Ku Tao He is an island Quiet and relatively small in the Gulf of Thailand. Over the years it has become a world-class diving center, where the largest and most successful diving scene in Thailand operates. The main attraction on the island is diving and snorkeling, throughout the year countless diving enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world pass through it. Around the island there are plenty of diving sites, schools and shops for diving equipment. The prices of the courses, the equipment and the depth of the introductions are considered particularly attractive, even in comparison to other places in Thailand.
Seasons for diving
The weather in Koh Tao, similar for the weather in the rest of the Thai islands, warm throughout the year and sometimes accompanied by tropical rains. The diving season lasts almost all year, from December to October, when the rainy season begins and the sea becomes rougher. The water temperature is constant and was around 30 degrees Celsius all year round, but the visibility in the water improves from February and reaches its peak towards the month of September. The periods of the year that are especially recommended for diving in Koh Tao are between February and April or between July and September. It should be noted that around the month of December on the nearby island Copenhagen are being prepared The full moon parties after which crowds of revelers move to Koh Tao and it is harder to find available accommodation.
Arrival at Koh Tao
Koh Tao can only be reached by sea ferry. There are several ferries a day departing from the nearby island of Ko Pha Ngan, the town of Chumphon or the town of Suratni. The ferries all arrive at the only pier on the island, which is on the western side (on Mae Haad beach). From the entrance gate you can walk or take a local taxi.
Diving clubs in Koh Tao
The diving clubs on the island offer various certification courses as well as equipment rental and training for one-time dives. The instructors are usually European, Australian or American and therefore most of the training is done in English. Due to the large number of Israeli travelers there are also clubs that offer Israeli guides who conduct instruction in Hebrew.
Travelers who choose to take a course can get discounted accommodation at some of the local diving schools. Each course includes a written test, dry exercises and written or filmed study materials. At the end of each course you will receive a certificate and be registered in the database of a world diver organization - PADI or SSI - depending on the school where you chose to undergo the training.
Acquaintance dive
Diving conducted closely with a guide and with a small number of participants, is intended for those who do not have a diving license. Before the dive you will receive a comprehensive explanation of the equipment, you will conduct safety exercises and only when you are ready will you go by boat to the diving destination. The maximum depth that can be reached in such a dive is 12 meters and it usually lasts around half an hour. Due to the close training and the small number of divers in each group, the price is relatively high and is about 2,000 baht for a one-time dive. Most diving clubs will offer you a profitable deal of an additional dive, on the same departure, with a reduction in price.
Basic course
It is called open water and corresponds to the first star. The course is designed for beginner divers, without any previous training. The dives are up to a depth of 18 meters and the course lasts 3-4 days, during which you will make 4-5 dives in total. The price of such a course is around 9,000 baht on average.
Advanced course
Equivalent to a second star and intended for those who have already passed the basic course. There are those who combine the two courses together and thus save time and the price of the training. The length of the course is two days, and it includes 5 dives. Two mandatory dives, a deep dive and a navigation dive, and three more unique dives to choose from - night diving, photography, fish identification. The dives are up to 30 meters deep. The price is around 8,000 baht.
Koh Tao has a large amount of diving schools, with the difference being expressed in prices, accommodation options and guides.
Some of the recommended educational institutions on the island:
Ban's Diving Resort - The most well-known and oldest school on the island. Offers a large variety of diving courses and trips. The club is particularly large and also includes Israeli instructors who give training in Hebrew. The groups tend to be larger and the prices of the trainings and introductions are considered more expensive, as is the accommodation that the club offers. However, the club's name goes before it and attracts many travelers.
Sairee Cottage Diving – A small, family school in Seeri beach, managed by Irish and Thai staff. The place also includes a guesthouse and a nice restaurant.
Scuba Shack - A school located in Seari beach that offers relatively low prices and courses in different languages, sometimes also in Hebrew, depending on the availability of the instructors.
diving sites
A wide variety of diving sites are scattered around Koh Tao, here are some of the most prominent:
Chumphon - Chumphon Pinnacle
A diving site that is considered one of the best in Thailand. Its location is about 11 km northwest of Koh Tao (about a 40-minute boat ride). It is a particularly large granite rock sunk at a depth of 40-14 meters. Diving in the area you can see many sea lilies, colorful corals, schools of fish Tuna and barracudas, batfish, triggerfish and nemo. If you are lucky, you can also watch the sharks that infest the area - reef sharks, whale sharks and bull sharks.
South-West Pinnacle
A diving site located about 13 km west of Koh Tao (about a 40-minute boat ride). It is a reef built over limestone rocks at different depths of 28-5 meters. The upper part of the reef is covered with pink sea lilies and the lower part has a wide variety of corals. Beyond reef fish of course, you can see schools of large barracudas and sometimes even whale sharks on the site. Also, the site is considered one of the best places to watch seals.
Shark Island - Shark Island
A small island where a diverse underwater population resides. The site is close to Koh Tao, located about 300 meters southeast of it. The island is surrounded by colorful corals, soft and hard. Its depth ranges from 10 to 22 meters. Despite its promising name, the marine life in the area mainly includes colorful fish such as Abu Nafha, grouper, trigger, as well as sea cats. At the northern end of the island you can enjoy a particularly good vantage point for underwater photography.
At the end of the eighties, an Italian tourist came to Koh Tao and established the first diving club there. From here the path of the Pacific island to become an international diving power was paved. The same person also discovered in the area a ridge of rocks especially suitable for diving, as a true patriot he named them after the colors of his homeland's flag - white, green and red.
The White Rock - White Rock
A site located south of Koh Tao (about 10 minutes by boat). It is a spacious coral garden that stretches between two granite rocks. The depth ranges at the site are relatively low and range from 5 to 21 meters, therefore diving there is considered light and calm and is suitable for divers of all training levels. The site is known to be suitable for night dives and is considered popular for the basic diving courses of Kochav Rishon (open water). In the area you can see an impressive variety of marine animals, including seals, barracuda fish, starfish, whales, crabs, sea turtles, octopuses and squids.
The green rock and the red rock - Green Rock & Red Rock
The uniqueness of these diving sites are many underwater tunnels. The depth ranges from 3 to 30 meters. Beyond a spectacular granite landscape you can watch schools of blue glow fish, trigger fish, tiny shrimps and sometimes also sea turtles and big cats. It should be noted that there may be a little drift and that some of the passageways are very narrow and therefore the area is more suitable for divers with appropriate training.
