Big Blue Tech – Technical Diving Thailand – Celebrates the graduation of Ash Dunn, Mark Slinn and Adny Cavell from their TDI Decompression Procedures Course conducted over the past few days off the coast of Thailand on and island called Koh Tao

The TDI Decompression Procedures course is best described by the TDI/SDI website as:

The TDI Decompression Procedures course prepares you for planned staged decompression diving. With a maximum operating depth of 45m/150 feet, this course is your first step beyond the normal sport diving limits.

This course began before the christmas break with some new skills to help train the students to a level appropriate for entering the next step. The students will start their next course, TDI Extended Range, on our Similans Islands Liveaboard in the new year.

The highlight of the course was the abundant marine life on every dive. With large 2 meter Bull and Gray Reef Sharks around us during all our dives the excitement of diving was forced back into every sense we had. The sharks at Chumphon Pinnacle Dive Site seem to disapear during some months and then come back in large numbers without warning. Sharks can be seen hunting and stalking prey but always keeping a safe distance from divers. This safety is kept in part from the prevention of shark feeding so no shark has associated food with a diver.

All of the students excelled at their skills and conduct in the water and received their certification after completing a written examination.

Below are some pictures from this event. The next open space for this course is in March 2010

Big Blue Tech and BSAC Thailand completed Skill Development Courses for Ash Dunn and Mark Slinn during a workshop in Koh Tao on the 23rd of December to ehnace their abilities as scuba diving instructors.

A SDC is a course that teached instructors the ability to deliver different or signature courses. For example, a nitrox course could be considered a SDC because it delivers a specific skill set rather then enhancing day to day diver skills.

BSAC Thailand took Mark and Ash through the  BSAC Oxygen Administrator Instructor and BSAC Compressor Operator Instructor SDC during the day long workshop. During this time the students had to demonstrate their overall knowledge and ability in both disciplines to the instructor examiner.

After a written and practical exam they were issued their certification cards and received authority to begin teaching the courses.

Andy Cavell, our other intern, missed this event because he was teaching a PADI Deep and Nitrox Specialty Course. He will complete this workshop on the 29th of December.

The rest of the SDC will be earned in February with titles such as Gas Blender Instructor, Mixed Gas Diver Instructor and various other accompanying disciplines like service technician skills.

For more information or to attend our next cross-over, sdc workshop or instructor course please contact us or www.bsacthailand.com

This morning divers on Koh Tao were treated with the presence of a Whale Shark at the local dive site Chumphon Pinnacle.

Mark Slinn who is enrolled in a technical diving internship with Big Blue Tech was utilizing his SDI Solo Diver Certification this morning when he spent quality time with the whale shark. Mark experienced one on one interaction without any other divers.

This is not the first time mark has dived with whale sharks but it is his first time alone which made this a unique and special diving experience. When he got back to the boat, teh dives on board didn’t believe him and after all there were no witnesses, this remained the case until Yvonne Fries Big Blue Tech Crew arrived on the boat after completing some deep training dives and had also seen the shark.

So congratulations to the divers that saw them and .. sorry, maybe next time to the ones that didn’t.

Here is some stock footage from Ace Marine Images about Whale Sharks of Koh Tao

Today Big Blue Tech started a Full Face Mask course on Koh Tao. The Full Face Mask course from TDI is designed to get divers comfortable using a full face mask and understanding the benefits and advantages. The divers who joined the course was Ash Dunn (staff) and Mark Slinn (Intern). Andy Cavell was supposed to join us but instead took his girlfriend fun diving in the afternoon and then he’s leaving to take her back to Bangkok.

The full face mask we use for training is the AGA Divator mask. These masks are the most popular choice of full face mask for public safety divers around the world. One of them came from a dive in the Canadian navy who was kind enough to bring it to Thailand for us.

These masks are perfect for cold water, television or film work, low visibility or chemically sensitive water. The mask covers your entire face allowing you to breathe through your nose or mouth, additionally it helps people who have a cold or any kind of dental, nose or eye problems.

While we were working in shallow water getting used to the skill of removing and replacing the mask other staff were busy loading up for the afternoon of diving and even Emily (big blue staff) came by to give the mask a try.

In the afternoon the staff and interns were busy cleaning the Apeks regulators (xtx 200 series with environmental series) and assembling new equipment recently purchased for the upcoming busy season.

Although today is Thursday, we’ll be closing for a long weekend as Andy Cavell is away in Bangkok, Mark moves into a new flat and Ash is celebrating his Divemaster Graduation (pictures coming).

Big Blue Tech starts again on Monday with the TDI Intro To Tech and Advanced Nitrox Course followed by a trip to Khao Sok National Park for a TDI Cavern Course just before Christmas break.