Simple Life Divers
Scuba Diving in Koh Tao, Thailand

Question

How many days should you spend in Koh Tao?

Answer 1

Most people who travel to Koh Tao choose to stay for 3 or 4 days.
Despite Koh Tao’s small size, the island offers much to see and explore.

Scuba diving is the main motive for people visiting Koh Tao. The island is encircled by coral reefs and underwater monoliths, teeming with tropical aquatic life.
Whether learning to scuba dive or furthering your training, PADI courses typically run over 2-4 days. For certified divers, joining dive tours over multiple days allows you to explore all the best dive sites near Koh Tao.

There’s plenty to discover above water too. Fantastic cuisine, beautiful beaches, jungle trails with mind-blowing viewpoints, and lively nightlife.

As a tourist visiting Koh Tao, a 3-4 night stay is ideal to see the highlights.

Longer-Term

Tropical-island life is fantastic. Following a short visit to Koh Tao, it’s not uncommon for people to extend their stay or make arrangements for long-term residency. Taking a scuba diving internship and pursuing a career in diving can be a great option.

Answer 2

Long Established on Koh Tao, Thailand

Operating on Koh Tao since 2003, Simple Life Divers is one of the longest running dive schools in this part of South-East Asia.

During the early origins of tourism on Koh Tao (pre-dating even the dive school), Simple Life first existed as one of the island’s first bar-restaurants with a few rustic beach bungalows. Tropical island atmosphere, tantalizing food and drinks, good times with amazing people.

Decades of effort and reinvestment mean Simple Life nowadays offers first class diving facilities and accommodation. And we still adhere to the same core values as when Simple Life first started.

Over the past two decades we’ve trained thousands of divers & dive professionals, earning PADI’s prestigious 5* Instructor Development Center rating. Simple Life Divers is able to offer the entire PADI curriculum, from a single day diving experience right through to PADI Instructor & beyond.

Simple Life Divers has won recognition in PADI’s member awards for making an Outstanding Contribution to the Dive Industry.

Dive Boat

Simple Life Divers’ boat is custom built for scuba diving. Downstairs dive-deck is spacious and well configured for divers, with onboard cylinders, weights, compressor, entry platform & W/C. Upstairs is arranged for surface intervals relaxing between dives with plenty seating, refreshments plus whiteboards, maps & fish charts for briefings.

Location: Sairee Beach, Koh Tao

Simple Life Divers & Resort are situated at the southern tip of Sairee Beach.

Sairee Beach is the longest stretch of sand on Koh Tao, and the best area to be based. Many restaurants, shops, and laid back beach bars are within easy walking distance. Enjoy incredible views across the bay to neighboring Koh Nangyuan, one of the most famous views in Thailand all of Thailand. Sunsets are oftentimes amazing.

Scuba diving trips depart from directly in front of the dive school. We use a traditional Thai longtail boat to taxi out to our mooring, where we transfer to our larger dive boat. From there, it’s a short ride to all the best dive sites around Koh Tao.

Commitment to Coral Conservation

Alongside running dive tours and PADI Courses, Simple Life Divers has launched a coral reef restoration project in Koh Tao. Named ‘Alotmeant’, our team of divers saves damaged coral fragments and transplants them to create a new area of coral reef. Results so far have been amazing.

Dive Equipment

Scuba gear keeps you alive underwater! It’s essential to dive with quality, properly-maintained scuba equipment.

For shop rental sets (cylinders, BCDs, regulators, masks and fins), Simple Life Divers provides equipment from leading manufacturers (Catalina, Luxfer, Scubapro, Aqualung). Water temperatures are tropical around Koh Tao, but we also offer 2.5mm neoprene wetsuits for extra insulation.

In addition to the compressor onboard our dive boat, we have a second compressor and nitrox blending panel on land.

Our dive gear, cylinders, and compressors, are routinely maintained by our western scuba technician. We continually cycling the gear, retiring the older sets and investing in new replacements.

Diver Training Pool

Mastery of scuba skills is best-achieved in ideal conditions with respect to depth, water movement & visibility. This applies for both entry-level training & professional courses.

Though it may sometimes be possible to learn skills in the ocean, best is using a swimming pool as the initial training environment. For this reason, Simple Life Divers has invested in a two purpose built training pools at different depths.

Classrooms

It’s not only underwater where we need training to be effective.
For dive theory presentations & workshops, we’ve built three classrooms; Air-conditioned with comfortable furniture, large whiteboards & Smart TVs.

Dive Crew

At the core of any good dive shop is a great dive crew.
Scuba gear, training facilities, dive boats etc., are fundamentals which allow Divemasters & Instructors to do their job. It’s people who make a dive experience or course special.

We have a fantastic crew of PADI professionals at Simple Life Divers. Career Divemasters & Instructors who are knowledgeable & passionate about diving. We stick to diving in small groups, guaranteeing everyone receives plenty attention & enjoys a fantastic experience.

Resorts

Simple Life isn’t only a dive shop! We operate three fantastic resorts along Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, offering a range of accommodation.

If travelling on a budget, Simple Life Talay (where the dive shop is situated) offers economical room options with a prime location.

Next door, Simple Life Cliff View Resort is our top-end choice; Rooms overlook the swimming pool or ocean, with the latter having epic panoramic views across to Koh Nangyuan.

And 1 kilometer away near the Sairee crossroad, our original Koh Tao Simple Life Resort offers comfortable mid-range hotel rooms in the center of Sairee.

Get in touch to check rates and availability.

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Answer 3

Any month is usually great for scuba diving in Koh Tao, except during monsoon season.

