Image: PADI Instructor Sarah briefs Jo and Laurie on safe diving practices

After the mixed weather last week, diving conditions in the Gulf of Thailand are back to their best.

For the last few days we've been enjoying soaring temperatures, pond-like flat seas and crystal clear water, typical of Koh Tao diving conditions during September.

Taking advantage of the great diving, Jo and Laurie on holiday from the UK joined Simple Life Divers for an afternoon 'Discover Scuba Diving' session under the guidance of PADI dive instructor Sarah.

For the first dive we visited the Mango Bay dive site, on the northern coast of Koh Tao island. Visibility was excellent, with bright sunshine radiating through the turquoise water.

Following a thorough briefing, the posse practiced a few scuba diving skills in shallow water, before taking an underwater tour of the staghorn corals and scattered boulders in Mango Bay.

After a surface interval enjoying the sunshine, we motored across to Koh Tao's neighboring Nang-yuan Island, making a drop off dive from Red Rock (aka the Nang-Yuan Pinnacle), proceeding on a one way dive into the scenic Japanese Gardens. Visibility was so good that the top of the Nang-Yuan Pinnacle was easily visible from above the surface.

The one way dive offers the chance to peer inside a cavernous swim-through, formed by the enormous scattered granite boulders - a spectacular feature of this Koh Tao diving site.

If you're in Thailand are are either a seasoned diver or are interested in trying scuba diving, get yourself to Koh Tao asap - the conditions don't get better than this!

Image: Perfect Koh Tao diving conditions