Search results

A slight correction on that. The currents there are almost all tidal and moon related as opposed to storm/season. You'll get more on spring tides than neaps. Sometimes significantly more. A good operator and guide will select the dive sites and times (and underwater routes) factoring in the...

There does appear to be a little more to this rather than just fish abuse. These people own a restaurant, work as a chef, own a speedboat and a dive centre. That isn't what tourists do or tourist visas allow. Its possible that they did what always happens to a foreigner after a complaint -...

Time of year is critical to make any recommendations. Some areas (Similans) are outright closed during monsoon whereas other places have their high season etc.

As above, the beginning of October is right at the start of the season (the parks are closed until mid October). You may or may not get lucky with the weather - ive seen horrible, howling rain and wind constantly but ive also seen calm winds, blue skies and perfect conditions. As the day boats...

Similan/Surin islands and that part of the Andaman west coast open mid October. Yes it might still be rainy and windy, or it might not. If you do dive then you'll get quiet or deserted dive sites at least.

Sadly it does not and never has:- So in theory someone completely unable to swim but is able to thrash around with fins and a mask can pass it. As you said though, the main problem is instructors/dive centres completely and utterly ignoring and cutting training standards. Combine that with...

You posted this on facebook too but i'll reply here. Basically to work in Asia you need to be instructors. In most of the countries the DM jobs are done by locals and teaching jobs by foreigners. Unless you speak a combination of very useful languages that is. In addition to that, i dont...

Id agree but only in part. Some places in Mergui do have some of the most colouful soft corals ive seen (No hard, its all been dynamited or dragged by nets obviously). It really is colourful. *HOWEVER* in Mergui the visibility is generally pants - a few metres at most on some sites. You...

A 5mm or possibly a 7mm yes. Seeing far too many shaking, freezing customers and people skipping dives at the moment, especially in the 24-25c. Ive still never seen a single person too hot on a dive anywhere in the world. I have however seen hundreds too cold on a dive in many places.

I work doing 4 dives a day on the Andaman coast which is how im familiar with the water temperatures. And also, air temperature doesn't affect the water as much as the seasonal ocean currents here which is why its currently dropping.

Except that isn't actually the case. The *water* temperature is dropping. Its gone from roughly 30-31c surface in January dropping to 28c in a thermocline to 27c surface and 24c in a green monster / thermocline as of this week and will continue to drop as the months move on. You're also...

Remember water temp is dropping since January. Ive never met anyone too hot on a dive, but have met hundreds of people too cold. We were lending personal full wetsuits a few weeks ago to customers who couldnt survive in the 3mm shorties provided.

Slightly further north but temps have sadly dropped to 27-28c now with sometimes 24c in a passing green monster. I struggled in my 3mm full with thermocline vest underneath and a hood so now in a 5mm.

If you go to Koh Tao in the summer months you'll see lots of Whale Sharks. You'll also see potentially 10s or 100 of divers at the same time. Other than the Whale Sharks, the rest of the diving is distinctly average BUT if seeing big stuff is your goal, its likely your best option. As for...

Oldish thread but might be useful to add a few things comparing the two. Similan Islands themselves:- - Granite topography so numerous swimthroughs. Not a lot of coral due to the rock type. - Although there are a lot of dive boats the sites here aren't TOO overcrowded as there are quite a...

Beat me to it - that used to drive me mad with the random argument that $0.8CI = $1US so its more expensive. People just dont seem to get the fact that (i) Cayman is not the USA - its a different country and (ii) has its own currency. Yes Cayman is expensive (one of the most expensive islands...

Plenty of reasons. Nobody knows how stable it is or isnt - it might not have settled. There could be damage internally, walls and/or ceilings collapsed, blockages and debris, sharp bits of metal. The other practical problem may well be there are no mooring balls on or near it (sand chute the...

It's being fed and if you look carefully on youtube you can find videos of it being fed by people that should know better.

There is definitely no US customs clearance in Grand Cayman - there's barely Cayman customs yet alone anyone elses!

Those are both marked areas in that they fly the US Navy dive flag on the shore and both have marked pencil buoys. The other shore diving centres are the same. Unmarked would be something like people doing their own thing from a public dock or cemetery beach etc.