Your Divemaster Course on Koh Tao Starts Here

The theory section of your divemaster course covers the academic and safety foundations of professional diving. It’s structured to deepen your understanding of dive science, equipment, leadership, and environmental awareness.

You’ll cover topics like:

• Dive Theory – Learn the physics and physiology of diving, including how pressure, buoyancy, and gas laws affect the body, and how to manage risks like decompression sickness or oxygen toxicity.
• Equipment Knowledge – Understand the function and maintenance of diving equipment, and how to assist with gear setup, troubleshooting, and problem-solving underwater.
• Dive Planning & Risk Management – Master the skills needed to plan safe, efficient dives — including site assessments, environmental considerations, buddy checks, and emergency protocols.
• Leadership & Supervision – Explore how to guide certified divers, assist instructors, manage groups, and ensure diver safety in a variety of real-world situations.
• Environmental Awareness – Learn about marine ecosystems, conservation best practices, and how to promote sustainable diving as a professional.
• Assessments – Throughout your theory training, you’ll complete quizzes and written exams to reinforce your knowledge and track your progress.
• Dive Center Operations – Get an introduction to the business side of diving — including customer service, dive scheduling, and daily shop procedures — key skills for a career in diving.

Your professional dive training on Koh Tao includes a series of hands-on workshops that simulate real scenarios you’ll encounter as a Divemaster. These sessions are where you’ll build leadership, communication, and dive supervision skills.

Workshops include:

• Divemaster Supervision – Practice guiding certified divers, conducting briefings, monitoring group safety, and responding to in-water challenges.
• Dive Site Management – Learn how to evaluate dive sites for conditions, plan safe dive routes, and adapt to changing environmental factors.
• Dive Planning & Briefing – Create and deliver dive plans suited to different diver experience levels, ensuring safety and enjoyment for everyone.
• Risk Management – Apply real-time decision-making to assess diver fitness, monitor air and depth, and manage unexpected risks.
• Underwater Navigation – Master compass use, natural navigation techniques, and group navigation protocols — key skills for any dive leader.

An essential part of your divemaster internship on Koh Tao is working alongside instructors to gain real teaching experience. This phase helps you develop the confidence and practical skills to support future dive students and certified divers alike.

You’ll take part in:

• Student Assists – Join confined and open water training sessions, helping instructors guide students through essential scuba skills.
• Instructor Mentorship – Shadow our professional SSI instructors to see how training is conducted from a leadership perspective — and apply what you learn in real-life teaching environments.

To begin your professional dive training on Koh Tao, you must be at least 18 years old. This is a standard requirement for all SSI professional-level programs and ensures you’re legally eligible for leadership certification.

You’ll need a minimum of 40 logged dives totaling at least 25 hours underwater to officially begin the Divemaster Course. If you haven’t hit that number yet, don’t worry — with our Crystal Divemaster Lifestyle Package, you can log those dives before the course starts at no additional cost, thanks to our unlimited diving policy.

To enroll in this Divemaster training package in Thailand, you must be a certified Stress & Rescue Diver (or equivalent) and have completed a React Right course (or similar first aid/CPR training) within the past 24 months.

In addition, you must either hold the following SSI specialties (or their equivalents), or be able to show five logged dives in each of these environments:

• Deep Diving (dives deeper than 30 meters)
• Navigation
• Night & Limited Visibility

If you haven’t completed oxygen administration training (a component of React Right), we can offer it to you for an additional 3,000–3,500 THB. Get in touch with us to discuss the best pathway based on your current certification level.

All participants in our Divemaster internship on Koh Tao must provide a signed medical statement confirming fitness to dive, issued by a licensed physician within the last 12 months. You can download the required medical form here.