Coral Grand Divers | Koh Tao Diving

Coral Grand Divers: Dive into Paradise

Welcome to Coral Grand Divers, your PADI Career Development Center (CDC) located on Sairee Beachfront, Koh Tao. Renowned for delivering exceptional scuba diving experiences, we are more than just a dive center, we’re a family of passionate divers committed to providing the highest standard of diving education in Thailand.

With a comprehensive range of PADI courses, led by experienced PADI Course Directors and skilled instructors, we are the top choice for those booking their PADI course or exploring the best diving trips on Koh Tao.
Whether you're new to diving and looking to start with courses like Discover Scuba Diving and Open Water Diver, or aiming to advance your career with our PADI GoPro programs, including Divemaster and Instructor Development Course (IDC), our focus on quality, professionalism, and a supportive atmosphere ensures a safe, fun, and unforgettable experience.

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PADI Diving Courses

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Save 4,500 ฿

Scuba Diver PADI Course

~~Regular price 13,000 ฿~~

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Save 2,000 ฿

Open Water Diver PADI Course

from ~~Regular price 13,000 ฿~~

Adventure Diver PADI Course

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Combo Open Water Diver + Advanced Open Water Diver PADI Courses

Save 3,000 ฿

Advanced Open Water Diver PADI Course

from ~~Regular price 13,000 ฿~~

Combo Advanced Open Water Diver PADI Course + 3 Specialties

Emergency First Response PADI Course

Rescue Diver PADI Course

Scuba Diving in Koh Tao

With warm, crystal-clear waters year-round, 26 dive sites just a short boat ride away, vibrant coral reefs, and abundant marine life, Koh Tao is recognized as one of the world’s premier diving destinations. Coral Grand Divers is located at the quiet end of pristine Sairee Beach, offering direct departures from our own boats right from the beachfront dive center. Most of the dive sites are just 10 to 20 minutes away by boat.

After your underwater adventures, you're only a short walk from local restaurants, shops, and bars. Sairee Beach is renowned for its soft sand, stunning sunsets, fantastic food scene, and laid-back atmosphere.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver, Coral Grand Divers has a range of diving experiences tailored to your level:

Discovery Dive: Perfect for beginners! The PADI Discovery Dives program is a great way to decide whether scuba diving suits you. It allows you to experience scuba diving under the guidance of a PADI professional in a controlled, safe environment.

PADI's Open Water Course: This course equips you with the core skills needed for scuba diving. Once certified, you’ll be able to dive up to 18 meters and join in on exciting fun dives.

PADI Advanced Open Water Course: Dive as deep as 30 meters and embark on five exciting adventure dives. This course is designed to take your diving skills to the next level.

PADI Rescue Diver: The PADI Rescue Diver course trains divers to effectively handle dive emergencies, both minor and major, using a variety of techniques and scenarios.

PADI Specialties: Focus on what interests you most and enhance your diving skills with PADI Specialty Courses. Whether it's diving deeper, exploring wrecks, perfecting underwater photography, or mastering night dives, these courses let you tailor your diving journey and gain expertise in the areas you're passionate about.

*All course materials are available online through PADI eLearning, offering a convenient way to study at your own pace before your in-water training.

PADI Specialties

Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty PADI Course

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Wreck Diver Specialty PADI Course

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Digital Underwater Photography Specialty PADI Course

Deep Diver Specialty PADI Course

Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty PADI Course

Bubble Ring Artist (BRA) specialty course

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Night Diver Specialty PADI Course

Search and Recovery Diver Specialty PADI Course

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Underwater Navigator Specialty PADI Course

Diver Propulsion Vehicle Specialty PADI Course

Sail Rock: Dive Trips Every Saturday from Koh Tao

Sail Rock is one of the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand, located between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. This impressive underwater pinnacle rises just above the surface and drops to 40 meters, offering stunning underwater views and lots of marine life. We run full-day trips to Sail Rock every Saturday. The trip includes two dives at Sail Rock and one dive at South West Pinnacle on the way back to Koh Tao. Please note: Trips are weather and sea condition-dependent, and while we strive to offer this incredible experience, we cannot guarantee departures in adverse conditions.

