Big Blue Tech will be conducting a 4 day  Cavern Course in Kao Sok National Park. The following dates are available.

May 18th - 23rd ( 8 spaces )

This trip will be open to divers from around Thailand.

Pre-Requisites: Must be minimum Advanced with 20 dives ( Redundant Breathing System Provided)

Conduct: The course will be done on site in the national park over a 4 day period of 6 dives with academic plus dry land skills. Certification as a Cavern Diver will be received after completing 4 dives and a final exam with 2 experience dives to follow.

Included:
- Ferry to and from Mainland Thailand (if required)
- Transport to and around Khao Sok
- 4 nights accommodation in a 4 star resort inside the the National Park
- Manual and Certification
- All gas and cylinder fills
- All equipment (Reels, Torches, Dive Gear)
- All food and drinks (non alcoholic)
- Park Entry Fee
- Boat Fees
- 4 Training Dives
- 2 “fun” Experience Dives

Not Included: Beer

Tekkies: Technical gear is available for those certified, included in the course price.

Certified Cavern Divers:
For those certified we will be running exploration trips in conjunction with this course, this will allow certified divers to use the boat and compressor to conduct 4 days of diving

Gas:
Nitrox, Trimix and boosted oxygen available on site, on request.

Prices: Contact Us.

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Past Events, look at these pages for images and video

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

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Back at big blue diving resort at 5 am, the restaurant was open, breakfast devoured and the truck emptied leaving the staff to rinse and service all the gear. Surprisingly not much gear was lost on this trip, one torch and some bungee. This had been the largest group we have done to date but with the right planning and equipment it went very smoothly. Congratulations to Christos, Pierre, John, Hampus, Claire and Geoff for becoming PADI Cavern Divers and it was great to have Sonia, Matt and James acting as staff to make everything happen.
If you would like to come, you can email us at info@bigbluetech.net, the next event is on May 18th 2009.

Updated May 2 - The Video

Tonight Big Blue Tech instructors James Thornton-Allan and Matt Rolph depart Koh Tao with 6 keen and future Cavern divers for 5 Days in Khao Sok National Park. We’re also going to have Sonia from last months course come out to do some dives with us.

In packing for this event we made a list to give people an idea of what it takes to do this type of diving properly, safely within training standards and enjoyable for all types of divers.

10 Primary Torches
10 Backup Torches
3 Stage Light Sets
10 100m Reels
10 45m Finger Reels
20 Cave Arrows
12 11L Cylinders
6 7L Cylinders
6 Slim Decompression Regulators for the RBS or “PONY”
4 Twin Tanks with Manifold
8 Tech Regs
6 Recreational Regs
Military Spec first aid kit
Emergency Oxygen and Regulator
2 Taxi’s
2 Full Face Masks
2 Oxygen Decompression Tanks (for the big boys diving after the course)
Petrol Powered Compressor and Filters
10 Pairs of Gloves
30kg of Batteries
Beer Coolers
6 Padi Certification Card Forms
1 Underwater Video Camera
2 Digital SLR Cameras

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Big Blue Tech will be conducting a 4 day  Cavern Course in Kao Sok National Park. The following dates are available.

THIS TRIP IS NOW FULL!

This trip will be open to divers from around Thailand.

Pre-Requisites: Must be minimum Advanced with 20 dives ( Redundant Breathing System Provided)

Conduct: The course will be done on site in the national park over a 4 day period of 6 dives with academic plus dry land skills. Certification as a Cavern Diver will be received after completing 4 dives and a final exam with 2 experience dives to follow.

Included:
- Ferry to and from Mainland Thailand (if required)
- Transport to and around Khao Sok
- 4 nights accommodation in a 4 star resort inside the the National Park
- Manual and Certification
- All gas and cylinder fills
- All equipment (Reels, Torches, Dive Gear)
- All food and drinks (non alcoholic)
- Park Entry Fee
- Boat Fees
- 4 Training Dives
- 2 “fun” Experience Dives

Not Included: Beer

Tekkies: Technical gear is available for those certified, included in the course price.

Certified Cavern Divers:
For those certified we will be running exploration trips in conjunction with this course, this will allow certified divers to use the boat and compressor to conduct 4 days of diving

Gas:
Nitrox, Trimix and boosted oxygen available on site, on request.

Prices: Contact Us.

