Thursday 21st May 2015

Many people who come to Koh Tao may have been involved in or have witnessed a bike accident which sadly is quite a common thing here. Koh Tao does not have a hospital but we do have small clinics that work super hard. In the last year or so we have been very lucky in gaining Koh Tao Rescue Team, a purely volunteer ran team that are on call 24 hours a day and is basically our closest thing to an ambulance and EMTs. The team consists of restaurant owners, cooks, hotel staff and an ex British Army Royal Engineer, who have all been trained in emergency trauma care. When the call comes in they literally drop everything including cooking your meals to get to the scene. 90% of the call outs are to motorbike accidents whether it is local Thais or farang (tourists). Other call outs are heart attacks, heat complaints such as dehydration or heat exhaustion among others. On the 2nd May members of the Rescue Team arrived in Nepal to be part of Thailand’s advanced Rescue Team to assist with the devastation after the earthquake. The mission of search and recovery soon changed to that of a humanitarian role, ensuring rural areas received food, water and other supplies as well as any medical attention. Koh Taos Rescue team members returned to Koh Tao a few days ago and we are very proud of every single one of them who risked their own lives to help the lives of others, many of them want to return to continue with the mission in Nepal. To do our bit Big Blue Diving will be hosting our monthly Full Moon Pub Quiz and the proceeds of which plus any extra donations will be given to the Koh Tao Rescue Team. They do a thankless job on Koh Tao for everyone and receive no government funding at all, relying solely on donations. This is an organisation very close to our hearts as some of our team have been at the receiving end of the treatment and care that these remarkable people give.

Congratulations to Big Blue Diving’s SSI Instructors Erin, Liam and Erik who breezed through their instructor exam to crossover become PADI instructors. Having been taught how to be SSI Instructors at Big Blue already with our SSI Instructor Trainers and having already taught heaps of SSI courses already, this cross over was a walk in the park. Well Done guys now stops faffing about pretending to learn something you already know and get back to work!

Big Blue Dive Clubs 3 day trip to Chumphon Marine Park will be leaving on the 23rd May. With dive sites similar to Chumphon Pinnacle but shallower and more spectacular and a wreck HTMS Prab which is identical to the HTMS Sattakut but again shallower and with heaps more marine life. This trip is going to be a good one as no other divers head out to the marine park from Koh Tao so Big Blue guests will have the sites to themselves! This trip is suitable for all levels of diving so Open water divers can enjoy this trip also. If you are on Koh Tao right now and you are interested pop into the shop and ask for more details. For more information on future trips the Big Blue Dive Club have on offer visit the group page on Facebook or email info@bigbluetech.net

Sunday 17^th May 2015

Are you sick of your daily commute to work, stuck in traffic or on a cramped train or bus? Tired of grey spring/ autumn/ winter days and summer days that you get to enjoy through a window because you are trapped in the office, car or train? Are you bored of doing the same thing day in day out? Want to change your career? Why not think about starting a career in the diving industry? Here at Big Blue we offer the Zero to Hero package that will take you from Open Water Diver all the way up to being an Instructor. If you ask 90% of our staff they came to Koh Tao on a holiday, then fell in love with the laid back island lifestyle and the family feel that Big Blue has to offer. I for one can fall into that category, having come to Koh Tao in 2006 as a very new and quite nervous Open Water Diver, I proceeded in doing a refresher then my Advanced course. The nerves soon disappeared once I realised the standard of care, patience and professionalism mixed in with a huge dose of fun and great people was just perfect. It wasn’t long before I had made the phone call home informing the folks that I wouldn’t be returning as planned and that I am now a DMT (Divemaster Trainee). 3 months later I was lucky enough to be working as a Divemaster for Big Blue having worked at a few other dive centres first. Now an instructor for 8 years the rest they say is history. It is now 2015 and Koh Tao is home.

You may already have been diving for years but want to learn more about what actually goes on with the science of diving but not necessarily want to work in the industry, the Divemaster programme will teach you all about the physics, physiology, dive planning and environment as well as how to lead certified divers (if you ever change your mind about working). Check out our courses and packages and see which one is best for you, or send us an email at info@bigbluediving.com then once you get here we will sit down and enjoy a nice cold refreshing beer and watch the sun go down over the Gulf of Thailand- aahhhhh bisto!

Have you seen Tripadvisor lately? Koh Tao has been rated in the Top 10 islands to visit. Can't blame them really this place is bloody awesome!

Wednesday 14^th May 2015

If you love sharks then you must get watching the new documentary series from the BBC called Sharks. From watching the first episode, I now have a new favourite shark.

The Epaulette Shark. -The Great Barrier Reef is a tough place to live, even for a shark. Extreme tides and high temperatures leave the reef as a series of rock pools at low tide. Bigger sharks are forced into deeper water, leaving the Epaulette shark alone to exploit the riches of the reef undisturbed. Unlike any other shark, the Epaulette has an uncanny ability to walk. It uses its fins as prototype legs to crawl over the exposed reef between rock pools that contain its prey. But no shark can breathe out of water. This is not a problem for the epaulette shark though, as it can survive 60 times longer without oxygen than humans can! In order to do this the little shark slows its breathing and heart rate and powers down its brain. These incredible physiological changes mean the Epaulette shark has more time to hunt on the reef before the tide rises and the bigger sharks move back in. This shark is truly the master of the intertidal environment. The programme shows the hunting techniques of a variety of sharks including the great white and with of 2000 hours underwater filming not one diver was hurt, attacked or put in a threatening situation.  Just goes to show that sharks are not as scary as they have been made out to be.

