If Chiang Mai was a step back from Bangkok's hustle and bustle, Koh Tao is a sleeping pill. It was the perfect order for a vacation, each step was a little more laid back, and, for that matter, a little more beautiful. I could have plopped on Koh Tao for a long, long time.
While relaxing was certainly on the bill for my stay, my main focus was scuba diving. Originally I hemmed and hawed over diving. I wasn't sure if it was something I really wanted to do, and it isn't exactly cheap compared to other activities in Thailand, but I decided - with a little convincing from some friends of mine - that it was the thing to do. Those same friends, the wonderful Brian and Whitney, also recommended a dive shop and resort, and as usual their advice turned out gold. Ban's was fantastic. Not only is located smack dab in the middle of Sairee Beach, but there is everything one could need practically on site and if not on site, just next door.
Unfortunately getting PADI - the leading diver training organization - certified required a good deal of homework. Fortunately it was pretty easy, even for my tired, tired skull. Thankfully on day number two we put some of the book learnin' to use, albeit in the swimming pool. It was challenging to get the hang of things, but with the certainty of the bottom of the pool it wasn't too nerve-wracking. I was a little concerned how I'd handle the breathing, as you really should be calm and consistent underwater, but it went much better than I expected.
The next day was live bullets as we finished up our classroom activities in the morning, took our final exam and went out to the ocean in the p.m. My first dive was quite a learning experience. When descending it's important to remember to equalize the pressure in your sinuses and ears. This can be done by swallowing, or most commonly pinching your nose and trying to blow out through your nose. Well, I thought I was doing it right, but I must have done something wrong (in retrospect I think I just went down too fast), and I ended up with splitting ear pain. I ended up going all the way to the surface, but I got past it and got back under the water.
I started to get the hang of it more with the second dive of the day, and the following day went even better as each of the last two dives I felt more and more comfortable. I still had a twinge of "this is awesome, but I can't wait to get out of here," but I think that would go away with time. The good news is if I want to try it again I'm certified for the rest of my life. The better news is that it gives yet another reason to visit tropical places...
Then again I could go back to Koh Tao in a heartbeat. I mean with scenes like this, who wouldn't want to...
While relaxing was certainly on the bill for my stay, my main focus was scuba diving. Originally I hemmed and hawed over diving. I wasn't sure if it was something I really wanted to do, and it isn't exactly cheap compared to other activities in Thailand, but I decided - with a little convincing from some friends of mine - that it was the thing to do. Those same friends, the wonderful Brian and Whitney, also recommended a dive shop and resort, and as usual their advice turned out gold. Ban's was fantastic. Not only is located smack dab in the middle of Sairee Beach, but there is everything one could need practically on site and if not on site, just next door.
Unfortunately getting PADI - the leading diver training organization - certified required a good deal of homework. Fortunately it was pretty easy, even for my tired, tired skull. Thankfully on day number two we put some of the book learnin' to use, albeit in the swimming pool. It was challenging to get the hang of things, but with the certainty of the bottom of the pool it wasn't too nerve-wracking. I was a little concerned how I'd handle the breathing, as you really should be calm and consistent underwater, but it went much better than I expected.
The next day was live bullets as we finished up our classroom activities in the morning, took our final exam and went out to the ocean in the p.m. My first dive was quite a learning experience. When descending it's important to remember to equalize the pressure in your sinuses and ears. This can be done by swallowing, or most commonly pinching your nose and trying to blow out through your nose. Well, I thought I was doing it right, but I must have done something wrong (in retrospect I think I just went down too fast), and I ended up with splitting ear pain. I ended up going all the way to the surface, but I got past it and got back under the water.
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| One unfortunate downside was the ill-fitting mask. |
I started to get the hang of it more with the second dive of the day, and the following day went even better as each of the last two dives I felt more and more comfortable. I still had a twinge of "this is awesome, but I can't wait to get out of here," but I think that would go away with time. The good news is if I want to try it again I'm certified for the rest of my life. The better news is that it gives yet another reason to visit tropical places...
Then again I could go back to Koh Tao in a heartbeat. I mean with scenes like this, who wouldn't want to...
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