Thailand Scuba Internships

Pack Light for your Koh Tao Scuba Diving Internship

You don't need much to be happy and comfortable on a tropical paradise island such like Koh Tao! It's best to keep what you bring to a minimum. Beach-wear and a few basics are sufficient, see our list below.

And don't forget as part of your Thailand scuba internship you'll be receiving your own full set of scuba diving equipment and lots of PADI manuals, all of which will weigh 15-20Kg. So that means if you're carrying lots of other stuff in your suitcase, you'll be faced with having to cargo-mail some bits or paying hefty excess baggage fees at the airport (if/when you leave Koh Tao.

Nowadays Koh Tao is quite civilized, with lots of shops where you can buy almost anything that you want. Prices in Thailand are a lot cheaper than elsewhere, so if you do neglect to bring something which you can't live with out, most likely you'll be able to find it on the island.

Here are our suggestions of what to pack for your Thailand Gap Year:

Light Clothing for warm weather: Usually in Koh Tao the temperature is between 25-35C during the daytime, shorts, t-shirts, beach-wear and a pair of flip flops is about all the clothing you'll need.

Speedos are forbidden for Koh Tao diving internships

Sunglasses and Sun Lotion: Protect yourself from the strong sun, especially when you're out on the dive boat.

Mobile phone: Cell phone coverage is now strong on the island, so picking up a Thai sim card for your mobile is a cheap way to stay in touch. Even if your phone is locked to a network, most models can be unlocked on the Koh Tao. There are many restaurants and cafes with free WiFi internet if you have a 3G mobile. (See our staying in touch on Koh Tao page).

Camera: For sure you'll want to catch your Koh Tao scuba diving experience on camera to share with your jealous friends back home! You can even pickup underwater housings for most digital cameras.

If you're planning to take an Internship through to PADI Scuba Diving Instructor or beyond....

As part of your PADI Instructor training you'll receive a full suite of required PADI teaching materials. You have the choice to take many of these in either paper/hard copy, or digital format to use on a computer. Some of the hard copies - especially the PADI Instructor manual are heavy and bulky, so there are advantages to using the digital version.

To be able to make use of the digital versions of the PADI Instructor materials, you'll need a laptop computer. If you do already have one, it's well worth bringing it along for your dive internship. Charging a laptop here in Thailand isn't a problem - the Thai electricity system operates at 220V (most of the time), so all you'll need is a simple plug adaptor.