Koh Tao Oceans Below began 2012 by agreeing a new collaboration with the music label Aqualise. Headed by the talented Nicolas Bulostin, Aqualise is the very first record label in the world dedicated to protecting the oceans by creating awareness and donating to non-profit marine wildlife conservation and environmental organizations. Nicolas produces some amazing music and we create and edit underwater videos for it. Check out our latest product on http://www.aqualise.com/ or click here.

Over the low season we also worked with BSAC Thailand and Man TV Thailand on a new series about scuba diving called Black Water. The aim of the show is to promote diving to the local Thais.  We provided 80% of the underwater footage used in the show. Click here to view the first episode of Black Water by Man TV & BSAC Thailand.

Here at Koh Tao Oceans Below, our pro video team is committed to helping promote awareness and protection of the environment which inspires us, and we're proud to be partners with like-minded groups. We look forward to continue working with these and other conservation groups in the future...

High season has fully kicked in for the Oceans Below video team at Sairee Beach! Pro Videographer Instructor, Lisa, and I are busy teaching our 3 new BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer students. On the 16th of January Yaya from China, and Simon and Nancy from the UK, started the course. Now, one week in, and all 3 seem to be naturals with a camera.

Sawtooth Shrimp on Koh Tao

Simon, a professional photographer, worked in Australia for a year as a PADI Divemaster in Byron Bay before he decided to come to Thailand to learn the art of underwater video. He is currently working on his dry project about Koh Tao in time-lapse and has already filmed some amazing sunsets!

Pro Underwater Video Trainee- Simon...

Nancy D's creative and innovative brain has made us laugh many times. Her movies are definitely inspired by certain Disney movies! We're entertained with her story lines of fish living happily ever after in each of her underwater movies.

Pro Underwater Video Trainee- Nancy D(izzy)...

Yaya, a director for a travel show in China, is on Koh Tao this time to do the 2-week BSAC course but will hopefully come back to us to do his Documentary Internship. His computer skills are amazing and we have seen a couple of clever edits of his HD underwater footage already.

Pro Underwater Video Trainee- Yaya...

Tomorrow morning Lisa and I have planned a little excursion for the trainees. We are going to hike up to Fraggle Rock, a stunning view point at the South of the island, before heading back to the office to finish their dry projects. In the coming days we will focus mainly on macro-shooting underwater and editing their show reels. We can't wait to see the results!

While on holiday in Holland, Oceans Below Pro Underwater Underwater Video Trainer, Elisabeth, found out that one of her short movies won the top two prizes in the in the Australasia Underwater Video Shoot-Out! The rules required all video to be shot over an 8 day period between the 1st-10th of September (so, no stock footage), and that it be no longer than 5 minutes in length. Elisabeth's movie- Secrets of the Sand (see here), gained the Best of Show award as well as the Best Narrated Movie award!

Elisabeth filming a huge Green Sea Turtle in Bunaken, Indonesia


Elisabeth was especially lucky to be able to film these Flamboyant Cuttlefish mating

It was a great way to welcome the low season on Koh Tao as she immediately cashed in the top prize- a 2 week stay at Eco Divers Resorts in Manado and Lembeh Island Sulawesi, Indonesia! She informs us that it was a magical two weeks of diving where she was able to capture some fantastic footage of some of the area's incredible creatures. It seemed that she was lucky enough to gain HD underwater footage of Mimic Octopus mating as well as mating Flamboyant Cuttlefish! In addition, she informs us that she filmed Hairy Frogfish, Ambon Scorpionfish, Coconut (Veined) Octopus, a variety of Cockatoo Waspfish, seahorses and loads more...


Filming in Bunaken, Indonesia


Coconut Octopus at night in Lembeh

We're so proud of the work she has done and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. Special thanks to Christian, Cary and all the staff at Eco Divers!

It seems that she will soon be cashing in her second prize- a 10 day all expenses paid dive trip to Yap, Micronesia! Well done Elisabeth!

Oceans Below Underwater Video Training Center recently had the pleasure of taking Eliza from Poland through her BSAC Professional Underwater Video training, 2 Documentary Internships and our Student Video Internship. Here she gives her thoughts on the training…



“After successfully completing my Instructor Course on Koh Tao with Buddha View, I was looking for a new challenge. I decided to enroll in Oceans Below’s BSAC Professional Underwater Videography course and Documentary Internship. I had absolutely no idea of just how much I would learn; how many new skills I would gain- both underwater and at the computer; and how much fun I would have! I am thankful every day that I made this decision. I have met some truly inspirational people whose knowledge and passion for filming the underwater world is extensive.


Newly certified Professional Underwater Videographer, Eliza

Every time I entered the water, camera in hand and instructor by my side, I felt the excitement of seeing the underwater world with fresh eyes. The editing was a challenge as I had very little knowledge of computers and no experience with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5. My instructor, Autumn, was helpful, knowledgeable and very patient. With her help I was able to write, film and edit my very own short documentary. She gave valuable feedback, making things that seemed like a mystery, clear and easy to understand.


Pro Video Trainer, Autumn, with Eliza (right)

My time on Koh Tao has come to an end, and as I reflect on the last few months here, I am truly thankful for the knowledge I have gained, the passionate and enthusiastic people I have met, and the amazing time I have had both in and out of the water. I am unsure of what new adventures lie ahead of me but there are two things I am now certain of-  I will NEVER again dive without a camera, and I will be back to Koh Tao to see my Oceans Below family again in the future!!!

Many thanks to Oceans Below, especially to Autumn for her much tested patience!!”

Barracuda Rock, at the south end of Chumphon Pinnacle, has always held a special place in the hearts of everyone at Oceans Below, and I'm no exception. On entering the water and descending, I inevitably find myself heading south with a feeling of anticipation. Every time I cross the sand and see the huge pinnacle appearing out of the blue, I am amazed at the hive of activity and inspired by the thought of the numerous great shots that can be captured there. The vast amount of fish species has always made it a phenomenal place to take our BSAC Professional Underwater Videography trainees.

Whaleshark filmed by Eliza- Pro Underwater Video Trainee

A few days ago was no different. Whilst out on the Buddha View boat with Eliza, our latest budding Professional Underwater Videographer at Oceans Below, we were excited by the news of a whaleshark sighting. We entered the water only to find out from other divers  that the majestic giant had disappeared into the blue. I decided we should head south in order for Eliza to get some good shots and resigned myself to the fact we had missed out. Upon arriving at Barracuda Rock we found it almost deserted of divers and Eliza settled in. She got some great footage of a group of Pickhandle Barracuda that was, unusually, hunting by day. A few moments later I happened to look up. Soaring towards us over the pinnacle was the elusive whaleshark! We spent 20 minutes cruising alongside the beautiful beast as it glided effortlessly around the pinnacle before it eventually went on its way.

On the second dive we headed back to Barracuda Rock and came across a huge Malabar grouper hanging motionlessly in the current. It seemed unperturbed by our approach and let us get some stunning close-ups. The backdrop of barracuda cruising past the 1.5 meter fish gave the shots a dramatic effect. Eliza was ecstatic at capturing these majestic beasts on film and a good day was had by instructor and student alike.

Malabar Grouper at Chumpon Pinnacle

Oceans Below is sad to see a valued member of staff leave us. We say goodbye to our youngest recruit of just eighteen! Ben began his BSAC Underwater Videography course and Student Filming Internship with us some months back. His talent and passion for filming the underwater world was evident from day one. Upon finishing the internship, he was immediately offered a full time position at Oceans below. He has excelled in all areas and been a pleasure to have on the team. Ben will be attending university in New Zealand. We all thank him for his fantastic work and wish him luck in the future!

September has nearly finished, bringing a bit of rain to Koh Tao, but there is nothing that can stop Oceans Below's enthusiasm for underwater video. Our newly certified BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer, Jess, has found a passion in capturing the underwater world on camera. Her engaging personality on land and the big smiling eyes underwater make this course very enjoyable. Jess is picking up on the technical knowledge very fast, giving us a lot of time to be creative.

Pro Underwater Videographer Trainee, Jess, with a turtle

Before going back to England to complete her final year in fashion school, Jess will complete her Underwater Documentary Internship on the schooling behavior of fish. It is the perfect time to work on this topic, as the divesites of Koh Tao are busy with fish! The Juvenille Trevallies are hunting around the reefs and giving us an excellent opportunity to get amazing underwater footage. Once back in the office we get quite geeky and stick our heads into the fishbooks to determine what we have seen, gaining further knowledge of the underwater world. We can't wait to see Jess' documentary when it is done!   

Chevron Barracudas of Koh Tao

One of our favorite divesites is Koh Tao's newly-sunk wreck. The HTMS Sattakut is a great addition to the diving scene here on Koh Tao.  Apart from being a superb sight underwater, after only a month on the seabed, the old navy ship has already attracted lots of new inhabitants. Giant puffer, Chevron Barracudas, Trevallies, numerous Snappers, a Whiptail Ray and  even Lionfish have moved in.

Jess in action on her Underwater Documentary Filmmaker Internship

While Jess is working on her project, a new student has started the BSAC Pro underwater videography course. PADI Instructor Tim is originally from Kenya, but has dived many places all over the world. He's progressing nicely and can't wait to do a documentary of his own!

September has seen us take on a new BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer in our Oceans Below southside office at Buddha View Dive Resort. Eliza from Poland, who has just finished her Master Scuba Diver Trainer course at Buddha View, is enjoying the Koh Tao Professional Videography experience immensely. Her quirky sense of humor has made her a pleasure to teach, and she's proven to be highly entertaining! She has a new-found passion for the smaller things in life and particularly excels in macro filming. The highlight of her course so far was a 190 minute dive at Mango Bay, a beautiful, shallow dive site on the North of Koh Tao, where she succeeded in getting numerous amazing shots of two seahorses and a scorpion fish.

