Updated: 2/2/2020 | February 2nd, 2020
This is a guest post by Alexandra Baackes, the legend behind Alex in Wanderland. She’s also a PADI divemaster and a resident of Koh Tao, Thailand. Koh Tao is a popular destination for scuba divers and one the biggest places people learn in the world! In this guide, Alex gives you the insider scoop on diving schools, prices, and the best areas for viewing sea life when you visit Koh Tao.
Travelers in Thailand like to label their destinations neatly. Intricate island paradises are boiled down to one or two simple words or associations: Koh Phi Phi? The Beach. Koh Phangan? The Full Moon Party. Koh Tao? Diving.
Some of them are fairly well deserved.
After all, Koh Tao is one of the world’s top destinations when it comes to number of annual dive certifications issued — in fact, it’s second only to Cairns, Australia. Travelers flock from across Southeast Asia to take their first breaths underwater in the coral reefs fringing this paradise island. It’s simple to see why: the courses are among the most affordable in the world, the teaching standards are high, the conditions are easy, the dive sites are abundant, and it’s a dang fun place to decompress after a day underwater.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when planning a trip to Koh Tao — there are more than 70 dive schools on the island! — so a bit of research goes a long way when it comes to such a large investment of your time and travel budget.
PADI or SSI?
There are more than 50 scuba diving training systems around the world, but in Koh Tao, the choice generally comes down to two: the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) or Scuba Schools International (SSI). Each organization develops its own teaching materials; writes its own standards based on those set by the umbrella organization, the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC); and awards its own certifications.
No matter what certification card you walk away with, you’ll use the same equipment, see the same fish, and be able to dive at the same destinations. Certifications are interchangeable and recognized worldwide. The most important factors in the quality of your course will be your dive school and your dive instructor. But there are minor differences between agencies.
PADI
PADI is the world’s leading scuba diving training organization. If you find comfort in numbers, then
this agency with nearly one million certifications per year might just be for you! The major benefit to diving with PADI comes at the professional level. For instructors and divemasters, PADI provides the most employment opportunities, and PADI instructors can work independently (while an SSI instructor must teach through an SSI-registered shop). So if you have dreams of staying in Thailand to teach the backpacker masses and you want to be loyal to one agency, PADI is a strong agency to hedge your bets on.
SSI
Once just a small subset of the diving industry here, SSI has exploded to control a full 50% of the market share on Koh Tao. All coursework is done via the free app and/or online, making it a green choice (although PADI has digital products for most courses as well).
What’s the Course Like?
The Open Water course is the first certification you’ll complete as a diver. Many divers come to Koh Tao to complete their Open Water certification, and some get hooked and stay till they’re instructors themselves. But be wary of “zero to hero” packages that include the full array of courses from first underwater breath to master scuba diver trainer — take it one step at a time.
(While half-day experiences called “Discover Scuba Diving” or “Try Scuba Diving” are available, they don’t lead to any sort of certification and should really only be considered if you’re (a) super strapped for time or (b) extremely unsure if diving is for you. Otherwise, just dive in, literally, to the Open Water!)
The typical Open Water diving course is completed in three to four days. There are videos to watch, book chapters to read, tests to take, and, of course, dive sites to explore! It might sound intimidating, but the course is designed for students as young as 10 — the academics shouldn’t intimidate you.
Here’s a rough outline of what your course will look like:
- Day 1: Orientation, paperwork, and videos.
- Day 2: A morning in the classroom learning about basics skills, equipment, and the effects of diving on the body. An afternoon spent in the pool or at shallow dive sites working on skills such as regulator recovery and mask removal, among others.
- Day 3: A morning in the classroom finishing knowledge reviews and taking some quizzes. In the afternoon, the fun really begins with open-water dives 1 and 2, which will stay shallow and low-key. Some skills will be practiced during the dives.
- Day 4: You’ll go out on a morning boat and complete open-water dives 3 and 4, where you’ll get to go a bit deeper and explore. In the afternoon, you’ll take the final exam. Congratulations — you made it!
