25th - 26th April: Open Water Course

Friday, 25th April 2008
Dive 58:Bay 2 Staghorn Reef, Racha Yai Island
Max Depth: 15.2m ; Bottom time: 44 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m

Dive 59:Bay 1, Racha Yai Island
Max Depth: 8.5m ; Bottom time: 54 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20-30m
Comment: A bit windy today thus creating some swells on the east coast of Racha. The dives though are till fantastic. Ed, Maria & Courtney were all under weighted in the first dive, thus took a while to sort out before we finally descent and start the dive. Second dive was mostly skills demonstration, though I did spot a short-nose bent stick pipefish at the end of the dive.

Saturday, 26th April 2008
Dive 60:Bay 2, Racha Yai Island
Max Depth: 18m ; Bottom time: 46 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 30m

Dive 61:Bay 1 Home Run, Racha Yai Island
Max Depth: 22.2m ; Bottom time: 50 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 30m
Comment: Spectacular weather today, sunny skies & a little cool breeze. The OW students, Ed, Kanade & Courtney, started to get this divin' thingy :-) superb buoyancy control, and the condition was excellent for their adventure to their deepest depth of the course, 18m. I went with Maria to find the eluded Ornate ghost pipefish down near the wreck in Bay 1. We were rewarded with a good 10 minutes alone with this beautiful creature. See the photo album for the course below (click on the image):

Openwater Course, 25-26 April