Hello Wicked Family and Friends!

Good Morning, Afternoon, or Good Evening to you, yes, YOU!

My name is Christa, and I am the Environmental Project Manager, and Dive Instructor with Wicked Diving, reporting live from Khao Lak, Thailand. What an absolute pleasure it is to be writing to You today, as I have some exciting, and important information to share with You. With just 5 days before the Similan National park opening, the staff here at Wicked has been busy with plenty of planning, preparation, and training so that when you arrive, We are ready for You!!!


We are a diverse mix of dive professionals, coming from different nationalities, walks of life, and back round history. We have an undeniable passion for diving, put strong emphasis on guest satisfaction, safety, and all enjoy having a great time. Our training here has made us all feel welcome, comfortable and knowledgeable about what we represent as a company, and individually.


We have spent time in the office, getting to know the inner workings of how things are effectively run day to day, and what goes on behind the scenes. Becoming experts on all of the paperwork, courses, trips, and expeditions that we offer so that we are not “just” your friendly and knowledgeable dive team, We are also able to answer all of your important questions, including which are the best restaurants, and which bar has the best happy hour!  Ensuring that all of Our dive skills, equipment, and standards are up to par, we even spent an afternoon splashing around in a pool! There was plenty of underwater fun and laughs had by all.


Yesterday, We went to visit Khao Sok Lake! It was a thoroughly enjoyable day that included a visit with some monkeys, breath taking scenery, including seeing a wild elephant! Hearing the gibbon monkeys call out to each other, a delicious lunch at the bungalows, and of course DIVING! We had a really cool  and spooky dive at Catfish Cave, the water was warm, the visibility was decent, and the catfish came out to play! ( One even chased one of the Instructors!) What a stunning part of the world this truly is. These trips are going to be awesome this season! Come play)
There are also many other things to do at the Lake, such as kayaking, trekking, and caving but unfortunately there just isn’t enough time in one day!


We are going out for another staff dive trip in a couple of days, where we will visit the local wrecks, monitor the artificial reef projects from previous years, and of course, allow us more time to get to know  each other and form a Wicked bond before the season starts.\




I will be very busy in the next few days, ensuring that all of our eco projects are well organized and on track for this upcoming season. Here at Wicked, Diving to make a difference is what we are all about. We want to ensure that all of our guests, staff, and everyone that we cross paths with, are educated and well informed about what it is that we can do individually and collectively, to make a positive change in our environment. I will be keeping you all updated in the very near future as to what is going on, and how your 2% can go a long way.


Over and out for now, Watch this space! Christa :)
-Wicked Diving, Khao Lak

Wicked Diving - Suomi!

Wicked Diving on intohimoisten sukeltajien sukelluskeskus Khao Lakissa, Thaimaassa. Tarjoamme asiakkaillemme koko Thaimaan ympäristöystävällisimmät sukellusretket ja -kurssit. Meiltä löydät 3 ja 5 päivän sukellussafarit maailmankuuluille Similan-saarille ja Richelieu Rockille, sukelluskurssit sekä aloittelijoille että ammattilaisille, päiväretket ja snorklausretket toiveittesi mukaan. Meri ja ympäristö ovat meille erityisen tärkeitä ja siksi panostamme kaikilla mahdollisilla tavoilla niiden suojeluun. Käytämme kaikissa aluksissamme biopolttoainetta, saippuamme ovat biohajoavia, tarjoilemamme ruoka on paikallisesti ja eettisesti tuotettua ja lahjoitamme enemmän rahaa paikallisille hyväntekeväisyysjärjestöille kuin mikään muu sukelluskeskus Khao Lakissa. Panostamme myös tosissamme sukellusturvallisuuteen. Wicked Divingin molemmat perustajat ovat Dive Medic- statuksen omaavia sukeltajia ja pitävät huolen siitä, että jokainen retki on suunniteltu huolellisesti sinun turvallisuutesi varmistamiseksi. Tarjoamme kaikki nämä puitteet unohtamatta kuitenkaan sitä, että sukeltamisen tulee ennen kaikkea olla hauskaa! Energiset työntekijämme varmistavat sinulle unohtumattoman ja parhaan mahdollisen sukelluskokemuksen jokaisella retkellämme.

