Best places in Asia to do your PADI Divemaster, compared honestly
We’re obviously biased. So here’s the comparison without the spin. We’ll tell you when somewhere else is the better choice.
The headline comparison
| Location | Cost (8wk all-in USD) | Marine life signature | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malapascua, Philippines (us) | 3,800 | Thresher sharks daily, plus muck, wrecks, mantas | Career-changers wanting marquee marine life and small group training |
| Koh Tao, Thailand | 1,500-2,500 | Whale sharks (seasonal), reef diving | Lowest-cost training. Fast turnover. Party scene. |
| Gili Islands, Indonesia | 2,400-3,500 | Turtles, mantas, current diving | Lifestyle and current-diving experience. Mid-range cost. |
| Bali, Indonesia | 2,500-4,000 | Mola mola (seasonal), USS Liberty wreck | Mature traveller, infrastructure, not a small island feel. |
| Tioman, Malaysia | 2,000-3,000 | Reef diving, whale sharks (rare) | Quiet, less Western scene. Decent value. |
| Coron, Philippines | 2,500-3,500 | WWII Japanese wrecks (world-class) | Wreck obsessives. Smaller dive scene. |
Where each one wins
Koh Tao wins on cost
Koh Tao is the cheapest place in the world to learn to dive. Open Water courses for USD 250, Divemaster internships for under USD 2,000. The trade-off: high trainee turnover (some shops train 200+ DMs per year), party-scene reputation, less personal attention. If your number-one constraint is budget, Koh Tao is the answer.
Bali wins on infrastructure
Bali has direct flights from most of the world, modern healthcare, fast internet, and a huge expat community. Diving is good but spread out (2-3 hour drives between sites). Best if you don’t want to feel cut off from civilisation.
Gili wins on lifestyle
Tiny car-free islands off Lombok. Strong dive community, social, easy to make friends, good current-diving experience. More expensive than Koh Tao but cheaper than Bali. Marine life is decent, not exceptional.
Malapascua (us) wins on marine life
Daily thresher shark dives at Monad Shoal. Mola mola, mantas, mandarin fish, huge biodiversity. Plus we’re a small island (3km long), so the community feel is high. Training quality is high because we’re a PADI 5 Star CDC running max 4 trainees per instructor. The trade-off: we’re not the cheapest. If marine life and quality of training matter more than rock-bottom price, this is the call.
Honest recommendation
- Tightest budget, just want certification: Koh Tao. Get the qualification, see if you like the work.
- Career investment, want best training and marine life: Malapascua (us) or Gili. We’d argue our combination is unique in Asia.
- Wreck specialist: Coron, Philippines. Better than us for wrecks specifically.
- Want comfort and infrastructure: Bali.
Want to compare us specifically against another shop? Email us and we’ll give you the honest answer.