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SSI Diving courses in Koh Lanta
From beginner to pro: build your skills with personalized coaching in a welcoming environment.
SSI-certified diving courses, tailored to your pace in small groups.
1. Why Take Your SSI Course with Us?
Progress at your own pace, in complete safety
Learning to dive or advancing to the next level is a major milestone. At Apo Dhatu Divers, we make it a point of honor to deliver personalized instruction grounded in practice, enjoyment, and stress-free learning.
- Free E-Learning via MySSI: Study the theory at your own pace from your smartphone or computer before you depart.
- Small Teaching Groups: A maximum of 2 students per instructor for tailored learning and undivided attention.
- International Recognition: Your digital SSI certifications are valid at dive centers worldwide.
Marie Laure Velin
5 months ago
A sensational outing full of wonderful discoveries. Loulou provided very safe and attentive supervision!! 👍🏼 We highly recommend it!!
Laurine Berna
5 months ago
We completed our open water certification with Apo Dhatu: an incredible experience. The underwater world was stunning, and we were lucky enough to encounter a whale shark. A huge thank you to Camille 💖🫧🪸
Svsmth
5 months ago
Very friendly and professional people. Everything was well organized and the dive site was beautiful!
Daniel Iwaszkiewicz
7 months ago
My 13-year-old son had his very first diving experience with Apo Dhatu Divers, completing the SSI Basic Diver certification — and I truly cannot imagine a better place for a young person to begin this journey.
What made this experience so exceptional was the amazing instructor, LuLu. She is energetic, warm, and incredibly positive, while at the same time highly professional and attentive. She didn’t just “run a course” — she genuinely connected with my son, building his confidence step by step and making him feel safe, capable, and excited. Nothing felt rushed, and you could clearly see both experience and passion in the way she teaches.
The training was very well structured, starting calmly in the pool before moving to two open water dives to 12 meters. I am already a certified diver myself, and I was diving alongside my son during this experience. This allowed me to see firsthand how professional, attentive, and safety-focused the instruction was — both on the surface and underwater.
Those dives were pure magic — colorful reef life, the feeling of weightlessness, and even sharks! Seeing sharks on his very first dives was something truly extraordinary. He still talks about it constantly and says it was one of the best experiences of his life.
Underwater supervision was excellent, communication clear, and everything felt safe and well organized. The atmosphere on the boat was relaxed and full of positive energy, and the dive briefings were detailed and professional.
LuLu became more than just an instructor — she became part of a very special chapter in our lives. Thank you for such an unforgettable experience. I truly hope we will have the chance to return to Koh Lanta one day and meet LuLu and the whole team again.
What made this experience so exceptional was the amazing instructor, LuLu. She is energetic, warm, and incredibly positive, while at the same time highly professional and attentive. She didn’t just “run a course” — she genuinely connected with my son, building his confidence step by step and making him feel safe, capable, and excited. Nothing felt rushed, and you could clearly see both experience and passion in the way she teaches.
The training was very well structured, starting calmly in the pool before moving to two open water dives to 12 meters. I am already a certified diver myself, and I was diving alongside my son during this experience. This allowed me to see firsthand how professional, attentive, and safety-focused the instruction was — both on the surface and underwater.
Those dives were pure magic — colorful reef life, the feeling of weightlessness, and even sharks! Seeing sharks on his very first dives was something truly extraordinary. He still talks about it constantly and says it was one of the best experiences of his life.
Underwater supervision was excellent, communication clear, and everything felt safe and well organized. The atmosphere on the boat was relaxed and full of positive energy, and the dive briefings were detailed and professional.
LuLu became more than just an instructor — she became part of a very special chapter in our lives. Thank you for such an unforgettable experience. I truly hope we will have the chance to return to Koh Lanta one day and meet LuLu and the whole team again.
Mads Jørgensen
8 months ago
Fantastic diving team, highly recommended. Two dives together with Lulu, who was an absolute powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm. Easy booking on WhatsApp with links shared electronically for all forms and payments in advance of the dive day. Huge dive boat and relaxed, experienced and organized crew. Good food. Great rental gear and 100% safe experience.
Kyla Gardiner
8 months ago
The best of the best! We had the absolute pleasure of doing 4 dives (over 2 days) with the amazing and lovely Lulu from Apo Dhatu Divers. She is such a gem! And our family had the BEST time. We also had the pleasure of diving with Robin (and Lulu) on our first dive and he was a fantastic instructor who made our kids feel so comfortable on their first dive. The entire experience from making initial contact with Jean Marc before we left Canada to completing our dives with Lulu and Robin was seamless. We asked Jean Marc about a hundred questions over email and he was so kind and patient. The cherry on the cake was Lulu arriving at our final dive with Christmas hats so we could take an unforgettable underwater Christmas photo. The Apo Dhatu team are true professionals who will take excellent care of you no matter what level of diver you are. Highly recommend.
Damien Duignan
8 months ago
I did my Open Water Diver certification here over the course of 3 days. It was an amazing experience! LouLou was a fantastic instructor and made the whole experience so much more fun with her humour and enthusiasm. I was a bit nervous about diving at first, but always felt safe and the nerves quickly went away after the first exercises in the water. I also felt like I was able to progress at my own pace; when I was struggling with something, LouLou helped me out a lot, while also taking a step back and letting me explore when I became more confident in my skills. Thanks for the great experience!
Lauren Hylander
9 months ago
My family and I did the discover scuba course and we loved it! Everything about our experience was top notch, from the service to the actual dives themselves. They were able to accommodate our schedules and fit using on a day that was fully booked, which we appreciated so much. Also, our dive instructors, Camille and Lulu, were both knowledgeable, helpful, caring, and SO MUCH FUN! We had an introductory dive at a more shallow bay of Koh Bida, then we had a secondary dive at a different location in the area. Cami and Lulu ensured every step of the way that we were comfortable, knew what we were doing, and were safe. We were also treated to breakfast, lunch, and fresh fruit on the boat, and there is a diver capturing underwater photos that you can buy after! We cannot recommend Cami, Lulu, and Apo Dhatu enough for making this such a wonderful experience:)
2. Beginner Diving Programs & Courses
Discover Scuba Diving: SSI Try Scuba (Ages 8+)
- Who is it for? Non-divers who want to try scuba diving in a pool and discover new sensations.
- Program: Short online guide + pool session.
- Duration: 2 hours.
Discover Scuba Diving: SSI Basic Diver (Ages 10+)
- Who is it for? Non-divers wanting to try scuba diving and discover an extraordinary underwater world.
- Program: Short online guide + 2 ocean discovery dives from the boat.
- Duration: 1 day.
Level 1 Limited: SSI Scuba Diver (Ages 10+)
- Who is it for? Beginners who want to become certified divers but have a tight schedule. Non-autonomous certification up to 12 meters, guided by a dive professional at all times.
- Program: Online theory + practical skills training + 2 open water dives from the boat.
- Duration: 2 days.
Level 1: SSI Open Water Diver (Ages 10+)
- Who is it for? Beginners looking to become autonomous certified divers up to 18 or 12 meters (depending on age).
- Program: Online theory + practical skills training + 4 open water dives from the boat.
- Duration: 3 days.
3. Advanced Training Courses for Certified Divers
Level 2: SSI Advanced Open Water
- Who is it for? Certified Open Water divers looking to expand their skills across new disciplines (deep diving to 30 m, navigation, wreck, buoyancy, and more).
- Program: 5 themed specialty adventure dives with instructor guidance.
- Duration: 2 to 3 days.
SSI Specialties & Rescue Diver (Stress & Rescue)
- Specialties: Deep Diving (40m), Enriched Air Nitrox, Perfect Buoyancy, and more.
- React Right & Stress and Rescue: Learn how to handle emergencies and assist other divers to become a reliable dive buddy.
Professional Certification: SSI Divemaster
- Join our team and turn your passion into a career! A comprehensive, hands-on internship right here at our dive center in Koh Lanta.
Advanced Open Water
Take your diving to the next level with hands-on learning. Have fun while exploring exciting new diving topics!
Top Pick
Diver Stress & Rescue
Take a step forward with this rescue training and know how to anticipate problems and intervene if necessary.
Brings a lot of self-confidence
Divemaster
Go Pro with Your First Professional Rating and live your passion! Guide certified divers and share your love of the underwater world.
4. Expand Your Skills: Other SSI Specialties
Scuba diving is a gateway to exploring the underwater world in exciting new ways. Through our SSI specialty courses and practical skill building, you will gain all the tools you need to get the absolute most out of your dives in Koh Lanta.
Here are a few SSI specialty courses we highly recommend:
Top Pick
Fish Identification course
Identify fish families and discover where they live on the reef!
Popular
Our specialty courses
Deep Diving
Diver Stress & Rescue
Enriched Air Nitrox
Equipment Techniques
Fish Identification
Marine Ecology
Marine Invertebrate Ecology
Marine Nudibranch Ecology
Navigation
Perfect Buoyancy
Photo & Video
React Right First Aid Course
Sea Turtle Ecology
Search and Recovery
Shark Ecology
Waves, Tides and Currents
What is SSI
SSI (Scuba Schools Internation) is the largest organization in scuba diving education in the world. Known and recognized internationally, she has developed a teaching with innovative tools to enable everyone to scuba dive.
Our instructors, trained with this organization, are passionate people, patient, eager to share their knowledge and will be keen to make you progress in diving safely.