Upon completion, you’ll receive a certification card that allows you to dive anywhere in the world up to a depth of 18 meters. Time to start daydreaming about your Advanced Open Water!
And the Open Water course is just the beginning! Koh Tao is a true mecca for dive education: you can take courses in freediving and technical diving, and specialty scuba courses in everything from photography to conservation and beyond — plus the gamut of continuing and professional courses up to Instructor Trainer!
Which School Should I Choose?
Koh Tao ain’t called a mecca for diving for nothing: there are nearly 70 dive schools on this 13-square-mile rock! This decision is the biggest when it comes to determining the quality of your diving course. For the most part, the schools fall into a few categories:
Big schools: Bans, Big Blue, Crystal
These schools are enormous scuba powerhouse resorts that can churn out hundreds of Open Water divers a week, with instructors for almost every language imaginable. They are ideal for someone who is confident about going under water (i.e., doesn’t need extra individual attention) and wants to make lots of friends and meet people in a big group setting. However, those groups can be a bit large for comfort.
Medium-sized schools: Master Divers, Sairee Cottage
Medium dive schools generally have the best of both worlds. They have a range of instructors and groups large enough to make friends in, but they aren’t as prone to overcrowding or rushing through the course.
Small schools: Hydronauts, Ocean Sound
These schools are great at accommodating special needs or focusing on a certain specialty. The extra attention with instructors is key for those who are feeling uncertain about heading underwater or who simply want to be spoiled with attention and learn in a more focused environment. However, these schools sometimes rent boat space and pool time from other dive schools rather than having their own facilities.
When picking a school and an instructor, consider these factors:
- Does it have an instructor who speaks your language? There are many specialty language-focused dive schools on Koh Tao: for Spanish, head to Pura Vida or La Bambona; Isla Tortuga Divers, or Alvaro Diving; for French, French Kiss Divers; for Finnish, Koh Tao Divers.
- Will the confined dives take place in the ocean or in a pool?
- How many students will be in the group?
- What time do they leave in the morning? Those eager beavers who want to be the first on the dive site might not mind being up in time for New Way’s 6am departure, while night owls might prefer Ban’s or Sairee Cottage’s more relaxed dive times.
- Is the equipment up to date and in my size? Schools in Koh Tao have a good record for equipment range and maintenance, but it never hurts to ask.
- Will you get to have my own dive computer throughout the course? Will there be an extra charge?
- How qualified is the instructor? Some students may appreciate the enthusiasm and up-to-date training of a new instructor, while others may find comfort in a teacher with tons of qualifications and years of experience.
- Do you like the instructor?
How Much Will It Cost?
Open Water courses on Koh Tao cost 11,000 baht (approximately $350 USD) without accommodation. (Once upon a time, almost every dive school on the island bundled accommodation in with their courses, but that’s becoming more and rarer outside the largest dive resorts. If accommodation is included, it’s a very basic fan room — or you can upgrade to a nicer one at a discount.)
Though it’s less common these days, many schools will have a videographer come along on dives 3 and 4 and make a 10-20-minute music video–style recording of your day. At night, the class will gather to watch it. Depending on the video company, they may charge you a flat rate for a copy or base it on how many copies are sold — so you can take one home for anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 baht ($32–97 USD). Some schools have switched to providing still photos instead, which you can purchase as part of a package — expect to pay around 300 baht ($10 USD) for one photo or 1,000 ($32 USD) for a set of several.
Though it’s not an agency standard, many schools have a policy that students can’t bring their own cameras out on Open Water Courses, so don’t freak if you aren’t allowed to bring your GoPro — they aren’t trying to bully you into buying a video or photo package; they are trying to keep you safe, keep you focused, and avoid damage to reefs and marine life until buoyancy is mastered.
For divers who have already completed their Open Water course, fun dives cost around 700–1,000 baht ($23–32 USD) each, depending on how many dives you’ll do and if you have your own equipment. Those with time and money constraints will want to make it a priority to visit at least one of Koh Tao’s premier dive sites.
What are the Can’t-Miss Dive Sites?
