Hey everyone!

I am now officially a certified open water diver! yeah! fill you in shortly..

Tarry, Beatrice, Tom, Al and I arrived on Koh Tao from Koh Phangan to find no accommodation on the Island. As nearly everybody in a 200 mile radius of these thai Island would have gone to the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan and then travelled to Koh Tao to Dive, as we stayed a day or two more on Koh Pahagan we were found almost homeless. Eventually we found a place on the undeveloped east coast of the island and experienced a very crazy 4x4 journey over the top of the mountainous lush landscape. The resort had no beach, although it did have great snorkelling and rock jumping in the bay. We stayed in two huts, Al and I took the two beds (see photo) and Tom hung up his hammock over my bed. The windows did not exsist leaving only the voids left and had no sink! However, costing only 250b (around a quid each a night) we couldn't complain.

A couple of days later us 4 boys signed up for the 5* 4 day OW diving course, costing 9500b (140 pounds) including accommodation on the beach! It is apparently the cheapest area in the world for diving. Koh Tao is also the second biggest in diving shop numbers in one area in the world, second to somewhere just off the great barrier reef.

First day consisted of a afternoon of many videos and theory, the second day we were to learn lots of skills in the pool, however the pool was being cleaned so we took the boat out to somewhere shallow and calm! Such skills included removing mask at bottom, buoyancy skills, and the instructor to turn off your tank to show you what it is like to run out of air!! scary!

The following 2 days involved various exams and 3 dives with skills such as emergency ascents etc.... I won't bore you with them. Followed with a final dive reaching a depth of 18m and diving around a wreck. The final 2 dives were filmed by a proffessional videographer and we met up that evening of completing the course to watch the dvd (which was amazing and I purchashed a copy), celebrating with everyone and getting generally very drunk. Our instructor was off his trolley, this was due to when any of us students made any mistakes in the water he would make a drinking gesture.. meaning a 'beer fine'! of course I didn't incur any!

The whole experience was incredible. So incredible I have signed up for the Advanced course, where I will reach 30m in a deep dive and likely experince nitrogen narcosis (feeling drunk) and try and perform simple tasks under a stop watch. Navigation skills are also compulsory. I have then 3 electives to chose from about 10, them being a night dive, advanced buoyancy course (through hoops and around reefs and wrecks) and photography - I wish I bought a underwater case for my nikon! grr.

Only Al Tarry and I will be doing the course as 17 year old tom has realised he has only 150 pounds left for 5 weeks and will travelling directly to 'cheaper' Cambodia, he left this morning. We are having today to recover from any alcohol intoxication last night and begin the course tomorrow at 7am. Also the weather is looking good for next few days, the last 4 days we have had some heavy winds and storms.

I hear your summer has properly started? 29 degrees, right? wow. I get rain and you get sun, who would have thought it?

I am now off for a afternoon nap... hope you are all well. Cheers. J