Headed to Phuket, Phi Phi, Similans.. dive trip prices

[lanshark]

I'm off to Thailand in February for a month. As I will be dragging my gear with me, in looking at several websites, the cheapest 2 tank dives I've seen when you have your own gear is around 1500 Baht for local diving around Phi Phi, and 2500 baht for King cruiser/shark point (Princess divers). Is this a good outfit to deal with? I'm an experienced diver and don't need any hand holding...

Are there any reputable operators which offer diving for less. Unfortunately the Canadian dollar's taken a bit of a beating lately.. so I'd like to get as much bang for the buck as possible. I'm pretty low maintenance and don't need all the bells and whistles that some operators provide.

I've already got a list of liveaboards to look at for the Similans...

your help is appreciated...


Lanshark...

[Bowmouth]

I think your best option and value for money is to do (multiple) liveaboard cruises. Even the cheaper liveaboards offer at least 3 day-dives and a nightdive per day, bring you to all the prime dive sites, food - drinks and accomodation is included and you do not have to drag your equipment from one daytrip boat to another.
Another bonus is that you will not be "rushed" so much on a liveaboard as on a daytrip dive boat and that you will be with a bunch of people on the boat who all love to do the same thing you do: to dive and dive and dive...

[mase]

I think your best option and value for money is to do (multiple) liveaboard cruises.

Agree. The best diving(similans)at a reasonable price. Some very inexpensive boats leave out of Ranong (none too fancy) and also Koh Lak.

[swankenstein]

When I was there a few months ago, I walked around to several dive shops in Patong and they were all the same price. I took a 3-tank dive for about $120 CAD including gear. I think it was about 500 Bhat less with your own gear. I was suprised that the diving there pretty much cost the same as eveywhere else in the world even though most other things were so cheap. Maybe PADI has a "suggested retail price" for dive sharters that applies all over the world.

[stevenl]

Maybe PADI has a "suggested retail price" for dive sharters that applies all over the world.PADI does not get involved with fundiving at all, only divetraining, and on Phuket there are no price agreements between the DC's.