Thailand Scuba Diving Courses

  Thailand

• Other Cities in Thailand: 
Koh Tao

Term: Not Applicable 
Dates: The programmes are available all year round, with arrival dates on the first Friday of the month

Description: Programme Details
1. Beginner Programme - gain your Open Water and Advanced Open Water qualifications to be certified to dive down to 30 metres worldwide! This is a popular option for those short on time, but still keen to witness the variety of fish and coral life lurking beneath the surface. This programme includes a few days off at the end for you to relax and enjoy the island atmosphere or complete additional dives (at your cost).

2. Rescue Programme - a fun programme for those keen to enjoy and qualify in diving for a whole month, whilst gaining the responsible and rewarding skills to rescue individuals in distress. You train and qualify in the necessary qualifications up to this level (Open Water, Advanced Open Water, EFR and Rescue Diver).

3. Divemaster Programme - the first step on the professional diver ladder (where you can get paid work worldwide in the dive industry!). This course is geared towards those who are serious about diving, but also to those who want to learn as much as possible about the different elements of scuba in a fun and rewarding environment. On this programme you will gain a number of different important skills, as well as the qualifications to be a key member of a dive centre team. You train and qualify in the necessary qualifications up to this level (Open Water, Advanced Open Water, EFR, Rescue Diver and Divemaster).

4. Instructor Programme - the pinnacle of the diving professional. This course is an add-on to the Divemaster Programme and will train you to the standard where you are able to work as a scuba diving instructor, teaching fellow enthusiasts the skills you have gained. The programme can open many doors to you and enable you to work all over the world. It is possible to start your journey to Instructor status if you have had your Open Water Qualification for more than six months.

If you already have any of your PADI qualifications but wish to join one of the programmes above, then you can either complete a shorter course (at a reduced rate) or you can exchange your time and credit for specialist diving qualifications. See the Specialist Diving section below for more details.

Scuba Qualifications
There are different diving qualification levels, each of which is pre-requisites before undertaking the next level of diving. The main qualifications are outlined below:

Level 1: PADI Open Water - this four-day course gives you your basic license to dive anywhere in the world to a maximum depth of 18 metres. It consists of studying five academic modules, with six confined dives and four open water dives.

Level 2: Advanced Open Water - this course takes two to three days to complete (depending upon the electives chosen), with certification allowing you to dive to 30 metres. You need to complete ten dives, choosing from night dive, deep dive, underwater photography, underwater videography and more.

Level 3: Emergency First Response - this non-diving qualification is a pre-requisite course for all divers, looking to go beyond Advanced Open Water Level. It teaches you both primary and secondary care, which involves learning how to resuscitate someone, develop CPR skills, identify how to treat someone etc. This course is completed at the same time as the Rescue Diver qualification on this programme, though in most cases it is conducted separately.

Level 4: Rescue Diver - this four-day programme requires you to complete five academic modules that enable you to be a competent rescue diver. You learn emergency management, how to identify equipment problems, ways of identifying diver stress and panic, and how to administer diver first aid.

Level 5: Divemaster - this professional qualification is the most sought after of all diving qualifications and a starting point for a scuba diving career. It allows you to work in a scuba diving school/centre and to work alongside Instructors, teaching real students. The course takes 8 full days (42 dives) to complete and covers a wide range of theory, practical instruction and dive mentoring.

Level 6: Instructor Development Course - this course takes 11 days and requires all students to have completed the modules/qualifications above. The course is split into two main parts; the first is the Assistant Instructor programme, where you help to train students in various modules and you assist the main instructor. The second part is the OWSI (Open Water Scuba Instructor) Programme. The purpose of these two different parts is to prepare students with business skills and all other necessary skills to work in and/or run a dive centre.

Specialist Diving Qualifications
If you already possess a qualification included in the programme you wish to join (e.g. Open Water for the Divemaster programme), there are some specialist diving qualifications that can be completed in its place. So rather than completing a shorter programme, it is advisable to do an alternative qualification(s). Some of these include:

PADI Deep Diver - a two-day course that enables you to dive to depths of 40 metres
PADI Enriched Air Speciality - a two-day course that allows you to dive at depths of 20-30 metres for longer periods. You are taught to use nitrox, an enriched air that contains up to 40% oxygen
PADI Wreck Diving - a two-day course where you are taught the fundamentals of diving around wrecks safely. At the end, you may have the chance to do a limited penetration of the wreck
Please Note: Most of the speciality courses are completed after you have finished your Advanced Open Water qualification.

Diving Add-ons or Alternatives
We have a few options available to you if you already hold some diving qualifications. These include:

A paid videography internship - this allows you to train to be an underwater cameraman and then receive paid work opportunities recording people's first diving experiences. It's a great way to get extra dive experience and to subsidise your travels!
A deep technical diving course and wreck diving programme - on this programme you will learn how to dive to deeper depths, before learning all about the safety for diving around wrecks. The area has many World War II shipwrecks, so it's a great way to experience the surreal atmosphere of the deep.
Dive Equipment
If you are training to be a PADI divemaster, included in your programme fee is a full set of diving equipment to keep; this is very important for anyone looking to pursue a career in the diving industry. The dive equipment includes:

1. Wet-suit
2. Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
3. Regulator and gauge
4. Kit bag
5. Dive knife
6. Safety Pack (signalling devices)
7. Fins
8. Mask and snorkel
9. Wetsuit boots
10. Safety marker buoy

The equipment consists of some of the leading brands in Scuba Diving equipment including Scuba Pro, Mares and Seakodive. If you already possess your own set of equipment, then the cost of the equipment you possess can be subtracted from the programme. If you wish to upgrade some of your equipment to higher performance gear (not necessary but some may choose to), then this can be done locally at the start of your programme. The cost to do this varies, according to which items you upgrade.

Highlights: * Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Open Water Course (no Bangkok Stopover or Transfer) USD459
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Open Water Course USD619
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Advanced Open Water and Fun Dive Programme USD969
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Advanced to Divemaster USD4,549
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Beginner Diving Course USD1,229
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Divemaster Programme USD4,899
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: EFR and Rescue Diver USD669
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: EFR to Divemaster USD2,979
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Fun Dives - 14 dives - 1 week USD579
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Fun Dives - 8 dives - 1 week USD389
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Instructor Course Add-on USD4,199
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Instructor Course Only (with ETC stopover and transfer) USD4,379
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Intensive Diving Course (OW+AOW 1 week) USD879
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: PADI Open Water Course (BKK stopover) USD619
* Thailand Scuba Diving Courses: Rescue Programme USD2,629

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: from 389 - 2,629

What's Not Included in the Programme
- International flights to Thailand
- Any necessary visas
- Health and travel insurance, which must cover you for scuba training
- Meals during Bangkok stopover
- Any trips/excursions above the mentioned itinerary

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

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