Thailand Diving Tour

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join, and reservations close 7 days before the start date. Once enough travellers have joined, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for your date is what you pay.

Yes. Tell us when you book and we'll arrange fun dives or an Advanced Open Water course with the same dive school instead of the Open Water course. The price may change, and the rest of the itinerary stays the same.

This trip is built around the Open Water course, so it isn't the best fit if you're sure you don't want to dive. The four sea dives are needed for the certification, so skipping one means you don't qualify on this trip, though some schools can arrange a make-up dive locally for a fee. Thailand in 2 Weeks includes an optional Discover Scuba session instead, with no commitment to a full course.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some bring a friend. Each departure takes up to 16 people, and the dive school splits the group into smaller teams, each with its own instructor. The Trip Host travels with the group for all 8 days and sorts out every boat, ticket and check-in. The course itself is taught by the dive school's own certified instructors, not the Trip Host.

It starts at the pier on Koh Samui on the afternoon of Day 1, and we send you the meeting details when you book. It ends on Koh Phangan after breakfast on Day 8. Book your flight home from Koh Samui (USM) or Surat Thani, leaving at least 18 hours after your last dive.

Departures run from January to September, the calmer months in the Gulf of Thailand. February to April has the flattest seas, with visibility often 15 to 30 metres, and May to September is also good. We don't run it in November, the wettest month, when rough seas can cancel dives and ferries.

Many nationalities can visit Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days, which covers this trip. Rules change, so check our Thailand visa guide for your passport before you book flights. Everyone also needs to fill in the free online Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before landing.

Social hostels and small guesthouses with air-con, close to the dive shop on Koh Tao and to the beach on Koh Phangan. You share a twin or small dorm room with travellers of the same gender.

Swimwear, a rash vest or light wetsuit top if you feel the cold in the water, a refillable water bottle and reef-safe sunscreen. The dive school provides full equipment, so you don't need your own mask, fins or regulator. If you'd rather use your own, tell the dive school on Day 1 so they can check it against what they use.

Not straight away. Wait at least 18 hours after your last dive before any flight. That is the minimum Divers Alert Network gives for repeated dives, and a longer gap lowers the risk further. The course dives finish on Day 3 and a fun dive on Day 5 is optional, so a flight on Day 8 is fine. If you add a dive on Day 6 or 7, check the timing with the dive school before you book.

Yes, it's a condition of joining, and it must specifically cover scuba diving, which some standard policies exclude.

Yes to both. PADI requires you to swim 200 metres (in any style, no time limit) and float or tread water for 10 minutes before you start. Tell us before you book if you're not sure you can manage this. Everyone also completes a standard diver medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to certain conditions, such as some heart, lung or ear problems, you'll need a doctor's sign-off first, so check it before you book. Our diving guide has the full PADI medical and fitness rules.