——–

Past Events, look at these pages for images and video

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

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From the 24th to the 29th of March Big Blue Tech were in Khao Sok conducting a PADI Cavern Diver course for 4 people.

Those who joined the trip came from a variety of destinations. One person in particular came from South West Asutralia, Ian, who flew all the way up to Thailand just for the course. He left enough room for a couple of nights on Koh Tao and quickly rushed back to far edge of the world. Also joining us was Trevor from Sai Ree Cottage who combined this event with the completion of his technical diver course conducted by Matt Rolph. And last but not least was “Dive Medic Cum Dive Instructor” Sonia Scott who came from Khao Lak (west coast of thailand) for a completely different type of diving.

The course began with a academic session, albeit not the most thrilling of things to endure but all the same quite necessary to cover cave formations, water sources, currents, equipment considerations and line usage. After a few hours break and waiting for the sun to calm down we moved in the woods for reel and line work practicing primary tie offs, secondary tie offs and placements. It was also a introduction to the proper way to handle a reel. As the beers added up many found they didn’t need the tapped up mask to have trouble seeing but by that time it was simply extra practice. As the night set the compressor was switched on to give some extra top ups and then in the taxi and off into town for dinner. This would be an early night as many were a bit weary from the travel to Khao Sok.

The following morning we up early, breakfast and coffee and down to the peir before the sun could really attack us. Out on the longtail for the 45 minute drive through the park to the first cave system. unlike normal boat rides, the spray from the water was refreshing as it was fresh water. The first dives of the day would be about fining or propulsion techniques, out of air drills, blacked out mask skills and touch contact. This course would be conducted to NSS-CDS standards for cavern diver allowing the progression of skills after the cavern course so these individuals could progress on to cave levels in the future.

This would be the only day for Trevor, returning to the hotel he received the news his wife was going into labour with his first son. Trevor will later complete his training but for not congratulations we’re all amazed you made it in time.

The days continued without him and everyone else completed the course. The last day was strictly fun diving and practicing skills. Matt would drop below the canopy for some depth exploration (had all that tech gear and no one to use it) and was supported above the canopy. Surprisingly he only found 50m but it was crystal clear, next time we’ll explore away from the rock face and try to hit 100m which we all imagine will be f*cking dark and f*cking cold, quoting Matt himself.

Because of the response of these courses and people who not only want the diving but want the training as well we have arranged two courses on the 18th of April and the 24th of April. These are both already half booked and availability for anyone who meets the requirements. For more information feel free to contact us.

Below are the pictures from this event, video to follow soon.

As we recently returned to Koh Tao from the Cavern Diver Course in Khao Sok we have been busy training nitrox and deep divers for the upcoming Mv Trident Charter on the Unicorn Wreck on the 2nd of April. 15 divemaster trainees and some staff will be diving in the 39.9m depth

Congratulations to Ian, Sonia and Matt for completing their Cavern Diver course and to Trevor who didn’t finish the course but made it to Samui in time to see the birth of his first son.

For those who want to join us on the next cavern course can look in the events list and come along. At the moment the 18th trip is full and we’ll be staying on site to accomodate a second course.

We’ll have some pictures and more info in the coming days.

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This Event has expired, look at these pages for images and video

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

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In response to growing demand for diving alternatives. Big Blue Tech will be conducting a 3 day ANDI Cavern Course in Kao Sok National Park. The following dates are available.

February 13th ( 4 spaces )

February 17th ( 4 spaces )

This trip will be open to divers from around Thailand diving with Big Blue Tech from Koh Tao and Khao Lak.

Pre-Requisites: Must be minimum Advanced with 20 dives ( Redundant Breathing System required)

Conduct: The course will be done on site in the national park over a 3 day period of 4 dives and acaedmic plus dry land skills. This course will be conducted by our in house Instructor Development Director Bruce Konefe. Certification as a Level II Cavern Diver will be received after completing 4 dives and a final exam.

Included: Park Fee, Transfer from resort or location to Khao Sok and Back, all equipment (recreational or technical) Accommodation, boat fee’s , transfer around national park, manual, certification.

Not Included: Island Transfer for coastal locations to mainland. Food.

Tekkies: Technical gear is available for those certified, included in the course price.

Prices: Contact Us.

For more information about Khao Sok, please click here

Today we would return again to the caves to explore more and do more skills like out of air drills and zero visibility scenarios.

