Gulf of Thailand · 9.83°N

Private freediving charters

TheGulf, inprivate.

One boat. One guide. One day shaped around you.

Reserve your day · Write to Minseo
  • 5.0 · 47 reviews
  • Full refund for weather
  • Stripe secure payment
  • PADI Master Freediver
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Your guide

Minseo.

"Each day is the water I grew up with, in a place my work brought me to. I am on the boat with every guest — one day at a time."

Bada means sea in Korean. Minseo learned to hold her breath in Korean water — cold enough that a breath-hold carried a different weight — long before it became a profession. The discipline she runs on the boat is her own: slow surface intervals, patience over depth, and a refusal to force anything the water is not offering that day.

Thailand came later, for the Gulf's long season and its warm, forgiving water. She runs one boat a day, from Bophut, with no more than twelve aboard.

Read her story →

PADI Master Freediver · Korean · English · Italian

Minseo on the bow in wetsuit, mask raised, Gulf horizon behind
Minseo Bophut
The Sail Rock chimney at dawn
Chapter I · Dawn

Before the fleet.

Out of Bophut Pier on your hour. Choose dawn and the Gulf is still glass. Two hours before the first tourist boats cross the channel. The pinnacle is yours until then.

A freediver descending on a single breath
Chapter II · Descent

One held breath.

The rope drops into deepening blue. Barracuda circle at twenty meters. The body remembers how to do this — the ears, the lungs, the held thought. Forty meters down, the water stops being water and starts being time.

Lunch packed for the day, served on board
Chapter III · Return

Lunch aboard.

The boat anchors in a protected bay. Long surface intervals. A meal prepared for this day alone. The afternoon unfolds without fixed schedule — whatever the water is still doing, and what your party still has left.

The Sail Rock chimney, the pinnacle's signature feature
Chapter 01 The Signature Day

The Sail Rock Day.

A single limestone pinnacle rising from forty meters of open water, sixty kilometers east of Samui. We leave Bophut at first light and reach the rock before the charter fleet. The morning, and the water, are yours.

35,000 THB One boat · up to 12 guests
Hold this date →

Shared with freedivingkohsamui.com · updated every fifteen minutes

Also by the day

Other days on the Gulf.

Ang Thong Marine Park
No. 02

Ang Thong.

38,000 THB →
Koh Tao artificial reef
No. 03

Koh Tao.

42,000 THB →
Koh Nang Yuan
No. 04

Koh Nang Yuan.

42,000 THB →
Koh Phangan
No. 05

Koh Phangan.

30,000 THB →
Koh Mat Sum, Pig Island sergeant major fish
No. 06

Koh Mat Sum.

25,000 THB →

From recent days

Notes from the water.

Twelve moments · drag to explore

Sail Rock · February 01/12
Bophut Pier · Dawn 02/12
Ang Thong · Thale Nai 03/12
The Chimney · 18 meters 04/12
Koh Nang Yuan · First light 05/12
Koh Phangan · Haad Khom 06/12
Between dives · Surface interval 07/12
Lunch aboard · Ang Thong 08/12
Koh Tao · Chumphon Pinnacle 09/12
The descent · Sail Rock 10/12
Surfacing · A held breath 11/12
Sail Rock · Surface interval 12/12
A freediver suspended at the surface, fins trailing below

Booked again three months later. The short film she shot of the dive arrived three days after we got home.

Tom

Melbourne · Sailed at Sail Rock

Five stars on Google →

Common questions · BADA Freedive

Questions people ask before booking.

What is BADA Freedive?
BADA Freedive is a private freediving and snorkeling charter from Bophut, Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Every charter is a single boat for one party of up to twelve guests, led personally by Minseo — a Korean PADI Master Freediver who also speaks English and Italian. Daily charters run to Sail Rock, Ang Thong, Koh Tao, Koh Nang Yuan, Koh Phangan, and Koh Mat Sum.
How much does a BADA private charter cost?
Charters run from 25,000 THB (Koh Mat Sum) to 42,000 THB (Koh Tao, Koh Nang Yuan). The signature Sail Rock Day is 35,000 THB, Ang Thong 38,000 THB, Koh Phangan 30,000 THB. Price is for the whole boat, up to twelve guests — about 2,000 to 3,500 THB per guest at capacity. The speedboat, Minseo as guide, equipment, lunch, and a short film of the day are included.
Where do BADA charters depart from?
All BADA charters depart from Fisherman's Village Pier in Bophut, on the north coast of Koh Samui. Hotel pickup on Samui is included. Minseo sends the exact meeting point and time once your date is confirmed. Departures typically 7 to 9 in the morning; return 4 to 5 in the afternoon.
Do I need freediving experience to join?
No. Minseo is a PADI Master Freediver who teaches beginners and coaches experienced divers on the same day. Because every charter is private, the pace is shaped around your party — surface practice and coaching for first-timers, deeper descents for those who are ready. Most BADA guests are not certified freedivers.
What happens if the weather cancels a day?
Minseo confirms sea state the day before departure. If BADA cancels for weather you receive a full refund or a free date change — you never lose a deposit to the Gulf. Guests never make this call; Minseo does, based on wind, swell, and visibility.
What languages does Minseo speak?
Korean, English, and Italian. BADA's website, WhatsApp, and on-board guiding are available in all three. Korean guests book most frequently; English is the working language for international guests; Italian is available on request.

More questions? See the full FAQ Write to Minseo

Gulf of Thailand at mid-morning

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