hello! i am planning to be in thailand around mid december 2026 and wanted to get my open water diving certification (SSI) from go diving (ko tao)

ko tao is what i wanted to originally go for but the travel seems veryyyy inconvenient and hectic. Flights are a bit pricey (since i’m already spending a lot of attending EDC) so my only options are the bus+ferry or train+ferry

is koh tao worth the hype or are there any options closer to bkk or phuket that you would recommend?

tysm :)

Hey guys, im probably going to delete this in a bit because its pathetic but ive been trying to do some still posts for this scuba diving shop i work at but i dont really get a lot of interactions on it if you guys can help me out by just commenting what divers say vs what they actually mean that would be great im not even advertising or anything i just want the page to look cozy and friendly like a diving community feels https://www.instagram.com/p/DepJi3QgOzE/?xtok=OThscThyYTdxZzdz

Hi- I just finished the PADI rescue diver course and wanted to share my experience, which may be helpful for others thinking of taking the course.

First- get enough sleep, water and nutrition when diving in general.
I didn’t eat enough and definitely was low on energy.

Second- Work on cardio and strength training. During the course, we had to tow a distressed diver multiple laps, using three different types of tows. You’ll never know what type of diver will need help, and you’ll need some strength to tow them. Don’t be a victim yourself. Don’t get close if they’re panicking, because they’ll pull you under too.

Learn to throw. And far. And be able to reach the distressed diver with the rescue device. If you missed within arms reach, you’ll have to jump in the water and swim to them. As many times as it takes until you get 3 perfect throws.

When searching for and recovering a victim, check to see what’s going on first. Is their regulator in their mouth? is their inflator hose connected to their bcd? Are they tangled? You’ll have to bring them to the surface slowly, and they’ll be heavy. Don’t get tangled yourself.

These are just a couple things that come to mind that I wasn’t prepared for. I hope this helps others, whether taking the course or not.

I will say it’s a rewarding course, knowing that I’m better prepared to assist others. At the end of the day, it’s a piece of paper and what truly matters is practice and being aware. Stay safe yall!

Taken while diving a few cenotes last year. Anyone have any cenote recommendations? I'm trying to get back this winter

Hey diving family! I'm relatively new to diving but am considering investing in a regulator set or at least a second stage. I have an allergy and heard that most rental places are unable to adequately clean the accumulated gunk out of the mouthpiece. Do you know if most dive shops would allow you to bring your own regulator set or a partial set? Do you know which piece(s) at minimum would need to be brought to be integrated into other standard rental equipment at a dive shop? For example, could I bring just a second stage? Or would I need to have an octopus, yoke/DIN, pressure gauge, etc as well?

Edit: a user on scubagear subreddit was saying I could just swap out the mouthpiece and that most shops are used to this. Is this true?

Have the opportunity to go on a dive trip and these are the two options. I've never been to either and was just looking for any advice on the type of diving, what to expect and if one is much better than the other.

Also to a lesser extent is one location better for a non diver than the other?

Thanks

Hi. I’m doing my AOW soon. Looking for thoughts on the speciality dives. I’m doing the full peak buoyancy diver specialty certification first. I am sure people have mixed views on that - but it’s something I want to perfect and feel it will improve my ability to learn and focus on other skills as well as breathing.

I’ve seen people say the speciality dives are often just fun dives - but the instructor I am headed out with really focuses on skills and knowledge. I’m sure they will be fun dives but if there’s a skill involved - you need to demonstrate competency or she’s not going to pass you. Leaning towards Fish ID. Mixed on others.

I’m planning to take some time off after finishing my Bachelor’s degree, probably around 6–12 months, and I’d love to spend that time working as a Dive Master in Thailand.

I’m from Germany, currently an AOWD, and have been diving since I was 12. Working as a dive guide has always been a dream of mine, and I’d love to finally make it happen.

However, I’ve heard from quite a few people that finding work as a DM is almost impossible for foreigners, as dive centers generally prefer to hire Instructors. I’ve also looked into doing my IDC, but once you factor in all the additional PADI fees and membership costs, the total can apparently reach €4,000–5,000. On top of that, Instructors seem to spend much more time teaching, whereas I’d ideally like to focus on guiding dives. I don’t mind teaching at all, but I’d prefer diving to be the main part of the job.

So I’m trying to figure out what the best option would be for me. I’m not doing this for the money (I saved some money so I wouldn’t rely on the salary) or to pursue a long-term career in diving. I simply want to dive as much as possible, improve my skills, gain more experience, and have fun.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience working in the dive industry in Thailand or elsewhere in Asia!

How difficult is it to find work as a German-speaking DM in Asia?
Is getting an Instructor certification practically necessary to find a job?
Would you recommend going straight for the IDC, or is it realistic to find a DM position that fits what I’m looking for?
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!