Trip base · Thailand
Koh Tao
Koh Tao is one of the busiest places in the world to learn to dive, with calm, shallow sites. Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock are deeper pinnacles with schools of fish and occasional whale sharks.
Fair fit for July
Beginner
- Strength: July is in season here
- Strength: Water 29°C in July
- Trade-off: Rain on most days
Pack a shorty or 3 mm wetsuit for July.
Why this match: 48 + 9 + 10 = 67
- Season48 / 55
- The site is in season in July; calm on more than half the days.
- Your level9 / 27
- 1 of 3 sites suit beginner divers.
- Weather10 / 18
- Rain on most days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: best March to September. Marine life uses the same scale (Best = reliable, Good = likely, Possible = possible, Off = not seen; ? = we don't know yet). Water and rain are 1991–2020 averages.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Off season | November: Off season | December: Off season |
| Mantas | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: We don't know yet | July: We don't know yet | August: We don't know yet | September: We don't know yet | October: We don't know yet | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Whale sharks | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Hammerheads | January: Not seen | February: Not seen | March: Not seen | April: Not seen | May: Not seen | June: Not seen | July: Not seen | August: Not seen | September: Not seen | October: Not seen | November: Not seen | December: Not seen |
| Reef sharks | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Turtles | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Dolphins | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: Possible | July: We don't know yet | August: We don't know yet | September: We don't know yet | October: We don't know yet | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Water | 28° | 28° | 29° | 30° | 30° | 30° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 28° |
| Rain days | 9 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 11 |
| Calm days | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 27 | 24 | 22 |
| Storm risk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7% | – |
Rain days: days with 1 mm or more in the ERA5 grid cell (about 30 km across); over tropical seas it counts more light-rain days than a local rain gauge would. Calm days: waves under 1.5 m and wind under 25 km/h. Storm risk: share of years with a named storm within 250 km that month (– means under 5%).
Dive sites here
3 sites on Divetip. Today's Dive scores are for reference only: live scores cover the next 48 hours, not your trip month.
Getting there
Fly to Koh Samui (USM). Minivan and catamaran via Koh Phangan: about 3 h 15 min.
Day boat only.
What diving costs
A day of diving from about €53
A day of diving
Crystal Dive: THB 2,200 for 2 dives (about €59)
'From 2,200 THB - 9,000 THB (2-10 Dives)'; trips include two dives. Includes full standard scuba equipment, free dive computer rental, 30-day insurance. No exclusions listed.
Big Blue Diving: THB 2,000 for 2 dives (about €53)
'2 Dives: 2,000 baht'. Equipment provided; torch/computer/compass rental 200 THB each per trip. Insurance and fees not mentioned.
Prices as published by each operator (a few by a named booking agent), read on 8 November 2026. Euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026. Park fees, permits and equipment are often extra. Prices change, so check with the operator before you book.
Non-divers: snorkeling from the shore and by boat
Good snorkeling is reachable straight from the beach at bays such as Aow Leuk, Tanote Bay and Shark Bay, and half-day snorkel boat tours run to Koh Nang Yuan and the hidden bays.
Sources: snorkeling-report.com, cf.click2gothailand.com
Book your Koh Tao trip
- Book a Koh Tao dive trip on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Partners never change the ranking.
Where this comes from
- Water temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 daily sea surface temperature, 1991–2020.
- Storms: NOAA IBTrACS tracks, 1991–2020. Rain, waves and wind: ERA5 reanalysis, 1991–2020. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
- Coral heat stress: Bleaching Watch (The water is warmer than its usual warmest month, NOAA's lowest heat-stress level. Satellite data, highest level in the 7 days to 7 November 2026.) Coral bleaching: NOAA Coral Reef Watch daily 5 km Bleaching Alert Area (7-day maximum), checked twice a day.
- Seasons by site: our dive site pages. Getting there: transfer source.
Marine life sources (6 species)
- Mantas: divessi.com, asiadivesite.com, mantatrust.org
- Whale sharks: conservationdiver.com, blog.padi.com, bigbluediving.com, pattayamail.com
- Hammerheads: bigbluediving.com
- Reef sharks: snorkelaroundtheworld.com, blog.padi.com, bigbluediving.com
- Turtles: snorkelaroundtheworld.com, blog.padi.com, divessi.com
- Dolphins: thethaiger.com
Typical values are 1991–2020 averages and our site seasons. Always check local conditions with your dive centre. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.