If you’re a brand new diver doing your Open Water course on Koh Tao, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter where you go — you’re going to love it! You’ll be so focused on your skills and the magic of breathing underwater for the first time, you won’t really notice the differences between different dive sites yet anyway.
Twins
Twins is a very common training dive site used for dives 1 or 2 of the Open Water course. Twins sits just off the coast of Koh Nang Yuan and is perfect for new divers, thanks to its shallow depth. A highlight here is the family of rare saddleback clownfish inside an anemone that you can’t miss — there’s a ring of rocks around it!
White Rock
White Rock is another one of the most commonly visited dive sites on Koh Tao, frequently for dive 4 of the Open Water course. It’s an enormous dive site, providing a wide sampling of Koh Tao’s marine life — including the odd sea turtle who lumbers through. Read more about diving White Rock here.
Southwest
Southwest is a collection of pinnacles carpeted in soft coral anemone and
the pink anemonefish that accompany them. This is a great site for spotting barracuda and giant groupers. It’s located 13km southwest of Koh Tao and is almost always visited on the morning boats. With pinnacle depths from 6m to 27m, it’s perfect for anyone from Open Water certified and up. (Feeling adventurous? There’s a secret pinnacle here as well.) Read more about diving Southwest here.
Shark Island
Shark Island is so named for its resemblance to a dorsal fin, rather than an abundance of certain toothy fish. The north side is best known for its diversity of coral, while the south side has unique soft corals you won’t see elsewhere on Koh Tao. The rocky outcrop is located southeast of Koh Tao and is a less commonly visited site due to both its location and its often challenging conditions — both current and visibility can be a struggle here. Read more about diving Shark Island here.
HTMS Sattakut
This former US Navy ship was sunk in June 2011 off the coast of Sairee Beach and has become home to Jenkins’ whiprays, great barracuda, and dozens of gobies playing hide-and-seek in rusty crevices. The wreck doesn’t start until about 18m and sits down at 30m, so you really need to be Advanced Open Water certified or do a Deep Adventure Dive to enjoy it fully. To penetrate, you must have or be training for a wreck specialty.
One of the HTMS Sattakut’s greatest assets is its location less than 15m from neighboring dive site Hin Pee Wee. So you can compliment a spin around
the wreck with a zip around the coral reef. Hin Pee Wee features several pinnacles, a resident turtle, and some impressive macro life. Read more about diving the HTMS Sattakut here.
Chumphon
Chumphon is a submerged granite pinnacle covered in colorful sea anemone and surrounded by large schools of trevally, batfish, and barracuda. Lucky divers will spot giant groupers, pompanos, and even whale sharks. Due to its depth, this is a dive site best enjoyed by Advanced Open Water students.
Chumphon is almost always visited on the morning boats. Due to the distance — it’s 11km from Koh Tao — and the size of this dive site, some schools schedule two dives in a row here. Read more about diving Chumphon here.
Sail Rock
Sail Rock is considered the premier dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. Don’t miss “the chimney,” a beloved, not-so-secret swim-through, and a deeper secondary pinnacle east of the main rock. This granite, deep-ocean pinnacle rises from 30m and breaches the surface, a welcome sight after the two-hour boat ride from Koh Tao.
Occasionally, you can get lucky and complete dives 3 and 4 of your open water here for an extra fee, though generally, this is a specialty trip costing anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 baht ($81–113 USD) and including three dives, breakfast, lunch, and a beer on the way back. A handful of schools take trips to Sail Rock but most only go once a week, so plan accordingly. Read more about diving Sail Rock here.
When to Dive on Koh Tao
Most island divemasters agree that April and May are the best months — they’re warm and clear, and the sea is flat. And in recent years, they’ve been chock full of whale shark sightings! Plus you could time your trip to spend Songkran (Thai New Year’s) on Koh Tao (mid-April).
That said, there isn’t really a bad time to dive on Koh Tao, outside of November and December, when winds and can be high and the weather can be dicey, causing boat rides to be unpleasant and visibility to be poor.
