Discover Scuba Diving Koh Tao
PADI Discover Scuba Diving is a 1-day introductory dive experience for anyone who has ever wondered what it is like to breathe underwater.
You will spend your morning learning the basics in the safe, controlled environment of a swimming pool with a PADI Instructor, before heading out on our dive boat in the afternoon for two supervised ocean dives to a maximum depth of 12 metres / 40 feet on Koh Tao’s beautiful coral reefs.
No certification, no long study period, and no previous diving experience is required — just a sense of adventure, a willingness to try something new, and a passion for exploring the underwater world.
If you enjoy your Discover Scuba Diving day and decide you would like to continue as a certified diver, your training can be credited toward your PADI Open Water Diver course for up to 12 months after your experience.
Try a 1 Day PADI Dive Experience on Koh Tao
If you do not have the time — or budget — to complete a full PADI Open Water Diver certification, our Discover Scuba Diving experience is the perfect way to try scuba diving for the first time under the direct supervision of one of our PADI Dive Instructors.
We start in the pool, where you can build comfort and confidence away from the natural elements of the ocean, before taking you diving on Koh Tao’s world famous coral reefs in the afternoon. It is a full and rewarding day of adventure, ideal for anyone visiting the island who wants to experience scuba diving without committing to a longer training programme.
What’s Included in Your Koh Tao PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience
Your PADI Discover Scuba Diving day at Black Turtle Dive includes:
- PADI Discover Scuba Diving eLearning
- Full swimming pool training session with a PADI Dive Instructor
- Two open water ocean dives to a maximum depth of 12 metres / 40 feet
- Rental of all scuba diving equipment
- FREE use of a dive computer
- Dive insurance
- Guaranteed small group — maximum 2 students per PADI Dive Instructor
- Option to credit your Discover Scuba Diving experience toward the PADI Open Water Diver course (within 12 months)
- Black Turtle Dive customer (and environmental) promise
PADI Discover Scuba Diving Requirements
To take part in the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience on Koh Tao you must be:
- 10 years of age or older
- Medically fit to dive
- Reasonably comfortable in the water
There is no formal swim test for the Discover Scuba Diving experience, but you should be comfortable being in and around the water.
As part of the eLearning process you will complete a PADI Diver Medical Questionnaire. If any answers indicate a possible medical condition, you may need clearance from a physician before you can dive — so it is worth reviewing this in advance of your booking if you have any concerns.
Your PADI Discover Scuba Diving Day
The Discover Scuba Diving experience is structured across three simple, focused sections designed to build your comfort and confidence step by step:
- Knowledge Development through PADI eLearning — the theory basics you need to understand before entering the water.
- Pool Session — your first breaths underwater and introduction to core scuba diving skills in a calm, controlled environment.
- Two Open Water Ocean Dives — the highlight of the day: exploring Koh Tao’s coral reefs with your PADI Dive Instructor.
Each section builds on the last, giving you the time and space to develop your skills in the pool before applying them in the ocean.
Black Turtle Dive Customer Promise
At Black Turtle Dive we take our customer promise very seriously. Every Discover Scuba Diving experience runs with a maximum of 2 students per PADI Dive Instructor, giving you the personalised attention that a first-time diving experience deserves.
Our PADI Dive Instructors are highly trained, patient, and experienced at introducing new divers to the sport. You will progress at your own pace in a relaxed environment, with plenty of time to build the skills and confidence needed to enjoy a safe and memorable ocean dive.
PADI Discover Scuba Diving Schedule
Your Discover Scuba Diving day at Black Turtle Dive follows a straightforward schedule from morning to late afternoon:
- 09:00 — Meet at Black Turtle Dive to complete your PADI Discover Scuba Diving eLearning and paperwork with your Instructor.
- 09:30 – 11:30 — Pool session with your PADI Dive Instructor.
- 11:30 – 12:30 — Lunch break.
- 12:30 – 17:00 — Two open water ocean dives at one of Koh Tao’s dive sites.
Please arrive at Black Turtle Dive with enough time to register and meet your Instructor before the eLearning begins. If you would like to complete your eLearning in advance of your dive day, you can also do this before you arrive on Koh Tao — speak to us on booking and we will send you the details.
PADI Discover Scuba Diving Price
Our Discover Scuba Diving experience is offered as a single, all-inclusive package:
PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience: 4,400 baht per person
The price covers your PADI Discover Scuba Diving eLearning, your full pool training session with a PADI Dive Instructor, two open water ocean dives to a maximum depth of 12 metres, all scuba diving equipment, free use of a dive computer, and dive insurance.
A Closer Look at Each Part of Your Discover Scuba Day
Knowledge Development with PADI eLearning
Your day begins with the PADI Discover Scuba Diving eLearning programme — a modern, interactive digital learning module that you can complete on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
You can start it with us at the dive centre in the morning, or complete it in advance from home if you have already booked your experience.
