The last sunset of Lanta

The last sunset of Lanta <3

Now is the time, the time to move from one home to another. The season in Koh Lanta is over and as we are watching the last sunset for this time in Thailand, plans for our next adventure is starting to pop up in my mind.
That sunset was emotional and very beautiful

This six months have been a rollercoaster. I had a vision how the season would look like and I accomplished everything I wanted and got a big bonus.
The instructor was always on my mind and I was very excited when it started. I’m very proud to now call myself a PADI instructor, it’s time to get out there and make some “PADI babies”.

The season started out as usual extraordinary diving and fun working days. So fun to dive with some of my friends who took the time to come to Lanta and learn to dive.
This season has for sure been the Whale shark season. I had never seen one before and can now say that I’ve seen them more than six times around Koh Haa, yees lucky me..

What I didn't know was that I would meet a beautiful, funny and smart Finnish girl. I think what caught my attention was the blue eyes behind the scuba mask and the smile she had on her face every time she was about to go diving. She told me in the beginning that “bubbles make her happy” We started to spend more time together and after I knew it, she moved in to my bungalow! We both like traveling and adventures and now we will work together in Malta me and Marika. But first some time abroad from each other and it feels very weird. To have been waking up every morning, laughing about our English errors, diving and figure out which restaurant to eat at. Will not be the same to be by myself for some weeks.

Marika told me the last evening, I learned with you how to share my food. I’ll  take that as a big win!

The last sunset turned the sky red as fire and we stayed on the beach a little bit longer then we use to. I think none of us wanted it to end. But let's get ready for new adventures and for me to finally start teaching diving, that have been my goal all along.

Me and Marika are so eager for Malta  the company is Godive Malta and would be so fun to meet up with friends there during the season.

We will see what will happen next season hopefully this was not the last sunset of Koh Lanta

Thanks everyone for a great great season!!!

Holiday in Mabul

Holiday in Mabul

Turtle count: 42

So after a season working and two weeks off study, we decided to take a holiday. As any job you need to have time off from working.

Marika found this flight to Tawau. Tawau is a town located on the east coast of Borneo. She said that I had been talking about an island around this area. I couldn't really remember, then she told me and I remembered I had talked about Mabul. The island Mabul is a little island outside Semporna and is very famous for diving. There is a dive sites here called sipadan,  this island should be one of the best dive sites. Unfortunately it is very hard to get a spot to this trip and it is very expensive. 3 dives cost around 220 euros.

Mabul as an Island is very small and the houses are built on poles in the water. Families of five is living in small boats and selling crabs and fish every afternoon. Rumors about plastic waste passed our ears as we were about to go. But in out yes it was not to bad. Of course you saw some waste, but the beaches and the diving was very clean.

We stayed at a place called scuba jeff. A budget place but enough and a very relaxing lounge area with many Hammocks and view over the shallow waters. The water was crystal clear and every afternoon you could see Turtles taking a breath in the orange sunset.

Diving was very easy and the first backroll to the borneo water was under an old oil rig, that is now a hotel. The variety of aquatic life was amazing and the GIANT grouper said hello. This dive site is called seaventure.

Other dives we did was lobster wall just outside Scuba jeff. A deep wall dive with a drift pushing you the whole dive so no need to kick yourself forward.

Kapalai is a sand island with beautiful bungalows in the water, and the diving underneath is also worth to make a visit.

Other than diving we have been eating a lot of seafood, this people really knows how to cook fish. Spend long time in the Hammocks, drinking Filipino rum and spend some hours on white colored beaches.

A very good finish off the season. Now we will head back to Koh Lanta and enjoy the last days together before we will head home and later meet up on our new adventure, working for Go dive Malta.

Greetings from the airport of Tawau.

Instructor & Holiday

Hey I made it!

After two weeks of dedicated studying and fun I finally became a Padi instructor.

The two weeks started off with an Idc (instructor development course) preparation. Two days off getting to know each other and show our course director (Azman) what knowledge we had.

Then it was many hours off new things to learn like, Padi standards, teaching skills , diving theory and  workshops. Long days but I thought that I was a better diver everytime I went home for the evening after the class that day. Azman is a very good teacher. His experience in teaching instructors is big, but what I think is the most important is that he is one off us. He was coming down to our level and joking and ate dinner with us. He was the one who often planed the evenings and afternoons for some fun activities.

The IE (final exam) works like a driver test in Sweden. First a big theory test you need to pass and then there is some practical exams you need to pass. I was very nervous the first morning when the theory test was. Because some parts you may do again but some exams you need to pass the first time. I passed the theory exams with very good grades. In the afternoon we had our Pool teaching and skills circuit.

Then it was one test left the next morning, the open water. I knew I was good in the water but because it was the last test I was super nervous. I was up late and prepared and visualize how to do my two skills. The next day I passed with 5/5 easy…..

Now when I become an instructor the beer taste is a little bit better, the pad Thai more tasteful and the compressed air in the tank last longer.

This is very big for me and thanks everyone who supported me thorough this. My family and friends back home, Friends around the island, My classmates and Marika who spent some nights to help me to study.

The IE party was very fun and everyone were in a great mood. The owner created tubes from the second floor down. To the snorkel.

Now me and Marika are on the way to Mabul. Sweet!