How do animals dive so deep?

Nature has shaped through evolution they way animals behave. This means that some animals have adapted to feed in places where the rest of the animal kingdom living around them cannot go. This naturally then eliminates a large part of the competition from the food chain.

The Similan Islands have whales, dolphins, turtles, birds and many other non-aquatic species that dive under water

So how are they able hold their breath for so many minutes without losing consciousness or dying? First, let’s revise some other physiological principles in order to understand more clearly what is happening.

The need to breath is felt when the carbon dioxide (CO2) level rises above a certain threshold. The CO2 will dissolve in the blood causing its pH to decrease, which is making the blood slightly more acidic. The sensors in the medulla oblongata (the base of the brain) will then “tell” the animal that it is time to breath again.Oxygen (O2) and CO2 are carried around the body by the blood in two different ways. One is simply the fact that both O2 and CO2 can dissolve in the blood. This will account for a small fraction of the whole transportation process. The other method uses the haemoglobin, a protein present inside red blood cells. Both O2 and CO2 molecules have the ability to attach themselves to the haemoglobin, but the carbon dioxide has a much greater affinity to do this. Therefore, whilst haemoglobin can carry up to four molecules of O2 it carries a much larger amount of carbon dioxide, normally about 23 percent is transported in the blood. However. The main point is that in most animals the O2 reserve is solely in the lungs and the blood. Once this reserve is depleted, the animals will need to breathe again to exhale CO2 and inhale new O2.

Breath holding diving animals have the advantage of an additional mechanism which, relies on another very similar protein called myoglobin. This protein is located inside muscle cells. In humans it makes up for only a very small percentage of the muscle mass. This percentage changes drastically in the animals with the need to hold their breath and it goes up to 45% of the muscle mass in sperm whales, animals that can hold their breath for up to two hours.

How does it work? Simply the blood will carry O2 to the tissues and the extra oxygen that is not used “immediately” will be stored in the myoglobin more or less in the same way as in the haemoglobin. Once the animal is under water and can no longer breath, the O2 stock of the blood will become depleted, the myoglobin will then release its O2 in to the blood that will carry it around where it is needed. At the same time the myoglobin will “catch” the excess CO2 in the blood restoring to a level that does not trigger the need to breath. When eventually the animal returns to the surface to breath air, the myoglobin releases all of its stored CO2 and replaces it with fresh O2. The amount of myoglobin present in the animal muscles will determine the maximum time the animal can spend underwater.

The more the animal wants to stay under water, the longer the period it has to stay at the surface for the gas exchanges to take place. A dolphin needs to breathe a few times (about two to four minutes) to stay submerged 20 to 30 minutes. A sperm whale will breathe 4 or 5 times per minute for up to 15 minutes at the surface to stay two hours under water. Sea birds normally dive for 3 to 10 minutes according to the species they belong to and need to breathe for about 2 to 3 minutes before diving.

Learn To Dive Online – for Free!

Learning to dive is just so much easier and simpler now. These days the academic portion of your Open Water course can be done online. Save your vacation time for the water, the sun and the beaches!

This gives you time to do the academic portion at your pace and at your preferred location (the sofa? in bed? at work?). Start when you want – and pause for a day or two. It’s really that simple.

But unlike some systems – you can actually do all this for free! You don’t need to pay hundreds of Dollars/Euros before you even start! With our system – you simply click on the link above – and that’s it. By the time your plane lands and you settle in over sunset drinks – you’ll have already completed 25% of your Open Water Training!

For free!

When you arrive – we will check on your progress, double check your work and then we are off to the water to start practicing under the sea! If you feel like you need more questions answered – we are happy to cover any sections you feel you need more work on and to demonstrate any thing that wasn’t clear in the online videos and presentations.

How much does it cost? Free!!! No obligations!

For more information – check out our Online Open Water course. Or simply click on the image to the left and start…right now!

