Diving Courses In Koh Tao

[Simon1985]

I want to spend a few weeks on Koh Tao and complete a few diving courses(not divemaster course, have no intention of entering the dive industry as a professional). Can anyone recommend a good company that offers excellent training.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Simon1985

[ThailandNeil]

Crystal are good value and quality. I did my open water and advanced there. They give you free accommodation too!

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[Quero]

I generally recommend Master Divers. It's one of the smaller schools rather than one of the big factory-style schools. Everybody I've sent there has had great feedback about their experiences.

[Simon1985]

Thanks for the replies. I got 2 questions abut Koh Tao. Whens the best time to dive Koh Tao and do the dive sites get really crowded. I dislike crowded dive sites where it turns into a circus show and you have to spend your whole time avoiding another divers and not enjoying the diving.

I wanted to dive the similans on a liveaboard but its the wrong time of the year. Feedback appreciated.

[Quero]

Koh Tao can be dived year round, but the best time of year to dive there is from May to August. The dive sites do tend to get rather crowded because Koh Tao is a hugely popular place for low-budget visitors to do dive training. It's one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive, and the dive schools there issue so many certifications that this very small island is consistently at or near the top in PADI's ranking of most divers trained.

[Simon1985]

Thanks for the info.

[NomadJoe]

Koh Tao does a lot of certs, and cheaply. That is because they are largely unregulated. We hear a lot of horror stories coming out of Tao. No work permits, no business visa's, no insurance, large classes which violate standards, no TAT license, and a lot of instructors there are brand new or not even instructors yet. On the last day of your open water course the shop owner will show up and his name will be on your card even though he didn't conduct your training. Lots of shitty divers and shitty instructors come out of Tao. And the diving is <deleted> too when compared to Shark Point, Anemone Reef, King Cruiser, Koh Doc Mai, Koh Bida Nai, Koh Bida Nok, Raya Noi, Hin Deang, Hin Muang etc. Most the sites around Phuket are divable year round as well. The Simlans which are accessible via liveaboards out of Phuket were once world class and are still good, but the sharks and mantas have mostly disappeared there. They are divable November through April and have great vis and large schools of big fish. There is a slightly better chance of seeing whale sharks in Tao, but their two halfway decent sites, Sail Rock and Chumphon Pinnacles, aren't as good in my opinion, but I am biased as I work and do most my diving in the Phuket region, but have dived in Tao and the Similans a bit too. But most my info I get from other instructors and divemasters that worked their previously.

[IrishIvan]

Koh Tao does a lot of certs, and cheaply. That is because they are largely unregulated. We hear a lot of horror stories coming out of Tao. No work permits, no business visa's, no insurance, large classes which violate standards, no TAT license, and a lot of instructors there are brand new or not even instructors yet. On the last day of your open water course the shop owner will show up and his name will be on your card even though he didn't conduct your training. Lots of shitty divers and shitty instructors come out of Tao. And the diving is <deleted> too when compared to Shark Point, Anemone Reef, King Cruiser, Koh Doc Mai, Koh Bida Nai, Koh Bida Nok, Raya Noi, Hin Deang, Hin Muang etc. Most the sites around Phuket are divable year round as well. The Simlans which are accessible via liveaboards out of Phuket were once world class and are still good, but the sharks and mantas have mostly disappeared there. They are divable November through April and have great vis and large schools of big fish. There is a slightly better chance of seeing whale sharks in Tao, but their two halfway decent sites, Sail Rock and Chumphon Pinnacles, aren't as good in my opinion, but I am biased as I work and do most my diving in the Phuket region, but have dived in Tao and the Similans a bit too. But most my info I get from other instructors and divemasters that worked their previously.

Very good info. Im a recreational diver and do it for love. Your post is spot on even though you're in the dive industry you are telling it how it is. The idiots on Phi Phi piss me off. Farangs standing outside dive shops harrasing pedestrians the same way as Indian suit vendors in Patong. I heard from another recreational diving buddy that Tao is really kicking off now. The soft coral there is beautiful and lots of marine life. I see places like shark point and koh bida nok and nai and Im so disappointed. Because 4 or 5 years ago it was guaranteed to see leopard sharks and turtles. Now they are a graveyard. I had some friends go up to Phangnga not long ago and said the turtles there were out of this world. Just everywhere. So there is hope for the underwater industry here

[NomadJoe]

^ You must talking about Phi Phi Shark Point on the east side of Phi Phi Don, not Phuket Shark Point near Anemone Reef and King Cruiser, right? We get leopards there nearly every dive at Phuket Shark Point. I saw one on Shark Point and 4 bamboos between Koh Doc Mai and King Cruiser 4 days ago. An instructor friend dived there yesterday and had 3. There was a 3 month period Jan-Mar when they were gone, but that happens sometimes and they always come back. Black tips and bamboos are not seen as often at Koh Bida Nai and Nok, but back in January there were at least 7 black tips patrolling Palong Wall on Phi Phi for months. Last I heard they were gone.

Off topic, but last week I saw a big spotted eagle ray between Kata Beach and Koh Poo. I have only seen 2 or 3 in my life, and if my memory serves, I think I have only ever seen one in Thailand before, years ago at Raya Noi. Tons of Kuhl's rays off Kata House Reef at the moment too. I see skates now and again too.

[IrishIvan]

^ You must talking about Phi Phi Shark Point on the east side of Phi Phi Don, not Phuket Shark Point near Anemone Reef and King Cruiser, right? We get leopards there nearly every dive at Phuket Shark Point. I saw one on Shark Point and 4 bamboos between Koh Doc Mai and King Cruiser 4 days ago. An instructor friend dived there yesterday and had 3. There was a 3 month period Jan-Mar when they were gone, but that happens sometimes and they always come back. Black tips and bamboos are not seen as often at Koh Bida Nai and Nok, but back in January there were at least 7 black tips patrolling Palong Wall on Phi Phi for months. Last I heard they were gone.

Off topic, but last week I saw a big spotted eagle ray between Kata Beach and Koh Poo. I have only seen 2 or 3 in my life, and if my memory serves, I think I have only ever seen one in Thailand before, years ago at Raya Noi. Tons of Kuhl's rays off Kata House Reef at the moment too. I see skates now and again too.

Sorry its a bit off topic but I wanted to hear peoples comparisons from Koh Tao to Phuket

I have seen one eagle ray at Kata Noi but that was years ago. I did see some of the dive companies posting a lot of black tips from Phi Phi. I am glad to hear there have been leopard sharks back at shark point. I must have just been unlucky. I have seen an ornate ghost pipefish at sea horse garden about 3 months ago. Keep an eye out for it. Along with the 2 resident (tigertail?) Yellow seahorses

Edited May 2, 2013 by IrishIvan

[Simon1985]

I think I will give Koh Tao a miss, thanks for the info guys.