![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_13.jpg\")
Updated<\/strong>: 8\/22\/2019 | August 22nd, 2019<\/p>\nUpdated<\/strong>: 8\/22\/2019 | August 22nd, 2019<\/p>\n
This is a guest post by Alexandra Baackes<\/a>, 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 the biggiest 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<\/a> like to label their destinations neatly. Intricate island paradises are boiled down to one or two simple words or associations: Koh Phi Phi<\/a>? The Beach. Koh Phangan<\/a>? The Full Moon Party. Koh Tao? Diving.<\/p>\n Some of them are fairly well deserved. <\/p>\n After all, Koh Tao is one of the world\u2019s top destinations when it comes to number of annual dive certifications issued \u2014 in fact, it\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s a dang fun place to decompress after a day underwater. <\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to be overwhelmed when planning a trip to Koh Tao \u2014 there are more than 70 dive schools on the island! \u2014 so a bit of research goes a long way when it comes to such a large investment of your time and travel budget. <\/p>\n No matter what certification card you walk away with, you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n PADI<\/strong> SSI <\/strong> (While half-day experiences called \u201cDiscover Scuba Diving\u201d or \u201cTry Scuba Diving\u201d are available, they don\u2019t lead to any sort of certification and should really only be considered if you\u2019re (a) super strapped for time or (b) extremely unsure if diving is for you. Otherwise, just dive in, literally, to the Open Water!) <\/p>\n 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 \u2014 the academics shouldn\u2019t intimidate you. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s a rough outline of what your course will look like:<\/p>\n Upon completion, you\u2019ll receive a certificate that allows you to dive anywhere in the world with another certified buddy, independent of a professional, to a depth of 18 meters. <\/p>\n 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 \u2014 plus the gamut of continuing and professional courses up to Instructor Trainer!<\/p>\n Big schools: Bans, Big Blue, Crystal<\/strong> Medium-sized schools: Master Divers, Sairee Cottage<\/strong> Small schools: Hydronauts, Ocean Sound<\/strong> When picking a school and an instructor, consider these factors:<\/p>\n Though it\u2019s 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\u2013style 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 \u2014 so you can take one home for anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 baht ($32\u201397 USD). Some schools have switched to providing still photos instead, which you can purchase as part of a package \u2014 expect to pay around 300 baht ($10 USD) for one photo or 1,000 ($32 USD) for a set of several. <\/p>\n Though it\u2019s not an agency standard, many schools have a policy that students can\u2019t bring their own cameras out on Open Water Courses, so don\u2019t freak if you aren\u2019t allowed to bring your GoPro \u2014 they aren\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n For divers who have already completed their Open Water course, fun dives cost around 700\u20131,000 baht ($23\u201332 USD) each, depending on how many dives you\u2019ll 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\u2019s premier dive sites.<\/p>\n Twins <\/strong> White Rock<\/strong> Southwest <\/strong> Shark Island <\/strong> HTMS Sattakut <\/strong> One of the HTMS Sattakut\u2019s greatest assets is its location less than 15m from neighboring dive site Hin Pee Wee. So you can compliment a spin around Chumphon <\/strong> Chumphon is almost always visited on the morning boats. Due to the distance \u2014 it\u2019s 11km from Koh Tao \u2014 and the size of this dive site, some schools schedule two dives in a row here. Read more about diving Chumphon here. <\/p>\n Sail Rock <\/strong> 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\u2013113 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. <\/p>\n That said, there isn\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Alexandra Baackes is the author of The Wanderland Guide to Koh Tao<\/a> (which is an incredible guide to the island! and founder of Wander Women Retreats<\/a>, which hosts an annual women\u2019s dive and yoga retreat on Koh Tao. She overshares about travel, diving, and life as an entrepreneur on her blog Alex in Wanderland<\/a> and on her Instagram @alexinwanderland<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\nPADI or SSI?<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_21.jpg\")
\nThere 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. <\/p>\n
\nPADI is the world\u2019s leading scuba diving training organization. If you find comfort in numbers, then