Once you have completed the online training – we still give you great options for your continued training. Why not join our liveaboard to complete your course – cruising through the Similan Islands doing 9 dives and really enjoying the uninhabited Similan Islands. We also allow you the chance to stay in your resort on the mainland and head out on our speedboat each day to the Similan Islands. Sunset drinks at your bungalow?

-Similan Diving

Koh Bon – Similan Islands Dive Sites

Koh Bon Wall

Koh Bon is located about 20 kilometers north of Island 9 and features one of the only vertical walls in Thailand. The island has no beaches and is in the shape of a horseshoe. The main dive site is on the southwestern point and consists of a 33 meter wall facing the small cove, and a step-down ridge that carries on to depths of over 45 meters.

Leopard sharks are common on the sandy flats below the wall (particularly on the eastern side). Although the soft corals are not as high-profile as they are in the Similans, the colors of the corals are radically different and include shades of turquoise, yellow and blue, besides the more common pinks and purples. With the angles on the wall, they also offer an ever changing spectrum of colors and make for some great photos around noon.

Koh Bon is one of the better places to see manta rays, almost all year around. This last year featured Mantas almost everyday from mid-December until April. Frequent, but not daily sightings for the rest of the season!

There is also a pinnacle in the bay just to the north of the ridge. It is a deep rock, but if you’re an experienced diver it’s worth the short bottom times you’ll get (especially if you’re on a longer trip). Not all boats visit it and if conditions are not good (like the current is wrong), it’s not worth it. But, if the water is clear, you’re good with your air, and the current is slack, it’s a stunning rock. It looks like a temple built by some ancient culture. It’s larger than Richelieu Rock at the base, and a hard swim. The bottom is over 40 meters deep, and the top only come up to about 18-20 meters. Some amazing little critters are seen here including nudibranchs, pipefishes, pleurobranchs and mantis shrimps.

Diving Depths of 1- 35 meters (1-100 feet), with most time spent on the ridge at 20-25 meters (70-85 feet). Visibility runs about 20 meters (75 feet) but gust of cold water, with associated plankton blooms are not uncommon. Currents can be mild to strong, depending on tides. It is also common to have virtually no current inside the bay but a ripping current on the outside.

Experience level: while beginners can do this site, it is recommended that the diver be intermediate and above due to lack of beaches, potentially strong currents and popularity of the site.

Weather on Similan Islands

Our Friends at Similans.net are updating their site, so I thought I would pinch some of the information and give it to y’all.

From their Extensive Similan Weather page:

Similan Island information: Weather

The monsoon play an important role in all apsects of life on the Similans. The monsoons always head in from the South West over the Andaman Sea. So The east coast is protected from the monsoons features powdery coral beaches, coral gardens of hard and soft corals which slope dramatically from the surface down to approximately 30-40 meters. Whereas the West coast is generally made up of the large boulders dropping intot he depths. The flora is very much affected by the constant winds and have very daramtic scenery with no beaches (The protected Donald Duck bay is the exception)

Thailand has three seasons; cool, hot and rainy. The best time to visit (for consistently great weather if you love the sun) is between October and May. The summer months of July and August are customarily very pleasant, although it tends to rain in the evenings. September is not usually the best time on the islands, as the seas are usually too rough for swimming (or diving) and rain fall is widespread.

With regard to water clarity on the Similan Islands, the water is actually more clear during the summer months; the islands are too far offshore to be effected by freshwater run-off

Diving and snorkeling is usually equally nice in the summer months, but it may be a good idea to carry some rain gear like a poncho for transportation between the boat and the car! It’s also very difficult to make it to the Similan Islands due to winds and waves. There are no day trips running. Be very WARY of companies that offer Day trips during these months. One shop in Khao Lak (Thai owned and operated) has sunk their Speedboat operating in the monsoons.

Monsoons are the major factor in the weather conditions. When they are gone, the Similans are open! Even the occasional thunderstorm presents more opportunity than harm – we just consider it air-conditioning.

