Breathing underwater and being weightless are not natural for humans, and therefore many of us are more than a little wary of experiencing either. However much we're encouraged and reassured, it is still a brave step to start one's first ever SCUBA dive.

Discover SCUBA Diving is for those people who want to try diving before committing to a course, as well as those who don't ever plan to take a course but want to have a safe diving experience at depths of up to 12 metres. In contrast to fun dives, where a Divemaster guides experienced divers through the water showing them the best marine life, during a 'discovery dive' the customer must be led by a Dive Instructor. The instructor gives the diver(s) (in very small groups or one-on-one) the most important and basic skills training before entering the water and then checks their ability once down at a shallow and safe sandy area under the surface. During the dive the instructor will closely monitor the diver's air supply level and control their buoyancy for them. Some instructors will also hold the hand or the equipment of their diver to help them feel safer and more comfortable and possibly to prevent them damaging the reef.

Regardless of no having no experience, a lot of people know that they're going to like diving (or feel that the financial commitment of a four-day course will force them to go through with it) and sign up for an Open Water Diver course before they have ever dived. An added incentive for this route is that most dive centers in Thailand offer part or full refunds for Open Water students who are unable to continue after starting. However, some of us want to have a go before deciding on taking a course, or have no intention of actually taking the course, and are content to dive not too deep and with the aid of an instructor.

Cost

The prices for discovery dives are a little higher than fun dives, mainly due to the added pressure and work on the instructor, who normally earns money from teaching, not guiding. It is quite common for customers to want just one dive per boat trip or day, compared to fun divers wanting two or more. The current prices in Thailand are 2,800-3,000B for two Discover SCUBA Duves, also known as Introductory (Intro) Dives.