PART 1 addresses:
- Why did I want to become scuba-certified?
- Which type of certification, PADI / SSI / NAUI did I choose?
- How did I choose Koh Tao, Thailand?
- What criteria helped me decide which dive shop to use?
The ocean is a vast, mysterious world filled with unseen life. Below the waves exists a vibrant underwater world of flitting fish, waving kelp, and skeletal coral as well as gliding predators, inky eight-legged creatures, and stinging jellyfish. Life thrives on the sandy ocean floors as crabs scurry around in search of food, dodging starfish and oysters.
As land-locked humans, one way we can observe sea life first-hand is to dive down deep and swim beside the marine animals. While snorkeling allows you to keep your face underwater for long periods of time, you are mostly confined to bobbing on the surface of the ocean. Scuba diving lets you plunge further down into the depths and explore even more, giving you the freedom to chase after anything that excites your interest.
Obtaining a scuba certification has been one of my goals for years. Whenever I snorkeled, I would throw away my tube and free-dive as deep as I could go, breast-stroking my way through the water. I'd see turtles and colorful fish in the distance, and once even spotted a shark hovering far below me. I wanted to be able to go down there and stay there as long as I desired, observing the life swirling around me.
Schoolwork and extracurricular activities took my focus away from learning how to scuba dive. I only really started looking into it my senior year of college, hunting for an affordable and timely certification course. There are three major scuba certification companies:
All of these certifications are accepted world-wide, although if you do some online research you may find differing opinions. PADI is the most recognized name of the bunch, and it has the largest international network; however, it is the most expensive. SSI and NAUI are still good certifications, and they are cheaper than PADI (partly because they do not require you to buy the training manual like PADI does). After a lot of thought and discussion with already certified friends, I decided to pursue a PADI certification. I wanted that big network of divers and I trusted PADI's reputation. If I was going to spend a lot of money on my certification, I figured that it would be best to pick the most well-known brand.
Obtaining a scuba certification has been one of my goals for years. Whenever I snorkeled, I would throw away my tube and free-dive as deep as I could go, breast-stroking my way through the water. I'd see turtles and colorful fish in the distance, and once even spotted a shark hovering far below me. I wanted to be able to go down there and stay there as long as I desired, observing the life swirling around me.
Schoolwork and extracurricular activities took my focus away from learning how to scuba dive. I only really started looking into it my senior year of college, hunting for an affordable and timely certification course. There are three major scuba certification companies:
- PADI, Professional Association of Diving Instructors
- SSI, Scuba Schools International
- NAUI, The National Association of Underwater Instructors.
All of these certifications are accepted world-wide, although if you do some online research you may find differing opinions. PADI is the most recognized name of the bunch, and it has the largest international network; however, it is the most expensive. SSI and NAUI are still good certifications, and they are cheaper than PADI (partly because they do not require you to buy the training manual like PADI does). After a lot of thought and discussion with already certified friends, I decided to pursue a PADI certification. I wanted that big network of divers and I trusted PADI's reputation. If I was going to spend a lot of money on my certification, I figured that it would be best to pick the most well-known brand.
With that decision made, I researched dive courses in Boston and Cambridge. I wanted to enroll in a college course because the scuba courses are often subsidized through schools and I wanted to take advantage of my student status. Unfortunately, I realized that all of the schools that did offer a scuba certification course (MIT, BU, Harvard) only carried the SSI brand. Furthermore, the dive shops in Massachusetts that offered PADI certifications were not conveniently located and were ridiculously expensive, ranging from $550 to almost $800. Let me just tell you, that is INSANE!
Winter break passed by and spring arrived, making me a second-semester senior. I started thinking about the free month I had between graduation and the first day of training for my job, tossing around ideas for where to travel. Eventually, I settled on Southeast Asia. I was definitely influenced by locations that would offer scuba certification courses. I'd heard that Koh Tao, Thailand, was one of the best places to get certified- not only was it cheap (around $300+), it was a beautiful place to learn how to dive. There were supposedly a wide variety of dive shops on the island, allowing you to choose what would best fit your personality type. Also, Koh Tao translates to Turtle Island, and turtles are one of my favorite animals. After doing a little more research and looking at some photos, I was sold. Thailand was the place for me! I couldn't wait to get started.
The next step was to research all the dive shops on the island and choose the best fit for me. I came across a lot of websites that offered opinions on the 50+ dive shops on the island. However, the comprehensive and useful guide for me was this post on Nomadic Matt's website: The Complete Guide to Diving in Koh Tao
After thoroughly reading the guide and visiting each school's website, I was able to choose the best school for me. My criteria included:
After thoroughly reading the guide and visiting each school's website, I was able to choose the best school for me. My criteria included:
- short time period to become certified (3-3.5 days)
- medium-sized school and small group sizes (for more individual attention)
- high safety ratings
- positive reviews by other travelers similar in age
- affordable price + ability to combine housing/transportation in price
- available equipment to rent, including underwater cameras
- English-speaking instructor
- visits to Koh Tao's top dive sites
- convenient location on Sairee Beach (a more social location, good for solo travelers)
I contacted Scuba Junction through their website and received a friendly and detailed communication from the owner, Natalie Alderton. She was a quick communicator and incredibly helpful, and I felt comfortable booking with her shop. She sent over a medical form to fill out, which was only needed a signature from your physician if you checked 'yes' to any of the questions. The course was 3.5 days long and costed 9800 baht. There was a 2000 baht course deposit sent online and the rest was "pay on arrival" (credit cards were accepted). I also booked housing with Scuba Junction for 200 baht per night and rented an underwater camera for the duration of the course (1500 baht). Overall, my total expenses for the PADI certification course + housing + underwater camera ended up being less than $330 total. The subsidized college courses I had researched in Boston/Cambridge all pushed upwards of $390 for just the course itself, not including the actual ocean dives. And let's not forget the outrageous $500-800 price range for non-subsidized shops in Massachusetts! In comparison, around $300 is an incredible deal. Transportation would be free, as the shop would pick me up from the docks and bring me back when necessary.
All in all, Koh Tao was living up to its reputation for cheap diving and a casual, relaxed, and friendly vibe. I was ready to go learn how to dive!
*Read Part II of my PADI certification story next week- it will address the actual experience of getting certified and how I liked Scuba Junction.*
All in all, Koh Tao was living up to its reputation for cheap diving and a casual, relaxed, and friendly vibe. I was ready to go learn how to dive!
*Read Part II of my PADI certification story next week- it will address the actual experience of getting certified and how I liked Scuba Junction.*
~burn bright~
Jess
Jess