Need Help!! Going on liveaboard in Thailand in Nov for the first time

[Jayfro]

Hello.

My wife and I are planning a 4 to 5 days Liveaboard in Thailand in the month of November. We are both Open Water certified and will be doing our Advanced course before coming to Thailand.


We are both super excited and hoping to see some sharks, rays, corals and other awesome stuff We are hoping to dive many different locations, and we definitely want to dive Richeliau Rock and the Similan islands. As this will be our first Liveaboard experience, I was hoping to get some tips. Firstly, regarding the time we are planning this trip, is the second half of November a good time to see our rare underwater friends? If not, when is the prime time in your opinion considering that we are planning some sightseeing and traveling across the country also? I am asking because we will booking the airplane tickets very soon and we really want to make sure that our trip is a memorable one.


Regarding the boat, we are looking for one with a cabin. Private bathroom would be a bonus but not necessary. Also, it would be preferable not too have too large of a group on the boat, preference only. Our budget is about $1000/person. Do you guys have any recommendations?

Any suggestions, pointer and/or tips would be greatly appreciated.



Jay

 

[Pearlman]

I don't think LOBs have a private bathroom. And there is always a danger of the few common toilets getting choked.

That aside my personal experience on LOB tells me anybody who is new and not confident of diving without being supervised should postpone an LOB experience, buddy checks notwithstanding. You can't avoid a crowd, there's bound to be 15~20 divers on a boat, but they all go together in groups of 4 to 6 in different directions, so it's ok.

Other more experienced divers may have more to say on this.

Sent from my GT-N7000

 

[stevenl]

There are many, many options for you in different price classes. And of course private bathrooms are possible, in general those boats are more expensive than the more basic ones though. 2 boats offering excellent value and private facilities and inside the budget are this one and this one. There are quite a few more options though, but they will also be more expensive.

Most importantly for the OP, chances of sightings of especially manta rays are better later in the season, November is normally too early for that. February/March is much better for manta's. November and December though are very good diving with normally better visibility than in March.

 

[AleG]

Don't forget to bring sea sickness pills, those boats roll a fair bit and if you are not used to it you'll go green. It's a good idea to take some as soon as you set sail, it takes some time for the medicine to have an effect so better safe than sorry.

 

[Pearlman]

There are many, many options for you in different price classes. And of course private bathrooms are possible, in general those boats are more expensive than the more basic ones though. 2 boats offering excellent value and private facilities and inside the budget are this one and this one. There are quite a few more options though, but they will also be more expensive..

I stand corrected. And then I didn't notice the budget was per person.
Funny I never found those boats when I searched before my trip.

That said, on a diving trip its always good to eat light as the pressure underwater on a full stomach can be discomforting. So I never found it difficult to compromise with a shared loo and quick shower.

You are also likely to enjoy leisurely sitting around with the other divers in the social spaces and areas in your boat, rather than sit in your cabin, until the very last minute you crash at night. So the cheaper options with ordinary cabins are not that bad - for me at least. The only reason I would afford the more expensive ones is because the boats were designed with safety and storm proof if the threat of bad weather were looming.

-Pearlman

 

[Tippytoes12]

My husband and I went on our first LOB to the Similans just after we got our Advanced and I seem to remember that we had about 50 dives each done at that point. We were absolutely fine , we travelled on Dive Race and had our own cabin with private bathroom. We had done alot of travelling prior to this , met on an overland trip in South America and got married in Africa for instance. The LOB was our very best travel experience ever at that point. We have since been on Black manta to the Similans , also to Komodo and done a few Red Sea liveaboards and just love the adventure plus all the wonderful diving.

Black Manta is now in Indonesia ( we are travelling to Raja Amapat on it this Christmas) but there is the new White Many a which does the Similans and looks great.

I would fully agree with the above advice that you are unlikely to see Mantas in November in the Similans. However the island of nusa lembongan just off Bali has many as all year. The southern sites of Hin Muang and Him Daeng may be a little better.

Have a great trip.

 

[gizmo1972]

thailand aggressor is ment to be good! check out the captain logs

 

[maristu]

Just did a liveaboard to the Similans and Richelieu, went with Khao Lak Scuba Adventures, and it was a lovely experience, so good I'm thinking of coming back next season for my divemaster training. Those are truly beautiful dive sites, you're in for a treat! Mantas can appear at any time, but your better odds I think are in december/january (I didn't see any, but the boat that left after mine did, and this was in May!). My liveaboard was 4D/4N on the Manta Queen II, cost me about 700 dollars for a cabin with a friend. Common bathrooms, but everything worked fine and there was hardly ever a line. We got 14 dives in 4 days, the instructors were great and everyone had a great time. I've also heard really good things about Wicked Diving, you should check them out too! This is in Khao Lak, not Phuket, it's a village about an hour north of Phuket, with some nice beaches and a nice, quiet vibe. I'm so in love with the place, but it's not for everyone!

Have fun! Can't wait to go back, truly my favorite diving place so far, and I've been diving all over Asia and Australia / New Zealand

 

[flippin_fins]

I was just looking at LOBs in Phuket today and came across this site.

Similan Thailand

I hope it helps and have a Great Dive!

 

[Scuba Cat Diving]

There are a huge range of boats than visit the Similans and Surin area in Thailand, private bathrooms are available in your budget, but shared bathrooms are rarely a problem on board.
The timing for larger palegics is a bit later in the year, Manta are usually from late Dec onward, but this is luck as with anything else. If you do come early in the season you may have more chance of sharks as the marine parks have been closed for 6 months so there tend to be more around at the start of the season.
Another option is diving the South Andaman where there is a higher chance all year of seeing sharks and in the Hin Daeng area there are regular Manta spotting.