Big Blue is now making preparations for the upcoming Save Koh Tao Festival on 18-19 June. We have produced some spectacular performances over the years, and this year we will be jumping back up on stage for another show. As well as the dive shop performances there are live bands, the Tour De Tao cycle race, turtle releases, beach and underwater clean ups, Mr and Mrs Koh Tao which is always rigged so one shop always wins. The kids of Koh Tao will be out in force too, showing projects from school. The festival is 2 days of awareness of looking after our beautiful paradise, from recycling to water usage.  The festival is always popular with the local community and also travelers who can’t beat a good party. Who needs the full moon party when we have the Save Koh Tao Festival!

Tuesday 12^th May 2015

We saw another bunch of Divemasters celebrate their signing off with a DM challenge. The theme was Trashy Barbie (their choice) and the usual games, humiliation, abuse, buckets and shots we enjoyed by our latest divemasters. No stone is left unturned when it comes to finding out about the details of their time on Koh Tao, Mentor and Master of Ceremonies SSImon Garrity was on form on the mike as per usual Please note that these Challenges are completely voluntary and are not part of the training, they are strictly an adult theme though. Well Done Divemasters. I wonder how many of our past Divemaster still have the shirt that is signed at the end of the night. I know I still have mine and it still stinks of Ugly Dog 9 years on!

So what else is there to do on Koh Tao when you are not cruising around underwater?

Not Diving?  Well For those people who still want to be in the water but maybe can’t go diving or have no interest in diving there is Shark Bay; best place on Koh Tao to see baby black tip reef sharks and a resident huge turtle. The road to get there is straight forward and easily accessible. We also have Koh Nang Yuan which is the small island situated just north west of Sairee, you can rent a kayak or a longtail taxi boat and enjoy the views from the viewpoint. Just make sure you take plenty of water and sun protection.

Hungry?  Everyone needs to eat right and Koh Tao has some of the best restaurants around, from Su Chilli in Sairee for some of the best Thai food around to Fizz which has an amazing menu and is found on the beach near Lotus. Fizz is a great location for travellers with young children, with the European owners having 2 small children themselves this is a perfect spot to watch the sunset and feed the little ones before bedtime. Choppers plays live sport most nights and nearly all the big events will be shown regardless of the time difference, the owner is for Australia but that can’t be helped. Rugby World Cup 2015 will be a great time as this is when all the rugby supporters who live on Koh Tao get together for some friendly banter and bets in the bar.

Wanna sweat some more?  From Gladiator circuit training and cross fit  to Thai Boxing if you want to come and work off those buckets and red,yellow and green curries you have been scoffing there is a wide variety of classes and gyms available with a pay as you go price or monthly membership.

There is much much more to Koh Tao than just Scuba Diving, so when you have finished your Open Water course don’t leave straight away. Stick around and see what else Koh Tao has to offer.

Thursday 7^th May 2015

The sun is bright, the weather is hot and the visibility is glorious. Whalesharks have been hanging around for a while and the resort is full of very happy divers. This is probably one of the best times of year to visit Koh Tao so instead of sitting behind your desk in your little cubicle in the job that you hate, just book that flight and get over here and share this magical island of treasures with us. Especially now, it’s not every day you get to see one of the biggest fish in the see while you are finishing off your open water course but that is what happened to some very lucky students this morning at Southwest Pinnacle.

With the sightings of whalesharks and a very bad youtube video being posted by a dive professional based in Vietnam, we at Big Blue and Koh Tao as a community would like to remind everyone that whilst diving or snorkelling you must never touch the marine life and corals. Coral may look like rocks and you may think they are strong enough for you to stand on while you are snorkelling or diving, but they are not, you are standing on a very fragile animal that has taken years to grow, they have enough to deal with having the hungry parrotfish munching on them all day. We can not ignore the pressing topic of climate change and global warming and for us as divers we sadly get to see this impact everyday. Over fishing, pollution, total disregard to an eco system that is vital to our survival. So what can you do to help, well here a just a few things..

$    1.  Be sparing with water, limit your usage in the shower, turn the water off while you lather yourself up and only turn it on to wash off the suds, even better share a shower with someone!

$    2.  Do you really need to flush EVERY time you use a toilet at home or in your hotel room? Ok I’m not telling you to leave a nasty stinking floater in the bowl for the next person to admire but remember the saying “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down’.

$    3. Please put on your sun cream an HOUR BEFORE your go in the sea, the chemicals in sun cream that protect our skin actually damage to corals own sun defence system making it more susceptible  to bleaching and disease.

$    4. Say no to plastic, this no matter where you are will always eventually end up in the ocean, these end up being teeny tiny microscopic bits of plastic that the fish ingest which in turn we ingest by eating then.

$    5.  Do not touch marine life of any form. Do not touch artificial reef which include wrecks, coral nurseries and objects sunk to promote marine life.

$    6. Throw nothing into the seas except yourself. No cigarette butts, no trash, nothing!

Latest News- April 2015

Sunday 26^th April 2015

To all our returning students and divers please remember that we are still alive and kicking and that we have moved location just a little further up Sairee towards the North (not quite the Great Ice Wall but the boss man Jim is our King of The North, just don’t tell him he already was killed at the Red Wedding!!) It is further away from Lotus Bar which means the we are no longer next to the nasty stinky pipe and we have a much cleaner and quieter beach. You might still spot a couple of wildlings at the other end of the beach around last orders and possible some wobbly bucket holding white walkers but we are a much more civilized bunch in the North! Ok enough Game of Thrones references now. Star Wars next…

Well done to the Koh Tao community who supported Earth Day 2015 with a huge clean up. This time instead of the usual beach and dive site clean ups we went in land and headed to the roads looking for trash. To be fair we didn’t have to look far as unfortunately the roads and drains were pretty full, in one section alone outside a dive school we will not mention we filled 17 rice bags with rubbish! Plastic was the biggest culprit, bottles and straws and bags. 2 of these items are not necessary, you do not need a straw to drink out of a can or a bottle so don’t use them, if you do for shakes and fresh coconuts throw them in the bin!!! Plastic bags may be a convenience but you do not need them. Reusable bags are all the rage now and will easily fit into your bag for when you stop off in 7-11 for an air-con break. Do you really need to put a packet of cigarettes and your toasties in a plastic bag? No!!! Just say no to straws and no to plastic bags. To go one further we at Big Blue Restaurant have started using paper straws for our shakes, which are fully biodegradable. Go Big Blue. Huge thanks to Rachel and Big Blue conservation for getting us all involved and for being part of the community clean up, we even had the local Police cleaning with us.

