Alternatives to Koh Tao?

[jopperdepopper]

Hi,

I'll be leaving for Thailand february 4th (can't wait... ) to travel and dive in Thailand, Malaisia and Indonesia for a couple of months. My long-term goal is to get certified as instructor. (all depending on how I develop of course)

Through internet/scubaboard, I found Koh Tao as a place where apparently it's good to get certified, and not too expensive. So the moment I'm ready for an instructor course, that's were I was planning on going.
At the same time I read stuff like it's crowded (20000+ certifications per year), overcrowded dive-spots, a party-island and more... in short, things that put me off...

I sure am going to have a look and see for myself, but I can't help wondering if there are alternatives (not necessarily in Thailand...) to Koh Tao? Places to spend some time, train and get certified. I'm not looking for the cheapest places, but I DO like quality...

Love to hear from you,
Best,

Job

 

[mjh]

You might look into Utila. Probably about the same costs, caters to a younger crowd but not as crazy as the Koh Samui region.

 

[Zippsy]

Utila might be a long commute if you are already heading to SE Asia but it is a good alternative. In the countries you mention, you may also consider the islands off peninsular Malaysia like Redang, Perhentian, Tenggol and Tioman. They are a lot less crowded but that also means they have a lot less ability to handle a lot of trainee instructors / DMs. In general, islands off Borneo have a reasonable amount of divers without the parties but they are more expensive. The Philippines is in the area and provides the closest to what I understand you are looking for. Please note though that February is still the end of the monsoon season in pretty much all the South China Sea. You may want to delay your diving a bit.

 

[Quero]

Hi,

I'll be leaving for Thailand february 4th (can't wait... ) to travel and dive in Thailand, Malaisia and Indonesia for a couple of months. My long-term goal is to get certified as instructor. (all depending on how I develop of course)

Through internet/scubaboard, I found Koh Tao as a place where apparently it's good to get certified, and not too expensive. So the moment I'm ready for an instructor course, that's were I was planning on going.
At the same time I read stuff like it's crowded (20000+ certifications per year), overcrowded dive-spots, a party-island and more... in short, things that put me off...

I sure am going to have a look and see for myself, but I can't help wondering if there are alternatives (not necessarily in Thailand...) to Koh Tao? Places to spend some time, train and get certified. I'm not looking for the cheapest places, but I DO like quality...

Love to hear from you,
Best,

Job

Hi Job. Here on Phuket there are PADI IDCs every single month (if that's the agency you're thinking of). I did mine at Dive Asia with Bjorn Tackmann, who has a stellar track record, as my CD. There were only 9 candidates in my group. PM me if you want to hear more praise for Bjorn's IDC.

 

[jopperdepopper]

Thanks for the input. For the time being, I think South-East Asia is were I will be.
Utila sounds nice though, and if Koh Tao puts me off too much I'll consider it for sure...
Is Utila also a place were there some resorts close together? Had never heard of it... Is it mainly people from the US coming there or also european/other?
Do you have some url's maybe?

But even more important: how's the diving there?! Different dive spots/variety/underwaterlife?

 

[Zippsy]

Utila is famous for its IDCs. It's a small island so not much else to do on it other than dive and enjoy the life with other divers. It's also famous for seasonal frequent whale sharks and year round sand flies. Lots of Europeans as well as Americans do their IDC there. Do a search on this forum for lots of information on the place. I believe several course directors from Utila are forumers. Alternatively try www.utiladivecentre.com , www.goproutila.com , www.dive-utila.com , http://www.deepblueutila.com/ , www.aboututila.com . I'd prefer Asia myself but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[jopperdepopper]

Sounds OK to me... I'll check the links for sure, thanks! The sand-fleas-part is especially very appealing

Is Honduras complicated when it comes to visa/workpermits and stuff?