3 päivän ja 5 päivän liveaboard sukellussafarit Similan-saarille ja ulommas

Wicked Divingilla on kaksi omaa liveaboard alusta. Jos aikasi on rajoitettu tai haluaisit oppia sukeltamaan asuessasi aluksella, 3 päivän sukellussafari on silloin sopiva valinta. Jos taas kaipaat enemmän seikkailua ja haluat kokea aitoa purjehtimisen jännitystä, tule mukaan 5 päivän sukellussafarille käsityönä valmistetulla purjeveneellämme. Ryhmäkokomme kaikilla liveaboard sukellussafareilla on maksimissaan 12 henkilöä, joten aluksilla on hyvin tilaa ja henkilökunnalla aikaa palvella sinua henkilökohtaisesti.

Päiväretket

Similan-saaret ovat luokiteltu maailman parhaiden sukelluskohteiden joukkoon. Saaret ovat uskomattoman kaunis ja jännittävä sukelluskohde, joka on mahdollista kokea myös päiväretkillä, joilta palataan aina yöksi Khao Lakin resorttien tarjoamaan ylellisyyteen. Jos haluat kohdata valashain, joka on tuttu vieras maailmankuululla Richelieu Rockilla, nähdä kilpikonnan Similan-saarilla tai sukeltaa paikallisilla hylyillä, me järjestämme retken juuri sinun toiveittesi mukaisesti. Ystävät, tuttavat ja perheenjäsenet, jotka eivät sukella, voivat osallistua retkille ja viettää päivän merellä, nauttia auringosta, uida, snorklata ja nähdä vilaus vedenalaisesta maailmasta.

Snorklausretket

Monet matkailijat ovat varmasti kuulleet Similan-saarista, mutta vain harvat tietävät, että lähistöllä sijaitsevilta Surinin saarilta löytyvät Thaimaan parhaat snorklauskohteet. Retkillämme pääset viettämään yön näillä eksoottisilla ja ainutlaatuisilla saarilla. Oman oppaan ja oman veneen ansiosta pääset vierailemaan koskemattomille riutoille ja autioille rannoille. Tämä retki sopii koko perheelle!

Sukelluskurssit

Opi sukeltamaan tai kehitä sukellustaitojasi Wickedin kannustavan ja energisen kouluttajatiimin johdolla. Kursseillamme on aina maksimissaan neljä oppilasta yhtä kouluttajaa kohti ja sukelluksilla sinulla on hyvä mahdollisuus tavata mitä upeampia meren asukkeja kuten paholaisrauskuja, kilpikonnia, barracudia ja paljon muuta. Kurssivalikoimasta löydät kurssit alkeiskursseista ammattilaiskursseihin.

Wicked Divingille vastuuntuntoinen turismi on sydämen asia. Lahjoitamme 10% tuotostamme paikallisille hyväntekeväisyysorganisaatioille ja järjestämme tapahtumia ja koulutusta paikallisen yhteisön elämänlaadun parantamiseksi ja ekosysteemin säilyttämiseksi. Monien muiden ympäristöystävällisten tuotteittemme lisäksi, aluksemme ovat kaikki paikallisena käsityönä valmistettu ympäristöä kuormittamatta. Kun siis sukellat meidän kansamme, voit todella vaikuttaa ympäristöön ja sen suojeluun!

Wicked Divingin perustivat ja omistavat kaksi dive medic- statuksen omaavaa sukelluksen ammattilaista. Siksi meillä turvallisuus tulee aina ensin. Kaikki aluksemme ovat varustettu laitteilla, jotka yleensä löytyvät vain kalleimmista aluksista. Aluksillamme on käytössä satelliittipuhelin, tutka, GPS-paikannin ja pelastulauttoja sinun turvallisuutesi varmistamiseksi . Turvallisuus on ainoastaan yksi osa-alue, jonka takia Wicked Diving on paljon muutakin kuin vain sukelluskeskus.

