INTRO: PADI DEEP DIVER COURSE IN KOH TAO

 

The PADI Deep Diver Specialty will teach you techniques, skills and knowledge to conduct no-decompression dives right down to the recreational diving limit of 40 meters depth.

Diving to such depths gives us the chance to explore a greater range of dive sites, discovering unusual aquatic life which we don’t see in shallower water. We can explore areas rarely visited by divers such as ship wrecks and remote pinnacles lying in deeper water.

As part of the course we’ll make four deep training dives off Koh Tao, exploring the depths of the Gulf of Thailand.

​

DIVE SITES AROUND KOH TAO FOR DEEP DIVE TRAINING

 

A major attraction of deep diving is accessing regions rarely seen by divers.

Our four training dives give us the chance to explore down to 40M, undertaking challenging and exciting dives. We’ll get you out to the deep pinnacles off Koh Tao, exploring areas of the dive sites which few divers ever see.

​

Typical dive sites for the deep diver course include the Chumphon Pinnacles, Southwest or Green Rock. Whilst many divers visit the top of the pinnacles, exploring depths beyond 30 meters away from frequented areas of the dive sites provides a completely different, exhilarating experience. Giant soft coral fans and sponges, bizarre critters and aquatic life, often contending with low visibility below the thermocline or strong currents. Exciting stuff!

​

​

SCHEDULE FOR PADI DEEP DIVER SPECIALTY

We are flexible with the course schedule and can adapt it to fit your travel plans. But usually training proceeds as follows:

​

DAY 1: THEORY & 2 DEEP TRAINING DIVES

Deep diver training begins with watching a short entertaining video (30 mins) produced during 1980s when pink and yellow wetsuits were all the rage. We’ll then review the important concepts such as the narcotic effect of breathing air at depth, volume of gas required for deep dives and equipment configuration.

We’ll then pack our dive gear and board Simple Life’s dive boat for our first two deep training dives.

Dive one recaps what you learned during the deep dive of your advanced open water course. You will learn how to setup a ‘drop tank’; an extra cylinder of air suspended 5 meters below the surface for emergency use. Plus you will prepare the dive boat for deep diving activities. During the dive we will gain an appreciation of the surrounding water pressure, comparing depth gauges to check for inaccuracies and studying the effect of depth on colour. We’ll then explore the depths of the dive site before making a slow controlled ascent up to the surface with safety stop at 5 meters.

During the second training dive we will practice your accent and decent techniques plus study the effect that pressure has on a variety of objects.

​

DAY 2: DEEP DIVES 3&4 OFF KOH TAO

In-line with recommended safe diving procedures our first training dive of day is usually the deepest. So provided conditions permit you will head down to the recreational diving limit of 40 meters accompanied by your instructor. At this depth we will conduct a narcosis test; you complete a timed task to study the effect of the increased pressure of the nitrogen in your breathing gas. During the dive you will also perform a simulated emergency decompression stop. Part of this stop will be completed whilst breathing from an emergency air source, such as a drop tank, pony bottle or sling tank.

​

Our final deep training dive will focus on wall diving techniques. Many deeper sites around the world are deep walls extending way down to the ocean floor. In such environments it is essential to closely monitor your depth and not and exceed your dive plan and maximum depth. Skills we’ll develop will include buoyancy control at depth and avoiding contact with sensitive aquatic life along the wall. At the end of the dive you will use the wall as a visual reference to perform a safety stop.

​

Back at the dive shop you’ll then be certified as a PADI Deep Diver.

​