Superb. Simply unbelievable.I just found an amazing Dive Center on Koh Tao.
Its firstly important to know the island has fixed pricing for all the dive centers on Koh Tao, so you really just have to find the best one! Simple really with a choice of 30-40 (at a guess). Well let me save you a bunch of time and give you my opinion, it is an incredibly easy choice to make….Big Blue Dive Center. No contest.
It’s important to know, I’m a 44yr old dad and never tried scuba diving before (I know, I should have done it 20yrs ago!), so I had a thousand questions that HAD to be answered.
I spent a lot of time looking at the other Koh Tao Dive Centers before I would commit and came across Big Blue in the process. My first interaction with the staff was at the booking office on the north end of Sairee village/town. I spoke with Steven, he explained everything I needed to know, with confidence and professionalism (and a few laughs too!…. check out the chalkboard as you go in) and within minutes had swept aside the competition with what Big Blue Diving has to offer. No other person I’d spoken to was close to being as likable and enthusiastic about all that is diving. It was obvious that Big Blue is by the far the best choice on the island, and I signed up on the spot.
Move forward to the following day, and I’m starting the first day of my scuba diving license. The Open Water course. My instructor was Claire Messenger, and we had a group of 5. Claire was an incredible instructor. She worked at a comfortable pace and engaged the group in a very friendly manner at all times. She explained all the necessary information with utmost confidence, and this confidence was passed on to us, the students, due to her own knowledge and ability (which is what every new diver wants).
Every step of the course was thoroughly enjoyable and delivered with the utmost professionalism from not only Claire but all the other staff members of Big Blue (there are a LOT that get involved in the dive trips). The whole experience far exceeded my expectations. I will absolutely return to go scuba diving on Koh Tao, and will definitely be diving with Big Blue again…and again.
STOP LOOKING FOR A DIVE COMPANY ON KOH TAO, YOU JUST FOUND IT.
(If you dive with Big Blue Diving and disagree with what I’ve said, I’ll buy you a bucket of rum and sprite!)
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BigBlueRep, Public Relations Manager at Big Blue Diving, responded to this review
Hello, and thanks for the detailed review!
It really is a difficult task choosing an amazing dive center on Koh Tao, but you did it the exact same way as I do when I’m on holiday – I go and chat to the Dive centers with a good reputation, and then choose the one which I felt most at home with. I remember very well my first day, I must have visited 20 different Koh Tao dive centers – half of which just gave me a price list and moved on to the next customer, so they were immediately off my list. I eventually chose Big Blue Diving for the same reason as you; they explained in great detail every step of the course, answered all my stupid questions, and made me feel a part of the gang straight away.
To get Claire as your instructor was a stroke of luck too….though i do say that about all the staff here! They’re all trained very intensely, for a looooong time too but Claire has the added skills of working as one of our full-time Divemasters before taking the step into teaching. This extra experience means there’s not an inch of underwater Koh Tao she doesn’t know, and also has a brilliant eye for spotting all sorts of cool marine life whilst exploring the dive sites. Most importantly, there’s no substitute for real, hands-on experience and with thousands of dives already there’s really nothing she hasn’t seen underwater, or a problem that could phase her – like i said, a stroke of luck to be put with her!
It would be a real pleasure to have you and the kids back one day soon to spend a little more time underwater with us here at Big Blue. We’d love to issue them their Scuba Diving License too. Thanks again for leaving such a detailed review, and remember – keep on scuba diving!
Big Blue
