The new cheapest place to get your PADI

Thailand’s Koh Tao islands have had the record of having the cheapest published rates for PADI certification diving schools in the world for several years. A typical 4-day open water course costs about 11,000 Baht or $350. Five years ago, it was less than 10,000 Baht. But today, there’s a new contender when it comes to being the cheapest PADI open water course in the world. And according to avid traveler and diver Eugene Bernshtam, it’s as close to Thailand as you can get.

Situated in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Tioman Island is a 136km paradise that is fancied by local tourists, as well as those living in Singapore. Currently, there are dive shops and establishments here that offer the best rates for people who want to get their PADI license. For example, Dive Tioman’s cheapest package is worth $355 for a 4-day course. But it’s what’s included that makes it such a sweet deal – accommodations. For $355, you also get to stay in a double-bed basic fan room. You literally save 3 nights’ worth of accommodations by going for your PADI.

Now, for the other question – is Tioman Island’s waters worth the dive? Koh Tao’s waters are teeming with biodiversity with multiple dive sites to choose from. Fortunately, Tioman Island isn’t one to shy away from being beautiful. If you think that Tioman Island is a paradise above water, just wait and see what it has in its 10 dive sites around the island. Although he has his PADI already, Eugene Bernshtam claims that Tioman Island is most likely his next destination the next time he visits Asia.

An Eastern European immigrant, Eugene Bernshtam graduated from the Loyola Business School with a bachelor's degree in finance and received both series 7 and series 63 certification to sell investment securities. In his spare time, he likes to travel and go Scooba diving. For more insightful reads on diving and travel, visit this website.