Learning to dive on Koh Tao should be approached with caution, as it can lead to a very serious addiction to the diving hobby and lifestyle! Many a dive virgin has arrived by ferry with plans to stay a few days and get certified, only to find themselves months later calling the island home and working toward becoming a scuba diving instructor.
Alexandra Baackes is the author of The Wanderland Guide to Koh Tao (which is an incredible guide to the island) and founder of Wander Women Retreats, which hosts an annual women’s dive and yoga retreat on Koh Tao. She overshares about travel, diving, and life as an entrepreneur on her blog Alex in Wanderland and on her Instagram @alexinwanderland. She is also a PADI ambassador.
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Mike
What a great one stop shop for answer my scuba diving questions!
Thanks for sharing
James
What an awesome post! Diving in Thailand is on my to do list for the trip i’m planning later this year and so this post couldn’t have come at a better time.
One question however, is there a right time and a wrong time to go diving, or is it great all year round?
Alex
Hi Frankenjam,
Due to Thailand’s two opposite facing coastlines, you can always find a place to dive somewhere in the country! Koh Tao’s official monsoon season is the month of November, though this year it was pretty mild and the sun was shining many days! The seas can be a bit rough though, so if seasickness is a problem, maybe avoid this time of year.
Arienne
Fantastic post! Since getting SSI certified back in December on Koh Tao, we couldn’t agree more with all the information given. Though it would have made our decisions much easier if it had come out sooner 🙂
Derek
One of the most comprehensive articles on diving I’ve seen! Good stuff 🙂
I’d also recommend checking out Gili Trawagan, near Bali if you’re interested in diving. I went diving there and saw sharks, sting rays, giant turtles, eels and a shipwreck.
A lot of divemasters say Thailand’s visibility gone down slightly in recent years, while other dive spots like Borneo or Gili have improved. I think for diving, Bali might be slightly better.
El Che
In my opinion a 3 day long course is not for anyone, many people learn slower. If you choose a local dive center in your home country, you can have more pool sessions, more practice. (Anyway, who would travel to a distant destination to learn how to clear the mask and sit in a classroom? There are referral courses: the students do the theory and pool sessions home and the open water dives abroad.)
With a bit more than 400 dives under my belt I know scuba diving is a wonderful activity but the “fast food” courses produce many divers who simply can’t dive safely. I recommend taking up diving to everybody and the 3 day course can be OK but please, take it seriously. Learn how to take care of yourself and the environment. I saw too much newly certified divers who wasn’t able to maintain neutral buoyancy and touched the corals regularly. Or there are the beginners with underwater cameras- bad idea. Scuba diving is a really entertaining recreational activity but it will remain so fantastic only if we don’t ruin the coral gardens.
Be safe and careful diver!
Bart Bijleveld
Good post El Che, I do agree with you that some people would be better of starting their diving ecucation doing more pool practice. But I think the vast majority will benefit more from the way we teach diving in Koh Tao. It’s much more fun. And funny enough, we can deliver confident and safe divers just as well (and often even better) than in the northern european countries. But it always depends on the instructor of course. We focus straight away on fun and safety at the same time while in Europe often the safety comes (sometimes for a very long time) first and the (real) fun comes later. This approach does not work well for all students 🙂
Fidel
When I first read your blog after you wrote a guest post on Andi’s “My Beautiful Adventures” page, I read about your diving photography. I love your diving posts, especially when you share your remarkable pictures, Alex.
Great one-stop guide here, not just for Koh Tao, but relevant information on diving in general.
Courtney
Diving in Thailand is one of the things I’ve been most looking forward to doing on my trip…I think I’ll have to bookmark this post and use it when I finally make it to Koh Tao!! Especially love the name drops on schools and insider info on the best dive spots. Awesome post!! 🙂
Kathryn Allen
Even though I know several divers who have done open water courses, I learned a lot from this informative and well-organized post. Great photos!
NomadicMatt
No, it’s more expensive. Ko Tao is the cheapest in the world.
Julia
I learned to dive with Crystal on Koh Tao (one of the big schools), and it was AMAZING. I son’t necessarily agree that the big schools don’t give good individual attention — I felt incredibly well looked-after, especially when I gave myself an underwater asthma attack! My instructor became a friend, and I am extra-amazed at what a good experience I had, given that I used to be TERRIFIED of the thought of diving!