We’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Today we woke up early, had a large breakfast and headed down to the peir for our first load of dives. The trip would take 45 minuts by longtail boat, which is essentially a big canoe with a car engine on the back with a prop. Not complicated but it works.

As the boat departed bruce started assembling his side mounted diving system which proved to be a much better system for cave diving as he could enter restrictions far easier then had he been wearing conventional technical diving gear.

The first dive would be at the Temple Cave which is just about the limit in which you would consider a cavern. Your can see the natural light but you can get into complete dark if you wanted to. The first thing you notice strickingly different about this cavern system to others is the height of it running from 2m down to 32m giving a large open area to explore. We would spend the majority of our time practicing skills but the remaining time spent diving around.

All divers had redundant breathing systems either in technical diving gear or single tanks while carrying a RBS or Pony.

Other unusual features are the submerged trees. Khao Sok lake is man made after the built a dam and flooded it. You can see an entire flooded forest and even a village although too deep for recreational dives. This made diving in Khao Sok very unique and interesting.

The second cavern would be in a hole in the wall, in a random place along a cliff. Appearently the locals know these places because the elders could remember hiding in them during the communist influx. Whatever the story may be, here we were, 10m deep and going into a cavern in the middle of no where. The great thing about these systems that everyone noticed was how clear the visibility was once you got inside. Outside it was terrible and green but clear like gin inside.

Today we departed from Koh Tao on a 2 hour ferry to Chumphon in mainland thailand to start our journey to Khao Sok National Park for a ANDI Cavern Level 2 diver course. Arriving in Chumphon we met up with the Truck we sent the previous day filled with cylinders to take us on our trip.

We let Yvonne sit in the front while the boys listened to Ipods and relaxed in the back. The road from Chumphon to Khao Lak takes a very diverse and scenic route giving everyone a taste of Thailands urban and rural wonders.

Leaving from Koh Tao at 10am, i wouldn’t be until 6 when we arrive in Khao Sok and met up with Bruce Konefe who would be conducting the course for the 4 students eagerly awaiting the challenge ahead.

Although many on the course had experience in overhead environments or had dove in caves before, this course would prove to be educational and rewarding for all.

Arriving in Khao Sok everyone had dinner and went to be early, awaiting the next day’s activites and the arrival of John from Siam Dive N Sail who was joining us.

A brief history of the National Park

In 1961…
The 401 road was constructed between Phun Pin (Surat Thani) and Takuapa (Phangnga). This opened up the whole area for settlements and plantations, the modern weapons and tools that came with the new peoples meant nature was in trouble. The logging and mining (tungsten and tin) industry soon followed, to the cost of the rainforest and the Sok river, which began to run brown with sediment runoff as a result of the soil erosion.

In 1970s…
Thai students, who had joined the communist insurgency groups, set up a stronghold in Khao Sok, since it was ideal territory to hide and operate guerilla warfare. Between 1975 and 1982 these students not only kept the Thai Army at bay, but also kept the loggers, miners and hunters out. Had it not been for this seven year occupation, Khao Sok’s forests may well have gone the same way as much of the rest of Thailand’s wilderness – up in smoke.

Also during this period there was considerable interest from the government and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), since research had shown Khao Sok to be the largest watershed in southern Thailand. The National Park Division also carried out some research and established the fact there was still considerable biodiversity worth protecting in the region.

22nd December 1980
Khao Sok National Park was established.

1982…
EGAT established the Rajjaprabha Dam – closing off the Pasaeng river and creating a 165 square kilometre lake, inside the National Park Boundaries. This dam was built to guarantee a source of electricity to the south, which by now had become a major holiday destination. EGAT attempted the largest capture and release operation (to save the animals facing drowning in the lake) ever in Thailand. Unfortunately, this operation was largely unsuccessful and many of the species captured died from the stress. A World Bank study in 1995 revealed the loss of some 52 species of fish from the river, because they were not adapted to the deep waters of the lake.

We’re back.

After a long and relaxing week off in Bangkok, we’re happy to be back on Koh Tao, especially when we’re greeted by the sunny clear skies and warm sea.

The past week has been quite eventful, as many already know the Bangkok Airport was closed by protestors stranding thousands of tourists and weakening tourism for Thailand in general. However, that’s over now and the airport should be open to full business within days. However we would recommend people fly to Kuala Lumpur and then travel here from the south for the remainder of this year.

