Already completed your Open Water certification and ready for your next underwater adventure? The
SSI Advanced Open Water Diver course on Koh Tao is a great way to build confidence, explore new dive sites and take your diving skills further.
At Chalok Reef Divers, our two-day Advanced Open Water course includes five training dives, introducing you to new skills and experiences under the guidance of experienced SSI instructors.
Why Take an Advanced Diving Course on Koh Tao?
Koh Tao, in the Gulf of Thailand, is one of the world’s best-known destinations for scuba diving training. Its warm waters, varied dive sites and generally favourable diving conditions make it an excellent place to continue your education after Open Water.
From shallow coral reefs and sheltered bays to deeper pinnacles and the HTMS Sattakut wreck, the island offers a variety of environments where divers can develop new skills and gain valuable experience.
Build Confidence and Explore More Dive Sites
Advanced training introduces you to different underwater environments while developing your navigation, buoyancy control, depth awareness and dive planning skills.
With appropriate training and certification, you can explore dive sites beyond the typical Open Water depth limit and gain experience diving in a wider range of conditions.
What Is the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver Course?
The SSI Advanced Open Water Diver programme replaces the former Advanced Adventurer programme. It introduces certified divers to five different specialty diving experiences, allowing them to develop their skills before deciding which specialty courses they may want to complete in full.
At Chalok Reef Divers, the programme takes two days and includes five open water training dives.
What Dives Are Included?
The Advanced Open Water programme includes two required training dives:
- Deep Diving: Learn about diving at greater depths, depth awareness and safe dive planning.
- Navigation: Develop underwater compass navigation, orientation and natural navigation skills.
The remaining three dives introduce you to other specialty areas, with options depending on instructor availability, conditions and your interests. These may include:
- Perfect Buoyancy
- Wreck Diving
- Night Diving
- Other suitable SSI specialty experiences
For eligible adult divers, the programme provides training for recreational dives to a maximum depth of 30 metres. Younger divers have additional age-related depth restrictions.
Why Choose Advanced Open Water Training?
Unlike the initial Open Water course, Advanced Open Water focuses on expanding your experience through practical diving. You’ll develop existing skills, try different types of diving and become more comfortable in unfamiliar underwater environments.
It’s also a useful stepping stone towards further SSI specialties, rescue training and professional diving qualifications.
Continuing Your Diving Education
Advanced Open Water is an important stage in your diving journey, but it doesn’t have to be the last.
SSI Stress & Rescue Training
Once you’ve developed your experience and confidence, a particularly valuable next step is the
SSI Stress & Rescue course on Koh Tao.
This course focuses on recognising stress in yourself and other divers, identifying potential problems before they become emergencies, and practising appropriate rescue and emergency-response techniques.
It’s an excellent choice for divers who want to become more safety-conscious, improve their awareness and develop the confidence to help others when necessary.
First Aid and React Right
Emergency training is another important part of continuing diver education. SSI React Right develops essential first aid, CPR and emergency-response knowledge that complements practical rescue training.
Our team can explain the relevant prerequisites and help you plan the appropriate combination of rescue and first aid training.
Specialty Diving Courses
If you particularly enjoyed one of your Advanced Open Water dives, you may wish to explore the relevant specialty in greater depth.
Popular subjects include
SSI Deep Diving,
underwater navigation,
wreck diving and
buoyancy control.
Professional Diving Training
For divers interested in turning their passion into a career, the next stages can include Dive Guide and
Divemaster training on Koh Tao.
These programmes develop leadership, dive planning, supervision and professional-level diving skills. Additional experience and qualifications are required before starting professional training.
Choosing the Right Advanced Diving Course
Consider Your Diving Goals
Think about what you’d most like to achieve from further training. Are you interested in exploring deeper dive sites, improving navigation, photographing marine life, developing rescue skills or eventually working in the diving industry?
Your goals can help determine which course or specialty is the best next step.
Check Course Requirements
To enrol in the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver programme, you need an Open Water Diver certification or an accepted equivalent from another recognised diving agency.
Individual training dives may have additional age, experience or medical requirements. Your instructor will explain these before your course begins.
Choose an Experienced Dive Centre
Look for a dive school with experienced instructors, well-maintained equipment, appropriate group sizes and a strong emphasis on safety.
At Chalok Reef Divers, we focus on relaxed, personalised training, helping divers develop confidence while exploring Koh Tao’s underwater environment.
Preparing for Your Advanced Open Water Course
Before your course, it’s helpful to review your basic diving skills and familiarise yourself with the equipment you’ll be using.
If it’s been a while since your last dive, speak to our instructors about arranging a refresher session before starting your Advanced training.
You can also prepare by reading our guides to
underwater navigation,
deep diving,
pre-dive safety checks and
buoyancy control.
Take Your Diving Further With Chalok Reef Divers
Whether you’ve recently qualified as an Open Water Diver or you’re returning to diving after some time away, Koh Tao offers excellent opportunities to expand your skills and experience.
Our
SSI Advanced Open Water course combines five training dives over two days, introducing you to new underwater experiences while building confidence and improving your diving abilities.
And when you’re ready to develop your emergency-response skills, our
SSI Stress & Rescue training offers another rewarding step along your continuing diving education pathway.
Ready to advance your diving? Explore our Advanced Open Water course on Koh Tao or contact Chalok Reef Divers to discuss your training options.
