Which card you need for each dive on Koh Tao — try dive, pinnacles, night dive, the wreck — then the ladder from Open Water to Instructor with RAID, PADI and SSI names side by side.
26 February 2026 · updated 8 November 2026 · by Bryan Roseman
Key takeaways
- You need no certification for a try dive. An Open Water card unlocks almost everything else on Koh Tao: Twins, White Rock, Southwest Pinnacle, Sail Rock, night dives.
- Chumphon Pinnacle is Open Water-legal but a step up — its top sits at 14 m. The HTMS Sattakut wreck at 30 m needs the Advanced course, or you dive it on the course.
- Agency names differ, levels don’t: Open Water → Advanced → Rescue → Divemaster → Instructor, whichever card is in your wallet.
- After Advanced, most people reach for Rescue. Deep 40 and Nitrox are the courses a recreational diver actually uses — and you’ll need both before Divemaster anyway.
Certification levels are usually explained agency by agency, which tells you nothing about what you’ll be allowed to do when you step onto a dive boat. So this guide starts the other way round: here are the dives people come to Koh Tao for, and here is the card each one needs. The agency ladder follows, with our course names mapped to the PADI and SSI equivalents, because the levels are the same whatever logo is on the plastic.
| What you want to do | Where | Certification needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A first dive, no course | Japanese Gardens, Twins, Mango Bay, Aow Leuk, White Rock | None — a try dive | Max 12 m, instructor beside you, 4 per instructor at most |
| Guided fun dives on the local reefs | Twins, White Rock | Open Water | 5–20 m; our everyday fun dive sites |
| The pinnacles | Southwest Pinnacle, Sail Rock | Open Water | Southwest tops out at 5 m and Sail Rock breaks the surface, so there’s plenty within 18 m |
| Chumphon Pinnacle | Chumphon | Open Water, but more challenging | The top of the rock is at 14 m, so the whole dive is 14–30 m. Fine with a few dives logged; a lot for dive number five |
| A night dive | White Rock | Open Water | Your first night dive is with an instructor, not a divemaster — after that, any guide. Night dive |
| The HTMS Sattakut wreck | 30 m, off Sairee | Advanced Explorer 30 — or dive it on the course | It’s one of the five dives in the Advanced course |
| Deeper than 30 m, longer bottom times | Pinnacles, wrecks, liveaboards | Deep 40 and Nitrox specialities | Taken after Advanced; both are prerequisites for Divemaster |
| Helping other divers | — | Master Rescue (Rescue + First Aid & O2) | 4 days; the step before any professional level |
| Guiding divers for a living | — | Divemaster | Needs Rescue, First Aid & O2, Deep 40 and Nitrox first; about two months with us |
| Teaching | — | Instructor | Needs Divemaster plus Deep and Nitrox; 14-day course and a 2-day exam |
Two things worth saying out loud. First, an Open Water card gets you onto every site on this island except the wreck, and onto the pinnacles where the whale sharks are. People assume they need Advanced to see anything good; they don’t. Second, “allowed” and “comfortable” aren’t the same: Chumphon is legal on day one after your course, but you’ll enjoy it far more on day ten.
We certify through RAID. The cards are recognised worldwide and interchangeable with PADI and SSI at every level — finish Open Water with us and do Advanced with a PADI shop in Bali, or the other way round. Our PADI vs RAID comparison goes into the teaching differences; here is just the map.
| Level | With us (RAID) | PADI name | SSI name | Depth | Time with us | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Open Water | Open Water Diver | Open Water Diver | 18 m | 3.5 days | 11,000 ฿ |
| Advanced | Advanced Explorer 30 | Advanced Open Water Diver | Advanced Adventurer | 30 m | 2 days, 5 dives incl. wreck and night | 10,000 ฿ |
| Specialities | Deep 40, Nitrox | Deep Diver, Enriched Air | Deep Diving, Enriched Air Nitrox | 40 m | 1–2 days each | 7,500 ฿ each, 13,500 ฿ for both |
| Rescue | Master Rescue | Rescue Diver + EFR | Diver Stress & Rescue + React Right | — | 4 days | 14,000 ฿ (Rescue alone 11,000 ฿) |
| Professional | Divemaster | Divemaster | Dive Guide / Divemaster | — | ~2 months | 40,000 ฿ |
| Teaching | Instructor course | Open Water Scuba Instructor | Open Water Instructor | — | 14 days + 2-day exam | From 65,000 ฿ |
Every price includes equipment, boat trips, snacks and the certification; the only extra is the mandatory dive insurance of 100 ฿, paid once. There’s no marine park fee on Koh Tao.
