Welcome to the team Luke

The Dive Shop Cambodia welcome Luke, our new (freelance) Divemaster to the team!

Luke started his diving career at the age of 12 in Egypt, where he caught the diving bug, leading him to explore the waters around the world. The decision to become a professional diver was an easy one and he completed his Divemaster training in Cambodia this year.

"Diving as a career choice was something I always thought about, when I finally had the chance to do it in a place as wonderful as Koh Rong it took me about 5 minutes to make the actual decision and I will never look back. Diving is a truly life changing activity that will open up a new and still little discovered world to you."

Certificate of Recognition for Excellence

Take the PADI Self-Reliant Diver course with The Dive Shop Cambodia

We are proud to be the first and only Divecenter in Cambodia teaching the PADI Self-Reliant Diver Distinctive Specialty course!

PADI’s overall training programs and philosophy support the proven system of diving with a partner for several reasons, not the least of which are its contributions to diver safety.

PADI also recognizes that experienced divers, after being trained in the skills, knowledge and safety techniques of solo diving in a self-reliant manner, can be prepared to dive independent of a partner.

Those experienced divers, through proper training (as in the PADI Self-Reliant Diver Specialty course) learn knowledge and skills in solo dive planning, life support system readiness, adaptive training, equipment preparedness and diving responsibly to compensate for situations when diving alone.

PADI's position is clear; independent diving proponents should advocate responsible independent diving on its own unique merits, requisite training, and equipment needs and not through sensationalized attempts to disparage a proven safety system that has served the majority of recreational scuba divers well.

The purpose of the Self-Reliant Diver specialty course is to recognize and accept the role of the buddy system and its contributions to diver safety while identifying and developing self-reliance and independence while diving.

There are two reasons for an experienced diver to take the Self-Reliant diver course:

• To develop the skills of planning and carrying out dives without a partner when preferred or necessary. 
• To sharpen skills of diving self-reliance, making the diver a stronger partner in a dive pair or team. 

This course covers when diving alone may be applicable, and the need to compensate for those situations, including solo dive planning, life support system readiness, adaptive training, equipment and responsibility. This course is an introduction to self-reliant diving that helps student divers develop the skills, knowledge and techniques necessary to rely on themselves first, whether or not they are diving with a partner, including:

• The value and application of the buddy system. 
• The philosophy of, and motivation for, diving without a partner. 
• Potential risks of diving alone, and how to manage those risks. 
• The value of equipment redundancy and what back-up equipment is needed. 
• Dive planning and gas management. 

As long as you are at least an Advanced Open Water Diver and have 100 logged dives you can sign up for this course. The course will be conducted over two days on our divesites around Koh Rong island.

Welcome Dom

The Dive Shop Cambodia welcomes our new instructor Dom to the team!

Dom first started diving in Oman in the Middle East when he was 16. Since then he has had a passion for diving and the underwater world. Just diving was never enough, he did his IDC on Koh Tao, Thailand and has been teaching for the last year in many different places around the world.

"If you have never been diving before then you are definitely missing out! I love diving because when I descend beneath the waves I am surrounded by a completely new world, a world where I discover new amazing things every time, every dive is a new adventure for me!"

Jellyfish @ Koh Koun Island

Again, our superb instructors saved our guests from swimming into a massive jellyfish at Koh Koun island! ;)

Its beautiful, isn't it?

Nudibranch Heaven

The last couple of weeks have been quite windy and rainy but still we have been out diving. The amount of nudibranches we have found around Koh Koun island was incredilble! Here are some of our best shots:

Also we have found some very rare Sawblade Shrimps at one of our dive sites off Koh Rong island: