Friday 8th February
I had been recommended the 'Scuba Shack' dive school on Ko Tao from a guy I had met briefly in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, and I had called them the previous day to find out the possibility of signing up for one of the 'Open Water' courses. They told me that they would meet me at the pier, and they were true to their word, waiting for me as the boat docked at Mae Head Pier at 07.00. They drove me to the bay of Chalok Baan Kao in the south of the island of Ko Tao, and I booked myself onto the PADI Open Water course. I got a very good deal, with the 9,000B (150 quid) including bed and breakfast for the duration of the 4-day course.
I was told by the manager of the place to be back for 15.00, when I would meet the instructor and the other people taking the course. Scuba Shacks selling point is that there are no more than four people per instructor, and that was a big attraction for me, as some of the classes can include up to eight people. I was glad that I had a few hours to relax, take a walk about and get my bearings, but still get the course underway as soon as possible. My first impressions were good, they seemed like a well-run, friendly outfit.
I got some sleep, headed out for a walk and some lunch, and saw that Ko Tao is a really beautiful island, with stunning bays, clear blue water and with a smaller concentration of tourists than Phi Phi (although it is very clear that tourism – and diving in particular – is the sole industry on the island, there's just more room than on the cramped island of Phi Phi). They call Ko Tao the 'Dive Factory', and this is clear from the number of dive schools that I had passed in the brief time I had been on the island. However, people also come here for the sun, to party, or to enjoy the very good snorkelling spots dotted around the coast.
At 15.00, I met the instructor, a Canadian guy called Glenn, and the only other person on my group, a Polish girl called Agata who had lived in London for the last ten years. After registering and filling out legal forms, we got the course underway with some theory work: we watched a video and were given a coursebook, and from these we were set some homework to be reviewed the next morning. It all seemed pretty straightforward, but I learned very quickly the golden rule of diving: never hold your breath.....even if you get scared shitless by a shark!
I relaxed for the rest of the evening, hanging out with Agata, her boyfriend Mark (a fella from Middlesborough who normally went by the nickname of 'Doormouse'), and a few of their friends, also from Poland. They were a nice bunch, although their backgrounds were a bit unconventional (ex-squatters in London). After some food, I went back to the room, did my homework, and crashed out as I was low on sleep.
