31.07.2010 17:45:49

Chris

After several years expeience technical diving wrecks in the 60 to 80 meter range on open circuit ACE Marine Images is going CCR. We have been planning the transition since the beginning, with the intention of offering deep tech and CCR photography and video courses. The reason we have waited so long is to gather all the required experience and knowledge before we share that know how with our future students.

There are all sorts of diving instructors out there claiming to be able to teach photo and video courses but we are firm believers in the age old adage that "one should be able to practise what they preach". With support from some of the most experienced CCR divers and underwater film makers on the planet we are finally ready to start offering these highly advanced multi tasking courses.

underwater video training | ccr | rebreathers

25.04.2010 00:15:37

Chris

Long ago, when sailing ships ruled the waves, a captain and his crew were in danger of being boarded by a pirate ship. As the crew became frantic, the captain bellowed to his First Mate, "Bring me my red shirt!"

The First Mate quickly retrieved the captain's red shirt, which the captain put on and led the crew to battle the pirate boarding party.

Although some casualties occurred among the crew, the pirates were repelled. Later that day, the lookout screamed that there were two pirate vessels sending boarding parties. The crew cowered in fear, but the captain, calm as ever, bellowed, "Bring me my red shirt!"

Once again the battle was on. However, the Captain and his crew repelled both boarding parties, though this time more casualties occurred.

Weary from the battles, the men sat around on deck that night recounting the day's occurrences when an ensign looked to the Captain and asked, "Sir, why did you call for your red shirt before the battle?"

The Captain, giving the ensign a look that only a captain can give, exhorted, "If I am wounded in battle, the red shirt does not show the wound and thus, you men will continue to fight unafraid."

The men sat in silence marveling at the courage of such a man. As dawn came the next morning, the lookout screamed that there were pirate ships, 10 of them, all with boarding parties on their way.

The men became silent and looked to the Captain, their leader, for his usual command. The Captain, calm as ever, bellowed, "Bring me my brown pants!"

23.04.2010 23:08:15

Chris

It has recently been brought to our attention that several companies, including a prolific local dive center, are claiming to be able to offer ACE Marine Images Professional Underwater Video Courses or something that is, to quote one, 'basically the same'. One even emailing that the course is taught by ACE graduates, must be desperate times, but joking aside this is bordering on unethical practice.

We would like to make it perfectly clear that, although we cannot, and would not, stop amateurs offering video training, the only place in the world that one can study a professional ACE course is here with us at ACE and for a very good reason. These courses are not run of the mill courses in which we check the boxes after which you simply pay for your cerfication, quite the opposite, we actually want you to learn something that is valuable to you.

The news has given us several reasons for concern; firstly, anyone who may have been trained by ACE cannot teach the course, our camera operator trainers have over 10 years experience. Diving instructors on the other hand can apply for video teaching status after claiming just 20 dives with a camera, ridiculous. SSI also will not allow anyone anywhere to teach this course accept us, a pretty good clue to the high levels of mastery required to pass. Although all our interns reach a high standard, not all are high enough to maintain employment with us, so if someone is claiming to have graduated through our course but is teaching somewhere else then they may well not be up to scratch.

Either way we have received this information as flattering news, we understand why people wish to emulate us but there is only one ACE Marine Image so please contact us first to make sure that you are in the right place.

04.02.2010 21:38:32

Chris

When it comes to choosing underwater video courses there is a pletherer of useful and useless info out there. Despite all the information that one can find on the wonderful world that is the internet, I would like to reiterate something which the Lonely Planet quotes me as saying regarding all diving courses, don't believe any of it, come to Koh Tao and find out for yourselves. Well, I didn't quite say that but that is the gist of it.

There are desperate efforts to blag and convince, to pull and coerce, to manipulate you into buying into something that may not actually be quite what it seems. So why not just pitch up off the ferry, check into a resort for a day or two, have a shower and get yourself down to the pub for a pint or a baby sham or whatever tickles your fancy and speak to those who know, real people. Get out of virtual sales and into first hand knowledge.

