Turtles and other things

As always, I've been having an absolutely amazing time here in Koh Tao.

A few days ago I led my first dives with DMT's (not customers). I gave a full dive briefing on depths and times, what we might see, hand signals etc... Then I navigated the sites, and I didn't get lost and came up on a buoy line! I was so happy with myself. And the sites were beautiful, with amazing visibility and just hundreds of fish everywhere. At Chumphon we saw a massive grouper, and just as we started ascending for our safety stop a big school of bat fish just sailed along beneath us. Then at White Roch it was the same good visibility, and as we were coming round the South pinnacle Nyc spotted a turtle tying down under some coral, so we just hung about with this turtle for a while. I lay down on the floor a foot away from this turtle looking it in the eye loving it. Definately one of the best experiences I've had since I've arrived.

On another dive earlier in the week it was Arj, Cameron and myself diving Chumphon and White Rock again, and Cameron was taking photos. He got a bit to close to a trigger fish (they're very terratorial) and it started attacking him which was hysterical. Just going for his fins non-stop and butting out of the way. It was hysterical!

Yesterday is was really really choppy out but we didn't go to Mae Haad where we can get on at a port, and the long-tail crashed into the side of the big boat making two big holes in the side (above sea-level luckily), then when coming off the boat and coming to shore the longtail just run a-ground on the coral and all the divers had to walk accross the coral cutting their feet up in the process with their kit and dry bags (not so dry - they flooded). Nightmare!

Yesterday I also assisted somewhat with my sister's Open Water, buddy-ing up with a Kiwi guy. It was an average dive, but good just hanging around, keeping an eye on the divers, and helping them if they needed to. Aidy - the videographer and guy I'm doing my internship with - watched me on the dive and said that after 5 minutes he could tell I was comfortable in the water enough to get my hands on a camera finally! So that'll be startting Monday.

Last night I worked my first shift at the Tradewinds Bar which is where all the DJL divers and staff hang out. So it's not so much work but serving drinks to friends all night and then getting drinks bought for you at the end of the night. We had ring of fire jenga and swimming, and I had to walk one of the instructors home because he was so drunk. It was hysterical.

I've been loving it, and having the family here is brilliant. Just diving and being able to do my own thing during the day but then having my family here at the end of the night it just amazing.

My heart is so full of happiness.

Meet Everyone

Let me introduce you to my friends. (There's a slideshow @ the bottom of the page if these links don't work)

Amelie. She is hysterical. Canadian, don't get her started on food cos she won't stop talking. We get on so well, and can continuously chat to one another about everything without getting bored.

Jocelyn (on the left) and Virginia (on the right). They're twins, and are amazing. They both make me laugh so much and I have so much fun with them. When we dive we are lovely, when we go out we dance like crazy people. They are Not EV's! (Energy Vampires).

Dave. He is hysterical and drinks loads of straight liquour and is hilarious in the process. One night he got really drunk and tried to free a bird from it's cage but was so wasted he couldn't undo the string that was holding the door in place, so he was chewing at the string when this thai guy comes out shouting at him so he hides is 1ft of sea. Nutter.

Nell. She's South African, and injures herself a lot. She is lovely.

Marc (left) and Max (right). They came here together. Marc is doing his DMT and Max is doing Tech Diving. They are both great fun and really nice guys. Nell and I got them drunk in the rasta bar on their first night. Good times.

Vince (left) and Brianne (right). Vince just did his IDC and is hilarious dances like a crazy person and will buy you a drink at the bar. Brianne is amazing. She has the most expressive face ever and looks about 5 years younger than she really is. She makes me laugh a lot, we had a sleepover :-)

Arj. He's lovely. Gives amazing hugs and is always good for a Borat banter. I like! We fight under water.

Vince. He's hardly ever like this which is a shame cos he was hysterical this night before he passed out, but he's funny anyway, because he thinks he's black and it makes me laugh. He's from America and is a medic student with
Kim (right), who maes me laugh all the time and has funny tales of her dives - mainly her acting funny like admiring her tan.
Jojo is on the left. He's Burmese and works at the bar. Everyone loves Jojo.

Cheyanne (left) and Alex (centre). Cheyanne is married to Brianne, and always takes the piss out of my laugh and says things like "It's so hot I could shit". He makes me laugh all the time. Alex calls me munchkin and likes hand massages, and is ALWAYS sitting at the bar. With his sunglasses on.

Cami. She's from London and is a good laugh. She doesn't take shit from anyone. I like that about her.

Well, I think that's about it really...
It's raining outside, and I'm diving tomorrow morning, and think I have a cold coming so I'm going to sleep.

Night all! xxx

Live to Dive

I was speaking to a couple of friends yesterday, and we were saying they that diving has lost the razzle dazzle it has for everyone else. If you're not diving tomorrow, it just means that you'll see that person at lunch, or at dinner, rather than see them on the boat or dive with them. We're not tourists who come out, dive, and think it's a bit of a song and dance. It's normal, we know the dive sites (kind of), and granted we'll still love a great dive when you see loads, but it's a normal part of our everyday lives.
I was talking to Nell, and she said that she met someone who wasn't diving on Koh Tao. And I think thet's ridiculous. Because in my opinion, you either dive, or you drink, or you do both. But drinking during the day usually leads to less drinking at night so you dive during the day. And if you don't dive... what do you do?! Koh Tao is littered with dive companies and you get to recognise their boats, pray certain boats aren't there, know which ones might run you over if you're not careful (it's happened). To not dive here is ridiculous!

I was supposed to take a few days out of the water once I got back to Koh Tao after being in hospital on Samui (=absolute luxury), but after one day out of the water I had to put my name down for a dive. I was so bored it was unreal and was back in the water the next afternoon. There's no stopping me, I'm a water baby and being able to breathe under water is the best thing in the world. It feels like you're flying you're so free under there, and it's so much fun, that even at the most simple and perhaps dull of dive sites you can mess about with everyone. Riding people like a rodeo, biting their fins, dance moves, parrot fish impressions... the list goes on. And it;s just so relaxing. I hate coming up to the surface - especially at the moment because it's so fucking choppy you get exhausted swimming back to the boat, then get slammed into the ladder whilst trying to get on because the waves are making the boat move so much.
But then you get on the boat, have a cup of tea and a buscit, maybe a little lie down if you feel like it, perhaps fight with Deesa (the Burmese guy who works on the boat), change your tank and do it all over again.

Here, I live to dive, and couldn't ask for anything more.

Much love xxxx

Dengue Fever is not so Fun

So today I get to go home. I know I've only been here for two nights and three days but they've been so long and I've been so bored that I can't wait to get out of Koh Samui and back to Koh Tao to see everyone.
Being ill sucks a lot, and I definitely don't plan on it happening again any time soon!!
I don't actually have much else to write at all here because I've been doing nothing but lazing about, eating food and watching films, oh, and sleeping for the best part of a week so I guess I'll update once I start living normally again.