Hey Divefans,
Its good to be back on Koh Tao after a short stint over on the west coast of Thailand. Basically I was working over at Big Blue Khao Lak, where we dive the Similan Islands every day. Despite the fact that the Similan Islands are, without question, some of the best diving in the world, I was still happy to get back to "The Rock" (aka, Koh Tao as us residents call it). And I'll explain why...
For me, it comes down to a matter of lifestyle. While the west coast has amazing life under the water, the east coast has even more amazing life above the water. The thing that made me move to Koh Tao 4 years ago and never look back is the atmosphere of the island. A great, laid back, chilled party vibe with great people. Tao has none of the headaches or chaos in the likes of a Koh Pha-Ngan full moon party, but we do have great sunset bars and even clubs that stay open to 6am. Tao has none of the commercialism of Samui, but you can still find a top-notch steak dinner on the island. Theres always something to do in Koh Tao, and always plenty of great people to do it with. Khao Lak, while it is a divers dream, seems to stop after the diving. Most people there are holiday makers as opposed to travelers, and do their diving and go back to their hotels afterwards. Most dive staff there work long hours or are away on live-aboard dive boats for several days, so the only happenin' bar in town usually has a crowd of about 50. Dont get me wrong, I loved my time in Khao Lak, and I loved hanging out in that one hip bar, but theres a vibe on Koh Tao that I've never found anywhere else in the world. Its the only placed I've ever lived where I was genuinely excited to go home to after a holiday. This is coming from a guy who grew up in Hawaii. :)
For anyone trying to decide if they should do their dive course in Koh Tao or the Similians, I'll offer you all the info I have and then you can decide. For starters, the courses in the Similans are about twice the price (9000b here, as opposed to 16900b there), and rooms in the Similans are much more expensive as well. On Koh Tao, you're likely to be in a course with a few other people, at a dive shop with a lot of lively action. I always enjoy teaching courses with more people, as it makes for a good group dynamic. Most courses in the Similans are just one or 2 people. For some people this is a plus. But at most dive shops around the world, if you request a private teacher, the shop will try to find you one.
Now the diving itself, most people will tell you, is better in the Similans. While I agree with that statement, I'd like to make a few comments. First, Koh Tao can have diving as good as the Similans, its just really rare. Usually our underwater visibility is between 10-15 meters, and in the Similans its normally around 20-25 meters. Diving is usually good in Koh Tao, and usually great in the Similans. But, we do get those rare days in Koh Tao where the visibility is 30 meters and the dive site is teeming with life. We also have dive sites where we can almost guarantee you to go nose-to-nose with a rather large reef shark. In this divers humble opinion, there are few things in life cooler than diving with sharks. We also get more Whalesharks per year in Koh Tao.
So heres what I recommend to those faced with this decision of east coast vs west coast. Do both. Rather than pay 16,900 for your open water in the Similans, do your Open Water here in Koh Tao, stay a few more days and enjoy the atmosphere and the island, then go over to do some fun dives in the Similans. This would end up costing 9,000 for the OW, and then 5,100b x 2, for 2 days of fun diving from Khao Lak, for a total of 19,200. That's only an extra 2,3oob, and you'll end up with 8 dives rather than just 4 and you'll have experiences diving on both sides of Thailand. You have the chance to enjoy the nightlife of Koh Tao, and the aquatic life of the Similans. [Note - The Similan islands are only open from Nov to May. The water is undiveable outside those months.]
In the end, it really doesn't matter. Just get yourself under the water, and I guarantee you'll fall in love!!
See you below,
-Rick
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