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Location : Thailand - Koh Tao
- See the map
Region info : Koh Tao |
      
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| Address : 17/18 Moo1, Koh Tao, Surat thani | |||||||||||||
| Phone : +66 77456179 | |||||||||||||
| Website : http://www.bigbluediving.com | |||||||||||||
| Email : info@bigbluediving.com | |||||||||||||
| Languages spoken : Dutch • English • French • German • Japanese • Local Language • Spanish • Swedish | |||||||||||||
| Diving agencies : BSAC • PADI • SDI • SSI • TDI | |||||||||||||
| Courses offered : Dive intro / try dives • Open water / beginners course • Advanced course • Rescue course • Divemaster / dive leader • Nitrox course • Wreck specialty • Deep specialty • Naturalist specialty • Instructor level / IDC • Other |
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| Other courses available : Gas Blender. Tech Diver. Cave Diver. | |||||||||||||
| Safety equipment available : O2 medical kit • Medical kits in boat • Medical trained staff • DAN affiliation | |||||||||||||
| Dive centers services : Own boat • Own vehicles • Own air compressor • Bar • Pool for training • Combo Lodging with Dives • Kayaks • Restaurant • Internet access • Underwater photography or video • Equipment gear rentals | |||||||||||||
| Technical diving capacity : Nitrox compressor • Rebreather services • Twin tank rental | |||||||||||||
| Type of tank provided : Aluminium 12-13 Lts • Aluminium 15 Lts | |||||||||||||
| Typical tank fill : 200 bar | |||||||||||||
| Price for 1 dive including equipment without staff/guide : 30 to 39 USD | |||||||||||||
| Price for 1 dive excluding equipment without staff/guide : 30 to 39 USD | |||||||||||||
| Price for 1 dive including equipment and staff/guide : 30 to 39 USD | |||||||||||||
| Price for 1 dive excluding equipment but with staff/guide : 30 to 39 USD | |||||||||||||
| Note: Prices are given for 1 dive to get a price level comparison. However, many dive centers propose ONLY package for 2 or more dives. So we have divided the total price by the number of dives to obtain the price level for 1 dive. | |||||||||||||
| Time to go to the nearest hospital : More than 1 Hour | |||||||||||||
| Name of the nearest airport city : Koh Samui, USM | |||||||||||||
| Average time to reach this airport : Up to 3 hours | |||||||||||||
| Level required : Beginner accepted |
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Big Blue Diving - Thailand
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Description for the dive shop Big Blue Diving - Thailand
Multi Award Winning Dive Center offering everything from Beginner to Instructor as well as Tech Diving, Free Diving, Eco Internships, Underwater VDOgraphy Courses, & an enormous range of Retail Discounts all located from 2 on the beach Dive Resorts with a multitude of different accommodation to suit all budgets from Free dormitory accommodation while you dive to Luxury Beachfront AC Bungalows.
Welcome to Big Blue Diving, Koh Tao's most recommended PADI Dive Center, SSI Platinum Instructor Training Facility, BSAC Center of Excellence and a TDI/SDI 5 Star Instructor Development Facility, with accommodation for all budgets ranging from 'Days of Old', Bungalows on the beach to poolside Air conditioned rooms with sunset views al fresco classrooms as well as 2 beachfront Restaurants & Bars.
In the Beginning... 1991 to be exact, we opened a small little dive shop at the end of the pier. At that time it was only the second shop on Koh Tao. We sat around most of the day waiting for customers to arrive on the island once a day! But it wasn't long before scuba divers started hearing of this unexplored diving paradise around a little known island about 90 kilometers north of Koh Samui, Thailand.
By 1999, as Koh Tao was beginning to get a mention in the Rough Guides & Lonely Planets, we expanded a little & opened Big Blue Diving Resort on Sairee Beach. A 5 Star PADI Gold Palm Resort, with a Beachside Dive center, bar & restaurant operating, with 2 purpose built Dive Vessels, leaving the choice of divesites upto our guests & leaving directly from our Resort.
Big Blue Diving Resort comprised of 5 Beachside fan bungalows as well as over 20 fan rooms all with ensuite bathrooms & another 10 Air Conditioned rooms. Our own Big Blue Restaurant & Beach Bar quickly became a favourite with guests & locals alike with its ambient al fresco style dining quite literally on the waters edge & an amazing seat when it came to enjoying some of the worlds best sunsets at one of the islands most popular beachside bars. By 2000 we branched out & opened up a small Dive Center in the heart of Koh Samui with luxury speed boat trips to the best divesites around Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan, as well as the legendary Sail Rock, the best Divesite in the Gulf of Thailand & the then famous Angthong National Marine Park. (The setting for Alex Garlands Best selling book- The Beach). From here we also offerred overnight trips to Koh Tao so our Samui customers could enjoy a real taste of island life.
