A week through the eyes of a Scuba diving photographer!

After a hiatus, we are going to resume the weekly dive reports here at Master Divers. We’d really like to share with you some of the amazing marine life that we get to see on a daily basis diving on Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand and what goes on underwater through the eyes of a professional photographer; namely me, Rob Kelly. We’re even showcasing video’s so you don’t miss out on anything! Watch out for the first installment next week which details what to expect when diving in Koh Tao, Koh Tao’s dive site conditions and the marine life we see. For now here’s a little something about me and what I’ve experienced this week as Master Divers photographer.

First of all, a little bit about me: I’m a PADI specialty instructor, I first dived 25 years ago on the Great Barrier Reef. Since then I’ve dived in tropical and very cold water and most things in between. I’m trained on the open circuit scuba systems that the vast majority of our divers use and also the Hollis Explorer semi-closed rebreather. In short, I’m a diver with fairly broad experience and I have specifically chosen Master Divers as my home.

This week, we have experienced some lovely conditions at the various dive sites we have visited. One thing to note about us is that we have 2 boats, meaning that we are able to cater to both experienced divers and anyone who is seeking a first experience and training for the underwater world. With up to 5 trips a day with each boat, the variety of sites we are able to offer is fairly extensive, and the office team are always happy to try to accommodate requests. I had the pleasure of shooting PADI Open Water courses, with 2 of our full time instructors; Jason, a PADI Master Instructor, and Rafa, a PADI Staff Instructor. What I noticed is how these professionals made excellent judgement calls on what we in diving call ‘close control’- When you are learning with us, your dive professional is at all times there for your safety and comfort.

The 2 shots I’m referring to involve the mask removal skill. Jason was working with a student who clearly had a high level of comfort with this skill, he still maintains physical contact and therefore control and his choice was entirely appropriate for that situation. Rafa had a customer wearing contact lenses, slightly less comfortable with this skill; his position is closer and in addition to holding the BC D, also holds his fingers in front the student’s regulator. This is textbook control.

Among the beautiful marine life we saw were a very relaxed Star Puffer Fish, a lovely Banded Sea Krait, the gorgeous Nudibranch ((Risbecia Trioni) and a Flatworm that I’ve not yet managed to identify.

All of the shots of divers and marine life are by me Rob Kelly @ Ocean Secrets Underwater Photography. If  you’d like to look at this cool underwater world, I can certainly help. See you next week!