Looking back on 2009 Big Blue Tech remembers the people that came to our little island in Thailand and left such a profound impact on us we couldn’t forget them.

Big Blue Tech was very active in 2009 and helped shape the growth of technical diving in the region. It seemed wherever we went many would follow which exposed technical diving to more divers than ever before a success seen clearly by the creation of technical diving sections in many other recreational diving schools on the Island further solidifying Koh Tao as a major diving destination in the world.

This year Big Blue Tech issued over 200 technical, rebreather and cave diving certifications. We became a TDI and BSAC Technical Diving Facility and began teaching technical diving instructor courses to our interns.

But we couldn’t of done all this without our customers, staff, divers and friends who helped us along the way. We need to thank specifically Cory Lewis, Oskar Sjöström, Christos Kardana, Tim Klein, Andy Holdaway, Darran Jones and Matt Rolph for their support.

We also remember those of the technical diving community who are not with us anymore. This year had too many technical diving accidents around the world and with that our hearts go out to the families of these divers who are without their loved ones this holiday season.

Looking forward to 2010 Big Blue Tech is expanding and growing at the same rate for the past 3 years. We finally broke ground on the expansion giving us twice more space for our staff and equipment to work. We will also be offering TDI, SSI and BSAC technical diving instructor courses issuing the most respected certifications in the technical diving community, this is a result of our staff becoming instructor trainers for each certification agency.

Additionally in 2010 Big Blue Tech will be taking on another senior instructor to accommodate our expansion and hoping to have a third new instructor to help with our peak season in May. We got a bigger compressor for all our cave and cavern diving in Khao Sok because the Bauer Junior just isn’t big enough. And finally we’ll have our continuous flow trimix system working hopefully by the end of January.

Unfortunately we say goodbye to Guillaume Fargues who leaves Big Blue after 6 years as an instructor to join a different dive school in his goal to become a PADI Course Director. We wish him all the luck in the world and would like to remind him it’s only a 5 minute walk to come see his friends so no excuses!

So happy New Year, save diving and we hope to see everyone again in 2010!

The objective of this course is to train the divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures for utilising EAN 21 through to 100 percent oxygen for dives not requiring staged decompression To a depth of 40 msw.

Brian Wilcox, a computer programmer from Oregon, US joined us recently for an Advanced Nitrox Course to acomplish 2 goals. Get certified in the use of basic technical diving gear and also get certified to 40 while allowed to use multiple amounts of nitrox. This was a great alternative to about 4 different PADI courses to get the same result.

This course allowed brian to get into the mix quickly and combine it with his decompression procedures course that he decided to join shortly after. With over 100 logged dives and many years of diving experience Brian adapted to technical diving very quickly and excelled through not only the academic aspects of the course but also the in water differences.

Below are some pictures from his course, accompanied by Cory Lewis and Christos Kardana who have opted to complete their Extended Range course after being certified as DSAT Tec Deep but missed some foundation skills. The extended range course gives them an additional 5m and much different skills.

Today is essentially the start of the Khao Sok Cave and Cavern Expedition Trip held monthly at Big Blue Tech in Big Blue Diving Resort in Sai Ree Beach, Koh Tao, Thailand.

Like every departure day, most of the staff and training teams time was spent servicing, packing and prepping all the equipment needed for the 10 person team heading off into the Khao Sok National Park for 5 days of Cavern Diving, Cave Diving and Decompression Lake Diving.

The many goals of this expedition included exploration of the lake bed in search of the sunken village built prior to the hydro electric dam 40 years ago which has been lost when the lake rose in excess of 50m.

Additionally it would be to certify several customers and students as Cavern Divers and to expose previously certified Cavern Divers to Cave Diving with Intro To Cave Diving. All that while enjoying a holiday at the 5 star resort just outside the national park.

Included on this trip would be the following:
-    All food and drink
-    All transfers and taxis
-    All equipment
-    Accommodation (Air con, TV, Hot Water, Lake View)
-    Laundry and drink Tab
-    Certification and Manual
-    10 dives
-    Boat Fees and Park Fees
-    Snacks and water

Members on the team are as follows:
James Thornton-Allan who joins as certifying instructor and supervising diving activities. He would later contract a nasty infection and be subjected to daily inter muscular anti-biotic injections to the buttock but remained for all the dives despite doctor’s recommendation for hospital admission.

Cory J Lewis who not only joins as a student of both his technical diving course but also his cavern diving course but also continues his role as facilities manager responsible for the compressor and equipment during the expedition. Cory would later reflect on this trip and wonder was 8 hours of filling tanks each day had a negative effect on his hairstyle.

Oskar Sjostrom who is also another member of staff of big blue tech comes simply for some experience dives and technical exploration. With more tanks than Sherman he would spend most of his time in the sunken forest at 50m searching for any signs of buildings. Being a former jazz saxophone player from Sweden (we didn’t know they had jazz either) he entertained us with constant whistling of old songs that never got on anyone’s nerves.

