TIME high school abroad – The internship to Open Water

Hey everyone!

It’s now time for new post and a lot have happened since we posted on the blog last week.
This week we started our Open Water course and we joined the Kon-Tiki crew on a boat trip to Koh Haa and discovered the beautiful reefs. We have continued working on the website and we have done a lot. But let’s talk about the Open water course and the trip to Koh Haa instead.

We mentioned in a post earlier that Kon-Tiki kindly had given us the opportunity to get an Open water certification. Of course we took this opportunity to do it. We started the course on Monday with the theory where we had lessons with our supervisor and instructor Niclas after working hours. On Wednesday we went to a pool and exercised the skills you need to become an Open water diver. Some the requirements are taking of the mask under water and put it back on and helping your friend if he would be out of air under the water.

After the day in the pool we kept on working with the theory and on Saturday we would do the final test to get our Open Water Certifications.  We went down to Ao nang beach at Saturday morning where we met the friendly crew from Kon-Tiki and jumped on a boat. The trip with the boat took about 3 and half hours. We finished the last parts of the theory on the way to the diving point.
One requirement to get the certification is to do 3 dives the same day. Niclas, our supervisor and instructor, told us that we would dive three times this time and it would be demanding.

We prepared our gear and checked all the functions. When the boat was close to the diving point we put on our gear and got ready to jump in to the blue. Kon-Tiki served us large breakfast on the way to Koh Haa, in that way we wouldn’t get hungry while being in water. When the boat reached its point we jumped down in the water at once. While down in the water we did some test that we had learned in the pool earlier this week. We had to do an emergency ascent which is a requirement in the course. After the test we went down under water and stopped on the bottom. Here we would do another couple tests to show that we were ready become divers.

We were underwater for about 35 minutes and we managed to see a banded sea snake, a devil scorpion fish. The visibility this day was really good, a perfect day to explore the beautiful marine life in Thailand. When we got out of the water we changed our cylinders with air immediately because we were about to go into the water again.

After 20 min on the boat we went down into the blue again. This time we would do the last part of the requirements to become an Open water diver.  In this dive we followed a reef and it’s probably one of the most beautiful things we have seen. It’s not only the fish species that amazes us, but the all the beautiful colors from the plants at the reefs. To float over the reef and view how the whole reef works together in one unit and supports each other, undoubtedly something everyone should experience. It’s a completely different world under the surface.When we were hovering over a reef, Niclas managed to locate a Hawksbill turtle. It was swimming about 10 meters away from us and luckily the sight was very good. Our instructor Niclas always manages to find something that amazes us! After about 5 minutes it went deeper and out of our sight. Along the way to the boat we encountered a big shoal of barracudas. Their glistening scale was really beautiful, especially when they were some many. We were under water for about 35 minutes.

On the boat again it was time to get a well-served lunch from the Kon-Tiki crew before getting in the water again. We took the opportunity to get some free soft drinks and fresh fruits.  After eased our hunger and thirst it was time to back into the water, the last dive before becoming a certified diver.

We did only a few skills on the last dive since there was alot in the earlier dives. The plan was to swim along a reef downwards and in this dive there was a current but if we stayed close to the reef we wouldn’t notice the current. This time we had moved to another diving point which contained a very beautiful wall of marine life.

We went down under the water and the visibility was still great. Along the reef we saw a Spiny lobster and a couple lovely Banded Sea snakes. As the earlier dives, the reef was covered with beautiful colors from the coral. And again we were amazed by what the marine life offered us. With all the shoals from different species it was like swimming in aquarium.  You can encounter the fishes really close without frightening them.

In the end of the dive we saw Great Barracuda that was drifting in a current not far ahead of us.  From our location it seemed to be big and it was bit scary with its teeth.  But no aggression was shown at all and we could remain calm. The marine life is so friendly to divers!

On the way up to the surface, Niclas congratulated us for becoming Open water divers.
The whole crew would congratulate us on the boat as well when we were about to reach Ao nang.
Once again, Niclas and Kon-Tiki have given us an unforgettable adventure and we are really grateful for this opportunity.

Take care!

Resan från Open Water till Divemaster

Jag drömt om att få dyka ända sedan jag var en liten pojke. De första försöken att simma under vattnet var spännande – hur länge kunde jag hålla andan och hur långt kunde jag dyka? Resultaten blev bättre med tiden och tävlan med vännerna var stenhård. Som 7-åring i simskolan klarade jag hela 25m bassänglängden. Gissa om jag var stolt! Långt senare, eller vid  185 cm lång, fick jag prova på riktig dykning med utrustning (Discover Scuba Diving) i Dominikanska Republiken. Efter ytterligare några år blev det ett provdyk också på Cypern. Det var så fascinerande att kunna andas under vattnet! Jag ville så gärna ta mitt Open Water certifikat, men var jag lite ängslig för att dyka djupt….Semestrarna tillsammans med familjen – tre livliga barn och en fru med egna åsikter, gjorde att tid för dykning aldrig fanns.

