Into the blue

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The next week went by in a flurry of learning - what was to be four days training, turned into six as we decided to embark on the advanced course, and by the end of the week we had not only been given the tools to enter a whole new world we’d only previously been able to glimpse from the surface, but also made two new friends, who we would dive with again just a few weeks later.
There were originally six in our group but it was obvious from the start that it was unlikely that Monique would make it to the end of the course. The first warning sign sounded when she reacted badly to the 6.30 start the following day. She was horrified at the time she would have to get up, bearing in mind it takes her an hour to get ready - even though he majority of the next day was to be spent in the water.
Her aversion to the classroom theory session culminated in her questioning why she had to learn all this information as she was never going to dive again after the course, was probably the death knell for her diving career. When the news that we would be staying behind half an hour to finish watching a teaching DVD led to her storming out - to be followed reluctantly a few minutes later by her permanently shirtless and sunburned boyfriend Phil - it was clear that there would be only four of us taking our first ocean dive the next day. And as it turned out - that suited us just fine. Mal and I, Nic and Gareth an Irish/Kiwi couple on a similar ‘old person's gap year’ to us, would the next day begin a diving adventure that would take us to Koh Tao’s ocean floor and way, way beyond.
Our instructor Justin, who is ridiculously over qualified to be teaching such novices as us was both an excellent guide and teacher. His endless Brummie enthusiasm got us through a tough first day in the pool - which thanks to the atrocious weather had left our lips blue and our teeth chattering, and his pure love of marine life was utterly infectious.
We were delighted that when we decided to stay on and do the advanced course, that Justin would once again be our teacher. The advanced course simply taught a few more skills such as navigation and improved bouyancy, as well as allowing us to dive to the deeper depth of 30m. Most importantly of all - it meant five more dives. None of us were ready to get out of the water just yet.

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