There are seasonal variations in currents – as the prevailing winds that bring the monsoons also bring in colder waters from the open ocean we tend to have even clearer water. Tidal currents are strong at the narrow points in the islands and at the Northern and Southern Tips.

While conditions in Khao Lak (and to a lesser extent) are sometimes cloudy or rainy, the Similan Islands get less than 1/2 the rainfall that the mainland get.

Summer begins in mid February and ends in May. Rainy season starts from mid May till October with North – Western wind. Average annual temperature is 27๐c with average of approximately 83% humidity all year round. Average annual rainfall is measured at 3,560 millimeters with evaporation rate of 1,708 millimeters per year.

Similan Island Information: Monsoons

The northeast monsoon lasts from October until May and is considered to be the high season on the Similan Islands and in Khao Lak and is generally understood to be the best time of year for both traveling to and enjoying the Similan Islands. This is true to a certain extent, as the weather is consistent and predictable. The main reason it is the popular time, though, is that it’s winter in Europe and the States where most of our visitors come from, and people are escaping the cold.

During this time, since the wind is blowing from the northeast, on the West Coast of Thailand, boats can reach even the most remote of sites as strong winds don’t affect the sea until you reach far, far offshore. And, during the months of February, March, and April, the sea is generally flat and feels more like a lake than an ocean or sea. This is the transition time and it gets hot – 35 is not unheard of. The three months in the spring are hot here and the very best time for visiting the islands.

During the northeast monsoon, the wind can be very strong at times, 15-25 knots, so the Gulf of Thailand experiences fairly high waves and often times boats to Koh Samui or Koh Tao can not run due to the height of the waves. While that rarely affects the West Coast (Similans) it can cause some wind and even waves. Most reputable operators will advise guests of the risks (if any).

The southwest monsoon means the waves & wind now come from the southwest and since Khao Lak and the Similans face the west, the waves are hitting the West Coast beaches directly making the Andaman Sea feel more like an ocean rather than the glassy lake it usually is. Rain is more common which makes the country-side more green, tropical, and beautiful.

The Gulf, since it is protected for the most part from westerly winds, experiences flatter seas than Andaman Coast does during the southwest monsoon. However, it rains there just as much as it rains on the West Coast during that time.

The weather here is not severe. There are rarely typhoons or hurricanes or even severe tropical storms. Besides the constant heat here (and that’s not really a problem on the boats, islands or coastline) Khao Lak and the Similan Islands have some of the best and safest weather in the world.

The trick for visiting during these times is having protection from the waves. Unfortunately, many of the popular sites in the region do not have protection from rough weather. Since the sea height is unpredictable during the southwest monsoon on the Similan side, and unpredictable during the northeast monsoon on the Gulf side, it makes it difficult to plan trips to any areas that don’t offer proper protection from the waves. Thus trips toRichelieu Rock from Khao Lak are difficult since this site has little protection from the weather. Due to the distances involved in making trips to Burma (a 1,000km round trip), no one generally schedules trips to these areas during the southwest monsoon.

The main problem visiting the Similan Islands during the summer months, June until September, is the lack of people wanting to go–not that you physically cannot. At that time of year, people are traveling to more temperate climes rather than the hot tropics, so there are very few scheduled liveaboards during this time as boats can’t get enough people together on a consistent basis. Almost every boat at one time or another has tried a summer schedule and few, if any, have ever been successful at it.

A couple of great links to help you see the current conditions….

Windguru gives a theoretical forecast of weather conditions.

And the Thailand Meteorlogical Department also issues advisories and forecasts.

Visiting Thailand – Festival time!

Thailand boasts some of the world’s best festivals at times that don’t line up with the Commonwealth of Nations’ school holidays.

Try to set your trip for Loy Krathong, held on the full moon in November, and make your way to Chang Mai. There you will witness the waterways filled with floating Krathong (banana leaf rafts lit with candles) and the night-sky speckled with flying lanterns. It’s truly a stunning sight.

