Planet Scuba Koh Tao

Welcome To Our World... Planet Scuba Diving Koh Tao : Thailand

The Samui International Diving School Group of Companies incorporating Planet Scuba has over 20 years of experience in Scuba Diver Education and Dive Tours in Thailand. We are One Of Thailand's leading Dive Centres and the first in South East Asia to be awarded the prestigious PADI Career Development Center Rating(CDC).

The reputation of our center is the best in Thailand, We have been the proud recipient of many awards from PADI over the years. In 1994 we received the PADI award "Excellence in Dive Resort Operation" and In 1999 received the "Outstanding Commitment To PADI " Award. We pride ourselves in our customer service and are committed to Diver Safety, Diver Enjoyment and Customer satisfaction, we are continually looking at ways to upgrade and improve our services.

Within easy reach of the mainland of Southern Thailand, accessable by high speed boats, lies the beautiful Tropical Island of Koh Tao. From the moment that you set foot on the ferry pier after the boat trip across, the charm of this small desert island gets to you.

Until the advent of tourism in the late 80's, fishing and coconut farming were virtually the only sources of income on Koh Tao. Both these industries remain today, although diving tourism has far outpaced these in terms of size. Koh Tao now has a reputation as a diving Mecca, and rightly so as it boasts over 20 dive sites, all within a 45-minute boat ride of the island.

The most popular beaches on Koh Tao are Mae Haad, which is also the main village, Sairee Beach on the west and Chalok Baan Kao in the south. Accommodation ranges from simple thatch roof cabana-style bungalows to air-con bungalows, however living is still quite basic and you should expect electricity to run only through the night, even in the more luxurious rooms.

All the beaches have a variety of restaurants, supermarkets and bars. ATM,s are now a common sight on Koh Tao along with convenience stores to provide you with your daily neccesities. Although nightlife relies on parties held on alternate nights by the few beach bars. Life is much more low-key than Samui, especially since most people are up early for diving! Weather on Koh Tao is generally very, very agreeable with a temperature of around 25 degrees C. in the cool season (from November to February) to highs of 35 degrees plus in the hot dry season (from March to June). Although humid at times, the heat is never oppressive, cooled as Koh Tao is by the gentle sea breezes from The Gulf of Thailand.

ACCOMMODATION

Planet Scuba offers accommodation for divers. We have 4 options - bungalows with double bed amongst flower gardens in Mae Haad, beachfront Lodge rooms with twin beds in Mae Haad, Lodge rooms with twin beds amongst flower gardens in Sairee beach and Deluxe air conditioned rooms located in Mae Haad. All rooms' come supplied with sheets blankets and towels.

DIVING KOH TAO

World-class dive sites are as close as 10 minutes by boat from our dive school. These sites are the best in the Gulf of Thailand. The craggy, submerged rock faces are alive with sponges, anemones, soft and hard corals. Whale sharks are commonly seen in season, making for an unforgettable dive. Divers also have chance to spot manta rays and turtles while swimming amongst schools of pelagics, batfish and barracuda.

PADI DIVE COURSES IN KOH TAO
When you discover scuba diving, you discover excitement, adventure, freedom and serenity. Nothing compares to the "weightless" exhilaration of breathing underwater. Only a diver knows the feeling!

We run the full range of PADI Recreational Dive Courses from beginner up to professional so why not take the plunge today and let our team of highly experienced Instructors guide you through the crystal clear waters of our tropical paradise. With our onboard Videographer You can even have your experience captured on Video and relive the adventure at home with your friends.

DIVE TOURS

The Samui International Diving School Group of Companies incorporating Planet Scuba has over 17 years of experience in Scuba Diver Education and Dive Tours in Thailand. We are one Of Thailand's leading Dive Centers and the first in South East Asia to be awarded the prestigious PADI Career Development Center Rating (CDC).

The reputation of our center is the best in Thailand, We have been the proud recipient of many awards from PADI over the years. In 1994 we received the PADI award "Excellence in Dive Resort Operation" and In 1999 received the "Outstanding Commitment To PADI " Award. We pride ourselves in our customer service and are committed to Diver Safety, Diver Enjoyment and Customer satisfaction, we are continually looking at ways to upgrade and improve our services.

We run twice daily Dive and Snorkelling Trips to the best sites in The Gulf Of Thailand

We offer early morning 2-dive trips to Koh Tao's best sites such as the famous Chumphon Pinnacles, Southwest Pinnacles and Shark Island. The afternoon is a more relaxed 2-dive trip to shallow bays around Koh Tao, ideal for students, novice divers and Snorkelers. Night dives are available on request. We also run regular day trips to Sail Rock on Monday and Friday.

