Open Water Diver (OWD) Course

I’d already made up my mind to do a scuba diving course before I even set off for South-East Asia. It was something I’d been thinking about for some time and then there I was, with the chance to go to Koh Tao: this Thai island is the perfect place for scuba diving and each year as many people become certified divers here as in the whole of Australia!

The Open Water Diver Course is the first level of the internationally-recognized Professional Association of Diving Instructors – PADI – divercertification system. I decided to go to the same diving school that Daniele had been to three years earlier, Easy Diver, and I must say, I was very impressed: qualified instructors, reliable staff, courses in English (they speak other languages too) and special discounts at some really nice resorts.

I was a bit anxious when I enrolled on the course. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sea and learned to swim before I could even walk, but scuba diving is a completely different matter.

Going underwater with a scuba tank arouses conflicting emotions. It feels strange breathing through a regulator, something completely unnatural for human beings, especially at first. But it’s also a fascinating experience, with so many wonderful things to see that I can’t attempt to describe them all here. What I can tell you is that during my third dive I got a close-up view of a magnificent turtle: it looked enormous, although the sea tends to make everything look bigger, resting on its front legs, watching me!

What’s the course like?

• 4-day course
• Theory lessons providing an introduction to the basics of diving
• 5/6 dives (confined water dives + open water dives)
• Aim: to become an independent diver
• At the end of the course you receive the PADI certificate for dives to a depth of 18 meters

Which school should I choose?

When picking a school and an instructor, consider these factors:.

• Do they have an instructor who speaks your language?
• How many students will be in the group?
• What time do they leave in the morning?
• Will my course include a visit to one of Koh Tao’s top dive sites?
• Is the equipment up to date and in my size? Schools in Koh Tao have a good record for equipment range and maintenance, but it never hurts to ask.
• How qualified is the instructor?

How much will it cost?

Oper Water Course + accommodation: 9,000 baht (approximately 245€)
Refresher Course (2 dives): 2,000 baht (approximately 55€)
Green curry: 80 baht (approximately 2€)
Small Chang beer: 50 baht (approximately 1,5€)
Fruit shake: 30 baht (approximately 0,8€)

For me, scuba diving is rather like getting lost in a dream: you enter a completely different world, on tiptoe and without causing any disturbance, striving to appreciate its essence and capture its best moments.

Have you ever done a dive? If so, what is the thing you like most about being underwater?
If you want to let me know your opinion or give me some suggestions for a great destination for a diving, leave them below in the comments section or on social networks by using the hashtag #BlackSheepInMilan 🙂