Koh Tao - 12th of February - 2010

As always with this island, on arrival I'd forgotten quite how pretty it is... nick-named Turtle Island due to its shape as it appears on the horizon, it's just how you want a Thai island to look! It has developed noticeably since my last visit, but somehow it's kept its "small island" feel... within a few hours I felt I'd never been away. What really struck me this time is how much there is to do... besides the diving there are activities as diverse as kickboxing gyms, yoga and even a circus school! On my first day I rented a motorbike, caught up with some old friends and rediscovered Tao's hidden bays, especially down the east and south shores where snorkelling with baby black tip sharks and a turtle was a highlight! And then back to the main beach at Sairee for massaman curry, green papaya salad and a few beers...

Davy Jones' Locker
Having experienced working as an instructor in Asia, I have to admit that not all the feedback from colleagues and divers regarding Ko Tao is positive: most have a brilliant time but stories do circulate of overcrowded courses, corners cut and a suspicion that it is a bit of a Open Water factory. Therefore I made it a priority to really spend time with potential operators here. So here are my reasons for choosing Davy Jones' Locker. Firstly they're an intermediate size: well-established and professional while maintaining the personal touch (you're a person not a number). Secondly, the shop is a hub for Technical and Wreck Diving. I guarantee there is no question you can ask your instructor in this shop that will be met with"errrrm, aaahhhh, I'm not sure..." These people know their stuff. Thirdly, while things are serious when they need to be serious, when there's a free day the next day you can be sure you're not getting an early night! They're not waiting for you to go so the party can start: you're presence is the expected!

Chumphon Pinnacle
Most boats hit this pinnacle early in the morning and it can be crowded, but still one of the best dives around. The owner of DJL therefore recommended we'd plan an afternoon trip; he's a smart man! As I dropped down the side of the pinnacle at 20m I saw nothing else than grey shapes appearing in surprisingly blue water... I'd heard there were bull sharks here but I wasn't expecting this... 2 metres long and chunky as they should be, these were what a friend of mine once described as "proper sharks". And one benefit of an often busy dive site? These guys know divers aren't a threat... they cruise by repeatedly putting on quite a show! I was well happy and for the future, I'd recommend Koh Tao to most divers just because of that!

So all in all, the visit to Koh Tao gave me a positive insurance in our decision on working with this dive center, it is by far the coolest but also the most enthusiastic and experienced in Koh Tao. When diving, this will be our recommendation ANY day of the week. If I learned anything new about Koh Tao and the activities in the water, It would be the free diving activities. At the moment we are offering basic learn to dive and fundiving packages on this island, but soon there will be some prober free diving being offered in our system from this island. As in our diveshop, the people from the freediving team are serious about their act and I look forward to having their courses on offer!

Read more about this destination at the Blue Venture Diving website - www.blueventure.net