Koh Samui PADI IDC for October 2011 is halfway

Koh Samui PADI IDC for October 2011 is halfway

Some busy days are already behind us with some more busy days ahead of us! Almost sounds like an IDC. It's also interesting to see the interaction in a group this size and so far it's all good.

From left to right; Paul (staffing), Jose, Chris, Christophe (staffing), Callan, Imad (staffing), Aiko (staffing), Mewi and Ami (staffing)

Callan in action with his Australian Baywatch T-shirt

Plenty of classroom presentations have been conducted, knowledge development presentations by the students presented, skill circuits practiced, sweat has been lost over exams and confined water presentations have been dealt with. Open Water is still to come, so it's keep them out of trouble for the time being!

Staffing is fun, looking at Aiko and Ami

Confined water presentations

We have a few more days to go and before the PADI IE starts, there are some days to relax for the candidates and review their knowledge and skills.

As usual, rescue exercise # 7 was on the menu as well, the eternal unconscious diver at the surface

Stay tuned for more updates on this IDC and if you're interested in participating in one of my PADI IDC's, the 2012 schedule is now available but the next two IDC's will still be conducted during the remainder of this year! 19th November will see the start of an IDC on Gili Air in Indonesia and the last IDC of 2011 will be conducted in Khao Lak in Thailand, starting 5th December.

The first IDC in 2012 will kick off 8th January on Koh Samui, Thailand.

I'm looking forward seeing you at any of these programs.

Camille

The 2012 IDC Schedule is available

The 2012 IDC Schedule is available

At last, after various changes in the expected schedule, my 2012 PADI IDC schedule has been released. 21 PADI IDC's are scheduled at this stage with still a few openings left for more programs and a couple of very interesting and exotic options are possible.

In Thailand my IDC's for 2012 are scheduled on Koh Samui in conjunction with PADI 5* IDC Center 'The Dive Academy', on Koh Phangan with PADI 5* IDD Resort 'Haad Yao Divers', on Koh Lanta with PADI 5* IDD Resorts 'Blue Planet' and 'Scubafish' and in Khao Lak with PADI 5* IDC Resort 'Seadragon'.

PADI CDC Center Sea Explorers in Dauin, Philippines

Furthermore there will be IDC's scheduled on Gili Air in Indonesia with PADI 5* IDD Resort 'Oceans 5', in the Philippines with 'Sea Explorers' at their respective PADI CDC center in Dauin/Dumaguate and their PADI 5* IDD Resort on Malapascua and in Osan, South Korea with 'Aquatic Frontier'.

All IDC programs will be directly followed with PAD IE programs.

Besides PADI IDC's, you can also further your training and dive career with Specialty Instructor training, a MSDT prep course or a full MSDT internship where you get to certify 25 PADI divers at various levels, your IDCS course or just staff one or more IDC programs's if you're on your way to become a PADI Course Director yourself.

If you're interested in participating in a course at either one of these locations, please contact me if you have any questions regarding a location or program or look here on how to book a course.

Looking forward seeing you next year at one of my IDC's! Check out the new schedule!

Camille

Koh Samui PADI IDC for October - November has kicked off

Koh Samui PADI IDC for October - November has kicked off

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The October-November PADI IDC on Koh Samui in Thailand has taken off. Today the prep course started and it's a busy affair with 5 candidates and plenty of staff!

From left to right; Callan, Chris, Paul, Christophe and Jose

Imad is still coming in later on and is not in this picture, just like Paul and Christophe, he's working towards his PADI Course Director rating. Imad conducted his IDC and IDCS already with me in 2009 and he staffed a few times already with me on Koh Samui. Paul is owner of 'The Dive Academy' and has staffed already various times with me and he also completed his IDCS course with me. Christophe will staff this IDC and the up and coming one on Gili Air, Indonesia next month.

There are also Japanese candidates plus their staff, who we meet later in the pool.

Jose already completed last month IDC but will go through the motions again for this program and we will try to iron out the kinks which he experienced during last month's program.

Stay tuned for more updates on this IDC and if you're interested in participating in one my IDC's, the next program starts 19th November on Gili Air in Indonesia and the last IDC that I will conduct this year will start in Khao Lak, Thailand 5th December.

Click here for the full 2012 schedule.

Camille

More IDC's on Malapascua, Philippines with Sea Explorers

More IDC's on Malapascua, Philippines with Sea Explorers

After the announcement of my cooperation with PADI CDC Center Sea Explorers in Dauin / Dumaguete in the Philippines, earlier this year, Sea Explorers expanded their IDC network onto Malapascua and their dive center there has now upgraded their status to a PADI 5*IDD Resort.

