Scuba Diving at Koh Tao
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Hello everyone, this review will tell you about.....
What is it like to go scuba diving?
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It started when a friend found a scuba diving course deal on Koh Tao.
from
“ BIG BUBBLE DIVE SCHOOL "
The price is 11,300 baht for an Open Water course PADI curriculum.
This price includes travel, accommodation and tuition fees (price per person).
The total course duration is 4 days.
::Travel::
Take a bus from Khao San Road around 4 pm. There will be a stop along the way.
Let's eat-go to the bathroom and then continue traveling to Chumphon at six in the morning.
Then take a high-speed boat to Koh Tao.
(Travel by boat and bus of Lomprayah Company)




Day 1
We arrived at Koh Tao by boat in the late morning, around 10 am.
It wasn't very sunny today. On the way here, we encountered heavy rain and strong waves.
It took hours on the boat to get here, it felt like a long time.
When we arrived at Koh Tao, a car from the resort picked us up.
Big Bubble resort is located on the south side of the island, near Buddha rock.
There aren't many people around here, it's peaceful and there's a 7-11 nearby.
After we arrived at the room, we quickly unpacked our bags and looked for something to eat.
Then... in the afternoon, we went down to learn about diving theory.
...........
Today was about watching VDOs and taking exams.
The content we learned... I can't really remember now, haha.
As far as I can remember, it included getting to know SCUBA diving equipment,
marine science, adjusting to being underwater, buoyancy in water,
various survival skills, and the effects on the body, sign language, etc.
In the evening, the teacher came to explain the answers and provide additional explanations.
That concluded the theoretical part of the course.
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This is the accommodation, the path up is very steep, I was out of breath going up to the room here.
It's an air-conditioned room with a fan and a private bathroom.
The overall atmosphere is okay, there's a hammock on the balcony to relax in.
There are quite a lot of trees here, but that's good, it's shady.



Day 2
Woke up early today!!!! 5:30 am to be exact.
The teacher said... he will take us to watch the sunrise at John-Suwan viewpoint.
The atmosphere of Koh Tao in the early morning is still quiet.
Not many people are around yet, but the peak of the day was
when we took a ride to the viewpoint. The teacher took us on a songthaew.
The teacher was the driver... The road to get there was like driving up a mountain, and it was still very dark.
I couldn't see much. There was one part where the road was very steep.
The way up was still okay, the teacher drove through it easily and calmly, but on the way down
it was a super steep downhill road, the car kept veering to the right on its own.
And then the teacher took us on the songthaew... and we went off the curve 55555
We just crashed into the side of the road, the teacher's leg got scratched.
Anyway, let me introduce the teacher. His name is Teacher Nui, he was born and raised on Koh Tao.
He is a teacher who is not very strict... but I feel like he is a bit strict 555
The person in the black shirt is "Teacher Nui".



The weather is nice up here, the wind is blowing gently and comfortably.
I've been waiting a long time for the sun to come out.

"John Suwan Viewpoint"...........is located on the south side of Koh Tao.
The walk up is not very far, but it is very steep, especially when you come at night like this.
You can't see much, but there are ropes to hold on to at intervals.
The teacher said.........
If you want to come, you should come in the morning like this because not only will you be able to
take pictures of the sunrise, but you will also be able to enter for free without having to
pay 50 baht. If you come later, the toll booth will probably be awake.

After seeing the sunrise, I hurried back to the hotel to rest and recharge.

Because... this afternoon,

I'm going to dive for the first time! I'm so excited!

The first dive will be a boat trip to Buddha Rock.


As soon as the boat started to leave, the instructor had us assemble our diving equipment.
Then we did a buddy check. I have to admit that I was secretly watching my friends do it the whole time. 555

After jumping into the water, the instructor led us to swim near the shore.
We practiced various skills, such as clearing the mask, requesting air from a buddy,
adding weights, and putting on a BCD underwater. It was a lot! The dive lasted 50 minutes.
We came up to rest on the boat for a bit, then went down for Dive 2.

This time I'll be able to go down deep. This dive is 10m deep.
This is my first time diving this deep.
When I went down, my ears hurt so much. I've never had this level of pain before.
The point is, I didn't clear my ears. 5555 I forgot. I was too busy looking at everything.
The truth is, the teacher has reminded me many times.
But when I cleared my ears, it was so clear... no more pain.
I can continue diving comfortably.

After completing Dive 2, I started to feel a slight love for diving.
But I was a little disappointed that it rained for the past 4 days... so the water wasn't very
clear.... it was kind of cloudy and murky, making it hard to see clearly.
And on the first day, the instructor didn't allow us to bring our cameras down.
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Day 3

Today is a skill in using a compass. Before going down in the morning
The teacher came to teach how to look at the compass roughly first. Then...Dive 3
Take a boat to Tuk Tuk This one goes down to a depth of 7m
Today the sky is clear and sunny. The water is much clearer than yesterday.
There are quite a lot of fish. It's very beautiful.
But I didn't bring the camera down... It's a pity.
This dive took 40 minutes.
But it felt like a flash in the water.


Next up, Dive 4
Diving at Pottery, down to 11m
Rain clouds came again, making the water very dark
I wish I had brought my camera down for the previous dive
Such a pity

I must say, taking underwater photos like this is no easy feat.
It took me 55 tries just to get these few shots. I couldn't even stay still in the water.
And in some places, the current was so strong that I got swept away, and some of the photos are blurry. 555
What's even more annoying is that I went when it was raining, and the water was so murky. T^T
The underwater photos I have right now are from my friend's camera. 55 I didn't get any good photos myself.

But today is the sunniest day in 4 days.
So in the evening I came to take pictures at the beach nearby.

For dinner tonight, the teacher took us to eat barbecue near Haad Sai Ree.
The restaurant is called "Seashell Restaurant".
One set of barbecue comes with two skewers, and the plate also includes salad and potatoes.
Other dishes include glass noodle salad, tom yum soup, etc.
I also ordered fried crackers and french fries, which were delicious.
This meal was very filling.

This picture was taken in the evening, near the shop.
The atmosphere is dark and gloomy, with rain approaching.



Day 4
It's the last day already..... I don't want to go back
Today we woke up early to watch the sunrise at
Ton Don Reservoir Viewpoint. This time we went by pickup truck
instead of a motorcycle taxi lol. The road up was very steep, it was a gravel road
Looking up at the sky, all I could see were dark clouds.
I'm sure we won't see the sun anymore.
So we changed our minds and went to take pictures at the beach instead.

Today, the teacher brought a camera down with them.
The teacher has a very high skill in underwater photography.
The coral pictures this time were also taken from the teacher's camera.
And finally, Dive 6 took a boat for a while and landed at White rock
This point goes down 16m, it's beautiful, even though the water isn't very clear.

Finally, after completing Dive 6, the Scuba Diving course is over.
On the way back, the instructor called us over to discuss how each of us did during the dives.
What we did well and what we need to improve on.
When we reached the shore, we quickly went back to our rooms to pack our things...goodbye Koh Tao.

On the way back, I left Koh Tao around 3 pm.
The light was so beautiful while I was on the boat back.
I wanted to pick up my camera and take some pictures, but I was really exhausted. 55
I was so tired that I fell asleep almost the whole time I was on the boat.
I arrived at the pier around 5 pm and the tour bus was waiting to pick me up.
I arrived back in Bangkok around 2 am.
Safe and sound.
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