Age
Adult: 15+ years
Junior: 12–14 years
Cadet: 10–11 years
Note: Those under 18 require parental/guardian consent.
Dive into adventure · Koh Tao
Join La Bombona Diving's Open Water Diving Course in Koh Tao and earn your globally recognised Open Water Certificate — your licence to dive to 18 metres anywhere in the world. Ready for a life-changing experience?
Whether you're completely new to diving or already have some experience, our Open Water Diving Course in Koh Tao is designed to get you fully certified to dive safely anywhere in the world — on the island where more divers learn than anywhere else on earth.
With La Bombona Diving, you'll be certified to reach depths of up to 18 metres. Learn essential skills, safety techniques, and gain the confidence to enjoy open water dives with a buddy, wherever your adventures take you. Take your first step and experience the underwater world!
Includes equipment, boat trips, snacks and your certification. Not included — mandatory dive insurance (100 THB).
Adult: 15+ years
Junior: 12–14 years
Cadet: 10–11 years
Note: Those under 18 require parental/guardian consent.
Swim: 200 m (any stroke, no time limit) or 300 m with mask, snorkel, and fins.
Float: Tread water or survival float for 10 minutes.
Medical: Complete a health questionnaire. If you flag any "Yes" answers, you need a doctor's signature before entering the water.
Registration: Create a RAID online profile to access materials.
E-Learning: Complete all online modules and quizzes.
Exam: Pass the final exam (open book, 80% minimum score required).
Your Journey
You'll meet your instructor and the other students at our dive centre on Sairee Beach — we keep groups small, so you'll always feel supported. We'll complete your paperwork, set you up with your RAID online materials and walk you through what the next few days look like.
Your instructor will give you your first lesson covering the most important theory you need to know about diving — how your equipment works, how pressure affects your body, and the golden rules that keep every dive safe.
We continue with the classroom sessions, working through the remaining theory at a relaxed pace — with plenty of time to ask questions before you head to the water.
You'll take your first breaths beneath the surface in shallow, confined water, where you'll learn the most important skills with your instructor so you gain confidence before going deeper. We keep going until you've got them down — no clock-watching.
We review everything you've learned and you sit the final exam — open book, 80% to pass, and your instructor makes sure you're ready before you start. Then it's time to go diving.
This will be your first contact with the sea. Your instructor will guide you through a series of skills both on the surface and underwater, helping you feel comfortable and confident throughout the dive — to a maximum of 12 metres.
We head out for our second dive of the day, where you will continue building experience and confidence underwater at Koh Tao's beautiful shallow reefs.
An early start for the best conditions of the day. We visit deeper sites for your third dive — with navigation practice and the best of Koh Tao's marine life.
Your fourth and final training dive, down to a maximum of 18 metres. By now the skills feel natural — this one is about putting everything together and enjoying the reef.
You now hold your Open Water certification — your ticket to dive anywhere in the world up to 18 metres.
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.
Insights from our divers
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.
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.
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.
Amazing diving experience. The staff (Carlo Rossi) was very professional and explained the theory with the detail that was easy to understand.
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.
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.
Four relaxed days. Day 1 is just a late-afternoon orientation, then you build up through theory and shallow-water practice to four real ocean dives — the last two to 18 metres.
You don't need to be an athlete, but the certification requires a 200 m swim and 10 minutes of floating. Comfortable with that? You're ready.
The course starts at age 10 — divers aged 10–14 earn the Junior Open Water certification, and from 15 it's the full licence.
Anywhere in the world, to 18 metres. RAID certifications are recognised globally, with training standards above the competition.
All necessary equipment is provided for the whole course. Just come prepared with swimwear and a sense of adventure!
Only the mandatory dive insurance (100 THB) — there's no marine park fee on Koh Tao, and equipment, boat, snacks and certification are all included.
Book online with a 1,000 ฿ deposit and pay the rest on the island, or message us on WhatsApp and we'll pick your start date together.
Shoot us a message on WhatsApp! Our team will get back to you as soon as possible with an answer.
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