The Consummate Direct To Diving Inwards Koh Tao
This is a invitee transportation service past times Alexandra Baackes virtually her diving experience inwards Koh Tao, Thailand. Koh Tao is a pop destination for scuba divers, as well as so inwards this guide Alexandra gives you lot the insider scoop for diving schools, prices, as well as the best areas for seeing sea life.
Travelers inwards Thailand similar to label their destinations neatly. Intricate isle paradises are boiled downwards to ane or 2 unproblematic words or associations. Koh Phi Phi? The Beach. Koh Phangan? The Full Luna Party. Koh Tao? Diving.
Some of them are fairly good deserved. After all, Koh Tao (“Turtle Island”) is 2nd entirely to Cairns, Australia, when it comes to discover of annual dive certifications. Travelers flock from all over Southeast Asia to cause got their kickoff breaths underwater inwards the coral reefs fringing Turtle Island. And it’s slowly to reckon why: the courses are cheap, the dive sites are abundant, the isle is beautiful, as well as the lifestyle is easy.
Prospective divers heading to the isle are spoiled for selection when it comes to dive schools, dive instructors, as well as dive sites. But contest for job organisation is tearing (there are over l dive shops on this small-scale island!), so it definitely helps to cause got a few things inwards heed when making such a large investment of your fourth dimension as well as go budget.
PADI or SSI?
There are over l scuba diving preparation systems, but inwards Koh Tao, the selection almost ever comes downwards to two: PADI or SSI. Each organisation develops its own didactics materials, sets its own standards, as well as awards its own certifications. But the differences are minimal. No affair what certification menu you lot walk away with, you’ll role the same equipment, reckon the same fish, as well as live on able to dive at the same resorts. Certifications are interchangeable as well as recognized worldwide. No affair which organisation you lot pick out to certify with, the most of import factors inwards the lineament of your class volition live on your dive schoolhouse as well as your dive instructor. But at that spot are nipper differences you’ll desire to consider:
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) – PADI is the world’s leading scuba diving preparation organization, amongst to a greater extent than than 6,000 dive shops as well as resorts worldwide. If you lot honour comfort inwards numbers, as well as so the means amongst nearly ane meg certifications per twelvemonth powerfulness exactly live on for you! The major produce goodness to diving amongst PADI comes at the professional person level. For instructors as well as divemasters, PADI provides far to a greater extent than work opportunities, as well as PADI instructors tin go independently (while an SSI instructor must learn through an SSI-registered shop). So if you lot cause got dreams of staying inwards Thailand for skillful to learn the backpacker masses as well as you lot desire to live on loyal to ane agency, PADI is your best bet.
SSI (Scuba Schools International) – This grouping has over 2,500 authorized dealers to a greater extent than or less the world. For divers on Koh Tao, the produce goodness of doing an SSI certification comes downwards to best bang for your baht. An SSI class volition typically cost you lot nearly 10% less than a PADI course. If you’re coming to Koh Tao specifically for its condition every bit ane of the world’s cheapest places to acquire certified, those extra baht tin brand a large difference.
What’s the Course Like?
The typical diving class is completed inwards 3 days. There are videos to watch, volume chapters to read, tests to take, and, of course, dives to do! It powerfulness audio intimidating, but the class is designed for students every bit immature every bit 12. The academics shouldn’t intimidate you.
Here’s a oil outline of what your class volition expect like:
Day 1: Classroom go inwards the morn learning virtually basics skills, equipment, as well as the effects of diving on the body. Afternoon is spent inwards the puddle or at shallow dive sites doing skills.
Day 2: Morning is spent inwards classroom finishing cognition reviews as well as taking some quizzes. In the afternoon are opened upwardly H2O dives 1 as well as 2. Some skills volition live on practiced during the dives.
Day 3: You’ll become out on a morn boat as well as consummate opened upwardly H2O dives 3 as well as 4. In the afternoon, you’ll cause got the terminal exam. Congratulations! You are straightaway an opened upwardly H2O diver.
