Can You Scuba Dive if You Can’t Swim? Scuba Diving for Non-Swimmers

I did something that, in hindsight, was probably a little crazy: I signed up for scuba diving without knowing how to swim.

But there I was in Koh Tao, Thailand, filling out a scuba diving application form.

When I got to the question asking whether I was a confident swimmer, I quickly ticked “yes.”

I lied.

I was afraid they would turn me away if I admitted that my swimming skills basically consisted of not immediately drowning in a 5-foot-deep pool.

The truth was, I had only just had my very first swimming lesson the week before. I was barely able to keep myself afloat in the shallow end of the swimming pool.

But I was in Koh Tao, which is basically the diving capital of Thailand. There were diving schools everywhere I looked. How could I possibly leave the island without trying it once?

So I went for it.

Thankfully, this story has a happier ending than you might expect.

In the years that followed, I did eventually learn to swim… somewhat. I even returned to Koh Tao to get my freediving certification, but that’s a story for another day.

This is the story of the time I tried scuba diving before I knew how to swim, what happened on that day, and whether you really can scuba dive if you’re a non-swimmer.

Can you scuba dive if you can’t swim?

The answer depends on what you mean by “scuba dive.”

If you mean becoming a certified scuba diver, then NO. You need basic swimming and water skills to become certified.

For example, PADI’s Open Water Diver course currently requires students to swim 200 meters without flotation aids, or 300 meters wearing a mask, fins and snorkel, and to float or tread water for 10 minutes.

But if you simply want to try scuba diving without getting certified, that’s a little different.

Introductory programs such as PADI’s Discover Scuba Diving are designed for people with no previous scuba experience.

They take place under the direct supervision of a diving professional, and the requirements are different from those of a certification course.

Requirements may vary by operator, but most don’t ask you to demonstrate that you can swim a specific distance, as long as you’re “comfortable in open water”.

Which brings us back to my experience in Koh Tao.

After exactly one swimming lesson, I was definitely not a confident swimmer.

So what happened when someone who could barely swim was suddenly handed a wetsuit, a tank, a mask and a pair of fins and told to get into the sea?

Here’s how my first, and rather pathetic, attempt at scuba diving went.

My first scuba diving experience in Koh Tao as someone who couldn’t swim

1. Getting fitted for the gear

On the morning of the dive, I headed to the dive center for a gear fitting. They had to make sure I had the right sizes for everything, including the wetsuit, BCD (buoyancy control device), mask and fins.

This was my first time wearing any scuba equipment, so even getting dressed felt like part of the adventure.

There was also the small matter of what to wear underneath the wetsuit.

If you’re a woman and you’ve never done this before, here’s a very practical tip: wear something underneath that you’re comfortable being seen in.

Depending on the setup at your dive center, you may be changing in a common area with other people around.

Unfortunately, I had turned up wearing an ugly, mismatched bra and panty set.

Luckily, nobody seemed to care. But if you’re going to be standing around in a room full of strangers while trying to squeeze yourself into a wetsuit, you might as well give yourself one less thing to worry about.

Once everyone had been fitted with their equipment, we had some time to eat before the actual session started.

I used the time to buy myself a bikini.

2. The theory class

My class started at 11 a.m. Before we began, I was introduced to my instructor and the other people in my group.

There were only a handful of us, which should have been a good thing. But it made me more nervous because this meant there were fewer other beginners for me to hide among.

The theory lesson covered the basics of scuba diving: how the equipment works, how to breathe through the regulator, and what to do if something went wrong.

We also learned how to communicate underwater, which is important, because how else are you going to warn others that there’s a shark nearby?

The whole thing did little to calm my nerves, but there was only so much worrying I could do while sitting in a classroom.

Eventually, it was time to put all that theory into practice.

3. Getting into the water

Some diving schools let beginners practice in a swimming pool before heading out into the sea.

Others take you straight into open water, so this is something worth checking when choosing a dive school, especially if you’re not confident in the water.

Since my team members and I were all “confident swimmers” according to our application forms, they took us straight to the sea.

We took a boat to another island and stopped near the shore to practice.

The problem was that our boat was too large to get close enough to the beach, which meant we had to swim the remaining distance.

This was going to be interesting.

But first, I had to get out of the boat.

I was absolutely terrified of jumping into the water with a heavy scuba tank strapped to my back.

In my mind, the tank was basically an anchor that was going to drag me straight to the bottom of the sea.

The instructor tried to reassure me that the equipment would keep me afloat and that all I had to do was take one giant step off the boat.

Easy for him to say.

After quite a bit of drama, I managed to do it, but no sooner had I gotten into the water than another problem arose.

We had to swim on our backs.

That wasn’t something I’d learned in my one and only swimming lesson.

Then there were those silly fins, which I had never used before and quickly discovered I had absolutely no idea how to operate.

I kicked, and kicked, and kicked some more but didn’t seem to be going anywhere. So I pretended to be taking my time to enjoy the scenery.

The instructor eventually had to come back and pull me along.

4. Practicing underwater

“We” swam until it was shallow enough for us to stand. This was where we practiced the skills we’d just learned in the theory class.

And I immediately discovered that breathing underwater was not as easy as the instructor made it sound.

The idea was simple enough: breathe normally through the regulator. Except my brain somehow didn’t get the memo.