You will meet students who have just finished courses, they will tell you what it is really like; you'll also meet instructors who may well try to sell you on their dive shop but you can decide whether you like them or not, trust them or not etc. Give yourself a better chance of finding the resort, center, instructor, video course that is right for you. Over the past 10 years or so we have witnessed many wannabees come and go, many rookies try their hand and dabble in businesses that those who they try to imitate are flourishing in, but they will always come and go, fade into the background as the reality arrives. And the reality is that if there is no passion, there will be no success, you can't just expect to copy the guy next door when you just simply aren't very good at whatever it is you are trying to imitate, no matter how much rubbish you spew forth.

When you come to Koh Tao you will be able to see for yourself who has stood the test of time, who has the passion and who has what it is that you are looking for. So I say again, ignore the blag and come and see for yourself. For ACE Marine Images you can just turn on the TV as we like to let the quality of our work do the talking. Feel free to contact us if you would like reliable information about Koh Tao.

23.01.2010 21:13:12

Chris

In the 13 years we have been operating I have never seen so much interest in young professionals looking to ACE Marine Images to become underwater camera operators or photographers. We currently have 2 students on the go, our course maximum, and a further 8 lined up over the next 3 weeks, all of whom can expect work if they excell as we fully expect them to. Due to the great attitude amongst our film crews more and more rookies are being drawn in to become part of what has always been a world leader in underwater imaging and more and more dive operators are requesting our services to promote their businesses and cover their daily video needs.

Suffice it to say that with our growing team, high sales, level of internship student quality and highly sort after graphic design department, I am ecstatic about the current state of affairs and look forward to a great year of imaging and education. I hope that everybody has a great year, a fantastic decade and would like to thank all of our clients and colleagues for their long lasting and loyal support. We would also like to welcome back to the fold some of our old contracts who have been on sebatical for a while, all the best, her's looking forward to many great years working together.

Good luck and best wishes to each and all.

11.10.2009 03:08:51

Chris

There are 3 underwater video trainee interns right now at ACE Marine Images; Tash and Christa are coming to the end of their first month and are both showing real promise, already selling quality videos and making seamless films, smooth and striking, that's what I for one, love to see; Erik has just begun his internship and has already, in the early stages of the Advanced Underwater Film-Maker Course, shown that he has the potential to become a valued member of the ACE team. I am watching closely with great anticipation as our new crew develop rapidly into world class underwater camera operators.

Andy, as well as being our chief underwater video training course instructor, has taken on the role as head of operations here at the ACE Marine Images Studio and Academy on Koh Tao. Having spent several years training the rookies and interns, and being one of our most reliable documentary film crew, it seemed that he had all the right crudentials to take things a step further and take the helm! It has to be said that in the short time that he has been in  charge he has been doing a blinding job. The new interns can attribute their rapid progress to his dedicated teaching methods and knowledge, and our clients and contracts can enjoy a first class service thanks to his organisational skills and passion for the job.

As we come towards the middle of October, often the most quiet time of year due to the approaching monsoon, the weather has just cleared up and I am predicting the arrival of whale sharks to our dive sites very soon, maybe even today. The visability is certainly clearing up and while swimming over Sairee Reef 4 days ago I was lucky enough to encounter 3 spotted eagle rays. While chatting with local fishermen yesterday they are expecting marlin and sailfish to be plentiful over the next few months and like those of us in the diving industry they are hoping that the destructive local net fishermen will be halted from their incredibly destructive yearly act of midnight dredging for the swordfish run. Maybe too much to hope for, we'll see. I have also been hearing whispers of the bull sharks and reef sharks making a comeback to Chumphon Pinnacle, let's hope they have a good season. Now that the weather is clearing up I plan to get out there myself and shoot some stills, stay posted and checkout the gallery!

underwater video training course | underwater video internships | underwater video studio and academy | Koh Tao | Thailand