Koh Tao’s dive season lasts all year round, without a single day excluded from the calendar, making it easier for booking your holiday to Thailand without having to worry about what season is best for diving. The island is surrounded by dive sites, including shallow dives, sheltered bays, artificial reefs, swim-throughs, caves, huge pinnacles, deep sights, and even wrecks. The islands conditions, depth of the sites, as well as the clarity and calmness of the water, make it a perfect diving destination for anyone. The most predominant certifying organisations on the island are the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Scuba School International (SSI). There are over 60 dive shops on the island as well, so getting a certified license is one of the more convenient things you’ll do. As a beginner course, the “Try Dive” or “Fun Dive” courses are the best, with a full day program, you will dive to a maximum depth of 12 metres after learning how to effectively and safely use the equipment. This is all done under the supervision of a professional diving instructor. The Open Water Course takes place over a four-day period, and you will receive an internationally recognised license that allows you to dive to a maximum depth of 18 metres. The course begins in a shallow, enclosed environment, such as a pool or a bay, where you will learn basic diving skills. From there you will have classroom presentations from an instructor, which are followed by four open water dives. Nobody below the age of ten may be eligible for this course.
Dive Koh Tao
Price
Try Dive: 2,000 THB
Open Water: 9,900 THB
Info
What’s involved?
You’ll meet your instructor for the day, who will firstly take you over the fundamentals of diving so that your experience is safe, fun, and worry-free. The initial skills are practised in shallow waters so you can get the hang of things before embarking on your first open water dive. The dive goes to a maximum depth of 12 metres and is potentially a doorway to an exciting and richly rewarding new hobby.
How long will it take?
A full day (seven hours). Starts at 10:30 with some breakfast and dive theory.
What do I need to start?
Be eight years old or older, and be a competent swimmer. Equipment is all provided by the dive shop for the duration of the course.
Typical Diary of your day.
10.30am- Get the paperwork out of the way and meet your instructor for the day. They will then talk you through the skills you’ll require, why you will require them, as well as trying on the equipment.
12 pm- Free time for lunch.
12.45pm- The dive boats depart for a shallow area where you can stand and be briefed by your instructor. You’ll be informed about the skills you’ll be performing and how to perform them.
2.00pm- You’ll be sitting on your knees watching the fish and breathing underwater, familiarising yourself with the underwater environment. Once you’ve gotten comfortable, your instructor will perform several skills which you will then replicate, and once you’ve got all that down, the real adventure begins! 12 Glorious metres of the ocean’s depth are now yours to explore with the aid of your instructor, and what an incredible journey it is.
3.00pm- Back aboard the boat to share your experiences over coffee, cookies, and fresh fruit.
4.00pm- An optional second dive (costing an extra 1000 THB) without the skills class beforehand. This time is an hour long exploration of the exquisite reef.
5.00pm- Back aboard the boat and off to the shore to conclude the day.
5.30pm- Relax and unwind as you reminisce about the day’s activities in the bar and restaurant, stick around to enjoy the beautiful Koh Tao sunset.