Instead of calmly breathing in and out, I was gasping and gulping air.

I struggled to get used to having a mouthpiece in my mouth and ended up gagging a few times, feeling like I was about to hurl the contents of my stomach straight into the sea.

The instructor reassured me that the mouthpiece was designed in such a way that, if I vomited, it would automatically flow out into the water rather than remain inside the mouthpiece.

So, I guess it’s not that uncommon to vomit while scuba diving after all.

Good to know.

5. The dive

After we’d finished practicing, it was finally time for the actual dive.

Our one-day introductory program allowed us to go as deep as 12 meters, but I didn’t get anywhere close to that.

I had barely descended when my ears started hurting.

I tried equalizing the pressure like they taught us in class, but it wasn’t working. After a few attempts, the instructor told me not to force it and to stay closer to the surface.

Apparently, these things happen, and there was no point pushing myself further when my ears weren’t cooperating.

So there I was, fully kitted out with a wetsuit, BCD, tank, mask and fins, supposedly scuba diving in Koh Tao…while hovering barely half a meter below the surface.

In other words, I was basically snorkeling with fancy gear.

Eventually, we returned to the boat. The group was then taken to another dive site where we had the option of doing a second dive for an additional fee.

I declined.

Instead, I stayed on the boat with a few other people, including an Israeli guy who admitted that he didn’t find scuba diving particularly fun.

For once, I was in complete agreement with a stranger.

What we did instead was finish off the food on the boat (they had cookies and tea).

So, can non-swimmers really scuba dive?

So, after all that, can you scuba dive if you can’t swim?

Again, if you’re talking about getting scuba certified, no, you simply can’t skip the swimming requirements.

Each certification agency has their own water-skills requirements, and you’ll need to fulfill them before you can even enroll.

But if you’re talking about trying scuba diving without becoming a certified diver, introductory programs can make that possible for beginners (depending on the operator).

The more important question probably isn’t whether you can swim or not, but whether you’re comfortable in open water.

In theory, you could be a poor swimmer but remain perfectly calm in the water.

If you can stay relaxed, follow instructions and remain comfortable while breathing through a regulator, an introductory scuba experience may be doable.

The problem is that, in reality, not knowing how to swim often goes hand in hand with being nervous around water.

And nervousness can quickly turn into panic, which is a much bigger problem when you’re underwater with a tank on your back.

I know this because I was that person.

I wasn’t just a non-swimmer.

I was a non-swimmer who was nervous about getting into deep water, nervous about jumping off the boat, nervous about the equipment, and nervous about pretty much everything else that was happening around me.

That can also make things more difficult for everyone else in the group.

An instructor has to keep an eye on multiple students, and if one person needs constant assistance to stay calm or move through the water, the instructor’s attention is naturally going to be divided.

There’s also the question of what happens if something goes wrong.

A diver is expected to have the skills and confidence to manage themselves in the water and respond appropriately in an emergency.

If you’re unable to swim or stay afloat, you’re much more dependent on your instructor or dive buddy to help you.

And that’s the part I didn’t really think through when I signed up.

At the time, I was thinking, “I have a tank that lets me breathe underwater, so what’s the big deal?”

I hadn’t considered that scuba diving isn’t just about breathing underwater. You’re in the ocean, and you need to be comfortable being there.

And because you’re part of a team, you should be able to hold your own rather than constantly putting others in a position where they have to look after you.

Would I recommend scuba diving to someone who can’t swim?

Maybe.

But only if you’re comfortable enough in open water and can move around somewhat independently, without constantly having to rely on someone or panicking when you can’t touch bottom.

If you’re thinking of giving it a go, here are a few pointers about booking a Discover Scuba Diving experience in Koh Tao:

How to book

You can book directly with a dive center or through an online booking platform. I chose Siam Scuba Dive Center and booked directly with them the day before.

How to choose a dive school

Koh Tao has plenty of dive schools, so you have a lot of options. Look for a reputable operator with good reviews, experienced instructors, and a program that matches your comfort level.

If you’re nervous in the water, I’d also ask whether they offer pool or shallow-water practice first.

If you’re unsure about your swimming ability, it’s best to be honest about it during registration and let them decide whether you’re ready to go.

Don’t do what I did and drop the bomb on your instructor when you’re in the middle of the ocean. 😅

How much does it cost?

Koh Tao is one of the cheapest places in Southeast Asia (and probably the world) to learn scuba diving.

Current prices vary depending on the dive school and what’s included. As a rough guide, expect to pay somewhere around THB2,500–3,500 (USD75–110).

Some packages are priced higher or lower depending on whether they include one or two dives and other extras.

What to bring

You don’t need much. Bring the usual beach-day essentials: a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, a change of clothes, and anything else you normally like to have after spending half a day in the sea.

The dive school should provide the equipment you need for the dive.

Final thoughts

My first scuba diving experience was hardly a textbook example of how to do it. But despite my less-than-stellar performance, I somehow made it that far and even walked away with a participation certificate.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t have lied about being a confident swimmer on the application form. The instructor needed accurate information about my abilities, and I was lucky that things worked out as well as they did.

Although I wouldn’t recommend doing it that way, I’m still glad I tried it. And at least now I have a story about the time I went scuba diving before I knew how to swim.