Take your professional dive training on Koh Tao with Goodtime Thailand and live the dream!

Do you have a passion for scuba diving and want to turn it into a career where the ocean is your office?

Do you want a job where you get to travel and live in some of the most beautiful places in the world?

Are you looking for a change in career and lifestyle, or maybe something adventurous to do during a gap year or career break that will enhance your knowledge, skills, and your resume?

Or do you just want to spend some time living in a tropical paradise and diving on Koh Tao with a fantastic bunch of like-minded people?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, why not turn your passion for diving into a career by taking your professional dive training on Koh Tao to become a Divemaster or Instructor? Whether you are considering a change in occupation or just looking for something challenging and rewarding to do during your travels, this could be just what you are looking for. As well as aligning yourself with one of the most respected tribes in the world, you will also be unlocking the door to an amazing lifestyle with endless travel opportunities, allowing you to explore and work in some of the world’s most stunning destinations.

Why choose Goodtime for your professional dive training on Koh Tao?

An SSI Instructor with a group of newly certified Open Water Divers

Here at Goodtime Thailand, we have two main aims for our Divemaster Trainees (DMTs) and Instructor Training Candidates:

The first is to live up to our name and ensure you have a Goodtime – and preferably a fantastic time – while you are completing your pro-level dive training on Koh Tao with us.  Our amazing beachside location, fantastic staff, social beach bar, restaurant, and professional dive facilities all combine with the general magic of the island to make an unforgettable experience.

Our second goal is to create the best dive professionals we possibly can, and to that end, we have created a program that goes way beyond the minimum SSI course requirements (and those of the other major Dive Training Agencies too).

Our staff are some of the most experienced instructors in the region, and our SSI Instructor Trainer, Gaz Jameson, has been involved with the training and certification of well over 100 dive professionals, many of whom were able to get work straight away. So it goes without saying that your diving skills and knowledge will be top quality. It’s really important to get the best training and the widest range of experiences possible during your pro-level course to help you compete with your new global colleagues on completion of the program. We appreciate there is a lot of choice out there and as dive course standards are internationally prescribed, you may be wondering if it even makes a difference which dive centre you train with. Well, it totally does! So what’s the Goodtime difference?

  • Goodtime is a medium-sized dive school on Koh Tao. Established in 2007, we are situated right on Sairee Beach on the west coast of our beautiful tropical island.  We are big enough to provide all the excellent facilities you need but small enough to still feel like a close-knit family
  • We are one of the only Koh Tao dive schools that operate using a range of diving vessels. We have a large, spacious, custom-built dive boat, which is ideal for training and beginner dive experiences. We also have two custom-built speed boats that are perfect for zipping more advanced divers to the best sites for fun dives and Advanced Adventurer courses. So choosing us will ensure you are highly trained and experienced on multiple diving vessels to maximize your future prospects. 
  • We can organise special trips just for our professional trainees on a flexible schedule to visit Koh Tao dive sites away from the crowds – or even quickly head to any dive site around the island if a whale shark has been spotted! 
  • Goodtime Koh Tao is the only dive school in Thailand to offer a range of extra activities such as rock climbing, abseiling, cliff jumping, and water sports, meaning you can try your hand at all these additional fun things at the same time as getting the most out of your diving on Koh Tao.
  • We are the only dive school on Koh Tao and one of just a handful in all of Thailand that can certify you in Powerboat Handling and can train you to become an internationally recognised BSAC Diver Coxswain. This is a fantastic skill to pair with your new SSI Divemaster or SSI Instructor qualification, making you exceptionally employable around the world.
  • Goodtime Koh Tao has been selected as an AquaLung Partner Centre, meaning we have access to the best dive equipment on the market.  If you want to purchase any of your own gear while you are here we can help by introducing you to our AquaLung Dive Professional Equipment Adviser. They will help tailor a package that best suits your needs for all your diving on Koh Tao, and beyond. 
  • Our dive shop is situated at Goodtime 4P Resort, which is in a beautiful location right on Sairee Beach, just a 5-minute stroll along the golden sands to the centre of the village. 
  • Our on-site restaurant and beach bar overlook the ocean and provide the perfect setting to relax with a drink or two while watching the sunset at the end of your diving day.  With its own weekly events calendar including quiz night, karaoke, and live music events, there’s plenty going on later in the evenings too.  It can be a tranquil relaxing experience one minute, and full of laughter and dancing the next – ideal for sharing experiences and making lifelong friends!
  • We consider all dive professionals to be ambassadors for the ocean, so we believe in educating our candidates about the environment and doing what we can to help preserve it. We are therefore part of the ‘Get Involved’ initiative on Koh Tao, which is a collaborative program between a number of dive schools on the island promoting various initiatives to help protect the environment, including the monthly Eco Day Beach & Reef Clean-ups.

    • Why choose Koh Tao for your professional dive training?

    Our island is truly the world leader when it comes to scuba training, as more people get certified on Koh Tao dive courses than at any other dive location in the world (yes, even Cairns!). This is true of both recreational and professional level dive courses. Koh Tao combines excellence in dive training and facilities with many other sought after factors that make Thailand such a popular holiday destination – great food, interesting culture, a tropical climate, and competitive prices.

    In terms of diving, Koh Tao offers several advantages seldom found in other worldwide diving destinations:

    sunset at Sairee Beach on Koh Tao

    There are a large number of dive sites providing a huge variety of environments. Sheltered rocky bays, deep open water sites, sandy clear training coves, small islands and rock formations, artificial reef structures, and even some shipwrecks.

    The transfer time to any Koh Tao dive site is very short – typically between 30-60minutes.

    The major sites are granite boulders on the seafloor covered in coral and open to the sea, providing both reef and pelagic environments, and maximizing the number of species that can be encountered.

    The large number of Koh Tao dive sites (30+) allows dive shops to spread out and not crowd in a select few places.

    There are coral reefs all around the island, making ‘drop off’ and exploratory dives possible.

    Favourable weather for the majority of the year makes diving on Koh Tao less seasonal than other destinations, and the island is open for diving all year round.

    A range of the most popular equipment retailers allows excellent choice and prompt delivery for all your scuba gear needs.

    Regular Instructor Training courses provide flexibility for your time management.

    Koh Tao is home to a fantastic and supportive dive professional community, of varied nationalities and languages.

    All of these factors make the island a magnet for tourists looking for dive courses. The high and varied demand means there is a greater range of dive courses on Koh Tao compared to other dive locations. This includes professional level dive training, which in turn means more job opportunities for when you have qualified.

    It’s not all about diving on Koh Tao though, and there are many other general lifestyle advantages to training here:

    From street stalls to beachside cafes and upmarket restaurants, there is a great foodies scene on Koh Tao. It’s difficult to get bored with amazing Thai food and seafood, but if you do, there is an extensive array of international cuisine to satisfy any particular cravings. This includes Japanese, Korean, French, Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish, English, pub food, burgers and more.

    There is always something to get involved in! Whether you’re looking for chilled out evenings on the beach, quiz nights, karaoke, or all-night dancing, Koh Tao has something for everyone. 

    Koh Tao is perfect for those who like to lead an active lifestyle. Other popular activities include rock climbing, yoga, snorkeling, hiking, kite surfing, mountain biking, and there’s even a flying trapeze school. 

    Amazing beaches and viewpoints mean there’s always somewhere fun to explore on your days off from diving.

    So what are you waiting for? Come and join us, and start your professional diving career in paradise!