Neil was Super, a brilliant instructor and a sound fella! He really helped Mike overcome his initial fear of diving, as did Tim. He also helped me alot with mask skills.

We had a great time on Koh Tao, stayed way longer than expected, completely down to the excellent staff at Davy Jones Locker.

Thank you so much,

Marie & Mike from Ireland.

I september 2009 besluttede jeg mig for, at hoppe ud i det. Jeg havde færdiggjort gymnasiet og efter 3 år med slid og slæb havde jeg bare brug for at komme væk, jeg havde brug for at udvige mine horisonter. Jeg har altid været facineret af havet, men aldrig haft mulighed for at tilbringe mere end de få sekunder jeg kan holde vejret under overfladen. Så jeg besluttede mig for at pakke en rygsæk og hoppe på et fly. Destination: Koh Tao.

I løbet af ca. 3 intense måneder med hårdt arbejde og dobbelt så meget sjov, kunne jeg tilføje en ny titel på mit CV: Divemaster. Jeg tog mit Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver og Divemasterkursus ud i én køre, og blev tilbudt job hos DJL Diving da jeg var færdig. Arbejdede i 3 måneder som Divemaster (Dykkerguide), hvor jeg tilbragte mine arbejdsdage i selskab med fantastiske mennesker på et kontor fyldt med tyrehajer, hvalhajer, skildpadder og tusindevis af farverige fisk og smukt koralrev. Efter de 3 måneder havde jeg virkelig fået blod på tanden – jeg havde brug for flere udfordringer og valgte derfor at tage mit instruktørkursus. Nu arbejder jeg som dykkerinstruktør for DJL Diving, møder nye mennesker hver dag, bor på en paradis-ø, og det bedste af det hele: Jeg tjener penge på noget jeg absolut elsker.

Hvis du føler, at du sidder fast derhjemme, har brug for en ny hverdag eller måske endda en helt ny livsstil med karriereskift, kan du gøre præcis det samme. Hvis du har spørgsmål om hvordan du kan begynde dit eventyr, så smid en kommentar her, og vi vender tilbage indenfor 24 timer

Here at DJL DIVING we are  appalled at the failure of the world’s environment leaders to approve trade protections for some of the Earth’s most vulnerable and heavily traded shark species which is why we signed this petition:

http://www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance

Did you know each year tens of millions of sharks are killed by Earth’s most dangerous predator – humans? Populations of sharks are in big trouble but you can take action.

At DJL DIVING we are proud members of PROJECT AWARE  and we belive everyone, diver or not has a responsibility to make sure we protect sharks. During the shark season it is possible to get close to big grey reef sharks and bull sharks at Kho Taos premire dive site of Chumpon Pinnacle. DJL DIVING offers exclussive afternoon trips on our highspeed rhib, we you get the chance to see these amazing creatures in the most natural form without disturbance from other divers.

Sign the petition and let’s tell Governments loud and clear: sharks are vital to our ecosystem and deserve better protection.

The DJL Team celebrate Award from PADI

I’ve been working for Davy Jones’ Locker for the best part of two years now and in my time I’ve seen the school grow and progress, maintaining high standards and producing high quality divers at all levels from Open Water through to instructor and beyond.  That goal of producing quality is evident throughout the school for all the courses we teach whether it’s Tim teaching tech diving, Pete running IDC’s, Frankie with the boathandling courses, Luke looking after the eco side of things, and Alex and Simon producing PADI Divemasters who would be an asset to any dive school.  One thing I love about DJL is that we don’t strive to be the biggest dive school in the world, or even on Koh Tao,

All the hard work put in at the Dive School is paying off as PADI recognises our efforts

but we do strive to be the best.  Anyways the point of this blog was to congratulate my collegues for an award we recieved recently from PADI Asia Pacific.  The award was for an outstanding contribution to the diving industry.  Now as an employee of DJL I guess people think I have to say such good things about the place and I suppose that may be true. But if our hard work is getting noticed by the big dogs at PADI, then I guess we must be doing something right.

Some of the latest cocktails include Mojito, Sex on the beach, Bloody Mary, Godfather & Frozen Margarita to name a few.

Due to the overwhelming success of the event, DJL Pool Bar plans to run similar events in the near future and with Songkran just around the corner expect the pool parties to be in full flow!

