So, completing the Stress test finishes off my Divemaster course. I am now qualified to lead you out on the reef if you have an open water licence. Fancy that. Will i ever use it? Who knows.

Well i say i am a Divemaster, well as any DIT knows you are not 'officially' a DM until you have completed the 'Snorkel Test'.

Put simply, any new DM gets stitched up in the bar by having to down as much booze as your Instructor can convince the barman to give you. All spirits and beers mixed up into a litre bottle, forced down, a you-guessed it, a snorkel and into your mouth. In front of a baying crowd in the town.....

Well, not being someone to stand back when a gauntlet it offered, i took my snorkel test seriously (trust me lots dont) and promptly downed the litre in (almost) one. Nearly choked me, and i did spin out massively, but impressing myself in the process, the drink was downed and i had a magnificent night out on the tiles of town as my parting shot to being a DM.

Thanks to all for the memories, a truly great time was had on Phi Phi. I will return again...

....but for now its a whole new chapter. Hello Louise. My new travelling pal, city girl on a mission. Lets ditch this island and celebrate xmas somewhere else...

Hello Koh Lanta...