New Heaven Dive School - Koh Tao
The team at New Heaven Dive School are, quite simply, legends on Koh Tao. They’ve been here since the mid-nineties, and you can feel that long history in the calm, confident way they do things. If you're serious about diving with purpose, or just want to learn in a place that truly walks the talk on conservation, this is your spot. We love that they’ve built a whole ecosystem around the dive centre, blending proper diving courses with freediving, yoga, and some seriously impactful marine conservation work. Our favourite thing about New Heaven is how integrated their conservation program is. You’re not just watching a video; you're actively planting corals or helping with the artificial reef projects. We've spent mornings here, feeling the fine sand underfoot as we geared up, then dropping down to see schools of juvenile snapper darting through the concrete structures they helped deploy years ago. The dive guides often point out the very corals they’ve been monitoring, giving a real sense of connection to the ecosystem. It's not the flashiest setup on the island, but it’s authentic. We'd suggest checking out their schedule for specific conservation dives; they’re a great way to meet like-minded divers.
- Location
- Koh Tao, Thailand, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 10.066401, 99.826960
- Website
- https://www.newheavendiveschool.com/
- Courses
- Scuba Diving, Freediving, Yoga, Marine Conservation, Freediving Instructor Training, Yoga Instructor Training
- Air Fills
- Air
Dive Sites Near New Heaven Dive School
New Heaven Dive School provides access to 15 dive sites in Koh Tao.
Other Dive Centres in Koh Tao
Best Time to Dive in Koh Tao
The warmest water temperatures in Koh Tao occur in May, averaging 30.6°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.3°C
- February: 28.6°C
- March: 29.3°C
- April: 30.2°C
- May: 30.6°C
- June: 30.2°C
- July: 30.0°C
- August: 29.7°C
- September: 29.4°C
- October: 29.2°C
- November: 29.3°C
- December: 28.6°C
Marine Life in Koh Tao
Home to 56 recorded species including 35 reef fish, 11 sharks & rays, 4 other, 2 hard corals, 1 clams & mussels, 1 sea urchins.
Notable Marine Life
- Stony coral (Porites lutea) - Hard Corals
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Largescaled Terapon (Terapon theraps) - Reef Fish
- Butterfish (Scatophagus argus) - Reef Fish
- Flying Gurnard (Dactyloptena gilberti) - Reef Fish
- Lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taenioptera) - Reef Fish
- Blackedged Blaasop (Arothron immaculatus) - Reef Fish
- Star Blaasop (Arothron stellatus) - Reef Fish
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- Short Mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Koh Tao
Based on average water temperature of 29.5°C, currents 14 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories