What is technical diving? A short answer would be; To be trained and equipped properly to be able to go deeper and stay longer than the recreational limits allow, at minimized risk. For this we need to learn to plan dives with other gases than air, utilize decompression diving and learn more about physiology and equipment configuration than what is required for "normal" scuba diving. Some of the entry level Nitrox courses are quite straight forward, done in short time and also very rewarding for the average sports diver. The higher levels like closed circuit rebreather, trimix and advanced wreck courses are more demanding and only intended for the serious diver who is willing to devote the time, responsibility and money that is required to learn how to explore the deeper and less known realm of the oceans safely. These courses are conducted with manuals, guidelines and certification from PSAI or TDI.

With the exception of the rebreather courses and the Enriched Air Diver course, the following courses do not include equipment rental. At these levels you are expected to have your own equipment. We carry a good selection of wings, harnesses, backplates, line reels, SMB's, liftbags, slates, dive computers and regulators. If you need to purchase specific items, please inquire for pricing and availability.

The SDI / TDI and PSA prices include course manuals and boat dives with lunch. We recommend you prebook your courses so you don't have to wait for an available instructor . The calm waters of Koh Samui in Thailand offer perfect training conditions for rebreather and technical diving. You will be able to enjoy diving with Grey Reef Sharks and Bull Sharks at 45 meters off Chumphon Pinnacles and explore the wreck of the M.V. Unicorn at 50 meters. We also offer live aboard trips to some newly discovered WWII wrecks lying in 45 - 70 meters and can incorporate you training dives on such a safari on request.

The PADI Enriched Air Diver specialty course is something to consider when you want to be able to extend your bottom time beyond what is possible with air. This 2 day course takes you through the theory and practice of calculating no decompression times and oxygen exposure limits with nitrox mixtures between 22-40% oxygen content. After the academic section it is time to get the full benefit and enjoy 2 open water dives with longer bottom time than what you thought was possible! This course also marks your entry into the realm of technical diving and a prerequisite for enrolling in a rebreather course.

Prerequisites: PADI Advanced Open Water Certification or equivalent, or Open Water + 10 logged dives.

This is the course you will want to take if you would like to learn the proper procedures of oxygen cleaning equipment and the various methods mixing Nitrox and Trimix. Regardless if you are looking to set up your own blending station or to be working as a full time gas blender in a dive center, this is the course for you. Did you know that the demand for gas blenders at the moment is exceeding the supply? Are you a dive master or instructor looking for that little extra that will get you the job you want? This might be that edge you have been looking for. Even though Nitrox is pretty much a house hold name among divers nowadays, many operators are hesitating to get into Nitrox and Tech diving simply because they don't know enough about it AND how to produce the gases required. This is where you come in!

Prerequisites: 18 years of age and PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Diver certification or equivalent.

Did you ever think about how many photographers, videographers and instructors in one way or the other dive alone? In one sense they dive SOLO because they have to be prepared to help themselves as they many times can not rely on their students, assistants or models. This course covers these professionals' techniques as far as preparation, planning and equipment readiness, as an alternative to blindly rely on your buddy for assistance. Still it is a better option to dive in pairs, but rather using your buddy as a back up in the event your own redundancy fails. This 2 day course contains academics, equipment workshop and two dives. The Solo Diver Course is the first to teach you to think like a technical diver even if you still stay within the recreational limits.

Prerequisites: 18 years of age, advanced diver certification and 100 logged dives.

TDI Basic Nitrox is a low cost alternative for the recreational diver with a tight schedule. Even though recommended, actual dives are not required, as there are no dive skill requirements. The academic portion entails oxygen tracking, equipment considerations, dive planning and the use of oxygen analyzers. Course duration is 1 day without dives and 2 days with 2 dives.

Prerequisites: 15 years of age and Open Water Diver certification.

This course is a low cost alternative for the recreational diver with a tight schedule. Even though recommended, actual dives are not required, as there are no dive skill requirements. The academic portion entails oxygen tracking, equipment considerations, dive planning and the use of oxygen analyzers. Course duration is 1 day without dives and 2 days with 2 dives.

Prerequisites: 15 years of age and Open Water Diver certification.

Most divers who learn "flying" our Draeger Dolphins agree rebreather diving totally changes their perception of diving! The benefits are overwhelming; near silent operation takes you a lot closer to the marine life, lower gas consumption with smaller tanks gives you longer bottom time at reduced weight and bulk, you breathe warm, moist gas, -no more dry throat! And yes, it looks really cool too! Apart from the ordinary course contents of academics, pool training and 3 open water dives we add our own bonus section of history, technical aspects and the use of rebreather computers, just because we love rebreathers!

Prerequisites: Nitrox Diver or equivalent.

So, What's the deal with this one then? Simply put; The Draeger Ray is a simplified version of the Draeger Dolphin. It is extremely fast and easy to put together and operate. Fewer choices than the Dolphin. A main advantage is the price. Less than half of the price of purchasing a Dolphin. Mainly we recommend this course if you are looking into buying your own rebreather with somewhat limited funds.

Prerequisites: Nitrox Diver or equivalent.

R TDI Ray Semi Closed Circuit Rebreather Diver 26200 baht
Ray Introduction Dive 2600 baht

Big Blue Diving Samui is the only dive center in Thailand offering seminars and dives with the legendary IDA-71, a fully closed circuit Russian military rebreather. Note that this is not a PADI or TDI sanctioned course but conducted using our own teaching outline. Introduction dives are available to any certified diver. The seminar emphasizes the differences between the IDA-71 and the rebreather you have been trained on and the possibilities of modifying it to a mean, lean breathing machine! Our typical participant have either already bought an IDA-71 or are just about to do it. This program is not intended for everyone. It is targeted to divers who are deeply into rebreather diving and who are willing to assume the full responsibility of diving a unit that is not intended for recreational divers, is not CE approved and never will be.