Then in 2003 we opened Big Blue Diving Khao Lak, on the West Coast of Thailand in the sleepy seaside resort town about an hour north of the touristic island of Phuket, making us instantly one of Thailands biggest Dive operators. Here we originally offerred Full Day trips to the Similans and before too long we were also offerring Liveaboard cruises onboard our own private Liveaboard MV Halleluja, as well as faster daily speedboat services to the world famous Similan Islands & the more challenging divesites of the Surin Islands including the legendary Koh Bon (Manta Rays) Koh Tachai (Leopard Sharks) & in the words of Jacques Cousteau Thailands Number One Dive Site - Richelieu Rock (Whalesharks). In 2004 Big Blue Diving Koh Tao became Koh Tao's first SSI Instructor Training Center with South East Asia's most experienced Instructor Trainer and of course a Big Blue Instructor for over 6 years, Simon Garrity.
In 2007 we opened Big Blue Tech- our Technical Diving division of Big Blue Diving specialising in Wrecks, Tech, Depth, Nitrox, Trimix, Rebreathers, Caves, & Side mount diving. With excursions around Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & the Phillipines, Big Blue Tech fast became one of Thailands leading Tech, Wreck & Cave Diving Operators. By 2008 we opened up Big Blue Bed & Breakfast also known as Preewa Guesthouse. A brand new clean, spacious & quiet little building set back about 100 meters from the beach & just a 2 minute walk from our main resort. It was perfect for light sleepers & also for Dive club Groups who were looking for something a little bit nicer & where everyone could stay at the same place.
2009 saw Big Blue Diving become a BSAC Center of Excellence, and with our present in house BSAC Instructor Trainer, James Foleher we have become the leading BSAC Instructor Training facility in Thailand & Asia. Also in 2009 we officially opened Big Blue an Eco Conservation arm of our organisation with in house Marine Biologist Jennifer Matthews. She organised the Charity Event Swim for Sharks which raises money & awareness of the inhumane practise of Shark Finning. We've won awards every year since we formed Big Blue Conservation from the Project Aware Foundation for outstanding contribution to Eco Awareness & since 2010 have been awarded SSI's prestigious award for Most Environmentally Active Dive Center in Thailand. In 2010 we also won other prestigious awards from SSI. Outstanding Contribution to Tech Diving, Best Dive Center in Thailand, Best SSI Instructor, Most Environmentally Active Dive Center, Dive Center with the most SSI Certifications & the most SSI Instructor Certifications in Thailand. The same year we were also recognised for the highest amount of Tech Diving & Rebreather certifications in Thailand by TDI.
In 2011 Big Blue Diving became the first Dive Center in the world to partner with the Coral Cay Conservation Society in the education of Marine conservation & Coastal resources.
In 2012 - we were (& still are) very proud to be opening our second Beach front resort also on Sairee Beach, Big Blue II. A little more upmarket than our original resort Big Blue II offers Air Conditioned Bungalows on the beach, Private AC & Fan rooms & 4 bed air con & fan dormitories with ocean views, a purpose built divers pool, & another excellent Beach side Restaurant & Bar. From here we also offer the accommodation at Koh Tao's legendary backpacker beachside bungalows Pranee Bungalows & Mama O'Chais.
The year 2013 we have relaunched Big Blue Free Diving- our breathold center with National Champions from Spain & Brazil Pepe Arcos & Flavia Eberhard who are both internationally recognised Free Diving record holders & the only AIDA trained judges on Koh Tao meaning that we have every intention of launching some internationally recognised Free Diving competitions with the worlds leading Breath-hold Divers. Flavia is also an SSI FreeDiving Instructor Trainer making Big Blue FreeDiving the only FreeDiving Instructor Training Facility in Thailand.
Welcome to Big Blue Diving, Koh Tao's most recommended PADI Dive Center, SSI Platinum Instructor Training Facility, BSAC Center of Excellence and a TDI/SDI 5 Star Instructor Development Facility, with accommodation for all budgets ranging from 'Days of Old', Bungalows on the beach to poolside Air conditioned rooms with sunset views al fresco classrooms as well as 2 beachfront Restaurants & Bars.