Pro Video Trainee, Eliza... getting a feel for the equipment

Scorpionfish in Mango Bay...

Eliza is nearing the end of the BSAC underwater videography course. For her Documentary Internship, she plans to research, film & write about the symbiotic relationship between the different species of anemone and anemone fish that are found around our Koh Tao dive sites. I look forward to helping her produce something that she and the team at Oceans Below can be proud of.

At our Sairee office, Lisa is just finishing up her first ever Pro Underwater Video course with Jess, a Divemaster who just joined us from Spain. Lisa tells us that her course is going smoothly and that she will soon be posting an update of her own.

Eliza...

So, with new budding videographers and a new member to the Oceans Below teaching team, we are full steam ahead and enjoying every minute of underwater videography magic!!

Last summer Oceans Below welcomed Jason Rivard to begin his Professional Underwater Videographer course with us on Koh Tao. He quickly progressed into a fantastic videographer and was made a member of our team upon completion of his course. In no time, he became one of our most popular videographers with the many dive centers that we represent. His work ethic and drive pushed him to become an accomplished Freediver and he was soon able to work as the island's first and only Freediving Videographer. Being exceptional at either of these skills is difficult. Excelling in both is virtually unheard of. In doing so, he effectively created a new position for himself at Oceans Below. 

He has since gone on to manage a dive center in the Maldives, but we think of him often. Though he learned a great deal from us while he was here, his enthusiasm, infectious spirit and undyingly positive attitude ensured that he taught us much more. We recently received the following e-mail from Jason...

Life on Koh Tao with Oceans Below was pure awesome! During my ten months there, I learned the ways of a professional underwater videographer and put them into good use while both freediving and scuba diving. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and I have moved on to new challenges and adventures.

Throughout the time I was on Koh Tao, the Oceans Below team took me under their wing and advanced my skills beyond what I thought possible. Their patience was great, and their love for filming, even greater. The team’s enthusiasm inspired me to create some great films during my time on the island, and the Koh Tao lifestyle was just an amazing experience.

I must to give a special thanks to Autum for being the Oceans Below “Sweetheart” and my brownie munching partner. Aidy for his guru-like technical support, and especially to Elizabeth for taking me under her wing and offering her creative inspiration to all the films I’ve done. Thank you guys for everything, and keep on with the Oceans Below spirit!

Jason Rivard
BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer
PADI Dive Instructor
Freediver

August has been the perfect month for our new BSAC Pro Video trainees to gather some amazing underwater footage in the crystal clear waters of Koh Tao. As we come to the end of the 2 week Professional HD Underwater Videographer course, everyone is now working on their showreels.

Pro Video Trainee, Jason...

Jason, from the UK, has been working as a Divemaster on the island at Scuba Junction. He will soon head off to Australia to film the Great White Sharks. We are really excited for him and can't wait to see his footage when he returns! He’ll be back to start his Documentary Filmmaker Internship next month. For the time being, he’ll have to make due with the marine life of Koh Tao.

Resident Seahorse at Mango Bay...

Marbled Snake Eel...

Mike and Luke started their course with Autumn. Mike is becoming a “macro” specialist and Luke is slowly wrapping his head around the Professional Editing program. They are both from The States. Mike from Wyoming is a professional in the field of topside videography, mainly filming his school’s football team. He is already seriously hooked to underwater filming! With his chatty personality Luke is a great guy to have at the Oceans Below office. We are impressed to see how fast this native Oklahoman's underwater filming skills are improving.

Pro Video Trainee, Mike...

Whip Coral Crab...

And then, there is Lisa. An experienced Dive Instructor and Underwater Photographer, Lisa came to us last year to complete her Pro Video course and is now near the end of the BSAC Underwater Video Trainer Course! She’ll be joining the Oceans Below Staff as our 4th Pro Video Trainer and will begin her first course next month. We  look forward to welcoming her to The Team!!!

August has been the perfect month for our new BSAC Pro Video trainees to gather some amazing underwater footage in the crystal clear waters of Koh Tao. As we come to the end of the 2 week Professional HD Underwater Videographer course, everyone is now working on their showreels.

Pro Video Trainee, Jason...

Jason, from the UK, has been working as a Divemaster on the island at Scuba Junction. He will soon head off to Australia to film the Great White Sharks. We are really excited for him and can't wait to see his footage when he returns! He’ll be back to start his Documentary Filmmaker Internship next month. For the time being, he’ll have to make due with the marine life of Koh Tao.

Resident Seahorse at Mango Bay...

Marbled Snake Eel...

Mike and Luke started their course with Autumn. Mike is becoming a “macro” specialist and Luke is slowly wrapping his head around the Professional Editing program. They are both from The States. Mike from Wyoming is a professional in the field of topside videography, mainly filming his school’s football team. He is already seriously hooked to underwater filming! With his chatty personality Luke is a great guy to have at the Oceans Below office. We are impressed to see how fast this native Oklahoman's underwater filming skills are improving.

Pro Video Trainee, Mike...

Whip Coral Crab...

And then, there is Lisa. An experienced Dive Instructor and Underwater Photographer, Lisa came to us last year to complete her Pro Video course and is now near the end of the BSAC Underwater Video Trainer Course! She’ll be joining the Oceans Below Staff as our 4th Pro Video Trainer and will begin her first course next month. We  look forward to welcoming her to The Team!!!

August has been the perfect month for our new BSAC Pro Video trainees to gather some amazing underwater footage in the crystal clear waters of Koh Tao. As we come to the end of the 2 week Professional HD Underwater Videographer course, everyone is now working on their showreels.

Pro Video Trainee, Jason...

Jason, from the UK, has been working as a Divemaster on the island at Scuba Junction. He will soon head off to Australia to film the Great White Sharks. We are really excited for him and can't wait to see his footage when he returns! He’ll be back to start his Documentary Filmmaker Internship next month. For the time being, he’ll have to make due with the marine life of Koh Tao.

Resident Seahorse at Mango Bay...

Marbled Snake Eel...

Mike and Luke started their course with Autumn. Mike is becoming a “macro” specialist and Luke is slowly wrapping his head around the Professional Editing program. They are both from The States. Mike from Wyoming is a professional in the field of topside videography, mainly filming his school’s football team. He is already seriously hooked to underwater filming! With his chatty personality Luke is a great guy to have at the Oceans Below office. We are impressed to see how fast this native Oklahoman's underwater filming skills are improving.

Pro Video Trainee, Mike...

Whip Coral Crab...

And then, there is Lisa. An experienced Dive Instructor and Underwater Photographer, Lisa came to us last year to complete her Pro Video course and is now near the end of the BSAC Underwater Video Trainer Course! She’ll be joining the Oceans Below Staff as our 4th Pro Video Trainer and will begin her first course next month. We  look forward to welcoming her to The Team!!!

As Koh Tao's summer rush has officially begun, both Oceans Below video offices are filled with buzzing students and staff. High season has started and the Pro HD Underwater Videographer Trainees and Trainers are taking advantage of the great weather and water conditions by filming most every day!

Pro Video Trainee,Dom, face-to-face with a grouper.

For the past month we have been lucky with amazing visibility in the waters around Koh Tao. Our Open Water Videographers are making some spectacular videos for their customers. Internship trainees Emma, Dom and Jan have also filmed some great underwater footage for their show reels.

Pro Video Trainee, Jan, hard at work.

BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer trainee, Jan, just completed his short documentary "Oceanic Love" in which he explains what we can do to conserve our oceans and specifically, what's being done on Koh Tao.

Emma and Dom, our 2 newly certified professional underwater videographers, are nearly finished with their Open water Videographer Internship at Buddha View. Dom is itching to do his first job in a couple of days!  Former BSAC pro video trainee Lisa came back to the island a couple of days ago to start her BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer Trainer course. After the one month course Lisa will join us as a Videographer Trainer at Oceans Below. She is already an accomplished photographer and we look forward to having her teach photography courses for us, as well!

Tomorrow will see the beginning of Darrin's Pro HD Underwater Video course and we are all anxious to see what he can bring to the table. So far, this season is shaping up nicely for all the staff and students of Oceans Below!

Last week our new office on the island's south side at Budda View Dive Resort started a new Koh Tao pro video course! Autumn started off with Emma, an instructor who spends her evenings working behind the Buddha Bar, and Dom, another of the shop's resident PADI Dive Instructors. From the moment we arrived, these two were very keen to get going with the BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course.

Koh Tao Video Trainee, Jan, at work...

The conditions in the waters around Koh Tao have been beautiful lately. Check out the recent video of Chumphon pinnacle on our youtube channel. Autumn, still fresh after her two months out of the water, is also rearing to go. This should be a fun packed month ahead for the students and instructors alike.

The PADI Open Water Course DVD's for the tourists are keeping videographers John and Rudey very busy here at Buddha View. June, normally a quiet month on Koh Tao, has seen John out filming almost every day, with Rudey helping out when she's not busy working with our Sairee beach dive shops. With videos selling like hotcakes, we can only imagine how it will be when the high season kicks in after the Full Moon Party next week.

Professional Underwater Video  Instructor, Autumn, with new trainees Dom and Emma

Meanwhile, the Sairee office is still rocking along with Jan and Nick finishing up their training and Darrin set to join us on the 15th. We're enjoying the opportunity to purchase some new equipment to accommodate the recent partnership with Buddha View. With the second location, we're also looking forward to being able to accept more people onto our Pro Underwater Video Internships.

We've also just heard the news that former trainee, Scott Goldhawk, has just been hired by the BBC as an Underwater Videographer! We take pride in knowing that we helped him on his way and will be sure to follow the next step of his career.

All the staff here at Oceans Below are eagerly awaiting the start of our next high season and anticipate some more fantastic underwater videos in the coming months

Last week our new office on the island's south side at Budda View Dive Resort started a new Koh Tao pro video course! Autumn started off with Emma, an instructor who spends her evenings working behind the Buddha Bar, and Dom, another of the shop's resident PADI Dive Instructors. From the moment we arrived, these two were very keen to get going with the BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course.

