Underwater Digital Photography Course

By djl_team, 29 October, 2011, No Comment

This week I have been lucky enough to have been able to teach an underwater digital photography course which is one of my favorite PADI courses. The main reason for this is how happy the students are when they have finished the course and have some amazing photographs to share with their friends and family back home. Many certified divers turn up with cameras (or hire one) and take hundreds of photographs of the amazing aquatic life we have here around Koh Tao and can end up a little disappointed because they didn’t turn out quite the way they had hoped.

However, during the photography specialty, divers learn how to use their camera’s more effectively to come back from their dives with shots a professional would be proud of. To do this, students learn how to position themselves, the subject, the surface and the sun to make the most effective use of the light available. They are also taught how to make the best use of their camera modes to keep as many of the colors as possible that might otherwise have been lost. To see how good some of these photographs have been this week, check out our facebook page at http://facebook.com/DJLDiving
Chris

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Divemasters galore!!!

By djl_team, 26 October, 2011, No Comment

Friday the 22nd of October was D-Day for six new divemasters. Mike Gorton, Tom Warren (sporting a fetching yellow speedo), Pete Chorley, Sophie Braithwaite, Natalie Woodhams and teeny tiny Lucy Gooding all successfully endured their snorkel tests .

Tom is going straight on to do his IDC, whilst the others are all either sticking around to work or going home just in time for winter and Christmas . We wish them all tremendous luck and happiness which ever direction they go!

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Mask gadgets for those with money to burn

By djl_team, 23 October, 2011, No Comment

Divers are always looking at new innovations to make their underwater lives easier. Here are a few examples of what you can invest in if you have the dosh…
Hydro Optix double dome masks profess to provide razor sharp panoramic views , 350% greater than those with conventional flat masks. They also say that their mask is free of distortion, na matter where you look. They have installed twin turbo purge valves on either side of the lenses , that exhaust they bubbles to the rear, making clearing the mask easy and free of upsetting bubbles .

To buy one online, directly from the manufacturer, you are looking at spending 215 USD… in Baht that is 6450 THB ….A bit of a kick in the teeth.
The manufacturer are so sure about their product that they have created the PADI Double Dome Vision distinctive speciality which actually counts towards a PADI master Scuba Diver certification!
Oceanic’s Datamask HUD features an air integrated dive computer built into the mask. The computer is visible in the lower part of the right lens. Oceanic call it “ truly hands free diving” . We would say arm and leg free diving as the mask costs a whopping 1099.95 USD, 32998, 50 THB . Since a Suunto ZOOP costs only 9220THB and a decent mask is only about 2800 THB , that is outside the average person’s price range!

The last gadget mask we are going to look at is aimed at the photographer. The Liquid Image Scuba series mask features a camera. You can select a wide angle or regular camera depending on your preferences, however both record HD 720P video at 30 frames per second, and take 5MP still images. The unit can be used to a maximum depth of 40m/130ft. It has a MicroSD/SDHD card slot and comes with a 2GB micro SD card. Memory is expandable to 32GB. Images can be downloaded to a computer via USB or watched on a TV directly from the unit. The price is not actually that bad considering that it is a good underwater camera . Its 249.99USD (around 7500 THB) , and the torches for lighting are only another 69.99 usd (about 2100THB ) each, however anyone brave enough to wear one underwater should be prepared for a considerable ragging!

We have come a looong way from the 1300’s when Persian divers used goggles with lenses made of polished tortoiseshell!

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Taking it to the next level!

By Bubble, 20 October, 2011, No Comment

A year has passed since i completed the Instructor development course at DJL, now i have decided to step up to the next level.  This November i will be going for my Staff Instructor certification.  I enjoy teaching diving at all levels from Open Water through to Divemaster, but now i’m looking forward to helping out on the next Instructor course.  It will involve retaking the exams, so i can keep my knowledge sharp.  Also giving presentations in the classroom to the IDC candidates, helping out in the confined water training and also open water, i will learn to score the guys on their presentations in the appropriate way.  In doing this i can keep myself teaching to a high standard, also because its not that long since i went through it i can help guide and advise the new candidates through the course with my previous experience.  There is always more to do in diving, and i’m looking forward to something a bit different to what i teach from day to day.  So good luck to the guys who will be on the IDC, lets have some fun but more importantly lets make some new PADI Instructors!

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Another IDC and DMT snorkel test.

By djl_team, 17 October, 2011, No Comment

Last week we saw 4 new instructors successfully complete Pete’s IDC programme. Congratulations to Ghassan, Andre, James and Yaniwe on their achievement! We wish them well in the new careers as PADI Openwater Scuba instructors!!

Also to be congratulated are Robbie, Emilio and Sam, for surviving their snorkel test, oh and completing their Divemaster courses. We look forward to seeing what comes next for each of them!

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