Where to go Fun Diving in Thailand
Best Koh Tao Fun Diving Trips
The ocean around Koh Tao boasts colourful corals, an abundance of marine life and lots of diversity, more than enough to keep even the most experienced scuba diver occupied for months on end.
Lets Go Fun Diving in Thailand
Koh Tao provides all this and more at a variety of dive sites ranging from shallow coral reefs, located within the island’s beautiful bays, to deeper outlying granite pinnacles, just a 30-40 minutes boat journey off shore.
Our dive team are experienced and highly knowledgeable dive professionals, familiar with the local reef ecology and dive sites.
Fun Diving for all Scuba Divers Koh Tao
We will provide you with a bespoke, relaxed and enjoyable fun diving experience.
We will show the best of everything that there is to see, at dive sites suitable for your level of training and experience, tailoring the dive to your interests.
The scuba diving around the island offers something for every diver and with over 25 fantastic dive sites, there is enough variety to keep you hooked on Koh Tao diving for weeks and weeks.
If you are a deep dive enthusiast you will be pleased to hear there are several great deep sites, including Sail Rock, arguably the Gulf of Thailand’s premier scuba diving dive site.
Explore the Underwater World
Located between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, this 40-metre, deep dive site is in the middle of the sea.
Famous for its iconic Chimney, you will be engulfed by huge schools of snapper, fusiliers and chevron barracuda and see lots of the larger pelagic fish here too, including Malabar & Brown Marbled Grouper, Giant Barracuda and King Mackerel.
Whalesharks often pass by Sail Rock and Eagle Rays & Sail Fish have also been seen swimming in the deep blue on many occasions, just off the main dive site.
Sail Rock is usually organized as a full day trip from Koh Tao.
Closer to home we have Chumphon Pinnacles and South West Pinnacle, both a 30-40 minutes boat ride from Koh Tao.
These dive sites offer the best opportunity to dive with Whalesharks and also boast large schools of scad and Trevally with Brydes Whales also seen at South West when passing through.
Closer to home the Koh Tao’s picturesque bays offer stunning scenery above the surface with the back drop of a thick green jungle and granite rocks, rock faces and shorelines.
These shallow dive sites such as Aow Leuk and Mango Bay, boast colorful thriving coral reefs that are brimming with marine life and easy diving conditions, perfect for long relaxing dives.
For the more adventurous diver, the HTMS Sattakut is a first-class deep wreck dive, perfect for advanced divers. Lying between 18-30 metres this wreck is 10 years old now and full of life.
Neighbouring island Koh Nang Yuan offers the iconic twin peaks as the central point of the stunning above the water scenery for you to enjoy during your surface interval.
Fun Diving around Koh Nang Yuan
It also offers several fantastic dive sites, with Japanese Gardens boasting one of the most diverse coral reefs in Thailand.
Diversity is something Koh Nang Yuan has a lot of. Some of Koh Tao’s rare marine animals are also seen around the island including Red Rock and Nang Yuan shoreline.
This is the only dive site where we see the Pink Tailed Triggerfish and Japanese Gardens two of the only locations where we see Ocellated Eagle Rays.
Diversity is something Koh Nang Yuan has a lot of. Some of Koh Tao’s rare marine animals are also seen around the island including the only dive site where we see the Pink Tailed Triggerfish and two of the only locations where we see Ocellated Eagle Rays.
Koh Nang Yuan shoreline has some cool caves and swim throughs that are great fun for divers with the necessary buoyancy skills required to navigate them and over on the north side, Green rock offers a deep site and lots of swim throughs and even more Triggerfish.
East Side of Koh Tao
Travel over to the East side of Koh Tao and Tanote Bay offers excellent macro-opportunities and is especially popular with underwater photographers.
If you have a sharp eye look for the Frog Fish and Pipefish, there is also a sunken catamaran thriving with life and artificial concrete cubes that complement the natural reef well and attract more marine life.
In the middle of Tanote there is a very large school of yellow striped scad that literally engulfs scuba divers if you move slowly enough through them.
You can also see blue spotted stingrays and Tanote Bay is one of the best dive sites to see a sea turtle in Koh Tao.