Join our next trip to Sail Rock

Diving for kids

Children as young as eight years old can join the underwater adventures:

Bubble Maker Program: A fun introduction for kids to experience the joy of underwater breathing.
PADI Seal Team: An entertaining pool-based program where young enthusiasts undertake thrilling Aqua-Missions. The skills learned here can be credited towards the next course.
PADI Junior Open Water Course: The PADI Junior Open Water Diver Course is crafted for children aged 10 and above, granting them the opportunity to explore depths of up to 12 m. Upon reaching the age of 12, they are permitted to dive to a maximum depth of 18 m, in both cases, they must dive with a PADI Professional or a certified parent or guardian. At 15 years old, children undergo an automatic upgrade from Junior Open Water Diver to Open Water Diver and must dive with a certified adult.

Snorkeling tour in Koh Tao

Our snorkeling tours are perfect for those short on time or who prefer staying closer to the surface. Snorkelers share the boat with beginner divers, exploring spots that are ideal for both.

Koh Tao is famous for its crystal-clear waters and rich marine life, making it a top spot for underwater exploration. You’ll visit beautiful locations like Ao Hin Ngam, surrounded by large protective boulders, and Aow Leuk Bay, home to vibrant coral reefs and diverse sea life. Tanote Bay’s shallow corals and central boulder are also must-see, while the Japanese Gardens on Koh Nang Yuan and Mango Bay are filled with colorful fish and swaying anemones.

Whether you’re new to snorkeling or an experienced explorer, Koh Tao’s stunning underwater world is waiting to be discovered.

See our snorkeling offer

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Safe and Responsible Diving

At Coral Grand Divers, we are committed to the best safety standards.

The thrill of exploring the underwater world is unparalleled for every PADI diver. However, ensuring safety and being responsible towards marine life is paramount.

Here are some best practices to follow:

Plan Your Dive and Dive Your Plan: Discuss your dive plan with your buddy before plunging into the waters. A good plan includes setting a maximum depth, dive time and reviewing emergency procedures.
Regular Equipment Checks: Always inspect your equipment before diving. Ensure everything is in working order, and remember, if in doubt, surface!
Stay with Your Buddy: The buddy system is crucial. Always stay close to your dive buddy and regularly check on each other.
Monitor Your Air: Regularly check your air supply. Surfacing with ample reserve air is advisable rather than waiting until it's too low.
Ascend Slowly and Safely: Rapid ascents can be dangerous. Always ascend slower than 18 meters per minute and perform a safety stop for 3 minutes at 5 meters.

Pro Diving

Divemaster PADI Course

Instructor Development PADI Course - IDC

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Master Scuba Diver Trainer PADI Course - MSDT

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IDC Staff Instructor PADI Course

Become a PADI PRO diver

Becoming a professional diver is one of the most exciting choices you can make in your personal life. You need the proper training and support to grow as a professional and as a person.

Coral Grand Divers is a PADI Career Development Center (CDC), the highest level of PADI dive training centers. As a top-tier CDC, we offer an immersive, structured pathway to becoming a dive professional, providing all the tools and support you need to succeed in the industry. Our focus is on individuals ready to elevate their dive skills and build a long-term career in diving. With advanced training, expert mentorship, and career guidance, we help you grow from a passionate diver into an instructor and leader within the dive community. From Divemaster and Open Water Scuba Instructor qualifications to Master Scuba Diver Trainer and IDC Staff Instructor certifications, plus a comprehensive range of PADI specialties, we are dedicated to helping you achieve your career goals.

The Divemaster (or "DM") qualification is the first step of the Pro ladder. To become a Divemaster, you need to take the PADI Divemaster course and have passed a few other milestones: you need 40 logged dives before you can start the course, and qualify, you need to have at least 60. Once qualified as a Divemaster, you can guide certified divers on "fun dives" and help instructors train new divers.

To become an Open Water Scuba Instructor (or "OWSI"), you must have the Divemaster qualification and have completed at least 100 dives. Instructor qualification involves completing the Instructor Development Course (IDC) and passing the Instructor Examination (IE). Coral Grand Divers is one of the few diving schools offering an IDC preparatory course.