After 3 days of difficult go as well as fun, you’ll have a certification menu that allows you lot to dive anywhere inwards the Earth amongst a buddy, independent of a professional, to a depth of xviii meters.
How Much Will It Cost?
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 PADI class volition typically run you lot 9,800 baht, including 3 nights’ accommodation, though at smaller schools you lot tin often negotiate downwards to 9,000 baht. An SSI class volition non become inwards a higher identify 9,000 baht amongst accommodation. If you’re arranging your ain accommodation, you lot tin wrangle a PADI class for 8,500 or an SSI for 7,500. (Note: There are 36 baht to ane dollar.)
Many schools volition cause got a videographer come upwardly along on dives 3 as well as 4 as well as brand a 10-20–minute music video–style cinema of your day. At night, the shape volition assemble to sentry it. Depending on how many copies are sold, you lot tin cause got ane abode for anywhere from 1,500 to 2,500 baht. If you’d rather live on behind the lens, most dive shops rent underwater yet cameras for to a greater extent than or less 1,500 baht.
For divers who cause got already completed their opened upwardly H2O course, fun dives cost to a greater extent than or less 700–1,000 baht each, depending on how many dives you’ll produce as well as if you lot cause got your ain equipment. Those amongst fourth dimension as well as coin constraints volition desire to brand it a priority to see at to the lowest degree ane of Koh Tao’s premier dive sites.
Which School Should I Choose?
Big Schools: Bans, Big Blue, Buddha View, Crystal
These schools are ideal for person who is confident virtually going nether H2O (i.e., doesn’t demand extra private attention) as well as wants to brand friends as well as reckon people inwards a large grouping setting. These schools cause got instructors for almost every linguistic communication imaginable. However, groups tin live on a chip besides large for comfort, as well as Bans inwards special does non cause got opened upwardly H2O students to whatever of the premier dive sites to a greater extent than or less the island.
Medium Schools: New Way, Scuba Junction, Simple Life
Baca Juga
Small Schools: Sairee Hut, Roctopus
These schools are groovy at accommodating special needs as well as arranging groovy deals. For example, you lot powerfulness live on able to negotiate discounted fun dives post-course. The extra attending amongst the instructors that small-scale schools as well as groups allow is primal for those who are feeling uncertain virtually heading underwater or who exactly desire to live on spoiled amongst attention.
When picking a schoolhouse as well as an instructor, consider these factors:.
- Do they cause got an instructor who speaks your language?
- How many students volition live on inwards the group?
- What fourth dimension produce they go out inwards the morning? Those eager beavers who desire to live on the kickoff on the dive site powerfulness non heed existence upwardly inwards fourth dimension for New Way’s 6am departure, piece black owls powerfulness prefer Roctopus’s to a greater extent than relaxed dive times.
- Will my class include a see to ane of Koh Tao’s top dive sites (see listing below)? Some of the large schools, unfortunately, don’t transportation opened upwardly H2O divers there.
- Is the equipment upwardly to engagement as well as inwards my size? Schools inwards Koh Tao cause got a skillful tape for equipment arrive at as well as maintenance, but it never hurts to ask.
- How qualified is the instructor? Some students may appreciate the enthusiasm as well as up-to-date preparation of a novel instructor, piece others may honour comfort inwards a instructor amongst tons of qualifications as well as years of experience.
- Do you lot similar the instructor?
What Are the Can’t-Miss Dive Sites?
Chumphon
Chumphon is typically visited for dive 3 of the opened upwardly H2O course. The pinnacles are covered inwards colorful sea anemone as well as surrounded past times large schools of trevally, batfish, as well as baraccuda. Lucky divers volition spot giant barracuda, scorpionfish, as well as even whale sharks. For those hoping to fun dive, Chumphon is almost ever visited on the morn boats.