Christos Kardana was recently certified as a caver diver on the last course a month ago returns again to join the fun as only once is never enough. Christos built a special bond with our videographer Claire which means most of the good stories about him is not print worthy STUNNING

Claire Oei who filmed our last expedition and also earned herself her Enriched Air Nitrox and Cavern Diver certification at the same time returns again to film this expedition and generally get in everyone’s way with her camera. Also we’re not able to share most of the good stories since most of her time was spent with Chrisos.. STUNNING

Elena Bugrova, our resident Russian, is enrolled in her Dive Master Internship course with Big Blue Diving and decided to join us on this trip to get a different perspective on diving and some experience. She was shocked to find her self-ridding in the back of the big blue taxi but this time it was on the seat. Elena is quite quiet despite her appearance but performed well above expected.

Sara Schutzer who returns to Big Blue Diving after her rescue course and ski season in Canada to do her Dive Master Internship joins us from her busy running schedule and course work to see some real penetration. Soft spoken and with a strange Canadian accent since she’s Swedish.

Mieke Cubussen, a full time Dive Master at Coral Grand Divers returns to her family of Big Blue (where she was a Dive Master Trainee) to join her boyfriend Duncan on this trip. Mieke is a close friend of all and a welcomed presence on this trip. Although very much from Holland she’s adopted a strange posh/cockney accident. It’s about time you came Mickey.

Duncan Tyler who is the grandfather of the Dive Master Interns at Big Blue Diving and has been able to dodge the axe of the final signature for many months now. This trip gives him at least another 5 days extension on his course now.

Tia works for Big Blue Diving as the Taxi Driver and brings along Mrs. Tia to join him on this trip. Tia would help with transfers, trips to town and even a BBQ for everyone on the trip.

As the day progressed we packed the following.
18 TekLite Torches
6 Intova Torches
3 Halcyon Torches
2 UK100 HID Torches
9 Deco regulators
4 sets of technical regulators
4 Twin Sets
10 single tanks
5 smaller back up breathing cylinders
9 pairs of gloves
10 primary reels
10 finger reels
Oxygen and Nitrox Cylinders
5 gas switching Computers
10 computers for normal diving
1 portable compressors
2 Divator Full Face Masks
18 Fins
12 Wetsuits
14 Masks
10 Bcd’s/Wings
5 Backplates
1 Taxi
Gps and Sonar
2 Analyzers
1 Shot Line
1 High definition Under water video camera
3 cameras

Additionally, Filter chemicals, advanced first aid kit with sharps and airways, spares kit with hoses and regs, batteries, oil, petrol, tool set, 6 pelican boxes and finally an ancient map of the area before being flooded (essential)

All this and more was packed into the taxi with all the customers and headed off to the Talay Sub Night Ferry where we had already booked a private room with air conditioning giving all a quiet night and rest for the day to come. Many would sleep early aware the boat would arrive at Chumphon at 5 am.

April proved to be our busiest month with our biggest cavern course to date with 10 people on a 5 day exploration of the caves and cavers, an enrollment of 3 technical diving students at different stages progressing on to Trimix diving on the west coast and videography internships later. The arrival of new staff, Cory Lewis, to keep up with our nitrox distribution to the local diving community. All during this we had the arrival of “Golden Week” where 50 Japanese customers arrive for 3 weeks of diving on our boats, the overhall of all our compressors (7), Thai New Year, an electricity crisis and the renovation of the tech equipment room.

Unfortunately a few of our tech students hit a bit of trouble, Christos is still out of the water with some awful spider bite infection he got for passing out in the bushes in Khao Sok and John who picked up an ear infection for diving 5 times a day. However, this leaves room for some time off, with current courses on hold and no more planned until a CCR Megaladon Course in the end of May we’ve all decided to do some fun diving, relaxing, working on our tan and enjoying the island we all came here for.

Elsewhere on the island things have been busy. Mv Trident have been in and out of the harbour all month on technical wreck diving trips, PADI gave a discussion about how DSAT are changing their technical courses and another successful group of new instructors graduated from several different schools on the island.

We’ve got some pictures of Cory’s Tech course, he’s about 1/3 the way though and is only certified to dive in tech gear without anything too fancy. He’ll be joining the rest of the lads in mid May.

With Big Blue Tech becoming increasingly busy with cave diving, rebreather training and technical diving we found a great need for a full time facilities manager. We found that person with a former Dive Master intern Cory Lewis. Cory came to us as an advanced diver from America. He was already an experienced diver from california and started working his way up to Dive Master. During that time, Cory showed a great interest in Nitrox Diving, Deep Diving and Gas Blending.

It was his continued interest in all things tech that earned him the full time job. Cory was welcomed into the team by both the technical and recreational diving department and with his upcoming technical diving course and cavern trip in May we wish him continued success in the field fo Technical Diving.