The EFR Instructor course for July is in the bag

The EFR Instructor course for July is in the bag

Patrick and Eric gathered this morning in the local hyperbaric chamber, after our day off, for their EFRI course.

After we completed to knowledge development part, it was time to get our hands dirty and no better way to do this than to get Little Annie involved. Eric is in action in the picture above and Patrick is looking good in the picture below.

We went through a whole series of skills and scenarios and had some good laughs and fun whilst doing it.

Baby Annie also makes an appearance in each EFRI course, since it's part of the curriculum. You learn how to give ventilation's and compressions on an infant and a child.

The group picture after completion of the course, in front of the local 'pot'. As part of the course, a short introduction is given in to the way the chamber works and operates.

Camille

New Divemaster trainee; Thierry

New Divemaster trainee; Thierry

Yesterday the Divemaster course started for Thierry with an induction to the course. Today's he's off with his son and family to Koh Tao for his son's Open Water diver course during which he will assist as a Divemaster trainee, a great way to start your course.

We welcome Thierry and hope that he will enjoy his course and learn a thing or two along the way!

Camille

The July 09 AI part of the IDC is completed

The July 09 AI part of the IDC is completed

Today we completed the Assistant Instructor part of the current IDC with an Open Water dive on Chaweng Beach.

After we completed the prep course, there was plenty of confined water to follow. Here Eric and Patrick are ready for a deep water entry by means of a giant stride.

As usual, we're having lovely and relaxing lunches at World Resort's beach restaurant, from left to right, Patrick, myself and Eric.

After the Open Water dive today, they also completed an 800 meter snorkel. Keep your eyes peeled to this site for more info about the current IDC adventures, tomorrow will be a well deserved day off, to be followed by the EFR Instructor course and the OWSI course of the IDC before we continue onwards to Koh Tao for the PADI IE.

Camille

PADI Specialty of the month July 2009; Deep diver

PADI Specialty of the month July 2009; Deep diver

The Deep dive specialty is one of the most popular PADI Specialties around, although the strudel is still being taken by the Nitrox specialty.
This is definitely one of the Specialties that I teach a lot, as this blog will tell you.

Koh Samui is an excellent location to conduct deep dives with Sail Rock and Chumporn Pinnacle, where we even met a whale shark during the safety stop after a deep dive.

The Deep dive specialty will take you beyond 30 meters, the limit during the Adventure Deep dive of the Advanced Open Water diver course. The Deep dive specialty takes you down to 40 meters, also the max depth of recreational diving.

You'll learn deep dive planning, organization, procedures, techniques and hazards. You'll also put this knowledge to the test as you go on four open water dives that range from 18 - 40 meters.

This picture shows how the timed task at depth has successfully been completed by Rob, one of my former IDC candidates. It's a lot of fun and a lot of diving, with 4 open water dives in the specialty split up over two days.

If you sign up during this month, you will receive a 10% discount on the Deep dive specialty.

Camille

July 2009 Prep course has been completed

July 2009 Prep course has been completed

Two days of exams and practicing skill circuits in confined water under sunny skies are left behind! Time to look forward to the start of the July IDC and to be more precise; the AI part tomorrow.
My two candidates, Patrick from Denmark and Eric from the USA have done good so far.

For good measure we completed some presentations that are part of the IDC curriculum.


A lot of time was spent in the pool at World Resort, Patrick and Eric lining up before we make a splash into the confined water.

A good demonstration of buddy breathing whilst swimming.

As usual, rescue practice was on the menu as well. Do I hear the word 'red filter'?

Stay tuned for more updates on these pages for the current IDC.

Camille

Instructor Specialties for the June 09 IDC

Instructor Specialties for the June 09 IDC

Are completed and there were some interesting dives after this June 09 IDC. It's always good to leave the classroom and go out for some diving and the dive site we visited included Sail Rock and around Koh Tao; Hin Mong Bay, the always fabulous Lighthouse and Japanese Garden which currently holds a small wooden wreck.

A very common nudibranch, this one at Hin Mong Bay; Phyllidia Varicosa

The specialties covered varied and included; deep diving, dry suit, underwater navigation, Dup (Digital Underwater photography), underwater naturalist (PADI's specialty of the year), DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle), equipment, Search & Recovery and Nitrox.

Acropora digitifera coral, also at Hin Mong Bay

This post hosts some pictures that I made during the Specialty Training dives at the various sites we visited.

The new wreck at Japanese Garden, a rather small wooden, yellow dive boat

Somebody had a nice crab meal

Tubastraea faulkneri coral at Sail Rock

Hope you enjoy the pictures, have a look at my Scubaboard gallery for more pictures.

Camille

The PADI IE for June 2009 is done and over with!

The PADI IE for June 2009 is done and over with!

After 3 days of a classic case of sweat, blood and tears scenario during this PADI IE, we have a handful of new PADI Instructors or OWSI's and a new PADI IDCS Instructor. Well done to Vadim, Richard, Sasha, Remi and Mike.

During this PADI IE they participated and successfully completed 5 theory exams and a General Standards & Procedures exam, a classroom presentation, a confined water presentations plus a skill circuit consisting of 5 skills, see the picture above, all at World Resort and last but not least, an Open Water presentation at Centara Beach resort at Chaweng Beach.

Rob Scammell, the PADI Examiner, giving a general briefing before they get in the water. There were two more IDC candidates from another PADI Course Director present during this PADI IE.

Remi, the Japanese candidate enjoying herself after the Open Water dive, looks like she is pretty confident of the outcome! Right so, she was.

The official group picture on Chaweng beach in front of Centara resort, from left to right; Vadim (OWSI), Mike (IDCS), Sasha (OWSI), Rob (PADI Examiner), Camille (PADI Course Director), Akira (IDCS), Remi (OWSI) and Richard (OWSI).

Camille