Koh Tao Video Trainee, Jan, at work...

The conditions in the waters around Koh Tao have been beautiful lately. Check out the recent video of Chumphon pinnacle on our youtube channel. Autumn, still fresh after her two months out of the water, is also rearing to go. This should be a fun packed month ahead for the students and instructors alike.

The PADI Open Water Course DVD's for the tourists are keeping videographers John and Rudey very busy here at Buddha View. June, normally a quiet month on Koh Tao, has seen John out filming almost every day, with Rudey helping out when she's not busy working with our Sairee beach dive shops. With videos selling like hotcakes, we can only imagine how it will be when the high season kicks in after the Full Moon Party next week.

Professional Underwater Video  Instructor, Autumn, with new trainees Dom and Emma

Meanwhile, the Sairee office is still rocking along with Jan and Nick finishing up their training and Darrin set to join us on the 15th. We're enjoying the opportunity to purchase some new equipment to accommodate the recent partnership with Buddha View. With the second location, we're also looking forward to being able to accept more people onto our Pro Underwater Video Internships.

We've also just heard the news that former trainee, Scott Goldhawk, has just been hired by the BBC to develop new, wildlife documentaries! We take pride in knowing that we helped him on his way and will be sure to follow the next step of his career.

All the staff here at Oceans Below are eagerly awaiting the start of our next high season and anticipate some more fantastic underwater videos in the coming months

Koh Tao Oceans Below is extremely happy and proud to announce a new partnership with Buddha View Dive Resort!! Buddha View, situated on the south of the island in Chalok Baan Kao, is one of the largest, most successful dive schools in Asia. With a huge influx of potential divers all year round & a constant buzz between staff & students, it is proving to be a great environment to set up Oceans Below's 2nd office!

Autumn and John learning new skills

After a hectic week of sawing, sanding, painting, hammering & drilling we have transformed what used to be Trigger Happy Dive Videos into a bright, fully-functional, video production facility. There have been many eyes watching the transformation and expansion with Buddha View staff checking out the progress and Oceans Below staff pitching in and helping make it happen. John has already started to film the open water courses and there has been huge interest in the BSAC Pro Underwater Videography course with many inquiries already. We will be running the BSAC Professional Underwater Videography courses, Documentary & Student Filming Internships & also the shorter 4 day Underwater Videography courses. We will also be providing PADI MSDT's with the video specialty instructor.  Elisabeth will run the Sairee office, teaching on the Scuba Junction boat & Aidy will be based at Buddha View with myself getting the best of both worlds and dividing my time between the two!

Hanging with the BV staff...

Aidy and Autumn at work in the new Buddha View location

With a prime location no more than 20 meters from the beach and Buddha View being a hive of activity, it promises to be a very fruitful and exciting year here at Oceans Below with a bigger demand for souvenir videos & many more courses to be taught in the future. Watch this space!!!

It has been a particularly enjoyable time on Koh Tao over the last month with a great atmosphere between the staff and students. There have been many funny moments and lots of amazing footage filmed. The time has now come to say goodbye to Nader, Lisa, Joey & Pieter as they embark on new scuba diving adventures. We sent Koh Tao's newly certified Pro Videographers on their way with a great Texas-Beer-Can Chicken and Rib barbecue at Elisabeth and Darius' house. It was a great night of drinking and feasting on the rooftop balcony. Although we are sad to see them leave, we are also happy to welcome new students into the Oceans Below family.

Our newest trainees- Taylor, a graphic designer from San Francisco and CJ, a medic from Ontario- have been blessed with amazing conditions throughout the BSAC Professional Underwater Videography course and the Documentary Internship. Their dives at Chumporn Pinnacle have been their most memorable, with crystal-clear dive conditions and an abundance of fish to film. Huge schools of barracuda, mackerel, queen fish & trevally provided them with numerous amazing shots and footage they could be proud of.

Koh Tao Pro Video Trainee, Taylor

Taylor's 'Best Of' show reel is particularly impressive. Her eye for detail & good music choice has enabled her to create a very emotive piece. CJ's obsession with nudibranches made it an easy choice when it came to her underwater documentary subject, "Nudibranches, Butterflies of the Sea”. She is well-versed on the topic and has produced a very informative piece. The films will be up on the Oceans Below You Tube page very soon. Check them out!!

Koh Tao's resident fish life...

Nick, fresh out of his Instructor Development Course with Darius, is our newest recruit and has approached the course with natural ease. He made an amazing film on just day two of his training and has been a pleasure to teach. He will take a short break and continue with his Underwater Documentary Internship.

Pro Video Trainee, Nick "What, Me Worry?" Shallcross

Good luck to Nadar, Lisa, Joey & Pieter...Bon Voyage! A new chapter in the life of Oceans Below...more students and many more great shots lie ahead!

We see a great many people come through the doors of Oceans Below each year, and it's always exciting to meet people who travel to Koh Tao from all over the world in pursuit of their dreams of becoming an underwater videographer. The Oceans Below/ BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course seems to be growing in reputation and popularity as each day goes by! The 2-week Internship following the course is a great way to practice and apply the principles taught.

The office is currently filled with many budding, underwater filmmakers!! This group seems to get on together immensely and there is much camaraderie both in the office and on the boat. Amongst these characters is 18 year old Ben from Christchurch, New Zealand. He has amazed us with his mature attitude and genuine passion for everything aquatic. We have decided he can't possibly leave and have given him an opportunity to become our freediving videographer to replace everyone's favorite- Jason- who is now managing a dive resort in the Maldives. 

Pro Video Instructor Trainer, Elisabeth, with the Trainees at Fraggle Rock

Nader, an American film student & wedding videographer seems to have become part of the furniture around here and his creativity and understated charm makes working with him a real pleasure. His highlight was the six turtles he filmed during his BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video course & internship.

Austrian Lisa's bubbly personality is going to be sorely missed when she leaves for the Perhentian Islands later this month to work as a PADI Dive Instructor. She has enjoyed every part of the course. The two days out on the Goodtimes Adventures speedboat,  diving empty divesites with amazing visibility, was a major highlight and something she talks about incessantly!!

Pro Video Intern Lisa filming a sea snake

Ross has taken it all in his stride and approached the course with a very laid back attitude. His studies  in marine biology have served him well and his documentary on symbiosis, particularly the relationship between the anemone & the fish that inhabit it, is sure to amaze us!

Pro Video Intern, Joey, films a whaleshark

One of Koh Tao's resident turtles

Joey & Pieter, friends from back home in Belgium, have been working as cameramen for many years, mailnly filming sporting events around Europe. They have been unbelievably lucky throughout the course, having had numerous encounters with whalesharks and turtles during their dives. They have put in many hours of editing time & have fastidiously researched in order to make amazing documentaries. Joey's whaleshark documentary will be on our You Tube page soon..check it out!

Inquisitive whaleshark

As well as producing many amazing student films, there has been much in the way of extra curricular activity. Oceans Below staff & students have enjoyed hikes up to the famous Koh Tao lookout, Fraggle Rock, for a heavenly sunset. We have enjoyed the return of the black tip sharks to the aptly named Shark Bay, where Elisabeth has taken them out for some snorkeling and photos. Last week we spent an evening at the Muay Thai fights watching people beat each other senseless. We've knocked back many  sunset drinks at Fizz Lounge and the Buddha Bar. We spent an afternoon having a go on the flying trapeze and recently, we had a night out together for pizzas and bowling.

All in all an amazingly successful and enjoyable time here at Oceans Below!

Yesterday was the perfect day to take out all the Oceans Below BSAC Professional Underwater Video Trainees for a little exploration dive to find the seahorses at one of Koh Tao’s famous dive sites. The sun was out, the sky was blue and the surface of the sea was like a mirror at Twin Pinnacles.

Professional Marine Video Trainee, Ben

Equipped with 5 Aquatica HD Wave housings and cameras, as well as 2 photo cameras, we jumped and quickly descended. There was a bit of a thermocline down to about 7 meters, but below that, the viz was amazing! We swam off the pinnacles over to the sand and fanned out to start our search for the seahorses. After a couple of minutes I tapped on my tank to let the marine videographers know the first one was found. Aidy immediately found another and we soon found three more! In all we managed to find seahorses in 5 different colours- red, blue, green, black and yellow!

Professional Marine Video Trainee, Nader

Nader and Ben were on the last dive of the BSAC Professional Underwater Video course and were practicing their macro skills. After the dive Ben said that filming the seahorses was definitely one of the highlights of the course! Nader, who came to us from film school after having worked as a professional videographer, has just decided to return to Koh Tao to do his Underwater Documentary Filmmaker Internship and he's already planning his final project about seahorses.

We also spotted some pufferfish, a 1 cm devil scorpionfish and a juvenile silver sweetlips. It’s a great area to explore for macro shooting.

Tomorrow Nader and Ben will begin their Open Water Videographer Internship. I’m sure they will have lots of fun practicing their skills on Scuba Junction’s groups of Open Water students.

On the 3rd of February I took a short leave from my Oceans Below duties on Koh Tao and packed my Sony EX1R camera, Gates Housing and my free diving fins to go on a wonderful trip to the Caribbean. My goal was to film the most amazing thing in the ocean- the Humpback Whale!

The trip took a bit longer than expected due to snow storms in Canada and North America. But after 3 days of airports, stress and stolen moments of sleep, I managed to get to Puerto Plata just in time!

Elisabeth alone with two humpbacks

David Trescot, my fellow Oceans Below videographer, was waiting for me at the airport and we sped to the Aggressor Turks and Caicos II. Eager to get into the water, we started putting our film equipment together during the overnight trip to the Silver Banks which lies 110 km north of the shore amidst the Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. Every year from January through to April up to 5000 whales gather to calve, court and mate in the waters of the irregularly shaped 16 x 32km area with an average depth of 30 meters. And we were hoping film at least one of them!

