6ft 2, brown hair and eyes as well as tanned. No this is not a Internet dating advert. This is one of Davy Jones Locker Tour Guides. Let me introduce you to “The Bear”
In short DJL offer a personal dive tour guide for your stay with Davy Jones Locker diving. Our tour guide is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer who can take you and your party round the Davy Jones Locker dive schools in Thailand and either take you fun diving or teach you any course you may wish to do. From open water to any speciality course you may wish to partake in , the bear (as our tour guide is often referred to, because he is big brown and cuddly) will be happy to come up with a plan to suit your schedule and budget.
You can dive in two great locations both offering amazing diving on numerous dive sites. The bear will also travel with you offering his insight in to Thai life and diving making your transit between locations as simple and smooth as possible.
On a recent trip Bear took a group of qualified PADI advance divers on holiday in Koh Tao down to Koh Lipe to do there drift spec and fun dive the untouched areas around the island.
The party left Koh Tao on a glorious sun filled afternoon making the short trip to Chumphon getting to know each other and swapping dive stories and quizzing the life out of the bear about Koh Lipe and drift diving.
After a short hop from the port to the train station, a suitable watering hole was found for an evening meal and a few light refreshments. Soon enough it was all aboard the special express down to Hat Yai. The night train in Thailand is a amazing experience. All travelled in 2nd class Air con sleeper. You get a proper bed and after 7 hours the team arrived refreshed and rested in Hat Yai. British rail could learn a lot. Straight outside the train station the transport to take the group was sat raring to go to head down to Pakbara. Arriving at Pakbara there was a short wait for the speed boat to zip us out to Koh Lipe arriving just in time for afternoon tea. As one of the guests pointed out it is like being in Planes Trains and automobiles.
The first thing that strikes you about Koh Lipe is the temperature difference from Koh Tao. It is physically hotter than the sun and that is a fact and why I believe Bear is so brown. He tried to tell all that he even tans down at 30 metre. Although Most of the time I saw him he was in a hammock claiming he was resting up for diving in some very small shorts.
As the intrepid divers settled into the Davy Jones Dive lodge and relaxed and freshened up, the plan was drawn up consulting the tide charts and weather forecasts for the next days to maximise the drift.
That evening we headed down to Sunset beach to watch the beautiful sunset here at Koh Lipe as the sun dips below the far away islands casting some awesome shadows and colours that just have to be seen, pictures do not do it justice. It was then time for the famous fresh fish from the resort next to DJL. Fresh is a understatement it is better than anything some tv chef could come up with.
Earlyish the next morning after a good nights sleep everyone met up eager to experience drift diving. You could feel the tension and excitement in the air.
With the drift speciality………………
We all assembled our gear under the watchful hawkeye of the instructor. Once assembled and pre dive checks we meandered down the glorious white soft sandy beach to the awaiting long tail boat.
As we arrived at the dive site and thorough brief. We geared up and did our buddy checks in the sheltered, shallow bay we had moored up on. We dropped into the water and met up at the bottom. Bear led us out into the drift and dropped down to about 12 metres. The drift was not to noticeable at first but as we went round the first corner of Koh Yang it picked up and was lovely to relax and just float by all amazingly alive coral and aquatic life. The techniques we had talked through we practiced and had a great dive.
The next dive we were taken to the world famous dive site called Tom’s Ledge. Weather and tides suggested we should get some drift and we were not disappointed. The group all loved how varied the aquatic life was and the drift was a step up.
That evening Bear took us to a great Thai restaurant. It certainly helps having a guide who as well as having diving knowledge has local knowledge in restaurants, bars and things to see and do.
The next morning those who wanted and could get up were taken to see the sunrise on the aptly and originally named sunrise beach before the diving began. First stop was Koh Barata a small cylindrical island which had great drift and some huge lobsters. Then it was off for some serious drift.
Drift was an understatement. We shot round this island and on the boat back everyone was amazed how far we had travelled from our start point.
As a treat the following morning right on slack high tide we dived the wreck just off Koh Lipe itself. After experiencing drift diving I could appreciate why the wreck has to be dived at exactly the right time. Our final night we were treated to an amazing electric storm lighting up the sky. A perfect end to the trip.
DJL dive guide takes all the stress out of travelling and has valuable knowledge on diving and travel. No question was to much and he was happy to explain all. Many thanks to the Bear and Davy Jones Locker.
What spec to do next?????
