Dive Courses – Phuket

Scuba Diving is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Anyone from age 10 and up in good health and a sense of Adventure can participate.

Phuket is without a doubt one of the best learning environments for all levels of divers. Phuket offers excellent diving conditions for day trips, Similan Liveaboards and all levels of diving courses, attracting thousands of divers every year. An international and exciting atmosphere, with a touch of oriental adventure, warm friendly waters (close to 30 degrees Celsius), a tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and the smiling Thai hospitality, all adds to a pleasant and enjoyable stay on Phuket.

Similan Divers offers the complete range of PADI diving courses for beginners and previously certified divers. Our four Padi Course Directors and additional Master and Staff Instructors guarantee the quality of your training in our fully equipped education facility at Kata Beach. With air-conditioned classrooms and up-to-date teaching aids, Similan Divers provides you with a comfortable and relaxed course environment - just what’s needed for stress-free learning.

All courses for beginners include transfers, equipment rental and the described Boat- and/or Beach dives. Courses for certified divers include transfers and the described Boat- and/or Beach dives. PADI Materials and Certification fees are included in the course prices and will not be charged separately. Please contact us for a detailed offer specifically if you like to make a course at the Similan Islands.

PADI Discover Scuba Diving - 5,400 THB

The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program lets you experience the thrill of diving under the close supervision of one of Similan Diver’s experienced PADI Instructors in pool or pool-like conditions. During your adventure, you'll master some basic scuba concepts and skills and will have the opportunity to take part in an open water adventure.

This program is the ideal way to experience scuba diving without having to enroll on a full course.

Similan Divers offers ‘Discover Scuba Diving’ in three options. You can choose from either pool lessons followed by a beach dive at Kata Reef or alternatively as a boat trip with two or three dives at protected dive sites.

Course contents

• Knowledge development and equipment handling
• Your instructor will use scuba gear and pictured lesson guides to introduce you to the most important rules of scuba diving. This takes approximately 30-40 minutes.
• Training under water
• Firstly your experienced and patient instructor will spend some time at the poolside or on the boat to give you a detailed briefing about the following training session. Under water, shallow enough to stand up in you can watch a very slow and detailed demonstration of all the necessary skills. You will then have time to practice these skills under the instructor’s direct supervision.
• Diving with tropical fish and coral
• Once you have mastered the required skills you can continue with the most thrilling part of the program, the underwater tour. At a depth of maximum 12 meters / 40 feet your instructor will show you a huge variety of tropical coral and fish. Barracudas, lion fish, trumpet fish, groupers, clown fish and many other marine creatures will greet you in their world. Your experienced buddy and instructor understands your problems as a beginner and will be there to assist you whilst under water.

PADI Scuba Diver - 10,280 THB

The two day ‘Scuba Diver’ course was designed for those who don’t have enough time to complete the entire Open Water Diver course in one go, or if somebody needs to interrupt this course for any reason. The Scuba Diver course offers a fast and convenient way for everybody from the age of 10 years old to obtain their first internationally recognised scuba certification.

Scuba Divers are qualified to:

• Join our day trips
• Dive with a PADI professional to a maximum depth of 12 meters / 40 feet (not every trip is suitable)
• Continue their education to obtain the Open Water Diver certificate

Course contents

• Preparation
• Get your PADI Open Water Diver Crew Pack from Similan Divers dive store with a brief explanation of how to use it from our Staff.
• Knowledge development
• Your instructor will close knowledge gaps and eliminate misinterpretations by using a video and verbal presentation.
• Pool training
• Our swimming pool offers a 1,50 meters / 4,50 feet in the shallow end and a 2,50 meters / 7,50 feet in the deep end to practice in. Your instructor will explain and slowly demonstrate each and every skill for you and give you enough time to practice. We will also check if you are able to swim and feel comfortable in the water.
• Open water training
• During your course you will participate in two open water training dives to a maximum depth of 12 meters / 40 feet which will last 40-60 minutes each dive. The first dive does not contain any formal skills but gets you acclimatised to the new environment. During the second dive you will repeat the skills you have already learnt in the pool and apply them to open water situations. Both dives offer plenty of time to discover the underwater world and explore Phuket’s tropical reefs.

PADI Open Water Diver - 14,480 THB

The PADI Open Water Diver course is the most popular dive program in the world! This is your ticket to a lifetime of intense adventure which requires only 3 or 4 days of training and never expires. You must be over 15 years old to begin the PADI Open Water Diver program.

If you are between 10 and 15 years old and would like to participate in the PADI Open Water Diver program, the PADI Jr Open Water Diver program is available to you. (A PADI Jr Open Water Diver between the ages of 10 and 11 years may only dive with a PADI Professional, a certified parent or certified guardian to a maximum depth of 12 meters / 40 feet.)

