Become certified diver in 3 days - PADI Open Water Diver course on Koh Tao

Highlights

Inclusions

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 107 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Amazing

  This was such a fun experience and Fernando was a great teacher, super patient, helpful, and entertaining. I would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys diving :)

  Kyle HMay 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Scuba Birds is an excellent choice for dive training in Koh Tao

  We had an excellent experience with Scuba Birds. Our son completed three courses with them, and I completed my open-water course with my 17-year-old daughter. Scuba Birds communicated well with us over WhatsApp before we arrived, and everything went smoothly upon arrival. Efim, our instructor, was fantastic. He is so patient and explains everything thoroughly. He knows how to prepare the students, communicate well, and keep everyone calm underwater. The courses were also very affordable. I would highly recommend Scuba Birds to anyone wanting to take any dive training in Koh Tao.

  DayTrip38266736461April 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Just completed my Open...

  Just completed my Open Water course and it was honestly the highlight of my entire trip! The last three days have been incredible. Emma was an amazing instructor—patient, knowledgeable, and so supportive throughout the whole process. She made everything feel safe, fun, and easy to learn. Diving opened up a completely different world beneath the surface—beautiful, peaceful, and fascinating. I’m so grateful for the experience and couldn’t recommend this course (and Emma!) more highly. If you’re thinking about trying diving, don’t miss the chance. It’s truly unforgettable! 🌊🐠🤿

  Mattia_GMarch 2026via Viator

• 5Best scuba school on Koh Tao – amazing instructors & long dives!

  I can’t recommend ScubaBirds enough – genuinely the best value scuba school on Koh Tao. From the very beginning, the team were welcoming, accommodating, and made us feel comfortable straight away. A big shout-out to Nelly, who was fantastic throughout, and also to Ilia (a really nice Russian lad doing his internship there) – he was brilliant at training us and made the whole experience fun and relaxed. Both had a great sense of humour and were incredibly patient. On our first day, we learnt how to use the scuba equipment in the deep pool, which gave us loads of confidence before heading into the sea. Then on the next two days, we went out on the boat and did two dives each day – four in total. Each dive was 49 minutes underwater, which is incredible bottom time for an Open Water course. One dive was down to 15 metres and the deepest was 18 metres – both amazing experiences. Our group was small (just four people), and we were paired into buddies, so it felt personal and safe the whole time. The equipment was top-notch, the instructors were super professional, and unlike other schools that rush you through and treat you like a number, ScubaBirds really take the time to make it personal. One of the girls in our group struggled to equalise her ears and couldn’t complete one of the dives, but they didn’t charge her extra and let her continue on the following days – which just shows how fair and genuine they are. Honestly, this is the scuba school to choose if you want the perfect mix of professionalism, fun, and real care. Thank you to everyone at ScubaBirds – you made it an experience I’ll never forget!

  charleslG1532ZPAugust 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

  My experience with scuba birds was amazing. Everything war very uncomplicated and well organized :) Bryan was an incredible instructor, I always felt safe and so way more confident diving thanks to him ! He added on to the whole experience and I enjoyed every moment of it :)

  jutiallomAugust 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5

  One of the best things I’ve done. Irina was an amazing instructor she was very clear and helpful in her instructions. Would recommend to anyone wanting to do this.

  H6045PRharrycJuly 2025via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Koh Tao

• Its from-price is 476% above the median of the 56 experiences we list in Koh Tao.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 11 of 56.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Koh Tao

Koh Tao is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, ringed by coral reefs, granite coves and white beaches, and known for diving and snorkelling.

Koh Tao is a small, hilly island in the Gulf of Thailand, in Surat Thani province, north of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, and its name means Turtle Island. Mae Haad, the pier village on the west coast, is the arrival point, and Sairee Beach to the north has a long strip of sand lined with bars and dive shops. Rocky coves and jungle-covered hills fill the rest of the island, with a lookout at John-Suwan viewpoint.

Top-ranked sights in Koh Tao: Nang Yuan Island (Koh Nang Yuan), Aow Leuk Beach.

See all 56 experiences in Koh Tao