Wicked Divingin kursseilla ja retkillä on halutessasi mahdollisuus myös suomenkieliseen kouluttajaan tai oppaaseen. Jos haluat lisätietoa retkistämme tai kursseistamme tai sinulla on mitä tahansa muuta kysyttävää ota rohkeasti yhteyttä suomeksi: suomi@wickeddiving.com. Autamme sinua mielellämme!

-Similan Islands Diving

Wicked Diving - Shop updates..

Our first official Similans trip of the season is off just a day ago. This is actually our second scheduled trip, but due to weather concerns we had to cancel the first one. As we felt the safety and comfort of our guests would be affected - we decided to not run that trip. Weather cancellations for the Similans are quite rare, in fact we didn't have any trips canceled all last season. But the weather was rough enough for the Similan Park officials to close the entire park - something else that never happened last year. In the end, it was perfect weather to go to Khao Sok for an overnight lake and cave diving trip. Almost all of our guests decided to on that trip and they all came back super happy. So fingers crossed for no more bad weather this season, but if it comes now we know we've got a great alternative!

Our shop is getting a makeover! Last year we added a fountain, pond and a longtail boat in our front yard. The boat was quite a popular place for tourists to take photos in front of. However our landlord took it all away while we were closed for the off-season, so now we're re-makeovering. (Is that a word?) Will look very nice when its all done. Photos of the finished product should be ready soon.

-Similan Islands Diving

Wicked Diving - Staff training trip....

The first trip of the season!

At last, low season’s over, and the high season’s up and running with the first trip out on the Parinee! We headed out for a 2 day 1 night trip, to check everything’s in tip-top order for the start of the season and to get all the staff, new and old, together for an ice-breaker of a trip!

Captain Kaew’s back, and our boat boy Nuk, with a new engineer Toon, and new cooks P’Nui and P’Ooo and together hey kept the Parinee in ship-shape condition for us all.

Ricky, Tuk, Diego guided us all through everything on the boat, so everyone could get up to speed on how things run. Being back on the boat was brilliant, firecrackers were set off too bring luck to the voyage, and then it was time for lunch on the way out - thumbs up from everyone for the food, very delicious. And the cookies Sara sent along from the Wicked Café were literally inhaled, so we have it on good authority that they’ll be much welcomed on future trips!

Rick, Fanette, K, Sam, Amanda, Charlotte, Simon, Gae, Roland, Suzanne & JP were the members of staff on the trip, so we all crowded upstairs for Diego to give us the first dive briefing. Unfortunately we hadn’t decided yet which divesite to go, so Diego had to give us 4 briefings so we’d end up with the right one!

Our new Dive Con Trainees (DCTs) Maria, Scott, Joa and Mads also came along for the ride, to experience liveaboarding Wicked-style, and to see a few of the local divesites before they go out for a Similan liveaboard.

Because of the length of the trip we didn’t travel too far, choosing to head to our favourite local divesites, starting off with the Premchai wreck. It’s not a deep wreck, so we had a nice long dive, plenty to see with schools of fish all over the wreck. Next up, a muckdive off Tap Lamu, one of our favourites! Loads of weird and wonderful fish all over the place, a definite must-see for macro lovers!

Moored up in the scenic Tap Lamu harbour, it was time for a chill out evening on the boat, and also time to test out the traditional Wicked games on the new staff – bring on Werewolf!

After a quick explanation, everyone quickly got the hang of the game – and with confessions and defences from innocent people, witches and secret lovers, the game only got funnier as time went on. We even managed to draw the first game, with the werewolves and the villagers all disappearing together!

If none of that last paragraph made sense – come join us on a Similan Islands Liveaboard, and learn how to play Werewolf in between some spectacular dives! (If it did make sense and you’re desperate to reprise your role as a villager, you know where to find us!)

Second day we did 2 dives on the Boonsung Wreck. Another Khao Lak local dive site, and a fab one at that. Scorpionfish, shrimps, nudibranchs and moray eels galore make the wreck their home. The lucky DCTs spent some of their dive with a huge leopard shark, lucky things, and eagle-eyed Tuk was the first to spot a stonefish, so we all owe him a beer!

Stormy weather ahead of us as we went back to Khao Lak, made for some gorgeous rainbows along the horizon, and it was back to Tap Lamu pier to unload & wish the journey had been longer!

All in all – a very successful trip! Staff have bonded, divesites been declared awesome, boat’s running smoothly - here’s to the start of a wickedly brilliant season!

-Similan Islands Diving

Feedback on one of Wicked Diving's Instructors...

We got this mail that was intended for our Marcel...but he aws kind enough to let us publish it...

Hey Marcel,

its been a few years...
I was one of your students to get my OWD, followed by an one-to-one AOW (because I refused to take any other dive master ;))
Thailand was the start of my 3 1/2 year trip around the world which is unfortunately over by now and I had to return back to Germany.
Going through my memories I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to a few people who inspired me the most!

Before I got my dive certificate I was afraid of the ocean and I was not even able to go for a short swim.
But I was always keen on getting my dive license to get close to my favourite animals, the sharks, and to explore the world under water. Never thought I would be able to but because of a brilliant dive master I was not just managing to get my OWD but also did my AOW straight after. You showed me a whole new world and I cant say thank you enough!!!!

I thought you might be interested to see what has happened to some of your students after you released them into freedom and it will give you the motivation to keep on doing what you are doing! You are a great teacher and every student can be lucky to get you!

I met so many dive masters, guides and dive schools around the world but some of them have got a real bad attitude towards nature which was shocking to me! Touching sharks, stepping on corals- just to mention a few bad things. So I am thankful that I had a great teacher who taught me his five famous words, which I haven’t forgotten until today: “Never ever touch the corals” :)

When I started the course I was not even able to breath through my regulator (and was able to bore the whole group with that ;)) because I was so full of fear but 3 years later I dived all over Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. I even realised my dream to dive with all sorts of sharks, including tiger and bull sharks...without a cage of course ;)!

So thanks again for being so patient with me that I am able to do all these things today and call myself a passionate diver!

It seems like you are working for a great company right now and I am keen to come over to do one of your famous liveaboard trips...so you never know, I might have the chance to say thank you to you in person one day.

But so far, all the best and a happy season in Khao Lak,

Sarah



Wow! Great Feedback...




-Similan Islands Diving

Meet the Team - Wicked Diving Staff 2010

James "Rick" Rickert


Rick is joining us this season. He has several years of experience diving the Similans and after managing a different dive shop - he's now looking forward to diving and teaching most of the time!

We also need to congratulate him - as he has just proposed to Fanette (also joining us at Wicked this season)! After the last couple season with new children, one marriage and now an engagement Wicked seems like a haven for

QUALIFICATIONS:

none ;)

Where are you from?
Hawaii, USA

What languages do you speak?
English, American, Australiol, Canadish, New Zealandiq.

How long have you been diving?
Since the millennium - certified 2nd of Jan 00. Was hungover on the 1st.

What got you started?

I had no interest in diving, my friends were doing their Open Water course while we were on vacation and I didn't want to be bored while they were in class. I fell in love with it and I've been diving hardcore since then and not a single one of my friends has been back in the water once. Lazy bums.

Why the Similan Islands and Khao Lak? What brought you here?
I love Thailand (been here 6 years now) and the Similans is the BEST diving in the country, so where else would I be?

Other interests, activities, hobbies or addictions?
I'm addicted to anything with wheels and an engine. I have a hard time saying no to just about any dare. I forget to turn off the bathroom light 17 times or more per day. I brag abouit my serious exercise regimen which I stick to faithfully for about 4 or 5 weeks of the year. And I refuse to spend more than $3 on a pair of sunglasses because I'm going to lose them next week. If that's not enough, learn more about me than anyone could possibly want to know at www.travelhead.com.

If you want to read more about Rick....check out his bio on our Team Wicked pages...



-Similan Islands Diving

Meet Laura!

Laura is new to the Wicked team - though she has dived with us, just for fun, several times over the past year. She loved it so much, that she asked to join Wicked.

We were surprised - as we had been wondering where could we find a divemaster that has experience, works really hard, has a great laugh and full of positive energy all the time. It has worked out great so far!



A bit more about Laura:

Where are you from?
For my sins Northern Ireland, but lived in Scotland for 10 years before I decided to pack it all in and head to the land of smiles!

What languages do you speak?
Em, English. Would love to know more though so am learning Thai and Spanish.

