Discover Why Koh Tao Scuba Diving is The Best in Thailand

Koh Tao has always been the top destination for ocean enthusiasts from all over the world both divers and non-divers alike. While there are many diving islands to choose from, the reasons why Koh Tao is one of the most famous places for Thailand scuba diving are clear. Here are 4 reasons why Koh Tao is the best for scuba diving.

1. Possible to dive all year long in Koh Tao
2. Experience more than 25 dive sites
3. Learn everything from top rated PADI dive center
4. Multiple diving trip per day

Scuba Diving All Year Long In Koh Tao

Turtle Island, or Koh Tao, is open for business all year long. While Thailand is casually labeled as having only 2 seasons: hot and hotter seasons, it has three seasons like other tropical countries. There’s the hot season from March to May, the wet season from May to October, and the cool season from November to February. However, this doesn’t apply to the Southern part of Thailand.

The wet season, or monsoon season for Koh Tao starts from November to January. During this time, strong wind and high waves are more common, but the island itself acts as a natural barrier to the wind. There are dive sites that are protected, and is possible to dive safely. It’s also important to be informed that Koh Tao dive sites further away from the island is not commonly visited during this time.

The hot season, which is also the diving season for Koh Tao, starts from March to September. There’s typically less rain, which means less silt is stirred up, leading to crystal-clear water at most dive sites. This is when scuba diving is at its best. Many travelers choose to become PADI certified during these months.

Tips: April and July-August are the busiest months. If you want to avoid the crowds, May and June are your top choices!

More Than 25 Koh Tao Dive Sites to Choose From

One of the main reasons that Koh Tao diving is a top destination for Thailand scuba diving, especially for beginners, is the number of dive sites on the island. Not only are there over 25 dive sites but there are also different conditions and levels to choose from. Here are some of the most popular sites you shouldn’t miss when you come to diving Koh Tao.

Chumphon Pinnacle

Chumphon Pinnacle is located northwest of the island on its way back to the mainland, Chumphon province. Hence, the name. It’s one of the deepest sites in Koh Tao, reaching up to 40 meters in depth. It’s suitable for advanced divers or above. Depending on the season and tide, it’s also possible for Open Water Divers to explore the top part of the pinnacle, around 15 meters. Highlights for this site include a horizontal swim-through, a large school of barracuda at Barracuda Rock, and, if you are lucky, whale sharks.

Tips: A large school of fish is normally at the top of the pinnacle, so it’s easy to see and enjoy for Open-Water divers. The swim-through is, however, around 20 meters and is typically off-limits unless certified as PADI Advanced Open Water or higher. This also depends on the tide.

Southwest Pinnacle

Southwest Pinnacle, as the name suggested, is located southwest, about 40 minutes away from the island. It’s another deep dive site with an estimated depth of 20 meters. Some area reaches a max depth of 30 meters. You can either choose to explore the main pinnacle, the area around you, or the secret pinnacle if you have an adventurous spirit.

Tips: Similar to Chumphon Pinnacle, it’s a deep site with only certain areas available to Open Water divers. The entire sites is at depths around 18-20 meters. For Open Water divers, you might not get as close to the coral but if the water is clear, it’s another perfect site suitable for all levels.

White Rock

White Rock is just 20 minutes from the pier, and the dive site itself can be spotted from Sairee Beach. It’s one of the large dive sites that suits divers of all levels. This site has a shallow pinnacle in the north and a deep pinnacle in the south. It’s possible to explore both pinnacles in one dive, but it’s only recommended for experienced divers with good air consumption.

Tips: This is one of the most underrated Koh Tao dive site since it’s close to the island. However, you can see large schools of fish, corals, swim-through, and sometimes whale sharks here. It’s also one of the nicest Koh Tao dive site to do a night dive. If you plan to do scuba diving Koh Tao, you must not miss this spot!

Scuba Diving Koh Tao From 5 stars PADI Dive Center

While there are multiple organizations from which to choose your dive certification, PADI is the most globally recognizable brand in terms of standards and safety. Since it’s internationally accepted, you can dive anywhere in the world with your PADI!

At Nava Scuba Diving, we are a PADI 5-star and a PADI Eco dive center offering a wide range of PADI courses. You can be sure that at the end of the course, you’ll gain proper knowledge and tremendous fun from our certified instructors. If you have no experience before, we definitely recommend Discover Scuba Diving for a 1-day complete experience or a full PADI Open Water course for your first diving certification.

Apart from being a trusted and well-recognizable PADI dive center, Nava Scuba Diving is one of the highly rated dive centers on Koh Tao, with a 5 out of 5 score on Google (as of March 2025). We are prepared to provide you the best experience for Thai or International divers. If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to contact us for more information.

Diving Koh Tao with Nava Scuba Diving

At Nava Scuba Diving, we offer two dive schedules: morning 07.00 – 11.00 am and afternoon 12.30 – 04.30 pm. Since dive sites in Koh Tao are really close to the island but still covered with colorful reefs and inhabited by a large variety of fish, an average travel time on the boat is 15-25 minutes to most dive sites.

Diving with Nava Scuba Diving is not the same as others, as we never rush you during the dive. The time at each dive site is allocated to match the number of divers on board. If you’ve ever rushed through a 20-minute dive before, this will never happen if you dive with us.

Additionally, our dive group is limited to 4 people per 1 dive instructor for your safety and to ensure a memorable experience. While most other dive centers in Koh Tao schedule a massive group of 6-8 divers. It’s simply not the best diving experience we want to give to you. We also separate a dive group between levels and diving experience to make the trip for scuba diving Thailand enjoyable for everyone.

Koh Tao Scuba Diving Is One of The Best In Thailand

All of these reasons make Koh Tao a leading global destination for diving enthusiasts, catering to all levels. These Four key reasons set it apart: year-round diving, with sheltered sites even in the monsoon; over 25 diverse dive sites like Chumphon Pinnacle and Southwest Pinnacle; a top-rated PADI 5-star center, Nava Scuba Diving, known for safety and quality; and flexible daily dive schedules for intimate, secure underwater exploration. If you are looking for an adventure of a lifetime, do not hesitate to book a dive with us.