Scuba Diving on Koh Chang
Book your PADI course, Dive Trip or IDC Training on Koh Chang
Nigel the Whale Shark does his 'Jaws' impression
A lot of people visit Koh Chang and go diving so it seemed only right that I provided some more detailed info on diving trips and courses here and also partnered with a dive school that I knew had a good reputation for providing a high standard of customer service and dive training. With that in mind I contacted ‘BB Divers’ who many people in the know have recommended to me and who are also the only 5 star IDC training centre on the island. So they must be doing something right.
BB Divers is a Belgian owned dive school that was established on Koh Chang in 2003. Their main office is Bangbao. The training pool, rooms, restaurant and lounge are in Lonely beach and they also have offices in the centre of White Sand beach, at The Treehouse, Long Beach and on Koh Wai.
They offer all PADI courses, daily fun dives and snorkeling in a relaxed atmosphere and with a personal approach. Prices all include full insurance, free pick-up island wide, food, coffee, tea and soft drinks, use of all equipment, licensed dive guide for fun dives, licensed instructor for courses plus PADI certification and manual on courses. In short, prices include everything, there are no hidden extras.
In May 2007 they were awarded a Reef Check Facility’, thanks to the effort made in working with environmentally aware divers, and the settin g up of a new ‘Eco Divers’ course to educate divers and help protect the remaining coral reefs.
Whilst is isn’t 100% necessary to book a dive course in advance, it does make planning your holiday easier if you know when your course will start and end. Arriving on the island and then contacting tour agents and dive schools and trying to get something sorted out isn’t a good way to start a holiday. Far better to plan in advance, take your time to ask all the questions you want and then book in advance and you will be ready to take your course when you want with a dive operator you already know.
The Team
All instructors are PADI licensed, and speak several languages. Every instructor or dive master works at BB Divers out of passion for diving, not just as a job. Most “BB-ers” are travelers who started their dive training with BB Divers and found their place on Koh Chang. It became their second home, and every year more and more familiar faces show up again. The boat staff are local Thais and they will take care of your safety on the boat.
Dive Trips, PADI Dive courses, snorkeling
Dive Courses
You can be taught in English, Nederlands, Francais, Deutsch and Thai and have the learning materials (books and video) in additional languages including Swedish, Danish, Finish, Norwegian, Spanish and Italian.
The prices include all, food, drinks, pick up from hotel, use of equipment, as well as the books and the certificate. The classrooms are in Bang Bao village or at the training pool at Lonely Beach. Confined water is taught in the BB pool or from the beach. For the diving we go out on the dive boat.
Discover Scuba Diving, 1 day – 2 dives
‘The experience’ for non-divers who want to give diving a try. First an introduction to the diving and safety, followed by a few exercises in shallow water. Then we guide you for 2 dives on the coral reef. Great introduction to the sea life.
Price: 4,500 Baht
Scuba Diver, 2 days – 2 dives
On the first day we show a video and explain diving theory, followed by water training in the pool. The second day is a full diving day, 2 dives. This gives you a limited certificate to dive to 12m, under guidance of a PADI professional.
Price: 10,000 Baht
Open Water Diver, 3 or 4 days – 4 dives
This is the most popular course. PADI OW is the first course that gives you a full diving license, your ticket to the underwater world. After the theory session with video, there is a half day of training in the pool. Then you are ready to go out on the boat for the next 2 days, the training includes 4 dives on different dive sites. This license allows you to dive in open water to a maximum of 18 m.
Price: 14,500 Baht
Advanced Open Water, 2 days – 5 dives
Improve on your diving skills with five specialised training dives. This is the best and most fun way to improve your dive style and feel confident in the water. Core dives are the deep and the navigation dive, for the other 3 you have a choice out of: night dive, digital photography, naturalist, multilevel, peak performance buoyancy, search and recovery.
Price: 12,500 Baht
Emergency First Response, 1 day
EFR is a complete training in first aid and readiness to help out in emergencies, useful for every traveller and diver. It is an internationally recognised qualification. No water training, only theory and practical exercises.
Price: 4,500 Baht
Rescue Diver, 2/3 days
Learn how to manage dive accidents and assist divers in trouble. Training as a rescue diver is the first step in becoming a helpful buddy and a responsible diver. The first day is theory with video, then we go out for 2 diving days, we work you hard, but you will become a confident and strong diver!
Price: 12,500 Baht
PADI Specialty Courses, 2 days -4 dives
There is no better way to make your diving days interesting and learn more about your passion, learn all there is to know about Nitrox, deep, night, navigation, naturalist, search and rec. or uw photography. It takes 2 days of diving to become a specialist in your field of interest.
