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Diving in Thailand

Emma Kasprzak writes...
"Scuba diving: an expensive hobby for people on luxury holidays, and certainly not suited to a backpacker’s budget, right? That was what I thought, too...

When I booked my round the world ticket I never imagined that diving would be one of the best experiences of my trip. I learnt to dive when I was 14 on a family holiday in Egypt but since then I'd always seen the sport as pretty inaccessible. I didn’t realise how affordable it could be, or how many great diving locations there were.

Learn to dive, and you add a whole new dimension to your trip as you see new worlds both above and below the water.

The island of Koh Tao off the east coast of Thailand is perfectly equipped for those who want to learn to dive or - like me - refresh their somewhat rusty skills.

Koh Tao has more dive shops than I've ever seen in one place so if you don't like the first place you come to, try the other five down the road. Most dive centres are linked to resorts, so if - for example - you do the PADI Open Water Diver Course (usually the first step in diving), you’ll get free accommodation and breakfast for the duration (typically three to five days). Even if you're already a seasoned diver, you’ll get half-price accommodation on the days you dive or do other PADI courses. If you really get bitten by the diving bug you can train all the way up to instructor level.

All courses are taught in a variety of languages as PADI is an international learning body, meaning your qualification will be recognised everywhere you go. You can learn in Japanese, French, German, Swedish or Swahili (though they may have been pulling my leg on that last one...).

All courses and dives include full kit, and even prescription masks for glasses-wearers. Your PADI course will include a certain amount of theory, and most resorts have classrooms for the videos and lectures... but don't worry, it's nothing like school! The resorts also have pools for training in or chilling out by when you're not diving.

Koh Tao’s coral reef is accessible from the island’s shore, but some of the best dives require a short boat trip. So, once you get into the water what will you see? You'll swim amongst huge trigger fish, rays, colourful coral, pipe fish (similar to seahorses) and puffer fish, and even Nemo himself makes an appearance.

By far the best dive I did was at night. It was a scary proposition to sink into blackness with a tiny torch to guide my way but it was well worth it to see the fish that come out once the sun goes down. At one point we turned our torches off and moved our arms about, watching the plankton light up like something out of The Matrix!

Koh Tao is also one of the few places in the World where you can dive with the biggest fish in the ocean, the 18 foot long whale shark (don't worry, they only eat plankton!). If you want to meet these gentle giants, make sure you visit Thailand between February and June.

Diving in Thailand is affordable and fun, with crystal-clear, calm, warm seas, plenty of sunshine and tonnes of tropical sealife - so come on in, the water's great!"



Emma dived with Phoenix Divers, where a PADI Open Water Diver Course costs 9,800 Baht (around £140) and takes four days.

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