Koh Tao

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hhfarang
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Koh Tao

Post by hhfarang »

I'm thinking of going to Koh Tao for a little scuba diving.

Anyone been and have any recommendations of which dive operation to use? Any recommendations for reasonably priced but comfortable accommodation? Also, is there a safe place to leave a car in Chumphon for two or three days and nights while one is on Koh Tao?

Thanks for any info! :D
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Post by hhfarang »

Sorry, searched after I posted and found this thread that covers accommodation and parking the car in Chumpon.

http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/ko ... =koh%20tao

All I need now is any recommendations of a good dive operator.
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Post by Spitfire »

Well HHF, I used to live on Koh Tao but that was a while ago, it has probably changed a lot since I was there. The island isn't that big with basically one main road that goes from one end to the other.

As far as diving operations are concerned, there are plenty to choose from and everyone will give you there own answer, some of the better equiped are the likes of Bans, Planet Scuba, Big Blue, New Way, presuming they are all still there but should be able to Google them all.

Lots of accomodation available to fit most tastes I think from what I hear now. When I lived there there was no ATM's, no mobile telephones, few cars/bikes only really. Now I hear it has everything. Lots of good bars and restaurants all over the place, no problem on that front.

Many of the diving schools have their own accommodation aswell. Sarree beach is a lovely place to stay and that's where many of the dive schools locate their main operations with the exception of Bans diving school which is on the other side of the island.

Great diving around there and you could even see some whale sharks, if you're very lucky, but they do go to the islands.

:cheers:

If Crazy88 sees this then he will have some good input for you aswell.

EDIT: Forget to mention that many of the dive schools have an office around where the ferry drops you off to the island. Some of the big hotels round there.
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Post by hhfarang »

Thanks Spitfire,

I've been diving off Phuket on day boats and from a live aboard dive ship in the Andaman/Similan Islands (saw and photographed whale sharks there too!), but I didn't realize there was good diving on this side of Thailand until I recently started doing some internet research on Koh Tao.

I was an avid diver and underwater photographer for over twenty years but haven't been in a while and feel the need to blow a few bubbles...
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Post by Spitfire »

Really HHF, didn't realise you were an experienced diver, you've not given that away on any post as far as I can remember. If you are a qualified diver, as opposed to just going to get the "Open Water" PADI certificate, then you'll have a great time, crystal clear waters around Kho Tao so long as no storms etc.

Boat trips etc possible, it's one of the main diving areas for that side(Gulf of Thailand).

If you're a Rescue/Advanced diver, Dive Master or Instructor qualified then you'll have a great time. Great diving to be had there, few would disagree with that. Phuket and Krabi the other side, Koh Tao, a little can be found on Samui aswell this side.

:cheers:
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Post by hhfarang »

I have Advanced Open Water Naui certification (as well as Padi Basic cert) and have logged over 1000 dives all over the world. That's how I spent all of my free time from my mid twenties to late forties. Living in Saudi Arabia (10 minutes from the Red Sea), California (45 minutes to great Pacific coast dive sites), and then Florida helped. I spent all of my vacations in the Caribbean, Hawaii, South Pacific, and here during those years as well as a few other out of the way places like the Seychelles and both sides of Central America, as in Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, and the Mexican Sea of Cortez.

I have a stock of over 10,000 underwater photos (from a Nikonos camera) all in Kodachrome slides, probably 5000 of which I have scanned into digital form but once I filled a 160 GB hard drive, I stopped scanning.

As I said though, I've been out of the water for a few years and have gained a few pounds... good thing the water here is warm... don't think the old wetsuit would zip up anymore! :shock:

My avatar is one of my own, taken off the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean.
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Post by migrant »

Buksida seems to dive a lot. I know one of my first posts asked about diving opportunities and Buksida was quite helpful.
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Post by buksida »

Haven't been to Tao for over 2 years so can't really advise on the current situation for dive operators. Last time I went it was with Crystal Dive but that was only because my mate was manager of the dive shop at the time and dives were half price.

They're all pretty much the same I'd say, just try and get a boat that doesn't take you to Chumphon Pinnacle the same day as 15 other boats or you'll see more divers than fish!

As for parking you can leave the car at the Lomprayah ferry terminal for 50 baht a day.

This thread is making me want to get wet also, its been nearly a year ... :cry:
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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