Scuba diving in Koh Phi PhiBreathe underwater. The rest follows.

Koh Phi Phi is one of the easiest dive bases in Asia: the best sites are 20 to 45 minutes by boat from Tonsai, the water is 28 to 30 °C all year and visibility reaches 15 to 25 metres in the dry season. Blacktip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles and soft-coral walls are on the menu from your very first dive. We live on the island and work with a PADI and SSI 5-star school: we point you to the right option and the right sites for the sea on the day.

Why dive in Koh Phi Phi

Because everything is close and sheltered. The Bida islets and the walls of Phi Phi Leh are under 45 minutes from Tonsai, the shallow sites suit a first dive, and the drop-offs, pinnacles and the King Cruiser wreck keep certified divers busy for days. Groups stay small, four divers at most per instructor or divemaster, on a proper dive boat with lunch on board. And prices are 30 to 40 % lower than in Europe for the same certifications, which makes Phi Phi one of the best places in the world to earn your Open Water.

Dive sites around Koh Phi Phi

Six sites cover every level. The Bida islets and Phi Phi Leh are 20 to 40 minutes from Tonsai; Shark Point, Anemone Reef and the King Cruiser take about an hour by boat and are mainly for certified divers.

• Bida Nok (5 to 30 m, All levels) : The limestone pinnacle south of Phi Phi Leh and the island's star site. Soft corals, schools of glassfish and fusiliers, blacktip reef sharks on almost every dive, leopard sharks resting on the sand in season. The sheltered side stays calm for beginners; the drop-offs and small caves, with some current, are for certified divers.
• Bida Nai (5 to 24 m, All levels) : Bida Nok's twin, a little shallower and often calmer. Hawksbill turtles grazing on the coral, moray eels, clownfish in their anemones and macro life for sharp eyes. The ideal second dive of a discovery day.
• Loh Samah Bay and the Phi Phi Leh walls (5 to 18 m, Beginners) : The back door of Maya Bay. A sandy bottom at 8 to 12 metres for your first skills, then the cliffs of Phi Phi Leh dropping into the water, covered in soft corals and sea fans. Moray eels, clownfish and sometimes a turtle.
• Palong Wall (Turtle Rock) (5 to 20 m, All levels) : The west wall of Phi Phi Leh, where the turtles come to feed. Gradual depth and little current: perfect as a second dive or for a relaxed fun dive.
• Shark Point (Hin Musang) and Anemone Reef (10 to 25 m, Advanced recommended) : Two pinnacles on the Phuket side, about an hour by boat. Carpets of anemones and clownfish, leopard sharks, schools of trevally. The current can pick up: for confident certified divers only.
• King Cruiser (wreck) (18 to 30 m, Advanced) : A ferry that sank in 1997 between Phuket and Phi Phi, now an artificial reef covered in life: lionfish, schooling fish, sometimes a leopard shark. A deep wreck: Advanced certification and recent experience required.

What you will see underwater

Harmless blacktip reef sharks patrol the Bida islets on almost every dive. Hawksbill turtles graze the corals of Bida Nai and Palong Wall. Leopard sharks resting on the sand, moray eels, lionfish, clownfish, schools of fusiliers and trevally, nudibranchs for macro lovers: the list is long from 10 metres down. Manta rays and whale sharks are possible on the advanced trips to the south, mostly from February to May, never promised.

When to dive in Koh Phi Phi

Diving runs all year. From November to April the sea is calm and visibility reaches 15 to 25 metres: the ideal window for a discovery dive or a certification. From February to May the water is at its warmest and the advanced trips to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang give the best chances of manta rays and whale sharks, with no guarantee: they are wild animals. From June to October the monsoon brings days of swell and 10 to 15 metres of visibility, but the Bida islets stay sheltered most days and leopard sharks are more frequent. Either way, we confirm the day before based on the sea.

Before you get in the water

• You need to swim and feel comfortable in the water. No certification needed for Discover Scuba.
• A simple medical form, filled in on site.
• No alcohol in the 24 hours before a dive.
• No flying in the 18 to 24 hours after your last dive.
• Marine pier fee: 600 THB per person per trip, paid on site.
• Optional underwater photos: 750 THB per person.
• Boats leave Tonsai in the morning: sleep on the island the night before.

Our partner school in Tonsai

We are not a dive centre: we live on Koh Phi Phi and work with a PADI and SSI 5-star school based in Tonsai. Groups capped at four per instructor or divemaster, a dedicated dive boat, full equipment provided and renewed, English-speaking instructors and French-speaking ones on request depending on the week's schedule. Tell us your level and your dates: we book the session, give you the meeting point and stay reachable on WhatsApp before and after the dive. Two rules to know: no alcohol in the 24 hours before a dive, and no flight in the 18 to 24 hours after your last dive.