World-class dive sites are as close as 10 minutes by boat from our dive school. The craggy, submerged rock faces are alive with sponges, anemones, soft and hard corals. Whale sharks are commonly seen in season, making for an unforgettable dive. Divers also have chance to spot manta rays and turtles while swimming amongst schools of pelagics, batfish and barracuda.

ALL OF OUR DAILY DIVE TOURS

All of our Dive Tours include full scuba equipment rental, 2 tank dives & drinks. Divers with their own equipment receive a 10% reduction of list price

All our boats are fully equipped with the necessary safety equipment including, Oxygen, First Aid, VHF Marine Radio, Marine Phone.

The "MV Seafarer", "Whale Shark 1" & "Whale Shark 2" feature Marine Toilet, Sun Deck, Equipment area, Tank racks, Camera Rental on request, Full oxygen and first aid, tea & coffee.

Get Your Career Into Gear and GO PRO With Thailand's First PADI 5 Star CDC
Here at Planet Scuba we understand that choosing the right school for your Instructor Training is the most important decision you will make prior to entering the Dive Industry. As a PADI Career Development Center we can provide you the quality and expertise you should expect and demand during your Instructor Training.

Planet Scuba was the first PADI Five Star IDC Center to be awarded the prestigious Career Development Center rating. There are currently only three in Thailand and just a few world wide.

Choose your Career Path from the flowchart below and after you've decided, make it a reality and come and join us in our Tropical Paradise.

In today's competitive Dive Industry, a PADI Instructor needs many qualifications in addition to the basic Instructional skills acquired in a traditional IDC.

Our IDC programs will not only provide you with valuable hands on practical training with the emphasis on fun and in-water application they will also give you a cutting edge and expand your Career Opportunities.

We have been providing first class PADI Instructor Training for over 10 years. The reputation of our program is one of the best in Thailand. We have trained more than 800 PADI Instructors, with over 98% passing their first Instructor Examination. We also operate a job placement program that has helped place many of these instructors in positions, not only here in Thailand but in other exotic locations throughout South East Asia. Many of our instructors have gone on to successfully manage their own Dive Centers.

OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE
Samui International Diving School has been the proud recipient of many awards from PADI over the years. In 1994 we received the PADI award "Excellence in Dive Resort Operation" and in 1999 "Outstanding Contribution To PADI " Award. Since then we have received many more awards both collectively and for individuals. The PADI "Certificate of Recognition for Excellence" Award is sent by PADI after receiving complimentary comments from our past students and candidates.

THE FACILITIES
We run our Koh Tao program at our facility on Sairee beach, the facilities include fully air conditioned classrooms; computer based training aids, nearby pool, beach side restaurant. e-mail services are also widely available.

STAFF PROFILES

JAMES HUTCHINSON CD 151979
Jim, as he likes to be called is originally from England. Having worked as a commercial diver in the UK, Jim has had a colorful career in many aspects of the dive industry. The lifestyle and sea life beckoned and Jim left England in 1993 for sunnier climbs and the excitement of a career in recreational scuba diving. Heading to South and Central America to start a new life Jim headed to Honduras where he soon established himself as one the most respected PADI professionals in the region; working as Co-Director of Professional Training, Shop Manager and Head Instructor for one of areas biggest CDC centers. After 10 award winning years, and the prestigious attainment of the Course Director rating, Jim decided to head out to the lovely island of Koh Tao and accept an offer to become Course Director for Planet Scuba Koh Tao. Specializing in Divemaster and Instructor Development programs Jim prides himself for being on the cutting edge in the innovative world of recreational diving and professional level training. His award winning classes are not only informative, comprehensive and successful but also relaxed, well paced and fun. Jim has been a PADI member for 10 years, received numerous awards for excellence and certified nearly 2000 divers from entry level to Instructor.

CAMILLE LEMMENS CD 933812
Camille is originally Dutch and has been diving for well over 10 years. He became a PADI Course Director in 2003 and since than he has taught over 30 IDC's and taught well over 750 Instructor level courses, giving him considerable experience of the dive industry within the region and he also received many PADI Awards for Excellent Instruction. Camille is a qualified Enriched Air Instructor Trainer, Semi Closed Circuit Rebreather Instructor Trainer and DAN Oxygen Instructor Trainer amongst others. Camille's style of teaching is popular with all candidates and we guarantee you will find his lectures not only easy to follow, but also a lot of fun. Camille is also able to provide language assistance in German, Dutch and French.

CESARE BENELLI CD 34527
Cesare is the Managing Director of Samui International Group of Companies. Cesare is recognized as one of the pioneers of leisure diving in Thailand and was the first to set up a Dive Centre in Koh Samui, way back in 1984. In addition to his vast experience in all aspects of diving and diver training, Cesare is multi-lingual and can provide training in English, Italian, French, Spanish and Thai.

Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty Diver Course

Enriched Air EANx or as it is so often called NITROX, is simply normal air enriched with additional Oxygen. Using a mixture of enriched air replaces some of the nitrogen that you breathe underwater with oxygen, so that during your dive you absorb less nitrogen than you would breathing normal air. This means that you can have longer no decompression limits for each depth than you would using air. How Much longer depends upon the enriched air blend you are using. The two most commonly used mixtures are EANx 32 and EANx 36 with 32% and 36% oxygen concentration, compared to 21% in normal air.

The following table illustrates the Longer No Decompression Limits using EANX.

So as you can see as you increase your skills in the PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Course you will also be increasing your bottom time.

During The PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Course you will learn how to use the PADI EANX Tables, monitoring your oxygen exposure, setting depth limits, analyzing your tank, the benefits of diving with Enriched Air Nitrox and be prepared for future Rebreather Courses. The Knowledge Development and practical application section will be followed by 2 NITROX Dives at Fantastic Sail Rock or Koh Tao. The course can be completed in 2 days or in as little as 1 day if you have completed the knowledge development portion by reading the PADI Enriched Air Diver Manual at home.

The 2 Nitrox Dives which are included in the course can be combined with your Adventure Dives or other Specialty Courses, please contact us for details.

SEMI-CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHER SPECIALTY

Rebreather Diving has been around for many years but Semi -Closed Circuit systems have only just recently been introduced to the recreational diving market, with the Draeger Dolphin being the first readily available unit on the market.

What is a Rebreather?

Rebreathers are simple devices that reclaim some or all of your exhaled breath, then scrub out the carbon dioxide produced by your body , and add oxygen to replenish what you have consumed. Whereas when you dive on standard scuba, every time you take a breath you exhale most of the gas you have just inhaled into the surrounding water. This is obviously quite wasteful since we only used a small percentage of the oxygen. Semi Closed Circuit Rebreathers have an excellent and long safety record. They operate on a premixed Nitrox Gas, enough nitrox is added to the system to replace the oxygen used in the body and an equal amount of exhaled gas is exhausted to compensate volume.

What are the Benefits of Using a Rebreather ?

• Extended Bottom Time
• No annoying Bubbles
• Come Face to Face with Timid Marine Life
• Experience the silence
• A new Challenge

As you have seen Rebreather Diving provides many advantages compared to diving with air. Used properly, it is considered as safe as diving with normal compressed air. But it requires specialized training to accommodate for safety considerations not normally assosciated with recreational air diving.

During the PADI Rebreather Specialty Diver Course you will cover the benefits, associated hazards and diving procedures in the class. Then move onto a skills practice session in the pool before progressing into open water, where you will get a chance to experience the silence and magic of Rebreather Diving.

The prerequisites for the PADI Rebreather Specialty Diver Course, are :

• PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
• PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent)with 10 dives beyond training
• PADI Enriched Air Diver (or equivalent)
• Be at least 15 years old

The Lodges

Known as the Jewel in the Gulf of Siam. Koh Tao has gained a firm reputation as one of the best dive destinations in South East Asia. It attracts a large number of Young travellers who mainly visit the island to enjoy excellent diving activities at a moderate price. During the busy season, which runs almost uninterrupted from December through to October, it is generally difficult to secure decent accommodation for your stay.

The Planet Scuba Packages including accommodation are mainly designed to assist those travellers that wish to secure their accommodation before arrival or at least for the duration of their diving activities. Planet Scuba offers two different levels of accommodation. Simple beach Chalets or air conditioned Beach Cottages.

diver lodges The rooms at our Divers Lodges are basic but clean and comfortable. All fitted with private toilet, shower, ceiling fan and mosquito screen on all windows. The Diver’s Lodge1 is located on the beautiful beach of Had Sairee near our Sairee training centre and walking distance from the beach. The Diver’s Lodge 2 and 3 are located in Mae Had beach. ! 2 wooden chalets with private veranda situated on a gentle grass hill enjoying a stunning view of Mae Had bay and the breathtaking Gulf of Siam Sunset.

sea lodges Our Mae Haad Sea Lodge boasts 4 luxurious rooms situated right on the beach in the heart of Koh Tao next to our Five Star Dive Center and close to all the main facilities and some of Koh Tao's best continental and Thai restaurants. All the rooms are all elegantly decorated throughout in Thai style with classic teak furniture from Northern Thailand. All rooms have mini-bar and 50 channel satellite TV, private bathroom with hot water shower and air-conditioning.