Scuba Diving and The Island of Koh Tao
My trip thus far has been loads fun and incredibly enlightening, however, I realized that there were many skills I hoped to learn in my life and that I could learn on this trip as well. One of those happened to be scuba diving. Diving had been a dream of mine, well that is up until I tried it out during summer camp I attended in middle school. Camp Hayo-Went-Ha sits on torch lake, a miserably cold lake which feels more like a glacial melt than anything else. The water here on Koh Tao just off the Southern Gulf Coast of Thailand, however, could only be described as bath-water. At camp I was tense and cold, all in all it was a pretty awful experience. Now, the first thing you learn when diving is that you must control your breathing and that is truly the most important part of diving. Thinking back to my experience I realized how and why everything it went wrong, it was my breath. I was miserable in the cold water and couldn’t breathe. Scuba diving is not fun when you a) Can’t breathe and b) are freezing. I’m not one to develop unreasonable fears, and while diving wasn’t a fear of mine after failing the first time, it was no longer something I thought about often. That is until I tried it again…
Where Am I?
Well I’m glad you asked…I am now on the Island of Koh Tao at a resort called Ban’s Diving Resort. Koh Tao is a small island north of both Koh Samui and Koh Phangan (where I’m planning to head shortly for the Full Moon party – more on that soon…maybe). I spoke to several people in Bangkok and almost everyone recommended to go to Ban’s to learn to dive. Well here I am and I can say that I highly recommend this resort and to visit Koh Tao! This island is said to be the 2nd most popular place to learn to dive in the world after Cairns, Australia. Whether that’s true or not I can’t say, but I do know I could see why a rumor like that would get started. It is amazing here. Twenty plus meters of visibility, warm water, great aquatic life and most importantly – enthusiastic and knowledgeable instructors! Not to mention the price is better than anywhere else I’ve seen.
How Scuba Diving is Like Hovercrafting
I know this title doesn’t do much for the majority of people as few have ever been hovercrafting, however, those that know me and are reading this most likely have been on my hovercraft, and if not, at least know that I made one. The feeling of being weightless and suspended, which you are when diving, can only described as flying and the closest I’ve ever come to that (with the exception of sky-diving) is hovercrafting. I noticed the subtleties in breathing or maneuvering were so similar to driving a hovercraft. In both situations you must make advanced maneuvers and really feel your body or the craft to understand where it is going to go and when. It’s not like steering a motor boat, more like steering a sailboat. It’s not like driving a car, more like driving a car on ice. That feeling coupled with the freedom in three-dimensional space has led me to have an unbelievable attraction to this unique sport. The new things you see and experience are amazing.
Learn Something!
Learning something new while on the trip has really been an eye opening experience. Now I’ve learned A LOT thus far on the trip, I’ve had incredible experiences many so intense I’m unable to express in words. However, when I say learn something I mean learn something like a practical skill. We all learn about places we go and the history behind it, but learning a skill has brought things into a new light. I know It has greatly enhanced my experience in Thailand and is sure to leave a lasting memory of the location. Most of my experiences thus far have been very unique and most haven’t been skill based, but adding something like this has really been wonderful. It’s coming to be summer time back home and many people are headed out on trips. Taking a course while on vacation isn’t really the first thing that comes to mind, but I can assure you it is a very rewarding experience and something you can share much more intimately with others when you return (I mean who really wants to see ALL of your pictures). Whether it’s a cooking course, learning a local weaving style or trying a new sport, I know that incorporating a course will be a priority on my future travels!
What’s to Come?
I’m really enjoying myself here and it’s likely that I will ride out this visa in Thailand for the full 30 days before heading to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat and hopefully be able to volunteer a bit in Siem Reap. The good news is that all I need to do is cross the border and come back over to get a new 30 day visa for Thailand. In the coming week I am planning to head to northern Thailand after a short stop in Bangkok to pick up my Indian visa, which should be ready this Friday. After Cambodia, I am not entirely sure what is in store for me. I do plan to visit India and I have been hearing good and bad things. From what it sounds like it will be similar to my travels in Tanzania, therefore a bit more difficult. I would like to help the victims from the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma) before I leave for India, though with little acceptance for foreign aid within the country, it is more likely I will head to the border of Thailand and try to help those who have left and entered Thailand.
Oh and one quick thing before I end, my scuba instructor told us about a movie called Sharkwater, a documentary on shark finning that he suggested we watch. He gave me the movie to watch. It’s a really interesting yet sad documentary and the least I can do to help get the word out is to increase awareness of the problem. Head to http://www.sharkwater.com/ for more information on the problem and how to watch the movie.
