Archive for March, 2011

loving living on the rock

By , 25 March, 2011, No Comment

When i first came to Kho Tao to do my divemaster course at djl, i never imagined i would stil be here 3 years later. But its very easy to get stuck on the rock.
Many peple come here and never leave and im happy say i was one of them.
My time during my DMT course was full of good times. lots of diving, studying and of course drinking. I learnt many new skills, not just diving and also saw my personal confidance grow. It was a challange giving dive boat briefings to 30 people, but it gets easier every time.
After 3 great months of divemaster training i was given the job of divemaster at djl. I worked hard for a year and lost about 3 stone. leading fundivers, carring tanks and again more drinking.
Then finally the next step, time to be come a PADI dive instructor. This was 2 weeks of instructor development with our course director pete, and then 2 stressfull days of instructor exams. Now Im still working at djl and still learning new things everyday, and of course still drinking everyday. But most importantly still loving living on the rock.

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Turtles

By , 23 March, 2011, No Comment

The translation of Koh Tao is Turtle Island.  In the past this local area has been a popular choice for Sea Turtles to feed in the bays and on the coral reefs, also to nest on the beautiful beaches.  Over time sadly the numbers had fallen, human fishing and habitat destruction began to affect the population of these fascinating Reptiles.  It had seemed that many of which moved on to different areas.

I’ve been on Koh Tao for a year now and have logged many dives on the variety of sites it has to offer.  Although Turtle sightings seem like a rare treat they are deffinatly becoming more common and always ensures divers surface with a smile.  The most common type we see is the Hawksbill Turtle, recognizable by its beak like mouth. 

A DJL student is treated to a close encounter with a Hawksbill Turtle


Each year ‘Save Koh Tao’ Group host a festival on the Island.  It’s always a great success, running over 2 days with many Eco projects launched and in the evenings popular bands, and international DJ’s entertain the crowds.  All proceeds go to projects and conservation to help keep Koh Tao the way we love it.  One of the projects is a Turtle release, after being nurtured at a young age they are released into their natural habitat.  With more and more sightings of Turtles each month that goes by this is proving to be invaluable work.  In addition to this, recent times have seen some Turtles return to nest on some of our quieter beaches.  These are encouraging signs that these special Reptiles are here to stay and our divers can enjoying watching them swim gracefully through the water.

Save Koh Tao Fesitval is held on March 25 – 26 this year, the DJL team will be there in support.  This is one event on Koh Tao’s calender not to be missed.

Save Koh Tao

We hope to see you there.

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New equipment at DJL!!!

By , 17 March, 2011, No Comment

After such a fantastic start to 2011 at DJL, our fearless leader Tim has invested in some brand new equipment for the new season! This means that all divers at DJL are using the latest technology Aqualung BCD’s, regulators and wetsuits! The Aqualung Wave is a stylish BCD that has the clever ability to add weight integration. Made from tough, fade-resistant 1000D Armorshield™Cordura® the wave is a rugged, sharp and versatile BCD perfect for entry level diving all the way through to a professional career. The new 5th generation Aqualung Calypso is one of the most popular regulators in the world. It is light, compact and easy to service making it the perfect choice for recreational divers and dive shops worldwide.

Divers at DJL are already enjoying the comfort and ease of use of the new equipment and the confidence they get from the new range is making their entire diving experience more enjoyable. The fantastic start is continuing throughout the season and we are seeing more and more happy divers looking stylish at our favorite dive sites. DJL is now, officially, the best looking dive school on Koh Tao!!!

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The Andaman Sea / The Gulf of Thailand

By , 1 March, 2011, No Comment

Diving in Thailand offers a lot of variety, from good visibility to bad, strong currents to the some of the calmest seas you’ll find and beautiful shallow reefs to exciting deep water shipwrecks. When we certify new divers we always get questions about recommendations on where the new members of the PADI family can continue their adventure and with the upcoming opening of DJL’s new dive school on Koh Lipe (Also spelled Lipi) many people have shown interest in what the other side has got to offer.
So how does the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand differ in aquatic life? If you look at the different types of coral, hard coral (Hexacorallia) and soft coral (Octocorallia) you will see a majority of hards in the waters around Koh Tao whereas the other side around Koh Lipe is mainly dominated by softs.
There is a very logical explanation to this – The Gulf of Thailand is much more sheltered than the Andaman Sea, being more of a huge basin secluded from the roughest weather conditions, also the Gulf is relatively shallow with average depth around 45 m. In the Andaman Sea we don’t experience the same restrictions as in the Gulf and the deeper water, averaging more than 1000 m. This results in much stronger currents and linking that to corals is easy.
Many corals, especially the soft ones, are incapable of removing their own waste products. In seas with no current or a constant current that moves the water in one single direction the corals will eventually become covered in waste products and die. Soft corals need currents and waves to “stay clean”. Without water movements, they will lose the ability to survive and eventually die. Waves and currents bring oxygen to the reef and will also carry food particles to the corals. Currents are also necessary for the reproduction of corals since they transport coral larvae. Without water movements, the coral can also become weighed down by sedimentation.
As we’re always looking for new activities for our divers to engage in, the coral studies is just another reason why we’re all very excited about the Lipe opening this Summer, providing the opportunity for great diving on the other side as well giving us two different locations to jump into unforgettable underwater adventures.

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