Welcome to Ban's Diving Resort making Technical courses accessible to everybody

Bans Tec was launched to respond to a growing interest in depth, mixed gases and overhead environments. One of the goals of the training and operations team of Bans Tec is to address a need to make technical diving more accessible to the diving public. Bans Five Star Career Development Centre has been a leading dive facility for PADI Asia Pacific in recreational scuba for years, recently having won the Business Development Award in both 2009 and 2010. With Bans as our host resort, we are able to offer training facilities, staff and equipment for technical diving that is unmatched by others. We facilitate enjoyable, challenging and safe technical diving courses on great dive sites, with the backdrop of white sandy beaches and Koh Tao's warm blue waters. We're thrilled to be able to open up these new diving possibilties to you, and look forward to seeing you underwater soon!

Technical diving is scuba diving’s “extreme” sport, taking experienced and qualified divers far deeper than in mainstream recreational diving. Technical diving is marked by significantly more equipment and training requirements to manage the additional hazard this type of diving entails. Tec diving isn’t for everyone, but for those who hear its challenge call, the PADI TecRec courses are the answer.

What is technical diving?
Technical scuba diving is defined as diving other than conventional commercial or research diving that takes divers beyond recreational scuba diving limits. It is further defined as and includes one or more of the following:

• diving beyond 40 metres/130 feet deep
  
• required stage decompression
  
• diving in an overhead environment beyond 40 linear metres/130 linear feet of the surface
  
• accelerated decompression and or the use of variable gas mixtures during the dive
  

Because in technical diving the surface is effectively inaccessible in an emergency, tec divers use extensive methodologies, technologies and training to manage the added risks. Even with these, however, tec diving admittedly has more risk, potential hazard and shorter critical error chains than does recreational scuba diving.

How long has technical diving been around?
Most people would agree that cave diving is a form of technical diving. Cave diving developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, developing into a discipline largely like it is today by the mid 1980s. In the early 1990s, several groups of divers around the world began experimenting with technologies for deep diving (beyond recreational limits) to explore both caves and wrecks. These communities united and emerged as “technical diving” or “tec diving” with the publication of aquaCorps (no longer in print), which dedicated itself to this type of diving. Since then, tec diving continues to develop both in scope and in its Technologies.

Why would I want to be a tec diver?
Tec diving not only has more risk, but it requires significantly more effort, discipline and equipment. It’s not for Everyone, and you can be an accomplished, avid top-notch diver your entire life without making a tec dive.

That said, there are individuals who want to visit places underwater that relatively few people can. Many spectacular, untouched wrecks lie at depths well below 40 metres/130 feet. Deep reefs have organisms you don’t find in the shallows. Some people enjoy the challenge and focus tec diving requires. Still others love being involved with cutting edge technologies. These reasons make tec diving rewarding.

The PADI TecRec Difference
The TecRec program debuted in 2000. Although TecRec is not the first tec diving program (cave diver training has been around for decades), it repeatedly receives accolades for its merits.

TecRec courses are integrated into an instructionally valid, seamless course flow that takes you from beginning tec diver to one qualified to the outer reaches of sport diving using different gas mixes. Each level introduces you to new gear, planning and procedures appropriate to extend your diving limits.

The Tec Diver course is an integrated sequence of three subcourses: Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50. You can complete them continuously, or you can complete each level separately with a time span between them. This gives you learning efficiency, instructional integrity and schedule flexibility.

The Scuba Gear You'll Use
Tec diving uses much more equipment than recreational diving. The technical scuba gear typically uses two to four or five regulators, a dive computer, and some accessories.

Prerequisites
TecRec prerequisites vary (see individual course descriptions), but the following applies to anyone interested in technical diving: You must be

• 18 years or older
  
• A mature, responsible person who will follow the required procedures and requirements strictly and faithfully
  
• Medically fit for tec diving (physician’s signature required)
  
• Willing to accept the added risks that tec diving presents
  
• An experienced diver with at least 100 logged dives
  
• Certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver and PADI Deep Diver or equivalent (for this program equivalency is proof of training in recreational deep diving 18 meters/60 feet to 40 meters/130 feet consisting of at least four dives and training in nitrogen narcosis considerations, contingency/emergency decompression, making safety stops and air supply management OR, have a minimum of 20 logged dives deeper than 30 meters/100 feet.)

The Facilities
Ban's Diving Resort
Ban's Diving Resort is nestled in beautiful tropical surroundings right on Sairee Beach, Koh Tao's main beach and the place to be for sun lovers and beach goers. Centrally located, the resort is within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, viewpoints, night life and everything else that will make your stay on Koh Tao memorable.

Sitting in our beach side restaurant, you will be able to enjoy the fantastic sunset that Koh Tao is famous for. The sky is simply ablaze in a variety of purple, yellow, red and orange colors. Sairee Beach is THE place to chill out after an exciting days diving or snorkelling.

Designed for comfort and practicality, we like to think that Ban's Diving Resort offers our students and certified divers a complete experience: Beach Accommodation, Own House Reef, Swimming Pool, Restaurant and everything else right on our premises. Our rooms by the swimming pool all come toilet, shower and fan as a standard. Optional airconditioning, tv available and family rooms (3 beds or more available). Sitting on the balcony you can see the sea and the swimming pool as well as Sairee Beach's stunning sunset.