\nthis 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<\/a> to teach the backpacker masses and you want to be loyal to one agency, PADI is a strong agency to hedge your bets on. <\/p>\n
\nOnce just a small subset of the diving industry here, SSI has exploded to control a full 50% of the market share on Koh Tao. The benefit of doing an SSI certification comes down to best bang for your baht, as an SSI course will typically cost you nearly 10% less than a PADI course. If you\u2019re coming to Koh Tao specifically for its status as one of the world\u2019s cheapest places to get certified, those extra baht can make a big difference. Plus, all coursework is done via the free app and\/or online, making it a green choice. <\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the Course Like?<\/h3>\n
![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_15.jpg\")
\nThe Open Water course is the first certification you\u2019ll complete as a diver. Many divers come to Koh Tao to complete their Open Water certification, and some get hooked and stay till they\u2019re instructors themselves. But be wary of \u201czero to hero\u201d packages that include the full array of courses from first underwater breath to master scuba diver trainer \u2014 take it one step at a time. <\/p>\n\n
Which School Should I Choose?<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_11.jpg\")
\nKoh Tao ain\u2019t 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:<\/p>\n
\nThese 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\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n
\nMedium 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\u2019t as prone to overcrowding or rushing through the course.<\/p>\n
\nThese 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. <\/p>\n\n
How Much Will It Cost?<\/h3>\n
![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_23.jpg\")
\nOpen Water courses on Koh Tao range from 9,200 to 10,800 baht ($300\u2013350 USD) \u2014 without accommodation. (Once upon a time, almost every dive school on the island bundled accommodation in with their courses, but that\u2019s becoming more and rarer outside the largest dive resorts. If accommodation is included, it\u2019s a very basic fan room \u2014 or you can upgrade to a nicer one at a discount.) <\/p>\nWhat are the Can\u2019t-Miss Dive Sites?<\/h3>\n
![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_09.jpg\")
\nIf you\u2019re a brand new diver doing your Open Water course on Koh Tao, quite frankly, it doesn\u2019t matter where you go \u2014 you\u2019re going to love it! You\u2019ll be so focused on your skills and the magic of breathing underwater for the first time, you won\u2019t really notice the differences between different dive sites yet anyway. <\/p>\n
\nTwins 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\u2019t miss \u2014 there\u2019s a ring of rocks around it! <\/p>\n
\nWhite Rock is another one of the most commonly visited dive sites on Koh Tao, frequently for dive 4 of the Open Water course. It\u2019s an enormous dive site, providing a wide sampling of Koh Tao\u2019s marine life \u2014 including the odd sea turtle who lumbers through. Read more about diving White Rock here. <\/p>\n
\nSouthwest is a collection of pinnacles carpeted in soft coral anemone and
\nthe pink anemonefish that accompany them. This is a great site for spotting barracuda and giant groupers. It\u2019s located 13km southwest of Koh Tao and is almost always visited on the morning boats. With pinnacle depths from 6m to 27m, it\u2019s perfect for anyone from Open Water certified and up. (Feeling adventurous? There\u2019s a secret pinnacle here as well.) Read more about diving Southwest here. <\/p>\n
\nShark 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\u2019t 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 \u2014 both current and visibility can be a struggle here. Read more about diving Shark Island here. <\/p>\n
\nThis former US Navy ship was sunk in June 2011 off the coast of Sairee Beach and has become home to Jenkins\u2019 whiprays, great barracuda, and dozens of gobies playing hide-and-seek in rusty crevices. The wreck doesn\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n
\nthe 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. <\/p>\n
\nChumphon 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. <\/p>\n
\nSail Rock is considered the premier dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. Don\u2019t miss \u201cthe chimney,\u201d 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. <\/p>\nWhen to Dive on Koh Tao<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2019\/DivingonKohTao_19.jpg\")
\nMost island divemasters agree that April and May are the best months \u2014 they\u2019re warm and clear, and the sea is flat. And in recent years, they\u2019ve been chock full of whale shark sightings! Plus you could time your trip to spend Songkran (Thai New Year\u2019s) on Koh Tao (mid-April).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n