Fun diving on Koh Tao is great in small groups as you get to see more than you would in a big group of divers. So being asked… ‘How many divers in my group am I going to be diving with at Big Blue?’ is not a question we are unfamiliar with. After all, you don’t want to be in a group that is too big because you might miss things that others in the group saw. At the same time, it’s more fun to be in a bigger group than a smaller one. In low visibility its definitely better being in a smaller group but in 30-40 meter visibility whatever they see at the front of your group you will most definitely see at the back of the group as well. So with this its more of a case of different strokes for different folks. Some people like to be part of the party, some people would rather miss it!
The group sizes for fun diving on Koh Tao vary from a maximum of 4 divers per guide or Instructor to 8 divers. Then when it comes to some dive centers as long as there is a certified assistant in the group you can take up to another 8 more, and now we are talking 16 students and 2 guides all in the same group. And yes that is definitely a group you want to avoid.
Ideally, a group size between 2- 4 plus your Instructor is a good balance if you are taking a Dive Course, as it makes the whole course more enjoyable with the skills in the pool & the classroom theory as well. But it can be a little more enjoyable taking a course in a bigger group than a smaller one.
But if you are out for a dive with your Divemaster then we recommend no more than 4 divers plus your Dive guide. There may be an assistant as well but they’ll be at the back of the group so you won’t notice them there.
Pretty much 80% of the Dive Centers on Koh Tao take a maximum of 4 divers plus 1 Instructor plus 1 Instructor Intern or a Divemaster in Training, which brings a total of 6 per group. A good-sized number.