Just around the point is Laem Thian, where there is a maze of great swim throughs plus another rare Koh Tao resident, the Bumphead Parrotfish that we often see in the shallows in Laem Thian Bay.
Junkyard Reef Koh Tao
Over on the south of Koh Tao, Tao Tong is another dive site popular with photographers, who often visit there for muck diving and to see whether they can find the Blue Ringed Octopus.
Koh Tao boasts a number of artificial sites including Junkyard Reef on the west coast and Suan Olan and Hin Ngam in Aow Leuk that are thriving with marine life and will certainly interest conservation minded divers.
We offer two trips a day and night dives can be arranged on request with several of the dive sites on the west coast of the island amongst our favorite sites to dive at Night.
Lets Go Fun Diving on Koh Tao
Black Turtle Dive is a 5 Star Career Development Centre (CDC), a Greenfins Eco Dive Centre, 100% PADI AWARE and we are a DMCR Approved Coral Reef Restoration center (Dept of Marine & Coastal Resources).
We operate a dedicated fun diving dive boat to facilitate the needs of certified divers who want to visit the best dive sites while they are visiting and perhaps limited on time.
Our dive boat offers freshwater bathrooms, fresh water shower, onboard fruit, snacks and refreshments, lots of space and seating for briefings and onboard compressors to keep the scuba tanks full.
Fun Diving Boat for Certified Divers
Our fun diving dive boat visits the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand on a custom schedule according to the needs of our customers.
Of course, we have dived the ocean around Koh Tao for 25 years, so we believe we know the best locations to take our fun divers, and we do our best to facilitate this on one of the most spacious and comfortable dive boats in Thailand.
Koh Tao Fun Diving Dive Boat Schedule
Our current Fun Diving boat schedule for one of our morning dive boats. Please ask about afternoon dive boat dive site schedules or check our boards around Mae Haad.
All our fun diver trips except Sail Rock are priced at 1800 baht per trip for 2 dives and includes:
- Your Dive Guide
- Insurance
- Maximum group size of 4
- Full set of Premium Aqualung Equipment Rental **
- Comfortable dive boats with fresh water showers and lots of space
** Aqualung Pro HD BCD, Helix Balanced Regulators & Suunto dive computer
* Sail Rock – Special Trips
Sail Rock is a special excursion trip due to the dive site being 1.5-2 hours way from Koh Tao. We serve breakfast and Thai buffet lunch on both our Wednesday & Saturday Sail Rock dive trips and the price is 2900 baht.
Sail Rock Wednesday
Our Sail Rock trip on a Wednesday departs at 06.30am. We leave early to maximise the opportunity to get the dive site to ourselves for Dive 1. We also serve a breakfast wrap on this early trip and return to Koh Tao at approximately 14.00 so you can leave the island later that day if necessary.
Sail Rock Saturday
Our Sail Rock Saturday trip departs at 06.30am. We hope this allows us to have the site to ourselves for Dive 1.
Our student Diver Boat
Our student dive boat Is more focused on PADI training courses so it mainly visits dive sites that are 18 metres or shallower. These trips are also very interesting for certified divers, as we visit some of Koh Tao’s most popular dive sites regularly.
Some of the dive sites we visit regularly include:
Mango Bay, Red Rock & Nang Yuan shoreline, Japanese Gardens, Twins, No Name Pinnacle, White Rock, Junkyard Reef, Aow Leuk, Hin Ngam and Tanote Bay
As a certified diver, the great thing about fun diving with Black Turtle Dive is you get so much choice as we visit up to 8 Koh Tao dive sites a day.
Important Notice for Certified Divers
When was your last dive?
Can you confirm when you last dived? If it has been longer than 12 months, we strongly advise you complete a Scuba Review, to refresh your diving knowledge and scuba skills.
This is especially recommended if you plan to dive at Sail Rock dive site.
If you have dived within the last 12 months, there is no need for a Review. Please note that we will ask for proof of last dive (logbook and dive computer etc.).
Dive Medical Form – Are you fit to dive?
Below is a link to the PADI Medical Questionnaire, which all divers must complete prior to diving with Black Turtle Dive.
