Master Divers — Koh Tao small-group PADI centre

Master Divers is based at Mae Haad on Koh Tao and says it has been operating since 1992. Its main selling point is small group sizes: PADI courses are capped at four divers, and trips leave by private speedboat directly from the beach rather than from a shared pier boat. Training uses Cressi wing-and-backplate systems and Cressi regulators.

The course list runs from Discover Scuba Diving and Open Water through Advanced, EFR and Rescue to Divemaster, Staff Instructor and the PADI IDC, with a wide spread of specialties including Enriched Air, Deep, Wreck, Night, Sidemount, Digital Photography and AWARE Fish ID. Certified divers can book fun dives, UV night dives and dedicated Sail Rock trips, as well as a three-site trip combining Sail Rock, Southwest Pinnacle and Shark Island. Marine conservation is built into the courses.

Fun-dive prices were not published on the website at the time of writing; contact the centre for current rates.