We meet our dive school rep on the cataraman and get a ride in the back of their pick-up. Once we get to their offices we're taken to a room they have for us, because our bungalow is occupied by a fella who's slept in with a hangover. Helena goes to the beach and I head off exploring the town. The town of Sairee is very small and sits on a nice thin strip of beach about 2km long. I walk over a tiny headland to Mae Haad and do a spot of shopping. On the way back I walked along the beach to Sairee, found a climbing tour shop and stopped for a chat (just in case I've had enough of scuba diving after our course).
The overstayer had gone by the time I'd returned and we moved into our little bungalow which is great, with the beach about 1 minutes walk away.

That evening we meet at the dive shop and settle down to 2hrs of cheesy diving course DVD. I bet you didn't know that Divers have more fun then normal people?? well that's what the DVD said. Not the most enthralling thing we've ever seen but certainly better than a work health and safety video. Once finished, with homework to do, we go for dinner with Ed, Anna and Danny from the course. The food is amazing. Helena goes for a green curry and I the jungle curry. Everything on the menu comes with a portion of plain rice. The green is hot and the jungle is hotter but both have great flavours. Thai food back in the UK though I think is comparable, perhaps some of the vegetables differ and the coconut milk seemed a bit richer here but overall the cuisine travels well.

The next day we meet back at the dive shop, go over our homework, get fitted for our kit and then have an hour or so to kill before our first confined dive.

We're taken in the back off a pick-up (Koh Tao taxi) to the harbour and board the boat. We're given a briefing about boats like the land lovers we are and the boat sets off to Koh Nang Yuan. Koh Nang Yuan is situated at the North West tip of Koh Tao and we are informed later it is the only set of three islands in the World which are joined up by a beach. The boat anchors up whilst we get our kit ready and do our final pre-dive checks. We step off the boat and make for the shallows near the beach. Here Jim our instructor and his assistant Zack take us through the basics skills for scuba diving. First up underwater skills such as: emptying our face masks of water; removing, replacing and clearing our regulators and surface skills like removing and replacing weight belts and BCDs (buoyancy control device - an inflatable jacket). Whilst in the shallows we met by lots of small cleaner fish. A few of the team have little injuries uncovered and there is much mirth as people are nibbled at and they dance around trying to shoo them away. The largest fish we see is a red breasted wrasse who seems to be checking us out. We make our way back to the boat and go back to the dive shop to clean our gear. Day 1 of the course done and dusted.

The next day we're up early and back at the dive centre to watch the rest of the DVD and take the exam. We take a break for lunch and then head out for open water dives 1 and 2. First we head to Hin Ngam and dive around the small coral reefs there reaching depths of around 12m in pretty poor visibility (5m). The next dive site is just across the bay at Aow Leuk. Once down on the bottom (10m) we have to do some dive skills. In particular retrieving your regulator and emptying your mask. Helena has some problems with the first skill and bolts for the surface. After some encouragement and composure Helena comes down again for another try but isn't feeling up to it and decides to end her dive there. The rest of the team complete the skills and we wander off around the site. Again visibility isn't great and we see very similar things to the previous dive.

On the way back Helena is pretty annoyed with herself and disappointed. We go back to the dive shop and discuss our options. Helena decides she would like to re-do day 1 again the next day and Will & Jim at the dive shop have no problems with this. I'm also a bit disappointed with the level of visibility and hope for improvements tomorrow.

We spend another evening with people from our course discussing the dives from our novice perspectives and have another early night. Diving is quite tyring considering it's supposed to be sedantary.

Whilst I go off for day 3 of the course at 5:45am Helena gets to stay in bed and wait for her trip to the confined dive site at Koh Nang Yuan. Helena has a new instructor called Steve and a new team of just two. Helena aces all the skills in the shallows without a hitch (involves lots of calm deep breathing!). On day three me and my team are out on the water for 6:15am starting with a dive at Southwest Pinnacle where the highlights, in again poor visibility, are a Titan Triggerfish and a small Moray Eel. Next up was White Rock and some final skills including navigation and hovering. I am rubbish at hovering and would've failed myself if I could. I pass and qualify as a open water diver.

Once back I go for a walk up to the Secret Garden to see if there is anyone up there bouldering. I find no one but have a good scout around and the rocks look amazing. On the way back I follow a different path back and meet up with a couple of dogs who seem intent on protecting their property. I pass them and one decides to follow. He gets a little too close and I have to turn and face him. Instantly he stops and at that same moment I jump out of my skin as a ferocious bark hits me from somewhere to my right. I turn round and see a pit-bull giving me both barrels from behind a fence. I scurry off at quick pace thinking I won't be going that way again.

After a relaxing night, Helena is up and off for dives 1 and 2 of her course. Due to conditions (big waves) both dives occur at the same spot called Japanese Gardens near Koh Nang Yuan. The first dive was around the corals there with lots of Parrotfish and Bannerfish to be seen. After a surface rest Helena was back in for the day 2 dive skills. This time the dive skills went OK with help from the instructor.

I head off to try and find some guys bouldering at the Secret Garden. I'm luck and find a group from Canada and on a holiday around Thailand. We get warmed up on the coarse-jagged-crystal-infested granite and with some local knowledge head for some medium problems. Heat and mosquitoes ensure it is a short session which fine by me as my skin on my fingertips is already sore to the touch and bright red.

I meet up with Helena after her dives and she is made up to have passed day 2. We cross our fingers for a similar result on day 3 and spend the late afternoon on the beach watching one of the local dogs confuse and amuse anyone who walks along the waters edge. He chases round and stops in front of you and looks quizzically at your feet. Some flick and bit of water or sand for him but he doesn't react. He just stays there looking at your feet or runs round to head you off again. What this dog really wants is a big clump of sand kicking for him to chase. We call him Kick-it because you can see him thinking "kick it" as he tilts his head to one side and watches your feet intently. Watching Kick-it becomes a great past time for us whilst lounging on the beach.

For a change Helena is up super early for her course dives 3 and 4. The 1st dive of the day was at the remote Chumporn pinnacles. Notable highlights are the Grouper, Queen fish and Barracuda. Dive 4 is again at Japanese Gardens (Helena is becoming a local there) for the day 3 skills assessment. Helena was feeling more confident and after some calming breathing passed all the skills - Result! The guys at the dive shop are cracking jokes about how many people they know have passed their PADI open water with 5 dives. Lots of PADI high fives in order all round to celebrate. Helena seems to be fairly unique in that respect.

I go bouldering again with a couple of the Canadians at another place called The Front Yard. We find it with no problem and locate a good warm up area only to be lynched by a waiting mob of mosquitoes. We get out of there quick and head for higher and hopefully breezier ground. The sun was already high and very hot by the time we'd warmed up on a few easy-ish problems. We find a nice medium hard problem out of the sun and start to work it. After some success and drenched from sweat we call it a day.

That night we go out for celebratory drinks and watch the Charity Shield. We meet up with Jack, Emma and Tomas and go to the Lotus bar for buckets after the game and a few beers in Choppers. The buckets of alcohol seem to work and at a time unknown (twas dark) we all end up skinny dipping in the gulf of Thailand, as you do.

To be continued......