Please read through the ‘Divers Medical Questionnaire’ on page 1. If you answer ‘NO’ to all the questions then you are OK to start diving with us.
However, if you answer ‘YES’ to any questions, please turn to page 2 and answer the additional questions. A medical check-up may be required before diving.
* Please make sure you read the Medical Form to confirm there are no health issues before booking your dives with us.
Important – Weather conditions
Your health and safety is our number 1 priority. Due to weather conditions, we may need to postpone or reschedule a trip on short notice.
Important – Flying after diving
DAN – Divers Alert Network Flying after diving’ guidelines state
“For a single no-decompression dive, the recommendation is a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours.
For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, the recommendation is a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours
For dives requiring decompression stops, wait at least 24 hours before flying”
Please ensure these guidelines are fully considered when planning any air travel after your dive trips. It is advisable to be as conservative as possible whenever possible and avoid flying for 24 hours after scuba diving.
Black Turtle Dive issues ALL our divers with a modern dive computer which calculates the optimal surface interval prior to flying based on your diving history with us.
Why Koh Tao is Popular for Fun Diving
Our top tips why Koh Tao is a popular diving destination for fun divers:
Clear, Warm Ocean Surrounding Koh Tao
The waters are clear and visibility is often excellent, which makes it easy to see the marine life, even at depths of 30 meters or more.
Marine life in Koh Tao
The marine life is abundant and you can see a wide variety of fish, including sharks, sea turtles, stingrays and Malabar Groupers. You can also see the most amazingly colorful coral reefs, which are home to diverse marine life.
Fun Diving Trips with the Best Marine Life
Best Dive Sites
There are dive sites to suit all levels of experience. If you are a beginner diver, there are shallow dive sites where you can learn the basics of scuba diving. If you are an experienced diver, there are deeper dive sites where you can explore more challenging underwater environments.
Cost of fun diving in Koh Tao
The cost of fun diving in Koh Tao is relatively affordable, which makes it a great choice for budget-minded travellers, who are certified divers.
If you are looking for a fun and exciting diving destination, Koh Tao is a great choice. With its turquoise clear ocean, abundant marine life, and variety of the best dive sites, you are sure to have a great time exploring the underwater world of Koh Tao.
Top Tips to Choose a Reputable Dive Shop on Koh Tao
Our recommended tips to consider when choosing a dive center to fun dive with when you arrive on Koh Tao:
Quality Diving Equipment
Look for a dive centre that provides you with a set of premium dive equipment and not just basic beginner dive equipment that many dive centres use for their entry level students.
A balanced regulator provides a much smoother delivery of air, making breathing underwater effortless, as it should be. Look for a premium BCD that has additional integrated weight pockets that make achieving a nice trim position easier and more comfortable.
Dive Computer is Essential
A dive computer is essential for any certified diver fun diving in Koh Tao. This is especially important when you are making deep and repetitive dives.
Experienced Dive Guides
Make sure the dive centre you choose has experienced staff who are well trained and knowledgeable about the local marine life and dive sites.
Dive Center Location
If you are staying in a particular area of the island, you may want to choose a dive centre that provides you with a pick up taxi to bring you to and from the dive center. However, Koh Tao is a small tropical island and most places are within walking distance and offer a pleasant beach walk to the dive centre.
Diving Prices
Diving enthusiasts who are certified divers, will know that the cheapest prices are NOT always the best choice, so it is important to choose a Dive Center that puts your safety and comfort first, uses quality dive equipment, experienced dive guides and visits the best dive sites on a daily basis.
For quality diving equipment, a custom fun diving dive boat and to visit the best dive sites, it may cost you an extra 100-200 baht per dive, which is great value for the service you receive, and as the old saying goes, “You get what you pay for”.
Course Certifications
If you are not a certified diver, you can choose a dive centre that offers certification courses such as the PADI Open Water course.
Diving Equipment
Make sure the dive centre you choose has the equipment you need, including wetsuits, masks, fins and they issue you with a dive computer, DO NOT dive without a dive computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to dive in Thailand?
Fun diving prices vary in Thailand and on Koh Tao and can cost between 800-1000 baht per dive dependent on how many fun dives you book.
