Big Blue Diving - Koh Tao

Who we are... Big Blue Diving was, founded in 1991, and was one of the first dive shops to open in the Gulf of Thailand. Offering diving courses from beginner to Instructor level, fun diving for divers of all levels, technical diving, modern equipment and facilities, staffed by experienced dive professionals, Big Blue resorts are here to meet all your needs.

What we offer... From years of experience, we know that people want good diving, good food, good times, but above all, good fun, at an affordable price. The Diving... Fringed by coral reefs as well as deeper offshore pinnacles, it's not hard to understand Thailand's popularity among backpackers and members of the dive community alike. Sheltered sandy bays provide the perfect depths for novice divers, while the more adventurously inclined can visit deeper sites and perhaps even live the diver's dream of spotting a whale shark or two.

Currents are usually minimal and the water temperature ranges between 26 and 30?C; perfect for tropical diving.

What do I need to start? Be at least 10 years old and be able to swim. Big Blue provides all equipment, boat trips, manuals, etc., for the duration of the course.

Am I fit to dive?
Read this medical questionnaire, if you can answer yes to any of the questions, you may require medical clearance to enroll on a diving course. Email us if you want more information.

How long will it take?
Typically the course takes between three and four full days, but rest assured, we will not rush you through the programme. Because the course is performance based, you will have plenty of time to practise your new skills prior to certification.

Or begin at home whenever you're ready. With the Open Water Diver manual, videos or interactive CD-ROM, you can cover the course material at your own pace, then meet with your Instructor.

Now what ?
After successfully completing the Open Water Diver programme, you'll be issued with your Open Water Diver certification card. This internationally recognised credential is your ticket to the diving world. You may also want to continue your dive education with an Advanced or Speciality Diver course to allow you to explore more dive opportunities.

Diving with Big Blue Diving, Thailand
Daily trips...
Big Blue has been diving these waters for years; our experienced Divemasters are well versed in the dive sites, conditions and marine life of Thailand. They will guide you to the best diving in the area and will be delighted to show you the beautiful wonders of our surrounding waters.

Our sites are suitable for all levels of training with warm, clear, still water; from shallow coral gardens to off shore pinnacle formations with steep walls and large pelagic fish.

Fun Diving is made from one of our three purpose designed dive boats. They are all spacious, and well equipped with water level platforms for easy entry and exit, oxygen, first aid, toilet, GPS and Sonar. We run daily boat trips - both morning and afternoon - making two dives on each trip with free refreshments on board.

Diver training...
We also offer the full range of recreational and technical diver training courses, from beginner to instructor.

Dive Master

If you've thought about making diving your life or maybe just reducing the cost of your vacations then becomming a Divemaster is the first step. At Big Blue we treat our leadership level courses with the seriousness they deserve, while still maintaining the personal touch you just don't get elsewhere. You'll find that there's no more rewarding experience than following the Big Blue staff through their work and becoming a part of our team.

The course can be tailored to your individual needs and schedule, but remember, the more you put in, the more you will get out.

What's involved?
You will work closely with your instructors to expand your diving skills and knowledge to a professional level, following them as they lead other courses. Then, in the most fulfilling part of the course, you'll learn and practice supervising diving activities and assisting with student training. You will also experience first-hand the day to day job of a Divemaster.

You will begin to lead fun divers under the supervision of a professional and start to take responsibilty for the running of the boat and as you gain confidence, you gain employability as well. An important part of diving is having fun and we'll make your Dive Master Challenge an unforgettable evening.

What do I need to start?
You must be certified in Rescue techniques and have a recognised CPR certification, such as the Emergency First Response, within the last two years. You will need to have 20 logged dives to begin the course and 60 by the time you are certified.

Although you may have some or all of your own equipment, Big Blue provides all equipment, boat trips, manuals, etc., for the duration of the course.

Am I fit to dive?
Read this medical questionnaire, if you can answer yes to any of the questions, you may require medical clearance to enroll on a diving course. Email us if you want more information.

How long will it take?
Although the course may be run in around ten days, at Big Blue we recommend that you allow four weeks for completion in order to receive the full benefit of your education.

Now what?
As a Divemaster, you may supervise and assist with both training and non-training dive activities in a variety of environments; helping with classes as well as planning and leading guided dive tours. You may also conduct certain scuba programmes for certified divers, such as scuba reviews.

After successfully completing the Divemaster course, you may wish to continue your dive education by attending a Instructor Development Course, on your way to becoming a PADI Assistant Instructor or Open Water Scuba Instructor.

Technical Diving Courses What is technical diving? A short answer would be; To be trained and equipped properly to be able to go deeper and stay longer than the recreational limits allow, at minimized risk. For this we need to learn to plan dives with other gases than air, utilise decompression diving and learn more about physiology and equipment configuration than what is required for "normal" scuba diving. Some entry level courses are quite straight forward, conducted in short time and also very rewarding for the average diver. The higher level courses are more demanding and only intended for the serious diver who is willing to devote the time, responsibility and money that is required to learn how to explore the deeper and less known realm of the oceans safely.

Who is SDI / TDI ?

These courses are conducted with manuals, guidelines and certification from SDI (Scuba Diving International) and TDI (Technical Diving International). TDI is the most established Technical training organisation and known to present complex information in an easy to understand and non-intimidating way throughout their manuals, exams and skill requirements.

We offer the full range of technical diving courses including: Solo Diver - Basic Nitrox - Advanced Nitrox - Decompression Procedures - Extended Range - Entry Level Trimix - Advanced Trimix - DSAT Gas Blender

Where to find us
Big Blue Diving has bases all over Thailand.

Big Blue Diving Koh Tao
Koh Tao is located in the Gulf of Thailand 15 km northeast of Koh Samui and 70 km southeast of Chumphon. Although the island was originally home only to a prison operated by the Thai government, in more recent times it has grown from an off-the-beaten path tourist destination to the largest dive training center in Southeast Asia.

Big Blue Diving Koh Tao
17/18 Moo 1, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84280, Thailand
Tel: +66 77 456 415 Fax: +66 77 456 772
Email: info@bigbluediving.com

Chumporn
We also have a booking office in Chumporn.

Big Blue Diving Chumporn
68/3 Tata Pao Road, Chumporn,
Surat Thani, Thailand
Tel: +66 77 504 441

Big Blue Diving Samui
17/38 Moo 3 Bophut, Chaweng beach, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84320, Thailand
Tel/Fax: +66 77 422 617 / 780 Resort Tel: +66 77 422 781 , samui@bigbluedivingsamui.com

Koh Samui is the largest island in the Samui archipelago and apart from diving, it offers everything from elephant trekking with waterfall swimming in the mountain jungle to all night partying along the beaches... The perfect island getaway for every preference.

Big Blue Diving Khao Lak
Khao Lak is situated 30km south of Takua Pa, gateway to the nine Islands that make up the Koh Similan National Park, one of the world's best dive destinations. The islands are situated 64km off the mainland and are accessible either by liveaboard boat or daily speedboats.

Big Blue Diving Khao Lak
29/29-30 Moo 7, Tambon Khuk Khak, Amphur Takua Pa, Changwat Phang Nga 82190, Thailand
Tel: +66 76 423 544 / 545 Fax: +66 76 423 546 , khaolak@bigbluediving.com

Bangkok
Our Bangkok booking office is situated under the Viengtai Hotel on Rambutri Road, near Khao San Road.

Tel/Fax: +66 2 629 3830