As the Similan season comes to an end a few of our lucky DMTs and Instructors have headed off over the Khao Lak to jump on the last trip. With whispers of mantas, turtles, ghost pipefish and seahorses let hope they all found what they were looking for. As is typical at the time of year they arrived to a massive down pour which left them no other choice but to shelter between 2 golden arches and scoff yummy processed food that wouldn’t be seen dead on Koh Tao. The Swedish vegans in the group just licked the windows as the dripping rain water tasted better than the cardboard they normally eat. Have a good trip.

14th April 2015

So much for a hot Songkran!! The saying goes when it rains it pour it did it pour down yesterday! In celebration of the water festival the heavens opened and mother-nature soaked us all with her massive water pistol! Thankfully the buckets of ice water ran out fairly early and the best place to yesterday was in the sea as it was warm. A group of us went down to raid a few other dive schools and then returned to join in the festivities for the Thai New Year. Most of us were in bed by 6pm having partied hard with our Thai staff.

The top bods from SSI have been over to Koh Tao to help promote the new DiveSSI dive app for your mobiles and tablets. This app is really great and allows you to see your certification cards and you can do your homework and study at home as you can download the digital manuals once you have been registered, in all major languages. You can also log your dives and be kept updated on any chances with the dive community. Koh Tao is now predominantly an SSI teaching island, and Big Blue has one of SSI’s most experienced instructor trainers who has been with us here for over 15 years. We still teach PADI courses and most of our instructors are able to teach both SSI and PADI. #REALDIVING

Whaleshark soup right now and Southwest seems to be the main location for these beauties as well as Sail Rock so we are planning a full day trip on Thursday the 16th April. The full day trip includes 3 dives breakfast, lunch, soft drinks, brownies and some of the best dive guides on Koh Tao! The FDT is 3800 baht

Thursday 9th April

Koh Tao is HOT HOT HOT right now and the diving is spectacular. The full moon rush is over so if you are planning on heading over to do some diving now is the time. The sea is as flat as a mirror and the sunsets are mouth-watering enough to have you heading to the bar after a great days diving for a cold refreshing beverage. Apart from the fact that I am sweating enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool I do have to say I love this time of year, having to add an extra 15 minutes to your walking time because you have to pop into every 7-11 and pharmacy for an air-con break!

The mass invasion of previous Big Blue staff has come to an end. The two weddings were spectacular! Congratulations for Emily and Craig and also to Hannah and Stephen, it is going to take a lot to beat that wedding! Next up will be Skui and Rod! Big Blue Babies will be launched soon. Bubble makers in the making!

The Thai New Year festival Songkran is just a few days away on the 13th April. Please be aware that travelling may be busier than usual due to this huge 2 day water fight! Be prepared to be hosed down with ice water (yes!!) and have talc put on your face as a sign of thanks. We only dive in the morning on this day so as to give our Thai and Burmese staff the afternoon and night off! It doesn’t take much to get these guys up for a party!!!!

Latest News- March 2015

Tuesday 24th March 2015

The Instructor Training classroom has been busy this week with a group of new SSI Instructor candidates who have been studying hard in preparation for their Instructor Exam. With a mixture of classroom, pool and open water sessions they cover all aspects of how to be an instructor. Jai, Jacqui and Mahdi have been led by Simon Garrity, Koh Tao’s, Asia’s’, and quite possibly the world’s Number 1 Instructor Trainer. Joining these candidates a few of our current SSI instructors Tim, Ami, Mike and Daisy are upgrading their present instructor rating to become Dive Control Specialist Instructors. Big Blue Diving certifies more SSI divers than anywhere else and with our SSI Divemaster programme also headed up by Simon and is band of merry mentors we also certify the most professional divers in the industry. We pride ourselves in the fact that Big Blue trained Dive master’s and instructors are possibly some of the best trained around, with other dive shops trying to poach them away from us. Following the completion of the exam the new instructors will have an internship at Big Blue where they can continue to learn and fine tune their skills by team teaching with current experienced instructors who can guide them in how to really be the best instructor possible. Erik and JD who were our last candidates now work full time at Big Blue, so it just goes to show that all that hard work pays off. #REALDIVING #REALTRAINING if you are interested in hanging up the staplers and office clothes and changing your career to something more fun contact our SSI trainers at info@bigbluepro.com

Other BIG news!!! Jim Donaldson our fearless leader dusted off his regulators and BC yesterday and joined the rest of us hard working bunch on the boat to go fun diving! Big Blue Movies Billy Cloud used this as a perfect opportunity to give his videographer intern Anouk a chance to film some extremely experience people underwater! Dan and Tim two of our instructors from the good ole days joined Jim, Tamma and Matt on their underwater performance but due to their slightly over enthusiastic-ness the film and the fact that when Dan jumped in his fins fell off she decided it was rated x and has been put forward for our staff Christmas video instead as it couldn’t be shown in the bar without possibly offending some small children or people with no sense of humour! Big Blue knows how to put the fun in fun diving!- cheesy yes!

