Sawasdee Khrup & Greetings from another beautiful day in the Gulf of Thailand
Latest News March 2010
Tuesday 9th March 2010-
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‘‘The Cove,’’ a U.S. film about a controversial annual dolphin hunt at a Japanese town, won the best documentary feature at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony Sunday in Los Angeles. Directed by Louie Psihoyos, one of the world’s most prominent still photographers, the film depicts, partly through the use of hidden cameras and microphones, the capture of dolphins by local fishermen in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture. After screenings in selected countries such as Japan, Australia and the United States, the documentary provoked criticism against the hunt, while local fishermen defended it as part of a Japanese tradition, saying the practice was not bloodthirsty as they built memorials for the dolphins. Reacting to the Academy Award, fishermen in Taiji voiced anger, saying they were misleadingly described as ‘‘Japanese mafia.’’ A senior official of the local fisheries cooperative association rejected an interview, saying, ‘‘Whatever we might say, it will just help advertise the movie.’‘ Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said, ‘‘Dolphin hunting is not an illegal activity. It is necessary to respect each culture’s diet, based on an understanding of regional traditions.’‘
Full Day Trip to Sail Rock coming up on Thursday & we have a queue forming outside the dive shop with people waiting to sign up to dive the best dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. For just 3500 Bt you get to dive Sail Rock, Samran Pinnacle & Southwest Pinnacle have a cooked breakfast & the best Massaman curry Chicken on the planet all between the hours of 7 to 5! Better do some queue barging!
Welcome to Big Blue Diving Resort, a PADI and SSI Diamond Dealer Instructor Training Facility with a bit of class & character! Established in 1991, over 17 years ago, we have grown from a small beachside shop at the end of the pier to one of South East Asia’s leading Dive operators. In fact when the founder decided to build his new Dive Resort at the northern end of Sairee Beach in 1991 the locals thought he was very brave for building that far up the beach and that he’d struggle to make a success of his Dream dive shop.
Now in addition to a very successful dive shop we also have our own restaurant, bar, air-conditioned classrooms, and the largest fleet of dive boats in Koh Tao, making the most amount of daily departures from the beach, right outside our resort.
Of course any business aim is to make a profit but how one makes the profit is our aim!
Koh Tao is a relaxed little tropical island paradise. The water is never cooler than 27 degrees and averages throughout the year at around 30 degrees. Water visibility often stretches 20 meters or more and the diversity of our dive sites generates continuous tourist interest throughout the year.
Our resort is situated on the west coast of the island in Sairee Beach, the nicest and largest stretch on Koh Tao. Every day you awaken to the crystal clear azure waters of the Gulf and each night we are greeted with the glowing warmth of a setting sun. There is an atmosphere on Koh Tao like nowhere else in the world. Its easy to arrive here & immediately fall in love with the island.
Our Staff realize how lucky they are to live and work here. They love their jobs and look forward to coming to work. They are able to have fun while being strongly committed to all elements of safety. The frequency with which these guys get complimented by our divers is abnormal but these guys do do a great job. All of them, our Boat staff, our Restaurant staff & all our Dive staff. Their enthusiasm is infectious and consequently the atmosphere they generate increases the profitability of the business.
Our aim is to supply you, our holidaymakers and divers, with an enjoyable and safe experience & memories that will last a lifetime. Our business is to make you happy!
The Team
The Team
When all is said & done the success or failure of any business relies very much on the involvement of the staff. Big Blue Diving has a fantastic Dive team & we all know that every time we start a course we know this is big deal for you the students & therefore we got to make this experience the highlight of your holiday! So lets see who these clowns are shall we...
Emily Billingham- A DM at another dive shop in a previous life before we got our greedy hands on her, is now an SSI & PADI Instructor & is one of the team that teach our Divemasters in Training. She's been working here for a couple of years having left the real world as a school teacher. Apparently the young teenage boys in her class had trouble focusing on their work! She is a fully licensed swimming instructor as well so she is very capable of looking after you in the water, if you ask nicely! Unfortunatley for Emily her wetsuit went missing when she first arrived at Big Blue which was obviously very annoying for her but fantastic for all the guys!
Kelli Bennett- She's been coming to Thailand for ages, & can even speak the language, & when she came here to Koh Tao to do her DM Course with another dive shop, they were closed for monsoon & so they recommended she dive with us, so she did & hasn't looked back since! She is a PADI & SSI Instructor & our Spanish & Thai speaking Instructor as well. Despite the American Yakuza looking tattoo sprawled across her back Kelli has the patience of a saint. Very hard working, very reliable & totally dedicated to her students she has even been known to dive with Dengue just to make sure her students completed the course. All that maternal caring comes from her holidays working with children at Band Camp all those years ago. And this one time, at Band Camp ...
Pierre Piegne- Looks like Dobby from the Harry Potter movies! Exiled from his own country for being a vegetarian this Baguette boy has found himself a new home surrounded by ami & famille here at Big Blue! First employed by us for a small french speaking Open Water course we knew we were onto something special when all 4 of his Open Water students went on to sign up for their Divemaster courses & bought literally everything you can think of when it comes to diving equipment. Now a full time SSI & PADI Instructor at Big Blue Pierre carries his beret, blue & white stripey shirt, garlic necklace & red crevatte & black bicycle with bread basket well!