Humpbacks start the day with a few tail flaps

During the whale expedition, we sat many days for long hours on the lookout for a breaching whale, pec flap, a blow or any sign of whale activity. Once spotted we would approach very carefully and our guides would determine whether it was safe to get into the water with them. Whales involved in rowdy behaviour were left to work off their aggression! Resting or courting whales were the target of our cameras. The first couple of days were spent mostly in the water with resting whales who would come up every 15 to 18 minutes to breathe.

Curious Humpback whale

On the surface there was loads of activity going on, as well. The whales would begin to breach at around 9:00am to shake themselves awake. There was communication between them with pec and tail slapping.

Elisabeth with the always fashionable, Dave

And then one day when the wind dropped, we saw a cute couple quietly swimming next to each other. This was our chance! David jumped in and did a free dive down. While coming up, he stretched his arms and spun around to get the female's attention...and it worked! We got to see a 'Valentine'- a pairing! The female swam towards us, turned upside down, around and then swam all the way to the surface. We had her attention for more than 2 hours. Every now and again she popped her head out of the water just in front of us, as if she wanted to have a closer look. Every movement of our fins was immitated by her. As I tried to swim backwards while circling my fins, she slowly moved forwards with her pecs making the same motion! Meanwhile the male was still around and was desperately trying to get her attention and lure her away from us. When the sun started to set, we finally returned to the boat.

Close encounter

What an amazing experience! With big grins on our faces we went back to the Aggressor for a hot shower and cocktails to celebrate this succesful encounter!

In the coming months, David and I will be editing our whale footage and will be posting clips on our youtube page. Watch this space!

Riann, from South Africa joined us a little over six weeks ago to start the BSAC Professional Underwater Videography course on Koh Tao. He embraced & enjoyed it tremendously, and seeing the panic in his eyes as he neared the end of the two week course, we all knew he was hooked! Since then he completed the Student Filming Internship AND the Underwater Documentary Internship and is now looking for yet more nuggets of knowledge from the teaching team here at Oceans Below!

For his marine documentary, Riann chose to focus on the differences in behavior of species on the reef during day & night. We rarely get out on night dives with students so it was a great opportunity to charge the lights and board the boat at sunset for a change of pace!

A hermit crab getting active at night

The reef is such a wondrous and vibrant place during the day but filming it at night adds a different dimension altogether. Species such as the Porcupine Pufferfish & Blue-Spotted Stingray which are notorious for hiding in cracks & crevices during the day behave totally different during the night shift. As we entered the water armed with our Aquatica HD Wave housings & Nightrider Lights attached, we instantly found numerous rays out on the sand, feeding and swimming around & Pufferfish unprotected & unperturbed by our approach. We also noticed that the sea urchins, instead of being wedged securely in between rocks and coral as we find them during the day, they were out, moving along the sand in an almost uniform marching procession.

A curious Blue-Spotted Stingray

Sea Urchins on the move

We had a very successful & enjoyable dive and Riann managed to get some amazing shots for his documentary. Check out the Oceans Below You Tube page, “Exploring the Reef at Night”. I think it is safe to say that Riann has been hit right between the eyes & has fallen wholeheartedly in love with underwater videography!! Well done & good luck!!!

In other news, to celebrate a very busy beginning to the high season and great success with students and the films they have produced, the Oceans Below team went to Sunset View for drinks & dinner!!!


After work, chilling...

The Koh Tao sun is blazing with intensity, the water is a crystal playground teeming with life & the island is buzzing with sun kissed, high spirited divers....The high season here on Koh Tao is full swing! The change in gear is definitely noticeable here at Oceans Below with an “all hands on deck” attitude & the constant to-ing & fro-ing of staff & students alike.

Koh Tao's best side...

Our latest Underwater Video Internship students have been working hard and doing us proud! Chris has just finished his Documentary Internship in style with a stunning film about symbiosis & the different symbiotic relationships that occur on the reefs around Koh Tao. Considering the fact that before Chris started this course a month ago, he had never held a video camera or edited on any software, this is truly an amazing piece.

Scribbled Filefish at Chumpon

Bart, after finishing his BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videography course & Riann, having just completed his Pro Video Internship are now also undertaking the challenge of documentary filmmaking. Both guys have come up with unique & interesting topics they want to base their documentaries on. With some expert filming, fastidious research & many hours spent editing on Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, we should see two more amazing underwater documentaries take shape in the very near future. Watch this space!

We have yet another new addition to the Oceans Below student crew. Warren is from the beautiful city of Sydney and already knows about the wonders of the ocean, his passion being surfing. He completed his PADI Divemaster in Bali a few months ago and is now ready for the slower-paced but equally exhilarating challenge of underwater filming. With quiet determination he is taking it all in his stride and promises to be yet another enthusiastic & successful marine video trainee.

Even with Oceans Below bursting at the seams & Aidy & I spending most of the day resembling headless chickens, we made the time to organize staff & student sunset drinks at Fizz, one of the many chilled, beachfront bars. With melodic tunes emanating from the speakers we watched the sun set whilst sipping ice cold drinks and chatting about the day’s events, highlights & truly funny moments here at Oceans Below, Koh Tao.

The current Oceans Below Intern crew

Check out the Oceans Below Facebook & You Tube pages for more great student films!

A day in the life in paradise!!!

The beginning of the new year marked the start of a new Professional HD Underwater Videographer course with new, excited & enthusiastic students. Sara & Martin, a Swiss couple from the city of Basel arrived just before Christmas and had a week or two to settle in & get familiar with the island before I started cracking the whip! They are now coming to the end of their BSAC Videography Course and are in the process of completing their final “Best Of” project before they have a well earned day off and then take on their next challenge in the Documentary Filmmaking Internship.

Whilst learning macro filming as part of their BSAC Professional Underwater Videography course they both developed a passion for the smaller things in life! They really enjoyed getting to grips with all the aspects of Macro filming including composition, position, zoom & focus. Even though it did get a little frustrating for them at times, they persisted until they got the perfect shot! For these reasons they have both decided  on “Macro Life Around Koh Tao” as the subject for their Documentary Internship films.

Professional Undewrwater Videographers, Martin and Sara

Both Sara & Martin are eager to learn & extremely attentive which has enabled them to improve in leaps & bounds since they first began the course. It has also made them an absolute pleasure to teach. Well done guys, keep up the good work!!

Silence surrounds me with every dive into the blue. As I look through the eye of the camera, I can see a diver approaching from above, his moves graceful as he glides towards the deep. Touching twenty meters, he turns to me with a huge grin and begins his ascent back to the surface.

Returning from the blue

It’s been nearly three months since I began filming freediving students on Koh Tao with Apnea Total, and it has literally taken my breath away! The feeling that one gets when dropping to twenty meters, holding position to get that perfect shot, and heading back towards air after a two minute breathhold dive is more than words can explain! I love the way freediving allows me to take shots at different angles and lengths to give my footage an artistic quality about it.  This, along with filming students achieving impressive depths, is what drives me back again and again with enthusiasm and excitement!

Jason in his element

Besides filming freedivers challenging themselves in the blue, I do get the odd encounter with some of the ocean's bounty which creates an almost otherworldly feeling. On a recent trip, a graceful yet deadly Box Jellyfish cruised past our lines. With every encounter, they serve as a reminder of both the beauty and the danger of our ocean-going life. An array of reef fish also make appearances in my videos as they rush toward my camera lens to be in the spotlight, if only for a moment...

Monica has a moment with a box jellyfish

Other than being in the water, I get to spend time in the studio editing the footage I've collected each day. This process fascinates me as I'm able to employ the skills I was taught by the Oceans Below team. Adding subtle yet impressive effects to my HD Underwater videos is something I love to surprise people with while they watch themselves in the big blue. 

Jason- Scuba Instructor, Video Trainer, Freedive Videographer...

Thankfully, the people at Oceans Below have uncovered ways to allow me to further my passions for teaching, filming and freediving. Our newest offering is a Freediving Videography Internship whereby people will learn underwater videography techniques adapted to breathhold diving. These interns will train with me and I so look forward to introducing people to my silent world. While my love for filming scuba divers will always be there, my main passion lies in leaving the tanks at home to film freedivers on a single breath.

One breath, one moment, caught on camera!

As usual at this time of year, Oceans Below is preparing for the season ahead by upgrading our stock of video equipment. We've acquired the newest models of HD video cameras and underwater housings for our students to learn underwater videography.

In keeping with the latest technology, we are eliminating all internal moving components for capturing our HD underwater footage. Behind us are the days of DV tapes with dirty head issues; tape deck breakdowns caused by too many moving parts; and limited capture time. For 2011, we'll be moving to solid state cameras across the board.

Last year we upgraded the cameras which were used on our underwater videography internships and daily video production to hard disc drive (HDD) technology. We chose the Sony XR range, including the XR 500, and XR 520, with both PAL and NTSC models.

We housed all these great cameras in the Aquatica HD Wave housings. Aquatica invited us to test the housings when they came onto the market, and they so impressed us that Oceans Below quickly became a distributor for Aquatica underwater video equipment!  This camera and housing combination continues to serve us well on a daily basis.

For the coming year the Sony CX 550 will be joining our ranks. This fantastic camera, a few steps up from the XR 520, is part of a line which includes an HDD model- the XR 550. However, the CX 550 incorporates fully solid state technology. This means that there are no moving parts and virtually nothing can go wrong. They also handle environmental factors such as heat, damp and cold much better.

In addition, we have also added a Sony EX1R broadcast quality camera with Gates housing. Also a solid state camera, this amazing professional model will be used for production filming, stock underwater footage, and our new Advanced Underwater Documentary Filmmaker course.