Southwest
Southwest is an choice site for dive 3 of the opened upwardly H2O course. This fun dive site is also carpeted inwards anemone as well as the clown fish that accompany them. This is some other groovy site for barracuda as well as giant groupers. Southwest is almost ever visited on the morn boats.
The Wreck of the Sattakut
This old United States Navy ship was sunk inwards June, making it Koh Tao’s newest dive site. Sea life similar stingrays as well as a pufferfish cause got already started to brand a abode here. Most schools volition require you lot to live on an advanced opened upwardly H2O diver to dive hither or to produce it every bit business office of that course.
Shark Island
Named for its resemblance to a dorsal fin, this dive site is often less congested than the others listed inwards a higher identify due to its location on the western side of Koh Tao. Highlights include a myriad of dissimilar corals abode to nudibranchs, stingrays, as well as moray eels. On the downside, Shark Island tin cause got a killer electrical flow as well as really aggressive triggerfish.
Sail Rock
Sail Rock is an body of body of water pinnacle located betwixt Koh Tao as well as Koh Pha Ngan. The dive site takes virtually 2 hours to accomplish from Koh Tao. Occasionally, you lot tin acquire lucky as well as consummate dives 3 as well as 4 of your opened upwardly H2O hither for an extra fee, though mostly this is a specialty trip costing anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 baht. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 handful of schools cause got trips to Sail Rock, but most entirely become ane time a week, so if you’re interested, start investigating the twenty-four sixty minutes menstruum you lot arrive.
The Twins
This is a mutual preparation dive site used for dives 1 or 2 of the opened upwardly H2O course. It is exactly off the coast of Koh Nang Yuan, a tiny isle due north W of Koh Tao. This site is groovy for novel divers, cheers to its shallow depth as well as unproblematic layout. One standout is the identify unit of measurement of rare saddleback clownfish living inwards an anemone that divers cause got clearly marked amongst a band of rocks.
White Rock
White Rock is ane of the most unremarkably visited dive sites on Koh Tao, oftentimes for dive 4 of the opened upwardly H2O course. It boasts ane of the largest areas of whatever dive site on the isle as well as a arrive at of sea life, from butterflyfish to angelfish to blue-spotted stingrays. Lucky divers may spot a sea turtle passing through.
Green Rock
Green Rock is located due north of Koh Nang Yuan. The standout characteristic of this dive site is its many “swim-throughs,” which are caves or cut-throughs that divers tin transcend through. They are groovy for practicing buoyancy as well as finding shy marine life. This is also a pop breeding the world for the aggressive trigger fish, so cause got tending non to lose a chunk of fin!
Learning to dive inwards Koh Tao should live on approached amongst caution, every bit it tin Pb to a really serious addiction to the diving hobby as well as lifestyle! Many a dive virgin has arrived past times ferry amongst plans to remain a few days as well as acquire certified, entirely to honour themselves months afterwards calling the isle abode as well as working toward becoming a scuba diving instructor.
Diving is a lifetime science that you lot tin cause got amongst you lot to a greater extent than or less the globe. From the Great Barrier Reef of Commonwealth of Australia to the Blue Holes of the Bahamas, from the shipwrecks of Federated States of Micronesia to the whale sharks of Mexico, diving volition allow you lot to explore to a greater extent than of the Earth than you lot ever knew possible. Enjoy it!
For to a greater extent than on traveling to Thailand as well as diving, banking concern agree out these resources:
Learning How to Scuba Dive
How Much Does a Holiday inwards Thailand Cost?
The Best Places to Go Scuba Diving
Alexandra Baackes is an enthusiastic diver as well as underwater videographer, every bit good every bit an on-land author as well as designer. She blogs virtually travel, diving, as well as living inwards Southeast Asia at Alex inwards Wanderland. You tin honour her on Twitter talking virtually fast nutrient cravings as well as wanderlust at @WanderlandAlex.
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