Nick Bufton- One of our newest Instructors here at Big Blue Nick was trained by another rival diveshop here in Koh Tao & even worked there for sometime as a Dive master then an Instructor then an Instructor training Divemasters! Nick is a very easy going chap who fits well in any group. He minds his own business & gets on with the job in hand. He has a great track record with his Open Water students who continue with their Advanced Course. Like all good honest Englishmen he loves a beer or 2 after work & loves to talk about how well his football team, Tottenham Hotspurs, are doing this season! May as well cos its highly unlikely he'll be able to talk the same way about them next season!
Sonia Scott- Represented England at Ballet & reckons she played Rugby League for England too & then became a Sports Physiotherapist by day & a nightclub Bouncer by night before finding her true calling as a Dive Professional! Twinkletoes as we like to affectionatley call her behind her back, has been working at Big Blue for almost 4 years as either a Divemaster or a fully accredited PADI & SSI Instructor & is now a trained Dive Medic mentoring our Divemasters in Training & having spent a season as the number 1 Dive medic consultant in the Similans is also our first point of call in all things medical! Dr. Twinkletoes!
Yvonne Fries- Yvonne has been with us now for over 2 years and is our main German Instructor. She came originally to train as a Divemaster & after completing her course immediately got work on the island at another Koh Tao diveshop. When she became a PADI Instructor she was headhunted by numerous shops and she decided to choose the sexiest shop to work full time at. After that she then came & worked for Big Blue as a PADI & SSI Instructor! Great for us, though I think we might have pissed off her former employer- the boss resigned! Since then Yvonne has affectionately been nicknamed the Germanator! Like most Germans Yvonne is a perfectionist & all her students become perfect divers. Ja!
Soren Egeberg- Originally from Denmark Soren can read the instructions on the back of a box of lego in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English & German. Over the years he has increased this talent & can now teach diving in these languages as well. This great Dane is a PADI & SSI Instructor as well as an excellent photographer & videographer. Soren is also a very accomplished website designer & marketing enthusiast. Recently back from a season in the Similans working on one of the liveaboards there Soren is now one of our team of Instructors who are responsible for the quality of education our Divemasters in Training receive. Resembling Thor God of Thunder, Soren is also the proud owner of the best pair of mens breasts in Thailand!
Paul Herygers– Our gentle giant at Big Blue, he has been mistaken for a whale shark on a number of occasions! Trained in Khao Lak, fine tuned in Koh Tao! Canadian Paul in his previous life before becoming an employed SSI Instructor worked for us for a year as a PADI Divemaster, & before that he was a nightclub promoter & more recently a competitor at the Las Vegas World Poker Tournament but having come last felt that perhaps a change in career was a good idea! He’s also a very keen golfer which isn’t to say he’s any good; it’s just that he’s keen! Great with the divers, fantastic guide, a good drinker & well organized, just don’t get too close to him on a big night out in case he falls over & lands on you. The last person he landed on is now a 2 dimensional image of his former self!
Dean Jenkins – Deano, the Orangutan Taff, has also been with Big Blue for 4 years now & has proven himself to be one of the most committed Instructors in Koh Tao. A mechanic by trade Deano learnt his diving skills while on holiday, quickly fell in love with it & decided to change his career direction & became a PADI & SSI Dive Instructor. Deano soon found himself working at Big Blue as an Instructor & is now highly involved with our Divemaster training & our equipment maintenance & servicing courses aswell. Deano is a PADI Master Instructor & staffs many of our PADI Instructor Development Courses.
Simon Garrity- Worked as a Divemaster at Big Blue before becoming an SSI & PADI Instructor and is now our SSI Instructor Trainer. He has a very sharp wit & if he wasn't a diving Instructor would have been a stand up comedian! Probably not a very good one though! His loyalty & passion for Liverpool Football Club is rivalled only by his enjoyment & enthusiasm for diving. He has worked for our west coast branch of Big Blue Diving in Khao Lak & loves the diversity of fish life between the two sides of Thailand. He is the Instructor that gets the most returning customers & highest amount of compliments. Simon is exactly what you see. He is shy but friendly, funny & serious & is also a very key member of the Big Blue Dive Team.
Dan Bolton- Originally from the beautiful suburban paradise of Gravesend, UK, you might recognise Dan from a few famous movies & TV Shows with big fabulous Hollywood Stars! Dan is our Celebrity Staff! He left the glamour & glitz of acting & modelling to become one of Koh Tao’s most sought after PADI & SSI Instructors. He started working for us as a Divemaster & having proved himself as quite a catch we were only too happy to promote him to the Instructor team. Dan has an amazing ability to get on with everyone, which makes him one of our more popular Divestaff all round the resort especially with our dogs.