Most instructors become Master Scuba Diver Trainers, or "MSDT." There is no course or exam for this, but you must complete several steps before qualifying. You will need to have certified at least 25 PADI divers and the ability to teach five specialties, so you will need to pass the requirements of five PADI Specialty Instructor courses. An MSDT internship is an ideal way to do this and gain experience while teaching enough students to earn this level of certification.

As divers look to the Divemaster, instructor candidates respect IDC Staff Instructors. As the name suggests, these assist with Instructor training and share their wisdom and experience with new PADI Leaders. The IDC Staff Instructor course gives you in-depth knowledge of the instructor training process and prepares you to shape the new generation of PADI professionals. It's also a great career choice.

Check out our PADI Go Pro packages to become a PADI pro from zero to heros!

Marine life around Koh Tao

Koh Tao, a popular diving destination in Thailand, boasts a vibrant marine ecosystem. When diving or snorkeling around the island, you can expect to see a variety of marine life, including:

Fish

Butterflyfish: These colourful and graceful swimmers are a common sight.
Barracudas: Particularly around Chumphon Pinnacle.
Angelfish: With their striking patterns, they are a treat to observe.
Groupers: These are larger fish, often found lurking around rock formations.
Triggerfish: Though they're fascinating to watch, some, like the Titan Triggerfish, can be territorial.
Nudibranchs are tiny, colourful sea slugs beloved by macro photographers.
Batfish: These flat silverfish can often be seen in schools.

Corals and Anemones

Soft corals, hard corals, and sea fans can be found in many dive sites around Koh Tao.

Anemones, often home to the clownfish or "Nemo," are also common.

Other Marine Life

Sea Turtles: Hawksbill and green turtles are often spotted.
Whale Sharks: Although not guaranteed, there are times, especially between March and April, when these gentle giants can be spotted around Koh Tao.
Stingrays: They can be observed in sandy areas.
Moray Eels: These often hide in crevices but can be seen poking their heads out.
Sea Snakes: Banded sea kraits are venomous but generally not aggressive.

Invertebrates

Crabs, shrimps, sea cucumbers, and urchins are among the many smaller creatures that divers and snorkelers might spot.

Sharks in Koh Tao

Koh Tao, located in the Gulf of Thailand, is a renowned diving destination and offers the opportunity to spot a few species of sharks. While diving around Koh Tao, the following types of sharks might be observed:

Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus): Although not seen daily, these gentle giants are the most celebrated visitors to Koh Tao's waters, especially around popular dive sites such as Chumphon Pinnacle and Southwest Pinnacle. They are typically spotted more frequently between March and April, but sightings can occur throughout the year.
Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus): These are one of the more common sharks spotted around Koh Tao, especially in shallower waters. They are often seen around dive sites like Shark Bay and Aow Leuk.
Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas): There was a time when the Bull Sharks gang were a common sight around Koh Tao. We used to guarantee shark sightings at Chumphon Pinnacle during specific seasons, with instances of up to 15 sharks at once. However, they mysteriously vanished in 2010, only to reappear briefly in 2014 at Sail Rock for a few months.

It's worth noting that there's no guarantee to spot sharks on every dive, as with all wildlife. However, Koh Tao's waters offer a diverse range of marine life, and every dive presents the possibility of a memorable encounter. If you're keen on seeing sharks, you can contact us and ask about recent sightings and the best times or dive sites to increase your chances. Always ensure to dive responsibly and observe sharks from a respectful distance without attempting to touch or disturb them.

Responsible Marine Life Interactions

Look, Don't Touch: As captivating as marine life can be, refrain from touching or disturbing them. This includes not standing on corals or trying to handle sea creatures.

Maintain Buoyancy: Good buoyancy control prevents unintentional contact with the marine environment. Use a buoyancy control device and weights to remain neutrally buoyant.
Avoid Feeding Marine Life: Feeding marine animals can alter their natural behaviors and affect the ecological balance.
Be Conscious of Equipment: Dangling equipment can damage marine environments. Ensure all gear is secured and streamlined against your body.
Respect Marine Life and Their Habitats: Always remember you're a guest in their home. Approach marine life slowly and calmly, avoiding any behavior that might stress them.

Being a PADI diver is not just about the thrill of the dive; it's about being a steward of the ocean. By following safe diving practices and being responsible with marine life interactions, you ensure a memorable diving experience while preserving the delicate balance of our underwater ecosystems.

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