Tuesday 17th March

Today is St Patrick’s Day: Patron Saint of Alcoholics! Anyone from anywhere seems to be able to celebrate this day and join in on the craic! No matter where you are in the world, pretty much every city has at least one Irish Bar. The invasion of the Shamrock and Guinness is everywhere!! Even here at Big Blue, we have not been able to avoid this invasion over the years with Greek (who is Irish but has a silly name) running our Higher Ground Bar and convincing us to do The Riverdance an Irish caili for the Save Koh Tao Festival and Mama G who has been a resident on Koh Tao for more years than anyone can remember and who is now the owner of Moov. We have to put up with fiddle playing and jigs and calls of ‘to be sure’ and most morning G can be heard shouting to the restaurant staff ‘where are her Lucky Charms’!!! G has turned her nice chilled out club into a Green Grotto for today’s celebrations, and I think everyone except Nick ‘Sid Sloth’ Bufton will be there as he is still recovering from his momentous 30th Birthday celebrations on Koh Samui, come to think of it has any one actually seen Sid? Or is he still clinging to a tree wearing a dress and wig on Samui?

Big Blue is not just the best dive school on Koh Tao where you should come to learn how to dive. It also has some of the islands best Divemasters. The Divemaster are responsible for the daily running of the dive trips, making sure the instructor have suitable sites for students, and basically making sure the place runs smoothly. Once they get out of the shop and get on the boats they come to life. Our Divemaster team have vast amounts of knowledge on these dive sites and if you are going fun dive you will have a fantastic time. With a combination of fun/ Geordie humour, seriousness, passion and nerdy knowledge you will not be disappointed with these guys! Headed up by our most senior and most hairy man ever to walk the planet Steven Develter , the self-proclaimed ‘best Divemaster on Koh Tao and the world’ and followed closely but Nick, Stephen and Carly and with the awesome help of Sunna, Linna, Angel and Jai whether its stingrays or shrimps or the tiniest nudibranch, these Divemaster will show you.

So if you are already certified and want to be shown an abundance of life that Koh Taos waters have to offer these are the guys you should do it with.

Friday 13th March

You may sitting at your desk or stuck in traffic jam scrolling through the web for holiday options and be asking yourself what is so great about diving? well let me tell you just a few things..

1. About 71% of the Earth's surface is covered in water, and the oceans hold about 96.5 of all Earth's water, not to mention lakes and rivers.

2. A study published by PLoS Biology, says a staggering 91% of the species in the seas have yet to be discovered, described and catalogued.

3. Once underwater, you’ll get to meet a dazzling array of fish and marine mammals. Encountering the bigger fish is certainly my favourite part of scuba diving, but you will not believe your eyes when you will discover the amazing biodiversity present in our oceans. Seeing marine creatures such at very close range, following them around and watching them eat and play while you gently swim past, is a unique experience that cannot be replicated in any aquarium.

4. By exploring the seas, you can actually protect wildlife! By choosing to see sharks, sea turtles, barracudas, and other sea creatures in their natural environment you are actively discouraging keeping wildlife in captivity.

5. The underwater world is very peaceful and quiet. Aside from your own breathing, you cannot hear a sound. It is such a great place where you can relax and forget about the ‘real world’ and leave your worries behind on the shore. I love the fact that you can empty your mind and just let yourself be amazed.

6. Scuba diving is like any other hobby: it gives you the chance to meet new people. So even if your friends or family don’t feel up for it, you can always try it out on your own. The lessons are usually for groups of four or five people that have exactly the same doubts and fears that you have. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there! After the lesson, you will probably go for drinks and talk about what happened underwater – a great way to end the session and make it even more memorable.

So what are you waiting for? Here at Big Blue we start Open Water courses every day and it only takes 4 days for you to get you full certification which will then allow you to dive all over the world wherever the is water! And as you have seen there is a lot of it, and whats more you get to do it on a beautiful island in the gulf of Thailand with some pretty amazing and experienced instructors. But be warned you may never want to leave once you see what is below the surface, just ask any of us who work here… a 2 week holiday for us turned in a career at the best dive school on Koh Tao!!

8th March 2015

A few very lucky instructors and dive masters has just left to go on a liveaboard in Sipidan which was formed over thousands of years as living corals grew on top of an extinct volcano in Malaysia. If they are lucky enough (which we blatantly hope they are not) they have the chance of seeing white tip, black tip, thresher sharks and even scalloped hammerheads, more varieties of rays to shake a pointy stick and the odd turtle. This region is famous for its strong current so is not suitable for everyone. Jealous? Us? No, not at all! We have our Whalesharks to play with.

Last night saw another Divemaster Challenge in the theme of Oktoberfest! There were dirndls and lederhosen, thigh slapping, beer drinking antics all night to celebrate Hannah and Albert’s graduation. The Divemaster Challenge is technically not part of the course. It is an added extra that the trainees can choose not to do? So the embarrassment is all down to them and we give them a night to remember, or at least remember bits of it.

The island is about to have a mass invasion of old Big Blue family members as we prepare for 2 weddings in the space of a week. Emily and Craig are two instructors who met at Big Blue and we also have Hannah and Stephen, Hannah was a dive master here and Stephen was our local one man band, he could be found singing and playing his guitar at various venues around KohTao. It will be the first time many of the guests have seen our new resort and with returning ex-staff members it will be a week or 2 of antics! And where better to have a wedding than on the small tropical island of Koh Tao where the magic of the 10 metre club happened all those years ago..

4th March 2015

Our full day trippers to Sail Rock were treated to not one but 2 whalesharks yesterday. The baby whalesharks was only around 3 metres, but hung around for everyone to see and snorkel with. Congratulations you lucky advanced students and fundivers, even some DMTs had their whaleshark cherry popped! This is the 2nd day a whalesharks has been seen around Koh Tao. And this morning a spotted eagle ray was seen at Chumphon Pinnacle. With reports of people seeing sharks at Southwest ( or it was just a big cobia and their mask was foggy!) its turning into a great start at our new resort.