How long and where have you been diving?
I've been diving for 12 years. My parents bought me the open water course when I was on holiday in Cyprus - thanks guys!!!

What got you started in diving?
My dad was a diver and always had cool stories to tell. Mainly diving wrecks off the coast of Ireland and stealing scrap metal to sell! Well it was Ireland in the 70s...

Why the Similan Islands and Khao Lak? What brought you here?
After being in Oz for a year, I missed diving A LOT and wanted the liveaboard experience. Together with my love of Thailand, the Similan Islands were the obvious choice.

Favourite Fish / Marine life?
Juvenile box fish - I love that they look like spaceships!


Keep an eye for our other new team members too!


-Similan Diving

Meet the team...Therese

Therese is joining us from Sweden....much more on her and her likes can be found on our new Team wicked pages.

Therese brings plenty of experience and friendliness to the shop and the boat.


-Similan Diving

Similan Liveabaord - Meet the staff

Ricky McKendry!

Here's Ricky, Tour leader, Irishman and all around great guy. He is a passionate diver and lots of fun. He takes his diving and safety seriously (why we love him) and he's got a great outlook when conducting courses!

Here he is doing his dive briefing - and his "sign" for Guitar sharks :)

(He then saw a huge adult and a juvenile on the the dive....so maybe you should follow him if you want to see them?)

Whether you see Ricky in the shop or on the liveaboard - say "hello"


-Similan Diving

Meet Karina

Karina has been working for Wicked for a a few trips now and needs to be introduced to you - the whole family!

Karina brings a background in Marine Biology as well as a very friendly personality to our team.

As always we did a brief interview with her so you can get to know here a bit better:

Where are you from?

From a beautiful planet called Earth, I came as a baby born in Brasil and when I was 8 moved to Portugal.

What languages do you speak?

Portuguese, Spanish, English, I know fish names in french, about 10 minutes of conversation in Bahasa Indonesia, and I'm ready to get started on Thai.. :)

How long and where have you been diving?

Been diving for 10 years!! Portugal, Azores islands, Greece, Thailand and Indonesia.

What got you started in diving?

My friends at 1st year of university since we were all studying marine biology!

Why the Similan Islands and Khao Lak? What brought you here?

The Similans because the diving is beautiful, Thailand is a great place to live, and Khao Lak because there is a dive shop there that is pretty Wicked ;)

Favorite Fish / Marine life?
I love cuttle fish


We will also be introducing Therese and giving insight into her character as well! Keep an eye out for that!


Similan Diving


Similan Liveaboard

Saving the Similan Islands

Just wanted to give everyone a bit of an update on our various projects...

We are also launching a Whale Shark Research trip in February. This is in association with Golden Buddha Resort on Koh Phra Thong and Ecocean.

And to boast a bit - We got rid of all our regular soaps, shampoos and detergents on the boat - so it's all organic, biodegradable products. The Towels are organic,unbleached cotten and the Sheets (when they arrive?!) will be too.

Switched all the torches to LED and rechargeable batteries to save not only the amount of batteries used but also the amount of times we have to charge the batteries. More of the good fight. Got rid of the water bottles in the shop and we now have a water cooler for less waste. In addition we are using "lunch boxes" for all our daytrips to prevent styrofoam waste.

The boat is using a biofuel mixture as is the truck.

In addition to this we are still strictly enforcing our no impact dive ethos. We discourage anything being tossed over the side of the boat (organic or not). During our dives we are running a no touching policy and we emphasize buoyancy control as the main way to avoid contact. Our food waste comes back to land - not in the ocean. We have a videographer on the boat to make souvenir DVD's, so that our guests need not rent cameras (a very common way to find out how painful that coral can be is pay attention to the pictures and not your buoyancy!).

And of course we still donate 10% of our profits to local organizations that improve the life of those around us. We will have more details on this years project shortly.

While we still have more we can improve - at least we are! Please look forward to more updates shortly!

