With us the Open Water course takes 3.5 days: a 4 pm orientation on arrival, then three training days. Here is every session with its time, why other schools quote 2.5–4 days, and how many nights to book.
4 August 2026 · updated 8 November 2026 · by Bryan Roseman
Key takeaways
- With us, the Open Water course takes three and a half days: a 4 pm orientation on the day you arrive, then three full training days. Certified by about 2 pm on day four.
- Courses start every day. Step off the afternoon ferry, walk to the shop at four, and you’ve started.
- Other Koh Tao schools advertise anything from 2.5 to 4 days. The training inside is the same four ocean dives; the difference is how the theory and the shallow-water session are packed.
- Plan six nights if you can: slack for weather or an extra skills session, and room for the two-day Advanced course if you catch the bug.
The short answer is three and a half days, and the rest of this page is the long answer: exactly what happens on each of those days with us, why other schools quote different numbers, what can stretch it, and how many nights to book around it.
This is the schedule we run, not a template. Times shift a little with the tide and the group, but the shape doesn’t.
In hours: roughly 5 of theory, 3 to 4 in confined water, 4 ocean dives of 30–45 minutes each plus the boat time around them. The 11,000 ฿ price covers all of it, plus equipment, boat and the card; the only extra is 100 ฿ dive insurance.
Every agency’s Open Water — RAID, PADI, SSI — requires the same core: the theory, a confined-water session covering a fixed list of skills, and four open-water dives, with the dives spread over at least two days. The calendar length is about how a shop packs the first two parts.
| Advertised length | How they fit it in | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 days | All theory done online before you arrive; confined water and dives 1–2 on day one | Long first day; little slack if you struggle with a skill |
| 3 days | Theory and confined water crammed into one long first day | Tiring; often an evening finish |
| 3.5 days (us) | Half-day orientation on arrival, then three normal days | Needs you on the island by 4 pm on day one |
| 4 days | Theory day, confined-water day, two dive days | Comfortable; one more night’s accommodation |
Shorter isn’t better and longer isn’t more thorough. What matters is how much time sits in the shallow water before the ocean dives and whether the shop will give you more if you need it.
If you need more time with us: our schedule means we can’t always keep your instructor for extra days, so what we do is slot you into the next course to finish the part you missed. Most of the time there’s no extra charge; where there is, it’s cost price only — we never make a profit on additional days.
| Nights | What fits |
|---|---|
| 4 | Open Water exactly, no slack. Arrive by 4 pm on night one; free afternoon on day four. |
| 5 | Open Water plus a buffer day for weather, ears or a second skills session. |
| 6 | Open Water plus the two-day Advanced Explorer 30 — the most common week we run — or two fun dives and a Sail Rock Friday. |
Two rules for the edges of the trip. Ferries are fine straight after your last dive — there’s no altitude involved. Flying isn’t: wait 18 hours after the course’s final dive before you take off, so if dive 4 is at 10 am on day four, don’t fly until the following morning.
If you have time, we’d recommend a minimum of six days on the island. That way, if you’re having any issues on the course you have time to finish it. It also means that if you love it, you’ll be able to stay for the Advanced course, which is an additional two days. So start at 4 pm the day you arrive and try to stay for six days.
Courses start every day. Book the Open Water course online with a 1,000 ฿ deposit, or message us on WhatsApp with your arrival date and we’ll confirm your 4 pm start. Not sure it’s for you yet? The try dive is half a day and the skills you learn count towards the course.
Three and a half days: a 4 pm orientation on arrival day, then three training days. You're certified by about 2 pm on day four.
Not for the length. All three require the same theory, a confined-water session and four open-water dives over at least two days; the calendar time depends on how the shop schedules it. We certify through RAID. The cards are recognised worldwide and interchangeable for your next course.
Some Koh Tao schools offer one, with all theory done online before arrival and a very long first day. We don't, because the half-day start and the unhurried confined-water session are where nervous students become comfortable ones.
Four ocean dives: two to a maximum of 12 metres on day three, two to a maximum of 18 metres on day four. Plus the confined-water session on day two.
11,000 ฿, including equipment, boat trips, e-learning, snacks and the certification card. The only extra is 100 ฿ dive insurance, paid once. Koh Tao has no marine park fee.
It replaces the reading, not the teaching. You work through the e-learning in the evenings; the morning sessions on days two and three are for questions, the parts people find hard, and the exam.
We slot you into the next course to complete the part you missed. Usually at no extra charge; where we do charge, it's cost price only. If you have to leave the island, your training is logged and a referral lets you finish elsewhere.
Wait 18 hours after your last dive. Dive four finishes around 10:30 am on day four, so the earliest sensible flight is the next morning. Ferries are fine straight away.
More in Diving Tips
Diving TipsFor most beginners on Koh Tao, the Open Water course is the best place to start: it's built for people who have never dived, starts in a calm pool and leaves you certified for life. Here's how it compares with a Try Dive.
Diving TipsDepth, breathing, training, safety, equipment and cost compared side by side, so you can decide whether a snorkel afternoon, a Try Dive or a full Open Water course is the right fit for your Koh Tao trip.
Diving TipsScuba certifications never expire, but your dive history matters. When a refresher dive makes sense in Koh Tao, what to expect after a long break, and how La Bombona Diving's Reboot Course works.
Diving with us on Koh Tao
Message us on WhatsApp — courses, fun dives and honest advice about Koh Tao.
Chat on WhatsApp