Koh Tao has 5 Thai Navy ships moored up on Sairee right now. These ships are similar to the HTMS Sattakut that was sunk back in 2011 to make an artificial reef and playground students doing wreck courses. The Thai Navy are here for their cadet training, whispers are going around about seeing if we could sink another one to add to the Sattakut. I think the guns and torpedoes on these ships might be a good deterrent. They are very impressive looking vessels and look spectacular lit up at night. I wonder if there are any submarines out there waiting to creep up on us during our dives!

1st March 2015

A very BIG thank you has to go to everyone who was at our farewell party the other night. It was definitely a night to remember, well to be honest not many of us can remember any of it but the pictures kind of do!! With half price drinks and drinking till the bar was dry, I think we gave our old resort the send-off it deserved. (no diving the next day obviously)

If you are thinking about coming over to learning to dive or you are already certified and would like to come diving with us, please be aware that it is full moon on the 5th and the islands accommodation fills up very quickly. So be sure to get here early. If there is no accommodation at Big Blue we can still help you find somewhere to stay while you are here.

Funny story in the news about a diver in Vancouver that has her face hugged by a giant pacific octopus. Natasha Dickinson was doing research with her diving partner, Jackie Hildering, off the coast of Port Hardy, B.C., when the pair got up close and personal with a giant Pacific octopus. Hildering documented the encounter on her blog, The Marine Detective, in the hopes of educating people about the often misunderstood predator.
“So what to do when you find a giant Pacific octopus on your dive buddy’s head? Observe, marvel, take some photos, share and maybe it can help dispel some of the mythology and vilification about these fabulous marine neighbours,” Hildering wrote.

It’s not everyday you get an underwater cuddle from a marine animal!

Latest News- February 2015

27th February 2015

The Divemaster mentors took the new Trainees, all 40 of them on an epic night dive the other night, they went to Shark Island where nobody else on Koh Tao would be diving, and had the site all to themselves and the conditions were perfect. This group of Divemaster trainees are working through a new teaching format which has been a great success. With the entire classroom based work and exams completed, they can now concentrate on developing their water based skills. As well as night dive workshops they have done Buoyancy and a Search and Recovery workshop. With all the theory understood they are ready sink their teeth into assisting instructors and working with the Divemasters in leading certified divers. Really good job guys Well Done.

This week has seen the first and last of many things, first dive trips departing from our new resort, the last ever DMT meeting at the old resort. First courses being taught in Chaba, and tonight will be our last drinks in the Big Blue Bar previously known to many as Deck Bar, Blue Bar and Higher Ground to name a few. The Farewell party is tonight at Higher Ground. There may be a few tears!

The full day trip guys went off at the crack of someone called dawn to enjoy the delights of Sail Rock, it has been a long time coming this year but the visibility is now up to 20-25 metres – nice! Lots of fish and a few GoPros found on the bottom too! Only thing missing on this trip was a Whaleshark! So its fingers crossed time that these big beauties start making the rounds past Koh Tao

14th February 2015

Last night we held a Charity Valentine Auction in which participants from Big Blue, Rocktopus and Pheonix divers, sold themselves off to the highest bidder. From the start of the night it was clear it would be an adult only night and small children were banished off to bed. We raised a massive 38,000 baht which will be split between 2 charities that are close to all our hearts. Firstly the Koh Tao Animal Clinic who provide and unending amount of support and love to all the island animals and pets and also to Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians who are actively promoting and preventing the brutality of killing poor dolphins and whales in Taiji Bay, Japan. Yesterday was World Love for Dolphins Day. Members of staff were sold, abused, stripped and basically given no choice in what they were told to do as it was for such good causes. The night was incredible and we thank all of you for taking part and apologise to people who were out beaten in the auction war, and to anyone we may have blinded by the sight of certain instructors undress- all for charity!

So where are you? Sitting in an office cubicle staring dreamily at our pictures or you are deciding where to go next on your holiday, or maybe you are in Asia and trying to decide where to go next. Thailand should be high up there on your list. Not only is the weather fantastic, we have great food, great Thai boxing, and they love Mr Bean! But of course the diving here is great. Koh Tao is the perfect place to do your initial certification. Gaining your Open Water certificate is a great achievement and one of our passions as instructors is seeing you graduate and see our passion infect you. Speak to most of our instructors and divemasters and they will tell you how they came here for a 2 week holiday and just never left. If you want to do some more experienced diving we also have Big Blue Khao Lak which offer liveaboard and day trips out to the Similan and Surin Islands. Or we have our Technical diving team that can take you beyond the limits of recreational diving, and introduce you to deeper and more equipment intensive diving. On the other hand you may not want to dive with all the bulky equipment so we also have Freediving here. Basically if it has anything to do with water we can do it! So what are you waiting for, book that ticket and head over to see us. But warn your boss and family as you may not want to return!

10th February 2015

As you may have seen on our facebook page a few days ago, it is official; we are preparing to move to our new resort which isn’t really new as it has been called Big Blue 2 for a few years already. We are building a new equipment room, new classrooms and offices and more accommodation and come the 1st March we will be down there permanently. Many of you who have done courses with us in the last few years will already know the location with our swimming pool for courses. Same faces, same diving just a new (ish) location which is only a 4 minute walk from Big Blue 1 on Sairee Beach where we can still enjoy our sunset beers when all the diving is done.

