3 weeks holiday in Ko Tao …. let’s do a few dives but don’t take on too much - we’ve got time!

And go…..

We arrive at Assava Dive Centre, move into our bungalow on the beach and meet the fantastic people who work there.  Two dives later the little voice in Trevor’s head that’s been nagging him to complete his Dive Master Certfication becomes the shout that gets him to sign up.  I can just do some fun dives …. or I can do my Rescue Certification.  Yes, lets’ do that!  Some theory, some pool work, some exams and some fun, challenging dives with great diving buddies and guides and !BOOM!  I’m a Rescue Diver.  Now I can just do some fun dives …. or I can qualify as a Master Scuba Diver and supplement my existing Specialities with 3 more.  Some shots from the final Underwater Digital Photography of the Instructor Dive Candidate skills and Search and Recovery dives. 

Thank you to the Nat, Kelly, Marcus and all the amazing staff and friends at Assava Dive Centre for helping me achieve a pipe dream I didn’t even know I had!  What a rush - I am a MSD.

At Assava Dive Resort we offer the Project AWARE - Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course which is a one day program and can be only theoretical knowledge or we can include a dive where you have the opportunity to explore the reefs of Koh Tao.  Our marine biologist Kelly-Anne Nickel Recently certified our Assava PADI Divemaster Candidates : Ivy, Kelley, Ellie and Jamie where they discussed the following topics:

* Importance of Coral Reefs
* Understanding Coral
* Complex Nature of Life on the Coral Reef
* Coral reefs in Peril
* Ways to protect the reef as a scuba diver and snorkeler.
* How Project AWARE is working to protect reefs and how you can help out.

Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in taking this program with us.

Take Action and Join the Project Aware Movement with Assava Dive Resort.

At Assava Dive Resort we offer the AWARE Shark Conservation program which may be conducted in one or two days and includes learning about Sharks and how to we should interact with them, along with 2 open water dives.  Fortunately we are able to offer dives at a few dive sites where we have the opportunity to interact with Whalesharks and Black Tip Reef Sharks.

What you'll learn:

• How to help our shark friends
• Why Sharks are in peril and why we should care
• The conservation status of sharks
• The life history traits that make sharks vulnerable
• The importance of Sharks to the marine ecosystems
• How to manage threats and recognize values
• The Key Management strategies to help protect sharks
• The Value of Sharks to our local economies 
• Removing common misperceptions of sharks that are a barrier to conservation.

Well done to our recently certified students for the AWARE Shark Specialty Conservation - Naglaya, Wouter, Ivy and Phillip with PADI Instructor Marcus Pinewald.

Becky, Tom and Leigh all worked hard to achieve their recent PADI Rescue Diver certification.  PADI Instructors Kelly-Anne Nickel and Marcus Pinewald with assisting Divemaster Candidates Kelley and Trevor made the course an intense, challenging, fun and very rewarding course.  

The PADI Rescue Diver course is a 3 day program which includes learning how to develop personal dive skills and to recognize potential problems to either prevent them from occuring or solve the situation. The course is scheduled so that there is time to absorb all the theoretical information that is shown on the PADI Rescue Diver Videos and Knowledge workbook. Of course, there is a final exam and practical assessment.  During the course we begin with a confined pool session of all the rescue skills learning how to help a tired diver, panic diver on the surface and underwater, provide rescue breaths in water resuce and final scenarios including search patterns used to help locate a missing diver.  To take this course you only need to be 12 years old, be an Advanced Diver or Adventure Diver with Navigation training and have a current EFR (Emergency First Response course) or equivalent First Aid, CPR and Secondary Care certificaiton that is valid within a 2 year period.

On completion of the PADI rescue course you will personally feel a sense of achievement in your own abilities to help others in difficult situations whilst diving and broaden your knowledge on how to evacuate divers that experience pressure related injuries or more.

You want to learn to scuba dive but you are limited on your time spent on Koh Tao - not to worry as the PADI Open water course can also be conducted via the PADI E-learning program.

Prior to arrival you register online with PADI to take the PADI open water course and complete all the videos, knowledge reviews and quizzes online. You will also complete the Final Exam online and then you will receive a completion form.

Once you arrive to our Assava Dive Centre we would then schedule the e-learning course for the pool and open water dives. The duration of the course can be completed over 2 or 3 days and this choice is yours.

Day 1 : Quick Review/Paperwork and Confined pool session of skills

Day 2 : Open water dives 1 & 2 to 12m

Day 3 : Open water dives 3 & 4 to 18m

By taking the E-learning option this gives you more time to enjoy and explore the island, as the course is practically only taking up 1/2 of your days.  Weronkia recently completed her PADI E-learning course with instructor Jack Van Geel. Here she had the opportunity to have fun learning the PADI open water course but also be able to explore the nearby bays for snorkelling, and hiking to the viewpoints with the free time available.