Dean
I couldn’t agree more. I paid a visit to Koh Tao for my 1st time earlier this year primarily for the diving & wasn’t disappointed. The island has such a relaxed atmosphere & the people really friendly, & the divings great as well & one of the cheapest places in the world I’ve dived. And yes, I was lucky enough to get the whale shark at Chumphon (April).
There’s also another dive shop on the island not mentioned that I would thoroughly recommend- Alvaro Divers (Chalok Bay). I discovered these on Trip Advisor & they certainly deserve the excellent reviews they’ve had. Very professional, very friendly & very relaxed. Make sure you check them out. I did my Padi Rescue with them & will be returning next year to do my Padi Divemaster course with them & can’t wait.
I can honestly say it’s my favourite destination at this present time.
Misbah
Hi Matt, thanks for the information! Do you know if these schools, have simple dive/s for beginners who don’t want any certification?
NomadicMatt
All the schools on the islands offer beginner courses. Everyone comes here to learn to dive.
mike
Hi folks I have just returned from diving on koh tao. I have seen many valid points in the article and the coments I just thought I would add my own, I did my diving at sairee cottage the dive instructor, neil francis, was second to non I discovered part way through the course that he teaches the instructors and it shows. Secondly if you do your open water over 4 days it is quite a lot to take in, I did the advanced course aswell and its a great way to consolidate the knowledge you have been tought also its 2 days of fantastic diving. The only problem I found was that I had to hang up my wet suite and come home to a wet dull uk. My advice is, if you can stay there.
Cyrus
Great post just enough information one required will be in Koh Tao in September and looking forward to a couple of dives at the recommended Dive Sites ….. just wondering which dive School to go through ……. any suggestions ???
NomadicMatt
Shoot Alex an e-mail. She can give you a list!
Adam Finan
Rocktopus SSI (brilliantly named) are the new up and coming dive school. Crystal Dive are great too…
Liz Thrush
Hello, I’m going to Thailand Jan 14-28th, 2017. I see these comments are a few years old, but did you go? Any tips on what school to go to? Also, do we need to make advance reservations or just sign up when we arrive?
David
Is the diving as good at the end of December and 3 weeks into January?
Adam Finan
I just left Koh Tao to move to Chiang Mai last week.. This makes me want to get back to the islands!
Kyndall
Do you reccomend learning in Thailand or saving the time and learning in the states beforehand? I don’t want to feel like I am wasting time in class while I”m on vacation.
David
Hi, I live (and instruct) on Koh Tao so I’d be biased to recommend dive schools but in answer to Kyndall’s question, if you have a small bit extra cash (I’m guessing this still works out cheaper than learning at home before you come) and want to enjoy the most time of your holiday while there but still do the course there is an e-Learning option available through most schools which cuts down the classroom time considerably, more time for enjoying the dives and making the most of the island.
Gosia
I have recently spent a week on Koh Tao diving with Simple Life Divers. We saw a 6m baby whale shark on one of the morning dives- amazing experience. Warm, clear water, friendly and professional team, just perfect.
Brian
Planning a “bucketlist” family vacation with my wife and our three university age kids. Think a scuba course would be an awesome family memory. We have always been beach and snorkling people. Just have never been able to consider scuba… until now. Any recommendations? Have looked at Davy Jones Locker Diving school on Koh Tao. Impressions anyone? Would like to spend at least one week on Koh Tao.
Donald Micallef
cant thank you enouh for this. Currently in samui and leaving to ko tao tomorrow…. This guide made it as easy as it gets for me 🙂
NomadicMatt
Welcome!
Matt Unsy
Hey Matt,
In koh lanta currently and making the trip to koh tao two days from now specifically to get certified. The places that include accommodation with certification do you have to book ahead of time? And if so which ones offer this?
I was planning on showing up on the island and negotiating the price once I get there, like I’ve done before, would this be unwise?
Thanks in advance!