The eLearning walks you through the essential theory concepts you need to understand before your first dive, including:
- How pressure changes affect your body underwater
- How and why you need to equalise your ears and sinuses
- The importance of correct breathing techniques
- Why you should never hold your breath while breathing compressed air
- Basic scuba equipment and how it works
- Underwater hand signals and communication
- The importance of staying close to your Instructor at all times
You will also complete the PADI Diver Medical Questionnaire and Liability Release forms as part of the eLearning. Once the digital content is finished, your Instructor will review the key theory points with you at the dive centre and answer any questions you may have before we head to the pool.
Your Pool Training Session
After the eLearning we move to the swimming pool. The pool environment is the ideal place to learn to scuba dive for the very first time — the water is calm, clear, and predictable, with no waves, currents, or reduced visibility to distract you. This means you can focus fully on your Instructor and the skills you are learning.
Your Instructor will first set up your equipment for you and walk you through each piece before you put it on. You will then start in shallow water, where you can stand with your head above the surface, breathing through the regulator to become comfortable with the sensation of breathing underwater for the first time.
Once you feel ready, you will kneel down under the water and begin learning your first scuba skills. Your Instructor demonstrates each skill first, then gives you time to try it, practise, and refine your technique before moving on to the next.
Skills you will learn in the pool include:
- Regulator clearing
- Regulator recovery
- Mask clearing
- Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) inflation and deflation at the surface
- Basic underwater swimming and buoyancy
- Communication with your Instructor using hand signals
The pool session gives you the chance to build genuine comfort and confidence before we take you to the ocean. There is no rush at any point — if you need extra time on any skill, your Instructor will simply give you the time you need.
Your Two Open Water Ocean Dives
After a lunch break, we head to the boat and travel to one of Koh Tao’s beautiful dive sites for the highlight of the day: your two open water ocean dives.
Your first ocean dive gives you the opportunity to apply everything you learned in the pool in a real diving environment. Your Instructor will lead you at a relaxed pace around a shallow section of the coral reef, pointing out fish, hard and soft corals, and other marine life along the way. The maximum depth for your Discover Scuba dives is 12 metres / 40 feet.
Between dives you will return to the boat for a surface interval, where you can relax, warm up, enjoy our provided refreshments, and share your first-dive experience with the other divers on board.
Your Diving Instructor will also debrief your first dive and brief you on your second dive during this time.
Your second ocean dive is where the experience really comes to life. With the initial nerves of your first dive behind you, most divers find their second dive much more enjoyable — you feel more relaxed, more in control of your buoyancy, and better able to look around and take in the reef. Average dive time is around 40 minutes per dive, depending on your breathing rate; the more relaxed you become, the longer your air will last.
Discover Scuba Diving ‘Experience of a Lifetime’
The marine life around Koh Tao is one of the reasons the island is such a popular first-dive destination. Divers commonly encounter butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, wrasses, groupers, and pufferfish across the reefs, with occasional sightings of green and hawksbill sea turtles. The waters around Koh Tao are known for their high fish diversity and coral cover, making the island one of the best places in the world to experience your first ocean dives.
At the end of the day you return to shore having completed a full pool session, two supervised ocean dives, and taken your first real step into the world of scuba diving. If you enjoyed the experience and want to continue, your Instructor will happily walk you through the next steps for completing your PADI Open Water Diver certification with Black Turtle Dive.
Our PADI Discover Scuba Diving package is a unique experience for those who want to try scuba diving for the first time with the very best chance of genuinely enjoying it.
It is unique because our swimming pool is large, spacious, and fully controlled — with no waves, currents, or reduced visibility — giving new divers a calm, relaxed environment in which to build comfort and practise their first scuba skills safely, before heading out to the ocean on our large, spacious dive boat and enjoying two supervised open water dives on Koh Tao’s beautiful coral reefs.
It is a full, rewarding day of adventure, designed to give you the time, space, and personal attention you need to genuinely enjoy your first breaths underwater — and, if you love it, a solid foundation to continue on to your PADI Open Water Diver certification with Black Turtle Dive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the advantage of completing a swimming pool session as part of a Discover Scuba Diving experience on Koh Tao?
Completing a swimming pool session during a PADI Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) experience on Koh Tao provides a safe, controlled, and anxiety-free environment to introduce and master basic breathing and safety skills before transitioning into the open ocean.
This confined-water practice ensures that your first breaths underwater are taken in an environment where you can simply stand up if you feel uncomfortable.
Advantages of starting in a swimming pool
Swimming pool Session = Zero Environmental Distractions
Swimming Pools completely eliminate unpredictable ocean factors like strong currents, waves, surges and low visibility.
Shallow Water Safety
Initial practice occurs in waist-deep water, allowing you to easily stand up, adjust your gear, and talk to your instructor if there are any misunderstandings or you have questions.
Building Confidence
Practicing in a swimming pool takes the edge off the weird sensation of breathing underwater for the first time. It lets you build muscle memory in a comfortable, controlled setting reducing any anxiety or stress you may initially feel.
Core Skill Mastery
A swimming pool provides a calm space to practice critical safety skills such as mask clearing (expelling water from your mask) and regulator recovery (recovering a regulator that has fallen out of you mouth)
Buoyancy Familiarisation
Although buoyancy is not a required skill for the Discover Scuba experience beginning initial practice in the swimming pool allows your Instructor to introduce swimming and basic finning techniques that will help you move easier underwater and help you better understand weightlessness prior to your two open water dives contributing to a much more enriched overall dive experience.
