Came back three days ago from MSDT course plus 4 weeks interning at Bans, and can only say 'ditto' to 'can't go wrong with Bans'! Classy outfit, that. Also ditto to Tim being as sweet as Maple syrup
. (bring him some Tim Hortons' coffee and he'll love you forever). He is SOME teacher, managing to take the anxiety out of performance requirements and learning and teaching in general - and that is no mean feat when dealing with a black belt worrier like me! Was pretty much left to my own devices for the internship, waiting to get picked up by instructors in bars (Yes. Fishbowl.) and street corners (the one between reception and dive shop). Worked beautifully! Got to team-teach every day, except for one day where I chose to put in some beach time and snorkel with the cute lil' (5') blacktip reef sharks in Shark Bay instead. Plenty of work to go around at that shop, they are very busy, so, if you're looking for a place to get hands-on experience and rack up some certs, Bans' is the way to go! Worked with 7 different instructors and was very impressed by nearly every one of them. Nah, make that 'overawed'. Different styles and personalities of course, which is all good, it taught me lots on what to do, and some on what didn't seem to work as well. But even with some of the styles I didn't like so much, there is no COMPARISON to some of the crappy outfits I have been a victim of myself, in the past, as a beginner! The general standard on safety and professional competency and sticking to standards is extremely high, I think. The place is very well organised, they got the bugs ironed out. This is a professionally-run business. It is amazing how they combine the high volumes they handle with still producing capable divers and thing never getting too crowded. They have streamlining down to an art form, without cutting much corners on safety. It does help that most of the divers there are very young and backpackers, and so they tend to be less fearful, worried or physically limited than, say, your average day tripping cruise shipper in the Caribbean.
Dive sites are busy, that's true, but the main impact is concentrated on the two shallow teaching sites, White Rock and Twins. Not sure, but to me, 'overdived' would mean thrashed, and it's not that. More a question of ethics and experience - it IS weird to have so many other groups of divers in the water all around you. Most keep off the reef quite nicely, though. It's the sometimes poorish viz that would not make KT my number one recommendation for a fun dive destination for a serious diver. (Unless you are into worms, sea cucumbers, nudies, huge bivalves and other assorted jelloid creatures, there is an amazing selection of those.) Pretty enough to keep you entertained for a few days of diving, for sure, and everything except booze is cheap, and the topside life is marvelous! Such a pleasant little island! I couldn't speak much to nightlife as I'm 49 and married, but good music, good food, small but scenic beaches, fantastic landscape, very safe (except the scooters), lots of other things to do (do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss the trapeze school. It's a TRIP! You HAVE to try that. No really, you have to!), nice atmosphere. Dirt roads, chickens roosting on the racks where they dry your clothing, mynah birds serenading you from every tree, jungle peeking out everywhere, and smooth granite boulders in fantastic shapes decorating the whole coast line (Look! A whale! A fish head! A monkey! A buddha. A ..umh. A phallic symbol..). And still with all that rustic charm, well developed: easy to get everything you need, buy supplies, internet etc. Great weather, didn't need the AC, the cheap fan room worked just fine. And last but not least, SAFE dive operators! At least Bans and Sunshine divers, can't speak for the other ones.
As for carrying your gear, yes you do have to do that, but it's not so bad. Me, I shudder whenever I hear 'valet diving', because I'm thinking, in the end, I'm the one that pays for it. As a dry suit diver and packing my own weights on shore dives here in BC, that little bit of gear you need for tropical recreational diving seems very manageable. Also, weights and rental regs are kept on the boat at Bans', and the instructors carry masks and snorkels, so students just have a BC, shorty and fins in their bags. Very light. And the bags do get handed up to the boat by instuctors or DM's, so you just carry them a few meters over the beach, and rinse those three items. You need to learn to do it anyhow. If you bring all you own gear like me, ok, your bag will create an discernible 'ooof' sound as it travels up along the human chain, but many hands make short work, and the distances are very small. If you do have physical limitations, Koh Tao may not be the funnest place for you, though, because you have to clamber up to the big boat from the long tail (without your gear!). If you haven't climbed a swinging tire for some decades, that may seem challenging at first. There is always plenty of crew to help you, though, and all are friendly and helpful.
Oh and last but not least, tea, coffee and cookies on the boat
. Beats the hell out of watermelons on the rare windy day.
Me, I have that theory that Koh Tao is run by a syndicate, on Las Vegas model: Vegas lures in people with cheap hotels and buffets, then fleeces them in the casinos. Koh Tao lures people in with great and cheap diving, food and accommodation - then fleeces them in the bars. If you can resist the Lure of the Buckets, you can have an amazing holiday or dive education at a GREAT value.