Open water and Advanced course

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After being introduced to the rest of the PODers, (POD being the company i went through to get to Koh Tao). And having the first of many meals at Pranees! I decided to start my open water course. This is the first qualification you can get, teaching you basic skills. Looking back it is strange because the whole experience was quite scary at first - breathing underwater, setting up all the equipment which seemed so complicated and by the end of it, we were (Divemaster trainees - DMT) showing all these novice open water students what to do and comforting them, telling them "it's easy!".

Nathan was my instructor and Tony assisted, both really awesome! made the whole experience really good fun! I then went straight into my advanced with the same instructors. This involved some more theory work and then 5 speciality dives. This has to be the most enjoyable course.....not only doing but assisting also! I did naturalist, photography, navigation, deep, and night dive. Deep you go down to 30m! and night dives are just amazing. My first was really pretty scary, diving in the dark...with a torch....which gradually runs outa umph towards the end! but coming up to see the stars above you is amazing. Just bobbing on top of the water staring at the stars, nothing like it!

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Photos

My first underwater photo!
It's me!

An egg underwater....madness!
te he! it stays togther.....untill you hit it too hard....ahem...wasn't me!

oooh pretty!
The beauty of Chumpon baby!

Tony and his bottle!
that's what happens to ya lungs!