Sea Explorers dive center on Malapascua

For me this means that I now will be conducting IDC's again on Malapascua and after the great time I had there earlier this year I'm looking forward to go back and teach here again.

The January/February IDC on Malapascua was also my first IDC that I taught outside of Thailand and will always be special to me. Thanks to all the good folks at TSD!

The classroom at Sea Explorers, Malapascua

That January/February IDC also coincided with the first PADI IE ever to be conducted on Malapascua. History has been made and ever since more IE programs have been conducted here by PADI staff.

Malapascua's Ocean Vida resort with 12 beach front deluxe rooms

Sea Explorers have a restaurant and a resort on Malapascua as well, all integrated with the PADI 5* IDC center.

Office view

The first IDC to be conducted at Sea Explorers will kick off 6th march 2012 followed by a PADI IE in Cebu city.

A new website dedicated to the Sea Explorers IDC's in the Philippine sis under construction and will be revealed soon! In the meantime I'm looking forward seeing you at my IDC's in the Philippines and I'm looking forward to see my friends on Malapascua again.

Camille

Suunto D6i steel

Suunto D6i steel

As already mentioned in my last post about vintage scuba equipment (about my own Suunto Eon), there's a Suunto D6i Steel on it's way and that D6i has landed in my lap at last!

Suunto D6i

It's an air integrated dive computer (that's what the 'i' bit stands for), this means that during a dive you know how long your air will last at your current breathing pattern and has plenty of other functions to boost, among others;

-Integrated tilt-compensated 3D digital compass

-Full continuous decompression algorithm
-Gas-switching capability
-Four dive modes: Air, Nitrox, Freedive, Gauge
-Built-in dive planner

It's a top of the line dive computer indeed and I'm very pleased with it, although I haven't dived with it yet.

If you're interested in it, the D6i is now also available in all black.

The D6i with the wireless air integration transmitter

Lots of thanks go out to Suunto in Finland for making this possible, for helping them out with some questionnaires, I was awarded this beauty. You know who you are in Vantaa!

Also thanks to the people on Koh Samui and Gili Air in Indonesia who made this happen!

A nice package indeed

Right now I can't wait to go diving with it and experience it under water. A great addition to my Suunto family, after the Eon, Vyper, Gekko, Zoop and my M5 for running.

Camille

Vintage Scuba Equipment, a Suunto EON

Vintage Scuba Equipment, a Suunto EON

My last post about Vintage scuba equipment was about an old Suunto dive computer model, the SM1 and a Solution. When writing that post, I remembered having had an older Suunto computer myself and it turned out to be an EON.

Suunto EON air integrated computer

This Suunto EON is an air integrated computer and the console is designed to give both cylinder pressure and decompression-related information. They can track multi-level air dives but are not Nitrox-capable. I purchased my copy around 1995 and it's no wonder that this computer model is no longer in production. Unfortunately I managed to drown my computer when changing a battery too many.

With the older style computers by Suunto one big draw back I always found that for changing the batteries the computer had to be sent away to an authorized dealer, so they could do this for you, which in Thailand could be quite an essential amount of time. I changed my own battery frequently but one time the seal wasn't 100% in place and that was the end of my model.

The infamous battery for the EON

My EON made me very happy, one of the main things it did was due it's air integration, it taught me how to manage my air consumption better! I will never forget that!

My Suunto family

From left to right; the EON, a Vyper, a Gekko and my current Zoop which replaced the Gekko

My Suunto family is soon to grow by the addition of a metallic braced D6i, courtesy of Suunto itself. I'll keep you posted for more updates on my newest addition to the family soon and here's a small piece on my Zoop.

Camille

The September-October 2011 PADI IDC on Koh Samui has finished

The September-October 2011 PADI IDC on Koh Samui has finished

As already mentioned in my last update about this IDC, José's progress was slow, although steadily. We now decided that he will not attend the PADI IE on Koh Tao but instead will participate in the next IDC on Koh Samui, starting 26th October.

José during the confined water skill of weight belt removal and replacement

Paul who was staffing this IDC during a class room presentation

My next PADI IDC will also be on Koh Samui, this program will start 26th October, followed by an IDC on Koh Lanta starting 7th November and an IDC on Gili Air in Indonesia starting 19th November. Come and see me during one of these programs and become a PADI Scuba Instructor yourself!

Camille