In the Beginning... 1991 to be exact, we opened a small little dive shop at the end of the pier. At that time it was only the second shop on Koh Tao. We sat around most of the day waiting for customers to arrive on the island once a day! But it wasn't long before scuba divers started hearing of this unexplored diving paradise around a little known island about 90 kilometers north of Koh Samui, Thailand.
By 1999, as Koh Tao was beginning to get a mention in the Rough Guides & Lonely Planets, we expanded a little & opened Big Blue Diving Resort on Sairee Beach. A 5 Star PADI Gold Palm Resort, with a Beachside Dive center, bar & restaurant operating, with 2 purpose built Dive Vessels, leaving the choice of divesites upto our guests & leaving directly from our Resort.
Big Blue Diving Resort comprised of 5 Beachside fan bungalows as well as over 20 fan rooms all with ensuite bathrooms & another 10 Air Conditioned rooms. Our own Big Blue Restaurant & Beach Bar quickly became a favourite with guests & locals alike with its ambient al fresco style dining quite literally on the waters edge & an amazing seat when it came to enjoying some of the worlds best sunsets at one of the islands most popular beachside bars. By 2000 we branched out & opened up a small Dive Center in the heart of Koh Samui with luxury speed boat trips to the best divesites around Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan, as well as the legendary Sail Rock, the best Divesite in the Gulf of Thailand & the then famous Angthong National Marine Park. (The setting for Alex Garlands Best selling book- The Beach). From here we also offerred overnight trips to Koh Tao so our Samui customers could enjoy a real taste of island life.
Then in 2003 we opened Big Blue Diving Khao Lak, on the West Coast of Thailand in the sleepy seaside resort town about an hour north of the touristic island of Phuket, making us instantly one of Thailands biggest Dive operators. Here we originally offerred Full Day trips to the Similans and before too long we were also offerring Liveaboard cruises onboard our own private Liveaboard MV Halleluja, as well as faster daily speedboat services to the world famous Similan Islands & the more challenging divesites of the Surin Islands including the legendary Koh Bon (Manta Rays) Koh Tachai (Leopard Sharks) & in the words of Jacques Cousteau Thailands Number One Dive Site - Richelieu Rock (Whalesharks). In 2004 Big Blue Diving Koh Tao became Koh Tao's first SSI Instructor Training Center with South East Asia's most experienced Instructor Trainer and of course a Big Blue Instructor for over 6 years, Simon Garrity.
In 2007 we opened Big Blue Tech- our Technical Diving division of Big Blue Diving specialising in Wrecks, Tech, Depth, Nitrox, Trimix, Rebreathers, Caves, & Side mount diving. With excursions around Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & the Phillipines, Big Blue Tech fast became one of Thailands leading Tech, Wreck & Cave Diving Operators. By 2008 we opened up Big Blue Bed & Breakfast also known as Preewa Guesthouse. A brand new clean, spacious & quiet little building set back about 100 meters from the beach & just a 2 minute walk from our main resort. It was perfect for light sleepers & also for Dive club Groups who were looking for something a little bit nicer & where everyone could stay at the same place.
2009 saw Big Blue Diving become a BSAC Center of Excellence, and with our present in house BSAC Instructor Trainer, James Foleher we have become the leading BSAC Instructor Training facility in Thailand & Asia. Also in 2009 we officially opened Big Blue an Eco Conservation arm of our organisation with in house Marine Biologist Jennifer Matthews. She organised the Charity Event Swim for Sharks which raises money & awareness of the inhumane practise of Shark Finning. We've won awards every year since we formed Big Blue Conservation from the Project Aware Foundation for outstanding contribution to Eco Awareness & since 2010 have been awarded SSI's prestigious award for Most Environmentally Active Dive Center in Thailand. In 2010 we also won other prestigious awards from SSI. Outstanding Contribution to Tech Diving, Best Dive Center in Thailand, Best SSI Instructor, Most Environmentally Active Dive Center, Dive Center with the most SSI Certifications & the most SSI Instructor Certifications in Thailand. The same year we were also recognised for the highest amount of Tech Diving & Rebreather certifications in Thailand by TDI.
In 2011 Big Blue Diving became the first Dive Center in the world to partner with the Coral Cay Conservation Society in the education of Marine conservation & Coastal resources.
In 2012 - we were (& still are) very proud to be opening our second Beach front resort also on Sairee Beach, Big Blue II. A little more upmarket than our original resort Big Blue II offers Air Conditioned Bungalows on the beach, Private AC & Fan rooms & 4 bed air con & fan dormitories with ocean views, a purpose built divers pool, & another excellent Beach side Restaurant & Bar. From here we also offer the accommodation at Koh Tao's legendary backpacker beachside bungalows Pranee Bungalows & Mama O'Chais.
