Monday 11th February
I didn't do much before our
meeting at 12.30. I got up late and missed breakfast, so ordered a decent lunch to make sure that I had enough
fuel onboard for the afternoon dives. We got out on the boat by 13.30, and went
to a site called 'White Rock', in the north-western corner of the island, near
to where we had done all of our previous diving up to that point. We didn't do
too many skills practising, and instead just enjoyed the beautiful sights of
underwater life.
The next site that we moved to
was called 'Twin Rocks', and here we did the last of the skills tests
(including our emergenciy exits). Yet again, the fish we saw were beautiful and
varied, and we even got to see the clownfish, now popularly known as the 'Nemo
fish', after the Disney cartoon character. Some of the eco-conscious divers
have built a stone circle around its feeding area, beyond which nobody is
supposed to go, in order to protect the fish for others to enjoy (looking at,
not eating).
After we surfaced from this
last dive, the group congratulated each other on the fact that – barring any
disasters with the test – we were now certified divers. Thankfully, once back
at the dive school, we learned we had nothing to fear, passing the test
comfortably. We filled out the necessary forms, and this signalled the end of
the course. I had thoroughly enjoyed it, despite a small bit of anxiety at the
start. I could not recommend it highly enough, although it is highly advisable
to learn in a pleasant environment such as that offered in the tropical waters
of Ko Tao, if you are to really take to it.
I was so keen to get back in
the water and just enjoy diving, free from any tests or instruction, that I
signed up for a 'fun dive' the next morning. As newly certified divers, we got
a decent discount from the school, and two dives cost 1400B (a little over 20
quid), which is very good value by all accounts (having no real knowlegde of
what it costs in other countries). It would also allow me to get back in time
to get the ferry back to the mainland, and then take a bus from there up to
Bangkok.
I spent the evening hanging
out with a South African couple who had been on the dives over the previous
four days. Rhenier & Hantie had lived in London for several years, before
moving back to the Bushfeldt, so we talked about life in London and, of course,
the wonders of the diving that we had experienced. We had dinner (a fantastic
prawn yellow curry for me), I packed up most of my stuff for the onward journey
the next day, and got some rest before the early start the next morning, as we
were due on the boat at 07.30.
