Diving in Koh Samui

Promise123

Hi there, I'm planning a trip to Koh Samui in September and would like to do a couple of days' diving there. Could anyone recommend a good diving school there? I am a relative beginner and would like to dive with a professional guide ideally. We haven't booked accomodation yet so are fairly felxible as regards location (I like the sound of Chaweng Beach area though) Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!:)

Derek M

If you are going to Ko Samui, you may as well go to Koh Tao for your diving, it is only a short boat ride away and it is sort of a dedicated diving island. There are 20 or so dive operators on this small island, so you have plenty of choice.

Go to sawadee.com for information about dive operators on the island. If you check the previous thread on diving in Thailand, Buddha View were recommended to me.

Promise123

Thanks for that I had heard Ko Tao was popular alright

esskay

Hi,
I did my Open Water and Advanced O.W. on Koh Tao in Ban's diving resort. We had no problems at all, great staff and a beautiful location. It is the cheapest place in the world to get PADI certified afaik and is well worth a visit.
Esskay

Evil Phil

If you've any interest in bouldering then Koh Tao is probably the best place in S.E. Asia. Not that that's got anything to do with diving.

Promise123

Thanks Esskay,

Good to know, many thanks. Can I ask did you actually stay on Ko Tao or did you travel over there each day from Koh Samui? My sister (who I'm travelling with) diesn't dive so she wants to stay where the action is on Koh Samui. She may come snorkelling though on one of the days.

Do you think I'd need to book a few dives in advance or would it be safe enough to just turn up at a dive shop over there?!

PS Evil Phil - What's bouldering?!

Evil Phil

Buddah View on Koh Tao, which I've already recommended on another thread, have their own bungalows right beside the dive center plus a not-to-bad-at-all restaruant too.

Bouldering on Wikipedia.

Bouldering on Koh Tao. James, the guy who owns Zen Gecko, runs rock-climbing courses.

Mickah

Nightlife on Koh Tao is cracking. I liked it better than Koh Samui. Which is very built up.

All the niteclubs close at 2.30 on Samui whereas Koh Tao just goes and goes. Much more of a easy backpacker vibe going on.

If you're into you're Raves/Dance get over to Koh Phangnang for the full moon or half moon party. Once in a life time experience that.

esskay

Mickah wrote:

Nightlife on Koh Tao is cracking. I liked it better than Koh Samui. Which is very built up.

All the niteclubs close at 2.30 on Samui whereas Koh Tao just goes and goes. Much more of a easy backpacker vibe going on.

If you're into you're Raves/Dance get over to Koh Phangnang for the full moon or half moon party. Once in a life time experience that.

Ya, samui is full of old western men looking for young asian girls.

Ginger

I did mine with Planet Scuba. One of the fun things about learning to dive in Koh Tao is your containment dive is rarely done in a pool, more in a lagoon. I did mine near the Japanese Gardens dive site.

I would recomend them anyways. Also Phoenix divers where my mates did theirs. I think the rates are about 7000bht for an Open Water diver course cheaper if you book 30days in advance.

They have ops in Bangkok and Koh Samui. In Bangkok its the end opposite Burger King near Gullivers and in Koh Samui its near Tropical Murphys (I think??) on Chaweng.

I stayed in Koh Tao in Sairee and its only a short walk (1 min) to the dive school in the morning and then on the back of a pick up to the pier for the boats.

Viz was brilliant and the fish life is fantastic. Managed to see a turtle on one of your first dives as well as black tip reef sharks. Only wish i got to see a whale shark but such is the life

Evil Phil

I remember fish swimming up to me on the beaches in water so clear you could barely taste the salt in it.

briancurran

Hey i did my padi and advanced courses in Koh Toa last March. Check out my blog...all the info there. Great place. Nightlife can be good too and not as seedy as Koh Samui. Big Blue Dive, intsructor Mr Jued, the guy was a legend.

http://briancurran.blogspot.com/

If that sunset pic doesn't get you looking forward to your trip then nothing will

scubagit

Hi,
I did some diving with Discovery Divers back in 2002.
They are located at the Amari Palm Reef Resort on Chaweng Beach Rd.
The boat ride to Koh Tao, where all the diving is, is only about an hour and a half and the diving as excellent.
Apparrently the diving off Samui beach is not great as there is not much life and the vis can be quite bad from the building in the area.
Anyways, enjoy the trip. I did!!

Daniel Corcoran

I did my PADI Advanced course in Koh Phi Phi pre tsunami, which was good, the west coast of Thailand is much better for diving then Koh Tao which is pretty much the worst for nice coral etc, its seen as the ALDI of the diving world. Good place to learn as its cheap and loads of options, but not much to see in terms of diving, my advice would be to look on the west coast much nicer.

esskay

Daniel Corcoran wrote:

its seen as the ALDI of the diving world. Good place to learn as its cheap and loads of options,

Thats the whole point Plus, if like me you'd never dived before its all amazing no matter where you go.