PADI Open Water Course in Phuket

Choose your preferred course start date and group size in the Availability Checker, or message us on WhatsApp. We will confirm availability for all three course days.

Once your date is confirmed, complete the Open Water diver-details form for each student.

To reserve your course, pay a fixed ฿5,000 online deposit per student. Once your deposit has been received, we will arrange access to the named student’s PADI eLearning/course materials.

You can then choose how to pay the remaining balance:

• Online: no later than seven days before your course starts.
• Cash at the Thailand Divers Dive Resort: no later than the day before your course starts.

You are also welcome to pay the full course price online when you book.

Booking within seven days? No problem, subject to availability. If you choose to pay online, the remaining balance is due as soon as we confirm your booking. Cash payment is still due at the dive centre no later than the day before.

Day one: make your own way to the swimming pool for 09:00. Hotel transfers are not included on the pool-training day. Your instructor will introduce the equipment and teach the practical skills; the session normally finishes around 14:00–15:00.

Days two and three: hotel pickup is normally between 07:00 and 07:30. Breakfast is served while the boat sails from Chalong Pier to the Racha Islands. You complete three dives each day, with lunch onboard. The boat normally reaches Chalong Pier between 17:00 and 17:30; your hotel-return time depends on its location.

Dive sites and timings are guides and may change with weather, currents, traffic and the day’s running order.

Your course price includes PADI eLearning, day-one pool training, four open-water training dives, two fun dives, a private scuba instructor, a full set of scuba equipment and scuba-diving insurance throughout the course.

Breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks are included on the two boat days. Return hotel transfers from the included areas are provided on days two and three.

Yes. You need to be comfortable in the water and complete the PADI water-skills assessment: a continuous 200-metre swim without swimming aids, or a 300-metre swim using a mask, snorkel and fins, plus a 10-minute float or tread water. There is no time limit.

If you are unsure about your swimming ability, contact us before booking so we can advise you.

You must be at least 10 years old. Students aged 10 to 14 earn a Junior Open Water Diver certification and follow age-specific depth and supervision limits.

Yes. Please review the PADI Diver Medical form before booking and complete the required questionnaire before diving. Depending on your answers, you may need written approval from a physician before you can take part.

If you are unsure about the paperwork, contact us before reserving your date so we can help you with the next step.

Divers aged 10 and 11 may dive to a maximum of 12 metres and must dive with a PADI Professional or a certified parent or guardian.

Junior Open Water Divers aged 12 to 14 may dive to a maximum of 18 metres and must dive with a certified adult. With further training, a Junior Advanced Open Water Diver aged 12 to 14 may dive to a maximum of 21 metres.

The Junior Open Water Diver course covers the same knowledge and skills as the adult course. When the diver turns 15, they can order a replacement certification card without repeating the course.

They can also continue their training with another PADI course and receive an updated certification at the same time.

Yes. Private instruction is included at no extra cost. Your instructor supports you through the pool session, four open-water training dives and two fun dives.

Tell us who is joining your booking when you enquire so we can confirm the instructor arrangement for your dates.

Yes. Scuba-diving insurance is included in your course price and covers the scuba activities throughout your course, subject to the policy terms and eligibility requirements. If you would like more information, please contact us.

You can stay anywhere on Phuket, but Rawai, Nai Harn and Chalong are especially convenient for the course.

You must make your own way to the swimming pool on day one; no hotel transfer is included for the pool-training day. On days two and three, return transfers are included from Kamala, Nakalay, Kalim, Tri Trang / Merlin Beach, Patong, Karon, Kata, Nai Harn, Rawai and Chalong. Hotels outside these areas need separate transport.

We confirm your boat-day pickup times when you book. See our hotel-transfer information for more details.

Explore our recommended hotels near Thailand Divers, with a map showing six places to stay near the dive centre and Chalong Pier.

Bring swimwear, a towel and a dry change of clothes on day one. For the boat days, also bring sun protection and a small bag for your personal items.

We provide your scuba equipment, PADI eLearning, meals and refreshments as listed. Please complete the booking paperwork in advance and bring any physician’s approval required by your medical questionnaire.

Please tell us about your dietary requirements before the two boat days and we will make every effort to arrange suitable food. If we cannot accommodate a particular request, we will let you know.

You are also welcome to bring your own food, and we can help you store it onboard.

Yes. For ฿500, we can fit a brand-new soft silicone comfort mouthpiece to your rental regulator before you dive. It will be exclusively yours to use, and you can take it home afterwards. Please request it when booking so we can have it ready for you.

If your plans change, please tell us as soon as possible. We will always try to move your course to another suitable date where practical, although changes depend on availability and cannot be guaranteed. If you cancel, the ฿5,000 course deposit is non-refundable and you keep any personal PADI eLearning/course materials already issued to you. If you cancel more than seven days before the course starts, we will refund anything you paid above the deposit. If you cancel seven days or fewer before the course starts, no refund is due.

No refund is due for a no-show, a late arrival that prevents participation, or a decision to stop after the activity or course has started.

If Thailand Divers cancels because of unsafe weather or an operational reason, we will first offer you a suitable alternative date. If the new date does not work for you, we will give you a full refund of everything you paid, including your deposit.