Be aware that some dive operators may offer you cheap prices, so ask to see the diving equipment and the dive boat and ask if they issue you with a dive computer.
Also ask the dive operator what dive sites they plan to visit before making your decision.
Is it safe to go fun diving in Koh Tao?
Koh Tao is a safe location to go fun diving and offers fun divers over 25 dives sites to choose from of varying levels of complexity, from shallow sandy bays to artificial dive sites and deep granite rock pinnacles.
Check with the dive operator that they are reputable and provide you with all the necessary quality diving equipment and best dive boat for the best fun diving experience.
Can you see Whalesharks in Koh Tao?
Whalesharks are frequent visitors to the warm, tropical ocean that surrounds Koh Tao and they can often be seen when diving at many of the dive sites.
Sail Rock trips are popular for fun divers and Whaleshark sightings, as is Laem Thian, Green Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle, South West Pinnacles and Shark island dive sites.
Where is good for diving in Thailand?
Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand is known as the most popular destination in the world to go scuba diving as a certified fun diver or for aspiring divers who want to take a diving course.
Most dive operators on the surrounding islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, take their scuba divers to the dive sites on Koh Tao to enjoy their diving.
Koh Tao is surrounded by over 8 kilometres of pristine coral reef and the marine environment is a kaleidoscope of marine life.
Is Sail rock worth visiting on a fun diving trip?
Sail Rock dive site is considered to be the best dive site in the Gulf of Thailand for marine life including the magical Whaleshark and a range of other pelagics.
Sail Rock can provide fun divers with huge shoals of fish swirling off the main granite rock pinnacle and a wide range of reef fish, crustaceans and invertebrates – something for every diving enthusiast. Do not forget to bring your camera.
What are the best months to dive in Koh Tao?
The best months to dive Koh Tao for optimum conditions and weather is February through to September. Although both January and October can be fair, an early or late monsoon can mean visibility is not as good during those months.
Neither May or June rain nor the south westerly winds the island experiences in July & August, affect the visibility too much.
However, waves and wind can sometimes make some of the dive sites on the west of the island inaccessible at times, which provides a great opportunity to explore what the dive sites on the east of Koh Tao have to offer.
What are the best sites to dive in Koh Tao?
For Advanced Open Water divers, the best deeper dive sites to dive around Koh Tao are Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle, South West Pinnacles and Shark Island.
Koh Tao also boasts great dive sites that are perfect for Open Water divers with a maximum depth of 18 meters or shallower. Our favorite dive sites in this category include Twins, White Rock, Aow Leuk & Mango Bay.
For night diving White Rock or Twins are the most popular and offer amazing nocturnal marine life.
For wreck diving the HTMS Sattakut is a great option and provides a perfect dive site to earn your PADI Wreck Specialty certification.
Can you see turtles in Koh Tao?
We regularly see Green Sea turtles and Hawksbill Sea turtles at a variety of dive sites around Koh Tao including White Rock, Hin Pee Wee, Shark Island, Aow leuk, Hin Ngam, Tanote Bay, Lighthouse Bay and Hin Wong.
If you are snorkeling, then the entire east coast is good to see Turtles including Shark Bay, which is a snorkeling site.
Is there a dedicated dive boat for certified divers in Koh Tao?
Black Turtle Dive operates a dedicated dive boat for certified divers in Koh Tao. This boat is exclusively for certified divers and visits the best dive sites around Koh Tao at the best times of the day, every day.
With premium rental dive equipment, experienced dive guides, dive computer, small groups and comfortable, spacious dive boats, if you are a certified diver visiting Koh Tao to fun dive, your number 1 choice should be Black Turtle Dive.
How many dive schools are there in Koh Tao?
There are currently 52 Dive Centers on Koh Tao and choosing the right one for you can be a daunting task.
Pricing is a good indicator of the quality of training and standard of the facilities and the quality of dive equipment that a dive center on Koh Tao offers.
Although its often tempting to choose the cheapest price, it is no coincidence the dive centers on Koh Tao that charge higher prices, have the best dive boats and pay their staff higher wages, attracting the best dive professionals to work for them.