When I heard about 8 Mile, one of the best spots for diving Koh Lipe, where whale sharks regularly make an appearance, I knew I had to go. The requirement: be an advanced diver. My successful experience with the dive course PADI Open Water had already sparked my curiosity to learn more, so I decided to stay longer on this paradise island and take the dive course PADI Advanced Open Water with Satun Dive. The course included two mandatory dives: a deep dive and a navigational dive. The deep dive was surreal. Before I knew it, we had reached 28 meters, feeling nothing of the gas narcosis people can start to experience at this depth. I was just enjoying the wonderful corals and sealife of Stonehenge. The navigational dive, however, was far more challenging. I had to rely on natural underwater “landmarks” to find my way back, but everything looked so different from the opposite direction. Often, I couldn’t even see the next landmark from the one where I was at. It made me realize just how important diving with a good guide from Satun Dive is.
For the three additional adventure dives. The first, Peak Performance Buoyancy was humbling. Learning to hover effortlessly in the water, using only my lungs to control my buoyancy and perfect balance, is harder than it looks. A skill that I’ll continue to work on. The Rescue Dive was intense but also rewarding. My instructor acted out a panicked diver scenario very realistic and I calmed him, helped him regain control, and provided oxygen when he ran out. It gave me a real appreciation for safety and preparedness underwater.
The final dive, Wreck Diving, didn’t go as planned. The buoy marker for the wreck had been removed, and we couldn’t locate it. Instead, we turned the dive into a playful exploration. Using the weightlessness of neutral buoyancy, we performed underwater acrobatics.
By the end of the course, Satun Dive had taught me so much that I can proudly call myself a certified Adventure Diver. With my advanced certification, a whole new world of adventure travel adventures is now open to DS Adventure Travels.
If you want to dive in presence of a whaleshark. Come learn diving Koh Lipe with Satun Dive!