Just Dive It
Koh Tao

DIVING ON KOH TAO

Koh Tao (Turtle island as it is otherwise known) is Thailand's most popular diving island.

Located 500kms south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Tao is tiny, beautifully natural, charming and most importantly close to a myriad of lovely dive sites.

Koh Tao has rapidly developed in popularity since it was 'discovered' by backpackers in the late 1980's. In those days when the first backpackers arrived they were greeted by a few local fishermen harvesting coconuts.

The word spread quickly amongst travelers around Thailand about this tiny island with beautiful beaches, lush jungle interior and surrounding crystal clear waters bursting with tropical marine life. As more travelers arrived so did the first SCUBA diving sets of equipment, the first PADI dive schools commenced operations and Koh Tao's underwater secret was out!

Koh Tao has evolved since the early days and you will now find ATMs, banks, money exchanges, internet, post office, first aid clinics, mobile phone coverage and lots of bungalow resorts, restaurants and bars.

Today, there are more than 30 dive operations on Koh Tao and the island boasts more than 25 dive sites all within close proximity.

The dive sites suit every standard of diver; from shallow protected bays for total beginners looking to gain the basic PADI SCUBA diving certification with the PADI open water course to deeper world class rocky pinnacles for experienced PADI Divemasters and PADI Instructors. Expect to see shoals of barracuda, batfish, snapper and butterfly fish around the coral covered boulders.

Small rays, moray eels and boxfish hide amongst the many cracks and crevasses whilst the titan trigger fish graze on the coral.

Giant groupers and turtles are not uncommon and Koh Tao is famous for one giant seasonal visitor, the whaleshark, which often appear around March and April.

Buddha View IDC dive resort on Koh Tao is Thailand’s premier PADI 5 star Gold palm resort.

Buddha View are Thailand’s specialists in PADI dive education with courses from your first breaths underwater with the PADI open water course right through to PADI Divemaster and PADI Instructor development programmes.

The extremely experienced PADI Divemaster and Instructor team at Buddha View will make sure that your holiday and diving experience on Koh Tao will be safe, enjoyable and above all memorable.
They will help you choose accommodation (which is discounted when making a PADI dive course) to suit your budget and needs and introduce you to diving in Koh Tao, the sun, the sand, the sea and the atmosphere that has made Koh Tao such a popular dive destination in Thailand.

Buddha View dive resort is located on the tranquil Chalok Ban Kao beach in the south of Koh Tao. Being a dive resort simply means that Buddha View has all the facilities to offer their customers with the center and brand new restaurant right on the beach overlooking the gently lapping waters.The swimming pool is just behind the center surrounded by the Buddha View accommodation from budget with fan right through to luxury with air con, satellite TV and hot water.

In the courtyard you will also find the Buddha View retail shop which stocks all brands of diving equipment and the Buddha View cybercaf?. Right on the beach itself you will find the lively beach bar for evening cocktails and every night the famous Buddha View barbecue kicks off which is almost as memorable as the SCUBA diving in Koh Tao!

The PADI Instructor and PADI Divemaster team at Buddha View have been together for a long time so they are very experienced and cover a wide range of languages including English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Thai.

PADI Dive courses and fun dive trips are commencing daily and of course everything is performed according to PADI standards which means quality is the priority at Buddha View.

PADI DIVE COURSE PRICES

We are now packaging together the PADI dive courses with transport and accommodation -

The PADI OPEN WATER course 'package' price with Buddha View is 10,400Baht.

The open water package includes -

All the equipment rental
Instruction
PADI open water manual (which you keep)
Transport from Bangkok to Koh Tao with VIP bus and catamaran
4 nights FREE accommodation (Buddha View standard double room with fan)

The PADI ADVANCED course 'package' price with Buddha View is 9,100Baht.

The advanced package includes -

All the equipment rental
Instruction
PADI advanced manual (which you keep)
Transport from Bangkok to Koh Tao with VIP bus and catamaran
2 nights FREE accommodation (Buddha View standard double room with fan)

The PADI EFR and RESCUE course 'package' price with Buddha View is 12,700Baht

The EFR and rescue package includes -

All the equipment rental
Instruction
PADI EFR and rescue manuals (which you keep)
Transport from Bangkok to Koh Tao with VIP bus and catamaran
4 nights FREE accommodation (Buddha View standard double room with fan)

The PADI DIVEMASTER course 'package' price with Buddha View is 31,100Baht

The divemaster package includes -

All the equipment rental
Instruction
PADI divemaster manual, encyclopaedia of diving and workbook (which you keep)
Electronic dive planner
Transport from Bangkok to Koh Tao with VIP bus and catamaran

FUN DIVE PRICES –

For those who are certified and wish to fun dive there are lots of opportunities to jump into the water with Buddha View around Koh Tao with the dive boats visiting 4 dive sites daily and a night dive site every second night.

Prices vary depending on the number of dives made –

SCUBA REVIEW (Refresh) - 2,000 Baht
1 dive -1,000 Baht
2-5 dives – 900 Baht per dive
6-9 dives – 800 Baht per dive
10+ dives – 700 Baht per dive

Fun dive prices include all equipment, a PADI Divemaster and transfer to and from the dive boat.
For night dives add an extra 150 Baht for torch rental.

Worldwide Dive and Sail are normally located in Phuket however during the months of June until October you will find them cruising around the Gulf of Thailand with Koh Tao as their temporary base. Their beautiful sailing yacht SY Sampai Jumpa is as graceful as it looks with 2 main sails and 2 spinnakers and casts a distinctive shadow upon the blue waters of the gulf.

SY Sampai Jumpa can comfortably sleep 11 guests and delivers custom made dive trips to dive sites around Koh Tao, Sailrock and the Ang Thong marine park. SY Sampai Jumpa is 21 metres long and you will find hot water showers, TV, DVD player and stereo as well as all the brand new dive equipment so no chance of getting bored on any of these trips.

The beauty of any trips aboard SY Sampai Jumpa in the Gulf of Thailand is that you are never far from the tropical islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao or any of the many uninhabited islands in the Ang Thong marine park. Trips aboard SY Sampai Jumpa with Worldwide Dive and Sail tend to be very much more customized and flexible than regular boat trips which will give you a special feeling.

The diving in the Gulf of Thailand is of course lovely and the beauty of having your own boat is that you can decide when and where to dive, hence you will often find that you are the only divers at any particular dive site.

Just Dive It (Buddha View)

44 Plaza, 36 Chakrapong road, End of Khaosan road , Bangkok 10200. Thailand.
Tel : (66) 02 282 2205 , (66) 02 282 2202