After completing the Open Water course, we had intended on taking some time off before starting the Advanced Open Water course...however...a couple of drinks in the bar and somehow we got persuaded to do the course the following day. NOT good since we'd already had a few to drink including some shot called Lao Cao. It's free from the DJL bar (probably because it's horrible) and smells what I think is probably a cross between Tequila and Sambuca in one glass!

The Advanced course is basically another course in which you do 5 dives to varying depths covering a variety of skills. Mainly fun dives though once you get everything out of the way you can just swim with the fish. Day 1 saw an afternoon start in which we went back to Twins and the Japanese Gardens again. This time we were covering Navigation skills and Buoyancy practice. I will admit I got into trouble for leaving my buddy behind on the Navigation dive...almost felt like a little child being told off at the end. Oh well...none of us got lost so it wasn't too bad!

In the evening we chose to go on a night dive, this was done at Hin Wong Bay the other side of Koh Tao. It was a great feeling getting into the back of that truck with everyone in the bar shouting out 'NIGHT DIVE WHOOO!!!' as we pulled off into the dark. The night dive is only a shallow dive but it shows you just how different marine life can be from what you see during the day. Visibility wasn't great but you could see enough, well enough to know that Sam and I were swimming straight into a giant rock because we were following Mitch's torch and fins instead of looking right! Getting back, we were so tired that we just went to bed, 3 dives in close proximity takes it right out of you.

Day 2 was by far the best day of diving I have had on Koh Tao. We went to the Chumphon Pinnacle and to the HTMS Suttakut wreck. I was lost for words at Chumphon, visibility was over 20 metres and the things we saw would have had me in tears at such beauty. Schools of fish less than 2 cm from your face in so many colours it was just incredible. The wreck dive was also fantastic to see the WW2 ship sunk at 30 metres below the surface. Intentionally sunk though but still good.

After a little bit of theory, we were qualified Advanced Divers to 30 metres. Someone mentioned about progression onto the Rescue diver course...got me thinking....however...money might prohibit this at the moment! I went for dinner with Sam to a sushi place (very nice and very cheap!) before sitting under the stars on the beach with Sam, Marcus, Bob, Mel and Shaun watching the fire show at Lotus bar. Definitely taking some time off to do nothing for a few days.

I had planned to be in Koh Tao for another week or so but not so sure now, everyone I've met is already leaving and Thailand has eaten a lot of my remaining budget in the past 2 weeks. I'll see and of course keep people posted on plans!

The picture is of one of the guys in the fire show, by slowing down the shutter speed you can catch all the fire as it is twirling round and it produces something like this!