You get much more from the two open water dives
Rather than spending the first open water dive – and most of your air in the cylinder, bouncing around doing skills in a shallow bay or hanging off a line because your Instructor doesn’t have easy access to shallow water your two open water dives will be exactly that – 2 full open water dives that if your air consumption allows will be 40 minutes or longer.
What is the price of PADI Discover Scuba Diving on Koh Tao?
The PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience at Black Turtle Dive costs 4,400 baht per person as a single all-inclusive package. This includes your PADI Discover Scuba Diving eLearning, a full pool training session with a PADI Dive Instructor, two open water ocean dives to a maximum depth of 12 metres, all scuba diving equipment, free use of a dive computer, and dive insurance.
Can I do 1 day Discover Scuba Diving course on Koh Tao?
Yes — the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience is a fully structured one-day programme. Your day begins at 09:00 at Black Turtle Dive with the PADI eLearning and paperwork. From there you move to the swimming pool, where your Instructor introduces you to breathing underwater and teaches you your first basic scuba skills in a calm, controlled environment.
After a lunch break, we head out to the boat and travel to one of Koh Tao’s dive sites, where you complete two open water ocean dives with your Instructor to a maximum depth of 12 metres. You are typically back at the dive centre by 17:00 with plenty of time to enjoy the rest of your evening on the island.
What is the Discover Scuba Diving Koh Tao program?
The PADI Discover Scuba Diving programme is a one-day experience that allows you to try scuba diving under the direct supervision of a PADI Dive Instructor without committing to a full certification course.
It is not a certification course — instead, it is a supervised introduction designed to give you the chance to breathe underwater, learn the basics of scuba, and experience diving in the ocean.
During the day you will complete the PADI Discover Scuba Diving eLearning module, a full pool session where you learn the basic skills, and two open water ocean dives to a maximum depth of 12 metres on Koh Tao’s coral reefs.
The programme is ideal for anyone limited on time, wanting to try diving before committing to a longer certification course, or simply looking for a one-off memorable ocean experience during their stay on Koh Tao.
What is the minimum age for PADI Discover Scuba Diving on Koh Tao?
The minimum age for Discover Scuba Diving participants, same as for PADI Open Water course, is 10 years old.
The program is perfect for children to discover the underwater world and learn about the marine environment.
It is the perfect 1-day family excursion to take during your holiday on Koh Tao. Our experienced dive instructors will take you for a dive at a ratio of 2:1.
Will I see a Whaleshark during the Discover Scuba Diving on Koh Tao?
Because of the depth of the experience (12metres) it is unlikely you will get to see a whaleshark, but not impossible.
Whalesharks are seen regularly around Koh Tao and they visit shallower depths frequently.
Even if you do not see a Whaleshark during your experience, we can guarantee you will see lots of colourful tropical marine life on your dive(s).
Can I do Discover Scuba Diving on Koh Tao if I cannot swim?
Yes, you can do the Discover Scuba Diving course if you don’t know how to swim.
There are no swimming requirements for this program. During the dive your instructor will stay very close to you and hold on to you if necessary.
If you want to become a certified Open Water diver, there are 2 swim tests that need to be completed, a 200metres swim and a 10-minute float.
Will I see a Turtle on my Discover Scuba Diving experience Koh Tao?
Turtles can be seen on most dive sites around Koh Tao and are sighted regularly by scuba divers.
There is never a guarantee because you have to be in the right place at the right time, but it is definitely a magical experience when you see one.
Koh Tao has two types of sea turtles, the Green Turtle & Hawksbill Turtle. There is also a turtle breeding conservation program on the island.
How deep can you go on the Discover Scuba Diving Koh Tao?
The maximum depth you will dive too is 12 metres. During your dive you will be with your dive instructor the whole time at a ratio of 2:1.
The descent will be very gradual using a descent line so you have lots of time to get used to the new environment.
If you wish to go deeper you can continue with the PADI Open Water course that gives you a certification to dive to 18metres all around the world.
How long is each dive on Discover Scuba Diving on Koh Tao?
Each of your two open water dives typically lasts between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on your air consumption. Every diver breathes differently, and the more relaxed you become at swimming and moving around the reef, the less air you use and the longer your dive will last.
You will usually find that your second dive is longer than your first, as your breathing settles and you feel more comfortable in the water. Across both dives you will have plenty of time to look around, take in the marine life, and enjoy the calm, warm ocean surrounding Koh Tao.
Do I get a certification for Discover Scuba Diving course on Koh Tao?
No — the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience is not a certification course. It is a supervised experience programme that gives you a proper introduction to scuba diving without going through the full certification process.
If you enjoy your Discover Scuba Diving day and want to continue as a certified diver, the next step is the PADI Open Water Diver course. Your Discover Scuba Diving training can be credited toward the PADI Open Water Diver course for up to 12 months, meaning you will not need to repeat the elements you have already completed.
Once certified, the PADI Open Water Diver rating is recognised internationally and allows you to dive independently with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 metres anywhere in the world.
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