The arrival of all of this new equipment means that we must make room by selling last season's models. We are able to offer the Sony XR 500 and 520 with Aquatica HD Wave housings either new or second-hand. The used ones have been training cameras that have, in most cases, only worked with us for a few months. All are meticulously maintained in-house, and are in perfect working order. Oceans Below upgrades the training cameras every 6-12 months so that we can offer only the latest technology to our students as they learn underwater video.

We also still have a couple of Sony PC350 cameras in Gates housings which we would be happy to offer to anyone interested. Though a few years old, these are great rigs for someone starting out, or perhaps, a new video company looking for a cheap and effective way to get their business off the ground. The cameras are all in great working order and have had new tape decks fitted in recent months. As we no longer use this model, they will be going cheap!

Come in or contact us if you're interested in knowing more about any of our equipment.

Darius and I just got back from a short diving trip to Sulawesi in Indonesia. The first five days were spent filming the magical creatures of The Straits of Lembeh. We stayed at Two Fish Resort where the managers were friends from Koh Tao. Helen completed her Dive Instructor course with Darius at Buddha View a few years ago, and her and Gizmo ensured that we had a great time diving in Indonesia.

We were able to find Time Severino's missing shorts...

The local dive guides were fantastic at spotting all of the water's “weird creatures” and we were lucky enough to see Hairy Frogfish, Mimic Octopus, Wonderpus, a Blue-ringed Octopus, Pygmee Seahorses, Ambon Scorpionfish and loads more in the black sand of the Straits. Luckily, I brought my new Sony EX1R camera and Gates Housing and managed to get some great shots!

Blue-ringed Octopus...


Hairy Frogfish, fishing...

After a couple of days we travelled to Bunaken to stay at Living Colours Dive Resort. This was a great place tucked away in the mangroves. We had some great wall dives with the healthiest coral I’ve seen in ages and what must be the biggest green turtle on the planet! The owner, Jaako, was very accommodating and has asked Oceans Below to return soon to film a promotional video for them. Yet another two Koh Tao friends, Al and Annika, work at Living Colours and it was nice to catch up with them.

Helen and Hd Underwater Video Trainer, Elisabeth...

Now we're back to work and Autumn started a new BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course on the 2nd of December. The second day in the water, the video trainees were already lucky enough to film their first turtle! We also hear that there have been numerous Whaleshark sightings. Hopefully, the guys will get a chance to film them during the video internships. We're all looking forward to a great new season!

Throughout most of the year here on Koh Tao we see lots of travelers, backpackers & families navigate their way to our fine shores, mainly for the picturesque scenery, beachfront social scene and a general feeling of 'getting away from it all'. However, due to the brief but ominous monsoon season during the month of November the general pace of the island slows and the number of tourists dwindles, giving those that work here a chance to 'get away' and go in search of yet more sunshine and more importantly, great diving.

Clownfish

Recently, my partner Evan and I joined a liveaboard trip to the Similan & Surin Islands, just off the West Coast of Thailand. The visibility is renowned for being at it's best around this time of year.  The widely diverse array of healthy underwater life there makes it an amazing & exciting place to film. We booked our four day trip with West Coast Divers based in Phuket and, equipped with a Sony XR500 HD camera & an Aquatica HD Wave housing, we set off on our underwater adventure!

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

We began each morning at 6am with a briefing about the dive site and conditions and then excitedly geared up and jumped in! Each dive was amazing in it's own right. Some sights like Elephant Head Rock were deep, sloping off to well over 40 meters with lots of boulders and swim-throughs. Others, like East of Eden were filled with amazingly colored soft corals and a staggering variety of reef fish. My favorites were Anita's Reef & Richelieu Rock. Both sites had an abundance of life and at times I found myself torn between what to film next! We saw everything from rays to mantis shrimps, seahorses, turtles, cuttle fish, giant eels and much more. Among the many unforgettable moments of the trip, one in particular stands out. The first dive of the third day was at Koh Tachai. We were nearing the end of the dive when I came across an octopus which, as soon as it saw me, fled back into it's protective hole. After much patience the octopus emerged, flashing different colors and sat proudly on the coral which enabled me to get some beautiful shots.

Octopus

So after a great trip, it's back to work. I'm looking forward to starting the new season with Pete and John who are here to take our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course!

As the monsoon is nearly upon us and the general pace of life here on Koh Tao starting to quieten, it gives those that live and work here a chance to get together, hang out and try something new. After a busy season of filming HD Underwater videos and teaching Professional Underwater Videographer Internships, Oceans Below teamed up with Scuba Junction for a staff and student day out. But this time instead of heading down to the depths, we decided to take a birds-eye view on life. We went trapezing!!!

The day was a beautiful one and perfect for flying high on the trapeze. Everyone was so excited at the prospect of trying it out, some experienced, others not so much! Elisabeth demonstrated a basic routine with poise & 'zen mastery' and we all TRIED to follow her example! With adrenaline pumping we all took our turn at climbing up the ladder to the 10 meter high platform. Hands chalked & hearts racing we all attempted the seemingly crazy jumps, swings & tricks.

Everyone did amazingly in all aspects of the trapeze. Jason wowed us with an unbelievable catch on only his third jump and I stunned the crowd with a stinger of a face-plant on my very first attempt! Not to be beaten and with a little help from my newly acquired pixie wings, knees shaking, I climbed straight back up the ladder and redeemed myself with a tinker-bellesque swing and back flip!!

Me in my Tinkerbell outfit after literally 'flying'!

My scars have nearly disappeared (much to everyone's disappointment!), but the amazing memories of the day still remain. It was a fitting day to end a very busy & successful season here at Oceans Below.

Thanks to Gemma at Flying Trapeze Adventures for her patience and pep talks & also to David Trescot who helped make the day happen.

My day off from filming PADI Open Water students at Koh Tao Easy Divers was spent guiding our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videography Interns for their macro video projects. I really enjoyed the longer dives and the opportunity to take underwater photos for Oceans Below and, of course, my personal collection.

Tom and Julian were using our Aquatica HD Wave housings, which by now they were familiar with. I took a digital stills camera and was careful with my flash so as not to ruin Tom and Julian's videos. We met at 7.00 am at Koh Tao Scuba Junction and had a bite to eat and a cup of tea before heading off from Sairee Beach.

Shot of the day at White Rock...

The plan was for 2 dives- one at Koh Nangyuan Pinnacle and one at my favourite spot, White Rock. Because we were shooting macro, close-ups of the hard corals where small crabs were hiding was an obvious start. We also focused our lenses on the large swim-through housing lots of sponges and anemones. Glass fish, soft bubble coral and colourful giant clams were also subjects which we spent time filming. We were helped along to the boat by a mild current which pushed us gently back into Japanese Gardens.

Tom filming a hawksbill turtle

Our second dive at White Rock brought us a number of moray eels and sleeping blue-spotted ribbon-tail-rays. Other cool subjects we found were leather corals and gobies living with their partner shrimps in the sand. Ironically, towards the end of the dive, Tom and I spotted a hawksbill turtle gliding along looking for a feed! Not exactly a macro moment, but he was a small, younger turtle and he really made our day as we both got great shots of him. After an hour was up, we decided to do our safety stop and head back to the boat to check our images and choose our favourites.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning and a great dive to complete the BSAC Video internship on Koh Tao! Tom says he will miss me when he returns to the UK to dive the Scapa Flow. Sorry Tom- I prefer the tropical waters of the Gulf of Thailand, mate!

My day off from filming PADI Open Water students at Koh Tao Easy Divers was spent guiding our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videography Interns for their macro video projects. I really enjoyed the longer dives and the opportunity to take underwater photos for Oceans Below and, of course, my personal collection.

Tom and Julian were using our Aquatica HD Wave housings, which by now they were familiar with. I took a digital stills camera and was careful with my flash so as not to ruin Tom and Julian's videos. We met at 7.00 am at Koh Tao Scuba Junction and had a bite to eat and a cup of tea before heading off from Sairee Beach.

Shot of the day at White Rock...

The plan was for 2 dives- one at Koh Nangyuan Pinnacle and one at my favourite spot, White Rock. Because we were shooting macro, close-ups of the hard corals where small crabs were hiding was an obvious start. We also focused our lenses on the large swim-through housing lots of sponges and anemones. Glass fish, soft bubble coral and colourful giant clams were also subjects which we spent time filming. We were helped along to the boat by a mild current which pushed us gently back into Japanese Gardens.

Tom filming a hawksbill turtle

Our second dive at White Rock brought us a number of moray eels and sleeping blue-spotted ribbon-tail-rays. Other cool subjects we found were leather corals and gobies living with their partner shrimps in the sand. Ironically, towards the end of the dive, Tom and I spotted a hawksbill turtle gliding along looking for a feed! Not exactly a macro moment, but he was a small, younger turtle and he really made our day as we both got great shots of him. After an hour was up, we decided to do our safety stop and head back to the boat to check our images and choose our favourites.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning and a great dive to complete the BSAC Video internship on Koh Tao! Tom says he will miss me when he returns to the UK to dive the Scapa Flow. Sorry Tom- I prefer the tropical waters of the Gulf of Thailand, mate!

The Oceans Below Team were out in full force yesterday morning on the Scuba Junction boat- all fully equipped for amazing underwater filming with an abundance of HD Underwater Cameras & Gates & Aquatica Housings. The weather on Koh Tao has been stunning the last few days and the filming has been excellent.

Lucky, Julian, Autumn, Tom, Elisabeth and Erik and lots of cameras and housings...

Elisabeth took the opportunity to try out her brand new set-up which consists of a Sony EX1R camera and a monstrous Gates Housing. With the help of many hands (thanks Erik!) to get it in and out of the water, the first trip out was a success. I'm sure it weighs more than Liz herself! It was very exciting for all involved..imagine kids at Christmas!

We had an amazing group of students...

