Diving from Mai Khao

[challett]

Hi-

I am making my first trip to Thailand in a little over a week. I will be staying with family at the Marriott Beach Club in Phuket on the Mai Khao beach.

I know that there is a dive shop that is associated with the resort, but I also know from experience that these shops are often incredibly overpriced. Can anyone recommend a good diving solution for me? I would really like to get out to see the Similans, but not sure what the weather will have in store (as well as the feasibility of getting there).

I'll be there for 2 weeks, and would even consider a live-aboard for part of my time if I could book one at this late date.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Bowmouth]

Rent a car or bike, book with a diveshop in either Patong, Karon or Kata and drive in the morning for daytrip divetours to Ao Chalong.
Check with diveshop(s) in Patong, Kata and / or Karon on last minute trips to the Similans.

 

[stevenl]

In addition: There are still liveaboards going, but your choice will be limited.

On the 16th of May, this trip is confirmed.

 

[TJ_Diver]

Another option is to look at driving up to Khao Lak and taking a boat out of there. The drive is a bit farther than Ao Chalong, but it is much shorter sea trip to the Similans. I have had good luck with Sea Bees (they run boats out of both Ao Chalong & Khao Lak).
The weather will be quite unpredictable during your stay. The main diving season is from October-April, but it is diveable all year. If the weather looks bad, you may be stuck diving some of the the local Phuket sites out of Ao Chalong.

 

[greg34]

Hi-
I'll be there for 2 weeks, and would even consider a live-aboard for part of my time if I could book one at this late date.
Thoughts? Suggestions?

I recommend to visit Pattaya. Scuba diving is Pattaya’s most popular water sport – the water is clear, sea life plentiful, transport and accommodation readily available and instruction to a very high standard. Diving in Pattaya is comparatively cheap, and once you have achieved your certification in Thailand, you can use it to go scuba-diving all over the world.

 

[Bowmouth]

I recommend to visit Pattaya.

Visiting Pattaya to go scuba diving when one is staying in a hotel in Phuket doesn't work all that well. I really doubt if Pattaya's diveshops would pick up a diver in Phuket for daytrip diving...

 

[smartecosse]

nice plug for pattaya though

VERY subtle

ooooohhhhhhhh look, you have a link at the bottom of your sig.

 

[stevenl]

I had this same website spamming my guestbook last week. The owner claims to know nothing of this, and I believe him. It looks to me as if somebody (maybe his webmaster?) is trying to get a better search engine ranking this way.

 

[Bowmouth]

I recommend to visit Pattaya.

I would like to know a little bit more about Pattaya's Liveaboard dive trips please.

 

[proffumdiver]

book me a trip as well