PADI Open Water divers are qualified to:

• Participate in Similan Divers day trips and liveaboard cruises. (To enhance your skills we highly recommend that you continue your education with the Advanced Open Water Diver course)
• Dive independently together with another certified diver (without supervision) to a maximum depth of 18 meters / 60 feet
• Continue their education with the Adventures in Diving program or PADI Specialty courses

Course contents

The course takes 3 to 4 days and includes 2 days of knowledge development and pool training as well as 2 days training in the open water with 4 training dives.

• Preparation
• Get your PADI Open Water Crew Pack from Similan Divers dive store with a brief explanation of how to use it from our Staff.
• Knowledge development
• Your instructor will help you to close your knowledge gaps and answer all the questions you might have from your self study by using a video and lesson guides. You will need to correctly answer 75% of the 50 questions in the final exam (multiple choice) where most Similan Diver’s students score 90+%
• Pool training
• Our swimming pool offers a 1,50 meters / 4,5 feet shallow end and a 2,50 meters / 7,50 feet deep end to practice in. Your instructor will explain and slowly demonstrate each and every skill for you and give you enough time to practice. We will also check if you are able to swim and feel comfortable in the water.
• Open water training
• During your course you will participate in 4 open water training dives which will last 40-60 minutes each. Two of those will take you to a maximum depth of 12 meters / 40 feet and the other two dives are limited to 18 meters / 60 feet. The first dive does not include any formal skills and will help you to acclimatise to the new environment. During the 3 remaining dives you will apply the skills you have already mastered in the swimming pool to open water conditions, combined with a guided tour to explore Phuket’s tropical reefs. In addition to that you will learn about compass handling both at the surface and under water. Don’t worry, your instructor will explain how to handle the compass. Since the fourth and last day of your course is conducted on our boat, Similan Divers will provide you with free breakfast, lunch and dinner here as well as an extra bonus dive to increase your experience.

The PADI Adventures in Diving Program - 13,390 THB

This program gives you the opportunity to explore specific areas of scuba diving and gain more experience. The course layout enables you to customise your continuing education to fit your personal interest and demands.

It is important for you to continue your training in the most convenient and flexible way. The ‘Adventures in Diving Program’ is especially designed so that you can choose your preferred diving activities under the guidance of your instructor. The huge variety of dives and flexible time schedule makes this course suitable for you.

The ‘Adventures in Diving Program’ offers two different certifications. A diver successfully completing three adventure dives will receive the ‘PADI Adventure Diver’ certification. If you complete three elective dives plus the two core dives ‘Deep’ and ‘Under Water Navigation’ you will become certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

PADI Adventure Divers and Advanced Open Water Divers are qualified to:

• Participate in Similan Divers day trips and liveaboards
• Dive independently to a maximum depth of 30 meters / 100 feet if accompanied by a buddy
• Enroll onto the PADI Rescue Diver course or a PADI Specialty course

• Preparation
• Get your PADI Advanced Open Water Crew Pack from Similan Divers dive store with a brief explanation of how to use it from our Staff. In comparison to the Open Water Diver course you are not required to work through the whole manual, but only three chapters for ‘Adventure Divers’ or respectively five chapters for ‘Advanced Open Water Divers’.
• Which dives can we recommend for you?
• We can recommend ‘Deep’ and ‘Navigation’ as they are the two core dives for Advanced Open Water Divers. There are also other dives to choose from; Peak Performance Buoyancy, Multi Level and Computer, Drift, AWARE Fish Identification, Wreck, Boat, Search and Recovery and Naturalist.
• The following dives are offered upon request:
• Night, Nitrox, Scooter and Photography.

PADI Scuba Review - 5,900 THB

PADI’s Scuba Review program will get you back into the water in a very convenient and fast way. You will benefit from this program if you have not been diving for quite a long time and feel a bit rusty. Similan Divers offers ‘Scuba Review’ with two options. You can choose from either a boat trip with two or three dives.

Scuba Review consists of two segments which are a brush up on dive theory and in-water skills. The knowledge development section covers basic information you have previously learned during your Open Water Diver course, and the practical part focuses on the repetition of the most important dive skills.

• The Scuba Review course is particularly beneficial if you:
• Are a PADI Open Water Diver course referral student who wants a refresher prior to making your open water training dives
• Are a PADI Scuba Diver who wants to upgrade to Open Water Diver
• Just haven’t scuba dived in a while and want to get aclimated again

PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver - 7,990 THB

PADI’s most popular specialty course has successfully been running by Similan Divers since 1997. The purpose of using Nitrox is to extend the ‘No Decompression Limit’ (NDL), by increasing the percentage of oxygen in the breathing gas. In other words NITROX means to be able to stay longer under water or shorten the surface intervals. Diving with enriched air can be achieved in two ways.

