Course overview

Become a fully certified diver with the PADI Open Water Diver course on Koh Tao - famously the cheapest place in the world to earn it. Over confined-water sessions and four open-water dives to 18 metres at calm sites such as Japanese Gardens, Twins and White Rock, you gain a globally recognised licence to dive independently with a buddy anywhere on earth.

What you’ll learn

• Assemble, check and use all scuba equipment
• Master 24 essential skills including mask clearing and regulator recovery
• Control buoyancy and conduct safe descents and ascents
• Plan dives with tables or a dive computer
• Handle out-of-air and other problems with a buddy
• Dive independently to 18 metres after certification

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10 (Junior Open Water Diver)
• Able to swim 200 metres (or 300m with mask, fins and snorkel) and float for 10 minutes
• No prior experience required
• Diver medical questionnaire / fitness to dive

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Theory & confined water

   Work through the knowledge sections and practise the core skills in confined water in Koh Tao's calm shallows.
2. Day2
   Open-water dives 1-2

   Apply your skills on the first two open-water dives to around 12 metres at a calm reef such as Japanese Gardens or Mango Bay.
3. Day3
   Open-water dives 3-4 & exam

   Complete the final two dives to 18 metres at Twins or White Rock and sit the final theory exam to earn your certification.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Koh Tao.

Frequently asked questions