Discover Scuba diving, try diving for beginners (starts from Koh Chang)

Koh Chang’s southern reefs are surprisingly good for a first dive — calmer visibility than the Andaman in most seasons, plenty of reef fish, and depths that don’t exceed the 12-metre limit for Discover Scuba sessions. This eight-hour day out starts with hotel pickup on Koh Chang (times between 7:45 and 8:50am depending on where you’re staying) and the transfer to the main shop at Bang Bao pier before boarding the boat.

The session runs in two parts. The first is on the boat and in shallow water — a thorough briefing, equipment fit, then a few safety skills in the shallows (clearing a mask, regulator recovery) before your first supervised dive. Lunch is a buffet served on board between dives, with coffee, tea, and soft drinks available. The second dive goes to the 12-metre maximum, usually at one of the southern reef sites around Koh Rang or Hin Luk Bat, where you can spend the full no-deco time practising buoyancy and looking for reef inhabitants. The guide-to-diver ratio is kept low, so first-timers get proper attention rather than being shuffled through.

The day also counts as the first of the PADI open water course if you decide to continue — a lot of first-timers do. National park entrance fees aren’t included. Tell the team about any ear, sinus, or breathing issues at booking — the shop will screen you out if something serious comes up. Don’t fly within 18 hours of the dive. A proper towel, flip-flops for the boat, and any personal medication you might need are worth bringing; everything else is provided. Hotel pickup and drop-off round out the package.