Koh Tao Diving
Koh Tao is the most popular place in all of South East Asia to learn to scuba dive. The mix of beautiful beaches, warm water and cheap prices, plus a vibrant party scene as well as plenty of ways to escape the crowds means that Koh Tao has something for everyone. This beautiful little island in the Gulf of Thailand is ideal as a place to scuba dive and has plenty to keep non-divers entertained too.
Koh Tao Scuba Diving Lessons
- To learn to scuba dive, you need to take the PADI Open Water Diver course.
- This takes three days and includes four dives within it. Once you’ve passed the course, you are certified to scuba dive anywhere in the world.
- There are many dive schools on Koh Tao. We recommend you learn to dive on Koh Tao with Ayesha and Wilco, two experienced scuba diving instructors who live permanently on Koh Tao. They can give you plenty of advice about scuba diving and also where to stay on the island whatever your budget. You can visit their website LearnToDiveOnKohTao.com or just send them a message to them direct using the form below. Just let them know what sort of date you’d like to arrive on Koh Tao and they can help you with booking your dive course, accommodation and getting a pickup from the pier when you arrive.
Koh Tao Fun Diving
Certified divers can enjoy diving the best dive sites in the Gulf Of Thailand – they include:
- Chumphon Pinnacle is famous for its sighting of whale sharks several times a year and for the packs of grey reef sharks that hunt around it.
- Southwest Pinnacle has big groupers and clouds of fish as well as friendly batfish hovering around its slopes
- Sail Rock is a remote pinnacle with a famous coral chimney and lots of patrolling shoals of fish
Koh Tao dive boats depart every morning and afternoon and do two dives, usually at two different sites. Contact Ayesha and Wilco to book your Koh Tao fun dive package.
Best Time To Go To Koh Tao
March to October is the best time to visit Koh Tao, although diving is possible all year round. November is best avoided as the monsoon season causes some heavy rain during this month.
How To Get To Koh Tao
See our separate page How To Get To Koh Tao for complete info on flights and ferries to Koh Tao.
Koh Tao Hotels And Guesthouses
There is a wide variety of accommodation on Koh Tao to suit all budgets. There are discounts available on some budget accommodation if you are doing a dive course.
Here are some of top choices of hotel on Koh Tao, with photos and video to give you a realistic idea of what the rooms look like. You can book each of these hotels online.
- Luxury Koh Tao Accommodation
- Thipwimarn Resort
- Sensi Paradise Resort
- Utopia Suites
- Star Villas
- Mid Range Koh Tao Accommodation
- Charm Churee Resort
- Koh Tao Royal Resort
- Sea Lodge
- Beachside
- Budget Koh Tao Accommodation
- Save Bungalows
- Lotus Resort
- Khun Ying House
- Discounted Accommodation
Do I Need To Book In Advance?
It is wise to book accommodation and dive courses in advance because Koh Tao gets very busy during the summer months, especially just after the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, which is the next island to Koh Tao and only a couple of hours on the ferry. Trying to find accommodation on Koh Tao when the island is full can be a stressful experience.
Non Diving Things You Can Do On Koh Tao
Koh Tao has some beautiful, uncrowded beaches for lazing around as well as many activities: wakeboarding, waterskiing, windsurfing, kayaking, paintballing, mini-golf, 10 pin bowling, relaxing at the spa, chilling at a beachfront bar, Thai Boxing training and regular Thai Boxing fights, cooking and Thai massage courses.
Do you have any more questions about diving on Koh Tao? Just ask us!