Lucky- professional photographer, just finished his BSAC Pro HD Underwater Videography Course
Tom- professional cameraman and cinematographer, coming to the end of his Underwater Documentary Internship
Julian- professional producer and director, also finishing up his Underwater Documentary Internship
And Erik- on the design team for Adobe Premiere Pro (the software that we videographers use daily), beginning his Advanced Broadcast Video course

Pro HD Video Trainer, Autumn, and Instructor Trainer, Elisabeth...

We all enjoyed a dive at Chumporn followed by the icing on the cake- a 50 minute dive with a turtle at Twins. All the students were successful in getting amazing footage and everyone came up with huge smiles on their faces.

Yet another good day at the Oceans Below office!!

The team from Oceans Below would like to officially welcome aboard Apnea Total as our new partner for Underwater Video productions on Koh Tao! Apnea Total has long been recognized as the Premier Freedive training school in the world, having certified more freedivers than any other facility on the planet. The owners, Monica and Eusebio, are highly respected in the field with numerous breathhold diving records to their names.

Freedive Instructor Trainer, Monica, practicing technique...

A few weeks ago Apnea Total and Oceans Below joined force as a way to document their students' progress on freediving courses and to promote  the sport and their business. With a keen new Oceans Below staff member, Jason, looking to literally, jump in and lend a hand, we happily took up the challenge. Jason- already a highly-trained PADI Dive Instructor- had completed his training with Apnea Total a few years ago and after just a single day of review was executing breathhold dives to depths approaching 40 meters. He's already made some fantastic freedive movies for sale to the students on the Apnea Total courses and we look forward to seeing him progress as a professional freedive videographer.

 
Freediving in the Gulf of Thailand

All of Jason's movies are filmed in HD Video while breathhold diving and he has a true penchant for capturing the grace and beauty of this amazing sport. The freedivers will be taking off the month of November to give the monsoon a miss, but we can't wait to work with them again in December. Welcome aboard Apnea Total!

Upon my arrival back from a short trip to the Uk, I was blessed with yet another eager & enthusiastic pro video student. He's from Slovenia and is called Srecko, which when translated into English means 'Lucky'. And what an appropriate name, for we have been VERY lucky indeed!

Throughout the entire BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course, we have enjoyed with very good visibility and a diverse array of underwater life that is amazing to film. One particular day that stands out is Day 3 of the course while diving with Scuba Junction at two of the most popular Koh Tao dive sites- Twins & White Rock.

Lucky's pufferfish...

Both sites are bursting at the seams with life and  are an absolute adventure to film. Seemingly, as soon as Lucky began to film one shot, I was banging furiously on my tank in order to get his attention for yet more potentially great footage. The afternoon was topped off to perfection when, at the end of the second dive, we rounded a corner at the North end of White Rock and came face to face with the resident turtle. There resides a Hawksbill turtle that can quite often be found grazing on the bubble coral in the area. We spent over ten minutes alone with the turtle enabling us to take our time and get some spectacular, close up footage. The look in Lucky's eyes at the end of that dive is the reason I love this job so much!

Resident Hawksbill Turtle at White Rock...

Lucky has immersed himself wholeheartedly into the course and is improving in leaps and bounds every day. His background in photography has helped him understand the basics allowing him to shoot a number of fantastic shots.

Well done Lucky!

A few days ago at Oceans Below, Koh Tao, we began our Documentary Film-Making Internship with Julian Andrade and Tom Mumford. Julian, a film director from Argentina, and Tom, a film and broadcast producer from the UK, started their pro underwater video training with us after doing some fun dives with Scuba Junction to get familiar with Koh Tao diving.


Tom in his elelment...

Professionals as they are, they quickly picked up the various techniques for filming underwater! Their show reels have already been posted on our Youtube page. Check them out- http://www.youtube.com/user/OceansBelowKohTao.


Julian first plays with a sunken motorbike- then plays with Photoshop...

Yesterday at Twins and White Rock, we were lucky enough to film some amazing small stuff as well as a seasnake, a hawksbill sea turtle and about 6 swimming stingrays. There will definitely be some usuable footage in there! During the Internship, Tom and Julian will each pick one species and make a short documentary about it. We're looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

Clemens finished his BSAC Video course 2 weeks ago and as a happy customer, returned to Germany. He had somewhere around 600 dives before joining us at Oceans Below, and he had already been filming underwater for about 10 years. With our help his filming and editing skills improved vastly during the 2 weeks he was on Koh Tao for the Pro Video training. I am sure his dive buddies back home will be extremely impressed with his new style of underwater movies!


A very happy Clemens in the studio...

I can't believe that I've already finished five Open Water Course videos since my paid video internship with Oceans Below began!

It feels like I just touched the tip of the iceberg of underwater video despite the immense ammount of knowledge that my Professional Underwater Video Trainers Aidy, Elizabeth and the brownie-loving Autumn have given me these past 6 weeks. Since I arrived on Koh Tao, I've felt right at home with the Oceans Below team who have extreme humor, patience and dedication (or obsession?) to underwater videography. I couldn't be more happy working with anyone. Anywhere.

Jason films his 1st-ever Whaleshark while working with us...

While doing my BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video course, I had the pleasure to film tons of little creatures such as gobies and tiny little shrimp, a variety of corals and lots of fish. The work involved with macro-videography is a time-consuming addiction you just can't get enough of, and once you start you just can't stop. On the flip side, I also had the good fortune of grabbing beautiful footage of a whaleshark that swam by Chumphon Pinnacle the other day. This was a mind blowing experience that I am still in shock of to this day! Going for a dive without a camera just isn't the same anymore.

As for the island, what place could be more perfect than Koh Tao? To my surprise, you can do nearly anything and get everything here- ranging from finding Gruyere Cheese from Switzerland to taking Trapeze classes taught by world class artists just down the road from the Video Studio. You can also go to the depths of the ocean via scuba diving or rock-climb up to the scenic heights of Koh Tao. The food is scrumptious everywhere you go (especially the Looking Glass brownies, just ask Autumn about it!), the people are really friendly and the scenery is amazing. Good thing Oceans Below helped me get that 1-year visa so that I can enjoy my time here in paradise!

Once again, we at Oceans Below are blessed with a new, excited and enthusiastic student by the name of Angela Gallo from Montreal, Canada.

Angela arrived on Koh Tao around a month ago and has been in the process of completing her PADI Divemaster Course at Buddha View Dive Resort. She plans to continue on and join the Koh Tao Instructor Development Course (IDC) with Darius soon. But before that she wanted to pursue her passion in filming and editing.

Angela quickly picking up the Adobe CS5 editing software...

She started with us here at Oceans Below only a couple of days ago but is already getting 'into the swing of things!' Her passion and enthusiasm makes her an enjoyable and rewarding student to work with and if the last few days are anything to go by, we are in for a very fun BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course!

Christmas tree coral at Aow Leuk to the south of Koh Tao

We got off to a very good start and enjoyed an afternoon at an amazing dive site called Aow Leuk at the Southern end of Koh Tao. This spot is particularly popular for PADI Open Water Courses with Instructors preferring the calm, shallow conditions for new divers. Angela loved this dive and managed to get many good shots of various types of coral and common coral fish including an amazing shot of a butterfly fish hiding in some stag horn coral. I am very impressed... continue the good work Angela!

It's been a crazy, fun-filled few weeks here at the Oceans Below offices. We managed to time it all just right and moved the entire operation to the new, picturesque premises in a single day. Moving was one thing- organizing the pile of computers, desks, chairs, cameras, boxes, and the odd student into something resembling an editing suit was another challenge. But everyone pitched in, staff and students alike, and now after a long week of organizing and tripping over each other, we are back to full strength. Now Autumn, Elisabeth and I are able to give our full attention to filming Koh Tao's dive centers and teaching our BSAC underwater video trainees.

The new Oceans Below offices on Koh Tao

Jason and Katie have recently completed the 2 week HD Underwater Video course and produced some great dry projects and show reels in the process. Both can be viewed on our Youtube Channel. They each went on to complete the student filming internship and they plan to stick around and do a bit of work over the next season. Jason has already begun working with us and Katie will complete her Divemaster course with Scuba Junction before returning to start work.

Sachin- New Professional Underwater Videographer!

Sachin, a talented photographer from India, came to Thailand to join us for the BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video course at the beginning of the month. A few days ago we went for a bit of an exploration dive north of No Name Pinnacle. I had not ventured in that direction before and was excited to see what was out there. I was surprised to find a large patch of coral where I was expecting only sand. We happened upon a few feather stars walking around, some pipe fish, and a small ray hiding in the sand. Sachin got a couple of shots of the ray before it decided it had enough of being a film star, and moved on. Yesterday, Sachin finished the BSAC Underwater Video course and is about to begin his Instructor Development Course (IDC) with  Darius and Mark over at Buddha View. Good luck Sachin!

Last year, Koh Tao Oceans Below made the transition from filming our HD underwater video using DV tape cameras to our newest standard- HDD (hard disc drive)- filming HD video (1080i) in both NTSC and Pal (30/25fps).

Moving over to HDD cameras changed everything for us. It is a much more practical way to work in a busy office with cameras going out on the morning dives, coming back to the editing suite only to be prepped to go out again for the afternoon dives. We appreciate that we can now use the same camera day in day out, without having to worry about whether there's enough space for the next staff member or underwater videographer internship trainee to record their HD underwater footage.

At the time of this article, our BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer training center has five new high-definition HDD cameras with Aquatica underwater video housings for student use. For us, HD tape cameras are a thing of the past. Gone are the days of constantly replacing tapes, sorting out dirty head issues, trouble-shooting tape deck malfunctions caused by so many moving parts, not to mention dealing with the limitation of a 60 min record time.

It seemed the only draw back with these new wonder cameras was the compression they use. AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) was a codec that haunted us for some time. We searched high and low on the internet for an effective way to deal with it. No one seemed to know anything. There was just more questions.

