SCUBA Schools in Koh Tao: How to Choose

I love SCUBA. I love the calm below the surface, the sploosh of bubbles, the sway of the surge and anemones. I love how the colors disappear as you descend then roar back to life with the shine of a flashlight. I love the rhythm of slow breaths from the regulator and spying on creatures in their element.

I feel at peace in the water. And the more I travel and see how uncomfortable many people are swimming, I recognize the privilege and strength that it is.

I am a South Florida baby and I was lucky to grow up with parents who owned their own dive equipment. One of our big vacations growing up was to the Florida Keys, where I learned to fish and hunt lobster (my birthday is during mini-season).

It’s definitely not best practice, but my parents have been taking me under the ocean with them since I was about 5. I’ve been Open Water certified since the day after my 12th birthday.

But by then, my parents were also divorced. Then I moved to North Central Florida and I didn’t dive again for years.

It’s so nice to get back into the hobby now that I’m older and have my own money. Diving is an expensive hobby, but it’s *so much* cheaper outside of the US.

If I could create my dream job, it would be getting paid to clean trash out of the ocean and helping to track or protect endangered species.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to follow my passions in life.

So I’m looking into Divemaster courses, continuing my education credits, and logging more and more dives! Koh Tao is known as a hub for Divemasters, some even call it a dive instructor factory, because of how popular and how cheap it is.

That “factory” connotation makes some people look down on the schools there, claiming they focus on quantity over quality. I did a dive off the neighboring island of Koh Pha Ngan and I definitely sensed some hostility toward their schools.

I struggled for a few days trying to decide if I should get it done there. I was in the area, it’s affordable, I’ve always wanted to, I had the time…

I decided to complete my Advanced Open Water, then take my time logging dives before starting a Divemaster Internship.

If you have advanced certifications I’d love to hear about your journey, where you got them done, and any advice or experience you have to offer!

Whether you’ve been an Open Water Diver for years or you’ve never had the pleasure of breathing below sea level, this is your sign to take an Advanced SCUBA course!

Advanced certification means you’ll be licensed for 30m dives, but even better: you can go on night dives and explore ship wrecks!

Koh Tao, Thailand is known worldwide as one of the most beautiful *and cheapest* places for diving. There are more than 50 dive schools to choose from, which can be overwhelming, so I’ll share the details of schools I reached out to, so you don’t have to:

• Davey Jones Locker – AOW is 9500 baht (~$257 USD) including 2 nights stay in their hostel. This was the favorite on Reddit. Super cheap PADI certification

• MasterDivers – 10,500 baht (~$284) They might be good, but I felt like they were trying to pressure me into giving a deposit by claiming that it would be really busy over a month out (no other school had a problem with walk-ins, and most encouraged me to shop around!). PADI certification

• Big Blue – 11000 baht (~$297) This was my second choice school! They were really responsive to my emails and gave a lot of helpful info. They have some free accommodation but it fills up fast. And it’s pretty expensive for an SSI school

• Roctopus – 10100 baht ($~273) I ended up going with this school based on a friend’s advice, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. I had never heard of RAID Divers before coming here, but there is no doubt that their emphasis on buoyancy control has made me a much better diver in a very short time

Roctopus has a big focus on ocean conservation and run beach clean ups every Friday and dive-site clean ups each Saturday. Not only is it a great way to give back, but it’s a fun opportunity to meet people as well.

If you spend any time in Koh Tao you’ll notice that people wear their dive shop clothes… everywhere. It’s like picking your tribe! So I highly recommend going to different shops and seeing who you vibe with most. There’s something for everyone! 

Can I just get paid to follow my passions forever? I loved teaching kids to read and I think I could really love teaching people to get comfortable and experience a whole new world under the sea!

I’m writing this after recovering from sea sickness, a massive sunburn, and a jellyfish rash, so you know I mean it!

See you in the blue!