Meet the Wicked team - Part 3 - Filip

This year brings a few new people to the Wicked Diving Team. We'd like to introduce you to Filip Vandevyvere. He is our boatmaster and is one of the foundation stones that keep this house upright!
We were quite nervous about Filip joining the team as he has done thousands of dives and never once seen a Whale Shark. In fact - no matter how it worked out, even if he leapt in the water with a Whale Shark right off the boat - it would swim away. He just had that bad Whale Shark Karma.

This year - his luck has changed! Filip is now part of our Whale shark Club.

But here is more information about him....

Certifications...

PADI master scuba diver trainer
SSI Dive Control Specialist Instructor and Gas Blender

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Belgium

WHAT LANGUAGES DO YOU SPEAK?
Dutch (Flemish), English, French, German, Spanish, and basic Greek and Thai

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DIVING?
Since 2000…so 8 years

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?
After having done a lot of trekking in jungles, mountain hiking, etc it got time for something beach related. I was just wandering in the unlikely event I may have gotten married and the lady was a beach lover, I needed something more active to do than lying on the beach (apart from frequenting the cocktail bars), and the diving got me caught!

WHERE DID YOU DO YOUR OPEN WATER? WHO WAS YOUR INSTRUCTOR?
Nosy Be, Madagascar (Swiss Instructor named Philippe something…)

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DIVESITE IN THE SIMILIANS and WHY?
Koh Tachai - Just love it when a current pops up out of the blue on the plateau and I can perform my favorite diving technique: The Procession of Echternach - 2 steps forward - 1 step back.

FAVORITE FISH ?
Frogfish - they're just too lazy to move

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU CRASHED YOUR MOTORBIKE? …(one of the realities of life in Thailand…)
Once in Khao Lak, never on Koh Tao (I must hold a record there). Wisdom -luckily there ain't no reindeer crossings in Thailand, be aware of massive elephant poop though (either slippery or rock solid)

FAVORITE MUSIC AT THE MOMENT?
Anything from Linkin Park towards Death Metal

FAVORITE FOOD?
Mussels and (Belgian) fries

ITEM OR EQUIPMENT YOU MUST HAVE ON EVERY DIVE? LUCKY CHARM MAYBE?
Knife

OTHER INTERESTS, ACTIVITIES, HOBBIES, or ADDICTIONS?
Cycling addict - love a good Belgian beer (or two)

Klaus

Klaus is our Boat master and one of the best divers around.

He has worked in the industry for years and has certified hundreds of divers. With experience in factory schools on Koh Tao and in the gourmet diving of the Similans he brings a wealth of knowledge to each trip.

His several years working as a Videographer in the region has not only given him insight into each dive site, but also a keen eye for the little stuff.

He hates to sit still and will run around the boat making sure everything is safe, that guests are happy and things are clean.










He is also a complete ham for the camera!











As a certified SSI Instructor he can conduct courses at all skill levels. He is also certified PADI Instructor.












He is patient, experienced and kind. He is also great fun and has endless stories about his experiences and should have you on the floor with tales of how much he loves Italy after the last world cup!



Khao Lak Diving

The cast and crew of Netnawee - The finest overnight boat in the Similan Islands

We'd like to introduce you to the cast and crew of the boat. We have many guests stars appearing every week, so stay tuned.

The Boat master, Head instructor and all around nice guy - Klaus runs the show. The boat very much reflects his personality with and eye to details, concern for safety and heaps of fun.

While he plays up for the camera you'll find that he is attentive to all the details and will probably help you into the water, out of the water lead your dives, change your gear, fill your tanks and even massage your ego. If we were able to tap into his energy source, we'd be powering most of Thailand.

Klaus is originally from Bavaria, not Germany. Primary language is English, though he seems to understand American well enough.













Also on the boat is the Italian Stallion, David. He is a solid diver and often wears his hat while diving. He speaks Italian and wears speedo's.













Ip, the most amazing engineer in the world, loves to race Klaus around the boat to see who can work harder. He also seems to sense when there is a camera and hits a pose everytime.

While not fluent in English, he does understand and he knows heaps about diving and gear so don't be afraid to ask!













Of course the boat won't go anywhere without a captain! Nout is very attentive to safety, watching very carefully the camera on the dive deck and watching for divers underwater. We've come to trust him and even though he is quiet - he is hilarious. All around solid guy.