The month of December appears busy as not every booking has canceled, we look forward to seeing you all in the next few weeks.

In addition we also welcome consulting ANDI Instructor Trainer Bruce Konefe to the team, he will be heading the CCR and Cave Diving aspects of our training and diving programs starting in the new year.

We also have a Tech Similans on the 15th for some deep oceanic coral and wreck exploration on the similan islands, spaces are limited and some spots are still free for those interested (certified technical divers only)

Below are some pictures of the resort from today to compare to what it was like when we left.

By Bruce Konefe
After months of talking and research we got enough information gathered to make our next exploration trip. We wanted to explore some cave systems in the Northwestern parts of Thailand.

If any of you diving enthusiasts are looking for some new challenges, cave diving just might be the very thing for you! But it’s not for everyone: it takes discipline, special training and a lot of hard work. For example, we recently explored some cave systems in northwestern Thailand. After months of research and preparation we were finally ready to make our next exploratory cave diving trip. Two trucks were to provide our transportation, one for all the nitrox tanks and equipment, the other for the divers.Our arrival time was about 6:00 p.m, which, it has to be said was a bit later then we planned. The first thing we needed to do was go down to the lake and find a reputable captain, and tell him what time we wanted to leave and where we wanted to go. It appeared that the boatmen where more then happy to help us out and were as excited as we were to find out what was really down there. Day 2 started at 6:30 a.m. The equipment was assembled so everything was as streamlined as possible. A couple of stainless steel clips were replaced with string, since there should be no metal to metal connections when entering in a cave. The tanks were analyzed and everything was ready to go. Now there was just time to check on the other team members. Our boat captain, or should I say longtail boat driver, was waiting for us to arrive. We backed up the trucks and got everything loaded and ready to go. We instructed the boatman where the first dive site was and off we went. It was about a 30-minute boat ride.When we where not far from the entrance of the cave we got kitted up and ready to go. (getting into the water was a big relief since it was, as always, hot, and the thick wetsuits weren’t exactly helping matters!). Our equipment familiarization checks were completed and we headed for the entrance. Once underwater, we completed our checks, looking for stray bubbles and making sure all our lights worked properly. As it happened there were not many places to put our first tie-off but finally we found one just outside the entrance not far from the surface that would almost guarantee us a direct ascent.

Not laying a line is one of the most common mistakes for divers when entering caves and wrecks. I have heard that some agencies that train in overhead environments teach only progressive familiarization during the course. I prefer have the addition of lines during my cavern and wreck courses. Proper selection of equipment is another important factor and we both used jet fins with spring buckles so we would not get caught up on anything. The visibility was about 3-4m which I felt quite comfortable with since the viz. around our local dive spots is not much more! Looking for a second tie-off was a bit more of a challenge since all we could see were large boulders. Frog-kicking slowly and trying not to stir up any silt, we approached the bottom at 12m. At the bottom we saw quite a few catfish swimming around, not something we normally see in the ocean around Pattaya! At first, the cave was quite dark, but it soon started to get light again and we could see that we were heading to another entrance. As we approached it there were some tree stumps and as we swam around them we noticed that we had reached our turnaround point, I signalled my buddy, Mike, to re-trace our route and we headed back to the entrance of the cave.
Back on the boat we went over the dive and we were happy that everything went exactly as we had planned it. We arrived at the second site and thankfully, were able to pull into the cave and out of the sun to get ready. This spot was a bit more spooky since we could see the bats flying around overhead, but none of them bothered us. We kitted up and got into the water. All the equipment checks were completed and down we went.

The first objective was to find where to place the primary and secondary tie-offs. Once this was done we continued on, to find many passageways, a lot of which were quite narrow, so we continued in single file. I led the way with my buddy close behind. It was like a maze, and sometimes I thought I was going round in circles. I felt more comfortable in the fact that I was carrying an extra cylinder in case of bail out, some of the passages where very tight and I could have very easily broken off a hose connection.
Once we were out of the maze we started to head for the entrance. Just as we reached the end of the line I noticed another exit, so I signalled Mike. I checked our air pressures: we had plenty of air and time left, so we headed to the other entrance. I could tell the room was larger then the other ones and that is what I was hoping for. Mike could see the smile on my face as I entered.