NomadicMatt
You can just show up.
Sam
Andaman sea beach the best sea beach in oll over in world The best time to dive the Andaman Islands is February and March. Our peak season is from November until Mid April. The second week of May brings in the monsoon season.
Alex
leopard shark!
I really would like to see a leopard shark, can any one recommend a place in south east asia?
Alex
Sarah
Thanks so much for this! I’m planning on getting my license at Koh Tao in January and had heard about a couple of dive schools, but actually had no clue which one to pick. Many look quite similar on the web 🙂 This article definitely helped me, as I now know what to focus on when selecting one! Thanks a lot!
Andrew
We’re looking for a dive company who offers guided dives to more advanced groups? I don’t mind staying shallow, if that’s where the sites are, but also don’t want to be limited by the least experienced in the group. Hope that makes sense.
Jer
I loved your post here. Helped me a lot. I went for Simple Life and they were absolutely amazing!!! I would def recommend them to everyone!
Quick question, You state at the beginning that Koh Tao is second to Cairns in number of annual Dive Certifications, where did you find those numbers? I have a discussion going with one of my instructors from Simple Life, would love to prove my point! 😉 🙂
Thanks!
David
Hi Matt,
Great post – I am in Surat Thani now and will head to Koh Tao tomorrow for a Medium sized course.
Keep up the great work!
Best,
David
Jorge
It is great to dive and travel the world, please keep in mind when traveling by Airline you do need to decompress before and after your dives. Plan accordingly and stay within the safe parameters. Ask your Dive shop what they would recommend given that they know better at which depths you would be allowed to dive. Any good Dive Shop should be able to advice the correct decompression time before and after Air Travel.
Sonny
Hi Claude, I’m really glad I saw your post. Is there a particular school you would recommend. I was going to go with bigbluediving but I feel I have been seduced by the Roctopus website/video?
Isabella Raven
Hi, would the 3 day course allow us to dive in Australia independent of a professional as long as we hired the gear?
Kim
Thanks for this awesome review.
Would you know what the tipping culture is like? Should I give the tips to the instructors only (inclusive of tips for boat captain), or separate tips for instructors and boat captain? And If I’m doing 2 back to back dive courses in the span of 6-7 days, when is the proper time to tip? Should I tip every dive? or before or after the course? And most importantly, how much is acceptable? I don’t want to appear ungrateful and stiff, but I’ve been in many awkward situations where: I gave a tip when it was not considered appropriate, or when I gave too much and the person felt weird, and (worse) too little that I felt mortified.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!
Kim
Hi, all! I ended up doing my specialties in Koh Samui instead, because my good friend who went on a Thailand trip before us suggested Discovery Dive Centre and they were awesome! Check them out! And for the tipping culture, I got my answer straight from a DM who I happen to befriend… He told me, cash, a meal or drinks, anything is appreciated! And since it’s all about passion – dont worry about the price all the time. ^_^
Ann
I did my Advanced Open Water with Scuba Junction, one of your recommended medium size operations. they were absolutely fantastic and have the best location on the beach, in my opinion. Highly recommended.
By comparison, my husband frighteningly ran out of air underwater at Sail Rock due to faulty equipment and a negligent divemaster who ignored his signals while diving with Good Times. Choose wisely!
Glenn
I never made it to Koh Tao when I was island hopping in Thailand. Got to Koh Phangan and ran out of time on my visa..had too much fun 😉 I’d definitely like to go back and do some diving. Thanks for this great guide.
Ganesh
I have never been to Koh Tao and its interesting to know that there are more than 70 dive schools on the island. My best wishes on your travel blog.
Ann
Fantastic post! I did both open water and advanced diving courses on Koh Tao, couldn’t have been a better place to learn diving! Also, I was lucky enough to hop in the water with a whale shark on my 2nd dive ever!! This post makes me want to go back and continue taking diving courses…
Kendrick Peachey
I’ve been in Thailand but I never got the chance to go to Koh Tao due to time constraint and bad weather. My friends and I are planning to go back there some time next year. I hope we can dive. Thanks for the information!