År 2009 hade jag bestämt mig för att äntligen ta min nybörjar- eller Open Water kurs. Jag vände mig till Kon-tiki i Ao Nang, Krabi tack vare en rekommendation från min barndomsvän. På bara tre dagar hade vi tillsammans med instruktören klarat av teori, poolövningar samt Open Water dyk. Det var underbart att bli av med oron för djupare dyk. Jag hade inte ont i öronen och jag visste hur lätt det var att avbryta dyket om man så ville. Det var bara att dyka och njuta av den underbara världen under ytan. Nu hade jag blodad tand!

Jag återvände både 2011 och nu 2013 till Ao Nang och Kon-Tiki. Nu har jag gjort min Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver och senast Divemaster kurs med dem. Dessutom har jag haft tillfälle att bygga på med så kallade specialties som. Cavern Diver, Night Diver och Deep Diver. Jag har nu upptäckt att världen under ytan bjuder på nya upplevelser i så gott som alla hörn av  världen.  I skrivande stund kommer mina barn, 13, 15 och 17 år ner till Thailand. De ska alla tre göra sin Open Water kurs med Kon-Tiki på Koh Lanta.

Varför kommer jag tillbaka? Som land är Thailand fantastiskt välkomnande och dykningen är väldigt mångsidig. Den avgörande orsaken är att jag trivs med stämningen, den positiva attityden och gemenskapen som jag fått uppleva. Det är personligheterna på Kon-tiki som gör den stora skillnaden.  Vi ses igen!

/ Niclas

PADI Open Water course

Taking the step in becoming a certified PADI Open water diver is often the stepping stone to greater adventures. In the end of this scuba diving course you´ll be certified and trained in how to safely plan and execute a dive with a buddy to a depth of 18 meters.

We start off with a 1-2 days on the classroom/pool to lay the foundations in dive theory and of course the more fun parts of the actual dive skills in the safety and especially comfort of a big pool. Once everything is mastered we take you out to where we really learn how to dive, the big blue. Building on what we already learned in the pool we apply these skills and knowledge to real dives.

You will feel, that what at first felt a bit weird, now feel more comfortable and natural. Going down on the descent line for your first dive, seeing fish in all different kinds of colors and sizes around you. How they pause to see what big strange creatures entered their world is absolutely an unforgettable experience. As you start swimming you start controlling yourself with your breathing, a small inhale lifts you over the big boulders and once over them a gentle exhale takes you down again – the closest we can get to feel how space feels like.

The first time you see a big moray eel swim out in the free, a giant manta ray passing above you, blocking the sun light or maybe the small western clown fish (Nemo) you experience something great. You simply create memories that no one never can take away from you, memories for life.

This is the perfect holiday activity for your family because underwater we are all equal. You´ll meet new people with different background, see new things and you will start going to places few people have ever gone!

PADI Open Water Course and beyond

 

Last week have been packed with action, we have been teaching new PADI Open Water Divers (Entry Level) and kept taking these divers to the next level, PADI Advanced Open Water, Specialty Courses etc.

There is always the belief that you need more experience (diving), in doing a couple of fun dives on your own before taking this step. Our scuba instructors disagree… Taking the PADI Advanced Course or Specialty Courses, in conjunction with your PADI Open Water Course. Gives you extra dive time with your instructor to fine tune those diving skills you need to have. By letting the professional keeping an eye on you, and helping you realize what you can do better. And why not take this extra time to try new scuba gear and dive styles. In a couple of dives you can improve the same as if you would do trial and error for a couple of day trips.

This is of course not always true, but the majority of us needs extra training to both save our self, the environment and to become true underwater ambassadors.

Who doesn´t want to glide effortless through the water, and like with just a thought raise and sink as we please.

For more info about the different specialties relevant to your Certification level please contact info@kontiki-thailand.com

Emelie Kon-Tiki trainee

Hello my name is Emelie and I’m from Sweden. I’m here to do my practice instead of Sweden and I have been here for one week now. I’m going to be here in two month and this is my first time here in Thailand so all is new for me but I’m so exciting to be here and first of all to do my practice here.

I have just finnished my Open Water course and did this course in four days. In Open Water course I learned how to dive safely and how I plan a safe dive with a buddy. The first two days I had theory and pool, when that day was finished. The last days I went to the sea and did the things I learned in the pool. The first dive I did in the ocean was a great time, I saw things I never seen before. With Open Water I can go down to 18 meters but now I want to go deeper and that’s why I want to do Advance Open Water also. I’m in love with diving right now, it is so fun!

The first day I started my practice was in the shop here in Krabi and learned me about how all the thing works, I think it’s going to be fun to learn me new thing. The second day was I at the boat and did some snorkeling and learned me how it works at the big boat. It was fun to see all the fishes and see them how they live under the water and the blue water do it more fun.