Price: 10,500 Baht
Reef Check Course
Eco Diver. 4 days – 4 dives
This course is in cooperation with www.reefcheck.org, a coral reef monitoring and protecting organization which operates around the world. We teach you how to recognize coral diseases, how to measure and compare reefs and their condition. If nature interests you, then this course will give you an extra reason to dive, and help preserve our under water beauty.
Price: 12,500 Baht
PADI Go Pro
Divemaster, 3 to 6 weeks
DM training is a speciality, every year we are proud to bring some of the best dive masters to the diving business. All of them find work easily, and are currently working as divers all over the world. A complete, tough but also fun training course, which covers all the aspects of ‘the diving job’ is offered.
The DM training prepares you to guide divers, organise the diving, maintain equipment, help in the dive shop and assist in training sessions with an instructor. The DM training program can take from 3 to 8 weeks and consists of academic training, and “on the field” assisting with every possible task there is to be found in and around diving.
Price: 30,000 Baht
The Full Package, 10 weeks – 60 dives
Take the challenge, ready to leave all worries behind. Go for a full dive training from Open Water to PADI Divemaster and start a new career.
The Full Package is exactly what the name say. You will be trained from beginning non -diver up to Divemaster and the package includes accommodation, books and full set of brand new dive equipment, guaranteed at least 60 dives
You can be sure that these will be 10 exciting weeks you’ll remember for a lifetime.
Price: 135,000 Baht
AI, Assistant Instructor, 5 days
The Assistant Instructor (AI) can be organised according to your planning. It is a great preparation for the IDC, and gives you more time to practise your teaching skills and get some experience before an IDC. An AI is a valuable help in any dive centre.
Price: 25,000 Baht
IDC, or Instructor Training, 5 days
Become a PADI Instructor, and work around the world!
The instructor training is split up in two parts, 5 days assistant instructor, and 5 days instructor. Please contact for more information on IDC dates as there are only three IDC courses per year. Becoming an Instructor will change your way of life, being able to work any where in the world is for many a dream come true and the PADI license is widely recognised.
Price: 50,000 Baht
Dive Trips
If you already have your Open Water certification book a dive trip to either travel to the local sites around Koh Chang or to Koh Rang National Park, where you will enjoy the clear waters and pristine coral reefs of this protected area. Most places are good for diving and snorkeling. You visit two spots, and on the Koh Rang trips, have lunch close to a beach where you can take the time to relax between dives.
Divers are guided by the Divemaster. You will dive in small groups and use of full equipment is included. A camera can be hired or a photo CD of the day’s diving can be provided for you.
Snorkelers get full equipment; there is a snorkel briefing before you enter the water and a local snorkel guide to show you the best spots.
Diving and snorkeling is from the same boat, 80% of the dive sites are very good snorkel sites. If you like to dive the deeper ones then the divers are taken there with our small tender while the big boat stays with the snorkelers for safety.
Prices:
Dive sites @ Koh Chang (2 boat dives) - 2,700 Baht
Dive sites @ Koh Rang (2 boat dives – 2,900 Baht
Night dive (1 boat dive, incl use or torch) - 1,900 Baht
Snorkel Trip
Snorkel @ Koh Chang - 850 Baht
Snorkel @ Koh Rang - 950 Baht
Snorkel @ Koh Maak (incl lunch on island) - 1,300 Baht
Special Trips
Lazy Divers Trip, 1 day – 2 dives and 1 night dive
Every Sunday the boat goes out for two dives in the afternoon and one night dive. So there’s no need to be up at the crack of dawn. If you’ve never have done a night dive before, this is your chance to experience the nightlife under the water. (not during rainy season)
Price: 3,900 Baht
Koh Mak Trip, New! 1 day – 2 dives or snorkel spots
Every week there is a boat trip to Koh Mak. In the morning you stop for diving and snorkeling, then have lunch on Koh Mak and stay a few hours to visit the island or laze on one of the beaches. Around 2 pm you leave for a second dive, and head back to Koh Chang.
Price: 3,100 Baht or Snorkelling – 1,300 Baht
Two Day Trip. New!
Twice a month a 2-day trip (around 15 and 30th of the month) is organized. Take the boat for an adventurous dive holiday, on which you will dive some of the known dive sites, but also go exploring some new sites. You can sleep on the boat, or for those who prefer some luxury can be dropped on an island to spend the night in a bungalow or resort. The price is including all activities on the boat and the visit to the islands, not included are the extra costs if staying on the island.
Price: 5,900 Baht or Snorkelling – 2,500 Baht
A few more photos . . .
For more details contact BB Divers direct using the form below.