With the introduction of Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, we then had the ability to work with AVCHD- there were even a few plugins for CS3. But the problem was that yous eemed to need a super computer to work with it effectively. At Oceans Below we’re usually running 6/8 computers at a time, half of which are for the students to learn underwater video editing techniques. It was virtually a full time job upgrading these machines to handle the new formats that kept coming out.

One option we found was using a great little piece of software called ‘AVCHD upshift’ which converted the AVCHD/mts files to HDV/m2t,a much bigger file, but easier for the computers to handle. This was never going to be a longterm solution.

The SOLUTION!

Finally, Adobe has released Premiere Pro CS5! This was developed with AVCHD in mind. With the addition of the new mercury engine, Premiere Pro CS5 can run multi-layered AVCHD tracks without a problem. You can even apply effects to these clips and watch them back straight away.

Thank you Adobe! Once again you've raised the bar and made life easier for all of us Pro Videographers on Koh Tao!

The two new Pro HD Underwater Video Trainees are shaping up nicely and the coral is quickly recovering!

Katie, from England, who's been diving in the lakes of the UK to get her PADI Rescue certification so that she could enroll in our course, is settling in well. She's proving to be a great diver which is helping her camera work come along in leaps and bounds in her first week on the course. Jason is a very experienced PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor from Canada and has also taken to the camera  well. His shots are very smooth at this point in the course.

Katie and Jason, on their Pro video internship...

We've been out diving a few times lately and it's been great fun with these two. We've had a bit of wind come through the Gulf of Thailand recently which has stirred up the sea and reduced the visibility in the water. But July- October are usually our best diving months, so I'm sure it won't be long until we see the return of our usual crystal clear flat seas, beautiful fish and the colourful corals which are typical of Koh Tao's waters.

Nudibranchs out at Twins...

Just as with all areas of Asia and Australia, Koh Tao did have a few weeks of unseasonably warm waters a few months ago resulting in some coral bleaching on our shallower dive sites. Thankfully, we're seeing a very quick recovery as the temperatures have dropped back to the usual 29-30C. On the upside, we're now able to get some fantastic photos with otherwise, unseen effects!

Anemonefish- Thriving despite the coral bleaching....

We're now at the point on the BSAC Video course where we focus on macro shooting. Jason and Katie have been able to film some really cool stuff lately, such as a tiny nudibranch out in the sand at Japanese Gardens, a really cute  filefish and some Headshield Slugs at twins- which are quite rare on Koh Tao. Today we'll be heading out again to practice camerawork for macro filming. That is unless, we happen upon the whaleshark which has been spotted a few times over the last couple of days...!

Tiny filefish...

I never really believed people when they told me "I've found my passion, I was made to do this!" That is, not until  my first dive with an HD Underwater Video camera in my hands...it was then that the penny dropped, the light bulb shone brightly, and I suddenly realised what they meant. That was five years ago and since then, I have experienced a phenomenon that seems to elude most people around the world, nowadays....LOVING my work!!

Autumn- on her debut as a Professional Underwater Video Instructor Trainer at Oceans Below!

I  worked as a PADI Open Water Videographer for The Film Company at Ban's Diving Resort for a number of years. In this time I worked on a live-aboard boat on a trip to The Similan Islands which fired up my passion even more. But things really started coming together when I began working at Oceans Below earlier this year. The more time I spend here, the more I think it could quite possibly have been the best decision I've ever made! Aidy & Elisabeth's passion and determination to deliver high quality, exciting HD Video courses has inspired me to work harder! They saw something in me and offered me a position as a BSAC Professional Underwater Videography Instructor. After numerous months of studying, I have now become a fully fledged BSAC Diving Instructor and Videography Instructor.

Autumn with Pro Video Trainee, Doug, and Ocean's Below Colleague, Jen

I look forward to a long and happy future working in Thailand alongside Aidy & Elisabeth and the rest of the team and helping them run their video internships here at Oceans Below....The dream is real!!

It seems like not so long ago, I was writing articles about our office expansion in Koh Tao's Sairee Plaza. Well, once again we find ourselves outgrowing our office space here and we've decided to construct our own custom building on some land the company owns on a hill behind Sairee Beach.

Only a month after making the decision, the building is looking like it will be finished soon! The new Oceans Below office will be built on three levels, with the top level set up for underwater camera/housing maintenance and prep area. We've also designed a kitchen area  here for the staff and video trainees.

The next level will house the editing suite where they can all create and edit their HD underwater videos. This part of the office looks straight out onto an amazing banyan tree which has grown around a huge rock. The lowest level, near the entrance will be Elisabeth and my office which overlooks the tree to one side, and the other side up to the hills across the valley. It's a stunning scene, sure to inspire the staff for some great Underwater videos! As you can imagine, we are quite anxious to get moved in.

Tree of Inspiration...?

The new office is taking shape...

This month also has seen the promotion of one of our staff members. Autumn, who has been filming the PADI and SSI open water courses for us, and before that she worked with the film company in Bans Dive Resort, was ready for a change in life and work. Conveniently, we were ready to train and take on another BSAC HD Underwater Video Instructor. We felt that Autumn had the qualities we look for in our trainers.

Autumn, at work underwater.

And in the office.

Over the last few months or so she committed to crossing over from PADI Divemaster to BSAC Diveleader, completed her BSAC Instructor course and has been diligently assisting on our Pro HD Video courses and internships. She's definitely paid her dues and has worked hard for her reward. Since getting started, Autumn has proved to us time and time again that she was definitely the right choice for the job. Thanks Autumn, for all you hard work and dedication to the Oceans Below team!

So with a new instructor, a new office, and new cameras on the way, Oceans Below's Pro HD Underwater Video School is getting set for the start of a great new season...

The crew at Oceans Below have been so busy recently that we've found it hard to find time to update you with the news on all the Koh Tao Underwater Video trainees that have been coming through our doors lately. Our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video course is gaining more attention each day and we're filling up for this year and many spots are booked through 2011. There are still a few spaces available for this coming season, so anyone who's interested should contact us for more information ASAP.

To update, Bruno and Peter finished their course and video internship and left last month. They worked well together and both had a great time. Their enthusiasm and attention to detail helped them to become great underwater videographers!

Video Trainee, Peter...

Peter came with the intention of using his new Gates housing for the Canon FS10. Unfortunately, the housing had some teething problems, so he ended up completing the underwater video training with one of our Aquatica HD Wave housings for the Sony XR 520. We've got quite a few of these in stock at the moment for use on the courses.

Bruno completed his pro internship and is now working for the video team at Asia Divers on Koh Tao. Hope it all works out, Bruno!

On the wreck at Japanese Garden...

We've also had Cedric and Dominique complete their BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video course, recently. They too  did a great job. Dom, who completed her PADI Divemaster course a few years ago at Crystal Divers Koh Tao, is just in the later stages of her internship. She's now on our the documentary filmmaking internship. For this she will be writing, filming and editing her own short documentary on marine life camouflage. She's already filmed plenty- the only thing now is to try and glue her to an office chair and get the thing edited! What do you think Dom? Finished by June?

Cedric came to us after finishing his PADI Divemaster course at Asia Divers and was with us only for the 2 week BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video course. He certainly left an impression on the office with his great dry project. For those who don't know- during the course, students are asked to make a short dry project over two days. This allows them to learn more about the whole process of producing a film from concept to final product. Cedric already has some training in this area, and it really shows in his video. He chose to make a short film about the local Lady Boy Cabaret on Koh Tao. It was fantastic! Check it out on our YouTube channel.

The last few weeks on Koh Tao have been exceptionally good for diving with lots of amazing things to film for the new BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video trainees! Our newest, Cedric and Dominique, were lucky enough to film Eagle Rays on their first dive with a video camera in hand and a Hawksbill Turtle on their second.

One of koh Tao's resident Hawksbill turtles...

New Pro Video Trainees Cedric and Dominique

Today they are sorting through a massive amount of footage to determine which will make their showreels. Cedric, who is doing his Divemaster course with Asia Divers on Koh Tao, told me that he saw my HD movie 'From Dawn til Dusk" on the Seatran ferry last year as he left Koh Tao and decided there and then that he wanted to be a marine videographer. Now he's back on the island with us at Oceans Below to realize that dream!

Dominique has returned to the island after completing her DM course with Crystal Divers, Koh Tao to join us for her Professional Video training and internship. The two of them are having a great time together and are well on their way to becoming great videographers. They each have big plans for the future. Cedric already has experience in documentary filmmaking, having produced a film about his mother's escape from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the '70's, and is now focusing on the underwater aspect of video. Dominique wants to stay awhile and get work on Koh Tao filming for one of the dive centers. A feat that she will undoubtedly succeed in. The 2 of them both have big video plans for the future!

Declan filming an Eagle Ray


Steph left us a couple of days ago. She's returning to school in the UK, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing her again in the future. Steph made some great movies during her internship and has developed a fantastic underwater video showreel. Declan will be with us for another 2 weeks while he completes his internship. He has also been impressive with his movies and he keeps us entertained, as well.

Steph, on the job...

Oceans Below has submitted the new BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer manual to the editor and it will be complete in a matter of days. Then it's off to the printers. We are happy to be wrapping up this project so that the translators can start their work on it. BSAC Japan is anxious to have the manual and send Instructors Koh Tao to be trained in video by the crew of Oceans Below. We all look forward to the next step...

The sunsets on Koh Tao have been breathtaking latel. So yesterday, Aidy and I organised a drink on the beach with the whole Oceans Below crew. Declan and Steph Have just finished the BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer training and will begin the 2-week internship. Today they are out practicing filming an Open Water Course at Scuba Junction, Koh Tao. We wish them the best of luck!

The Team at Vibe Bar for sunset drinks...

We also would like to welcome Autumn to our team! She is now doing the 2-month Video Instructor Development Course. She will be ready to start teaching our BSAC Professional HD Video courses in July.

Mikeala and Riccardo have recently completed their underwater videography internship, and are still on standby for the occasional job until they leave the island.