Price range:
THB per night /per room
POOL VIEW: Double Room fan = 400 THB
POOL VIEW: Double Room air con & TV = 800 THB
POOL VIEW: Family Room air con & TV = 1,000 THB
GARDEN VIEW: Double Room (first floor) air con, TV & hot shower = 2,000 THB
GARDEN VIEW: Double Room (second floor) air con, TV & hot shower = 2,500 THB

If you would like to stay on quiet and beautiful Chalok Baan Kao beach, then visit our sister resort Sunshine Divers , a PADI 5 STAR Gold Palm Resort. Sunshine Divers share the top rated facilities of Ban's Diving Resort and are a good alternative to Sairee Beach.

PADI DPV Diver Program
Always wanted to be like James Bond ?
This is your chance!
Soaring through the water with a propulsion vehicle is like flying through space – you have to experience it to believe it! To take your test drive underwater, you’ll need at least your PADI Open Water Diver (Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) certification and be at least 12 years old.

Your PADI DPV Diver program will include two open water dives, which may be conducted in one day. The first dive allows you to practice basic vehicle handling skills and the second dive prompts you to plan and execute a typical DPV dive. During the program, you’ll cover the knowledge and techniques used when diving with an underwater propulsion vehicle.

The following will be included in your PADI DPV Diver program :
The planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems, and hazards of diving with a DPV. Equipment considerations including but not limited to battery care, maintenance and precautions.

• Determining a turnaround point
  
• Vehicle failure
  
• Runaway motor
  
• Descents and ascents
  
• Avoiding propeller entanglements.
  
• Techniques to avoid harming fragile aquatic life.
  
• Entering and exiting the water with a DPV.
  

The DPV elective dive from the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or Advanced Plus program may be counted toward the certification requirements of this specialty, at the discretion of the instructor

PADI Underwater Photographer Diver
I promise you it was a Whaleshark! No one believes you?
Get proof - bring a camera!

No photo experience required! That’s what the program is for Eshowing you how to take award winning pictures underwater. You’ll need to be at least a PADI Open Water Diver (PADI Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) and at least 12 experience the program.

During your PADI Underwater Photographer program you'll go on two open water dives, which may be conducted in one day. This is where you'll put in to practice the tips and techniques you learned from your instructor and the PADI Underwater Photogragher Manual and video.

Capture your underwater adventures on film so you can share the thrill of diving with friends and family.

DSAT Tec Deep Diver - down to 50 meters!

The DSAT Tec Deep Diver course will train you to conduct gas-switch extended no-decompression dives, decompression dives and accelerated decompression dives using air and enriched air to a depth of 50 metres/165 feet. This course also covers information on the hazards and risks involved in technical diving, as well as techniques and methods on preparing for and responding to reasonably foreseeable emergencies that may occur in technical diving.

To enroll in the Tec Deep Diver course, you must :

• Be certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent.
  
• Be certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or equivalent.
  
• Be certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver or equivalent.
  
• Be certified as a PADI Deep Diver or equivalent.
  
• Have a minimum of 100 logged dives of which 20 must be enriched air dives, 25 dives must be deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and at least 15 dives must be deeper than 30 metres/100 feet.

PADI Underwater Videographer
Why PADI Underwater Videographer?
Do you want to show the underwater world to your land-based friends? Take the PADI Underwater Videographer Specialty course and you'll learn the skills necessary to shoot your own underwater footage.

What do I need to start?

• PADI Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water Diver certification (or qualifying certification from another organization)
  
• Minimum age: 12 years old

What will I do?
You'll learn about selecting, maintaining and caring for your underwater
video equipment as well as safe diving practices while on a videography
dives. Further, you'll learn videography fundamentals, such as exposure,
focus, shot types, moves, story line and shot sequencing. Then you'll get to
put your knowledge to actual use during your three open water dives.

How long will it take?
Recommended Course Hours: 24
Minimum Open Water Training: three dives over one day

Enriched Air Nitrox

The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is PADI’s most popular specialty scuba diving course, and it’s easy to see why. Scuba diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression dive time. This means more time underwater, especially on repetitive scuba dives. You can typically stay down longer and get back in the water sooner. No wonder many divers choose this as their very first specialty.

What you will learn
Techniques for getting more dive time by using enriched air nitrox
Enriched air scuba diving equipment considerations
Enriched air considerations, including managing oxygen exposure, how to tell what’s in your scuba tank and how to set your dive computer

Prequisites

• Be a PADI Open Water Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
  
• Be at least 15 years old
  
• Have a medical form signed by your physician

The Next Adventure

Diving with enriched air nitrox benefits all types of diving, but it goes especially well with these specialties:

• PADI Wreck Diver course – Popular wrecks tend to be deeper, so enriched air nitrox maximizes your exploration time.
  
• PADI Deep Diver course – The deeper you dive, the shorter your no stop time – but enriched air nitrox increases it, giving your more time at depth
  
• PADI Digital Underwater Photographer – Photographers usually like to make several dives so they can get lots of pictures. Enriched air nitrox reduces the amount of residual nitrogen you accumulate, allowing repetitive dives to be longer.
  
• PADI Master Scuba Diver - The PADI Enriched Air Diver course counts toward your Master Scuba Diver rating -- the highest non professional rating in recreational diving
  

Course Duration: 1 day
Price: 7500 Baht

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