Perfect your diving with the next step in your education · Koh Tao

Advanced Diving Course

Join La Bombona Diving's advanced training course in Koh Tao and earn your globally recognized Advanced Explorer 30 certification. Ready for a life-changing experience.

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Explorer – Take Your Diving to the Next Level

You've already discovered the ocean — now it's time to truly explore it. Two days, five dives and plenty of new skills: the Explorer 30 programme takes what you learned during your Open Water certification and builds on it, helping you become a more capable, confident and independent diver. In Koh Tao that means a night dive on the reef and a wreck dive on a genuine Royal Thai Navy warship.

Prerequisite for this course: you need to have an Open Water certification to enrol.

What's included

Complete diving equipment rental
RAID online training materials
Theory lessons
4 day dives + 1 night dive
Wreck dive on a Royal Thai Navy ship
30 metre certification
Snacks and refreshments on the boat
Internationally recognised certification

Your Journey

Become an Advanced Diver in 2 Days

Advanced students talking through dive theory on the boat deck

10:00 am Theory & Skills Workshop

Your Explorer course starts with a deeper look at the things we need to consider as we progress beyond basic recreational diving. Your instructor will introduce you to more advanced techniques — buoyancy control, efficient kicking, gas management, dive planning, underwater navigation and compass use, and position and trim in the water. You'll also learn techniques such as back-finning and helicopter turns, giving you much greater control over how you move underwater.

Diver hovering perfectly trimmed in the blue during the buoyancy dive

11:45 am Buoyancy Dive

Good buoyancy can completely change the way you dive. We'll spend the dive at one of Koh Tao's shallower sites working through a selection of games and increasingly challenging exercises — hovering, trim, controlled movement, helicopter turns, back-finning and breathing control. The goal is to make you more efficient and relaxed underwater: less unnecessary movement, improved air consumption and, ultimately, longer and more enjoyable dives.

Instructor teaching compass navigation on the boat before the dive

2:00 pm Navigation Dive

Time to find your way around underwater. You'll begin learning how professional divers navigate a dive site and make their way back to the boat without relying entirely on somebody else. You'll work with your compass while learning to recognise natural landmarks and environmental clues — estimating distance, managing your gas, planning your return and understanding the layout of a dive site. You'll also get your first opportunity to take more responsibility for navigating part of the dive.

4:00 pm Break

Time to grab some food, warm up and recharge before the most atmospheric dive of the course.

Diver at the surface beside the boat as night falls

5:30 pm Night Dive

Experience Koh Tao after dark. Under the beam of your torch the reef changes completely — lionfish out hunting, parrotfish tucked in for the night and, with a bit of luck, glowing plankton when you cover your torch and wave your hand. You'll learn to communicate with light signals and navigate at night, opening up a whole new side of diving.

Your Dive Boat

Our dive boat is spacious, comfortable, and designed with divers in mind. It offers a smooth ride, space to gear up with ease, and a rooftop area to relax between dives. Leaving right from Sairee Beach, it makes your diving day smoother, more social, and a lot more enjoyable.

Fresh water
Snacks
Chill area

Insights from our divers

What they say about us

EXCELLENT ★★★★★ Based on 1428 reviews
Jill
★★★★★

I had an amazing Try Dive experience at La Bombona! I was quite nervous and even panicked a few times during the first dive, but Armand was incredibly calm, patient and reassuring. He took the time to make me feel comfortable.

Abigail Lee
★★★★★

I returned to La Bombona after doing my Open Water here in April, to do my Explorer 30, Deep 40, and Nitrox courses. I had Vasco as my instructor, and he was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable on scuba diving techniques and theory.

Henriette Steinkjellaa
★★★★★

We had a blast doing our open water course with Carlo and Intza! With no previous diving-experience, the whole crew made us feel both welcome, comfortable and safe throughout the whole experience. Really cool and professional people.

stuart macfarlane
★★★★★

Amazing diving experience. The staff (Carlo Rossi) was very professional and explained the theory with the detail that was easy to understand.

Max Sherman
★★★★★

Great dive shop! Me and 3 friends came to Koh Tao with me and 1 friend doing an open water, 1 friend doing advanced open water and 1 friend doing fun dives. Each of us had incredible experiences in our respective courses.

Dawid Wojcik
★★★★★

Big thanks to La Bombonera Diving School and my outstanding instructor Martin for this fantastic opportunity to learn a new skill and discover the underwater world! The whole team is incredibly welcoming and friendly.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Open Water certification to join the Advanced course?

Yes. The Explorer 30 builds directly on your Open Water training, so you need to be a certified Open Water diver to enrol. Not certified yet? Our Open Water course has you covered — and you can book the two back to back.

My Open Water is from PADI, SSI or another agency — can I still do the RAID Explorer 30 with you?

Absolutely. We accept Open Water certifications from any reputable agency that follows RSTC guidelines, and certifications are fully transferable between these agencies. Bring your card and let's dive.

How deep will I dive on this course?

Up to 30 metres on the deep dive — and that's the depth your Explorer 30 certification covers, anywhere in the world. Colours fade, the pressure builds, and you might meet nitrogen narcosis for the first time. Your instructor will be right beside you the whole way.

What's the difference between the Explorer 30 and my Open Water certification?

Your Open Water certification lets you dive with a buddy in open water. The Explorer 30 takes you deeper — to 30 metres — and sharpens the skills that turn a certified diver into a confident one — buoyancy, navigation, night diving, wrecks and deep diving.

What dives are included in the course?

Five dives over two days — buoyancy, navigation, a night dive, a deep dive towards 30 metres and a wreck dive on one of Koh Tao's Royal Thai Navy wrecks. The exact order can shift with conditions and the day's schedule.

Get in touch

Shoot us a message on WhatsApp! Our team will get back to you as soon as possible with an answer.

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