28th October 2017

The whale shark is the largest known species of fish in the ocean.  Even though it is a plankton filterer it is a true shark at heart due to having cartilage instead of bones.  As whale shark season approaches here on Koh Tao and the sightings of these magnificent creatures is becoming more and more frequent I can only hope the my day will come sooner rather than later. 

18th October 2017

It’s that quiet time of year again…

The temperature starts to drop to around 26’C and the rain starts to fall from time to time.  Many dive centres on this lovely island start to shut up shop for the short monsoon season which usually lasts around 6 weeks. 

9th October 2017

I arrived back on Koh Tao after a three year absence this May. I had been back in the UK continuing to dive and work as a divemaster.  But the conditions were far more stressful than anything Koh Tao has to offer.  So I decided to pack my life back into a rucksack and head back out for a wild adventure as a PADI Scuba Instructor. 

30th September 2017

Every experienced diver knows the value of having a trusted dive center where they are going to dive.  Diving with Davy Jones Locker gives you the option to dive with us at some of the best locations across South East Asia.  DJL has two dive centers in Thailand on Koh Tao and Koh Lipe. 

21st September 2017

Being a backpacker for over two years now I have been fortunate enough to see many beautiful people and places, one of which is Koh Tao. 

My first impression of Koh Tao. 

Arriving in Koh Tao on the afternoon ferry felt like any other island I had visited while travelling.  An abundance of people trying to get you to jump into their taxi with promises of the cheapest best deals you will find.  Not wanting to be swayed into a decision without seeing what else the island has to offer I put my best foot forward and start my hike of the island.  Hoping to find a place that meets both my expectations and is within my price range. 

8th September 2017

Koh Tao has an amazing variety of marine life for scuba divers to observe.  Much of the sea life is easy spot during a dive, however more searching is required for sea creatures which hide amongst rocks and coral.  At DJL our diving instructors and divemasters have exceptional knowledge of Koh Taos' dive sites.  They know many of the hiding places that these animals call home and this gives our customers the opportunity to see them first hand.  One of the more reclusive residents of Koh Taos' underwater world is the Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray.  It is a member of the stingray family and can be found living in the dive sites around Koh Tao. 

22nd August 2017

Fostering a puppy and being a scuba instructor is a big job that certainly shouldn’t be taken lightly, this is my experience of fostering a 3 month old puppy on Koh Tao whilst still teaching people how to scuba dive. 

16th August 2017

Whether you are new to diving or a veteran, buoyancy control is something you should strive to improve.  As a new diver, learning buoyancy is your key to greater control in the water.  It reduces your air consumption and improves your safety in the water.  As a more advanced diver great buoyancy is pretty much essential for more challenging dives such as wreck and cavern diving.  Photographers will benefit from rock steady positioning in the water and at the most challenging extreme, technical diving requires on point buoyancy control to ensure accurate decompression. 

6th August 2017

For most of us, sitting down on the latrine is a private moment to spend with ourselves; so what do you do whilst answering the call of nature? 

Different people tend to do different things, most seem to centre on these common choices: read a book or magazine, catch up on emails, play a game on your phone, write slanderous claims about colleagues appended with their phone number on the wall or even just sit there in quiet contemplation enjoying not being in contact with your phone, family, friends or work life. 

31st July 2017

Working as a PADI scuba diving instructor at Davy Jones Locker on Koh Tao in Thailand and teaching all of the PADI recreational dive courses is rewarding enough, but once in a while it is nice to have the opportunity to do something a little different.  As well as teaching people to scuba dive DJL is a global leader in training professional divers through our Divemaster and Diving Instructor development programs. 

24th July 2017

DJL Instructor Stew has been working for us for a while now.  It's fair to say he knows his way around the island and has settled into Koh Tao living.  He's given us a list of his favourite things about staying on this special island we call home. 

13th June 2017

Its about that time of the year again!  A fresh, new breeze swiftly comes over Koh Tao.  The wind, that normally comes from a eastern direction, drops and the wind starts to come from the west.  Wind has a great effect on waves and the visibility under water.  As the waves become bigger, maneuvering the boat on the western side becomes difficult.  As the wind becomes stronger, the visibility starts to drop. 

4th June 2017

Pulao Moyo is an island in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tengara province, just off the north coast of Sumbawa island.  A few of us from Davy Jones Locker, Koh Tao had the chance to head to the dive camp of Davy Jones’s newest location in Indonesia. 

30th May 2017

As a Diving Instructor on Koh Tao you get to teach lots of different kinds of customers, mostly depending on the season.  In the summer you get more familys.  In the early months of the year the Scandinavians visit, then, after summer the European backpackers.  There are always exceptions to this rule however.  Sometimes, out of nowhere you get to teach a Junior Open Water course!  Around two weeks ago I got one of these chances.  Scott Wade has taken a number courses with us here at DJL, including his Divemaster and Tec 50.  This time he brought his little son over to get into diving.  This young lad, named Ozzy, was full of enthusiasm from the start.  It was a little quiet at this time, so when the opportunity arose to teach the course I jumped straight on it!  Not only can the kids learn a lot from you.  In my opinion you can also improve your own teaching a lot while teaching youngsters.