If you’re visiting in the spring shoot for Songkran, one of the world’s most unusual, fascinating and brilliantly chaotic festivals. Songkran marks the Thai New Year and spans from April 13th-15h. During the celebration businesses throughout the country shut down (particularly in Bangkok and Chang Mai) and citizens partake in a national water fight. The streets are filled with revelers signing, spreading mud paste on each other’s faces and dumping water on each other. It challenges Spain’s famous Tomatina Festival for both messiness and enjoyment. Both Loy Krathong and Songkran offer excellent opportunities to connect with locals.

The Songkran festival in Khao Lak is much more low key – meant for families and great fun. It also coincides with some seriously incredible diving to! One of the best times to  Dive Khao Lak

At the end of the day, finding a way off the Banana Pancake Trail is simple-all it takes is a spirit for adventure, a thirst for something new and a willingness to split from the pack. The only downside is you might have to try a new dish for breakfast. I’d say it’s certainly worth the trade-off.

Thailand’s Best Dive sites – Elephant Head Rock

Thailand is home to some great diving. The Similan Islands are frequently listed among the top 10 dive sites on earth.

It is no wonder that the best dive sites on the Similan Islands are good – damn good! Among the most famous and frequently cited as “incredible” is Elephant Head Rock. Located right int he Center of the islands – just off  Koh Similan.

Elephant Head Rock is home to some huge pelagic visitors as well as some incredible macro as well. If you imagine a  massive pile of boulders the size of houses that just keep going deeper and deeper into the depths – then you can imagine what this site is like.

Due to Dive profiles and the great features of this site – it’s best to visit in the morning. This usually means joining a Similan Liveaboard as the daytrips usually arrive a bit late.

with Depths to 30 meters and far beyond – Nitrox is also a good idea.

For more on Similan island Dive Sites

Where to learn diving in Thailand?

Ever wonder what it would be like to jump into the water and look into the face of a passing turtle?? The underwater world is mysterious and yet inviting, the experience of diving it provides and addictive sense of zen. There’s no better place to have your first dive experience than Thailand – with good conditions year round. Where to learn to dive in Thailand?

Most dive shops in Thailand offer PADI or SSI certification but it’s also possible to find a few offering NAUI or CMAS. Beginners may be more comfortable diving in the calmer and shallower waters off the east coast of Thailand, with destinations such as Koh Tao or Koh Samui being the most popular on that side. The East coast has less marine life and coral though.

As the West coast has much better marine life and coral – you may want to consider this as your destination. However The weather makes diving unsafe from June through October. If you plan on visiting during this time – you will probably have a better time diving around Khao Lak and the Similan Islands. Hotspots for diving around here include Phi Phi and Koh Lipe.

Phuket has several dive operators to chose from, but the conditions near the pollution strewing island can be intolerable. Khao Lak offers an excellent choice of dive shops and also has a good range of accommodation to suit most tastes. It is also the closest jumping off point to the Similan Islands.

Phi Phi is quite popular among the younger crowd but there are hotels catering to older couples and families, which also offer scuba diving courses.

The Similan Islands, technically located in Phang Nga province, provide some of the best dive sites in the world. Protected within a marine national park, the nine islands are still pristine and rich with wildlife above and below the water. Most dive operators will take you ashore at one of the islands, where you can enjoy the powder-white beaches and see exotic birds and monkeys. Under the waves, the colorful reefs and boulder formations are teeming with coral and a variety of marine life. Sometimes whale sharks are even spotted in the waters, as well as rays and other sharks. Visibility is good, varying from 30-50m.

The best way to see the Similans is by liveaboard, and most dive operators will allow you to do your Open Water dives from the boat if you’ve completed the paper and pool work ashore beforehand.

Much like Phi Phi, Koh Tao is a fun place for backpackers to learn how to scuba dive. This may well be the most affordable place in Thailand to take a PADI Open Water course and to build up your dive log. Unfortunately it’s not the best diving in Thailand – but it’s not yet the worst either. Koh Tao used to offer frequent whale shark sightings but they are relatively rare these days. It’s also conveniently close (2 hours by speed boat) to Samui. In fact you can do diving courses on Samui too.

