Koh Tao Try Scuba Diving Day Experience

4.8 (801 reviews) from travellers who booked this experience

DurationAbout 7 hours
Daily
Group
Pickup available

5.0 on Google

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Overview

This one-day experience lets you try scuba diving on Koh Tao, one of the most popular places in the world to learn, with no previous experience needed. After hotel pickup, an experienced instructor fits your equipment, gives you a full safety briefing and a short quiz, and then takes you by dive boat to a calm, sheltered bay. You practise basic skills in shallow water until you feel confident, then follow your instructor on a guided dive to a maximum of 12 metres among corals and tropical fish. It is a shared small-group activity with an English-speaking instructor; all diving equipment and refreshments on the boat are included, and a second dive is available at extra cost.

Highlights

Try scuba diving with no experience needed
Experienced English-speaking instructor throughout the day
Safety briefing, short quiz and skills practice in shallow water
Guided dive to a maximum of 12 metres in a calm bay
Corals, reef fish and the marine life of Koh Tao
All diving equipment included
Hotel pickup on Koh Tao and refreshments on the boat
Optional second dive at extra cost

Full Description

Koh Tao, the island to learn to dive

Koh Tao is a small island in southern Thailand that has become one of the best-known places in the world to learn scuba diving. Its warm water, calm bays and reefs close to shore make it ideal for first-timers, and the island's dive centres welcome beginners from every corner of the globe throughout the year.

The water temperature stays around 28 to 30 °C, so you dive in comfort with a light wetsuit or just a swimsuit, and visibility is often good enough to see the reef from the surface. If you have ever wondered whether to try scuba diving on Koh Tao, this one-day experience is the perfect introduction: it shows you what diving feels like before you commit to a full course. The best time to dive here is from February to October, when the sea is usually calmest.

The dive centre and your briefing

The day begins at the dive centre on the beach at 9:30, where you meet your instructor and the rest of the group. You are fitted with a mask, fins, wetsuit, buoyancy jacket and regulator, and your instructor explains how each piece of equipment works, how to breathe underwater, how to equalise the pressure in your ears and the hand signals divers use to communicate.

After the theory, you complete a short quiz to make sure you have understood the key safety points, and you may be asked to fill in a simple medical form. Then there is a break of about 45 minutes before the boat leaves around midday; lunch is not included, so this is a good moment to eat something light at one of the cafés nearby. Please bring your phone and your passport number.

Your first dive in a calm bay

Around noon you board a custom dive boat with a sun deck and all the facilities for a comfortable day, while your instructor sets up the equipment. The boat heads to a calm, sheltered bay chosen for beginners, where the water is shallow and clear. You start by standing or kneeling in shallow water to practise the basic skills, such as clearing your mask and recovering your regulator, until you feel relaxed.

Then you follow your instructor down along the reef to a maximum depth of 12 metres. Expect hard and soft corals, giant clams and colourful reef fish, with the chance of seeing parrotfish, angelfish, rays and even turtles. Your instructor stays beside you the whole time. For many people, this first breath underwater is an unforgettable moment.

After the dive: a second dive or relaxing on deck

After your first dive, you can relax on the sun deck with refreshments or, if you enjoyed it, jump in again for a second dive at extra cost, usually to a different spot with new marine life. The boat returns to the dive centre at around 4:30 in the afternoon, and our driver takes you back to your hotel.

Is a try-dive on Koh Tao worth it? It is the easiest way to discover diving safely in one of the best places on earth to learn. If you love the experience, the dive centre can explain how to continue with a beginner course. Remember that you should not fly for at least 18 to 24 hours after diving, so plan this activity well before your onward flight.

Itinerary

Hotel pickup on Koh TaoOur driver collects you up to 30 minutes before the 9:30 start and takes you to the dive centre.
Equipment fitting and safety briefingMeet your instructor, get fitted for equipment, learn the basics and complete a short quiz; about an hour and a half.
BreakFree time of about 45 minutes before boarding; lunch is not included.
Boat to the dive siteBoard the dive boat around 12:00 and cruise to a calm bay.
Skills practice and guided divePractise basic skills in shallow water, then dive with your instructor to a maximum of 12 metres; about 2.5 hours including preparation.
Optional second dive and returnRelax on deck or make a second dive at extra cost, then return to the dive centre around 16:30.

What's included

Hotel pickup on Koh Tao
Experienced diving instructor
Safety briefing and skills practice
Boat trip to the dive site
One guided dive to a maximum of 12 metres
All diving equipment
Refreshments on the boat

Not included

Optional second dive (extra charge)
Lunch

Is this right for you?

Great for

Travellers without a car — hotel pickup is included
Travellers who want a proven choice — rated 4.8/5 by past travellers

Think twice if

You want a private tour — this one is shared with other travellers

Not suitable for

Children under 10 years
Pregnant women
People with heart or lung conditions
People with ear or sinus problems
People with mobility impairments
People who have flown in the last 12 hours or will fly within 24 hours

Meeting point

Hotel pickup on Koh Tao is included. Our driver collects you up to 30 minutes before the 9:30 start; please wait on the main road near your hotel, as the vehicle cannot enter every resort. If you stay in the Sairee Beach area, where car access is very limited, the dive centre is a short walk away and we send you directions with your confirmation.

Important information

No diving experience is needed, but you should be comfortable in the water
Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a sun hat, your phone and your passport number
Waterproof cameras are not allowed during the dive
Lunch is not included; eat something light during the break
A second dive is available at extra cost
You may be asked to complete a medical form; some conditions need a doctor's approval
Do not fly for at least 18 to 24 hours after diving
Dive sites depend on weather and sea conditions

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.

Is this a shared or a private experience?

It is a shared small-group activity with an English-speaking instructor.

How long does it take?

A full day, from 9:30 to around 16:30.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, on Koh Tao. Guests in the Sairee Beach area walk to the nearby dive centre.

What is included?

Hotel pickup, an experienced instructor, the safety briefing and skills practice, the boat trip, one guided dive to a maximum of 12 metres, all diving equipment and refreshments on the boat.

Is the price per person or per group?

The price is per person. The booking panel on this page shows the current price of each option.

Is it suitable for children or people with reduced mobility?

The minimum age is 10. It is not suitable for people with reduced mobility, heart or lung conditions, or pregnant women.

Do I need to know how to swim?

You should be comfortable in the water. The instructor stays with you at all times and you start in shallow water.

How deep will I go?

To a maximum of 12 metres, following your instructor.

What should I bring?

Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat, your phone and your passport number.

When is the best time to dive on Koh Tao?

From February to October, when the sea is usually calm and visibility is best.