La Bombona Diving - Scuba Diving Center - Koh Tao - Thailand
Dive Center
🌏 Thailand, Gulf of Thailand
🌊 Activities: Discover Scuba / Try Dive, Technical diving courses
🤿 Instructor languages: French, English, Spanish, German
🟢 Nitrox available: No
👌 Certification: PADI
✅ Type: Dive Center
La Bombona Diving is an established dive center with 12 years of experience on Koh Tao, boasting over 100 years of combined team experience and more than 20,000 certifications issued. Located in the heart of Sairee Beach, this family dive school has built a reputation as one of Thailand's leading diving destinations.
Location & Facilities
The dive center features an oceanfront patio that serves as a tropical classroom where students master dive theory with the soundtrack of waves in the background, transforming into a front-row seat to Koh Tao's amazing sunsets where divers gather to share stories and celebrate achievements. Located smack bang in the middle of Sairee Beach, the most popular area in Koh Tao, they operate directly from the beach with no need to jump over multiple boats at the pier.
Equipment & Boat
La Bombona prides itself on having "the best boat on the island by a long way" featuring toilets, showers, and VIP areas, offering superior comfort compared to other operators. The dive center re-invests in equipment annually, ensuring no leaks or damaged parts, maintaining tip-top condition for life support equipment.
Courses & Programs
The dive school offers a comprehensive range of programs:
Try Dive: Perfect for beginners, this one-day journey provides a glimpse into Koh Tao's marine life with expert instructors ensuring a safe and fun experience, requiring no previous experience
Open Water 20: Their extensive training program certifies divers to 20m instead of the standard 18m offered by most schools, featuring small groups and personalized guidance
Advanced Explorer 30: For certified open water divers, this course enhances diving skills and awards international certification to explore depths up to 30 meters
Professional levels: Including Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and Instructor courses
Team & Languages
The team is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and German, ensuring a seamless learning experience for international visitors. The multicultural staff includes experienced instructors from Argentina, South Africa, Canada, Spain and other countries, each bringing unique expertise and passion for diving education.
Unique Features
Small group instruction: Focus on personalized attention and individual pacing
Worldwide Certification: World-recognized certifications with training at a level higher than the competition
Conservation focus: Specialized trips to artificial reefs and marine conservation education
Family programs: Specialized programs for children ages 10+ with instructors trained specifically for young divers
Social atmosphere: "La Bombona Nights" - social events including BBQs, drinks, and trips to local nightspots, earning them recognition as "No.1 Sociable Dive School" for two consecutive years
Dive Sites
La Bombona provides access to Koh Tao's premier dive sites including Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle, HTMS Sattakut wreck, White Rock, Japanese Gardens, and the Twins, offering diverse underwater experiences from beginner-friendly shallow sites to advanced deep dives.
Customer Experience
Reviews consistently praise the professional and friendly instruction, with customers highlighting the expertise of instructors, safe learning environment, and exceptional marine life encounters. The dive center maintains high safety standards while creating memorable experiences that often inspire divers to continue with additional courses.
La Bombona Diving represents the ideal combination of professional diving education, safety consciousness, environmental awareness, and Thai hospitality, making it a standout choice for both beginner and experienced divers visiting Koh Tao.
Address
📍 17/18 Sairee Beach, Moo 1, Koh Tao, Surat Thani, 84360
Phone
📞 +66649420189Good to Know
Google Reviews
Jill
★★★★★
I had an amazing Try Dive experience at La Bombona! I was quite nervous and even panicked a few times during the first dive, but Armand was incredibly calm, patient and reassuring. He took the time to make me feel comfortable and never rushed me. Thanks to his guidance, I managed to relax and enjoyed it so much that I even decided to do a second dive which was absolutely beautiful! Seeing all the fish, coral and underwater world of Koh Tao was unforgettable. The organization was great, the equipment was well maintained and the whole team had such a friendly and relaxed vibe. There was even an option to have photos taken during the dive, which was such a nice extra! I would definitely recommend La Bombona, especially to beginners who might feel nervous about diving. Thank you Armand! 🐠🌊
Abigail Lee
★★★★★
I returned to La Bombona after doing my Open Water here in April, to do my Explorer 30, Deep 40, and Nitrox courses. I had Vasco as my instructor, and he was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable on scuba diving techniques and theory as well as wildlife in the Koh Tao area, and was also patient and caring, and gave me some great tips to improve my skills as a diver. He made sure I was safe and enjoying my dives, and he and the whole team were super friendly towards me every time I went out on the boat with them. I came away feeling a lot more confident and with greater understanding of how I can continue to improve. 10/10 experience with Vasco and the crew 🙏🤿🫧
Henriette Steinkjellaa
★★★★★
We had a blast doing our open water course with Carlo and Intza! With no previous diving-experience, the whole crew made us feel both welcome, comfortable and safe throughout the whole experience. Really cool and professional people. The photographer, Lewis, also shot some really cool footage! 10/10 would recommend.
stuart macfarlane
★★★★★
Amazing diving experience. The staff (Carlo Rossi) was very professional and explained the theory with the detail that was easy to understand. I would definitely recommend La Bombona diving school to anyone who is considering the open water or advanced open water courses. I will be back to continue my training soon. Thank you for a great experience and amazing memories. See you all soon Stuart 🙏
Daniel Poon
★★★★★
Just finished the Open Water 20 course with Vasco as my instructor. Right when we walked in, the owner of La Bombona, Maria Rocio greeted us and was very kind to spread her passion from the start. As for the course, Vasco delivered information very clearly and took the time and effort to make sure we fixed and understood our personal mistakes. Vasco is extremely professional and provides a calm, secure presence underwater that made me feel safe no matter where we were. He is a charismatic, lovable guy who anyone would be happy to have the opportunity to dive with.