Phanganist speaks to David from Roctopus Diving in Koh Tao, Koh Tao is one of the most famous places to go and either learn to dive or just dive and enjoy what the island has to offer. It’s close to the dive site of Sail Rock and also has great local dive sites.
Read on to find out what makes Roctopus Dive different from the rest and what to expect...
Hi David, what is your Koh Tao story?
After leaving University I booked my ticket to see the world and quickly realised that the UK was not the place for me. I needed the beach life. So I decided to base myself in the place that stuck out on my travels…Koh Tao.
Never in a million years would I have predicted that this beautiful little island would have been my home for the past 11 years, but time flies when you live in paradise.
How long have you been diving and what initially got you interested?
I started diving here on Koh Tao in 2005. It was something I never planned on doing, but I instantly fell in love with the underwater world. This new passion took me to many different locations diving.
Roctopus was set up in 2011, where did the idea come from for this?
After working as a dive instructor on the island for many years, my friend and myself had the opportunity to open our own school. We found a very small shop for rent off the beaten track owned by a local Thai family. This Thai family also had a little restaurant and a boat too. By partnering with them, Roctopus was born.
Being off the beaten track also meant we had to work very hard to stand out from the crowd, give an amazing dive experience and be creative with the marketing.
Why the name?
We had a list of about 50 names, some good, some terrible. Roctopus Dive always stood out from the rest. Not everyone thought it was a good choice at first, but others absolutely loved it. Over time it has now become a name everyone knows, not just here…but around the world, as our small army of Roctopus Divers has grown. The name itself comes from ‘the rock’, which is what the local westerners refer to Koh Tao, and Octopus (one of my favorite marine creatures)
There are lots of dive schools on Koh Tao, what makes Roctopus unique?
We wanted the best instructors possible working for us. It sounds like something that all dive shops would want, but after working in the industry a long time, this isn’t always the case.
A lot of the time instructors get work simply on the number of languages they speak or the people they know. At Roctopus, we focus on the instructor's enthusiasm, passion, knowledge, experience, and ability to work as part of a team. This is reflected strongly in the trip Advisor reviews we get.
On top of the amazing team we have, Roctopus Dives strong branding is now well recognized as the ‘cool’ dive shop. We get many people buying our T-shirts who have not even dived with us.
What do you offer there?
We offer every dive course, from half day taster sessions all the way through to Instructor training. We now also cater for Tec diving and our all new Freediving Centre.
What has been a stand out dive for you on Koh Tao?
I have had many amazing dives around Koh Tao, one of the most memorable was diving with Bull Sharks at Sail Rock. An absolutely breath taking experience and an incredibly freak occasion that can happen every now and then when diving.
Why do you think Koh Tao is so popular for diving?
Apart from the fact that Koh Tao is the cheapest place in the world to learn to dive, it also has perfect diving conditions to learn too. With many shallow dive sites and crystal clear calm water, it really is ideal.
We also have many deeper dives like Chumphon Pinnacle, Southwest Pinnacle, and the HTMS Sattakut (wreck dive) which are great for experienced divers too.
What's the rarest fish you have seen?
I have to say, the rarest marine animal (not just fish) I was lucky enough to see around Koh Tao were two 7m long Bryde’s whales. They are incredibly rare to see here, so another one of those moments your heart stops underwater and you really appreciate how lucky you are to be witnessing this.
Why is everybody obsessed with Whale Sharks at Sail Rock?
Whale Sharks are getting increasingly rare around the world and are usually on every diver's list of top things to see whilst diving. We are so incredibly lucky on Koh Tao to see these stunning creatures all year round, and not just at Sail Rock.
We have a few deeper dive sites around the island where you are more likely to see them, and usually when there is a sighting…they will stay around the island for a few days before heading out to sea again.
What are the future plans for Roctopus?
We are always very focused on improving our service and offering our divers the best possible experience, not just diving, but around the island too.
There are a few other great dive locations around the world that I feel a Roctopus Dive would happily fit in, watch this space…
And what do you enjoy about Koh Tao in your free time?
In my free time, I like to stay active so I will go on one of the many hikes to a viewpoint or beach. I am also just getting into freediving (one of our new courses), so often jump onto the speedboat and practice this amazing skill.
Leave us with the Roctopus philosophy....
At Roctopus, our sole purpose is to ensure all our divers have the best time possible…and look cool in the process!
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