Big Blue Diving Koh Tao: Courses, Fun Dives and Costs

Featured image: katsommers, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.

Big Blue Diving Koh Tao at a Glance

Big Blue Diving sells recreational courses under SSI and technical courses under SDI and TDI. Everything is booked through an online cart where you add each person and each product. Prices are listed per person in Thai baht, and prices were checked November 2026. Entry points run from a ฿3,800 one-day Basic Diver to a ฿105,000 Open Water to Divemaster pathway. Fun diving is open to certified divers only. SSI is a global agency, and its dive center locator shows how widely its certificates are issued. Read the school's own site for its beach address and opening hours before you plan transfers.

Which Big Blue Option Fits You

Start from your logbook, not from the most exciting trip on the menu. Match your level to one row below and ignore the rest.

Courses: Open Water, Advanced and Refreshers

Open Water Diver takes 2.5 days at ฿12,000, with a minimum age of 10. Scuba Diver is a shorter license at ฿10,000 over 2 days, and it limits you to 12 m. Most people who plan more than a couple of dives choose the full Open Water. Advanced Open Water costs ฿12,000 over 2 days from age 12. Booking Open Water plus Advanced together costs ฿23,000 over 5 days, which Big Blue says saves ฿1,000 against buying them separately. Specialties sit beside these. Nitrox is ฿5,500, Deep ฿9,000, Wreck ฿10,000 on the HTMS Sattakut, and Photography ฿10,000. Technical, Divemaster and conservation tracks also exist. One example is TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures, which plans staged dives to 45 m for ฿35,000 over 5 days. Divemaster training is ฿50,000 over 6 to 8 weeks, with accommodation not included. Browse the booking page for those tracks rather than guessing.

• Under 20 dives and no diving for a year: full refresher plus 2 easy afternoon dives (฿1,800 extra).
• 20 to 50 dives: pool refresher only.
• 50 or more dives and no diving for 2 years: 2 afternoon check-out dives, no pool needed.

Fun Dives: Morning, Afternoon, Night and Sail Rock

Afternoon trips cost ฿2,000 for two dives and visit sites closer to the island. Big Blue pitches them at check-out divers, refreshers and course students, and the minimum age is 10. Morning trips also cost ฿2,000 and require age 12. They rotate over three days between Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle and Southwest Pinnacle. Night dives are ฿1,400, last about 2 hours, require age 12 and include a torch. Sail Rock gets its own full-day trip at ฿4,000, about 2 hours from Koh Tao by boat. The school lists whale sharks and a swim-through called The Chimney. It is the priciest single fun product, and it is a poor first dive after a long break. Skip it if boats make you seasick. If you are rusty, book afternoons first and save Sail Rock for later in your stay. Put dietary needs in the special-requests box when booking.

What It Really Costs

Packages lower the per-dive price only if you will actually use the dives. Compare a pay-per-trip habit with the bundles below. As an example, Open Water plus a 10-dive package totals ฿21,000 (฿12,000 plus ฿9,000). Gear, accommodation and extras may sit outside these prices, so ask what each booking includes. Divemaster training states plainly that accommodation is not included.

Age Limits, Families and Kids' Programs

Minimum ages run from 8 to 18, and families often miss this filter. Kids aged 8 and 9 can try Explorer (Bubblemaker) for ฿3,800, with a pool session and 2 sea dives to a maximum of 6 m. Junior Open Water covers ages 10 to 14 at ฿12,000 over 2.5 days. Check each child's product age before building a group cart.

How It Compares With Other Koh Tao Dive Schools

Koh Tao has many schools, and prices alone rarely decide the choice. Our Koh Tao dive shop guide lays out the whole field. Other schools worth a look include Bans Diving Resort. Another is Sairee Cottage Diving. You can also read about Black Turtle Diving. Another option is Crystal Dive's own site. Do not confuse Big Blue with Deep Blue Divers, which is a separate school.

Booking Checklist and Mistakes to Avoid

Online booking works as a cart, so you can review everything before paying. Read the cart twice for dates and group members. Medical forms matter for every course, and Divers Alert Network publishes guidance on dive medicals and insurance. Ask about the cancellation and weather policy, which this guide cannot state for you.

• Mistake: booking Sail Rock as a first dive after a long break. Start with a ฿1,200 refresher or afternoon trip.
• Mistake: ignoring minimum ages. Morning trips and night dives need age 12.
• Mistake: assuming prices cover gear or accommodation. Ask before paying.
• Mistake: buying a package without matching its days to your stay. The 10-dive package spans 5 days.
• Check: your cart totals, dates and dietary notes before payment.