The number of dive boats on a site is not restricted, so you may find there is too much company around peak dive times. You may find yourself surrounded by 50 to 100 divers at a time, with most of them being Open Water students or day trippers from Samui. Needless to say, Koh Tao might be great for learning and for progressing to instructor – but it’s not all that great for just recreational diving. Many people come here specifically to advance through courses and proceed with PADI Advanced, Rescue Diver, Dive Master/Master Scuba Diver and Instructor courses.

There are so many choices on Koh Tao that you should look carefully at each dive shop and make sure they offer you the best value for money. Not all dive instructors are the same, and some are downright scary. Likewise, equipment standards can vary, and you’ll want to make sure any shop you choose has quality equipment and maintains it properly and hygienically. You should also check into the insurance policy of the dive shop and enquire as to if you should purchase your own dive insurance for the hyperbaric chamber if you have an accident.

It boils down to this – you get what you pay for. If you think it’s a bargain – it’s not! Your life depends on well-maintained well equipment and good staff. If you would like to know where to learn to diving in Thailand?

Most the dive operations in Thailand are run by foreigners, which is just as well since Thais have a rather different approach to safety and responsibility, but you’ll find yourself diving with plenty of Thai staff who are their usual friendly easy-going selves

Diving Video – Similan Islands

Getting up close and personal with one of our friends! Leopard Sharks are frequent visitors to our waters. These guys are also really relaxed.

With their mouth located under, instead of forward you can see that they prefer to eat things in the sand rather than attack things like a Great White.

That is a Remora on his side – a cleaner fish that eats the left-overs and also various parasites that may attach to the body of the shark.

“

Common name

The name zebra shark is given because as a juvenile the shark has zebra-like stripes. When it matures these stripes change to cheetah-like spots. A name widely used to refer to Triakis semifasciata, a small benthic shark found in the Eastern Pacific coastline of North America.

Distribution and habitat

The zebra shark is found in the tropical Western Pacific and Indian oceans at depths of about 5 to 30 m.
Anatomy and appearance

It is a very sleek and slender shark, about 3.5m (11.5 ft) long. In addition to the long tail, the zebra shark has distinctive ridges running down its body. As its names suggest, it is patterned; young sharks are dark with yellowish stripes, changing to an adult pattern of a tan color with dark spots, found all over including the fins. The snout is rather rounded, with small barbels (whiskers).
Zebra shark in a aquarium.

Behavior

The zebra shark is a slow-moving type, often just sitting on the seafloor in the vicinity of coral reefs, on sandy or rocky bottoms. Unlike most types of sharks, it does not need to move, and instead pumps water through its gills. This is known as the ram-jet effect.

Diet

It feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish that it sucks out of the sand at night, and is capable of wiggling through small holes and crevices in its search for food.

Importance to humans

Zebra sharks do well in captivity, and a number of aquariums around the world have them on display. They are fished commercially on a small scale. They are often seen by scuba divers, and will lay still on the bottom as long as a diver does not come too close. They are harmless to divers as long as they are not disturbed. In addition several aquariums have shown them to be easy learners, even teaching them to respond to touch by flapping their gills. Due to its large caudal fins, this species are a prized catch for fishermen to make shark fin soup.”

-Similan Diving

Getting up close and personal with one of our friends! Leopard Sharks are frequent visitors to our waters. These guys are also really relaxed.

With their mouth located under, instead of forward you can see that they prefer to eat things in the sand rather than attack things like a Great White.

That is a Remora on his side – a cleaner fish that eats the left-overs and also various parasites that may attach to the body of the shark.

“

Common name

The name zebra shark is given because as a juvenile the shark has zebra-like stripes. When it matures these stripes change to cheetah-like spots. A name widely used to refer to Triakis semifasciata, a small benthic shark found in the Eastern Pacific coastline of North America.

