Koh Tao dive sites are usually easy and shallow. The current is low and the visibility is pretty good, which makes this island of Thailand a pretty good place to start scuba diving. Moreover, Koh Tao and the Barrier Reef in Cairns are the two places where there are the largest number of PADI diving courses in general and open water in particular. Finally, another advantage about starting to dive in Koh Tao, prices are relatively low in Ko Tao. The price of a try dive introduction to scuba dive is about 2000 Thai baht, 50 euros or 60 us dollars and that of open water around 9000 thai baht, 250 euros or 280 us dollars.
Koh Tao has only two dozen dive sites but some of them are ranked among the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand. Here’s our selection of the top 10 dive sites of Koh Tao.
Sail Rock
Level : All levels
Depth : Main rock until 22 meters and dive site up to 40 meters
Visibility : 15 to 35 meters
Current : weak to medium
When the diving conditions are nice, Sail rock, also called “Hin Bai” in Thai, is probably the best diving site of the gulf of Thailand. Only problem, this dive site is really in between the islands of Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao. It means that the dive site is 2hours boat from Ko Tao. It is basically a very large rock rising up to 7 meters out of the sea level which drop down to 22 meters and structured as a long chimney with a vertical swim trough. It is the perfect place to dive with large pelagic such as large tuna, Giant Groupers, King mackerel, Chevron Barracudas, whale shark or manta rays.
Chumphon Pinnacle
Level: Advanced diver level 2
Depth: Up to 45 meters
Visibility: 10 to 30 meters
Current: weak to medium
Chumphon pinnacle, located north-west of the island, is probably the most famous dive site of koh tao. It is in reality composed of four pinnacles covered with anemones. Only 45 minutes away from Sairee beach in Koh Tao, the dive site is often crowded but offers a large variety and abundant marine life with very good visibility most of the time. At Chumphon Pinnacle, all year around you can dive with giant groupers, barracuda, bat fishes, trevally, big eye jack, … During the whale shark season, from mars to May and august to October, you might be able to spot whale shark, Remoras and Cobias.
South West Pinnacle
Level: Open water diver level 1 and advanced divers level 2
Depth: Up to 33 meters
Visibility: 10 to 30 meters
Current: weak to average
The diving site South West Rock, also called south west pinnacle is sometime considered as the second best dive site of koh tao. The dive shops of Koh Tao often go there for the 3rd dive of the open water diver course but, in our point of view, it is more suitable for advanced divers. It is composed of many small pinnacles with a larger one in the center. On this dive site you should be able to find scorpion fishes, yellow tail Barracudas, Leopard Sharks, Grouper. Lucky ones will meet the great whale shark and extremely rarely, people spotted Whales there.
White rock
Level: Open water diver level 1
Depth: Up to 24 meters
Visibility: 10 to 30 meters
Current: weak
White Rock is one of the most visited dive sites of Koh Tao because of its proximity 10 minutes boat with the main beach of the island, Sairee Beach. It is also one of the largest diving sites of koh tao. It is particularly popular for night dives or for the fourth dive of the open water PADI level 1.You can meet a wide range of life local marine with, for example, sea turtles, nudibranchs, blue spotted stingrays, barracuda, angel fish, moray eels, triggerfish and for the luckiest, Wrasses. It also has a wide variety of soft and hard coral.
Shark island
Level: Open water diver level 1 and advanced divers level 2
Depth: 15 meters in average, 24 meters maximum
Visibility: 5 to 30 meters
Current: weak to strong
I will maybe disappoint you but you should know that there are no sharks in Shark Island. Indeed, its name comes from the fact that on the surface, the pinnacle has the appearance of a shark fin. The site is located southeast of Koh Tao, is particularly large and has a varied fauna and flora is rich in soft corals.
You can dive in with turtles, sea snakes, triggerfish, clown fish and other common fish.
Green Rock
Level: Open water diver level 1
Depth: from 5 to 28 meters
Visibility: 10 to 25 meters
Current: weak
Green Rock is a very interesting site often seen as a cave diving site because of its many small cavities and underwater tunnels. You will also probably discover the “Trigger Pit” where some Titan triggerfish come to give birth. The site is particularly suitable for buoyancy exercises. It’s a real fun dive that will delight beginners and more experienced divers.
You can come across titan triggerfish, sea snakes, hawksbill and green turtles and the usual marine fishes of the Gulf of Thailand.
Japanese Garden
Level: Open water diver level 1
Depth: from 5 to 18 meters
Visibility: 10 to 30 meters
Current: weak
Japanese Garden is a beautiful dive site that will delight lovers of nudibranchs and of soft and hard corals. It is also a snorkeling site so do not expect to go very deep. There is also a small wreck of an old dive boat, interesting to explore, nearly fifteen meter deep. You will meet lion fishes, nudibranchs and many small fish corals.
Twins
Level: Open water level 1
Depth: up to 22 meters
Visibility: 10 to 30 meters
Current: weak
Twins, also called Twin Peak sis a pretty good dive site, mostly for the ones who loves searching for small marine life as shrimps and sea horses. The dive sites is composed of two large rocks 8 and 20 meters deep. You will be able to moray eels, clown fishes, angel fishes, trevallies, yellow tail barracudas, blue spotted stingray, and pink anemones.
Laem Tian
Level: Tous niveaux
Depth: up to 17 meters
Visibility: 10 to 25 meters
Current: weak
Laem Tian is an easy and relaxing dive during which you can explore small caves and swim through. You can dive there with turtles, stingrays, jacks and triggerfish.
HTMS Sattakut
Level: Advanced divers level 2
Depth: From 22 to 28 meters
Visibility: 10 to 30 meters
Current: weak
The artificially sunk military vessel of 49 meters long and 7 meters wide was sunk in 2011. It is located 50 meters south of the Hin Pee Wee dive site and very close to Sairee beach. Le boat lies at a depth of 29metres.
The dive site is perfect for experienced divers and dive shops of Koh Tao often go there for the PADI Wreck Diver course.
Fusiliers, barracudas, groupers, trevally, wrasses, snappers, morey eels, grey reef sharks and putter fish has already decided to inhabit this artificial reef.
What do you think of this top? WHat is your top 10 of the best dive sites of koh tao ?