So many people have been through Big Blue Diving over the 21 years, you as our most valuable people our guests and students, but also as DMTs, as Divemasters and Instructors, our dogs (Ugly and BBD aka The General aka Big Black Dog aka Bebo, Sausage, Panda, MooMoo, and Uri), not to mention all our restaurant staff, boat staff and Captains. Big Blue is and always will be a special place to many of us, having made possibly some of the most amazing friends ever! That being said it is the people not just the place and apart from the location changing these friendships and memories are what brings us back year, after year, after year, yes it will be a sad time for many of us who have worked at Big Blue 1 whether it is for only a year or 10 years, we all have some very fond memories of working and playing at this resort. That is why we are inviting you all to our Farewell Bash on Friday 27th February at The Higher Ground Bar. This is open to everyone, so if you are trying to decide where to do your diving course, or if you are already a certified diver and you want to come fun diving, come and do it will us, this is a very exciting time for us and we would love it if you could be with us. #realdiving

Side mount course have been really kicking off the last few weeks and incorporating them with wreck Specialties our Techies have been busy. If you are interested in doing something a little different while you are over here this is an option. Instead of having the tank strapped to your back you have one mounted under each are, giving you better buoyancy in the water and with 2 tanks you can have much longer dives. If you’re interested contact us at info@bigbluetech.net

Latest News- January 2015

30th January 2015

I can’t believe it is the end of January already, it seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the New Year in! The conditions have cleared up a lot over the past few weeks and we have been able to get out to Sail Rock on our Full Day trips. Sail Rock is probably the best dive site we have in the Gulf of Thailand and we try and get out there as often as we can. The full day trips consist of 3 dives, breakfast, lunch and soft drinks. With huge schools of fish, giant moray eels, macro, and the chance of a passing Whaleshark (sigh) these trips must not be missed while you are in Thailand.

Ever since the documentary Blackfish pulled back the curtain on the lives of captive orcas, SeaWorld has seen some serious backlash. Corporate sponsors such as Hyundai Motor America, Southwest Airlines, and Virgin America have cut ties with the company, many celebrities and condoned the parks actions and have distanced themselves, and attendance is down. The latest people to sever ties with SeaWorld are the Miami Dolphins. Jason Jenkins, Miami Dolphins senior vice president of communications and community affairs, confirmed to that the partnership will end, though he explained it is not an early termination. The contract between the organizations ends in March, and it will not be renewed.

If you have not seen the documentary please have a look and make your own opinion on it, also The Cove is also a very intense film about how dolphins are caught in nets and sold to ‘trainers’, but it is those poor dolphins that do not get picked for be paraded around in aquariums that are needlessly slaughtered instead of being released back into the oceans.

So we introduced you to a few of our instructors the other day, here are a few more:

Denja Steigmeier

Comes from the lucrative world of International Banking, lives on a mountain, stashes dodgy 2nd World War art pieces in her cellar, eats cheese & chocolates, likes snowboarding, yodelling, cuckoo clocks and milking cows! Denja used to work at another dive center here on Koh Tao till we put the word out that we were looking for a hot looking German chick to join the team but as we couldn’t find one had to settle on her. & what a catch! Extremely punctual, very clean and won’t be offended if you can’t say her name right! Another one of our Bikini models Denja is also an experienced SSI and PADI Diving Professional & one of our most popular Instructors having recorded an amazing 50% of her Open Water Students in 2014 stayed on to do their Advanced Course with her. Probably got nothing to do with her teaching, it’s all that Toblerone she gives them!

Sonia Scott

Ex- Great Britain Rugby International & sports physiotherapist, is also our resident Dive Medic & one of our most experienced members of the team. Sonia has worked in Scuba Diving as a Divemaster, a PADI & SSI Instructor, a Dive Medic Technician, a Liveaboard Dive Operations Manager & a Dive Center Manager. She’s certified thousands of novice divers & hundreds of diving professionals. She’s worked for Big Blue Diving in Koh Tao & Big Blue Diving in Khao Lak & she worked at the largest Dive operation on Thailands west coast & also opened their Dive Center in Komodo, Indonesia & is one of the few people in the world who have ever dived across the Equator in complete Open Ocean. … … (sigh) … … … I’ll get my coat.

Ant Edgely

Mini Ant used to be a big shot Architect with many of his fine erections scattered throughout London & was offered a job by one of the UK's largest building firms but turned them down in order to become a Big Blue Diving DMT! Could have been a disastrous decision for Ant but luckily he excelled at his DM Training & went straight on to become an SSI Instructor and was immediately offered a job by another Dive shop on Koh Tao before we told them to bugger off! "He's ours!" Now works as one of our Full Time SSI & PADI Instructor's Ant is still trying to keep his eye in the architectural game & totally designed our Mothership MV Waverunner. A bit of elbow grease here and a bit of imagination there & Ant has gone & created another fine erection!

Matt Waters

Ex Military so exceptionally presentable and will turn up to class punctually and with immaculately clean booties on! Will probably call you sir and end every sentence with the word ‘Rodger’! Matt also worked at a competitive Dive center here on Koh Tao before realizing there’s only 1 shop on Koh Tao really worth working at. When he didn’t get that job he ended up here! A PADI and SSI Instructor Matt is possibly our most recommended Instructor on Trip Advisor. Doesn't mean he's any good. Just means he's on Trip Advisor a lot! Military Matt is an excellent catch for us here at Big Blue, you know just in case we get invaded by ISIS or the Americans!

25th January 2015

Tomorrow is Australia Day and Big Blue seems to have accumulated quite a few of these flaming galahs! Having to put up with the very strange way that these people speak can be very confusing as they stick an o onto every word and name! Steve-o, John-o, arvo, drongo, smokeo, everything is ripper or too easy and if its not then you're a drongo! They brought us the god awful vegemite, Rolf Harris and Kylie Minogue! Although some of us do quite enjoy a small Singha!!! As custom to the Aussies, our bunch of wallaby lovers will be cooking up some shrimps on the Barbie and enjoying a cold tinny mate! So put on your cork hats, wife beaters, budgie smugglers and thongs, fill up the esky and have a yourself a ripper of a day! AAh yyeeeah!

And here are some more of our Instructors…….