The Cook, well, let's just say you'll never go hungry. When on the boat you won't see Pa too much, she's always working. If you pop your head down in the kitchen - this is what you're most likely to see.









Hey - there's Ip again! In addition to filling tanks, driving the dinghy, helping people into and out of the water, maintaining the boat - he will also help in the kitchen when there is a moment.
As the cook works so hard, we have made it a tradition on the boat for all staff to help serve meals and with the cleaning!











Jop is our snorkeling guide, political liason, all around eager beaver and great guide. He will spin around like a little toy if there is nothing to do. The amount of energy on this boat is amazing!

Often guest starring on the trips......


Marcel, the "Greatest Instructor in the Universe" is on many of the trips and is just dynamite.











Double dork madness with me! Always looking good in rubber....














Khao Lak Diving

Welcome our newest staff member....

With a huge hug, we welcome Marcel Bruijs to our staff!


Marcel is one of the friendliest guys you'll ever meet, with a great deal of charm, plenty of smiles and an incredible amount of patience.


He is also one of the very best instructors we have ever worked with, so it is a great honor for us to have him on our team. We look forward to learning even more from his warm and funny teaching style.


In addition to his PADI and SSI qualifications he brings DSAT Tech diving certifications. So keep an eye out for those developments in the future!

We will now be offering courses in English, Swedish, Dutch, American, German and Thai. In addition to our strong offerings of Liveaboards and daytrips, we will now be establishing our selves as Khao Lak's premier education centers.


So with no further hollering....here's Marcel...

Feeling better

After a few days laid up with a fever-bad stomach-flu sort of things I am feeling much better.

As you can see here.

It was cold out.


I caught up on a couple series of TV shows that we download and I could now rant and rave about the horrors of American crappy TV with the wisdom of one who has recent experience with such shameful rubbish.

About Us - Our House

These are a couple of pictures of our house.
Yes the whole thing is Pink! I am embarrassed to bring the boys over, but it seems to make Karin Happy.
The design is nice in that the bedroom and living room are North, so they don't get any sun and stay cool most of the day.
I also feel safe with the balcony, so if I need to set up a sniper's nest I can...;)

We are also surrounded by a large rubber plantation. so there is plenty of room for the doggie and Kitty to romp around in. It keeps us fairly quiet.

We rent, but would like to own one day. I reckon we'd like to build our own place, and maybe not so pink!


This is the view out the kitchen door. That's a banana tree and then just one long rows of rubber trees. It always reminds me that we are living in the tropics....That and the heat. And the Frogs in the Bathroom. And the weird bugs in the bathroom.


More later.....

Wicked Diving
Wicked Dykning - (swedish!)
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Keith's gone...

Well here's keith last night...I broke out the spectacualr wine...man was this good. I'm glad we waited 8 months to open it. it was worth it.

There was nothing there, so that white light is kind of weird. But the wine demtioa was real....


As was Aom's laughter. Keith can be charming...so he won her heart...


After tomorrow it will only be the pets and myself left here!

Khao Lak Weather May 1st 2007

Well, it seems to be the end of the sun. Just heaps of rain. But it's still warm. Very warm...33 (93) and the rain is still welcome. Of course the mold that started growing on the outside of the Fridge is a bit annoying. Or the fact that our street sign started growing a plant. But at least it's green.

Funny thing is the diving around Khao Lak is still really sweet. If we can just keep diving, then things are fine. The Similans are doing even better.


We'd also like to introduce the newest member of our family - Aom. She is our new shopstress. WIth a real inclination towards neatness and order, She will find herself busy around me and Karin.

We are also signing papers on our new shop in a day or two. So we'll have a big new shop with plenty of space outside for hanging out, talking diving crap and of course cold beers after diving! It's pretty busy time for us!

Yet, without so many visitors we tend towards the smaller tasks to keep busy. Like web design

Or you taking scooter lessons from the dog.

Ba-Ruce is a Thai dog, so he learned to drive a scooter at a very young age. We are currently working on "go fetch me a six pack of beer, get the laundry and pick up a paper". He's a bit slow on that skill, but man once he's on the scooter, he's a real terror to the cats!

We are still open, and chugging along.

www.wickeddiving.com
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