About this tour
When Jake from our BugBitten team tackled the PADI Open Water course in Bangkok, he spent day one in a pool near the city centre working through theory and confined water drills, then headed down to Pattaya for two days of open water training dives. It's a straightforward three-day ticket to your certification card — the kind of course you'll find dive shops running across Southeast Asia, but this one's well-structured and doesn't ask you to faff about sourcing your own kit. You're in warm water, reasonable company, and out by day three with a globally recognised qualification.
Highlights
- Pool training in Bangkok before heading to open water
- Four supervised open water dives across two Pattaya sessions
- All equipment supplied — no hunting for rental shops
- Lunch and drinks provided on sea days
- PADI certification included in the package
- Flexible scheduling with instructor coordination
- Accessible facilities for most physical needs
What to expect
Day one is classroom and confined water. You'll work through knowledge development — buoyancy, equalization, mask clearing — in a controlled pool environment with your instructor. It's methodical rather than thrilling, but it sets you up properly for the ocean.
Days two and three flip the script. You'll motor out to Pattaya's dive sites early, knock out two dives per day, and the outfit handles lunch and refreshments on the boat. The water's warm, the dives are graduated in complexity, and your instructor shadows you throughout. Pacing is relaxed — this isn't a hustle — though you do need three consecutive days to finish it off. Jake found the progression logical and the team matter-of-fact rather than showboaty.
What travellers say
- Equipment and pool included — minimal prep required
- Three-day block gets you certified without dragging it
- Warm Pattaya water suits beginner confidence-building
- Lunch and drinks on boat keep days 2–3 manageable
- PADI card works globally for future dives
- Three consecutive days required — no flexibility to split it
- Early starts for sea days; not ideal for slow starters
- Not suitable for people with spinal or cardiac issues
- Pattaya beaches crowded during peak seasons
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
If you're serious about diving, this certification opens up dive sites worldwide and costs significantly less than equivalent courses in Australia. The three-day block means you're done and certified without dragging it out over weeks. Equipment rental is bundled in, which saves hassle and expense. All kit is provided, so you genuinely just need swimmers, a towel, and sunscreen.
The course isn't suitable if you have spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or are pregnant — medical screening is strict here and worth taking seriously. Three consecutive days is firm; you can't break it up. Early starts are standard for sea days, so you're committing real time. Pattaya's beach areas can get busy, especially weekends. Accessibility is good across the board, including wheelchair access to facilities and transport.
Swimmers, towel, sunscreen, any prescription goggles. Everything else — wetsuit, tank, BCD — is supplied.
pool fees, all equipment hire, boat transport, meals and drinks on days two and three, E-learning materials, PADI card.
typical dive groups run small, usually 4–6 trainees per instructor.
weekends and school holidays fill up quickly.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.