James Thornton Allan - Originally from England but brought up in Canada, hence the imaginative nick name, Canada- James has spent a number of years in the Royal Marines, and is now our dedicated technical diving guru. He's the Manager of Big Blue Tech which specialises in Deep, Cave, Rebreather, Nitrox, Trimix, Wreck, Gas Blending and the list goes on. When not pushing the limits he takes care of all the emergency services and compressors making sure everything is up to international standards. Covered in more ink then two horny octopii he's actually a friendly guy underneath all the hard stickers.
Duncan Tyler- This Posh porsche driving Professional Polo playing Ponce is Big Blue's longest serving customer! Duncan has been diving here since puberty! Before the turn of the century Duncan came to Koh Tao to do his Open Water Course & has been coming back every summer ever since. But last time we just couldn't get rid of him & so decided to employ him as a PADI Divemaster! From the upper echelons of Britains elite his father Baron Tyler of the Olive Oil Dynasty was most distressed to learn that Duncan would not be returning to Somerset to take his red Porsche out for a spin on the country lanes anymore, but had in fact turned to a life of sunshine & bikinis. He has bags of cash and is looking for a personal butler if anyone's interested.
Andy Luckman- Another extremely well trained Divemaster. Must have done his course with us! Andy worked for our sister shop in Khao Lak last year & has been freelancing at Big Blue for a few months already biting at the heels to get himself a full time job here. & once the old DM team had all become Instructors he was the obvious man to fill the job! & he's been sensational! A great worker, a lovely & friendly personality & loves ice cream! Especially if its brought round his house late at night. In his previous life he was a successful Radio DJ & has even been known to moonlight at some of the busier bars around Koh Tao & is famous for his School Disco nights down at Vibe Bar.
Jim Donaldson- SSI & PADI Staff Instructor (retired!). He has been running Big Blue for 4 years but has been in Koh Tao since the millenium. He has worked at various different Diveshops around the world as a cook! a Divemaster, an Instructor & a Manager & now sits around wasting away his retirement years answering fan mail & updating the websites & various blogs, and is the guy who writes back to you with all your enquiries. Extremely handsome, very rich, loved by the ladies & admired by the men, muscular, athletic, virile, looks good in a speedo, well endowed, charming, witty, intelligent, speaks half a dozen languages & is adored by his staff! At least he better be or they're all fired!
Heather Keeler- Proud owner of the longest running DM Course ever goes to Heather! It took her 5 years from the time she started to the time she finished! She started in Khao Lak around Christmas 2004 & finished in August 2009! In between she ran & managed & built up ACE Marine Video into the fine establishment that they are today. She is an exceptional underwater videographer & has more energy than a jumping bean especially first thing in the morning. A PADI Instructor & an SSI Instructor Heather is our 'Green Queen' with her Save Koh Tao environmental participation & is also a swimming Instructor & can teach scuba diving to the hard of hearing as she is fluent in sign language. I SAID SHE IS ... oh nevermind!
Helen Artal- Well she's been around has our Helen! Originally from England, Helen first started working in Queenstown, New Zealand, for a ski season as a hotel receptionist but realising how dull this job can be moved up in the world as the chief entertainment on the Cruise ships. Then ended up serving time in the penal colonies working in Cairns as an SSI Instructor for one of the largest dive centers in Australia. Not that we held that against her! Happy to be released she dropped in on her way back to the UK & hasn't left since! She is now a fully fledged PADI & SSI Instructor & a very important member of our team.
Jodie Roberts- A natural blonde! And has the best tan of any of us! Brown & sticky is how she describes herself. Like an After 8 chocolate! Came for 2 weeks & 2 years later is still here! Started her Big Blue life training to be a Divemaster & is now a very successful & in demand PADI & SSI Instructor. Raised in Bristol & educated in Brighton, Jodie started life as somewhat of a celebrity when she could be seen advertising Weetabix on National TV. But fame & celebrity stardom isn't all its cracked up to be so after spending a year as an Underwater Videographer with ACE Marine Images is now back with us teaching scuba for a living & loves every minute of it!
Beccy Simnett- Our most positively buoyant Instructor, Beccy also trained with us for her Divemaster Course & then worked for a year as an underwater Videographer. After dabbling in a variety of other Koh Tao jobs from mobile phone salesperson to Nightclub Manager at the Castle, one of Koh Tao's more established nightclub venues, she is back with us now & is a fully fledged SSI Instructor, & soon to be PADI Instructor. Having recently sold her house in England to live here Beccy has brought with her bags of cash & a guitar & looks to her increase her interests in Swedes & other root vegetables!
Erik Soderlund- Another one of our Scandinavian Dive team Erik speaks Swedish, Danish, Norwegian & English. Extremely thorough & patient & trained on the west coast Erik has proved himself an excellent PADI & SSI Instructor & is one of the most popular members of the team. Not just with the staff either! Erik worked last year on a number of Liveaboards in the Similans. In addition to being a keen diver Erik has a keen interest in Swedish FHM Models & when he's not doing that hobby, Erik can be found at home wasting away endless amounts of hours playing Guitar Hero! Though apparently he's crap! Bit like Roxette! and Europe!
