Best Places to Learn to Dive as a Digital Nomad
by Yannick SchrothAug 3, 20266 min read
Photo: Graham Henderson / Pexels.
For the checked numbers and their sources, follow the guide for that place.
How we chose
Learning to dive well is mostly about calm, warm, shallow water and an instructor with time for you, so we weighted conditions and course economics over the reef itself. Cheap is a feature here, because the cheapest certifications in the world are also among the best-run, but we note where low prices come with large class sizes, which is the trade-off that actually matters.
Utila
One of the cheapest places on earth to get certified, with warm Caribbean reef and seasonal whale sharks.
Cheapest certsRead the guide → 10°06′N 99°50′E · ThailandKoh Tao, Thailand
The world's dive-training island: cheap courses, easy reefs and a huge learner scene.
Easiest, biggest sceneRead the guide → 28°30′N 34°30′E · EgyptDahab, Egypt
Cheap Red Sea diving and freediving at a Sinai-slow pace, with calm shore dives to learn on.
Budget, Red SeaRead the guide → 9°57′N 123°23′E · PhilippinesMoalboal
Warm, shallow reef and a year-round sardine run straight off the beach, at low prices.
Warm, easy shore divesRead the guide → 8°21′S 116°03′E · IndonesiaGili Islands
Calm, warm water and turtles off car-free islands, a gentle place to learn.
Calm, warmRead the guide → 8°20′S 115°41′E · IndonesiaAmed, Bali
Forgiving warm shore diving on Bali's quiet east coast, the most relaxed place to start.
Relaxed shore divingRead the guide → 9°33′N 123°46′E · PhilippinesPanglao, Bohol
Warm Visayan water, easy reefs off Alona Beach and plenty of schools.
Warm, schoolsRead the guide → 9°20′N 82°15′W · PanamaBocas del Toro
Warm Caribbean reefs and a laid-back island scene, with a real nomad visa.
Warm, laid-backRead the guide → 16°23′N 86°26′W · HondurasRoatán
Warm water on the Mesoamerican reef, cheap courses and a Caribbean island pace.
Warm reef, cheapRead the guide →Picking a place to learn
- Cheapest certifications: Utila and Dahab, with Koh Tao close behind.
- Easiest conditions and the biggest training scene: Koh Tao.
- Warm, shallow shore dives to build confidence: Amed, Moalboal and the Gilis.
How the picks differ
Course prices across these places differ by a factor of two, and so does what you get for the money: class size, water conditions and how much of the course happens in a pool.
| Base | What it is best at | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Utila | the world's cheapest scuba certification, whale sharks and reef time on a budget | budget beds around $23 a night; long stays cheaper by the month |
| Koh Tao | getting certified or a short, dive-intensive stint; nomads who like a social scene | roughly $470 to $625 a month; studio ~$378 |
| Dahab, Egypt | budget nomad divers and freedivers who want warm water year-round and a slow pace | among the cheapest dive bases, roughly $470 to $1,175 a month |
| Moalboal | cheap, world-class diving: the year-round sardine run, turtles and Pescador Island | roughly $700 to $1,100 a month; a long-stay room $250 to $450 |
| Gili Islands | turtle-rich diving and snorkelling, car-free calm, and a social island break | roughly $1,000 to $1,220 a month; a bungalow $300 to $500 |
| Amed, Bali | focused solo nomads and couples who dive most days and do not need office-grade wifi | roughly $1,070 to $1,480 a month, cheaper than Canggu; a villa is $600 to $1,200 |
| Bocas del Toro | snorkelling, surf and Caribbean island life, plus a real remote worker visa | roughly $1,200 to $1,900 a month; pricier because everything comes by boat |
| Roatán | world-class reef diving with reliable fibre wifi and comfort | roughly $1,500 to $2,500 a month; pricier than Utila |
Who each one is wrong for
Cheap certification has trade-offs, and so does expensive. These are the reasons a beginner might want to certify somewhere other than the obvious choice.
- Utila:
think twice if you need fast, guaranteed wifi or more than a small island offers
- Dahab, Egypt:
think twice if you need fast, reliable internet or city amenities
- Moalboal:
think twice if you need fast, guaranteed wifi or big-city amenities
- Gili Islands:
think twice if you need reliable bandwidth; the wifi is the weak point
- Amed, Bali:
think twice if you need reliable high-bandwidth video calls all day or a large coworking community
- Bocas del Toro:
think twice if you want high-visibility scuba or fast, guaranteed wifi
- Roatán:
think twice if you want backpacker prices, go to Utila instead
1 of the 8 guides here do not state a drawback in their summary. Rather than invent one, we have left them out of this list; read the guide itself for the honest downsides.
FAQ
Where is the cheapest place to get certified?
Utila in Honduras and Dahab in Egypt are among the cheapest places on earth to do your Open Water course, with Koh Tao in Thailand close behind on price and the biggest training scene. Compare current course prices, which shift with season.
How long does it take to learn to dive?
A PADI or SSI Open Water course typically takes three to four days. Doing the theory online first saves in-water time. Read our skills guide on getting scuba certified while travelling for the full process, and always train with a qualified instructor.
Sources
- Every entry above is drawn from our own destination guide for that place, and the claims here are the ones those guides already verify: Utila, Koh Tao, Dahab, Egypt, Moalboal, Gili Islands, Amed, Bali, Panglao, Bohol, Bocas del Toro, Roatán.