Explore the Best Dive Spots of Koh Tao
Laid back and relaxed, Koh Tao is
Thailand’s hot spot when it comes to diving. Boasting many diving sites within
swimming distance of the island, not only is it one of the most popular places
to dive in the country, but it is also ideal for beginners.
Is Koh
Tao a good place for beginners to learn to dive?
The island is one of the most loved places
in Asia to become a certified diver. Not only does it offer sites for every
kind of level, but it is also one of the most affordable places in the world to
learn how to dive.
Home to secluded beaches and shallow shore
sites, it is the perfect place to learn, and is even more ideal if you want to
enjoy some diving with the whole family.
Koh Tao boasts a huge number of diving
schools and centres that offer courses, with many hotels attached to their own
diving centre too. Ensure you pick a school with PADI certified instructors,
and you will be well on your way to navigating across the phenomenal world
waiting beneath the seas lapping at this stunning island.
Many beginners head to Mango Bay for their
first dive, as it’s a shoreline dive that you can access simply by paddling
across its gently sloping shelf from the beach. Japanese Gardens is also an
ideal site for beginners, ranging from two to 12 metres deep and offering
sights of plate and staghorn coral.
I’m
in need of a new diving thrill, will I find it here?
There are plenty of new and thrilling
sights waiting below the waters of the Gulf of Thailand here, so it is the
ideal destination for experienced divers. Head to Green Rock and you will find
rock formations with swim throughs, caves and chinks, which you can drift
across on the sea current. The site offers glimpses of blue spotted rays, titan
trigger fish and parrot fish breeding.
Sail Rock is one of the most known dive
destinations in Koh Tao, and although it is suitable for divers of any level,
its vertical swim through provides the perfect thrill for the more advanced.
Referred to as ‘The Chimney’, this swim through starts deep into the water at
18 metres. The site gives you the chance to glimpse batfish, barracuda and the
occasional whale shark.
One of the great aspects of diving in Koh
Tao is that it offers ideal conditions for 11 months of the year, so you
should easily be able to find a time when there are cheap flights to Thailand.
November is the only time to avoid visiting the island for diving, as it is
when the sea becomes choppy, and visibility is considerably reduced. That said,
November in Koh Tao still offers a better standard of diving in comparison to
many sites across the world.
Do I
need to bring my own equipment?
The island is home to a huge number of dive
operators, who offer courses and trips as well as equipment hire. The standard
price for a beginners course will usually include the hiring of any necessary
equipment, and diving trips will also offer a price based on the hire of
equipment.
Whether you are travelling on a budget or
you are just looking for somewhere exotic to learn how to dive, Koh Tao is the
ideal place to start your watery love for scuba diving. Filled with beginners
shore-side dive sites and shallow nursery areas, it is the perfect place for
parents who want to introduce their children to the sport. This needn’t put off
the more seasoned divers however, as the area also offers some incredible and
challenging places to dive and take in some spectacular underwater scenes.
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