Ko Tao Diving

[ssra30]

Depending on your priority, for best diving, the Similans/Richeliue/Surin are definitely the place to go, also not to miss the south Andaman Sea, Phi Phi, Tarutao, Krabi etc.
However for Similans, you really need to do live aboard as you will need to spend quite a lot of time commuting for day trip if you stay in Phuket or Koh Lak. Speedboat is not all that comfortable except on an absolutely calm day.
Koh Tao diving is so so but it gives you a nice relaxing environment where you get to relax on a small cozy island and most dive sites except Sail Rock is nearby.

 

[tedwlynch]

Hey! I'm going to spend a month or so in Ko Tao taking the master class and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good place to take it? Heard some great reviews and some horror stories....

 

[chantana]

Master Divers in Mae Haad. They have their own pier out of the back of the shop, and believe me if you are diving every day it is a pain in the ass to take a longtail boat with all the gear and tanks out to the dive boat and back, which is what most shops have to do. They are good people, Mark, one of the owners is a great guy. It's a fun shop where you'll actually want to hang out. They have a taxi that goes back and forth from Sairee if you choose to have accommodation up there and they can assist you with accommodation in either place. See Andi, one of the instructors, she's a nice girl.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Has anyone dived Ko Tao? How was it? How were the pinnacle dives? I hear it is a good dive for pelagic action.

How much do dives roughly cost on Ko Tao?

Chumpon should be guaranteed to have sharks, namely greys and bull sharks less freq. also may see black tips at this site.

If you dive chumpon pinnacle, head out along barracuda rock as your marker, at the southern side of the far end, head out for mabe 1 min swim over the fish traps below and you will see sharks circling the fish traps. It is poss to see sharks anywhere around chumpon if oyu head away form the pinnacle but this is the best profile as you can see plenty of other life whilst you look for sharks. Around barracuda rock you can also expect to see large shoals of several species of barracuda (hence the name?!). Watch the bottom time though as you will be at around 25-30m. The dive can be done at 18m for o/w divers following along the top of barracuda rock but is right at the limit for an o/w diver.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Hey! I'm going to spend a month or so in Ko Tao taking the master class and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good place to take it? Heard some great reviews and some horror stories....

My fav is Asia Divers, they have several excellent instructors and dm's.

 

[Law5Guy]

I had a great time on Koh Tao. Really a relaxing time, and some good dives too. I didn't stay along the main beach area but instead went with Taa Toh Lagoon Dive Resort.

They have good web site at... http://www.taatohdivers.com/

I also dived off Phuket... Racha yai and Racha Noi... It was ok, I guess... but honestly I prefered my time on Koh Tao much better.

 

[h3o]

thanks for all the replies, I've decided to check out the diving in Phuket and the nearby areas instead of the southern Gulf islands like Tao, KPN, and Samui. I'd rather dive better dive sites in the rain than mediocre dives in the sun.