Distribution and habitat

The zebra shark is found in the tropical Western Pacific and Indian oceans at depths of about 5 to 30 m.
Anatomy and appearance

It is a very sleek and slender shark, about 3.5m (11.5 ft) long. In addition to the long tail, the zebra shark has distinctive ridges running down its body. As its names suggest, it is patterned; young sharks are dark with yellowish stripes, changing to an adult pattern of a tan color with dark spots, found all over including the fins. The snout is rather rounded, with small barbels (whiskers).
Zebra shark in a aquarium.

Behavior

The zebra shark is a slow-moving type, often just sitting on the seafloor in the vicinity of coral reefs, on sandy or rocky bottoms. Unlike most types of sharks, it does not need to move, and instead pumps water through its gills. This is known as the ram-jet effect.

Diet

It feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish that it sucks out of the sand at night, and is capable of wiggling through small holes and crevices in its search for food.

Importance to humans

Zebra sharks do well in captivity, and a number of aquariums around the world have them on display. They are fished commercially on a small scale. They are often seen by scuba divers, and will lay still on the bottom as long as a diver does not come too close. They are harmless to divers as long as they are not disturbed. In addition several aquariums have shown them to be easy learners, even teaching them to respond to touch by flapping their gills. Due to its large caudal fins, this species are a prized catch for fishermen to make shark fin soup.”

-Similan Diving

Similan Scuba Diving | Dive Sites – Surin Islands

Surin Islands or Mo Koh Surin National Park

Located about 80 km north of Khao Lak in the emerald water of the Andaman Sea, near the Myanmar (Burmese) border. The Surin Islands archipelago consists of 5 islands: North Surin island, South Surin island, Ko Ree, Ko Pajumla, Ko Kai,

Ko Surin Nuea -this is the biggest island- are some National Park accommodations and at Ko Surin Tai there is a small Morgan gypsy village .

The whole Surin Islands National Park covers a area of about 135 square kilometer. The two bigger Surin Island are separated by a 200 m waterway. The Surin Islands are about 40 km offshore form Kuraburi.

Mu Ko Surin National Park – the official name – is a fantastic crossover from tropical forest and coral reefs. The area shows a rich bio – diversity that ranges from the largest sea creature on earth.

From the Whale Shark to rare birds such as the Beach Thick-Knee and the Nicobar Pigeon. Mammals such as the Malayan Flying Lemur can also be discovered.

The Surin Islands Thailand have been declared a national park in 1981 to make sure not to have the usual encroaching and souvenirs shops everywhere. Its a clean, pristine environment full of beauty above and under the water surface.

The Surin Islands, Ko Surin, Thailand, are accessible either by speedboat day tours or liveaboards. As there is no accommodation or infrastructure for tourism in Kuraburi – it is recommended to stayin Khao Lak – just over one hour south.

The whole Surin Islands archipelago offers a excellent snorkeling and scuba diving environment. The Surin Islands are only a little  similar to Similan Islands Thailand are a prime area for scuba diving.

The beaches on north Surin Islands are rather small but many very scenic bays compensate this. You also can go camping 2 days/1night, 3 days/2nights, 4 days/3 nights or depend on your need at the Surin Islands.

If you go on your own, to the Surin Islands pier you can buy ticket for speedboat transfer to- Surin Islands and stay in the Bungalows – very basic – you can only snorkel. Contact us has snorkeling package with included equipment . If you want a scuba dive trip – contact a Khao Lak dive operators.

No trip on the Andaman Sea would be complete without visiting the Surin national marine park,located 60 kilometers north of the Similan and only seven Kilometres from the Burmese border.

The most interesting scuba diving site is a around Richelieu rock. The rocky peak, rising from 30 metres to 35 metres above sea level, is especially popular for its sightings of big pelagic like manta rays and the whale shark, the largest fish in the ocean.