Situated in southern Thailand, tropical Koh Tao enjoys hot sunny weather all year round. Sea conditions in the Gulf of Thailand are typically calm, with water temperatures measuring between 27-29°C. Underwater visibility is good to excellent, with negligible currents around Koh Tao. We enjoy excellent scuba diving throughout the year.

Koh Tao Monsoon

If visiting Koh Tao to dive, avoid coming during November.
Koh Tao’s clement climate is punctuated by one exception. Monsoon!

Each November, monsoon season heralds strong winds, big waves and torrential rain, persisting for a couple of weeks. Lightning storms are spectacular. Diving becomes restricted to sites on the sheltered leeward side of the island & visibility underwater is reduced. If you prefer diving in crystal clear blue water, plan to visit Koh Tao outside of monsoon season.

Answer 4

Every year thousands of people visit Koh Tao to take a PADI course.
For many, it’s the start of their scuba diving adventure; Learning to dive with the PADI Open Water course.
Or, if already certified, often people choose Koh Tao to further their dive training with the PADI Advanced, Rescue Diver, or PADI Divemaster training.

Koh Tao is a great option for PADI courses for many reasons.

Location: Gulf of Thailand

Koh Tao is sheltered within the Gulf of Thailand and offers favorable sea conditions for diving.
Scuba diving from Koh Tao is possible all year round, with wave heights usually low and currents mild or negligible. These favorable conditions make Koh Tao an ideal location for running PADI courses.

Dive Sites

More than 25 amazing dive sites are easily accessible by boat from Koh Tao, including coral reefs, submerged pinnacles, small islands, artificial reef projects, and even a couple of shipwrecks.

Depths range from very shallow to around 40 meters, ideal for running PADI dive courses.

Distances & journey times to dive sites around the island are short, typically only 15-20 minutes or so.

Aquatic Life

Dive sites around the island are home to countless species of tropical marine life. Scuba diving from Koh Tao, you can see more than you could ever imagine; Colorful butterfly and angelfish, wrasses, triggerfish, hawkbill turtles, moray eels, blue spotted rays, great barracuda, giant groupers, whale sharks, remoras, seahorses, pufferfish, clownfish & anemones, sea snakes, batfish, hard and soft corals & much, much more.

Long-Established Dive Industry

Scuba diving has been popular in Koh Tao for more than two decades. The dive industry is mature, with professional dive centers such as Simple Life Divers offering world-class facilities.

For PADI courses, many of the world’s most experienced PADI Instructors choose to base themselves on Koh Tao. The quality of dive training is very high.

Cost of Diving

The price of PADI dive courses on Koh Tao is exceptional value.

Friendly competition between dive shops keeps prices down. Short journey times to dive sites mean fuel costs are low, plus overheads to run a business in Thailand are modest.

The Bottom Line

Taking a PADI course in Koh Tao, you can enjoy world-class diving, combined with top-quality tuition, all at an unbeatable price.

Answer 5

Google Maps: https://g.page/SimpleLifeDivers?share

Simple Life Divers is situated along the beach road at the southern tip of Sairee Beach, Koh Tao.
Sairee Beach is the main focal point of Koh Tao and most popular area to stay. Within easy walking distance of the dive shop is accommodation to suit every budget (including our own fantastic resorts), a huge offering of beachfront restaurants and cafes, laid back beach bars, convenience stores & ATMs.

Sairee Beach is the longest palm-fringed stretch of sand on the island, with incredible views across the bay to famous Koh Nangyuan. From westward-facing Sairee Beach, most evenings you can enjoy mind-blowing sunset views across the Gulf of Thailand.

Answer 6

Nowadays travel within Thailand is easy. Scheduled domestic flights, trains, buses & frequent ferries connect Koh Tao and the rest of Thailand.

From Bangkok to Koh Tao

Bangkok is the most common entry point into Thailand. From Bangkok to Koh Tao choose from:

Budget: Overnight bus + Catamaran Ferry: A company called Lomprayah operates an air-conditioned bus service from Bangkok to Chumphon, where you board their high-speed catamaran to make the crossing to Koh Tao. [lomprayah.com]
Budget: Overnight Train + Lomprayah Catamaran: Use an air-conditioned overnight sleeper train from Hualamphang Station, Bangkok to Chumphon, then board the Lomprayah catamaran to make the crossing Koh Tao. Lomprayah has a booth at Chumphon train station and coordinates the transfer to ferry pier.
Mid-Range: Low-Cost Flight + Ferry: Airlines Nok Air & Air Asia partner with Lomprayah to offer joint flight+ferry routes to Koh Tao. [nokair.com, airasia.com]
Fastest: Bangkok Airways + Lomprayah Catamaran: Fly from Bangkok to Samui then catch the catamaran. [bangkokair.com]

From Chumphon to Koh Tao

Lomprayah Catamaran: Has several pickup points in town to transfer to the pier. [lomprayah.com]
Marine Passion: Speedboat departing from Pak Nam Chumphon south-east of Chumphon. [MarinePassion]
Night Boat: Recommend using ‘Island Travel Koh Tao’ to check schedules and make reservations. [IslandTravel]

From Suratthani to Koh Tao

Lomprayah Catamaran: Departs from Don Sak pier about a 1-hour drive south of Suratthani. Offers pickup points in town. [lomprayah.com]
Night Boat: Recommend using ‘Island Travel Koh Tao’ to check schedules and make reservations. [IslandTravel]

From Phuket to Koh Tao

Budget: Lomprayah Coach & Catamaran: Journey overland from Phuket to Suratthani then transfer to a high-speed catamaran to Koh Tao. [lomprayah.com]
Fastest: Bangkok Airways + Lomprayah Catamaran: Take a domestic flight from Phuket to Samui, then use Lomprayah’s catamaran to make the crossing to Koh Tao. [bangkokair.com]