Prerequisites: Any type of rebreather certification.

The Pelagian DCCCR, (Diver Controlled Closed Circuit Rebreather), is a fully closed mechanically controlled rebreather offering dive times up to six hours in tropical water and up to four hours in cold water. Maximum depth is depending on the gas mixture used and available bail out tanks, but recommended at max 50 msw with air and max 100 msw with heliox or trimix diluents. The academic part of the course takes you through working principals, component checks, dive planning and pre dive safety checks as well as a brief service course. In water skills are more rigorous than what is typical for any comparable rebreather course and deals with buoyancy, PO2 control, (even blind folded!), and failure responds during one confined water session and six ocean dives conducted over four days. Maximum training depth is 40 msw for no decompression students, but can be deeper with decompression stops based on your previous experience and qualifications. PSAI offer a modular approach to training on the Pelagian DCCCR so that you can build your qualifications gradually. After completing the basic air diluent course, you can do a Pelagian Decompression Diver course and later on a Pelagian Trimix Diver course in three depth segments. You can learn more about the Pelagian DCCCR by visiting the web site of the manufacturer REBREATHER LAB.

Prerequisites: Nitrox with 100% O2, 18 years of age and 100 logged dives.

The Jetsam KISS closed circuit rebreathers, Classic and Sport are both mechanically controlled. The main difference from the Pelagian DCCCR is that O2 is added from a non-depth compensating first stage, giving it a depth limitation of around 70 meters, (depending on adjustments and metabolism). It also uses back mounted counter lungs which gives a higher breathing resistance than front mounted lungs. Apart from this the unit is easy to dive and, in our opininon, preferrable to any electronically controlled rebreather.

Prerequisites: Nitrox with 100% O2, 18 years of age and 100 logged dives.

Through our sister company Rebreather Lab we offer introduction dives on the legendary Cis Lunar MK5P closed circuit rebreather. This is rare chance to dive Bill Stone's unique rebreather, notorious after several record breaking cave penetrations.

Prerequisites: Any type of rebreather qualification.

During 3 days and 4 dives, we plan and dive Nitrox mixtures up to 100% O2 content, cover equipment considerations and use all required gas formulas for the purpose of extending no decompression times at moderate depths, and for the purpose of added conservatism for safety stops after deeper dives. You will also learn how find your personal gas volume requirement, how to deploy a surface marker buoy and during the final day, dive a full tech rig with twin tanks.

This course can also be conducted in combination with the TDI Decompression Procedures Course, (see below), for a total of 6 dives utilizing accelerated decompression techniques.

Prerequisites: 15 years of age, any Basic Nitrox Diver certification and 25 logged dives.

The objective of this course is to train divers how to plan and conduct a standard staged decompression dive on air to a maximum depth of 45 meters. Providing you have already completed the Advanced Nitrox Course, or you take it in combination with this course, we will also utilize up to 100% O2 for accelerated decompression. Some may argue they can do this stuff simply by following their dive computer. Sure they can, but what if something goes wrong? The Decompression Procedures course will give you a better understanding of the physiological effects of deep decompression diving and prepare you to do it the proper way. The course duration is 3 days and includes 4 dives.

Prerequisites: 18 years of age, Open Water Diver and 25 logged dives.

Prerequisites: 18 years of age, Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures. Proof of minimum 100 logged dives.

During this 2 - 6 day Trimix course we conduct 6 dives to maximum 100 meters using Trimix in order to reduce nitrogen narcosis and manage our PO2 limit. Academics cover physiology, equipment requirements, emergency procedures and dive planning with new tables and computer software. During initial dives for Level 1 mixtures used are of non-hypoxic levels to allow the whole dive to be completed on back gas for redundancy. To speed up deco we will use mixtures of up to 100% O2 content. Dive number 3 - 4, (Level 2), and dive 5 - 6, (Level 3), requires hypoxic mixtures used in combination with travel gas and two deco mixtures.

Prerequisites: 18 years of age, Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures, Extended Range. Proof of minimum 250 logged dives.

During the 5 day Entry Level Trimix course we conduct 4 dives to maximum 60 meters using Trimix in order to reduce nitrogen narcosis and manage our PO2 limit. Academics cover physiology, equipment requirements, emergency procedures and dive planning with new tables and computer software. Mixtures used are of non-hypoxic levels to allow the whole dive to be completed on back gas for redundancy. To speed up deco we will use mixtures of up to 100% O2 content.

Prerequisites: 18 years of age, Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures. Proof of minimum 100 logged dives.

The Advanced Trimix Diver is one of the highest level ratings in technical diving. The significant difference is the use of 2 deco / travel mixtures in addition to the back gas that is usually hypoxic near the surface. If you are looking for a way to explore the depth range between 60 to 100 meters, you need to use richer helium contents than used in the Entry level Trimix Course, which requires additional understanding of the properties and physiological effects of breathing helium at greater depth. Again the greater depth calls for large volume cylinders and the use of 2 deco mixtures is the norm. The course includes 4 dives and takes 5 - 6 days depending on dive site distance, weather and gas logistics.

As trimix fills are sometimes hard to obtain in remote areas we recommend our students to enroll in the DSAT GASBLENDER course and offer a reduced price when done in conjunction with a Trimix course.

Prerequisites: 18 years of age, Extended Range or Entry Level Trimix. Proof of minimum 100 logged dives.

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