After a hectic journey to Koh Tao we arrived at the beautiful Sairee Beach. We had heard lots of amazing things about Koh Tao and they all definitely lived up to the expectations we had.
We had come to Koh Tao for 1 reason and that was to complete our Padi scuba diving courses. We arrived on Saturday and had a nice chilled evening before our first day of scuba diving training the next day.
Day 1 of the padi was all classroom based. We took a few tests and met some really cool people. The instructors also went through everything that the course would involve.
On day 2 we spent the whole day from 9 in the morning till 5 in a pool practicing our skills. Now, scuba diving was something I could never have seen myself doing, the thought of being under water with no proper breathing for a certain amount of time really freaked me out. I also don’t like being in confined spaces so that was also a worry for me. The whole point of practing in a pool is to get you ready for the ocean. Putting on the kit for the first time was a really weird feeling, however the instructors were great at explaining exactly what to do and how to use everything.
After the kit was on it was time to get into the water. I was so nervous and scared, but it really helped having George there to calm all the nerves! Going under water for the first time and breathing through the regulator was such a weird feeling. We practiced these skills for a long time until everyone felt really comfortable. The instructors were extremely patient (even when I was asking a million different questions!), big shout out to Big Rich and Stuart!!!
As the day progressed we both felt a lot more comfortable in using the kit and getting used to the breathing. We both completed all the required skills and I can honestly say we both absolutely loved it by the end of the day. We were both so excited to get into the sea.
Day 3 came around extremely quickly, we both passed our exams with 98% (both wishing we did that well at uni) and then it was time to head to the boat for our first dive. We got to our first dive spot (Twins – Koh Tao) and got into the water and went under. The first dive was absolutely amazing and even if I was so scared and nervous, I have never felt a feeling like it. Our first dive lasted for around 30 minutes and we went a maximum of 10m (I couldn’t quite believe we were actually that deep), we saw beautiful rainbow fishes, lots of dories and nemos, puffa fishes and sting rays! It was absolutely amazing.
On day 4 we completed 2 more dives and went down to 18m for 30 minutes. These dives were a lot more relaxing and really enjoyable. By the end of the 4 dives we had both passed all the skills (cleaning of the mask, removal of the mask, sharing air with buddy etc.) and passed our padi open water courses!
So I can now honestly say to anyone scared of the sea, scared of small, confined places or just scared of being under water for a long time, it was the best experience ever. Once you get used to the breathing and RELAX everything is absolutely fine!
After completing our final dive we trekked up to one of the highest points of Koh Tao which was beautiful. The views were incredible and it was a great way to unwind after the exhausting (but very fun) 4 days we had just had!
We loved Koh Tao so much that we decided to extend our stay for 2 more days. George decided to complete his advanced padi course where he swam down to 30m, did a night dive (very brave) and saw a ship wreck. He absolutely loved it. Whilst George was diving I attended a yoga class and got to see some more of Koh Tao.
Koh Tao is definitely the most beautiful place we have ever visited, we had the most amazing time, conquered fears and met some really cool people. We will definitely be back one day! Next stop… Phi Phi Islands!
Adventure Awaits... 