{"id":1489,"date":"2013-09-25T19:23:10","date_gmt":"2013-09-25T19:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thebackpackingbear.com\/blog\/?p=1489"},"modified":"2015-07-09T17:34:24","modified_gmt":"2015-07-09T17:34:24","slug":"joe-louis-gets-scuba-certified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backpackingbear.com\/blog\/joe-louis-gets-scuba-certified\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Louis gets scuba certified"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

There is an entire living world beneath us. An oceanic realm teeming with odd, alien looking creatures. An expansive world that plays by different rules than the restricted terrestrial lives we lead. A world of turbulent, insolent waves and currents that belligerently battle with no care for consequence.<\/p>\n

You know of this world. You know of the varied fish in the sea when ordering off of seafood restaurant menu. You appreciate the sharks in the ocean whenever Shark Week rolls around. You see the tide wash against the shore every time you visit the beach. But these small exposures are literally just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n

Scuba diving is the entry ticket that allows you to move from peering through the window to being immersed in the action. I remember the first time I saw a school of fish swim right in front of me. Hundreds of little critters effortlessly flying by as if in the aquatic HOV lane. If my mouth wasn’t latched on to a respirator, my jaw would have dropped.<\/p>\n

SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is more than an adventure sport. It is a liberating, exploratory skill that transports people to a different universe. Take the plunge!<\/p>\n

“Just look at the world around you
\nRight here on the ocean floor
\nSuch wonderful things surround you
\nWhat more is you lookin’ for?
\nUnder the sea
\nUnder the sea
\nDarling it’s better
\nDown where it’s wetter
\nTake it from me”
\n-The Little Mermaid<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

See what other blogs are saying about diving off Koh Tao:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“Travelers flock from all over Southeast Asia to take their first breaths underwater in the coral reefs fringing Turtle Island. And it\u2019s easy to see why: the courses are cheap, the dive sites are abundant, the island is beautiful, and the lifestyle is easy.”
\n–Nomadic Matt<\/a><\/p>\n

“The island lived up to the hype. The water was a beautiful torquoise blue with fantastic visibility, and was relatively shallow near the beach (you could stand up). I saw about six types of fish, though the only types I could identify were parrot fishes and honeycomb groupers.”
\n–Explore for a Year<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  There is an entire living world beneath us. An oceanic realm teeming with odd, alien looking creatures. An expansive world that plays by different rules than the restricted terrestrial lives we lead. A world of turbulent, insolent waves and currents that belligerently battle with no care for consequence. You know of this world. You […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[4],"tags":[71,164,259,279,303],"yoast_head":"\nGetting Scuba Certified in Kho Tao Thailand: Backpacking Bear<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Getting certified to Scuba Dive off the beautiful island of Koh Tao, Thailand\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.backpackingbear.com\/blog\/joe-louis-gets-scuba-certified\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Getting Scuba Certified in Kho Tao Thailand: Backpacking Bear\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Getting certified to Scuba Dive off the beautiful island of Koh Tao, Thailand\" \/>\n<meta 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