Short answer
Yes, and it's even one of the best places in Asia for a first time. We live on Koh Phi Phi and we accompany baptisms all year round: the water is at 29°C, the sites are sheltered, shallow, without strong current, and the wildlife is there from 6 meters. No certification is necessary for a supervised discovery dive.
| Formula | For whom | Duration | Price 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery diving (DSD) | Never dived, from 10 years old | 1 day, 1-2 dives | 3,400-3,900 THB |
| Open Water (certification) | You want to dive all your life | 3 days | ~THB13,900 |
| Fun dives | Already certified | Half day, 2 dives | 2,500-3,200 THB |
| Snorkeling | You still hesitate | Half day | 400-1,200 THB |
How does a discovery dive work, concretely?
No endless theory or exams — a typical day with our instructors:
- 8 a.m.-9 a.m., at the diving center: medical questionnaire, briefing on the 3 golden rules (breath continuously, balance your ears, communicate by signs), fitting of equipment
- Boat ride to Phi Phi Leh or Bida islets (20-40 minutes along the cliffs)
- Progressive launching into the water: you first immerse yourself at 2-3 meters to repeat the movements, the instructor next to you
- Diving: 40-50 minutes between 6 and 12 meters maximum, in groups of 2 beginners per instructor — never more in serious centers
- Second dive after lunch on board, on a different site: it is almost always the best, less stress
You carry almost nothing out of the water: the team manages the boat's equipment until it is launched.
The perfect sites to get started
This is the great strength of Phi Phi: the best sites are less than 45 minutes by boat, and several are designed for beginners.
- Bida Nok and Bida Nai: the two karst peaks south of Phi Phi Leh. Soft corals, schools of glass fish, black tip sharks almost guaranteed. The sheltered side is calm even when the wind picks up.
- Loh Samah Bay: the “back door” of Maya Bay. Sandy bottom at 8-12 meters, ideal for the first gestures, with moray eels, clown fish and sometimes a hawksbill turtle.
- Turtle Rock / Palong Wall: as the name suggests — this is where turtles graze. Progressive depth, perfect for second dives.
The more demanding mythical sites (King Cruiser, the wreck at 18-30 m, Hin Daeng / Hin Muang offshore) will be for you after your certification: one more reason to come back.
What you will see underwater
In one day of baptism, you have a very good chance of coming across: black tip sharks (harmless - they hunt the small fish, not the tourist), hawksbill turtles, clown fish in their anemones, lionfish, schools of riflefish by the hundreds, moray eels. From February to May, leopard sharks land on the sand and, on certain blessed weeks, a whale shark passes through Bida — our instructors come across them every season.
Honest prices, and what they hide
In Phi Phi, a serious discovery dive costs 3,400-3,900 THB all inclusive (equipment, 2 dives, lunch, center insurance). Below 3,000 THB, ask questions: how many beginners per instructor? Recent equipment? The savings are always on framing — exactly what a beginner should not sacrifice. To this is added depending on the site the national park fee (400 THB adult, 200 THB child, in cash).
Our discovery diving package leaves every morning from Tonsai; If you are staying on the Laem Tong side, tell us, the boat can often pick you up.
And if you catch the virus: Open Water
Every second dive ends with “can we do this again tomorrow?” ". If you stay 3-4 days on the island, the PADI/SSI Open Water (~13,900 THB, 3 days, from 10 years old) certifies you for life up to 18 meters, anywhere in the world. Phi Phi is one of the cheapest places on the planet to spend it - only Koh Tao is better in terms of price, but without the cliffs, and with a reversed season. Classic sequence for our clients: discovery on the first day, Open Water immediately (the first dive can often be credited — ask us).
Not ready yet? Snorkeling first
No shame in starting on the surface: snorkeling tours to Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island or Shark Point already allow you to see blacktip sharks and corals 2 meters below the mask. This is also the right test: if you are relaxed with a mask and snorkel, the dive will go well.
Our Verdict
- Only one day on the island → discovery dive in the morning, viewpoint at sunset.
- 3-4 days and the desire for a real souvenir → Open Water, the best expense of your trip to Thailand.
- With children aged 10 and over → the discovery takes place as a family, same group, same instructor.
- From November to April for royal conditions; the rest of the year, we also dive — just ask us the sea state of the day, we have our feet in it.