If you’ve never dived: a try dive if you have one day or any doubt; Open Water if you have four days and want to keep diving after Koh Tao.
If you have Open Water: dive. Twins, White Rock, Southwest and Sail Rock are all yours, and a dozen fun dives will do more for your diving than any course. When you want the wreck and 30 metres, Advanced is two days.
If you have Advanced: this is where most people pick wrong, so here it is in my own words.
People always want to go for Rescue after they do the Advanced course, but your money would be more practically spent doing Deep and Nitrox. These are things a recreational diver can actually use. The Rescue course covers helping other divers if they are in trouble, and your dive professional would have that covered on a dive trip. With Deep and Nitrox you’ll be able to use them on your next liveaboard.
If you want to work in diving: then Rescue is not optional — it’s the gateway to Divemaster, along with First Aid, Oxygen Administration, Deep 40 and Nitrox. Plan on two months on the island.
Not much on paper beyond depth — 12 m on a try dive, 18 m Open Water, 30 m Advanced, 40 m with Deep. What changes in the water is who is responsible for whom. On a try dive your instructor is responsible for you. With Open Water you’re responsible for yourself and your buddy, within your limits. Rescue makes you useful to other people. Divemaster makes you responsible for a group. Each step is less about being allowed deeper and more about being trusted with more.
That’s also why the prerequisites exist. The medical form applies at every level; the 200-metre swim and 10-minute float apply from Open Water up; age limits are 8 for very shallow junior programmes, 10 for junior Open Water, 15 for the standard card and 18 for anything professional. Logged dives matter for Divemaster (you’ll have plenty by the end of two months here) and experience matters more than the card for Chumphon.
With us, children can start from 8 in very shallow junior programmes, and from 10 on a junior Open Water course.
| Certification level | Minimum age | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Junior programmes (within 3 m) | 8 years | Very shallow, instructor-led |
| Junior Open Water | 10 years | Depth limited to 12 m until 12, then 18 m |
| Standard Open Water | 15 years | Full certification without junior restrictions |
| Advanced certifications | 12–15 years | Varies by agency and prerequisites |
| Professional levels | 18 years | Required for Divemaster and Instructor programmes |
Yes, but only under controlled conditions such as try dive experiences conducted by certified instructors. These introductory dives allow beginners to try scuba without full certification but come with strict supervision and depth limits.
For independent diving, international safety standards require a valid certification card to ensure you understand dive planning, equipment use and underwater safety protocols.
Both PADI and RAID are globally recognised diving certification agencies, but they differ slightly in their structures and learning approaches.
If you want a deeper comparison of training style, recognition and benefits, read here: PADI or RAID?
No prior diving experience is required, but basic swimming ability is recommended.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Swimming skills | Ability to swim 200 metres and float for 10 minutes (varies slightly by agency) |
| Water comfort | Confidence in open water is helpful but not mandatory |
| Previous water sports | Not required for beginner certifications |
The number of training hours depends on the certification level and learning format.
Modern courses often include online theory modules, allowing flexible self-paced learning before practical sessions begin.
The timeline varies based on the course level and your availability.
Open Water and Advanced back to back is a common week on Koh Tao.
Becoming a professional diver requires progressing through multiple certification stages and gaining real dive experience. Typical path:
Many divers begin their professional journey through structured training programmes at destinations like La Bombona Diving Koh Tao. Learn more about the professional path here: Become a pro diver.
Our Koh Tao prices: Open Water 11,000 ฿, Advanced Explorer 30 10,000 ฿, Master Rescue 14,000 ฿ (Rescue alone 11,000 ฿), Divemaster 40,000 ฿, Instructor from 65,000 ฿. Everything includes equipment, boat, snacks and certification; the only extra is 100 ฿ dive insurance, paid once. The at-a-glance box at the top of this page is kept current.
Yes, divers must complete a medical questionnaire before starting training. Most healthy individuals can dive safely, but certain conditions may require a doctor's approval. Common considerations include:
If unsure, a quick medical check ensures you can safely enjoy diving without unnecessary risks.
Scuba diving offers a wide variety of activities beyond standard recreational dives. Popular diving experiences include:
You can explore different underwater adventures here: Experience the best of Koh Tao with our dive activities.
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Diving TipsWith 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.
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