If you’ve ever dived on a coral reef you have no doubt experienced the magic and beauty of this wonderful, colourful environment. Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world and are an important part of the Earth’s climate control mechanism. This Program is one of Koh Tao's pre-eminent short courses offering a detailed look at Marine Conservation while providing Internship opportunities.

This Introductory Marine Conservation Program is designed to provide you with the basic skills and knowledge to become an avid contributor to the preservation of the world’s coral reef environments.  Initially we’ll take you through the basics of scuba diving as your first step into the underwater world. This will be a thorough and pleasant experience as we introduce you to the magic of the coral reef.

Developing control of your diving capabilities is an important step in your dive training. Preserving the environment requires you to be comfortable underwater and develop good control of yourself and your equipment. Your PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy training and Advanced Open Water Programs will allow you to gain these important skills in a safe and comfortable environment.

Duration: 2 Weeks
Includes
- Open Water Diver Course
- Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course
- Advanced Open Water Course
- Reef Check Ecodiver Course
- Reef Check Ecodiver Certificate
- Project Aware Specialty Course
- Work on Marine Conservation Projects
- 2-Weeks Accommodation
Prerequisites: None
Program Code: #001
Price: 35, 025pp
Booking: 10% deposit required to secure your reservation
Booking: 10% deposit required to secure your reservation.
Please note: Deposits once paid are non-refundable. We will accept changes of dates, times and amounts may be credited to different programs.
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Once your initial dive training is complete we will move onto your specific marine conservation training with the Reef Check Ecodiver Course. The Reef Check Foundation was inaugurated in 1996 and provides the only worldwide standardised coral reef monitoring protocol on the planet. By collecting data using the Reef Check methodology you will be adding to the pool of information about the changing state of the world’s coral reef.

Program Details PADI Open Water Diver Course (4 Days) – This is PADI’s introductory level diver training course that will teach you all you need to know to safely manage yourself whilst diving in the Open Water. PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course (1 Day)– Once you have learnt the basics Buoyancy becomes the most important skill you need to master. Good buoyancy helps you protect the environment while seeing & exploring more of the aquatic realm.

PADI Advanced Open Diver Water
(2 Days) – PADI’s Advanced Open Water Course builds on your basic training allowing you to develop greater confidence in, & understanding of the aquatic environment.

Reef Check Ecodiver Course including Project Aware Specialty Course – The Reef Check course teaches you to collate scientific data using a standardised methodology that will help in monitoring the health of the reef so that trends can be identified. The course will train your focus on the health of the reef and the aquatic realm and will develop your knowledge of key indicator species from three areas of the ecosystem – fish, invertebrates & substrate. We will have classroom presentations followed by afternoon in water practice on each day. We will culminate our training by joining a team of qualified ecodivers to complete a full Reef Check survey on one of our local sites.

We will also complete the Project Aware Specialty Course as an ideal juxtaposition for the Reef Check Ecodiver course. The certification allows you to join volunteer teams monitoring coral reefs around the world.

WHAT”S INCLUDED: All teaching materials (Dive course manuals, tables and other equipment as required) All dive equipment rental required to complete your training. 14 nights accommodation Certification for all courses including PADI Open Water Course, PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course, Reef Check Ecodiver Course, PADI Project Aware Specialty Course.

If you wish to purchase some your own equipment we can assist you with any equipment at very attractive rates. Contact us for more information.

For more information on details that may not be included above please email us at nath@ecokohtao.com