Peter and Bruno are one week into the BSAC video training and are already loving it! They have been out 4 times with the HD cameras and have managed to come back with some amazing footage of the 2 Eagle Rays that are hanging out at Japanese Garden.

Eric is still on his PADI Divemaster Course with Scuba Junction and will rejoin us soon to begin his internship. Meanwhile he has been very helpful with the BSAC photoshoot, the PADI photoshoot and the a job at the Island Muay Thai Training Camp which Oceans Below was commissioned to do.  We want to keep hold of him as he is an absolutely brilliant photographer!

Also at Vibe bar for the sunset drinks, was the rest of the Oceans Below team- Jen, Jenny and Cat. They've been very busy taking care of the Open Water course student videos at Koh Tao Easy Divers, Simple Life Divers, Scuba Junction and Seashell.

Yesterday morning, I took Mikaela and Riccardo out for the last two dives of their BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video course. It's been great teaching these two! They get on really well together and are always good for a laugh. Both have shown great improvement over the last two weeks and their dry projects are looking like they will be up there with some of the best! I'll be sure and post them on youtube.com once they have finished them off.

Eagle Rays at Koh Nangyuan

At long last we got a few days of much-needed rain on the island. The Oceans Below crew will take it easy for the next few days while we await the arrival of our next 2 students- Declan and Steph. Elisabeth will be back from a short break in Europe, so she will be fresh (once the jet lag passes) and ready to get them started.

Mikaela and Riccardo are going to be starting on their student filming video internship after a few days rest. They'll be trained on how to shoot souvenir DVD's of PADI open water course students and they'll be getting paid for it! Riccardo is also thinking of doing the Documentary Film-making internship. So. it seems, he's going to be around for some time.  He's a great guy to have around the office!

Mikeala and one of the Eagle Rays

Over the last weeks I have had some great luck with my still camera as I dive around with my students. About 2 weeks ago We were fortunate enough to dive with two Eagle rays and they've been hanging around ever since! This is hardly a common site on Koh Tao and we've really enjoyed their presence. I got a good shot of Mikaela as she swam to film one of the beautiful creatures. Fingers crossed that these two stick around for awhile- they're great models for the video team on Koh Tao!.

Oceans Below has had a full plate in March with loads of activity and some great diving for the underwater video team to capture! David has just finished his BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video course and is busy working on resort videos as part of his video internship. Once he finishes up, we've secured a job for him at another video center on the island which films for Asia Divers and Island Dive Club. I've just now gotten a free minute as Dave's out filming a PADI Open Water course at Scuba Junction, while Autumn, Cecile, Jenny, and Jen are out working at Simple Life Divers, Koh Tao Easy Divers, Seashell Divers and Siam Divers.

Juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips

So, the office is going to be a hive of activity when they all get back from the morning dives!

Team Belgium- Cat and Elisabeth- are away on holiday until the end of the month, so we've been a bit stretched. Luckily, that means that the guys on their internships are able to get more experience and earn more money in the process!

Banded Yellow-lipped Sea Krait

I'm busy teaching video editing this morning with our two new video trainees, Riccardo and Mikeala, and we'll be out on the boat this afternoon. Both are quite experienced in the water, which helps a lot. They have also taken very quickly to the Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 & 4 editing software we use.


Mikeala...

We've had the chance to film some great marine life on the first few training dives of the course, and the visibility's been absolutely stunning for the last few months. I took the guys to find a Juvenile Harlequin Sweetlip at Green Rock which I'd spotted a few days earlier, and yesterday, Mikeala found us a Banded Yellow-lipped Sea Krait at Hin Pee Wee, a highly underrated dive site. I managed to get quite nice photos of both as they were busy filming.


Riccardo...

Looking forward to Elisabeh's return and a few well-earned days off!

February was a fantastic month for the full Oceans Below Team on Koh Tao! With so much going on, I've hardly gotten a free moment to write of the new events.

At the beginning of the month, new trainee David Trescot started his BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course with us.  David didn't need much help with learning the Adobe Premiere Pro software as he was once the Sr. Director of Digital Video at Adobe Systems! More recently, he was on the Board of Directors at Total Training, Inc. So, as you can imagine, he already knew something about the program... and then some! But underwater video is a very different animal to surface shooting and editing, so we were able to point him in the right direction in lots of other areas.

Then as David was starting his Documentary Internship, an old friend of his, Erik Lundblade, arrived to start his pro video course. Erik used to work at Adobe as OEM Product Manager for Premiere and After Effects! He was joined by Kristian, a dive instructor from Norway. These two guys really got stuck into their course as we jetted around the island on the Good Time Adventures speed boat. They've both taken to the course well and have been a lot of fun to have around.
Kristian and Erik, pre-dive...

We've had a great time hosting the guys from Adobe with us at Oceans Below. Special thanks to Darius and his amazing Texas barbecue from the Oceans Below crew! We were even lucky enough to have Bill Hensler, VP of Dynamic Media at Adobe Systems, hanging out in the office when he wasn't on his PADI Open Water course. Bill was nice enough to bring us a few new copies of the Premiere Pro software in anticipation of the new desktops we have on order. It's good to know some of the guys behind the scenes of the software we love so much. Without the Adobe CS package this job would be a lot harder. But don't just take our word for it, to see all of the possibilities of the program, just go and see the new hit movie Avatar!

Oceans Below video trainee Colby has finally completed his BSAC Professional HD Underwater Vidoegrapher course and begun his paid internship. As Colby will be around for a bit, we've customised his program so that he can continue to work on his documentary film-making techniques while also spending some time getting paid to film souvenir videos for the various dive shops on Koh Tao.

Colby... a pro videographer in the making...

Once we've been able to get Colby on track, he's surprised us with the quality of his shot-making and his creativity. For the next month or so, we'll be looking forward to having him working with us and becoming part of the team while he simultaneously prepares for his Instructor Development Course (IDC) at Buddha View Dive Resort.

Colby at work with the HD camera...

After the last few days of diving at Chumphon Pinnacle in the afternoons with the Good Time Adventures speed-boat and getting some really good shots of the Bull Sharks, we're now able to focus on getting Colby up to speed with what the staff videographers on the Oceans Below team do to make a living in Thailand. Soon enough he'll be going out on his own to produce customer movies. We all look forward to what's gonna happen then!

As a special thanks to all of our loyal Koh Tao dive centers and customers, Oceans Below organized a massive barbecue at Vibe  Bar on Sairee Beach on the 17th. Attending were most of the staff and Divemaster trainees from Koh Tao Easy Divers, Simple Life Divers, Seashell Dive Resort and our newest dive partner- Scuba Junction.

Massive Dave- always good value for money...

Dave and Therese cooked up burgers and sausages for 160 of Oceans Below's closest friends and business partners and we all enjoyed a few cold drinks on a beautiful, warm February night on the beach. Also attending were the crews from Thailand Gap Internships, Good Time Adventures, BSAC Thailand and All for Diving who've been hugely supportive of Oceans Below over the years. The professional underwater videographers and HD video interns of our own shop rounded out the guest list.

Therese- Everyone's favorite barkeeper!

The Crew from Good Time Adventures

A lot of individuals and companies have contributed to the amazing success of Oceans Below and we wanted to show our appreciation! The business of underwater video production in Thailand is never easy, always exciting, but without our network of dive schools, videographers and friends, we'd have a much harder time of it. Thanks again, Koh Tao, for your continued support!

At Oceans Below, we're always on the look out for ways to improve our service and facilities. We have long been associated with first class dive resorts on Koh Tao such as Koh Tao Easy Divers, Sea Shell Divers, Siam Scuba, and Simple Life Dive Resort.

We have recently teamed up with Good Time Adventures who have a fantastic long-hulled speed boat that allows us to access any of Koh Tao's dive sites in a matter of minutes, and to run trips at 'off-hours' when we're sure to have the sites to ourselves. We've also joined ranks with 'The Film Company' operating out of Bans Dive Resort, and are now supplying them with videographers to film their resort videos. This is a great opportunity for our trainees to get paid work after our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video Internship!

Now, we're happy to announce our newest partnership on Koh Tao... Scuba Junction, who are one of  Koh Tao's oldest, most professional, and most recognized dive centres, teaching both PADI & SSI courses, will now be working together with Oceans Below! We're looking forward to employing their staff and facilities in the training of our video students to get the prerequisite skills to join our courses. We'll also be sending our staff out to film their students with an eye towards promoting the dive shop and allowing their students to leave with souvenir DVD's of their dive experience on Koh Tao.

The shop is conveniently located just a few minutes walk from the Oceans Below studio, and situated right in the middle of Sairee Beach.

So now, our videography staff and BSAC Underwater Video students can walk from Oceans Below to the beach, hop on the Scuba Junction long tail boat and get taken to their dive boat- The Manta Ray- in no time at all. Underwater Video training in Thailand couldn't be easier!

We REALLY look forward to working with Scuba Junction!

As a way of welcoming Scuba Junction into the fold, we'll invite them and all of the staff from our existing dive centres for a big barbecue at Vibe Bar on Sairee Beach on the 17th! Welcome aboard!!!

At Oceans Below we've long been specializing in teaching Professional Underwater Video training in Thailand, focusing on the use of full manual controls on HD video cameras and underwater housings. Our trainees normally then progress on to an internship program. But we also teach underwater photography from time-to-time.

A few days ago, one of our trainees found out he had to postpone his BSAC Pro HD Video course at short notice which allowed us an opportunity to fit in a 2 day underwater photography course. I ended up teaching to a lovely couple who had just finished their PADI Advanced Open Water course at Koh Tao Easy Divers. It was a pleasure to teach two people who were so interested in what they were doing. They listened and learned and got more and more hooked on underwater cameras and photography as the days passed. I find it really rewarding to see complete beginners develop so fast! Their results were fantastic- I think the results speak for themselves...

Hard to believe- all thse photos were taken by relatively new divers after only 2 days of training with Oceans Below!