Petra Bauer- Swedish

Petra started her Dive career as a PADI Instructor at another shop here on Koh Tao but soon saw the light & crossed over to do her SSI Instructor Course with South East Asia's leading SSI Instructor Trainer who coincidentally also happens to be working at Big Blue! So impressed were we with her Swedish assets, Petra was employed before she'd even finished her training! And now holds the prestigious honour of having won our Best Instructor award 2 years in succession. Petra is also responsible for organising the islands Swedish Summer Solstice whereby every single Swede comes over to Big Blue dressed up in togas and laurel wreaths to get really drunk & dance around a Maypole. Drunken Swedish girls in bikinis & togas! & you thought people came here for the Diving!

Neil Draycott

He could have been the 6th member of the boy band Take That but producers decided they'd rather have someone who had absolutely no talent what so ever! So he formed his own band instead! Neil has calmed down a lot since reaching the dizzying heights of Rock stardom! Once hailed by NME as the next major British Ska band to hit the big time. A performing music legend at festivals, live gigs & concert halls, scantily clad in his socks Dr. Martens boots, & strategically placed Trumpet, Neil is now an unassuming SSI, PADI & BSAC Instructor and a power boating Instructor as well & with over 6 years’ experience on Koh Tao working in the scuba diving Industry is one of our very best Instructors here at Big Blue & the guy many of our interns aspire to be. Oh no sorry that’s Robbie Williams.

Luke White

Another one of our triple certified Instructors, PADI, SSI & BSAC. Luke comes from a place in England I only thought existed in fairy tales & children’s horror stories- Grimsby! Need I give any other reason as for why Luke finds himself gainfully employed in one of the world’s most amazing locations? Looks like he's just stepped out of a line up for a Sparta movie, Luke is nothing like the scary Barbarian his outward appearance would have you perceive! Calm, funny, relaxed, very easy going Luke has found himself right at home at Big Blue, & having just tied the knot last year is ready to settle down to a life of domestic abuse, physical violence, unpredictable mood swings, enslavement & enforced manual labour. Who’d have thought the similarities between Marriage & Grimsby were so alike!

Ernesto Guijarro Adame- Spanish

When not eating or playing guitars or flamenco dancing, Ernie teaches both SSI & PADI Courses from Open Water all the way thru to Divemaster and won our 2014 Staff Award for Best Dive Staff which is an equivalent victory to say that of winning the PFA Player of the year in World Football. Here is a guy that’s truly loved by everyone. Patient, hardworking, funny, social, enthusiastic, flamboyant, helpful, humourous & warm hearted. He’s like the Antonio Banderas of Scuba Diving, you know if he had more hair & was better looking. So maybe not Antonio Banderas, more like Manuel in Fawlty Towers.

21st January 2015

Big Blue Conservation had our monthly beach and reef clean up the other day which was joined by the divemaster trainees and some of our guests (anything to get a free dive hey). The team collected from Hin Wong Bay which is a beach that seems to collect rubbish during monsoon as the winds are coming in a westerly direction pushing the rubbish up on the beach on the eastern side of Koh Toa. Well done and thank you to everyone who took part. We need to keep our oceans and divesites clean its just a shame that the rubbish we pick up as a result of our own humanities actions. So in the bars and restaurants and shops say no to straws and plastic bags if you dont need them.

Today we meet our Divemaster Mentor Team. This bunch of muppets are responsible for the training of our professionals, they can be all that bad as some of our best fulltime divemasters and instructors were trained by them.

So without further ado lets meet Simo, G, Guy, Iain, Nick and Ant. To see pictures of their ugly mugs check out The Team section in about us at the top of the page.

Simon Garrity

What a character. Worked as a Divemaster at Big Blue before becoming an SSI and PADI Instructor and is now the worlds most accomplished SSI Instructor Trainer having certified more SSI Instructors than any one individual anywhere else in the world. Recently Simo also became an Instructor Examiner which means he gets to travel the world scaring the bejeezus outta possible instructor candidates! Simo is a natural stand up comedian and can be seen live on stage at Koh Tao’s Comedy Club at weekends & on other nights he hosts all our Divemaster Challenges at Big Blue, dressed in high heels, a wig, fishnet stockings, make up and a short tight dress. Seriously!

Germaine Maguire

Probably Koh Tao's most well-known person! Everyone knows Irish G! If you don't know Irish G then you obviously haven't been to Koh Tao! Long-time Instructor on Koh Tao, G has also done a stint teaching in South America & Australia, you know, for a Crack! Now a full time Instructor here at Big Blue and our only female Mentor in our Divemaster Training Programmes G has certified thousands of students already. She is a PADI & SSI Instructor & when she’s not teaching she is also the owner of Moov! One of Koh Tao's most unique, hippest & funkiest clubs & restaurants. G is an island legend & if you end up being taught by her when you get here then be prepared to pay a little more. We charge extra for diving with celebrities!

Guy Bannister

Guy is one of the islands finest Instructors who was working at one of the islands finest Dive centres but then quit & came & worked for us! Guy is a PADI Master Instructor & an SSI Instructor Trainer, so experienced is he that is the first choice for most of our Interns when they get to shadow one of our Instructors. Might be something to do with his laid back attitude, relaxed demeanour, extreme patience, widespread knowledge & bags of cash! Before being a Dive Instructor & Guy can be, & was, a bit of a Banker, but decided to pack it in just a few days before the financial crisis. Not saying he's the one responsible but I bet he's got a few million quid stashed away in his Dive bag somewhere!

Iain Goodfellow

One of our main pool of PADI and SSI Instructors, but this one is from the Highlands! Iain has been a Big Blue Instructor for about 4 years now and is also one in our team of 6 who train our PADI Divemasters and SSI Divecons & another one in our team of very experienced SSI Instructor Trainers. As the name suggests Iain Goodfellow is a jolly nice chap, and a member of the Las Vegas Mafia. Hailing from a background in social welfare Iain is naturally very chatty & extremely friendly & is one of the most patient & sensible Instructors we have around but you never know with these Scottish Mafia types, it could just be a façade. If I ever wake up with a horse’s head in my bed I’ll let you know!