Descending onto Richelieu Rock, the peaks and slopes are covered in purple soft corals and reef species.Vast schools of glassfish blanket the reef, so much so you have to wait for marauding trevally to attack the dense schools of batfish to clear a patch, enabling you to see the astounding reef.

You can also hire a long tail boat with contact us travel agent at Surin Islands and move around. At the Surin Islands park headquarter and restaurant and bathrooms are available, also for campers.

The nature trails starting at the Surin Islands park headquarter give a little challenge to test your fitness.

The south Surin Island has a couple of nice beaches / bays, notably Ao Suthep and Ao Pak Kaad – Ao stands for bay -.

At north Surin Island, Ao Sai Ane and on south Surin Island at Ao Born a small group of Morgan Sea Gypsies has settled, still practicing their daily life like ages ago. Ko Surin also check water sports.

Always choose a dive center that has staff speaking your language, have insurance and are certified. Please avoid using uninsured, untrained boats or dive operators. If they offer too good a deal – it IS too good a deal.

Similan Scuba Diving

Open Water course on a Similan Island Liveaboard

There are many different ways to learn to scuba dive. An instructor teaches someone in a pool. Others jump off a speedboat and some are lucky enough to do their course on a liveaboard. In Thailand the best bang for you Baht is on a liveaboard – more dives and more experience while cruising through paradise.

The Similan Islands are home to Thailand’s most famous dive sites and are often listed as among the 10 best dive sites in the world. Conveniently located to Khao Lak and the nearby Phuket airport – the diving is very accessible. With the option of Speedboats or liveaboards – many beginning divers chose to do their Similan Liveaboard Open Water course on a 3 day journey through the uninhabited islands. These trips offer the guests their own cabins, meals and many different dive sites.

The calm clear waters, the relaxed atmosphere and the skilled instructors will all contribute to the success of the experience. This is important as SCUBA diving is a lifetime passion – not just a whim.

The courses are easy to take and only require a bit of your time. Much of the academic work can now be completed online (and for free) before you even arrive in Thailand. You can spend your vacation time in the water or on the beaches – no the classroom.

The first day is spent in the pool or on the beach simply getting used to the new equipment and incredible sensation of floating weightless! It’s fun and thrilling to realize that gravity no longer exists – it also takes a bit of practice. Diving also requires a few new skills that you are unlikely to have learned before. Your Instructor will go through all the basic skills that will be demonstrated and practiced in the pool. Then you have the opportunity to practice them too!

In the pool or off the beach – the instructor will settle down in front of the student so that they can see all that she is demonstrating. After some breathing exercises and regulator recovery at the surface the instructor will get all the divers to kneel on the bottom of the pool breathing and getting used to being underwater. The instructor, followed by the student will complete each of the skills. The students need to complete mask clearing, regulator recovery and some basic buoyancy control skills. These basic skills are required to ensure the safety of the divers, as well as giving them confidence to truly enjoy the open water. The instructor and student will then swim around at the bottom of the pool getting comfortable with the equipment and used to the feeling of weightlessness and breathing underwater.

Once these basic skills are done and everyone feels comfortable – it’s time to head off on an amazing journey through the Similan Islands. The student has the opportunity to do 9 dives with their instructor – gaining more confidence and feeling more and more at ease under the sea.

After the first couple of dives the underwater world will really open up. Passing turtles make the reefs an incredible opportunity to slow down and enjoy the marine life. That shadow over the students head? A Manta Ray – something that brings chills to even the most experienced diver. The chance to glide over the rainbow colored corals and the hundreds of species of reef fish make this a memory of a lifetime.

After the student has completed their first open water scuba dive – they surface with big smiles on their faces. The instructor will debrief them and explain how they may improve their diving knowledge and skills by doing a full certification open water scuba diver course. Only 8 more dives to go!

This is by far the best way to learn to scuba dive.

If you would like to make this story come true…simply join our Similan Liveaboard Open Water course