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Page 1 of 2 Scuba diving at Koh Taoย�
Scuba diving is still the biggest attraction on Koh Tao. Diving in Ko Tao is easy, fun, and you can see turtles, stingrays, barracudas, lots of small fish, reef sharks, and there is a very small chance of seeing a whale shark.
At Chumphon Pinnacle you are likely to see juvenile bull sharks which have, until recently, been misidentified as grey reef sharks. Don't worry, the bulls are curious but not aggressive and for many years literally thousands of people have dived this site without a single shark related incident.
Nearly any time of the year except November is good diving weather in Ko Tao and visibility can exceed 40 meters. Average visibility is around 15-20 meters. In November visibility is reduced and the seas are choppy, but diving is good by the standards of many other destinations.
It is possible and perfectly comfortable to swim and dive without a wetsuit year round. However, as with most diving, a wetsuit is recommended to help reduce risk of cuts or injury. Avoid contact with coral reefs!
ย� Dive Shops
There are a huge number of dive operators on the island, many offering budget accommodation (sometimes described as free accommodation, but this is not really true as you will usually get a discount if you stay elsewhere). Currently (2008) the price for PADI open water certification including the new PADI training manual, professional instruction, rental equipment, boat dives, and certification is around 10,000 baht; insurance and basic accommodation may also be included. Shop around as not all shops teach the course in the same way. Look for experienced dive instructors instead of a low price.
A common method for teaching new divers is to train in a pool first by being taught about 20 basic skills before being taken out into the open water. Others will instead take you to a secluded beach so you will see fish and coral from the start and you might be able to squeeze in a short extra dive in this way, depending on your group and instructor. Some shops have a private pier, some shops depart with a longtail from the beach, and some use the public pier, where you will have to climb some other boats. Ask if this matters to you. Most important: find out maximum number of dive students in a group, and make sure you get an instructor who speaks your language if you are not absolutely sure about your English. These are the little things that will make the difference between an ok course and a great one. Scuba diving course on Koh Tao as following
* Calypso (Tanote bay). Thorough German dive teachers. small boat, small group, immediate dive of the beach (2. dive wreck diving by the beach). CMAS certified. quiet huts with lovely views next door at family tanote bay resort (400 Bth and up)
* Coral Grand divers & resort. Located in a much quieter area than the other dive shops, at the far end of the beach, the hotel is more upmarket than most on the island although the free rooms are still basic. Operates 2 dive boats plus a speed boat.
* Crystal dive resort. one of only a handful of career development centres in thailand. every student level course and specialists in divemaster and instructor training.
* Diveglobe. Book your dive course or live aboard dive trip online or come and see us in chalok ban kao - full range of dive destinations and dive courses.
* Divepoint (on the waterfront in mae haad). Divepoint has probably the biggest dive boat on the island, big enough that you wont have to carry your gear to and from it. PADI & SSI. (closed during nov & dec 2007)
* Davy Jones Locker diving resort (dive resort on sairee beach). Small groups, experienced instructors and quality instruction. PADI, BSAC & SSI courses. Wreck diving by high speed rib. Offers one-year internships for aspiring divemasters.
* Easy Divers. A PADI 5 Star dive shop with friendly but experienced instructors. Professional and fun with great accommodation, and the only dive centre on Koh Tao with all inclusive packages. With a private pier and a maximum class size of 6 students to 1 instructor - Easy Divers was the the only Koh Tao dive centre to be featured on the 2008 Bebo.com "The Gap Year" television series.
* Good Time Adventures. Certified divers only, fast comfortable boat taking you where you want to go when you want to go to see the best sites with no crowds.
* IDC ko tao. Instructor Development Courses (idcs) run every month by English PADI course director matt bolton.
* Koh Tao instructor course. Divemaster and padi instructor courses.
* Master divers (mae haad). Good safety record and well placed for divers that may want to progress on to technical diving.
* Phoenix divers (sairee beach). Multilingual western and Thai staff.
* Planet Scuba (Maehaad). Samui International Diving School incorporating Planet Scuba has over 20 years of experience in Scuba Diving in Koh Samui and Scuba Diving in Koh Tao. One of Thailand's leading Dive Centers and the first Scuba Diving Center in Thailand to be awarded the prestigious PADI Career Development Center Rating (CDC). Recipient of many awards from PADI over the years. Operates a chain of Full Service Dive Centers on Koh Samui and Koh Tao offering the full range of PADI Scuba Diving courses from complete beginner up to Dive Instructor. Scuba Instructor Training in Thailand on both Koh Samui and Koh Tao running regular PADI IDC Thailand programs throughout the year.
Daily Thailand Scuba Diving Tours from Koh Samui and Koh Tao to all of the popular dive destinations ranging from the depths of Sail Rock, home of the illusive Whale Shark, to the National Marine Park and Koh Tao with their sloping coral reefs and abundance of exotic and colourful marine life.
* Sairee hut (sairee beach). Small but good, on the beach.
* Seashell dive center, wonderful place with helpful multilingual staff, good boats and gear. no free accommodation. located on sairee beach.
* Sunshine Divers Resort: located on beautiful Chalok Baan Kao beach, Sunshine Divers is a PADI 5 STAR Gold Palm Resort. Combined together, the; DMTโs, staff, instructors, students, resident dogs, and fun divers all contribute to the fun, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere of Sunshine Divers.
* New way dive center, one of the oldest and most reputable dive shops, catering for a wide range of languages and senses of humour. accommodation available. located in sairee village.
* New Heaven Dive School. Over ten years of experience on Koh Tao and with that comes diving expertise. Has been involved with turtle conservation, reef restoration, The "We love Koh Tao" festival, The Koh Toa Under Water festival and any other activities which help to create the eco-friendly environment they would like to see on Koh Tao.
* If you're not into scuba diving, many operators arrange snorkeling trips around the island. ask your accommodation about a tour. long-tail boat and a driver can be chartered for about 1500-2000 baht/day including snorkeling gear.
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Places to visit 