Nick Bufton

Separated at birth from Sid the Sloth, Nick is one of our fully qualified SSI and PADI Instructors. Trained by another rival dive shop here in Koh Tao and even worked there for some time as a Dive master then an Instructor then as an Instructor training Divemasters! This is exactly what he’s doing now. He has a great track record with his Open Water students who continue with their Advanced Course and is also a very accomplished swimmer and holding the record for our 'Swim for Sharks' charity event we host every year, swimming 3.5 kilometres around the island of Nang Yuan in just 55 minutes to raise money for Shark conservation. Not a bad time for a slow moving mammal that lives in trees!

Ant Silwood

Despite the fact Ant is Welsh we still went ahead & employed him! Must be something about his likeable personality, charm, good looks & our necessity to have someone to pick on! Ant is a PADI & SSI Instructor having been professionally trained by some of the leading Scuba Diving Instructors in the business. I wonder who they were. He is also one of our Divemaster Trainers & having worked as a DM with us for a couple of years already really knows his stuff. Originally a Computer software salesman with an alleged talent at being able to fix computer problems, Ant has on numerous occasions proven this fact to be a complete joke & can't even spell PC let alone fix one! However he is very relaxed, reliable & great eye candy for the ladies!

20th January 2015

As promised the website is being updated and we have been tinkering around with our staff profiles. We have got to know them more of the months and years that they have been here so we have more abuse to give them.

So we have already met Stephen Larder, now its time for Steven, Carly and Nick.

Steven DeVelter

Self-proclaimed "Best Divemaster in the World" Steven is our Head DM. An extremely well trained diving professional having done most of his professional training with us! Steven has been our Head Divemaster for almost 27 years now and still doesn’t look like he plans on leaving anytime soon so happy is he with the joys of 12 hour days, 7 day weeks, dealing with Instructor demands, managing logistics and leading scuba divers. Consequently this might lead you to believe that perhaps Steven isn’t all there, which would actually be a very accurate observation! Italian by birth, Geordie by nature Steven has very distinctive sense of humour. Serious & professional, fun & entertaining, scarily hairy & swings both ways Steven will probably be here for another 27 years self ‘proclaiming’ with himself.

Carly Marsh

A white South African so completely racist, corrupt and filthy rich! A Gold Smith by trade! Obviously not a very good one or she wouldn't be working here! Nicknamed Prawn- something to do with that terrible South African Sci fi movie, nothing to do with a chick that has a mad body, but a bad face, (you know like when you eat a prawn, you eat the body and throw away the head!) Prawn is the hottest of our Divemaster team. She's also the smallest, ah maybe that's where the name came from! Carly is our first employed Seffrican who can speak English or at least thinks she can which results in a completely effective failure to communicate. We usually just wait for her to break into tribal dance and sing/dance/unnecessary shouting/boobies!

Nick Tringham

Another former Investment Banker who worked at Deutsche Bank then became a professional Scuba Diver once he’d managed to ruin the Greek economy and stashed away his barrels of cash! Nick works as one of our team of 4 Divemasters telling everyone else what to do while they abuse all the other members of staff in the shop. Another one of our own home-grown stash of DM’s Nick actually paid the boss over a million pounds to ensure he got the DM job here at Big Blue over all the other better trained, posh, plum mouthed, silver spooned, yuppie, toffee nosed waist coat wearing, spoilt DM types we had in the offing. 

As you can see we genuinely love our staff or at least we love insulting them, next will be our 6 Divemaster Mentors.

14th December 2015

Over the next few weeks we will be updating our Meet the Team page. Please have a mooch around and meet some of the Dive professionals you will be meeting once you arrive at Big Blue. Big Blue has a very unique atmosphere which is one of the reasons why we have not only stayed so long but why so many of our customers just keep coming back for more. Many even go on with their dive training so they can sack in the day job from wherever they come from and come to work here. We really do have the one of the best jobs in the world. We know how amazing that underwater world is and we want to pass our passion on to you. Whilst maintaining a level safety and professionalism while allowing you to have fun in the process.

Let us meet our newest entry-

Divemaster- Stephen Larder

Looks like he’s just stepped off a refugee boat & claimed Australian asylum hence the nickname he’s been branded with ‘Homeless Steve’. Arrived here at Big Blue a couple of Christmases ago and booked in for his change of lifestyle package, Open Water thru to Divemaster, looking very ‘Kylie’ with his long blonde flowing locks, blue eyes, bronzed tan & budgie smuggled down his bikini bottoms. Stephen has proved to be a very good catch for us. As one of Big Blue’s full time Divemaster Stephen is very calm & relaxed & is just the kind of guy you’d want being in charge of your boat whether its heading out to Koh Tao’s famous divesites full of keen avid underwater explorers or guiding your Indonesian Fishing boat through the Torres Strait full of asylum seekers & and other Aussie soap opera star looking refugees!

13th January 2015

Happy New Year from everyone at Big Blue. We hope by this time you have all recovered from your festive antics. As you saw from our last post we had a very special Christmas present in the shape of a big boat. The big boss man has decided to name her Enzo after the character from the freediving movies The Big Blue, where the freediver becomes friends without benefits with a dolphin.

Last year we ran a competition on who could send us a selfie with their Big Blue T-shirt in an interesting location. 

Our winner was Joakim Moller Boneng. When we told him he had won the competition he booked a flight back out to Thailand from his home country of Norway. He won free Deep Specialty, Wreck Specialty and Nitrox Specialty courses. He has also been enjoying some fun dives while he has been here. We will be announcing a new competition very soon with some great prizes up for grabs including a Divemaster Course. So keep watching this space for more information. My theme is to have a Big Blue T-shirt on a celebrity. Let’s see how that goes.. #bigblueselfie