This course starts with a classroom session on the first day, followed by a boat trip on the second day, and includes two open water training dives as well as an additional workshop about dive planning while using Nitrox 32 and Nitrox 36. After successful completion of the course you will be qualified to use enriched air with up to 40% oxygen and therefore you can benefit from all the properties that make Nitrox so popular.

The ‘Adventures in Diving Program’ offers two different certifications. A diver successfully completing three adventure dives will receive the ‘PADI Adventure Diver’ certification. If you complete three elective dives plus the two core dives ‘Deep’ and ‘Under Water Navigation’ you will become certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

PADI Nitrox Specialty divers are qualified to:

• Participate in Similan Divers day trips and liveaboards
• Obtain Nitrox fills with up to 40% oxygen
• Plan and conduct Nitrox dives with an oxygen partial pressure of up to 1,4 bar
• Continue their path to become a PADI Master Scuba Diver

• Preparation
• Get your PADI Nitrox Crew Pack from Similan Divers dive store with a brief explanation of how to use it from our Staff.

PADI Specialty Courses

Specialty courses introduce you to the various techniques of scuba diving with distinguished tasks. Similan Divers offers a wide range of PADI Specialty courses for all divers and non-divers according to their level of experience.

These are the most popular specialties that divers like you choose on their way to the Master Scuba Diver rating.

Specialties that don’t require any scuba certification:

• Coral Reef Conservation
• Project AWARE

Specialties for Open Water Divers:

• Boat Diver
• Diver Propulsion Vehicle
• Drift Diver
• AWARE Fish Identification
• Multilevel Diving
• Peak Performance Buoyancy
• Underwater Naturalist
• Photographer
• Navigation
• Deep Diver
• Wreck Diver
• Search and Recovery

Emergency First Response - 6,760 THB

Emergency First Response (EFR) is a very innovative first aid program with broad training about primary (Basic Life Support) and secondary care.

Many divers take the Emergency First Response courses to meet program prerequisites, such as PADI Rescue Diver, or as preparation for becoming a PADI Divemaster. However, most have also found the EFR program to be important in everyday life. They have taken a significant step into preparation for emergencies, and feel confident that they can provide care should an emergency situation arise.

The course incorporates independent study to prepare you for a classroom and hands-on skill development sessions with one of Similan Divers specially trained instructors. You will learn the same patient care techniques used by medical professionals, but at a lower level.

Course contents

• The course includes training in primary and secondary care which can be taken as one combined course (this meets the prerequisites to enroll into the Rescue Diver course) or as two individual programs.
• Primary care focuses on basic life support and includes eight mandatory skills plus three optional skills.
• Secondary care builds on primary care and focuses on important skills if EMS is delayed or unavailable.

Both courses are video supported and include a combination of knowledge development and skill practices. Various rescue scenarios will ensure that you understand all course topics and that you are able to apply your knowledge.

PADI Rescue Diver - 15,490 THB

'Rewarding and fun' – that best describes the PADI Rescue Diver course. This course will expand your knowledge and experience level: Rescue Divers learn to look beyond themselves and consider the safety and well being of other divers. Although this course is serious, it is an enjoyable way to build your confidence.

The Rescue Diver courses’ philosophy is based upon the fact that there are several possibilities to achieve a goal. The structure of the course reflects this with a situational curriculum i.e. size and strength of the rescuer in comparison to the victim and environmental conditions will affect the preferred rescue technique.

During your training you will be encouraged to try several options to learn how to make best use of your personal strengths and to discover your own limits.

PADI Rescue Divers are qualified to:

• Participate in Similan Divers day trips and liveaboards
• Apply rescue and first aid techniques required in scuba diving
• Manage diving emergencies
• Continue their training to PADI Master Scuba Diver or PADI Divemaster

Course contents

• Preparation
• Get your manual PADI Rescue Diver Crew Pack from Similan Divers dive store with a brief explanation of how to use it from our Staff.
• Knowledge development
• Your instructor will provide you with all of the information you need by using a video and verbal presentation. Finally you will be asked to sit the written multiple choice exam which consists of 60 questions. You need to answer 75% of the questions correctly to pass, most of our students reach 90+%.
• Exercises
• In the relaxed and stress free environment of our swimming pool you will practice 10 exercises from ‘Tired diver on the surface’ to salvage operations from boat or shore for non responding divers.
• Rescue scenarios
• The required rescue scenarios are conducted in conjunction with a day trip. Here we will summarize everything you have learnt during the last two days in the classroom and swimming pool. We will try to make it look as realistic as possible so that you can demonstrate your readiness and awareness as a Rescue Diver.