Koh Tao Courtyard
Hotel
Days 1–5
Koh Tao Open Water — small group - 6 Days (Surat Thani, Sairee, Shark Bay, Chumphon Pinnacle & Koh Nang Yuan)
Six days, four qualifying dives and a no-fly day. Six days with an instructor per four, a beachfront guesthouse and the Chumphon pinnacle as a qualifying dive.
Tidewrack Voyages
Runs this trip
Scuba diving
Six days, four qualifying dives and a no-fly day
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Sairee beachKoh Tao certifies more divers per year than almost anywhere on earth, which is why the course price here is what it is. Training bayMask clearing, regulator recovery and buoyancy, practised in water you can stand up in until they stop being frightening. Shark BayShark Bay has resident blacktip reef sharks, which are a metre long and completely uninterested in divers.
Itinerary
Koh Tao certifies more divers per year than almost anywhere on earth, which is why the course price here is what it is.
Surat Thani, Koh Tao, SaireeHow the day runs
- 4 hrsThe catamaran north via Koh Samui
- 4:00 PM — dive centre check-in, medical form and theory
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationKoh Tao Courtyard
Included Activities
- Ferry ticket
- Guesthouse night
- PADI manual and eLearning
LANDMARKS Sairee beach Koh Tao Dive centres Start point Surat Thani, Surat Thani Airport (URT), Thailand 00:00 - 23:59Mask clearing, regulator recovery and buoyancy, practised in water you can stand up in until they stop being frightening.
Koh Tao, SaireeHow the day runs
- 8:00 AM — theory, then the confined-water session off Sairee
- 2:00 PM — the second confined session and the exam
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKoh Tao Courtyard
Included Activities
- All equipment
- Instructor at four students maximum
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Sairee beach Training bay Shark Bay has resident blacktip reef sharks, which are a metre long and completely uninterested in divers.
Koh Tao, Shark BayHow the day runs
- 1 hrs7:00 AM — out to the training site
- 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM — two dives to 12 m
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKoh Tao Courtyard
Included Activities
- Two training dives
- All kit
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Shark Bay Blacktip reef sharks Green turtles Chumphon is a granite pinnacle rising from thirty-six metres, and whale sharks pass it from about March to May.
Koh Tao, Chumphon PinnacleHow the day runs
- 1 hrs7:00 AM — out to the pinnacle
- 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM — the final two dives and the card
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKoh Tao Courtyard
Included Activities
- Final two dives
- PADI Open Water certification
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Chumphon Pinnacle Whale shark season Granite pinnacle No diving today — the ferry and the flight tomorrow need the surface interval. Snorkelling is fine.
Koh Tao, Koh Nang YuanHow the day runs
- 0 hrs9:00 AM — across to the sandbar islands
- 2 hrs11:00 AM — the viewpoint climb
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKoh Tao Courtyard
Included Activities
- Island entry and boat
- Snorkel gear
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Koh Nang Yuan Sandbar Viewpoint More than twenty-four hours since the last dive by the time you fly, which is the conservative margin.
Koh Tao, Surat ThaniHow the day runs
- 4 hrs9:30 AM — south to the mainland
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Ferry and airport transfer
- Day 1Ferry ticket
- Day 1Guesthouse night
- Day 1PADI manual and eLearning
- Day 2All equipment
- Day 2Instructor at four students maximum
- Day 3Two training dives
- Day 3All kit
- Day 4Final two dives
- Day 4PADI Open Water certification
- Day 5Island entry and boat
- Day 5Snorkel gear
- Day 6Ferry and airport transfer
- Day 1 · 5 nightsKoh Tao Courtyard
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
What you'll eat
5 breakfasts and 1 dinner across 6 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 6.
- DinnerServed on day 1
- BreakfastServed on days 2–6
6 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
You might also like
Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.6/5
Based on 7 reviews
Review summary
Food4.4/5
Guide4.1/5
Itinerary4.1/5
Transport4.6/5
Accommodation4.7/5
Tour operator4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
4
S
Sameer Khan – Kolkata2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. No hesitation recommending them.
Was this helpful?
5
S
Sameer Khan – Ahmedabad2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought.
Was this helpful?
5
S
Sameer Khan – Hyderabad2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves.
Reply from Tidewrack Voyages
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
Was this helpful?
5
H
Hannah Lindqvist – Singapore2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Worth every rupee.
Was this helpful?
5
Y
Yuki Tanaka – Amsterdam2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Would send friends their way.
Was this helpful?
5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Mumbai2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it. Solid operator.
Was this helpful?
3
L
Laura Whitfield – Toronto2025-04-08 · Verified booking
Boat was crowded. Fine for the diving, less fine for the surface intervals. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it.
Reply from Tidewrack Voyages
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Was this helpful?
Questions people ask
One other operator runs this trip. See all 2 side by side →