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Scuba Diving from Koh Samui - Thailand
If you've finished exploring the palm tree lined beaches, temples
and natural beauty of Koh Samui on the surface, then it's time to
do some sightseeing below the deep blue oceans of the Gulf of Thailand.
It may surprise you to know that PADI issued more diving certifications
in the Gulf of Thailand last year than in Australia's diving Mecca,
The Great Barrier Reef.
It certainly didn't surprise us. Diving in the Gulf over the last
ten years has been growing at a sensational rate, and the area is
now firmly fixed as one of the world's great locations to dive,
and to learn to dive.
The Gulf of Thailand offers a huge variety of dive sites suitable
for all levels of diver. So whether you want to blow your very first
bubbles underwater or you're an experienced diver looking for something
more challenging, there are plenty of options to choose from.
PADI Dive Courses
Koh Samui has many dive schools all operating slightly different services.
Some companies such as 'The
Dive Shop, Discovery or Captain Caveman', only use speed boats
for people who want to get to and from the dive site as soon as possible,
saving you valuable holiday hours. Whereas some of the bigger schools
use large boats which take more than twice the time of a speed boat
and make for a longer day, but generally offer more comfort. Regardless
of how you get to the divesite though, just how much attention are
you going to get from your instructor during the course? This is an
important question you should be asking. Whilst PADI allow an instructor
to student ratio of 8 to 1. You will find though that many of the
dive companies may have introduced their own ratios, especially some
of the smaller, non franchised dive schools who may focus on smaller
groups and more personal attention.
PADI Discover Scuba Diving
 If
you don't have the time to try a full certification course or just
fancy an interesting daytrip, then Discover Scuba diving is definitely
for you.
You'll make two dives upto 12m in depth under the supervision of a
PADI Instructor. Give it a go! You might fall in love with the amazing
underwater world. With the colourful Parrotfish and Moon Wrasse, with
the Stingrays and Morays, not to mention the beautiful Coral.
And then if you wish you can go on and do a PADI diving certification
course! Join one of the fastest growing sports in the world!
PADI certification courses take 2 or 4 days depending on the level
you want to attain. The licence you will receive upon successful completion
of the course will be valid for life, and recognized across the globe!
PADI Scuba Diver
The 2 day PADI 'Scuba Diver' course involves a day of classroom and
swimming pool work to give you the theory you will need, and to get
you used to the thrill of breathing underwater.
On the second day you'll go out on the operators boat to the dive
site to complete your 2 training dives.
Once completed you'll be certified to dive to 12m, but only in the
company of a PADI Divemaster or Instructor.
PADI Open Water Diver
The full 4 day PADI Open Water course follows the same path as The
Scuba Diver course for the first 2 days. After that you'll be ready
for another day in the classroom and swimming pool where you will
advance your knowledge and hone those underwater skills.
The fourth day will be spent on the boat where you will do your third
and fourth dives. This time you'll be going to a maximum depth of
18m!
This licence will allow you to dive to 18m and you'll be able to dive
with just a friend who has the same level of certification, rather
than needing the direct supervision of a diving professional.
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PADI recreational diver training programs are shown in the flowchart
below.
PADI Advanced Diver
 If
you've already completed your Open Water course and want to progress,
how about the PADI Advanced diver course? You'll complete 5 adventure
dives over a 2 day period.
The dives will include a 'Deep adventure dive', a 'Navigation adventure
dive' and 3 others of your own choice!
There's Photography, Enriched Air, Fish ID, Peak performance buoyancy,
Naturalist and Search and Recovery among others. The choice is yours!
Once you're an advanced diver you'll be licenced to dive down to 30m!
PADI Rescue Diver
Rescue diver is the next step. Taken along with a First Aid and CPR
course, the Rescue course is maybe the most rewarding of all the PADI
courses to complete. Not only will it make you a more competent diver,
but will give you the confidence to be able to spot potential problems
and help your fellow divers. It's an invaluable step on the way to
becoming a dive professional, or just a great confidence booster for
fun divers who want to improve their diving knowledge and skills.
Go Pro with PADI!
 The
Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
Hundreds of people go professional on Koh Samui each year by completing
their Divemaster course on the island, the first step on the PADI
professional ladder.
Many of them go on to become PADI Instructors by attending an Instructor
Development course with one of the select few Dive operators on the
island able to teach the PADI instructor course, such as 'The Dive
Shop' or 'SIDS'.
Once you're a professional diver, living and working on beautiful,
tropical Koh Samui. We guarantee you'll never want to leave!
The content in this page was contributed by:
The Dive Shop
The Dive Shop is a 5 star IDC PADI dive center located on Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui. |
