Diving in Koh Tao is a magical experience. Koh Tao offers over 25 dive sites, ranging from 10m to 40m deep, depending on your experience, comfort level, and certification.
Japanese Gardens' vast array of soft and hard corals is suitable for all levels, from a PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience to a PADI Advanced Open Water course. You may see spotted Eagle Rays, Turtles, and Squid, with more fantastic fish and corals to explore. There is something here for everyone.
Another local favorite and worldwide famous dive site on Koh Tao is Chumphon Pinnacle. Just 20 minutes from our PADI 5-star dive center, Chumphon is made up of huge pinnacles that are a must to explore. This site offers depths starting from 16-18m for the PADI Open Water Course, and with some spots as deep as 40m, it is also an ideal site for teaching the PADI Deep Specialty Course.
Whether you wish to make fun dives at Coral Grand Divers or take a PADI course, there are many places to explore. Another local favorite is Twin Pinnacles, which is excellent for all levels. Here you are sure to find a few Blue Spotted Sting Rays, Blue Ringed Angle Fish, Weavers Butterfly Fish, Red Breasted Wrasse, White Eyed Moray Eels, and we even get the chance to spot the famous Whale Shark too!
We are blessed here on Koh Tao as we see many Whale Sharks all year. Ranging from 3m - 5m, they are such fantastic fish to catch and will be forever in your memory - it is such a surreal experience to see one or sometimes even two at the same time! They are mostly seen around February. However, we often see them every month.
White Rock is also a very popular dive site here on Koh Tao. It's one of our biggest sites and suits all levels, from a PADI Discover Scuba Dive experience to an Advanced Open Water certification. You are sure to spot many colorful fish and corals - Remember to move and breathe slowly to see the whole dive site in all its beauty.
Southwest Pinnacle and Green Rock are also extremely exciting and offer everything you want and expect to see on a dive. Southwest Pinnacle is a colossal pinnacle with other smaller peaks around it to explore. Here we see lots of big fish - Barracuda, Snapper, Fusiliers, and more. Green Rock is so much fun! If you are an advanced diver, this dive site offers many swim-throughs - rocks that are big enough to pass through with your SCUBA equipment. If you'd like to work on your buoyancy before trying, then the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course is right for you! Once you have completed this course in one day, you can practice your skills at Green Rock on your next dive. It is truly a great site.
There are many more dive sites, such as Aow Leuk, Tanote Bay, Mao Bay, and our famous HTMS Sattakut Wreck dive. You can swim around this Wreck on your PADI Advanced Open Water Course, and after that, you can take your Wreck Specialty - with just another three dives, you'll, after the AOW, learn to map, reel outside the Wreck, then actually penetrate inside!
With so many courses, dive sites, and places to explore, Koh Tao is undoubtedly the place to visit next.
Posted by Natalie Alderton, PADI Staff Instructor
