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!

Hey, my name is Sonja and I’m one of the Open Water Scuba instructors at DJL Diving. When I first came to Thailand I immediately fell in love with the island, its culture and of course its diving. I’ve decided to pursue diving to a professional level and I’m nowadays instructing in English and German.
Working for DJL is good fun since our all goal is to make people have a great time and enjoy their holidays. No matter if there are customers who are still a bit anxious about diving, students on their way to get certified as Open Water divers or divers which are more advanced – DJL is offering the full range for all levels. Therefore, it’s a great experience being an instructor and seeing people losing their fear, getting more and more comfortable under water and enjoying the fascinating underwater world around Koh Tao.
But our team is not only consisting of instructors, without the support of all the others working in the shop, bar and restaurant, resort and hostel as well as on the taxi and boat it would be impossible to provide what makes DJL unique: an excellent customer oriented service in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere!

Hello! Having worked at Davy Jones’ Locker on Koh Tao for nearly three years I have always found my job to be very enjoyable and rewarding. The bread and butter of a working instructor is the PADI Open Water Diver course. This entry level certification always poses different challenges and no two courses are the same. PADI talks alot about transforming lives which I know can come across to some people as a bit cheesy but I see it as transforming any negative diving situations into positive ones.
Not every student diver is perfect when they first get in the water and people can have problems. Our job is helping people get over these problems. A common example is clearing a mask of water. The problem with problems is that you see or here of some intructors who will ignore the problem or let the odd student fall by the wayside. I’m proud at DJL that we spend time with students who may have had some difficulties, and give them the attention they deserve.
A recent student called Katy springs to mind. I think some people can feel pressured when they are finding things difficult and the rest of the students are getting it straight away. I think it’s important in these situations to remove the pressure which invariably leads to stress. Katy was in the pool with myself and three other students and was performing the skills very well but struggled a bit with mask clearing. The three other students were clearing their masks at the first attempt and I think Katy unnecessarily felt she was holding the group back and started to work hereself up which caused stress and therefore elevated respiration. Breathing is everything in diving and elevated respiration (rapid breathing) usually results in a rush job, more mistakes, more stress, more rapid breathing, more rushing, more mistakes, more stress etc. you get the picture. I decided to give Katy a break and she and I went back into the pool the following morning just the two of us. This I feel removed the pressure and therefore the stress. Unsuprisingly Katy did herself proud and nailed the mask skills first time without a hitch. Watching this develovement was very rewarding for me and Katy was clearly elated. The big positive in all this was not only that Katy rose to the challenge, re-joined the other students and completed the Open Water course, she loved it so much that she went on and took the PADI Advanced Open Water course. Katy is now an accomplished, confident, and happy diver. Power to her.
On a related topic we can also look at the importance of equipment. I spent time with Katy finding a mask that she was happy with. I’m sure most musicians will agree that nothing compares to the feel of playing your own guitar, violin, or whatever your instrument of choice may be. This is much the same in diving. There’s nothing like diving in the comfort of your own gear. The mask I would consider to be the most important bit of kit. They’re cheap, small, light and can make every dive that bit more enjoyable.
To sum up, at DJL Diving we guarantee to spend all the time necessary to see that all your needs are met.