1. Photograph with Care. Dive carefully as many aquatic creatures are fragile regardless of size. Improper techniques while taking or editing photos underwater can damage sensitive aquatic life and harm fragile organisms with the bump of a camera or tank, swipe of a fin or even the touch of a hand.
2. Dive Neutral. Camera systems may add weight or be buoyant. Make sure to secure photo and dive equipment and be properly
weighted to avoid contact with reefs or other vital habitat. Practice buoyancy control and photography skills in a pool before swimming near sensitive and fragile environments.
3. Resist Temptation. Don’t touch, handle, feed, chase or ride aquatic life. Don’t alter an organism’s location to get the perfect shot. Most aquatic creatures are shy and easily stressed. Your actions may interrupt feeding, disturb mating or provoke aggression in a normally nonaggressive species.
4. Easy Does It. While diving, move slowly and deliberately through the water. Avoid excessive use of flash that can startle underwater creatures. Be patient and still while photographing – allow organisms to show their natural behavior for a more significant and meaningful shot.
5. Sharpen Your Skills. Make sure the difficulty of the dive and the environmental conditions are appropriate for your current skills and comfort level. Don’t stabilize underwater by grabbing onto the reef for a better photo. Enroll in PADI’s Underwater
Photographer, Digital Underwater Photography and Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty courses to learn sustainable dive techniques and become a more skilled and successful photographer.
6. Be Informed. Know and follow local regulations and protocols regarding behavior around marine mammals and other animals before entering the water. Share this knowledge with other divers. These regulations protect creatures and aim to assure their preservation for future generations.
7. Be an AWARE Diver. Knowing more about the life and behavior of your aquatic subjects can help you get better shots. Consider enrolling in an AWARE – Coral Reef Conservation, AWARE Fish Identification, Project AWARE Specialty or Underwater Naturalist course to learn more about the environment you’re photographing.
8. Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Bubbles. Nearly everything found in the aquatic realm is alive or will be used by a living creature. Removing specimens such as corals and shells can disturb the delicate balance and quickly deplete dive sites of both their resources and their beauty.
9. Share Your Images. Use images for conservation by reporting environmental disturbances or destruction using your photographs as evidence. Assist scientific research and improve resource management by contributing your photos to species monitoring programs such as The Whale Shark Project. You can also submit your photos to Project AWARE. Your images have the power to change perspectives and influence conservation.
10. Conserve the Adventure. Support Project AWARE Foundation, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.
If you have the time a MASTER SCUBA DIVER course is a great option. You have two weeks of unlimited fun diving were we grantee you at least 50 dives, and also 5 PADI specialities certifactions. A example of a two week course :-

underwater photography spec- 1 day 2 dives       

Peak Perfomance Buoyancy spec- 1 day 2 dives

Fish id spec- 1 day 2 dives

Nitrox spec- 1 day 2 dives

deep spec- 2 days 4 dives

With unlimited fun diving in between. the PADI master scuba diver is the highest non proffesional diver rating.

Calling all Divers and Water Enthusiasts!! Celebrate Earth Day’s 40th Anniversary Join Project AWARE Foundation’s Dive for Earth Day. Human activity is costing the Earth. And despite the oceans’ vast expanse it is taking its toll on aquatic eco systems. You can choose to make a world of difference by joining DJL DIVING Dive for Earth Day event during the week of 22 April. “Underwater volunteers are on the front lines, taking action and collecting data for conservation. This year is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and we urge everyone to commit to improving the health of our ocean. Protecting the ocean preserves the planet – including us,” said Project AWARE Foundation Asia Pacific Director, Henrik Nimb. Underwater environments are under numerous threats including pollution, climate change, overfishing, and coral bleaching. Dive for Earth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to take action and help address the underwater issues that concern you most. DJL DIVING, in partnership with Project AWARE is organizing a  Beach and Underwater Cleanup everyone can help make a difference for local dive sites by calling in at the shop and voluntering for a fun day of conservation, with a project aware pool party in the bar after to raise money for project aware, were u can wins prises and have a well earned drink, take a dip in the pool and enjoy our free bbq. Earth Day has raised environmental awareness on a global scale for 40 years. For ten years divers have put the ocean on the Earth Day Map. Globally the oceans cover 70 per cent of the planet’s surface and contain 90 per cent of the mass of life on Earth. Thousands of diver volunteers in more than 115 countries have helped protect underwater environments and educate local communities for Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day.

Here at DJL DIVING we belive its a privilege to be able to enter and experience the magical underwater world. However coral reefs around the world are under extreme threat, and if we want to ensure that furue divers can enjoy the same wonderful experiences then we need to dive responsibly. Our top tips for responsible diving recomended by PROJECT AWARE –

1. Anchors cause serious damage to reefs. Ask your skipper if they will be using a mooring, and about how they ensure the reefs will not be damaged.

2. Make sure that your point of entry to the water is away from fragile corals, it’s all too easy to damage them as you enter.

3. Practice your buoyancy over sand before moving towards corals and reefs. Even the sand kicked up by fin kicks close to corals and vulnerable organisms can damage them. Take part in PADI specialities like PPB and FISH ID.

4. Look don’t touch. Even robust looking corals and polyps can be destroyed by the gentlest touch.

5. Resist the temptation to feed fish and discourage others from doing so. You might affect normal patterns of behaviour and/or encourage aggression.

6. Ask your tour operator for their responsible tourism and diving policy – if they haven’t got one they are probably not taking it seriously.

7. Poorly treated waste from hotels destroys water quality and corals. Ask your hotel how they manage grey water.

8. Do not buy and gifts or souvenirs that are made from corals, shells or hardwoods.

Here at DJL DIVING we are proud members of PROJECT AWARE and a GO-ECO member. We belive in doing all we can to preserve our island. If you would like any info about eco friendly specialities just check out our DJL FORUM page.