Once we were both inside I continued to lead the way, reeling the line out, and Mike followed with his light shining on mine so I would know where he was at all times. There was plenty of room for both of us to swim through quite comfortably. After about 5 minutes I decided it was time to turn around and head back.Once back on the boat I was totally wiped out, it seemed like we had been swimming through those passageways for hours! During the dives we discovered some weird looking fish that I have never saw before, some were completely blue and others had black spots and red eyes.Later Mike said he waved his hand in front of them and they did not move, as if they were blind. Another thing I noticed was that unlike most ocean diving there were some pretty impressive thermoclines in this lake.

On the way back to Bangkok I wanted to check out another site I want to do dive, a sunken city where there is a temple, a hotel and a school. However when we arrived the area was closed off and we could not enter after dark. I am hoping to get this dive in before the end of the year. It will be to about 120m and each diver will have to carry 6 tanks to complete it safely. The dive time will be around 3-4 hours, depending on how long we decide to spend at the bottom.

If anybody would like to join us on a cave exploration trip, or take a cave diving course, you can contact us, where we will be offering the full range of cave diving courses in the very near future. Special thanks to Mike Doyle who bought along some excellent diving lights from “Ocean Management Systems” of Southeast Asia to help us find our way through the dives.

WARNING: Cave Diving is dangerous and requires extensive training and experience. Do NOT enter caves unless properly trained by a certified agency

The trouble with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.  ~Patrick Young

Since we have had now another flood on Koh Tao damaging almost every dive school in one way or another its time to run from the island for a bit of a holiday leaving the locals to clear up the mess.  Despite yet another warning about protests in Bangkok the tech crew need some sun, shopping and dry ground and NO RAIN!

With that we’ll be suspending diving operations from now until December 1st when the weather is going supposed to clear up.

This time of year Koh Tao turns into that scene from “Forest Gump” with Tom Hanks when it starts to rain and doesn’t stop for a while, that time is now.

According to satellite images of Thailand it seems to be just the south which is usually the nicest part of Thailand.

So we’re going to let the tech room dry out, put all the gear in dry boxes, close the door and head out. We’ll be back on Koh Tao with more stories and news very soon. On our return we’ll be conducting Cave Diving and Rebreather Training on the west coast where it’s actually not bad at all.

in the meantime we though you might find these pictures funny, we’re laughing, what else can we do.

This past week has been very busy for Big Blue Tech. We trained 6 new Padi Enriched Air Divers, 4 Deep Divers, 1 DSAT Gas Blender and gave Dive Master Trainees their Equipment and Physics lecture, i think it’s time for a day off.. phew.

During this time of year when people are getting ready for the Christmas holidays it’s typically quite quiet on Koh Tao. Several smaller schools close for the slow months making Big Blue very busy. Where some schools struggle to send their own boat out and book space on ours making today a very busy day with all our boats heading out with over 40 customers. And that was just in the morning.

But why do so many choose Big Blue and not the other schools? Well i think the efforts of the staff, the sense of family, the location, the fact we care about everything we put into our courses and we’re a western owned school. Which means it’s not just about money but quality as well. I’m not saying the Thai owned schools are any less but for staff it’s nice to make suggestions and have them heard about how to improve customer experience.

There’s also another reason the schools are closed and that’s monsoon. I must admit the weather isn’t the greatest but the visibility is in excess of 30m making the dive a bit darker, the boat ride a bit rougher but the experience unique.

With the turn in weather the Mv Trident is off to dry dock for a coat of paint and good going over leaving us wondering where to go and what to do with our technical diving courses. Here’s what we’ve come up with.

Similans: I know a lot of people go deeper to hit the wrecks. But take the pristine dive destination of the Similans into consideration for technical diving. For some, the idea of looking at something during decompression rather then the blue below is favorable. To spend over an hour on a great dive site with whale sharks, manta rays and pretty much every other tropical marine life is quite an adventure. Albeit not for everyone so we have another idea.

Caves: Those who like wrecks will love caves. Cave diving especially deep penetration is very very dangerous. While we strive to excel in deep ocean exploration we must admit we’re not the top when it comes to cave diving so we’ve teamed up with the mainland pro’s to do cave diving in combination with your technical diving course. We’re very excited about this because we have a lot of unexplored caves and cavern systems just itching to be penetrated by virgin technical divers (i wonder what kind of spam we’ll get after that sentance)

So it’s not the best for sun tanning so trade your sun block in for a rain coat and come enjoy pristine diving conditions.