Course overview

Become a certified diver with the SSI Open Water Diver course on Thailand's Phi Phi Islands, earning a worldwide licence to dive to 18 metres with a buddy. You combine flexible digital learning and confined-water skills in calm, sheltered bays with four open-water dives on Phi Phi's coral gardens and limestone walls. It is the perfect place to log your very first certified dives.

What you’ll learn

• Set up, check and care for scuba equipment
• Master neutral buoyancy and precise depth control
• Clear your mask and recover your regulator with ease
• Plan dives within safe limits using a computer or tables
• Monitor air and handle common underwater situations
• Perform controlled ascents, descents and safety stops

Prerequisites

• No prior experience or certification required
• Minimum age 10 (Junior) or 15 for the full certification
• Able to swim and be comfortable in water
• Reasonable health (SSI medical questionnaire; physician sign-off if any condition applies)

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 digital learning and your first skills in calm, sheltered shallows by the island.
2. Day2
   Open-water dives 1-2

   Apply your new skills on shallow Phi Phi reefs during your first open-water dives.
3. Day3
   Open-water dives 3-4

   Extend depth and confidence to 18 metres on the coral gardens and walls.
4. Day4
   Assessment & certification

   Complete skill demonstrations and assessments to earn your SSI Open Water Diver rating.

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 Phi Phi.

Frequently asked questions