The year 2013 we have relaunched Big Blue Free Diving- our breathold center with National Champions from Spain & Brazil Pepe Arcos & Flavia Eberhard who are both internationally recognised Free Diving record holders & the only AIDA trained judges on Koh Tao meaning that we have every intention of launching some internationally recognised Free Diving competitions with the worlds leading Breath-hold Divers. Flavia is also an SSI FreeDiving Instructor Trainer making Big Blue FreeDiving the only FreeDiving Instructor Training Facility in Thailand.
User reviews
Average user rating from: 4 user(s)
A Home Away From Home.
| Overall rating: | 5.0 | |
| Do you agree in general with the rating proposed by this web site?: | 5.0 | |
| Overall Quality: | 5.0 | |
| Punctuality: | 5.0 | |
| Equipment Condition: | 5.0 | |
| Staff Professionalism: | 5.0 | |
| Safety Equipment : | 5.0 | |
| Quality of air (purity): | 5.0 | |
| Quality of Services: | 5.0 | |
| Value for Money / Price Range: | 5.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
After leaving my last job in France I was looking into doing some dive qualifications for a few months in Thailand, and having emailed and enquired multiple dive schools, I stuck with Big Blue. They were very informative and helpful from the start. That was eight months ago, I'm still at Big Blue. I did my OW all the way through to AOWI with the internship. Although if i had the time and money I'd still be doing my DMT... what a couple of months! From the start the staff were both professional yet light hearted, a combination of attributes that I feel work particularly well in this industry, and now many of them are good friends and some are even my best friends. Big Blue for me isn't just a place of education or work, it's a way of life and a home away from home. Thank you Big Blue. Ryan, UK.
Fantastic diving and excellent training
| Overall rating: | 4.9 | |
| Do you agree in general with the rating proposed by this web site?: | 5.0 | |
| Overall Quality: | 5.0 | |
| Punctuality: | 5.0 | |
| Equipment Condition: | 4.0 | |
| Staff Professionalism: | 5.0 | |
| Safety Equipment : | 5.0 | |
| Quality of air (purity): | 5.0 | |
| Quality of Services: | 5.0 | |
| Value for Money / Price Range: | 5.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I found out about Big Blue by word of mouth and reviews on he the internet. I decided to come here for my rescue diver course and to do some fun diving as well. I had excellent instruction for my rescue diver course and it made me feel so much more confident in the water knowing that I knew how to handle various situations. My instructor was great and was never tired of my endless questions :) . My original plan was to do my rescue course and then continue through SE Asia to do more diving, but I loved it so much I stayed and did my dive master which was the best decision I could have made. The way the dive master program works is that you can kind of tailor it to your own pace and you have unlimited diving. I learned so much about diving than I ever thought I would. I had 2 mentors assigned to me that taught me so much and again they never seemed to mind my constant list of questions. If you are interested in doing any kind of course or just want to do some fun diving, I can't recommend big blue enough!
Great experience, 100% recommended
| Overall rating: | 4.7 | |
| Do you agree in general with the rating proposed by this web site?: | 4.0 | |
| Overall Quality: | 5.0 | |
| Punctuality: | 5.0 | |
| Equipment Condition: | 4.0 | |
| Staff Professionalism: | 5.0 | |
| Safety Equipment : | 5.0 | |
| Quality of air (purity): | 4.0 | |
| Quality of Services: | 5.0 | |
| Value for Money / Price Range: | 5.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Just did my SSI open water there, I had a great, professional, totally safe and EXTRA SUPER FUN experience. The instructors are great, the groups very small so best teaching for everyone (2 teachers and 1 assistant for 6 persons, who beats that?).
+ the bar, restaurant and facilites are very good as well.
+ cheap beer!
100% recommended.
my first love!
| Overall rating: | 4.9 | |
| Do you agree in general with the rating proposed by this web site?: | 5.0 | |
| Overall Quality: | 5.0 | |
| Punctuality: | 4.0 | |
| Equipment Condition: | 5.0 | |
| Staff Professionalism: | 5.0 | |
| Safety Equipment : | 5.0 | |
| Quality of air (purity): | 5.0 | |
| Quality of Services: | 5.0 | |
| Value for Money / Price Range: | 5.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I ended up here years ago by accident and did my open water and have been back regularly ever since. The staff may change but their love of diving and commitment to customer service remains constant. If you keep returning you are treated like an old friend and can often get some great returning customer prices.
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